One week later, Grace received a handwritten reply from Lincoln. The next February, he boarded a train and headed for his inauguration in Washington, D. C. The train stopped briefly at Westfield so Lincoln could meet Grace. As he bent over to kiss her, his whiskers tickled her chin. The crowd cheered, but embarrassed Grace ran home still holding the flowers she had forgotten to present to the president. For more information on Grace send for The Kids Hall of Fame News magazine, Volume 4 Issue 1.

The cliffs surrounding the seaside town were Mary lived were rich in bones and fossils from the Jurassic period. At the time of her discovery, many people didn't know the word "fossils" so they referred to them as "curiosities". Mary's father, a carpenter, taught his children how to use a hammer and chisel to delicately carve out embedded fossils. Each unearthed treasure was smoothly polished, then sold in front of the family's cottage to summer tourists.

After her father died, Mary spent hours each day, with her dog at her side, dislodging fossils to sell. It was a dangerous job, because the cliffs were soft,and mudslides could happen at any moment. Some kids called Mary "Brave". Others laughed, teased, and called her "Stupid," because it took her a full day to clear a spot the size of her fist. Mary spent over one year searching for the skeleton of the mysterious "sea dragon" as it was called. She was driven by the echo of her father's words, "Never stop looking."

After Mary discovered the ichthyosaurus, she devoted the rest of her life to hunting and studying fossils. She uncovered other major prehistoric skeletons that are now in museums. Her discoveries were major contributions to paleontology - the study of fossils. They increased the world's knowledge, reconstructed the past, and proved that the world is much older than people had thought.

At age 3, Mattie composed poetry and short stories partly to help him cope with the effects of a rare form of muscular dystrophy of which both he and his mother, Jeni, battle. The disease steadily weakens one's muscles and has taken the lives of his three siblings. He's been in and out of comas and hospitals, breathes with a tracheal tube attached to a portable oxygen tank, and uses a motorized wheelchair.

By age 5, he had written several hundred poems and had three life goals: have his poetry published, talk peace with his hero - former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, and go on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

By age 11, Mattie had written thousands of poems, accomplished all three goals, won numerous awards, and earned a black belt in martial arts.

Mattie's first book, Heartsongs, contains poems he wrote between ages 3 and 6. He explains, "Your heartsong is your inner beauty. It's the song in your heart that wants you to help make yourself a better person, and to help other people do the same. Everybody has one."

His second book, Journey Through Heartsongs, contains poems he wrote between ages 6 and 10 and a foreword by Jimmy Carter. The book soared to the New York Times best-seller list after being featured on Oprah.

Mattie's third book is Hope Through Heartsongs. His fourth is Celebrate Through Heartsongs with a foreword by Jerry Lewis. Mattie's poetry expresses many physical and emotional challenges he has faced. "I want to spread peace in my writing," he explained. "I want to help people hear and remember their heartsongs - their inner message - what they want to do in life."

Mattie was an inspirational speaker who was in great demand. He was on the Jerry Lewis telethon and served as the State and National Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This role helped Mattie spread his message of peace, love, and hope.

When Mattie passed away in June 2004, the world lost a unique peace ambassador. Former President Jimmy Carter delivered the eulogy for Mattie. He said, he'd traveled to 122 foreign countries and met kings and queens, but Mattie was "the most extraordinary person I ever met."

The 12-year-old protagonist, Daniel, an emotionally unattached orphan, is hurled through a black vortex into Prehistoria, a technologically advanced land beneath the sea with oversize, man-eating lizards. This coming-of-age adventure story focuses on independence, relationships, and the importance of having friends. Jourdan reveals, "The protagonists are conglomerations of my own personal characteristics."

Jourdan spent five months writing the book, mostly during his summer and spring school vacations. He is currently working on his second novel and a non-fiction book as well. He is an award-winning violinist and founder of Children Helping Children. He was recently featured on Good Morning America, The Caroline Rhea Show, and spotlighted in The New York Times, New York Daily News, and Newsday.