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 ...

I went to see the new Broadway musical of A Tale of Two Cities yesterday and was blown away! What a magnificent performance. James Barbour as Sydney Carton was superb and brought me to tears more than once with his portrayl of one of my favorite Dickens characters. I know it will be a huge hit and I look forward to seeing them win lots of Tonys! (I had to run out and purchase another copy of the book so that I could reread it!)

I had such a wonderful time at the MidHudson SCBWI Conference the first weekend in June. One of my all time favorite authors and poets - Newberry Medalist Nancy Willard - was the keynote speaker. I wrote Nancy a fan letter, something I DO NOT do, many years ago - I still have her reply. Imagine my surprise and joy when I brought her book, Telling Time , to have autographed and found my book, Pizza for the Queen , on her table. Here's the photo of us after she autographed her book and I autographed mine! I later bought two of her other titles - Cinderella's Dress , illustrated by the wonderful Jane Dyer, and a book of poetry - In the Salt Marsh and had her autograph those .......and guess what - she had another copy of Pizza for me to sign!

Elizabeth Winthrop is the author of more than 50 works of fiction for young people. Counting On Grace , her recent historical fiction middle reader, has garnered much priase. It is an ALA Notable Book , a Jane Addams Peace Prize Honor Book, and a Junior Library Guild Selection. 1. I'm not sure if we choose our stories or if they choose us. What was the case with Counting on Grace? Grace chose me. Absolutely. I was at an exhibit of Lewis Hine child labor photographs in the Bennington Museum in Bennington, Vermont and I saw this little girl leaning on a huge spinning frame in a mill. She's beautiful, but her eyes are wide and wary. She'd seen more of life than she should have at the age of 10. She was staring directly at me and she might as well have spoken out loud so clear was her voice in my ear. She said tell my story. 2. What were the challenges in bringing this story to printed page? A spinning frame is an incredibly complicated machine to try to explain to someone, chi...

I've added two books to my To Read stack on my desk; Linda Sue Park's latest release Keeping Score. I am really looking forward to reading this one. I've known Linda Sue since before her first book was released. This one tells the story of a young girl named Maggie, baseball, and her friend serving in the army in Korea. Perhaps I'll be able to get Linda Sue here for an interview. The other book is also by a wonderful writer I've had the great pleasure to meet - Elizabeth Winthrop. The book is titled Counting on Grace . It's about 12 year-old Grace and her best friend Arthur, who have to leave school to work in the mills. Photographer and reformer Lewis Hine comes to the mill to photograph kids next to the enormous spinning frames. Elizabeth - up for an interview? Can't wait to read both of these. What's on your shelf?

In The Shadow of the Ark Anne Provoost, translated by John Nieuwenhuien, Arthur A. Levine Books, An Imprint of Scholastic Inc., 2004, 16.95, hb, 368pp, 0-439-44234-6, YA Flemish author, Anne Provoost’s In The Shadow of the Ark , grips the reader with vivid scenes, well-developed characters, and beautiful language. She tells the story of Noah and his ark through the eyes of a young woman named Re Jana. Re Jana’s family have fled the marshes where they lived for years among skilled shipbuilders and fishermen to find work in the desert among the Rrattika people who are “wanderers”. Re Jana’s father, a shipbuilder, finds work with Noah, a wanderer, who is constructing a massive ship, the ark. Re Jana offers her skills to find “good water” and ultimately wins the love of Ham, the Builder’s son. Unfortunately, Ham has selected another girl to be his wife, but he cannot give up Re Jana. When Re Jana learns from Ham the true purpose of the ark she not only fears for her life and that o...