Girl’s Grandparents 'U' character featured in book
Thisbe Woods is neither a girly-girl nor a tomboy, according to her 11-year-old creator, Ilex.
Recently orphaned, Thisbe moves to a small island to live with her uncle, who is supposedly working to find a way to extract rare minerals from the seawater in Puget Sound. But, after a series of unusual circumstances and a chance meeting with the S.O.S. boys, Woods discovers her uncle is actually involved in espionage.
Ilex created Thisbe Woods while participating in Western Washington University’s Grandparents “U” program, and this is where author Rosanna Porter realized that Ilex had a strong, definitive grasp on Woods’ character. This realization led Porter to incorporate Ilex’s Thisbe into her own “S.O.S. Boys” mystery book series.
“When you share a character, you have to be able to visualize that character as a real person,” Porter said.
Ilex discovered her creative writing voice and character development while joining her grandmother in the 2013 Grandparents “U” course “Bringing Books to Life through Art: Writing, Sculpting and Painting Your Own Stories.”
In this course, children read a work of literature that serves as the basis for writing their own stories. They sculpt their characters, create watercolor backdrops and design sets to use in the performance of their writing, which they act out on portable stages at the closing ceremony.
Ilex and her grandmother, Kathy Reed, have been participating in the Grandparents “U” program since Ilex was 7, the minimum age for participants. They plan to continue until Ilex is too old to participate, said Ilex’s mother Cara Althoff.
Ilex’s younger sister, 7-year-old Zea, also began attending Grandparents “U” in 2013. Zea’s middle name is Thisbe, which is where the character’s name originated.
Ilex weaved in other references from her home life, including naming another character Steve, after her grandfather. The character’s interest in nature stemmed from Ilex's mother’s work as an environmental educator.
“I am excited for her, because she loves to write,” Cara Althoff said of her daughter’s accomplishment. “She’s got a really great imagination, but I’m biased. I love the stories that she comes up with.”
It is that great imagination that brought forth Thisbe Woods, who will join the S.O.S Boys on an adventure in "The S.O.S. Boys in Espionage at One Hundred Fathoms."
Porter’s S.O.S. Boys books, illustrated by Western 2013 bachelor of fine arts alumna Tessa Asato, are fast-paced adventure stories starring 15-year-old friends Rick, Greg and Topher.
The S.O.S. Boys solve mysteries in and around Washington’s San Juan Islands with the help of Rick’s dog and an alien robot dog. The FBI and Coast Guard named them S.O.S. Boys because the boys use Morse code to communicate with each other and the authorities while solving mysteries.
While adventuring around the San Juan Islands on their boat, the boys are confronted with rough waters and seek stability on the island Thisbe and her uncle are on, Porter said.
Asato and Porter plan to present Ilex with a framed illustration of Thisbe Woods and a signed copy of the book on July 17 at the opening ceremony of Grandparents “U.” Ilex’s photo and information about her is included in the book.
Seeing Ilex grow as a writer and storyteller is just one of the many reason’s Porter likes being part of Grandparents “U.”
“It is good to see grandparents encouraging their grandchildren and having fun,” Porter said.
Grandparents “U” summer program offers quality programs to facilitate strong bonding experiences to grandparents and their grandchildren ages 7 to 14. Each two-day intergenerational summer program provides participants a chance to spend quality time together while exploring popular topics taught by Western faculty with courses in Bellingham, Anacortes and Poulsbo.
“It is a great program,” Porter said. “I am glad Western is providing the opportunity to both encourage grandparents and grandchildren to work together as a team and for the grandchildren to get a glimpse of what prospects the university may hold for their future.”
During Summer 2014 Grandparents “U,” students will have the opportunity to create a cat character for Gaye Green’s newest book, "Why Daryl and Carol are Feral," due to be released in 2015. The book is part of the CHA CHA, Communities Helping Animals and Children Helping Animals, book series, which raises awareness for the care and treatment of animals.
For more information about Grandparents “U,” visit www.wwu.edu/grandparentsu, email youth@wwu.edu or call 360-650-3308.
