OK SO FUNNY STORY ABOUT ISLAND OF THE BLUE DOLPHINS AND SCOTT O'DELL: when I was in 5th grade, there was a project to write to authors we liked. Another girl and I wrote to Scott O'Dell, not knowing of course that he uh. Had long since passed, as this was the days before Wikipedia

And then his wife wrote us back.

I really can't remember what she wrote since it's now like 15 years ago, but it was REALLY REALLY COOL for 10 yr old me. :D