Historically Speaking

Eric Luper is the author of Big Slick and now Bug Boy. Both YA novels, Eric writes about teens facing difficult decisions in interesting circumstances. Big Slick focuses on the world of poker. Bug Boy boldly and realistically brings readers to horse racing in the 1930s. Eric talks about his first historical fiction novel in this interview. I'm not sure if we choose our stories or if they choose us. What was the case with Bug Boy?   I remember going to the racetrack as a child in New Jersey. My impressions included things like concrete, chain-link fences, cigars and ratty tweed blazer-wearing gamblers. When I went to Saratoga Race Course as an adult, I was amazed that something I associated with such ugly things could be so beautiful. Saratoga is about history and culture, it’s green and lush; it’s almost like the racing comes second. Almost. And the more I read about Saratoga, the more I fell in love with it. What were the challenges in bringing this story to printed page? Wr...

Forgive me for being away too long. Today I have a review of Anita Sanchez's The Invasion of Sandy Bay . It's published by Calkins Creek and written for ages 10 and up. Most of us know Sandy Bay, MA as the quaint New England town of Rockport, but in the 1800s it was still known as Sandy Bay. An invasion of the village during the War of 1812 is remembered in a marker at the tip of Bearskin Neck. It inspired Sanchez to write her book. After his father's passing 12 year-old Lemuel Brooks moved from his farm to Sandy Bay with his mother. He finds he is not interested in the tavern she runs and seeks a different vocation -- fishing. His feeble attempts put him square in the middle of one of the "wildest" invasions in U.S. history. Sanchez brings to life this little known event with fine details and superb setting. Although Lemuel is a ficitonal character, many others are not. Sanchez follows with detailed facts in her afterword that will help readers ...