Sleuths -

There was always a story to be told in the Coco home. Here, my brother, Larry, and I listened as Mother read to us. My favorite stories were told at the dinner table. Dad and Mother would tell us their childhood experiences of growing up during the Great Depression.

Christmas has always been my favorite holiday for many reasons. You can't see the Christmas tree in this photo, but take a peek at the big box behind me. Can you guess what that was? Hint: the big circle in the center was a screen.

MY FAVORITE PHRASE:
Ebenezer Scrooge makes me chuckle each time he repeats the famous phrase which Charles Dickens gave him, “Bah! Humbug!”

FAVORITE WORD:
There is one special word that makes me smile. Why? Because when I'm writing it lets me feel as free and open as the time I went skydiving in October of 2004. What is the word? You’ll find it in another segment of this website. Happy hunting!

MORE FUN FACTS

BIRTHDAY:
October 22

FAVORITE FOODS:
Gnocchi
Shrimp
Cold Pizza
Cannoli

FAVORITE CANDY:
Tootsie Roll
Tootsie Pops
Red Licorice
Milky Way
Dots

FAVORITE COLOR:
Bright yellow on
a rainy day

Baby blue or
forest green on
any day

Red in
the autumn

HOBBIES:
Long walks
Bell Choir

Collecting
kaleidoscopes,
art glass, hobo and tramp art

QUIRKS:
I LOVE theater
popcorn...the
next day when it's
stale and chewy!

THINGS I CAN'T RESIST DOING:
Asking too many questions

Staring at the stars

Smiling at the moon

Hugging my kids, even if they are taller than me

THINGS I CAN'T HELP DOING:
Asking too many questions

Telling my kids to think safety first then have fun

Humming or tapping along to music

THINGS I ABSOLUTELY WON'T DO:
Stop asking too many questions

Peek to the end of a story

Drive or ride in a car without a seatbelt

Go skydiving again (it was fun but my ears were clogged for a week)

Sleuths

Life is an adventure! That is what inspires me to write. Be a sleuth and uncover clues which may help you to know me a little better. Have fun.

That's me waving at you from the Cocomobile, and the crazy driver is my kid sister, Joy. She's a much better driver than she was back then. Look at the car in the background. Can you guess about what year this picture was taken?

HOBO QUEEN
As a writer I’ve traveled all across the United States and to other countries meeting many interesting people. Two of my favorite people to interview also became dear friends - The Hobo Whittler and New York Greenie who were hobos riding the rails and looking for work during the Great Depression. Through them I’ve come to know and love the town of Britt, Iowa, the people who live there, and the hobo family. Suddenly I’m the 2008 National Hobo Queen!

INTERVIEWS
When I travel to interview a person it is to gather information for the stories I tell as a writer and storyteller. Those interviews have led to many adventures. When you open my books I hope the characters will take you by the hand and my adventures will become yours as you travel with them throughout the story.

THE SHY GIRL
Wow was I ever shy growing up! I spent a great deal of time reading about the adventures of many different characters, especially Nancy Drew. My favorite place to read was at the Cambria County Public Library in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. At that time the library was located on Washington Street, in a building that has been there since 1891. You can see pictures of the building by clicking on the link to the Johnstown Area Heritage Association.

The building is no longer the library, but a wonderful flood museum. However, the marble steps that led to the children's section on the second floor still exist. When I was young, I would peek to make certain nobody saw me (remember I was quite shy), then walk up and down those old steps several times just to hear my heels click. Yes, you guessed it - I also took dancing lessons at the Kelly Dance Studio, and tap was my favorite. Though the library has relocated to Main Street, my heels still click on the marble steps of the flood museum. Yep, you bet I still tap my way up those steps!

Trinkets of Trivia:
Those old marble steps were there...

Long before my grandparents arrived in the United States from Italy

40 years before the Stock Market Crash in 1929

47 years before the second Johnstown flood in 1936

56 years before the Slinky was invented

66 years before the opening of the first McDonald’s and Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants

80 years before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon

88 years before the third Johnstown flood in 1977

Those steps have seen a lot of history…and water!

THE FEARSOME FOURSOME
This is a photo of the four Coco children taken in 1963. My sister, Risa, is the sleeping baby; my kid sister, Joselle, has the pixie haircut; and my brother, Larry, has the curly hair. As for me…the hairdo and glasses were quite popular just before I became a Beatlemaniac. Okay, are you done laughing? I told you growing up was the toughest thing I’ve ever had to do!

To find out what years these photos were all taken, click on CHIT CHAT. Remember to take a guess first...and no, they were not taken during prehistoric times!

ORGANIZATIONS IMPORTANT TO ME

Operation Gaining Trust
Our daughter, SPC Lauren De Young, is currently serving our country in Iraq. She and her platoon are seeking school supplies for 7,500 Iraqi children between the ages of 4 and 10. These children need the basics – backpacks, pens, pencils, construction paper, colored pencils and markers, and single-subject notebooks. If you can help please email me at www.ccocodeyoung.com. Donations of any quantity are greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Appalachia Service Project (ASP)
Dad always took us to the hardware store. Today, it is still a favorite place to visit, especially those that have been in business for a very long time. My love for gadgets and tools, and working with families is why ASP is special to me. I've learned how to frame walls and a roof, deck a roof, and build pre-fabricated walls. Mr. De Young, our children, and I have enjoyed working on ASP. Click on the link to the right to find out more about this organization.

A Better Chance Program (ABC)
The De Young family has been involved in ABC for eight years, and Christina, our host daughter, will always be a special member of our family. Click on the link to the right to find out more about this program.

Relay for Life
Cancer can be a very scary word, and maybe you or someone you know has cancer. Take another look. Do you see the word "can" in there? Believe that you CAN feel better. Believe that you CAN help another feel better. To all who walk the Relay for Life...thank you. To all who wear the pink and yellow bracelets, ribbons, and other signs of support...thank you. To the doctors, nurses, and those who continue the research for a cure...thank you. We CAN all beat this together! Click on the link to the right.

Board book Ages Infant to 8

MEALTIME PRAYERS
Includes precious readings related to mealtimes

Historical fiction

A LETTER TO MRS. ROOSEVELT
"Historical details are smoothly woven into the text, and Margo is a strong heroine."

-Horn Book Guide