Have you ever looked up at the sky, maybe while wearing your Mickey Mouse ears and sorcerer's apprentice hat, and wondered if somewhere else in the world, there might be another person JUST LIKE YOU?

Have you ever then gone to the computer, googled your name, and found out that, YES INDEED, there is another person with your very same name - same spelling and everything - living in the very same country as you? Okay, maybe that's not so thrilling if your name is Jane Smith, but if your name is ERICA PERL, it is pretty cool!

I wish I could say it happened to me. But it didn't. It happened to THE OTHER ERICA PERL!

That's right. Meet Erica J. Perl (we're pals now, so I can just call her "J"), age 8. She was quite surprised to learn that there was another ERICA PERL and that this other ERICA PERL (Erica S. Perl, that is: me) is a writer and author of kids' books.

Armed with this astonishing information, J summoned up her courage and sent me a charming e-mail (from her dad's e-mail account) and I rewarded this effort with an autographed copy of NINETY-THREE IN MY FAMILY. J received the book this weekend and wrote me another lovely note, thanking me and telling me that the book came to Sunday School and soccer with her (and helped her team win a 4-3 victory - nicely done!). She is looking forward to bringing it to school so her teacher, Mrs. Garn, can read it to the class. Hi, everyone in Mrs. Garn's class!

SO, if you are also a member of the highly exclusive MY NAME IS ERICA PERL club (remember, that's Erica with a "C" and Perl with no "A" or extra "E"), please send me a note and you too can join us in pen-pal-dom!

And if your name is Ericka Pearle or Eriqua Peel or Erikkuh Perool, write too because I might just make an exception and let you in anyway.

If it's okay with J, that is!