LAKE FOREST PARK — Album covers were traded for childrens’ books when Sir Paul McCartney visited Third Place Books on Friday, Nov. 4.
But the line of fans — most of whom were adults — didn’t seem to mind.
McCartney visited the bookstore to promote his new children’s book “High in the Clouds.”
“He is not appearing anywhere else,” said Keith Mutzman, senior publicist with Penguin Young Readers. “This is only for the book, not albums or anything else.”
McCartney, 63, performed in Seattle’s Key Arena on Nov. 3 before heading to Portland for a Nov. 4 performance. While visiting Third Place Books he read a portion of the book to school children as well as met fans and signed books.
Longtime fans
Despite a typical rainy Seattle day, hundreds of fans stood in line for hours outside Third Place Books, some with umbrellas and some without. They waited with numbered tickets, hoping to get an opportunity to meet McCartney and secure a signed copy of his book. More than 700 tickets were sold for the book signing.
“It will be worth it as long as I get to see him,” said Richard Melewski, who stood in line for several hours, “if not it would be disappointing.”
Melewski, 50, from Ravendale, Wash., stood in line since noon and said it had not stopped raining. He took the day off work to attend the book signing and last saw McCartney perform three years ago at the Tacoma Dome.
He waited 45 minutes in line to purchase a ticket to the book signing (to redeem a signed copy of the book) on Nov. 1, after learning about the book signing on the radio. His ticket number was 276. In the hope of meeting McCartney, Melewski had a picture of the rock star with him, which he had taken in 1976. He also brought a self-addressed stamped envelope, in which he hoped McCartney would mail him a guitar pick in exchange for the picture.
“I have been a fan all my life,” Melewski said. “I’m a musician, too.”
Betty Schultz, 52, of Bothell, stood in line with a sign that read “Sir Paul, We Love Ya!” She has been a Beatles fan since the age of 12 and still has all her albums. Her ticket number was 600, but she hoped to “buy her way up.”
The night before, Schultz stood outside the back door of Key Arena to get a glimpse of McCartney arriving for his performance later that night, even though she didn’t have a ticket to the concert. The last time she saw McCartney was when he performed at the Tacoma Dome.
“It’s amazing what you’ll do if you are a baby boomer,” Schultz said.
New-found fans
About 30 second- and third-grade students from Shoreline’s Briarcrest Elementary School sat on rugs in a corner of Third Place Commons, waiting for McCartney to read to them. When McCartney walked into the room, he greeted the children: “Hi kids… I’m going to read from my book, ‘High in the Clouds.’”
Sitting on a wooden chair with a lamp nearby, McCartney read several pages from his book, intended for children ages 4-8 years old. The book is about Wirral the squirrel, who is forced to leave his home and seek the fabled land of Animalia, where he believes animals live in freedom. Wirral is helped by other animals, including Froggo, Wilhaminia and Ratsy.
After reading several pages, McCartney entertained questions from children.
Brantle Harris, 9, third grade, asked how old the character Froggo is in the story.
“I don’t know, but because I made up the story I will make up an answer,” McCartney said. “He is about 23, he’s been around, this guy, but not that long.”
Jazrelle Kellough, 8, third grade, asked why McCartney chose to write a book with a squirrel as the main character.
McCartney replied that a mouse has already been used in books, such as Mickey Mouse, and he chose a squirrel because it rhymes with Wirral, a city in England.
Leon Bormann, 7, second grade, asked McCartney how many books he has written, and he replied this is his second book after previously writing a poetry book, entitled “Blackbird Singing,” which features poems and lyrics from 1965 to 1999. McCartney then asked Bormann how many books he has written, and assured him he “had plenty of time, kid.”
McCartney finished the children’s book about a year ago, after working on it for 10 years. It was originally intended to be an animated film. McCartney also told the children that his favorite stories are “The Chronicles of Narnia,” by C.S. Lewis.
When asked if “High in the Clouds” is his last book, McCartney replied he enjoyed writing the book and eventually hopes to write more books.
When the question-and- answer period came to a close, McCartney said: “Forget the show tonight, let’s just do this.”
Also attending the reading from Briarcrest Elementary School were principal Bob Koontz, reading coach Kim Cleary and librarian Linda Berthelson. Before the field trip, Berthelson said she showed the children some magazine clippings and explained who McCartney was, in order to prepare them for the visit. The children also read a few excerpts of “High in the Clouds,” in order to generate questions to ask McCartney.
“When we first invited them (children) to go on the field trip only a few knew who he was,” Berthelson said. “But every one of their parents knew who he was.”
Third Place Books staff contacted the school regarding McCartney’s visit, as they frequently provide guest authors to the school free of charge, she said.
“He was so kind to the children and took the time to say goodbye to all the kids,” Berthelson said about McCartney. “A second grader asked Paul if he would come on Monday to meet all the other students at Briarcrest.”
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