When did you first know that you wanted to be a writer?
As soon as I figured out how to make words out of letters, I'd go home from school, staple some pieces of paper together to make a "book" and would write stories and color illustrations. I still have one of my earliest books, which consists of a few very short stories I called Your Ducky: for Easter a book about ducks and bunnies. (See the book cover pictured on the left.) I was young (probably second grade, possibly third) and had the terrible penmanship of someone new to cursive writing. The stories are also plagued with punctuation and grammatical errors. What's important to me, however, isn't whether I was a perfect or imperfect writer but 1) I loved words and was happy creating my own books and 2) my mother cared enough about my creative efforts to save the book for me to enjoy later. I have always written prolifically, whether in diaries and journals, letters, magazine articles, school curriculum, books for adults, and now, children's literature.
As soon as I figured out how to make words out of letters, I'd go home from school, staple some pieces of paper together to make a "book" and would write stories and color illustrations. I still have one of my earliest books, which consists of a few very short stories I called Your Ducky: for Easter a book about ducks and bunnies. (See the book cover pictured on the left.) I was young (probably second grade, possibly third) and had the terrible penmanship of someone new to cursive writing. The stories are also plagued with punctuation and grammatical errors. What's important to me, however, isn't whether I was a perfect or imperfect writer but 1) I loved words and was happy creating my own books and 2) my mother cared enough about my creative efforts to save the book for me to enjoy later. I have always written prolifically, whether in diaries and journals, letters, magazine articles, school curriculum, books for adults, and now, children's literature.
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Who encouraged you to write?
My fifth grade teacher, Mr. George Willems, encouraged me to think of myself as a writer through our weekly writing assignments. Mr. Willems was very creative. One week he put on a scary piece of classical music called "Danse Macabre" and asked us to write the story that came to us as we listened to the music. My story was about skeletons in a graveyard. Another week he took us out on the playground to lay on our backs and use the clouds for inspiration. |
Where do you get your ideas?
Ideas flit in and out of my mind all day long. I've also awakened from dreams with a book titles and plots in mind-it can be quite distracting! If I hear a story or read a newspaper article, my mind automatically jumps to, "How would this story have been different if. . .?" My imagination may be sparked by an interesting figure of speech, an unusual person, or a desire to learn more about a particular place or time. I always keep a notebook with me so I can write down bits and pieces of stories to work on later. Like most writers, I look at the world through the lens of "What if.. |
Where do you write?
I have had dedicated writing spaces in most of my adult homes, including an 8 X 10' writing studio in California and a lovely office that looked out on acres of field bordered by woods in Massachusetts. My second-story office here in Oregon has a view of a three-story tall bamboo forest in our back yard. Bookshelves fill two walls. My cats, Spence and Kate think I should spend my time petting them instead of typing on a computer keyboard or leafing through books to do research. Bookshelves and walls display pictures of family and friends. On the door is a progress list of my different project titles. Old photographs of some of my real-life characters from my Trail of Tears book and an Ellis Island project look down on me; I think of them as my guardians who inspire me to get the story right.
I have had dedicated writing spaces in most of my adult homes, including an 8 X 10' writing studio in California and a lovely office that looked out on acres of field bordered by woods in Massachusetts. My second-story office here in Oregon has a view of a three-story tall bamboo forest in our back yard. Bookshelves fill two walls. My cats, Spence and Kate think I should spend my time petting them instead of typing on a computer keyboard or leafing through books to do research. Bookshelves and walls display pictures of family and friends. On the door is a progress list of my different project titles. Old photographs of some of my real-life characters from my Trail of Tears book and an Ellis Island project look down on me; I think of them as my guardians who inspire me to get the story right.
What were your favorite books as a child? I read Louisa May Alcott's Little Women series, Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, and the Anne of Green Gables books by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I can still remember sitting on the floor in front of my fourth grade teacher as she read Little House on the Prairie to us. I then read the rest of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books. I wished I were friends with the protagonists from Sensible Kate, Honestly, Katie John and Harriet the Spy. I wanted to live in The Borrowers' tiny world. I read everything by Frances Hodgson Burnett. Island of the Blue Dolphins and The Secret Garden remain two of my all-time favorite books. As an adult I realize the scarcity of diverse characters in my childhood books and am delighted that young readers now can find books that are both mirrors (people and experiences like theirs) and windows (people and experiences different than their own).
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Do you believe books can change someone's life?
Absolutely! Because of Blue Willow, the first book in which I realized what it might be like to grow up poor, I became more empathetic with people whose lives were scarred by hardship and poverty. Reading a biography of Albert Schweitzer in third grade and learning about his ideas of "reverence for life" (respect for animals as well as people) shaped my views on animals rights and peacemaking. Wonderful books like Brighty of the Grand Canyon helped me see things from an animal's point of view. As a result of these books I am still concerned about poverty in our own country and abroad, I care about animal rights, and believe in the possibility of world peace. All of these books are on my shelves; I still have the book report I did on Schweitzer, and the photo of him at left graces my office walls. |
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What do I need to do if I want to be a writer?
The most important thing for aspiring writers to do is to read, read, read. Let yourself get lost in the many worlds books can take you to. Enjoy the different ways authors play with words, the funny incidents they present, the variety of characters you meet. Pay attention in school. Learn to spell and build your vocabulary--it's easier than running to a dictionary or thesaurus and will save you time in the long run as well as giving your writing more depth. Keep a diary or notebook where you write down your own thoughts and stories. Try to write something every day, whether it's a diary entry, a poem, or part of a short story. Believe in yourself and the stories that only you can tell. Do you still read a lot? I read while I brush my teeth, wash my face, get dressed, wait in the doctor's office, eat (if I am alone), and any other chance I get. I usually have an audio book going in my car as well as reading books in print. When I finish one book, I already have another one lined up to start next. Books are like air to me; I need to read (almost) as much as I need to breathe. How did you think of Shy Mama's Halloween? There was no one "Aha!" moment for this book. Rather, three different threads came together and knit themselves into Shy Mama's story. First, I was working with a girl who had recently immigrated from Russia to California, so I was hearing the interesting ways she combined words and phrases as she learned to speak English. Secondly, in California at that time there was a piece of legislation on the ballot that aimed to penalize the children of undocumented workers by not providing them with education or health care if their parents weren't in the state legally. That made me mad because I believe every child has a right to learn and to be healthy. The third strand of the story came the day after Halloween, when my secretary came to work and said, "Last night Helen got tired of wearing her costume, so as we trick-or-treated, she took off her costume and gave it to me. She went up to the houses to get candy wearing blue jeans and a T-shirt while I waited for her in the street, wearing her costume. These three elements worked in my subconscious to create this family and bring Shy Mama's story alive. |
What contemporary children's authors and illustrators do you admire?
Besides enjoying a wide variety of good adult fiction, I try to read several children's books each week to keep up with children's literature. There are so many talented writers today. Young readers are really fortunate to have so many good choices. I admire the works of Jacqueline Woodson, Laurie Halse Andersonmadwomanintheforest.com/, Carol Boston Weatherford, Kate DiCamillo, Mitali Perkins, Kadir Nelson, Grace Lin, Cornelia Funke, and Katherine Paterson, among many other great writers. How long does it take to write a book? Every book requires a different process and timeline. Shy Mama's Halloween took me two and a half hours to write and didn't need much revision. After reading a true story as I researched another book I had Priscilla and the Hollyhocks in the back of my mind for many years before I one day knew it was time to sit down and write it. The young slave girl's words poured out of me in a rush as if I were taking dictation. In a long morning the book was done. Or so I thought. My excellent editor at Charlesbridge, Yolanda LeRoy Scott, gave me a general idea of what changes she thought were necessary and after four months of mulling over what she had suggested, I knew how to improve the book. My middle grade historical novel on the Trail of Tears has taken me over 30 years to write because of complicated research and because although I accurately told the story in the first drafts, I did not yet have the skill or know-how to make the story appropriate for younger readers. I haven't worked continuously on this book, but Jane and her story have been in the back of my mind a long time and are finally ready to be shared with the world. Do you have any pets? Over the years our family has had four guinea pigs, ten fish, five dogs, eight cats, two chickens and nine rabbits. It's much quieter at my house now than when we had three rabbits, two dogs, two cats and a chicken all at the same time! Today our dog, Clover, and cats, Spence and Kate, keep me company as I write from our home. 
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