I get many wonderful letters, emails, and guest book entries from my website and book, Barking Spiders and Other Such Stuff. As testimonials, they mean a lot to me and I'd like to share them with you.

~ CJ's Orchid Letters ~

Emails and Guest Book Entries:

I've come across your stories at your website and I believe they are good reading material for Filipino children. I would like to ask your permission for us to reprint "The Little Umbrella" for the Grade 1 Edition of our magazine.

If you will grant my request, I promise to print the story with due credit to you and your publisher. I will also send you copies of the magazine.

Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you.
EVELYN J. DE LA CRUZ
Dane Publishing House, Inc.
203 Mindanao Ave. Ext.
Project 8, Quezon City 1106
Philippines

July 8, 2003
Hello CJ,
It has been a wonderful journey through your website. Thank you very much. I am an English teacher from a small town in Poland. I have found a wonderful resource of beautiful poems and stories and other fun-bringing things for my pupils and myself.

Best wishes,
Mira Sikora

(June 2003)
Dear CJ -
Your delightful book arrived this past week-end in the pouring rain. I felt so sorry for the mailman who ran it up to my door. However, I was so grateful to have it! I had copied several of your poems off of the internet many months ago and shared them with my son and daughter-in-law. While my grandson is still a bit young (11 months), grandpa and I have been so tickled with your poetry, we wanted to have a copy of your book to give to him. We giggled over many, and got pretty weepy over a few.

I'm thrilled that you autographed the book. Many thanks.
Marcia J. Clark
Rockville, MD

Dear CJ,
This is a wonderful website! It took me a long time to find something appropriate to share with my 3rd graders. We are doing a social studies theme: Myself, My Family, My Neighborhood. I didn't want to start off with the "same old" read aloud.

This website has given me the perfect way launch the theme and get the kids to continue talking about self. I just love this! As we really don't have Internet access in the classroom, I have printed out at least 2 poems from every single page of the 16 to share with my kids.

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!
J. Dyer, Teacher
Bronx, New York

Hi CJ,
Thank you for writing such beautiful poems. As a student taking ECE, I have been searching for some poetry for an assignment. I don't usually enjoy poems myself, but yours were exceptionally beautiful. I will pass on your web address and I hope you sell many books. Thank you again.
Suzanne, "The Daycare Lady"

Hi CJ,
... it was a pleasure to visit your website. Here in Germany, summer vacation starts today and since I used to write in the morning, I will visit together with my son your website of course many, many times until we have read all of your poetry and interesting kids' stuff.

Just keep writing, CJ, you are a treasure for all poetry lovers and of course a big treasure chest for all kids. Thanks so much for providing such a wonderful page!
Love from Germany,
Cathy and David

Dear CJ,
I adore your poetry, it makes childhood come to life again. I just gave birth to my first child ten days ago, and he is already getting to know the marvels of your work! Thanks for all the great moments you have already given to my child and I.
Sincerly,
Nacole Eldridge

"Dear CJ Heck,

Your love for poetry, is love for children.
Your heart glows wherever you go.
The spirit in your heart is the spirit in your soul.
You'll always find a friend wherever you go.
Your poetry will help you your whole life through
And you'll always be able to take a step bigger than you usually would.
You're graceful in your heart
And you'll make it through every part.

Hi, I'm Rachel and I'm 9 years old. I signed your guest book. I believe you are the most beautiful poetry writer I've ever listened to, especially Grandma's Apron. I'm sure you get a lot of compliments on it. It really touched me. Well, I've got to go. Bye!
Rachel Bachler"
November 4, 2001

"I just wanted to let you know that my daughter really got a kick out of your poem, "Barking Spiders". She is an incredibly sweet child, but laughter does not come easy to her. She tends to be a bit on the serious side and often doesn't see the hidden meaning in things. She understood this one right away.

Thank you for making your work available on the web. Our family will be hitting your website often.
Sincerely,
~Nancy Wiedenbeck"

"Hi there, CJ Heck,
I went to sign your guestbook but alas, it was full! I just thought that I would send you a wee note to say that I really like your verse and so do my children, Clara (5), and Jonathan (7). We live in Christchurch, New Zealand, so I expect that we are a little way from you.
All the best,
~Fiona Prentice"

A letter ...
"Hello CJ,
My name is Cindy Miller and I contacted you through your website back in October of last year. This was in regards to your special book, Barking Spiders. My daughter loves the book and I would now like you to sign it for her. She will be graduated from Baldwin Wallace College this May with a degree in Elementary Education K-8 and Special Education K-12. Her father and I are very proud of her. She is going to be a great teacher!

Her name s Holly and she is 21 years old. She has grown up with a true love of reading books.

Thanks so much! I will be sending this to you by book rate and I will also enclose another envelope and a check to cover necessary postage to send it back to Holly.

Thanks again and God Bless you!"
Sincerely,
Cynthia Miller
Ohio

"I enjoyed reading your poetry and listening to the accompanying music. What a relaxing way to end a school day. This site is perfect to share with my fourth grade classes. Thank you for sharing!"
~Roberta Immerman

"I am a student teacher in a 1st grade classroom and happened across your site when I was looking for poems about ants. Your poems are wonderful. I would like your permission to use Calapitter and Toothpaste with our class. We use the poems as read alouds at the beginning of the day and include them in the children's poetry folders which they take home to their families. Thank you!"
Jan Cribben

"Dear CJ,
Great poems on your website! If I want to use one of your poems in my classroom, is that permissable? Do you happen to have a poem about bridges or kites? Obscure, I know. The poems Windows in Heaven and Letter From Heaven were touching. Thanks!"
Jan Wilhelm

"Thank you for your great website. My students are currently using it to research for their poetry books.

Keep up the good work!"

Sam Hanson
Snohomish, WA

"Your site is a fantastic journey through all kinds of word stories. You do such great work - thanks for sharing your talents -- the very best to you and yours always!"
~Mr. Doug
Poetry from the Heart
Michigan

"I was looking for poems to teach my students and I found Barking Spiders to be an excellent place for teachers. I will recommend it. Congratulations, and thanks! I really enjoyed it!"
~Marina Guidi,
Argentina, South America

"My 23 year old daughter found your website for me. I am an elementary teacher and she discovered it as she was browsing the web. I love it so far. I have not had time to go through everything yet, but I have found a lot of valuable teaching material here and I will defintely be back!"
~Karen Brown
Cortez, CO

"I am an elementary teacher looking for sites to assist me in teaching a poetry unit. Barking Spiders is an excellent website and it will help me tremendously. Thank you!"
~Wendy Fisher
Springville, PA

"I am a first grade teacher. I was looking for poems to share with my students. You have wonderful poems! Thanks."
~Donna
New York

"I was looking for children's poems for my daughter and son's scrapbooks. WOW! I have truly enjoyed reading all of your wonderful poems. I will pass this site onto all my friends. Thanks so much for your wonderful work!"
~Laura
Jackson, Mississippi

" was looking for poetry to use in my classroom. I really enjoy the poems. I love reading them to the kids and listening to them laugh. This is how children should be introduced to poetry!"
~Teri
Oklahoma

"Thank you, CJ. What a wonderful site you have created! My four children, (9, 7, and 2 year-old twins) will keep coming back. Such beautiful poems to share with them."
~Andrea Miller
Ontario, Canada

"I read your poetry on Lovestories.com and got here through your profile. I love your poems! Always have, always will! You are truly one of my idols! Good luck for the future."
Therese
Australia

"I had come across your site before, and again your site was recommended by friends on the PoeticLink. As always, I enjoyed my visit, especially the adult poetry. You write with touch, not ink; with passion, not words. Poems that speak with the voices of Old World, and new. Thanks again."
~ Joe Gustin

"I must say, I love your poems. I am currently taking classes to keep my teaching certification in Ohio and needed poems for my class. I came across your page and am delighted with the poems. I will definitely use them next year in my class. I am a kindergarten teacher and I'm sure the children will get a kick out of them. Thank you.
~ Amy from Ohio"

"Dear CJ, I have been enjoying your poetry very much. You have a great talent for writing. I am currently a college student constructing a web site and was wondering if I could please have your permission to use some of your poetry on my site?"
Sally Domenech

"Hello, sweet Poet Lady,
Into the hearts of children you go to print their wonderfully naive truth.
Rusty Daily"

"CJ, I was browsing the net looking for poems to read to my students and I came across your poems and loved them! ... Keep writing! I'm looking forward to more great poetry."
Sincerely,
Kathy J.

"Hello, CJ ~ I am sure everyone has told you how wonderful your writing is. My message is that it could only come from someone with a heart of gold and wings of the purest white. You touched me deeply with your poem, 'Gramma's Apron'. But, that is not the only one. All of them are just wonderful ... it is so fulfilling to stumble across someone like you. Can I already be in love with you just a little? Your words are great."
Don Geske

"CJ -- I really enjoyed browsing through your website. I was wanting to know if I could possibly use some of your poems (documented, of course), in my classroom. I will be a first year teacher, and I'm looking for all sorts of ideas, poems, etc., to use for my class ..."
Jane Rhee

"Hello - First of all, your site is terrific. I am a poetry lover, not a poet, and found myself chuckling aloud reading the children's poems on your website. Thank you for the laughter about childhood. Your site was worth the journey."
Kathy

"Dear CJ, I loved your children's poetry so much...to be honest, I felt like a kid again just reading the poems. In addition, I felt nurtured by someone I've never even met! You have an enormous talent and express yourself so well. Thanks so much."
Kate Chandler (Florida)

"CJ, your poetry is wonderful!"
Shannon Mefford (Austin, TX)

"CJ, you have a wonderful website! Your poetry is delightful and ingenious...you have written just what children can relate to. My 6-year old found all of them tremendous and I've bookmarked your site so she and I can check back often. Thank you for such a delightful website!"
Shelley (Louisiana)

"Adorable, fabulous, terrific ... where do I start? Where do I end? Your talent is a wonder to behold!"
Terri McPherson (Ontario, Canada)

"What delightful poetry! I LOVE them! I am a big fan of Shel Silverstein and many of your poems remind me of his work. Keep it up ... you are a terrific writer! The barking spiders especially made me laugh. Thanks for the smiles you brought to my face today (and the tears, too)."
Kitsel B. (Tacoma, WA)

"I was looking for some poetry for my school test. All my school friends wanted me to give them some funny poems to recite. I gave them some of yours. I hope you don't mind. I loved your page!"
Kaashvi Nair (India)

"It's a great site with wonderful words and mental visions. Well done, CJ. I'll be back many times."
Charles Harris (England, originally Zimbabwe)

"I loved reading all your poems. I am a junior school teacher and decided to look on the internet for some poems that I could use in the classroom. Thanks a lot."
Kim (Stratford, New Zealand)

"CJ, What a great site. I love your poetry."
Richard C. Johns (Georgia)

"Hi Sweet PoeticLady! One visit deserves a return! I want your book for my wife's school ... she is a lead Montessori Teacher at Andover School of Montessori! Children and teachers alike will adore it!"
Dale Edmonds (Andover, MA)

"Thank you for your carefully carefree poetry."
Fred Torres (Long Beach, CA)

"CJ, I am a daycare provider working with children from birth to age five. I love the poetry I find here. Keep up the good work."
Patti (Boston, MA)

"My granddaughter and I are working on a poetry book for her assignment for her third grade class. We used some of your poems and we would like to thank you for making them available for us. We loved the barking spider poems! It brought to mind all those times that my father would blame my mother and how we giggled at him. I sure miss him!"
LaDonna Ahlstrand (Abilene, TX, living presently in Raleigh, NC)

"Greetings: I was online looking for poetry to read to the children at school for April National Poetry Month. I appreciate the tenderness in your poetry and the poignancy, especially in the poem about 'Gramma's Apron'. It brought back memories of my own grandmother. Thanks."
Vivian (Tennessee)

"Excellent poems! I was searching for a poem for my kindergarten-age son to read for a speech. Can we use one of yours if we give you proper credit?"
Jane Brumby (Camarillo, CA)

"I was looking for cute poetry for my kindergarten students for graduation. I love your poems. I think I found lots of good ones for my students to recite. THANKS!"
Stacy (South Dakota)

"I have been helping my college student who is an aspiring elementary education major with some of her classes and came across your website. Your poetry brought back images of youth and innocence and such happy thoughts."
Jayne Wilson (Neward, OH)

"Wonderful poems. My daughter and I were looking for a poem she could use in her class project. Several poems reminded her of special things in her life. Thanks for the site."
Maureen (Pennsylvania)

"CJ - You write a lot of great poetry! I found several that my scouts would love to read at our ceremony. My son, who was reading with me, loved the one about being a monkey. Thank you for sharing your talent on the web. It's good to know that my children have safe things to read."
Kathy Lewis (Baltimore, MD)

"Thanks for targeting the kids. We need a generation of people who appreciate poetry, instead of TV..."
Jon von Nottingham (New Hampshire)

"Thank you, thank you. My kindergartners loved it. Many hugs to you!"
Sherry (San Diego, CA)

"Dear Catherine, I have read some of your poetries and I have used one to send to one of my friends. I am very much impress of the wordings which touched the deepness of my heart. Keep it up, Cathy. I have seen your picture to and its also cute and beautiful even at this age you are charming and attractive and its like a poetry too. I am from Pakistan but lives in Dubai and work for an airline there. I am visiting your country which I do every year or twice a year because my brother lives in Atlanta and my sister in Albuquerque. I hope that you will write me back. Once again I'll appreciate of your hard work! love, Ali"
Ali Quaid (Pakistan)

Letters From School Visits:

Manchester School District
Manchester, NH

"Dear Ms. Heck,
Thank you so very much for donating a copy of your poetry book, Barking Spiders, to the Peter Woodbury School Library. I took it home for my family to review -- they are my guinea pigs, you see. And, I can assure you that it was enjoyed by all, but most especially by my ten year-old. He was quite pleased that someone had the nerve to name a book after his favorite bodily function!

Barking Spiders has come just in time to be included in our poetry study during the month of February. As a school, we'll be reading a myriad of poems (happily including yours) and then celebrating poetry with a school-wide poetry contest.

Again, thank you. It is wonderful for the students to have exposure to great local talent and the possibility of encountering you, by chance, here in Bedford. We hope you'll stop in anytime.
Regards,
Mindy Beltramo
Peter Woodbury School Lbrarian
Bedford, NH"

"Dear CJ,
Our daughter Rachel brought home your signed book Barking Spiders and Other Such Stuff, yesterday. She attends Jewett Street School.

She asked that I read her the poems that had not been read during the day. They were wonderful. I found them charming and very easy, even at first reading, to read.

I will admit, after she went to bed , I went through and read the ones which she had been read during the day.

We look forward to your next offering.

Again, Congratulations.
Dick Paquin"

"Dear C.J.,
Thank you for taking the time out of your hectic schedule to participate in our writers' panel discussion. It is greatly appreciated.

Who knows, there may have been a budding children's writer/poet amongst the audience that you inspired!

Best of luck to you and thanks again.
Sincerely,
Debra Spratt
Wadleigh Memorial Library
Milford, NH"

"Dear CJ,
Just a note to let you know how very thankful we are to you for generously sharing of your time and creative talents with "Pool-Side Tales" summer outreach program.

On behalf of children and families in Manchester, we thank you for all of your efforts in promoting literacy!

Your poetry books are fantastic!! You are one talented lady ...
~Sheila M. Brisson
Summer Outreach Coordinator
Manchester School District

Hallsville Elementary School
Manchester, NH
"Dear CJ,
Your visit to Hallsville on April 10, 2001 made for a delightful, enjoyable day for both students and teachers. Laughter filled the library as you read and discussed your poetry. Your poems written for children from the child's point of view allowed our students to quickly become connected to you!

You had requested that we have the children become familiar with your poetry prior to your visit. Thus evolved the 'morning poetry readings' from your book. A student from each room would practice one of your poems and then read it over the intercom. This happened each morning during 'poetry month' and prior to your visit. To this day the poetry reading by students over the school's intercom has continued.

You were very gracious to show up at our "Young Authors' Celebration" evening. Students recognized you and felt pride as you walked around reading their works and chatting with them. Thank you.

We are already discussing next year's "Young Authors' Celebration". And as we had discussed with you, we are hoping you can also become part of that week's celebration. The first week in April looks like the date for this event. Hopefully, you are available during that time.
Sincerely,
Jim Davenport"

Bow Elementary School
Bow, NH
"Dear CJ,
Your visit to Bow Elementary on April 20 was a great success. I just got some pictures back (enclosed) and you can see by the looks on the faces of the children how much they enjoyed your presentations. Your poetry seems to touch our funny bones and our hearts all at the same time.

My personal favorite was "Grandma's Apron": it carried so many visual images and evoked wonderful thoughts and memories.

I appreciate your flexibility in scheduling, group size and meeting locations. It was very helpful to me that you were willing to travel from room to room during your visit. It was great for me to get a chance to know you personally too. I feel like I've made a new friend! I have passed your name along to my husband, Marc, who will very likely contact you for a school visit in Goffstown.

Thank you so much for a wonderful visit. I hope you will consider coming back to Bow next year to meet the younger half of our school population. I will be in touch with you in the fall to set ' something up. I will email you when your face graces our web site!

Best regards,
~Karen Boyd"

Bow Elementary School
Bow, NH "Dear C.J.
Thanks for visiting us at Bow Elementary School! I like your web site and so does my family.
Signed,
~Sean McDevitt, 4y, Room 208"

Campton Elementary School
Campton, NH

"Hi CJ,
... We really enjoyed having you and I'm sending you a letter to add to your credits, but for now, I wanted to tell you about after you left.

A sixth grader came into my room after school and started telling me how much she enjoyed your poem, Gramma's Apron. She was saying how she enjoyed your readings and all of a sudden, she started crying. I hugged her and she said the poem made her think of her grandmother who died three years ago.

Just wanted to let you know your poetry touched yet another heart. Again, thanks for your great job."
Julie Morton

McDonough Elementary School
Title 1 Program
Manchester, NH

"Dear C.J.,
I am enclosing some comments and thank you letters from a fifth and second grade class here at McDonough.

As you can see, your recent visit to our school was most enjoyable to our students and our staff. The parents who attended our evening PTA gathering left smiling and comparing their favorite pieces with their children. "Barking Spiders", "Toe Jam", and "Belly Buttons" were the favorites. Best of all, our students came back the next day telling us that they had read and reread the poems after they were home.

Not only did our students enjoy reading your book, but my family had an enjoyable evening reminiscing. My husband and adult children seemed puzzled when I pulled out your book and started to read Barking Spiders. They laughed hysterically when it was finished. Each poem that I read brought out many memories of their growing up in a large family.

I want to thank you especially for a great fun evening rereading and remembering."
Sincerely,
~Pauline Gagne
Reading Supervisor, Title 1

McDonough Elementary School
- Just a few of the letters: ...

"Dear CJ Heck,
Hi Cathy!
We did have fun in the assembly. You were great!"
Sincerely,
Your friend, Ashton!"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
Thank you for reading us the poems. I loved them all.

I want to be a poet when I grow up. I absolutely love poetry.

Thank you again for reading us the poems.
Sincerely, Kimberly ..."

"Mrs. Heck,
Thank you so much for reading us those poems. Some of them are funny. Some of them were sad, but I like the one about the jelly beans! I like it because it was from your point-of-view ...
Thanks again,
Kelsie"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
I like the poems you read to us. They were really funny and I would like you to come back!
Sincerely,
Trisha"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
Thank you for reading poems to us and being nice enough to come to our school and letting us have fun. I hope you will come back soon. Please? Thank you.
Kurtis"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
Thank you for coming. I liked your books and I like the way you used things from your life. The poem I liked best was the "Toe Jam" one. It was nice!
Your friend,
Katie"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
My name is Tao from Mrs. Feren's class. I want to say thank you for coming to our school. I loved your poems and hope you come back.
Sincerely,
Tao"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
I'm so glad you came to share your poems with us!! Some of them were funny but a lot of them were sad. I bet when you were little, you were a poet and ya didn't even know it!
Thank you,
Emily"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
I like your poems. They were funny! You're right, my brother's feet do stink. I hope you come back another time. I hope I will get to be at school to hear you. Maybe you'll become really famous.
Your friend,
Kristen"

"Dear Mrs. Heck,
THANK YOU!
Thank you for coming in to our school. All those poems you told us were great. I liked when we had to put the words into the poems. I wanted to know did you think of all of those? A lot of kids got a good laugh when the teachers had to say the tongue twisters! Well, I got to get back to my work. Bye.
Sincerely,
Jason"

Campton Elementary School
Campton, NH

"Hi. This is Joshua from 4E's class in Campton Elementary School. Miss Ely, my teacher wanted me to ask you this. What the Heck does C.J. mean? I love your poetry. It is the best I have ever heard in my whole life. My favorite one is Barking Spiders. Please write back soon."
~Joshua

"Dear CJ,
Thank you so much for the great poems. We enjoyed them a lot!!! Thank you for visiting our school.

These were some of our favorites: "The Boogie Man", "Jelly Beans", "My Brother's Feet", "Barking Spiders".
From all your kindergarten friends in Ms. Gatsas Class.
P.S. You are a very good writer!!!"

Campton Elementary School
Campton, NH

Hi CJ -
Thought you'd enjoy getting this letter from a Campton Elementary student. A poet is born ...
Thanks again for your visit. You brought smiles & humor to every classroom.
Sincerely,
Julie Morton
(letter follows below)

"Dear CJ Heck,
I love your book. I thought your poem called, "Gramma's Apron" was very touching. When I read it, I think of my grandma that died of cancer. I wrote a poem of my own when I had lice. Here is a sample of it.

Lice
I had lice.
It wasn't very nice.
They pooped in my hair.
It wasn't very fair.
Next time that I have lice
I will know it will not be very nice.
~by Nancy Ann ...

If you didn't come today, I would not have thought of writing poetry. You really inspired me.

Well I think I should introduce myself. My name is Nancy ... I go to school at Campton Elementary School. I am eleven years old. My birthday is in May. I have three cats. Their names are Sassy, Misty, and Kiwi.

Sassy is a blue Persian. She is my cat. Sassy was our first cat. Here is a poem. I like acrostic poems.

Super love
Always there
Sun loves
Sassy
You love her, she loves you.

Misty is my dad's cat. She is a Maine coon cat. Kiwi is mom's cat. My mom is always there for me. I wrote a lot of other poems, too!. Thank you for your time.
~Nancy"