Here it is, in its entirety.
Hi Meg,
I hope you are well. I have found some unusual words and wondered if you had heard of them?
nelipot – someone who walks without shoes
estrapade – a horse who attempts to remove its rider
brevirostrate – having a short nose
batrachophagons-one who eats frogs
Will your new book be suitable for my age?
I have been given some Eva Ibbotsen books, Do you like her?
I hope to hear from you soon,
from Immie xxx
Why is this the perfect letter? Because it is full of interesting new information that also happens to make me smile. It does not ask me to explain all the themes of my books or say where I get my ideas. It is short and to the point. And even if I hadn’t already met Immie (9) and realized that I liked her a lot, I would have known that she is a person worth paying attention to, and possibly being lifelong friends with, on the basis of her e-mail.
Thanks, Immie. And though I do think the new book might be a bit tricky for you, when you ARE ready to read it, I’ll be more than happy to send you a copy.
p.s. One of my favourite words is koumpounophobia, which means fear of buttons.
Hmph.
How exciting to come across a nine year old who is enthralled with words. Immie is a keeper.
Dear Meg,
I am Immie’s English teacher and she has proudly shown me her contribution to your blog! As you have realised, she is an absolute delight to have in my class. She is funny and talented and there is never a dull moment with her around! You obviously made an enormous impact upon her at your talk, both she and Lizzie were bubbling with enthusiasm, and Immie is now planning to be a writer too! Thank you for signing a copy of your book for me – I was thrilled with it!
Many thanks, Deborah
Any friend of Immie’s is a friend of mine, to coin a phrase… I did love her e-mail and have had lots of feedback on FB about it.
She’s a lovely girl, and will no doubt make a wonderful writer!