Savannah Maddison - Sincerely, YOU: Letter-Writing to Change the World

Text copyright 2019 by Savannah Maddison

Cover art and interior illustrations copyright 2019 by Jill De Haan

Additional interior illustrations by Michelle Cunningham

All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Rodale Kids, an imprint of Random House Childrens Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York.

Rodale and the colophon are registered trademarks and Rodale Kids is a trademark of Penguin Random House LLC.

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2018018610

Trade Paperback ISBN97816356535577

Ebook ISBN9781635653564

Random House Childrens Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.

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Bridges have a lot of meaning to me. Big bridges, small bridges, wood bridges, metal bridges, old bridges, and new onesI love them all. Every time I see a bridge, I think about how that bridge is an important link. It connects two places, the here to the there.

Life is filled with small, meaningful connections, just like bridges. A photograph, a video, a piece of art, or a handwritten letter connects people through shared memories, feelings, desires, and dreams. In many ways, these small connections represent some of the strongest and most fundamental pillars of our society. They stand for love, for community, for teamwork, and for the freedom to be who we are, believe what we want, and do the things that make us happy.

For kids living in the United States, freedom is one of those bridges that connect us all. Every day, many men and women leave their families behind to protect our freedom. They sacrifice so much for us. Just think about all the time they are away from the people they love. Think about all the important moments they miss out on because they are away from home. They are true heroes.

But as much as we need them, they also need us.

My journey began with a pen and a piece of paper. In the fifth grade, my best friend, Wilson, told me her father was being deployed, a word I didnt quite understand at the time. Once I learned what it meant, we wrote him a letter to show him how much we cared.

Because of that first letter, and with the help of thousands of kids like you, I started a charitable organization called Savannahs Soldiers. At Savannahs Soldiers, we engage kids in our national letter-writing campaign to send Dear Hero letters to deployed troops around the world. Our mission is to help kids create change in the world around them, with a special focus on supporting our military and veterans with pride. Our programs and performances raise awareness about how much the military and their families do for us every day, in ways we cant always see.

COUNTLESS KIDS HAVE CHIPPED IN, AND TOGETHER WE HAVE WRITTEN OVER 250,000 LETTERS ADDRESSED TO SERVICE MEMBERS WHO DESERVE OUR APPRECIATION AND GRATITUDE.

Many of these men and women are far away from their loved ones, and the letters are reminders that we are thinking about them. Our goal is to send one million letters, so I hope this book inspires you to send your own letter. We need your help!

I never thought something as easy as writing a letter could make such a huge difference in someone elses life, but I have seen the amazing results firsthand. Writing letters, just like crossing bridges, connects people and fosters a really strong bond.

When someone you love goes away even for just a little while, it can feel like a part of you goes with them. Almost like youve lost a part of yourself. Its hard to stay on your path when you feel like youre alone. Its not an easy spot for anyone to be in. And a letter written to your faraway relative or friend is just the start. More than anything, writing a letter builds a bridge from here to there. Once you cross that bridge, you can look back at where you came from to realize you were never alone.

But sometimes its not easy to figure out what to say. Sometimes its hard to feel like youre still close when someone is so far away. Quick texts and emails dont capture everything youre feelinglonely, proud, sad, scared. Nothing is worse than trying to tell someone something that really means a lot to you and knowing that youre failing to get your true feelings across. How do you write about missing your dad when you cant find the words? How do you explain to him that you cant make mac and cheese as yummy as he does, even though Mom swears youre doing it right?

Im here to help you realize that maybe its not as hard as you think to get these feelings down on paperthere are truly a number of ways to express how you feel, especially when youre feeling so sad, or missing so hard, or feeling so conflicted. Theres no wrong way to do it, and Im going to get you started. You might be surprised by what you learn about yourself and your passion along the wayjust like I did.

Men build too many walls and not enough bridges.

Writing a letter used to be the only avenue to connect with people who werent near you. It is a lost art of sorts. But a handwritten letter is a beautiful and unique expression of your feelings. You can be creative, funny, colorful, or silly, and really let your personality shine through. You can keep letters and read them again and again. Giving yourself that space of a page (or a few pages) lets your creativity soar. And lets face it: Finding a handwritten envelope addressed to you shoved between all those catalogs and bills in your mailbox just brightens your day.

This book is for anyone who is lonely or scared, or who is missing a best friend, a parent, a grandparent, or another loved one. Its for quiet nights, confusing days, or any time you want to express something complicated to yourself or the world around you. Its for the kids trying to make their dreams a reality and live up to their purpose in life. Its for our troops who are serving our country every single day. Its for you and me.

So grab your pen, your paper, and even some red, white, and blue markers. I hope this book helps you feel ready to find new ways to connect to the world around you, build friendships and relationships with the people you love, and really make a difference in the lives of those who need it the mostone letter at a time.