By Darrell Halen
Staff Writer

Observer/Bruce Preston Author Carol Weston, left, visited Windham Center School after fifth-grader Lauren Pappalardo wrote a fan letter to her in admiration of her Melanie Martin series.

Lauren Pappalardo liked the Melanie Martin books she read so much that she wrote to author Carol Weston, asking when her next book was coming out.

Their communications online eventually lead to Weston paying a recent visit to Windham Center School, where the fifth-grader got to meet her.

“It was kind of like, nice,” said Lauren, who once wrote a fan letter to Weston that the writer posted on her Web site.

Weston spoke to students during three assemblies on Monday, Jan. 9. Some of the students are familiar with her work.

Weston’s books include four novels about an 11- year-old character, Melanie Martin, who travels with her parents and her annoying younger brother, “Matt the Brat.” All are written diary format.

Weston’s first book, “Girl Talk,” published 21 years ago, is in its fourth edition and has been translated into several languages. In it, Weston advises girls age 11 through 18 on how to feel good about themselves, deal with stress, do well in school, and handle changing relationships.

Weston, whom Newsweek has called the “Teen Dear Abby,” pens an advice column, “Dear Carol,” for Girls’ Life magazine.

“I get letters from girls who have big and small problems,” she said.

It’s a job that’s fun but one that she takes seriously because of the responsbility that goes with it, she said.

Weston, who lives in New York City and has written a dozen books, grew up hearing about working with words. Her mother worked for a magazine, and her father worked for TV, radio and newspapers. At 19, she published her first magazine article in Seventeen magazine.

Windham Media Specialist Diana Greenleaf, after learning that Lauren had been communicating with Weston through e-mail, invited the author to come to Center School.

Appearing before fifthgraders, Weston enthusiastically read from some of her work, told them of the challenges of breaking into book publishing and shared that she incorporates funny family ancecdotes into her books.

Weston kept diaries when she was a young student and wrote her first book while in first grade, she told the students.

“If you ever do any work that you’re proud of ... something you worked hard on, keep it because it’s pretty fun when you’re older to look back on your work,” she said.

Weston encouraged the students to keep reading and writing. She urged them to write from the heart, and to “paint” pictures with words for their readers.

“You have to give people lots of details,” she said. Later, she autographed books for the students.

“She has a real knack for communicating with kids,” said Cathy Pappalardo, Lauren’s mother.