Rick Gunn/Nevada Appeal Carson Middle School student Lauren Solinger, 14, reads "Girls Who Rocked the World 2" at the CMS library on Tuesday. The book, along with the original "Girls Who Rocked the World," were donated to Carson and Eagle Valley middle schools. Below, author and former CMS student Amelie Weldon sits near her book, the original.
Once a student, always a student - even 15 years after graduation.
Amelie Weldon, 29, returned to Carson Middle School on Tuesday afternoon when her book, "Girls who Rocked the World," was donated to the school library.
"It is a special moment," said Weldon. "I remember being here 15 years ago. It's fun to come back and be here and contribute to the school."
Weldon wrote "Girls Who Rocked the World" in 1998 for Beyond Words Publisher. when she was an intern in college in Portland, Ore. She is back in town working at the Nevada Legislature as a research analyst, and will return to Portland when the session is over.
"I would like to write another book, but there are no plans in the works," she said.
Both Carson and Eagle Valley middle schools received copies of the book as well as "Girls Who Rocked the World II" by Michelle Roehm. Weldon, who was in graduate school at the time of the second book, was unavailable to write the sequel.
Both books will be useful for student biography reports, said Carson Middle School librarian Sandy Foley.
"It's so nice to be able to tell the kids the author of this book is a real person that went to school here," she said.
"Girls Who Rocked the World" tells the stories of more than 30 women, including Virginia Reed of the Donner Party and Wilma Rudolph of Olympics medal fame.
"At the time, I was doing research for another book the (publishing house) was working on," Weldon said. "What I was looking for was achievements by women while they were still teens. I thought, 'Wouldn't it be nice to have this all in one book?' So I proposed the idea."
Paula Winne, a member of the Carson City branch of the American Association of University Women, came across both books recently when reading the National Women's History Project catalog. She thought a book donation of the set worked in perfectly with the group's educational goals. So she purchased a set of "Girls Who Rocked" for the middle schools in the name of AAUW.
"I think it's important to give back to your community," Winne said. "We donated to the high school five years ago. Probably the next step will be to give to the elementary schools."
Before Weldon could leave Carson Middle School - which she once knew as Carson Junior High for seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders - she found herself among a group of enamored fans, including the librarian.
"It's nice to know a published author," Foley said.
n Contact reporter Maggie O'Neill at moneill@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1219.
Book donations
• To join the Carson City branch of the American Association of University Women, which has about 40 members locally, call Paula Winne at 882-4304.
• The Carson City branch of University Women provides scholarships to a Carson High and Pioneer student each year and to a female student returning to college at Western Nevada Community College.
• The University Women are most well known for their Feast of Chocolate, which occurs annually over Presidents Weekend.
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