About this item
In the ten years since Rachel Simon first invited the world to board the bus with her and her sister, Cool Beth, readers across the globe have been moved by their story. Now, in an updated edition, Rachel Simon reflects on changes in her life, Beths life, and the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The highlight is Beths update, which is in her own words. A new readers guide is also included. Join these two unforgettable sisters on their journey, this time in an even deeper and richer way. Rachel Simons sister Beth is a spirited woman who lives intensely and often joyfully. Beth, who has an intellectual disability, spends her days riding the buses in her unnamed Pennsylvania city. The drivers, a lively group, are her mentors her fellow passengers are her community.
About the Author
Rachel Simon is the author of six books. In 2005, Hallmark Hall of Fame adapted for a film by the same name. It starred Rosie O'Donnell as Rachel's sister Beth and Andie MacDowell as Rachel, and it was directed by Anjelica Huston. NPR adapted the title story from for the program "Selected Shorts," which was also adapted for an episode of the Lifetime program "The Hidden Room. " The short story "Paint," from the same book, was adapted for the stage by The Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia, PA. Rachel is one of the only authors to have been selected twice for the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Program, once in fiction and once in nonfiction. She has received a Secretary Tommy G. Thompson's Recognition Award from the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, for contributions to the field of disability. Among Rachel's other awards have been two creative writing fellowships from the Delaware Division of the Arts, three creative writing fellowships from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and a fiction fellowship from the Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation. Rachel Simon went to high school at Solebury School, a small, co-ed boarding school in New Hope, PA. She then attended Bryn Mawr College, graduating with a degree in Anthropology in 1981. Rachel's jobs have included being a community relations manager at a large bookstore, and a creative writing teacher at several colleges. She now makes her living as a writer and a speaker on topics related to disability. Rachel Simon lives in Delaware with her husband, the architect Hal Dean.
