I've always had many questions. I still do. What is real? Is anything left after we die? What if friends are mean? How can we get help when we need it? Some people are heros, but what about me? Somewhere from deep inside me – from out of those questions and much more, came The Fluffers Book – or Caro Carolina, Geela Gribbs, and Fluffers the Invisible Dog.
I've also always loved stories. I still have piles of my favorite children's books – The Helen Keller Story, Call of the Wild, Black Beauty, Elizabeth Blackwell - First Woman Doctor.
Then, about three years ago, the opening words of The Fluffers Book appeared in my head.
Geela Gribbs was known as more than a little weird. She looked ordinary enough …
I wrote down the words, and the words that followed. I wrote down the draft for three chapters, and the ideas for the rest of the novel.
Geela Gribbs came to life. So did Caro Carolina, thirteen. And Fluffers, the invisible dog.
Back to weird Geela Gribbs, who looked ordinary enough. Right in the opening paragraph,
She snapped her fingers, looked downward, and said, "Come on, Fluffers." There was no one with Geela Gribbs, no one Caro's mother saw, no one Caro saw.
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The story that started in my mind is just that, a story. If also comes from questions I've had in my mind all my life - questions for which I have no final answers. Probably I never will. But the questions matter to me.
In the book, Caro - like me - wishes she could get answers from some reliable source. She can't.
How could she know what was safe and what wasn’t - also what was real and what wasn’t?
It didn’t do any good, asking people. She sure couldn't ask Geela.
Most of all, people saw such different worlds. In her parents’, ghosts and gods and goblins didn’t exist. But for Mrs. Falks from Social Studies, hell and heaven were as real as her bright red lipstick and black sprayed hair. And according to Fatima, there was a neat point system - god gave two points for doing this, and took off seventy-two points for something else. As for Fran Perkins, everybody knew she lived with spirits hovering all over the place.
There is one answer Caro already has, from deep inside herself. She knows that all the answers can't be right - there can't both be ghosts and not be ghosts, be a god and not be a god. That's like saying two and two makes five and seven and twenty-two.
But that's what she is told.
The worst was Mr. Fronznick, her principal. At some point in his welcoming speech, which was the same each and every year, he smiled a great big wide smile, half closed his tiny eyes, nodded about five times, and said every opinion was equally valid.
But how could that be? That would mean her parents and Mrs. Falks and Fatima and Fran Perkins were all right, even though they disagreed with each other. That would mean Geela’s dog did and didn’t exist. The same went for heaven and hell. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that that made no sense.
So many questions, and so many people ready with answers which couldn't all be right. Which world was real and which wasn't? Caro wanted to solve things, to stop the questions in her head. But she had no idea how to.
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One big thing - Caro can't see Fluffers. However, it isn't only Geela who sees Fluffers. In addition to flaky Fran Perkins, there's Bert Cummings at the general store - and Doug Janoschevic, a classmate Caro has never noticed.
And then, one night, Fluffers comes to Caro in a dream. A week later a classmate is hit by a car, left to die in a ditch. Once again, Fluffers comes to Caro in a dream.
What is real? What can she do? Is it possible that, even if she can't see Fluffers, Fluffers could help her find who hit Jake? And is there anyone else who might help?
It can't be her two best friends. They stopped talked to her a few days ago, and won't even tell her why.
Caro wants to do something. And she tries.
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I'd never thought I'd write a book for preteens. But that's what came out. Not a song, not an adult book, not an idea piece. There have been lots of those – but only one Fluffers Book. It came from me, from questions inside me, from questions, wondering, hopes.
It started on its own. I chose to keep going.
By now, The Fluffers Book is complete. The first chapter is on the web, along with SOUND . As a child I loved having my mother read to me. Now as a grownup, I like reading aloud to others. Here it is:
For more, here's Caro's song, which also came unbidden one morning - again with a question important to many preteens, and in fact to many of us, all our lives:
What will happen with The Fluffers Book ? It's gone out to publishers. Most recently it was rejected by Random House after half a year.
And now? It'll be going, chapter by chapter, up on the web. Who knows where that path may lead.
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If you like, you can register to be notified when the next chapter is up.
Also, if you're a teacher interested in using the book in your classrooms, maybe as a way of starting a discussion on some of the questions raised in the book, you're very welcome to. And I'd love to hear what happens.
Comments welcome. Also comments are very welcome on how you've dealt with one of the questions big for Caro: what is real?
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Elsa Schieder, prof, writer, performer, web designer. Always more. Creativity has always been a huge force in my life. Creativity - everything from stories to music to art to creative thinking (meaning good thinking).
My website (where you'll find the start of The Fluffers Book, and much more):
The website - music, stories, spoken word, an exploration of what it means to be at home, and a big section, The Idea Emporium, where I play with all kinds of ideas - everything from stupid opinions to walls in the mind. And more.
Disclaimer: All information on this site is provided for informational purposes only! By no means is any
information presented herein intended to substitute for the advice provided to you by any health care or other professional
or organization.
