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Shelby Tomlinson

Meg Cabot - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/Meg_Cabot

meg cabot wikipedia cjhs author

shared by Shelby Tomlinson on 25 Apr 11 - Cached
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 25 Apr 11
       
      Haven't read Allie Finkle books at all
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 25 Apr 11
       
      From the 1-800 series down, I haven't read any of these.
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 02 May 11
       
      The first book she ever wrote and published was Where Roses Grow Wild.
  • Occupation Writer
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 02 May 11
       
      She has no kids, and the first book she wrote was The Princess Diaries.
  • ...95 more annotations...
  • She has written and published over fifty books, and is best known for The Princess Diaries, later made by Walt Disney Pictures into two feature films of the same name.
  • Meg's books have been the recipients of numerous awards, including the New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age, the American Library Association Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Tennessee Volunteer State TASL Book Award, the Book Sense Pick, the Evergreen Young Adult Book Award, the IRA/CBC Young Adult Choice - as well as many others (see awards section for specific book wins).
  • She has had numerous #1 New York Times bestsellers.Cabot has more than fifteen million copies of her books—children's, young adult, and adult—in print worldwide.
  • Meg Cabot at a book signing
  • Born Meggin Patricia Cabot February 1, 1967 (1967-02-01) (age 44) Bloomington, Indiana, United States
  • Pen name Meggin Cabot Patricia Cabot Jenny Carroll
  • Meg Cabot (born Meggin Patricia Cabot on February 1, 1967 in Bloomington, Indiana, United States[1][2]) is an American author of romantic and paranormal fiction for teens and adults and used to write under several pen names, but now writes exclusively under her real name, Meg Cabot.
  • Nationality American
  • Period 1998–present
  • Genres Chick-lit, Mystery, Romance, Science fiction
  • Notable work(s) The Princess Diaries Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls The Mediator
  • Personal life
  • After Meg graduated from Indiana University, Cabot moved to New York City, with the original aim of pursuing a career as an illustrator.[1][2] in 1991.
  • she soon quit this job and started working as an assistant manager of the freshman dormitory at New York University.[1][2]
  • Meg Cabot married financial writer and poet Benjamin D. Egnatz on April 1, 1993. Their wedding date,[3] April Fool’s Day, was a deliberate play on her husband's belief that only fools get married in the first place. The wedding was actually an elopement in Italy. Her novel Every Boy's Got One is loosely based on her own elopement. She has two cats, Henrietta (a one eyed cat) and Gem, about whom she often blogs.
  • After living in Indiana, California, New York, and France, she now currently resides in Key West, Florida. She splits her time between an apartment in New York City and a barn in Bloomington, Indiana.[5]
  • Children's novels
  • Allie Finkle series
  • Allie Finkle’s Rules for Girls: Moving Day (March 2008)
  • Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: The New Girl (August 2008)
  • Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Best Friends and Drama Queens (March 2009)
  • Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Stage Fright (September 2009)
  • Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Glitter Girls and the Great Fake Out (March 2010) Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: Blast From the Past (September 2010)
  • The Allie Finkle series chronicles the challenges Allie Finkle faces when she moves away and becomes the new girl in school, as well as dealing with snobs and other difficulties associated with growing up. Allie confronts these issues by making rules to live by, which helps her find out who she really is.
  • Young adult novels
  • The Princess Diaries series
  • The Princess Diaries series is the most notable series written by Meg Cabot, and has been published in more than 40 countries.
  • The first book in the series was published in October 2000; the series spent 38 weeks on the New York Times Children's Series Best Sellers List and was sold to publishers in 37 foreign countries.
  • Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink / The Princess Diaries: After Eight (January 2007) Volume IX: Princess Mia / The Princess Diaries: To The Nines (January 2008) Volume X: Forever Princess / The Princess Diaries: Ten Out Of Ten (January 6, 2009)
  • Note that in the UK and Australia the books are published under titles based on the volume number (e.g.: Mia Goes Fourth).
  • The Princess Diaries, Volume I / The Princess Diaries (October 2000)
  • Volume II: Princess in the Spotlight / The Princess Diaries: Take Two (June 2001)
  • Volume III: Princess in Love / The Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky (March 2002) Volume IV: Princess in Waiting / The Princess Diaries: Mia Goes Fourth (April 2003) Volume IV and 1/2: Project Princess (August 2003)
  • Volume V: Princess in Pink / The Princess Diaries: Give Me Five (March 2004) Volume VI: Princess in Training / The Princess Diaries: Sixsational (March 2005) Volume VI and 1/2: The Princess Present (October 2004)
  • Volume VII: Party Princess / The Princess Diaries: Seventh Heaven (March 2006) Volume VII and 1/2: Sweet Sixteen Princess (May 2006) Volume VII and 3/4: Valentine Princess (December 2006)
  • In 2001 and 2004 respectively, the series was brought to the big screen by Walt Disney Pictures as The Princess Diaries and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement starring Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews.
  • Illustrated by Chelsey McLaren:
  • Princess Lessons (March 2003) Perfect Princess (March 2004) Holiday Princess (November 2005) On January 6, 2009, a companion book to Vol
  • e name Princess of Genovia, Mia Thermopolis by Avon Books, the adult division of HarperCollins, the Princess Diaries series publisher. All author proceeds from the novel, which was printed on 100% recycled paper, go to Greenpeace.
  • entitled "Ransom My Heart" was published under th
  • ume X: Forever Princess
  • The Mediator series
  • Shadowland (October 2000)
  • Ninth Key (February 2001) Reunion (July 2001) Darkest Hour (December 2001) Haunted (February 2003) Twilight (January 2005)
  • The Mediator Series is about a 16-year-old girl named Susannah "Suze" Simon. Suze is a mediator, whose role is to help ghosts finish their business on earth so they can pass on to the afterlife. To this end, she can see, touch, communicate with, hit, punch, and 'kick ghost butt' when she has to. The series begins just after Suze's widowed mother marries Andy Ackerman, when she has moved to Carmel, California, to live in an old house complete with three stepbrothers. To make matters worse, her bedroom is haunted by an attractive male ghost named Jesse de Silva, who died 150 years earlier. Suze remembers that back in New York a fortune teller had told her that she was a mediator (which proved correct) and that she would only fall in love once but it would last for an eternity. Her one love for eternity just might be Jesse. But does he love her back?
  • The first four books were originally released under the pseudonym Jenny Carroll (this was when Cabot was working with different publishing houses). Haunted was the first title to have Meg Cabot's name on it. The first four books were later reprinted under Cabot's real name in 2005 with new cover art when Twilight was released in hardcover. The UK titles for the series were as follows: Shadowland- Love you to Death, Ninth Key- High Stakes, Reunion- Mean Spirits, Darkest Hour- Young Blood, Haunted- Grave Doubts, and Twilight- Heaven Sent.[7] The Mediator series rights have been sold to producer Julia Pistor, and will be made into a movie in the near future. In 2010, HarperTeen announced it will be reprinting the series in omnibus editions, to be published in 2011.
  • Airhead (May 2008) Being Nikki (May 2009) Runaway (March 2010) This three-book series is about Emerson Watts, and overachieving high school student. When she wakes up, after an accident, she discovers that her brain has been transplanted into the body of teen supermodel, Nikki Howard. Now, she is no longer judged by her grades, but by her looks and she has to fight the worldwide corporation, Stark Industries, if she wants to find out what really happened to her old life and to protect her friends and family.
  • This series revolves around Jessica Mastriani, an ordinary 16-year-old girl given extraordinary psychic powers after being struck by lightning. Her powers allow her to know the exact location of missing children; after seeing a picture of a person, they appear in her dreams. The first four books take place over less than a year, and chronicle her attempts to help missing children while trying to avoid the scrutiny of the federal government. The fifth book, published four years after the fourth book, picks up the story line after Jess has turned 19. Over the course of the books, Jess is romantically involved with Rob Wilkins, a boy from the wrong side of the tracks.
  • The first four books were written under Cabot's pseudonym, Jenny Carroll. After poor sales, the series was discontinued. Sales improved when the books were re-released in 2004 under Cabot's real name. Cabot was unhappy with the discontinuation; she stated that she wanted to take the series up to eight books. Her current publishing house agreed to publish one more installment. Missing You was released in December 2006 and ended the series. The 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU series was the basis for the television show Missing, which aired on the Lifetime cable network for three seasons from 2003 to 2006.[6] The series has been reprinted in the US in an omnibus edition, and retitled Vanished.
  • All-American Girl series All American Girl (September 2002) Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel (July 2005)
  • The series revolves around Samantha Madison, a Washington, D.C. native, who, while skipping her after-school art class, saves the life of the president, and becomes a national hero. The two books are about her rise to fame and her love life with the president's son, David, who appears to want to take th
  • eir relationship to the next level in the second book. There is also a short story called Another All American Girl in the anthology Our White House:Looking In, Looking Out, about Samantha's experience in the White House. [edit] Avalon High series
  • Avalon High, December 2005 Avalon High: Coronation (three-book manga series) The Merlin Prophecy (July 3, 2007) Homecoming (June 24, 2008) Hunter's Moon (September 1, 2009)
  • There is a sequel to the first Avalon High novel. However, instead of a regular novel, it is part of a new partnership HarperCollins brokered with Tokyopop (a leading United States manga company). It has been released as a three-book manga series, called Avalon High: Coronation. The first manga, titled The Merlin Prophecy, was released on July 3, 2007 and was drawn by manga artist Jinky Coronado, who does the Banzai Girl manga. She also illustrated the other two manga. The Avalon High film was shown on Disney Channel on November 12, 2010. Britt Robertson played Ellie, while Gregg Sulkin played Will.
  • The Airhead trilogy
  • 1-800-WHERE-R-U series When Lightning Strikes (February 2001) Code Name Cassandra (August 2001) Safe House (March 2002) Sanctuary (September 2002) Missing You (December 26, 2006)
  • The Abandon Trilogy Abandon (26 April 2011) TBA (TBA) TBA (TBA)
  • Blurb for the first book in the trilogy, Abandon: 'She knows what it's like to die. Now Death wants her back.
  • Seventeen-year-old Pierce knows what happens to us when we die. That's how she met John Hayden, the mysterious stranger who's made returning to normal life—or at least life as Pierce knew it before the accident—next to impossible. Though she thought she escaped him—starting a new school in a whole new place—it turns out she was wrong. He finds her. What does John want from her? Pierce thinks she knows... just like she knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven. But she can't stay away from him, either, especially since he's always there when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most. But if she lets herself fall any further, she might find herself back in the place she fears the most. And when Pierce discovers the shocking truth, that’s exactly where John sweeps her: The Underworld.'
  • Other young adult fiction
  • Nicola and the Viscount (August 2002) Victoria and the Rogue (March 2003) Teen Idol (July 2004) How to Be Popular (July 2006) Pants on Fire/Tommy Sullivan is a Freak (May 2007) Jinx (July 2007)
  • Adult Novels
  • Insatiable series
  • The first book in Meg's latest series for adult readers, Insatiable, was released on June 8, 2010, and became an instant New York Times bestseller. This series is a modern retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula, but with a twist. The main character, Meena Harper, has a special gift: she can foretell people's death . . . just not her own. Even worse, she's being forced by the television show for which she works to write vampires into the plot due to their popularity. Meena, however, hates vampires (she doesn't believe in them, and doesn't like how they always go after—and kill girls). This complicates things when she finds out from Alaric Wulf, a demon-hunter with a secret unit of the Vatican called the Palatine Guard, that vampires are attacking girls all over her native New York City, and that her new boyfriend might be one of them . . . Lucien Antonescu, Dracula's son, the Prince of Darkness. A sequel to Insatiable called Overbite[8] will be out in the US in July 2011. In the UK the title is referred to as "Craving."
  • Heather Wells series Size 12 is Not Fat, December 27, 2005 Size 14 is Not Fat Either, November 28, 2006 Big Boned, December 26, 2007
  • The Heather Wells series is an adult mystery series that features former pop star Heather Wells. Heather was once a teen star, but was fired by her recording company when she asked to sing songs she had written instead of the ones they composed for her. The book opens just after Heather has gotten a job as a residence house coordinator at New York College and quickly discovers that young girls in the dorm are being murdered. The second book was originally titled Phat Chick, but this was changed by the publishers to It's Not Over Until The Size 12 Chick Sings, and finally, Size 14 is Not Fat Either, which continued Heather's amateur sleuthing adventures. The third book in the series is published under the title "Size Doesn't Matter" in Australia and Great Britain. (In other countries, such as the U.S. and Canada, it was entitled "Big Boned".) In 'Size Doesn't Matter', Heather solves another mystery, and is involved in a love triangle with Tad, her boyfriend, and Cooper, whom she secretly loves, but rejected her. In March, 2008 the series was contracted for two additional books, which should be released in 2011 or 2012.
  • Queen of Babble series
  • Queen of Babble (May 2006) Queen of Babble in the Big City (June 2007) Queen of Babble Gets Hitched (June 2008/April 2009 - Paperback) Queen of Babble debuted at #27 on the New York Times Bestseller List. The main character of this romantic comedy, Lizzie Nichols, is a recent college grad who isn't sure what she wants out of life. All she knows is that she can't keep a secret, even her own. This causes her many romantic, friendship, and work-related problems, especially after moving to New York City after graduating from college. There, she can't seem to keep her mouth shut long enough not to screw up her dreams . . . but nothing is going to keep her from trying to find the career she's wanted. And maybe a boyfriend, too.
  • Romance novels
  • These novels were written under Cabot's pseudonym Patricia Cabot: Where Roses Grow Wild (March 1998) Portrait of My Heart (January 1999) An Improper Proposal (November 1999) A Little Scandal (June 2000) Lady of Skye (January 2001)
  • Educating Caroline (November 2001) Kiss the Bride (May 2002) Written under Cabot's characters Ransom My Heart (January 2009) - Written by Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis, Princess of Genovia with help from Meg Cabot
  • Boy series
  • The Boy Next Door, October 2002 (as Meggin Cabot) Boy Meets Girl, January 2004 (as Meggin Cabot) Every Boy's Got One, January 2005 These books are loosely connected romantic comedies told in emails, IMs, and brief journal entries. The Boy Next Door was a Kelly Rippa Book Club Pick on LIVE! with Regis and Kelly.
  • Other works She Went All the Way, December 2002 (as Meggin Cabot)
  • Short stories
  • Screenplays
  • Early versions of the screenplay for Disney's Ice Princess, released in 2005, were written by Meg Cabot
  • Film Adaptations
  • In 2001, the film version of the Princess Diaries was released. The film starred Anne Hathaway as Amelia "Mia" Thermopolis and Julie Andrews as Clarisse Renaldi. The Disney Channel original movie version of Avalon High premiered late fall 2010.[9] the film starred Gregg Sulkin as A. William Wagner and Britt Robertson as Allie Pennington (Ellie Harrison) An Untitled Queen Of Babble movie is currently In Development.[10] The book has been optioned by Jeffrey Sharp of Sharp Independent, with Kristen Bell slated to star.[11]
  • Awards
  • Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for Best British Isles Historical Romance, 1999, for An Improper Proposal Top Ten Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers selection, Best Book selection, American Library Association, and New York Public Library Teen Book for the New Millennium citation, all 2001, all for The Princess Diaries Edgar Allan Poe Award nomination, best young adult category, Mystery Writers of America, 2003, for Safe House The Princess Diaries was voted "one of the nation's 100 best-loved novels" by the British public as part of "The Big Read," British Broadcasting Corporation, 2003. Queen of Teen nomination (2008) for her work "Airhead" nominated for Teen Choice Book of the Year, 2009
  • Works by Meg Cabot (publication order)
  • ess Present (2004) • Princess in Training (2005) • Party Princess (2006) • Sweet Sixteen Princess (2006) • Valentine Princess (2006) Princess on the Brink (2007)
  • Princess Mia (2008) • Forever Princess (2009)
  • The Mediator novel series Shadowland (2000) • Ninth Key (2001) • Reunion (2001) • Darkest Hour (2001) • Haunted (2003) • Twilight (2004)
  • 1-800-WHERE-R-YOU novel series When Lightning Strikes (2001) • Code Name Cassandra (2001) • Safe House (2002) • Sanctuary (2002) • Missing You (2006)
  • All-American Girl novel series All American Girl (2002) • Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel (2005)
  • Avalon High novel series Avalon High (2005) • The Merlin Prophecy (2007 manga) • Homecoming (2008 manga) • Hunter's Moon (2009 manga)
  • Heather Wells novel series Size 12 is Not Fat (2006) • Size 14 is Not Fat Either (2006) • Big Boned (2007)
  • Queen of Babble novel series Queen of Babble (2006) • Queen of Babble in the Big City (2007) • Queen of Babble Gets Hitched (2008)
  • 002) • The Boy Next Door (2002) • She Went All the Way (2002) • Victoria and the Rogue (2003) • Teen Idol (2004) •
  • Other novels Where Roses Grow Wild (1998) • Portrait of My Heart (1999) • An Improper Proposal (1999) • A Little Scandal (2000) • Lady of Skye (2000) • Educating Caroline (2001) • Kiss the Bride (2002) • Nicola and the Viscount (
  • Boy Meets Girl (2004) • Every Boy's Got One (2005) • How to Be Popular (2006) • Pants On Fire (2007) • Jinx (2007) Airhead (2008) Being Nikki (2009) Runaway (2010)
  • • "Allie Finklestine's Rules for Boys" (2006) • "Reunion" (2006) • "Cry, Linda, Cry: Judy Blume’s Blubber and The Cruelest Thing in the World" (Spring 2007) • "Ask Annie" (2007) • "The Exterminator's Daughter" (2007) • "Every Girl's Dream" (?)
  • Short stories: "The Christmas Captive" (2000) • "Girl’s Guide to New York through the Movies" (2003) • "Kate the Great" (2003) • "Party Planner" (2004) • "Connie "Hunter" Williams, Psychic Teacher" (2005)
  • MyrandaK (((: on 04 May 11
     
    i cant find anywhere where it says how many cats she has! i know she has them and qyite a few too i've lots of pics
justin moore

Gary Paulsen - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/...Gary_Paulsen

cjhs author gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 06 May 11 - Cached
  • Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Oscar and Eunice H. (née Moen),[1] Paulsen was raised by his parents and later lived with his grandmother and aunts. At the age of 14, he ran away from home to join a carnival.[citation needed] Paulsen used his work as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing.[citation needed] In 1966, his first book was published under the title The Special War. Paulsen is an outdoorsman (a hunter, trapper, and three-time competitor in the 1,150-mile (1,850 km) Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race).
  • Much of Paulsen's work features the outdoors and highlights the importance of nature. He often uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where a character masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage to manhood and maturity. He is critical of technology and has been called a Luddite.[2]
  • Some of Paulsen's most well-known books are the Hatchet series, although he has published many other popular novels including Dogsong, Harris and Me, and The Winter Room, which won the Newbery Honor. Woodsong and Winterdance are among the most popular books about the Iditarod. Paulsen competed in the 1983 and 1985 Iditarod races. In 1990, because of angina, he gave up dog sledding, which he has described as the most difficult decision he has ever made. After more than a decade spent sailing all over the Pacific, Paulsen got back into dog sledding in 2003. In 2005, he was scheduled to compete in the 2005 Iditarod after a 20-year absence, but he withdrew shortly before the start of the race. He participated in the 2006 Iditarod, but scratched after two days.
  • ...29 more annotations...
  • Paulsen lives in La Luz, New Mexico, with his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books. He also maintains a 40-acre (160,000 m2) spread north of Willow, Alaska, where he breeds and trains sled dogs for the Iditarod. His son James is in his twenties and is working at a university.[citation needed]
  • According to Paulsen's keynote speech on October 13, 2007 at the Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he intended to compete in the Iditarod again; he is listed in the "Mushers Withdrawn" section of the 2009 race. [edit]
  • Published works
  • The Tucket Adventures Mr. Tucket (1968) (also known as Chance for Escape) Call Me Francis Tucket (1995) Tucket's Ride (1997) Tucket's Gold (1999) Tucket's Home (2000) Tucket's Travels(2001)
  • Brian's Saga Hatchet (1987) (Has an alternate ending which makes a continuity with Brian's Winter) The River (Hatchet: The Return) (1991) Brian's Winter (Hatchet: Winter) (1996) Brian's Return (Hatchet: The Call) (1999) Brian's Hunt (2003
  • Murphy series Murphy (1987) Murphy's Gold (1988) Murphy's Herd (1989) Murphy's War (1990)
  • Co-authored by Brian Burks Murphy's Stand (1993) Murphy's Ambush (1995) Murphy's Trail (1996) [edit] Alida's series The Cookcamp (1991) Alida's Song (1999) The Quilt (2004)
  • Tales to Tickle the Funnybone The Boy Who Owned the School (1990) Harris and Me (1993) The Schernoff Discoveries (1997) The Glass Cafe (2003) Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (2004) The Amazing Life of Birds: The Twenty-Day Puberty Journal of Duane Homer Leech (2006) Lawn Boy (2007)
  • Culpepper Adventures
  • The Case of the Dirty Bird (1992) Dunc's Doll (1992) Culpepper's Cannon (1992) Dunc Gets Tweaked (1992) Dunc's Halloween (1992) Dunc Breaks the Record (1992)
  • Dunc and the Flaming Ghost (1992) Amos Gets Famous (1993) Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top (1993) Dunc's Dump (1993) Dunc and the Scam Artists (1993) Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos (1993) Dunc's Undercover Christmas (1993)
  • Wild Culpepper Cruise (1993) Dunc and the Haunted Castle (1993) Cowpokes and Desperadoes (1994) Prince Amos (1994) Coach Amos (1994) Amos and the Alien (1994) Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher (199
  • Other novels
  • The Curse of the Cobra (1977) The Green Recruit (1978) The Spitball Gang (1980) Compkill (1981) The Sweeper (1981) Clutterkill (1982) Dancing Carl (1983)
  • Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights (1983) Tracker (1984) Dogsong (1985) Sentries (1986) The Crossing (1987) The Island (1988) Night Rituals (1989) The Voyage of the Frog (1989) The Winter Room (1989)
  • Canyons (1990) Kill Fee (1990) The Night the White Deer Died (1990) The Monument (1991) Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (1992) The Haymeadow (1992) (known as The Fourteenth Summer in the UK) A Christmas Sonata (1992) Dogteam (1993)
  • Sisters / Hermanas (1993) (includes Spanish translation by Gloria de Aragon Andujar) The Car (1994) The Tent (1995) The Tortilla Factory (1995) The Rifle (1995) Worksong (1997) Ice Race (1997) (alternate title of Woodsong or Winterdance?)
  • Woods Runner (2010) Lawn Boy Lawn Boy Returns (2010) Masters of Disaster (2010)
  • Liar, Liar (March 8, 2011)
  • Non-Fiction
  • The Grass-Eaters: Real Animals (1976) The Small Ones (1976) Hitting, Pitching, and Running (1976) Martin Luther King: The Man Who Climbed the Mountain (1976) Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring (1976) Careers in an Airport (1977)
  • Tackling, Running, and Kicking (1977) Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging (1977) Farm: A History And Celebration of the American Farmer (1977) Running, Jumping, and Throwing (1978) Successful Home Repair: When Not to Call the Contractor (1978
  • Forehanding and Backhanding (1978) Hiking and Backpacking (1978) Downhill, Hotdogging and Cross-Country (1979) Facing Off, Checking and Goaltending (1979) Launching, Floating High and Landing (1979) Pummeling, Falling and Getting Up-Sometimes (1979) Track, Enduro and Motocross (1979)
  • Canoeing, Kayacking, and Rafting (1979) Going Very Fast in a Circle (1979) Athletics: Focus On Sport (1980) Ice Hockey: Focus On Sport (1980) Motor Cycling: Focus On Sport (1980)
  • Motor Racing: Focus On Sport (1980) Skiing: Focus On Sport (1980) Tennis: Focus On Sport (1980) T.V. and Movie Animals (1980) (with Art Browne, Jr) Money Saving Home Repair Guide: Successful Home Improvement Series (1981)
  • Sailing: From Jibs to Jibing (1981) Beat the System: A Survival Guide (1982) The Madonna Stories (1988) Woodsong (1990) Eastern Sun, Winter Moon (1993)
  • Full of Hot Air: Launching, Floating High, And Landing (1993) A Guide for Using Hatchet in the Classroom (1994) Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod (1994) Father Water, Mother Woods (1994) Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers (1996)
  • My Life in Dog Years (1998) Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride: A Memoir of Men and Motorcycles (1997) All Aboard: Stories from Big Books (1998) (various authors, including Paulsen excerpt?) Zero to Sixty: A Motorcycle Journey Through Midlife (1999) (reprint title of Pilgrimage on a Steel Ride)
  • Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books (2001) Caught by the Sea - My Life on Boats (2001) How Angel Peterson Got His Name (2003)
  • justin moore on 06 May 11
     
    facts about gary paulsen.
justin moore

Gary Paulsen - 0 views

english.turkcebilgi.com/Gary+Paulsen

cjhs author gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 03 May 11 - No Cached
    • justin moore
      justin moore on 03 May 11
       
      books when they were wrought and all off there following seasons or should i say series.
  • and Amos Hit the Big Top • Dunc's Dump • Dunc and the Scam Artists • Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos • Dunc's Undercover Christmas • Wild Culpepper Cruise • Dunc and the Haunted Castle • Cowpokes and Desperadoes • Prince Amos • Coach Amos • Amos and the Alien • Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher • Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom • Amos's Killer Concert Caper • Amos Gets Married • Amos Goes Bananas • Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs • Amos and the Vampire • Amos and the Chameleon Caper • Amos Binder, Secret Agent • Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice • Super Amos • Amos Meets the Slasher
  • The Boy Who Owned the School • Harris and Me • The Schernoff Discoveries • • • Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day • Lawn Boy
  • ...40 more annotations...
  • The Small Ones • Hitting, Pitching, and Running • • Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring • Careers in an Airport • Tackling, Running, and Kicking • Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging • • Running, Jumping, and Throwing • • Forehanding and Backhanding • Hiking and Backpacking • Downhill, Hotdogging and Cross-Country • Facing Off, Checking and Goaltending • Launching, Floating High and Landing • Pummeling, Falling and Getting Up-Sometimes • Track, Enduro and Motocross • Canoeing, Kayacking, and Rafting • Going Very Fast in a Circle • • • • • • • T.V. and Movie Animals • • • • The Madonna Stories • • A Guide for Using Hatchet in the Classroom • • Father Water, Mother Woods • • My Life in Dog Years • • • • • Caught by the Sea • How Angel Petersen Got His Name
  • Double click any English word, to find Turkish meaning Gary Paulsen is an American writer, who writes many young adult coming of age stories about the wilderness. He is the author of more than 200 books (many of which are out of print), 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for young adults.
  • Biography Born in Minnesota in 1939, he was raised by his grandmother and aunts. Paulsen used his work as a magazine proofreader to learn the craft of writing. In 1966, his first book was published under the title The Special War . Using his varied life experiences, especially those of an outdoorsman (a hunter, trapper, and three-time competitor in the 1,150 mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race), Paulsen writes about what he knows best.
  • Much of Paulsen's work features the outdoors and highlights the importance of nature. He often uses "coming of age" themes in his novels, where a character masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage to manhood and maturity. He is critical of technology and has been called a Luddite[1].
  • Some of Paulsen's most well-known books are the Hatchet series, although he has published many other popular novels including Dogsong, Harris and Me, and The Winter Room, which won the Newbery Honor. Woodsong and Winterdance are among the most popular books about the Iditarod
  • Paulsen competed in the 1983 and 1985 Iditarods. In 1990, due to heart problems, he gave up dog sledding, which he has described as the most difficult decision he has ever made. After more than a decade spent sailing all over the Pacific, Paulsen got back into dog sledding in 2003. In 2005, he was scheduled to compete in the 2005 Iditarod after a 20-year absence, but withdrew shortly before the start of the race. He participated in the 2006
  • Paulsen lives in La Luz, New Mexico with his wife, Ruth Wright Paulsen, an artist who has illustrated several of his books. He also maintains a 40-acre spread north of Willow, Alaska where he breeds and trains sled dogs for the Iditarod.
  • According to Paulsen's keynote speech on October 13 at the 2007 Sinclair Lewis writing conference in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, he will compete again in this year's Iditarod. Published works
  • The River (1991) Brian's Winter (Hatchet: Winter) (1996) Brian's Return (Hatchet: The Call) (1999) Brian's Hunt (2003)
  • Murphy (1987) Murphy's Gold (1988) Murphy's Herd (1989) Murphy's War (1990)
  • ) Murphy's Ambush (1995) Murphy's Trail (1996)
  • The Cookcamp (1991)
  • Alida's Song (1999)
  • Dunc's Doll (1992) Culpepper's Cannon (1992) Dunc Gets Tweaked (1992) Dunc's Halloween (1992) Dunc Breaks the Record (1992) Dunc and the Flaming Ghost (1992) Amos Gets Famous (1992) Dunc and Amos Hit the Big Top (1993) Dunc's Dump (1993) Dunc and the Scam Artists (1993) Dunc and Amos and the Red Tattoos (1993) Dunc's Undercover Christmas (1993) Wild Culpepper Cruise (1993) Dunc and the Haunted Castle (1993) Co
  • Prince Amos (1994) Coach Amos (1994) Amos and the Alien (1994) Dunc and Amos Meet the Slasher (1994) Dunc and the Greased Sticks of Doom (1994) Amos's Killer Concert Caper (1994) Amos Gets Married (1995) Amos Goes Bananas (1996) Dunc and Amos Go to the Dogs (1996) Amos and the Vampire (1996) Amos and the Chameleon Caper (1996) Amos Binder, Secret Agent (1996) Dunc and Amos on Thin Ice (1997) Super Am
  • Nightjohn (1993) Sarny (1997) The Tucket Adventures Mr. Tucket (1994) Call Me Francis Tucket (1995) Tucket's Ride (1997) Tucket's Gold (1999) Tucket's Home (2000) World of Adventure
  • Harris and Me (1993) The Schernoff Discoveries (1997) (2003) Molly McGinty Has a Really Good Day (2004) (2006) Lawn Boy (2007)
  • The Special War (1966) Some Birds Don't Fly (1968) Chance for Escape (1970) The Death Specialists (1976) The Implosion Effect (1976) C. B. Jockey (1977) The Golden Stick (1977) Tiltawhirl John (1977) The C. B. Radio Caper (1977)
  • Foxman (1977) Winterkill (1977) The Curse of the Cobra (1977) The Green Recruit (1978) The Spitball Gang (1980) Compkill (1981) The Sweeper (1981) Campkill (1981) Clutterkill (1982) Dancing Carl (1983)
  • Tracker (1984) Dogsong (1985) Sentries (1986) The Crossing (1987) The Island (1988) Night Rituals (1989) The Voyage of the Frog (1989) The Winter Room (1989) Canyons (1990) Kill Fee (1990) The Night the White Deer Died (1990) Woodsong (1990) The Monument (1991)
  • Forehanding and Backhanding (1978) Hiking and Backpacking (1978) Downhill, Hotdogging and Cross-Country (1979) Facing Off, Checking and Goaltending (1979) Launching, Floating High and Landing (1979) Pummeling, Falling and Getting Up-Sometimes (1979) Track, Enduro and Motocross (1979) Canoeing, Kayacking, and Rafting (1979) Going Very Fast in a Circle (1979) (1980) (1980) (1980) (1980) (1980) (1980) T.V. and Movie Animals (1980) (with Art Browne, Jr) (1981) (1981)
  • Tasting the Thunder (1992)
  • Clabbered Dirt, Sweet Grass (1992)
  • The Beet Fields (2000) The White Fox Chronicles (2000) The Quilt (2004) The Time Hackers (2005) The Legend of Bass Reeves (2006) Non-Fiction (1976) The Small Ones (1976) Hitting, Pitching, and Running (1976) (1976) Dribbling, Shooting, and Scoring (1976) Careers in an Airport (1977) Tackling, Running, and Kicking (1977) Riding, Roping, and Bulldogging (1977) (1977) Running, Jumping, and Throwing (1978)
  • (1978)
  • The Haymeadow (1992) A Christmas Sonata (1992) Dogteam (1993) The Fourteenth Summer (1993) The Car (1994) The Tent (1995) The Tortilla Factory (1995) The Rifle (1995) Puppies, Dogs, and Blue Northers (1996) Worksong (1997) Ice Race (1997) The Transall Saga (1998) Soldier's Heart (1998) Blue Light (1999)
  • Amos Meets the Slasher (1993)
  • Culpepper Adventures Special
  • Tales to Tickle the Funnybone
  • Other books
  • (1982) The Madonna Stories (1988) (1993) A Guide for Using Hatchet in the Classroom (1994) (1994) Father Water, Mother Woods (1994) (1996) My Life in Dog Years (1997) (1997) (1998) (1999) (2001) Caught by the Sea - My Life on Boats (2001) How Angel Petersen Got His Name (2003)
  • Awards and Recognition
  • berry Honor Book - Hatchet
  • Newberry Honor Book 1986 - Dogsong Newberry Honor Book - The Winter Room
  • References and footnotes
  • 2005–2006 Mark Twain Award master list addendum. (n.d.). Missouri Association of School Librarians. Retrieved March 12, 2006 from Missouri Association of School Librarians, Book Awards. Mark Twain Award master list 1971–2006. (April 29, 2005). Retrieved March 12, 2006 from Mid-Continent Public Library, Juvenile Award Winners ((pdf). Margaret A. Edwards Award. (n.d.). American Library Association. http://www.ala.org
  • Gary Paulsen's site Film adaptions by Gary Paulsen from the IMDb site 1990 young adult Sequoyah Award from Oklahoma Library Association External links
  • The Case of the Dirty Bird • Dunc's Doll • Culpepper's Cannon • Dunc Gets Tweaked • Dunc's Halloween • Dunc Breaks the Record • Dunc and the Flaming Ghost • Amos Gets Famous • Dunc
  • Nightjohn • SarnyThe Tucket AdventuresMr. Tucket • Call Me Francis Tucket • Tucket's Ride • Tucket's Gold • Tucket's HomeWorld of AdventureThe Legend of Red Horse Cavern • Rodomonte's Revenge • Escape from Fire Mountain • The Rock
  • Jockeys • Hook 'Em Snotty! • Danger on Midnight River • The Gorgon Slayer • Captive! • Project - A Perfect World • The Treasure of El Patron • Skydive! • The Seventh Crystal • The Creature of Black Water Lake • Time Benders • Grizzly • Thunder Valley • Curse of the Ruins • Flight of the Hawk
justin moore

Gary Paulsen: Biography from Answers.com - 0 views

www.answers.com/...-children-s-author-illustrator

cjhs author gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 25 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • A writer of popular and finely wrought young adult novels and nonfiction with sales totaling more than three million worldwide, Gary Paulsen joined a select group of YA writers when he received the 1997 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring an author's lifetime achievement in writing books for teens. His work is widely praised by critics, and he has been awarded Newbery Medal Honor Book citations for three of his books, Dogsong, Hatchet, and The Winter Room.
  • In prose lean and echoing of Hemingway, Paulsen creates powerful young adult fiction, often set in wilderness or rural areas and featuring teenagers who arrive at self-awareness by way of experiences in nature—through challenging tests of their own survival instincts—or through the ministrations of understanding adults. He displays an "extraordinary ability to picture for the reader how man's comprehension of life can be transformed with the lessons of nature," wrote Evie Wilson in Voice of Youth Advocates. "With humor and psychological genius, Paulsen develops strong adolescent characters who lend new power to youth's plea to be allowed to apply individual skills in their risk-taking." In addition to writing young adult fiction, Paulsen has also authored numerous picture books with his illustrator wife R. W. Paulsen, penned children's nonfiction, and authored two plays and many works of adult fiction and nonfiction.
  • Paulsen was born in Minnesota in 1939, the son of first-generation Danish and Swedish parents. During his childhood, he saw little of his father, who served in the military in Europe during World War II, and little of his mother, who worked in a Chicago ammunitions factory. "I was reared by my grandmother and several aunts," he once told Something about the Author. "I first saw my father when I was seven in the Philippines where my parents and I lived from 1946 to 1949." Writing of that experience a half century later in Riverbank Review, Paulsen noted that he "lived essentially as a street child in Manila, because my parents were alcoholics and I was not supervised. The effect was profound and lasting."
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • When the family returned to the United States, Paulsen suffered from being continually uprooted. "We moved around constantly....The longest time I spent in one school was for about five months," Paulsen once told SATA. "I was an 'Army brat,' and it was a miserable life. School was a nightmare because I was unbelievably shy, and terrible at sports. . . . I wound up skipping most of the ninth grade." In addition to problems at school, he faced many ordeals at home. "My father drank a lot, and there would be terrible arguments," he noted. Eventually Paulsen was sent again to live with relatives and worked to support himself with jobs as a newspaper boy and as a pin-setter in a bowling alley.
  • Things began to change for the better during his teen years. He found security and support with his grandmother and aunts—"safety nets" as he described them in his interview. A turning point in his life came one sub-zero winter day when, as he was walking past the public library, he decided to stop in to warm himself. "To my absolute astonishment the librarian walked up to me and asked if I wanted a library card," he related. "When she handed me the card, she handed me the world. I can't even describe how liberating it was. She recommended westerns and science fiction but every now and then would slip in a classic. I roared through everything she gave me and in the summer read a book a day. It was as though I had been dying of thirst and the librarian had handed me a five-gallon bucket of water. I drank and drank."
  • After just barely graduating from high school in Thief River Falls, Minnesota, in 1959, Paulsen attended Bemidji College in Minnesota, for two years, paying for his tuition with money he'd earned as a trapper for the state of Minnesota. When he flunked out of college, he joined the U.S. Army, serving from 1959 to 1962, and working with missiles. After his tour of duty was completed, he took extension courses to become a certified field engineer, finding work in the aerospace departments of the Bendix and Lockheed corporations. There it occurred to him that he might try and become a writer. "I'd finished reading a magazine article on flight-testing . . . and thought, gad, what a way to make a living—writing about something you like and getting paid for it!" he told F. Serdahely in Writer's Digest. "I remembered writing some of my past reports, some fictionalized versions I'd included. And I thought: 'What the hell, I am an engineering writer.' But, conversely, I also realized I didn't know a thing about writing professionally. After several hours of hard thinking, a way to learn came to me. All I had to do was go to work editing a magazine."
  • Creating a fictitious resume, Paulsen was able to obtain an associate editor position on a men's magazine in Hollywood, California. Although it soon became apparent to his employers that he had no editorial experience, he once told SATA that "they could see I was serious about wanting to learn, and they were willing to teach me." He spent nearly a year with the magazine, finding it "the best of all possible ways to learn about writing. It probably did more to improve my craft and ability than any other single event in my life." Still living in California, Paulsen also found work as a film extra (he once played a drunken Indian in a movie called Flap), and took up sculpting as a hobby, even winning first prize in a local exhibition.
  • Paulsen's first book, The Special War, was published in 1966, and he soon proved himself to be one of the most prolific authors in the United States. In little over a decade, working mainly out of northern Minnesota—where he returned after becoming disillusioned with Hollywood—he published nearly forty books and close to two hundred articles and stories for magazines. Among Paulsen's diverse titles were a number of children's nonfiction books about animals, a biography of Martin Luther King, Jr., several humorous titles under the "Sports on the Light Side" series published by Raintree Press, two plays, adult fiction and nonfiction, as well as some initial ventures into juvenile fiction. On a bet with a friend, he once wrote eleven articles and short stories inside four days and sold all of them.H
  • prolific output was interrupted by a libel lawsuit brought against his 1977 young adult novel Winterkill, the powerful story of a semi-delinquent boy befriended by a hard-bitten cop named Duda in a small Minnesota town. Paulsen eventually won the case, but, as he noted, "the whole situation was so nasty and ugly that I stopped writing. I wanted nothing more to do with publishing and burned my bridges, so to speak." Unable to earn any other type of living, he went back to trapping for the state of Minnesota, working his sixty-mile trap line on foot or skis.
  • To help Paulsen in his hunting job, a friend gave him a team of sled dogs, a gift that ultimately had a profound influence on Paulsen. "One day, about midnight, we were crossing Clear Water Lake, which is about three miles long," Paulsen recounted. "There was a full moon shining so brightly on the snow you could read by it. There was no one around, and all I could hear was the rhythm of the dogs' breathing as they pulled the sled." The intensity of the moment prompted an impulsive seven-day trip by Paulsen through northern Minnesota. "I didn't go home—my wife was frantic—I didn't check lines, I just ran the dogs....For food, we had a few beaver carcasses. . . . I was initiated into this incredibly ancient and very beautiful bond, and it was as if everything that had happened to me before ceased to exist." Paulsen afterwards made a resolution to permanently give up hunting and trapping, and proceeded to pursue dogsled racing as a hobby. He went so far as to enter the grueling twelve-hundred-mile Iditarod race in Alaska, an experience that later provided the basis for his award-winning novel Dogsong.
  • well."
  • Paulsen's 1987 novel Hatchet, also a Newbery honor book, tells the story of Brian, a thirteen-year-old thoroughly modern boy who is forced to survive alone in the Canadian woods after a plane crash. Like Russel in Dogsong, Hatchet's hero is also transformed by the wilderness. "By the time he is rescued, Brian is permanently changed," noted Suzanne Rahn in Twentieth-Century Children's Writers; "he is far more observant and thoughtful, and knows what is really important in his life." As noted in Children's Books and Their Creators, Hatchet became "one of the most popular adventure stories of all time," combining "elementary language with a riveting plot to produce a book both comprehensible and enjoyable for those children who frequently equate reading with frustration."
  • Hatchet proved so popular with readers that they demanded, and won, a number of sequels: The River, Brian's Winter, Brian's Return, and Brian's Hunt. In Brian's Hunt, Paulsen "delivers a gripping, gory tale about survival in the north woods, based on a real bear attack," noted Paula Rohrlick in Kliatt.
  • In My Life in Dog's Years, The Beet Fields: Memories of a Sixteenth Summer, Eastern Sun, Winter Moon, and Guts: The True Stories behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, Paulsen recounts stories from his own life, many of which he has fictionalized in his young adult books. While most of the remembrances are intended for an adult audience, one of his most powerful memoirs for young readers is Woodsong, an autobiographical account of his life in Minnesota and Alaska while preparing his sled dogs to run the Iditarod. A reviewer noted in Horn Book that the "lure of the wilderness is always a potent draw, and Paulsen evokes its mysteries as well as anyone since Jack London." In another memoir intended for a young adult audience, How Angel Peterson Got His Name and Other Outrageous Tales about Extreme Sports, Paulsen recalls a number of daredevil stunts he and his friends performed during their early teen years. "Paulsen laces his tales with appealing '50s details and broad asides about the boys' personalities, ingenuity, and idiocy," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly.
  • Paulsen tells of a different kind of growing up in Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. Instead of the main character reaching maturity while struggling in the wilderness, in Harris the unnamed protagonist discovers a sense of belonging while spending a summer on his relatives' farm. A child of abusive and alcoholic parents, the young narrator is sent to live with another set of relations—his uncle's family—and there he meets the reckless Harris, who leads him in escapades involving playing Tarzan in the loft of the barn and using pig pens as the stage for G.I. Joe games. "Through it all," explained a reviewer for Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "the lonely hero imperceptibly learns about belonging." In Voice of Youth Advocates, Penny Blubaugh pointed out that "for the first time in his life [the narrator] finds himself surrounded by love."
  • In books like Nightjohn and Mr. Tucket Paulsen draws on history for literary inspiration. Nightjohn is set in the nineteenth-century South and revolves around Sarny, a young slave girl who risks severe punishment when she is persuaded to learn to read by Nightjohn, a runaway slave who has just been recaptured. A commentator for Kirkus Reviews called Nightjohn "a searing picture of slavery" and an "unbearably vivid book."Sarny is reprised as a character in Sarny: A Life Remembered, in which the former slave narrates her life in 1930, at the ripe old age of ninety-four. A focal point of the woman's story is the fact that she learned to read: this saves her on more than one occasion. Sarny' "story makes absorbing reading," concluded Bruce Anne Shook in a School Library Journal review.
  • justin moore on 25 Apr 11
     
    About Gary paulsen point of veiw over his own very popular stories of Hachete, something, an somthing...
Carly Felty

Margaret Haddix Biography - 3 views

www.haddixbooks.com/bio.html

Haddix's biography

shared by Carly Felty on 02 May 11 - Cached
  • When my daughter was in third grade, she brought home a list one day that described what everyone in her class wanted to be when they grew up. Most of the kids clearly picked the same jobs their parents held. But a few went for the fantastical
  •   As a kid, I also longed for a career that I didn’t actually believe real people got to do.
    • autumn holder
      autumn holder on 06 May 11
       
      Margaret Haddix has 2 kids
  •   I grew up on a farm about halfway between two small towns:
  • ...93 more annotations...
  • Washington Court House, Ohio, and Sabina, Ohio.
  • When we went on family vacations, my parents were always saying things like, “Would you guys stop reading for a minute and look out the window? That’s the Grand Canyon we’re driving past!”
  • But then my
  • mom would laugh and say, “That’s exactly what my parents always
  • said to me when I was a kid!
  • The people I met in books always seemed very real to me: as a kid, I counted among my friends the whip-smart New York kids of E.L. Konigsburg books, Harriet the Spy, Anne of Green Gables, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Anne Frank, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Little Princess’ Sara Crewe, L.M. Montgomery’s Emily Byrd Starr, Beanie Malone
  • I did major in creative writing, but I also majored in journalism (and history, just for fun). Except for the summer after my freshman year of college, when I worked as
  • at a 4-H camp (which was lots and lots of fun), every job I’ve held since then has been related to writing in some way.
  • an assistant coo
  • I worked on my school newspaper and had summer internships at newspapers in Urbana, Ohio; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Indianapolis, Indiana. After college,
  • then quickly moved back to Indianapolis to work as a newspaper reporter there.
  • During high school, I acted in school plays; played flute and piccolo in the marching, pep and symphonic bands; sang in the school choir; worked on the school newspaper; ran track one year; competed on a school quick-recall team; served on the county junior fair board;
  • Living in a foreign country is a great way to force yourself to really think about, “Who am I?” “What shaped me as a person?” “Why do I believe what I believe?” “What do I want out of life?” “What shaped all these people I see around me?” “Why do they believe what they believe?” “What do they want out of life?”
  • For most of my time as a journalist, I worked as a general assignment reporter, which meant that I could be covering a fire one day, a scientific breakthrough the next, a politician’s news conference the next. (Or, on really busy days, some combination of several vastly different
  • It also inspired me to play with different plots and characters and settings in my head. Facts weren’t enough for me. I still also wanted fiction
  • But a few went for the fantastical.
  • When my daughter was in third grade, she brought home a list one day that described what everyone in her class wanted to be when they grew up
  • ay that described what everyone in her class wanted to be when they grew up. Most of
    • Carly Felty
      Carly Felty on 02 May 11
       
      How she got started and some of her history.
    • shayla daugherty
      shayla daugherty on 04 May 11
       
      this has lots of stuff about her childhood and her family.
  • I come from both a long line of farmers, and a long line of bookworms.
  • nurses (like my mom)
  • One kid said he wanted to be a spy; another was longing to be a professional dirt-biker; another saw himself as a future movie director. And I looked at that list and thought, “Yep, I’m with the dirt-biker and the spy.”
  • farmers (like my dad
  •   I grew up on a farm about halfway between two small towns: Washington Court House, Ohio, and Sabina, Ohio.
  •    As a kid, I also longed for a career that I didn’t actually believe real people got to do. The far-out, only-in-your dreams career I wanted was to be an author.
  • “Would you guys stop reading for a minute and look out the window? That’s the Grand Canyon we’re driving past!
  • How many of my ancestors, immigrating to America, had to admonish their kids, “Would you put down that book and look out? Don’t you want to see our new home?”
  • To me, it didn’t seem to be much of a step to go from loving books to wanting to create books of my own
  • The people I met in books always seemed very real to me: as a kid, I counted among my friends the whip-smart New York kids of E.L. Konigsburg books, Harriet the Spy, Anne of Green Gables, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Anne Frank, Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm, The Little Princess’ Sara Crewe, L.M. Montgomery’s Emily Byrd Starr, Beanie Malone, and many, many others.
  • But I would go home and also write different kinds of stories, ones based more on my own imagination and my sense that there could be some sort of higher truth than just “facts.”
  • er and th
  • One kid said he wanted to be a spy; another was longing to be a professional dirt-biker; another saw himself as a future movie director. And I looked at that list and thought, “Yep, I’m with the dirt-biker and the spy.”
  • and did volunteer work through my church and 4-H clubs.
  • Washington Court House, Ohio, and Sabina, Ohio.
  • indow?
  • (Lest you think I was some multi-talented prodigy, I should point out that I’m a terrible singer, a terrible actor, and, as a runner, I’m really, really good at walking
  • One of the advantages of going to a fairly small school is that, if you’re not too afraid of making a fool of yourself, they’ll let you try just about any activity.
  • ) In college, one of the best things I did was spend a semester studying in Luxembourg, a small country nestled between France, Germany and Belgium.
  • fairly small school is that, if you’r
  • But it was being a reporter that really gave me the opportunity to meet lots of different people, in vastly different circumstances. It never failed to amaze me that I could sit down with people, and begin asking really, really nosy questions, and because I was from the newspaper, they would almost always answer.
  • events, all at once.)
  • or most of my time as a journalist, I worked as a general assignment report
  • characters and settings in my head. Facts weren’t enough for me. I still als
  • Somehow, for me, hearing so many different stories from so many different people--and witnessing so many different events--didn’t just inspire me to write it all down
  • ould go home and also write different kinds of stories, ones based mo
  • . So during this time, I had a lot more ideas for fiction than I actually wrote down.
  •   It was also during this time that I got married. My husband, Doug, and I met in college, and he also went into journalism right after school.
  • When he got a job as city editor of a newspaper in Danville, Illinois, it seemed like a big complication for my career. If I wanted to continue
  • as a newspaper reporter, I knew I’d probably have to have my husband as a boss.
  • My husband and I agreed to see this complication as an opportunity: this would be my chance to concentrate on fiction
  • . I took part-time jobs teaching writing at a community college and doing freelance business writing, but I also wrote Running Out of Time; Don’t You Dare Read This, Mrs. Dunphrey; and numerous short stories. While I was working on those, my husband and I also decided to start a family.
  • Like most writers, I went through an agonizing phase of submitting my work and collecting nothing but rejection letters for quite a while
  • For me, this phase lasted long enough that, by the time I sold my first two books (both at once, actually) our daughter, Meredith, was a year and a half old, and I was pregnant with our second child, Connor.
  • ents were alwa
  • then my
  • same j
  • higher truth than
  • But I w
  • Why do
  • nference the next.
  • anted ficti
  • ith different
  • spaper; ran track
  • Still, it was a little challenging to be a newly published author at the same time that I was becoming a new mother.
  • For those first few years, I wrote only during my kids’ naptime, when I probably should have been napping myself.
  •    Since then, my life has changed quite a bit. My husband and kids and I moved from Illinois to Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania, to Columbus, Ohio
  •     And that’s why I became a writer.
  • In a hurry? See a short biography. Writing a Report
  • Start Here
  • nd symphonic b
  • ep and sympho
  • year; competed on
  • I want out of life
  • great wa
  • t I could be covering a fire one day, a scientific breakthrough the next, a p
  • in the sch
  • ol, I acted i
  • ll team; ser
  • e school ne
  • ymphon
  • believe?” “Wh
  • t do they wa
  • am I?” “
  • country
  • nation of
  • cian’s news
  • ich meant th
  • nspired me to pl
  • n my own imagination and
  • ust “fa
  • ough that, by the time I sold my first two b
  • parents held
  • tions, my pa
  • Carly Felty on 02 May 11
     
    Has a lot of good info about her life and how she got started.
  • shayla daugherty on 04 May 11
     
    Has a lot of good info about her life and how she got started.
chelan mcgee

Sharon Draper Biography - life, family, children, parents, story, death, history, schoo... - 2 views

www.notablebiographies.com/...Draper-Sharon.html

cjhs author sharon draper

shared by chelan mcgee on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • For thirty years Sharon Draper was an English teacher in the Cincinnati, Ohio,
  • her love of reading and writing in generations of children, and inspiring them to reach for their greatest dreams.
    • Emily=) bowles
      Emily=) bowles on 20 Apr 11
       
      She sound like a great author
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 25 Apr 11
       
      Was she really a teacher??
    • victoria fuller
      victoria fuller on 25 Apr 11
       
      Wow! A teacher? I had no idea!! I have got to start reading those books!
    • Lucas Babers
      Lucas Babers on 02 May 11
       
      Wow!!!!!!!!!! For thirty years of teaching she became an author!!!! That is amazing!
  • n 1997 she received the highest honor an educator can be given when President Bill Clinton (1946–) named her the U.S. Teacher of the Year.
  • ...108 more annotations...
  • In 1994 the dedicated teacher became an author, releasing her first children's book, Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs.
  • Draper is also a poet and nonfiction write
  • Draper's most recent young adult novel, The Battle of Jericho (2003),
  • the Coretta Scott King Honor Book of 2004.
  • Draper, Sharon. The Battle of Jericho. New York: Simon … Schuster, 2003. Draper, Sharon. Forged by Fire. New York: Simon … Schuster, 1997. Draper, Sharon. Tears of a Tiger. New York: Simon … Schuster, 1994. Draper, Sharon. Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs. East Orange, N.J.: Just Us Books, 1994. Draper, Sharon. Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs: Lost in the Tunnel of Time. East Orange, N.J.: Just Us Books, 1996
  • Books
  • I write because I care about young people. I write because I teach."
  • Draper breezed through high school, taking advanced and honors courses, and graduated a National Merit Scholar.
  • National Merit Scholarships are awarded each year to a handful of students who achieve excellence on the college placement examination, the SAT.
  • In 1971, when she was just twenty years old, Draper graduated with a degree in English.
  • She earned a master's degree in 1974
  • this same period, she married her husband, Larry Draper, who is also a teacher. The couple has four children.
  • Her writing career began in 1990 on a whim.
  • Draper had always encouraged her students to submit stories and poems to writing contests.
  • "I wanted to write something that young people could read that would be contemporary and exciting." She further explained, "I couldn't find anything they really liked to read, so I started writing for them myself."
  • The busy Draper wrote during any spare moment she could find, which meant stealing time on weekends, at night, and during study hall periods.
  • In November 1994 both of Draper's books appeared on bookstore shelves on the sa
  • me day.
  • Tears was the first book in what would become the Hazelwood High trilogy. The main character in the second title in the series, Forged by Fire (1997), is Gerald Nickelby, one of Andy's basketball teammates. Darkness Before Dawn (2001) follows Andy's girlfriend, Keisha, through her senior year of high school.
  • Teachers latched on to Draper's books for making lesson plans, parents praised her for helping their children turn off the television and start turning pages, and kids raced to the library begging for more.
  • Many of Draper's novels deal with topics that may be controversial, but that are a very real part of everyday life for some people.
  • Draper believes that her books help her readers in many ways.
  • 1. What do you usually have for breakfast? Yogurt and walnuts and bananas. 2. If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? Denzel Washington. 3. What would you hate to be left in a room with? No books! 4. What inspires you? Honesty. Sincerity. Love. 5. What annoys you? People who don't try. People who give up.
  • In 2004, Draper received her third Coretta Scott King Award for The Battle of Jericho (2003), which takes a frank look at yet another controversial topic: hazing rituals.
  • I Survived the Draper Paper."
  • Following her win, Draper took a one-year leave of absence from the classroom to tour the United States as a teaching ambassador.
  • "I am so proud to be a teacher," she commented.
  • "I'm proud of my colleagues, 3 million of us, who strive every day in the classrooms across the country to make a difference in the lives of students."
  • While still in elementary school Draper also realized that one day she wanted to become a teacher. "I was probably born to be a teacher," she revealed on her Web site. "As a child, I taught my dolls, my dogs, and the kids next door." She singles out one woman, in particular, who served as a special role model: her fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Kathadaza Mann.
  • According to Draper, Mann taught her students about Black history long before it was an accepted part of the curriculum.
  • She also
  • introduced them to classic literature, art, and music. "She was one of the first teachers," Draper recalled, "who taught me to read analytically, to think critically, and to speak fearlessly."
  • In interviews Sharon Draper credits her parents for introducing her to the world of books. Draper was born in 1952 in Cleveland, Ohio, the oldest child of Victor Mills,
  • Here are some fun answers to some interesting questions posed to award-winning author Sharon Draper
  • o enthusiastically ask her questions about the writing process, the characters in her books, and how they can one day become writers themselves. In April 2005, Draper visited Whittier Middle School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she read excerpts from her books and fielded questions from her young fans. As one thirteen-year-old told Brenda Schmidt of the Argus Leader, "You do feel like you know her. It's a lot of fun to actually meet her and see her personality." According to Draper, who spoke with Teri Lesesne of Teacher Librarian, "It's an awesome responsibility to have so much response to what I've written." As a result, she takes correspondence from fans very seriously and she reads every piece of e-mail she receives. Many of t
  • There are some questions that she will not answer because they are too personal (like how old she is);
  • Draper refuses to answer when she feels it would be completing kids' homework assignments
  • he questions posed by young readers are posted on Draper's Web site and give a glimpse into the life of the famous author.
  • By 2005 Draper had retired from teaching to pursue writing full time, but the dedicated professional could never truly stop being an educator.
  • she continues to travel around the world lecturing to groups of all ages about the power of education and the importance of literacy and reading.
  • Draper is also a frequent guest on many U.S. television and radio programs
  • I started writing as a result of my teaching, and now, my writing has become a teaching tool.
  • I wrote for my students, for the kids I knew who didn't like to read, who weren't inspired by books or literature.
  • Now the books are used in schools all over the country, teachers use them as learning tools for their classes, and when I speak to students at schools, all I really do is an extended version of what I've always done, which is teach."
  • April 11, 1952
  • I inhaled books and knowledge
  • " the author commented on her Web site.
  • Draper began school she was already a self-described bookworm
  • when they were very young; by the time
  • and Catherine Mills read to her three children each night startin
  • Mills's home,
  • filled the
  • As an English teacher in the Cincinnati Public School system, Draper earned a reputation as a no-nonsense educator who challenged her students to the limit.
  • I demand the best from them," she explained on her Web site
  • they expect the best from me."
  • Draper introduced students to classic and contemporary literature through seminar-like classes where kids were encouraged to discuss what they read in conjunction with current events.
  • One of Draper's writing assignments, in particular, became legendary. As part of their final grade, seniors at Walnut Hills High School were asked to produce a well-researched term paper.
  • The Draper Paper."
  • T-shirts were even
  • designed
  • given only to those students who successfully met the challenge.
  • shirts proudly boasted:
  • Draper's classes were in high demand through the 1980s and 1990s, and in 1997 she was named Ohio's Teacher of the Year.
  • April 1997 t
  • Cincinnati educator
  • scored
  • even bigger honor
  • she earned the title U.S. Teacher of the Year.
  • award ceremony
  • Washington, D.C., President Bill Clinton applauded Draper for her many years of service.
  • reprinted part of his speech:
  • 27 years she has inspired
  • and life
  • passion for literature
  • students with her
  • Sharon Draper
  • credit to her profession
  • , she is a true blessing to the children she has taught.
  • In addition, Draper became part of the National Board for Teaching Standards and contributed to a number of professional publications to push the need for teacher accountability and development.
  • Being the Teacher of the Year ambassador kept Draper on the road more than twenty days a month.
  • One day, Draper explains on her Web site, a bold young man handed her a crumpled application form and said, "You think you so bad— why don't you write something! Enter this contest!"
  • Draper accepted his challenge and submitted a short story to Ebony magazine's annual Gertrude Johnson Williams Literary Competition.
  • Months went by
  • Draper promptly forgot that she had even entered a contest.
  • One day, however, she received a phone call that her short story, "One Small Torch," had taken first prize.
  • she began receiving letters
  • calls of congratulations—
  • very famous writers.
  • importantly,
  • win ignited a spark in Draper, who decided to try her hand at a longer work of fiction.
  • As luck would have it, while she was waiting for Tears to be published, Draper was contacted by her agent who said that another publishing house, the African American-run Just Us Books, had inquired whether Draper had anything in the works for younger readers.
  • Tears of a Tiger focuses on an African American teen named Andy Jackson, who struggles to come to terms with the death of his best friend, Robert.
  • Draper uses a variety of devices to move the story along.
  • As Draper told David Marc Fischer of Writing!, "For young people, the largest part of the day is spent in school.
  • So I make school assignments and activities vital parts of my stories."
  • Ziggy and the Black Dinosaurs also ended up being a trilogy, with all three books following the adventures of ten-year-old Ziggy, who forms a club called the Black Dinosaurs with his three best friends.
  • just as she did in the Hazelwood High books, the teacher-turned-author mixes some "lessons" in with the adventure.
  • , Lost in the Tunnel of Time (1996), Ziggy and friends discover a tunnel once used as a station for the Underground Railroad.
  • one teacher told Kelly Starling of Ebony, "Few books have elicited such strong emotion in my students as Tears of a Tiger.
  • only book some of them have read completely."
  • Forged by Fire
  • Seattle Times, the ALA jury commended Draper "for tackling troubling contemporary issues, and providing concrete options and positive African American role models."
  • example, 1999's Romiette and Julio takes on interracial dating and gang life, and Double Dutch, published in 2002, tackles illiteracy and child abandonment.
  • sked why
  • explores such tough subjects, Draper told David Marc Fischer, "Perhaps reading about the difficulties of others will act like an armor and protect my readers from the personal tragedies of their own lives."
  • At first the tasks are harmless, but as the week progresses things start to take a negative turn. Ultimately, Jericho must decide whether staying with the group is worth losing his self-respect.
  • Publishers Weekly called it "timely," and congratulated Draper for "driving home an important message about peer pressure.
  • . In order to join the group new members must survive pledge initiation week.
  • chelan mcgee on 20 Apr 11
     
    This is a great thing to learn about her from
Shelby Tomlinson

Meg Cabot - Henrietta My One-Eyed Cat - 0 views

www.megcabot.com/...107919524537290367

meg cabot CJHS Author

shared by Shelby Tomlinson on 03 May 11 - No Cached
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 03 May 11
       
      This tells the story of Henrietta.
  • Henrietta My One-Eyed Cat
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 03 May 11
       
      The cat is also a Ninja cat!! And I am NOT KIDDING!!!
  • So the other night, I watched the movie Seabiscuit, which, in case you don't know, is the true story of this champion race horse. And I couldn't help thinking, as I watched, how much Seabiscuit, a problem horse whose owners at times despaired of him, reminded me of my cat, Henrietta, a problem cat whose owners sometimes despair of her. Don't get me wrong. I love Henrietta with all the fiber of my being. If there were a fire in my building, Henrietta would be the first thing I'd grab. My husband and I disagree about many things—the therapeutic benefits of the show Charmed, for instance. But fortunately we both agree on Henrietta: She is the best thing in our lives—a little angel who fell down from heaven to be with us. The only problem is that we're the only people on the planet who've met Henrietta who feel that way about her. Henrietta didn't have a very good start in life. I got her from a woman, Gigi, who'd found her, along with
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • the rest of her litter, abandoned in an alley in Brooklyn. The reason I went for an alley cat, instead of a cat from the ASPCA or Bide-a-Wee or whatever, is that my husband insisted he wanted a calico cat. And calico cats, for some reason, were in short supply in the Tri-State area at that time. So I put out an alert to all of my friends: If you hear of a calico kitten, let me know. Sure enough, a friend knew of a neighbor who had found a litter of kittens (Gigi), one of which was a calico. OK, first thing: Henrietta is not a calico. She is a tortoiseshell. Here is what the vet said in an unenthusiastic voice when I first brought Henrietta in: “Oh. A tortoiseshell.”
  • Why? Because tortoiseshell cats, though revered in some cultures (ancient Celtics believed tortoiseshell cats brought good luck; Japanese fishermen used them as ship cats to ward off ghosts) can be, in actuality, “difficult.” I didn't know all of this the day I heard about Henrietta. All I knew was thatall of the kittens from the litter Gigi found were really sick, with infections in their eyes. Henrietta was the least badly affected of her brothers and sisters…she still had one good eye left. And yet when I got to Gigi's, Henrietta was the only kitten she hadn't managed to give away. People had chosen completely BLIND cats over Henrietta. Perhaps they knew what my vet knew.
  • Recently, my friend Beth (the owner of Fat Henry, on whom Mia's cat Fat Louie is based) revealed to me that when she and I walked into Gigi's house (I took Beth with me because my husband was stuck at work) Beth took one look at Henrietta and thought, “That cat is going to be dead by the end of the week. If she's not dead now.” Henrietta didn't move or even utter a sound the whole subway ride home. When my husband came home and finally saw her, he had to poke her to make sure she wasn't dead. She did look kind of dead. I didn't know what to do about my new dead kitten. I thought maybe she was hungry. There'd been three huge dogs at Gigi's house, so maybe Henrietta had never gotten a proper meal.
  • So I opened a container of Sheba and put it on a plate and set it front of her. The slab of Sheba was almost as big as Henrietta was. At first she showed no interest. She just lay there, kind of dead. Then she must have gotten a sniff of salmon pate. Since she sat up. And then ate the whole thing in about two minutes. I've still never seen anything that small put away something that big. And then, to our very great surprise, this tiny, almost comatose kitten stretched, turned around, saw my new sheer curtains, and immediately began to climb them. Purring loudly.
  • “Why can't you ever bring home a normal pet?” my husband wanted to know. Henrietta quickly proved to be a problem cat. Maybe it's genetic. Maybe it's her one eye. Maybe it's the tortoiseshell thing. But from the beginning, Henrietta was just…weird. She likes to collect things. Her primary loves are paper clips and bottle caps—anything sparkly. She used to keep these things in a little pile beneath bed. Not that we were allowed near it. If we so much as looked like we might be about to go under the bed for a suitcase or whatever, Henrietta would puff out to ten times her normal size, hiss, and stalk around the bedclothes, growling menacingly, to try to keep us away. This was charming when she was little. But as she grew larger, if anyone happened to come to my apartment and see her do her “Bed Dance”, they'd often ask, “Um…what's wrong with your cat?” The last straw was when my wedding ring disappeared. I tore the apartment apart looking for it, then realized there was only one place it could have gone.
  • But when I moved the bed to get it back, I was confronted by the strangest sight I have ever seen. If you can imagine a Ninja in cat form, that is what I saw in front of me. Henrietta, who had previously only made threatening noises and puffed her fur out a lot during the “Bed Dance,” was now walking menacingly towards me ON HER HIND LEGS, her front claws raised to gouge my eyes out. I thought she'd get over it. I really did. I mean, she's a CAT. How long would she remember the day I ransacked her treasure chest?
  • For THREE MONTHS after that, every time she saw me, Henrietta turned into Ninja cat again, puffing out, growling, and walking on her hind legs. One day while cornered in the kitchen, I called my vet, and asked them what you're supposed to do when your cat is really a Ninja in disguise and is TRYING TO KILL YOU. “This is the tortoiseshell?” my vet asked, with a sigh. “Yeah. They do that.”
  • The vet suggested an animal therapist be sent to study Henrietta and suggest treatment. For $170/hr. I didn't have $170/hr to give to an animal therapist. I was living in a studio apartment, for crying out loud! So I launched my own line of therapy: I didn't touch Henrietta's stuff anymore. I bought her a nice, comfy bed for my closet, since that seems to be her preferred sleep spot (on top of my suede boots). I spent hours experimenting with treats with which I tried to lure her into petting distance to prove I wasn't all bad. And I kept plenty of containers of catnip all around the apartment to hurl at her in emergencies. It's seemed to work—at least in so far as she isn't trying to kill me anymore. In fact, she finally seems to have forgotten all about my betrayal, and will now allow me to touch—and even carry–her. She usually purrs when I do so. She likes to curl up under the duvet when I'm writing, sleeping on my feet.
  • She loves my husband, too, and will, when he points at her, roll over and squirm in delight. Yes. Like a dog. That is not Henrietta's only doglike trait. When Henrietta hears activity in the hallway outside our apartment, she runs to the door, growling. If anyone—no matter how long she's known them, or how many times they've fed her–who is not myself or my husband enters our apartment, she goes Ninja cat on them.
  • This was a particular problem when a landlord wanted to show the studio apartment we were moving out of. Henrietta would not allow the realtor or the prospective tenants move freely through the apartment. I would be out shopping and get a frantic phone call on my cell from the realtor—“Your cat has us all trapped in the kitchen and won't let us out”—and I would have to run home, grab Ninja Henrietta off her hind legs, stuff in her pet carrier, and take her back to Bloomingdales with me (Henrietta seems to like Bloomingdales). The truth is, as much as I love her just the way she is, Henrietta really is a Problem Cat, much like Seabiscuit was a problem horse. Henrietta, however, will not be winning any races. I've discussed her condition with many vets. Would getting another cat help? What about a dog? The consensus, sadly, is that tortoiseshells often get worse, not better, when another animal is introduced into the household. The best I can do is enjoy Henrietta the way she is, relishing in the fact that I own such an unusual pet.
  • Still, when we start going down to Key West, Henrietta will be facing her first plane ride—in the cabin with me, of course…I would never put her under the plane—and I can't help thinking about what might happen if she should escape from her carrier during the flight. What if she start swandering down the aisle on her hind legs, waving her front claws Ninja style? Can you imagine the horrified looks I'll receive from the other passengers? And what if there's an air marshal on board? He might conceivably shoot her. I mean, really, in her own way, Henrietta is a dangerous weapon…. I just hope they'll let her through security. More later, Meg
justin moore

The Foxman by Gary Paulsen - 0 views

www.carolhurst.com/...foxman.html

cjhs author gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 02 May 11 - No Cached
  • Mr. Paulsen is a prolific writer who has given us many treasures, probably the best known of which is Hatchet (Penguin, 1988 ISBN 0-14-032724-X). His books often deal with a character in isolation who goes through a sort of rite of manhood through survival in that isolation. Gary Paulsen lives in northern Minnesota, and Foxman as well as many of his others are set in that area. While it deals with isolation, it is primarily a book about the horrors of war and the various ways we deal with it.
  • The book does have some sexual references although they are far from explicit. They are alluded to rather than experienced and they are not the focal poin
  • In Foxman the narrator and his cousin find the Foxman, a recluse with a horribly disfigured face, in a remote cabin in Northern Minnesota. The narrator has been sent to live with relatives in Minnesota because of the violence of his alcoholic parents. The relatives have accepted him and made a place for him in their lives, including him in the storytelling on winter evenings or, rather, including him in the audience for storytelling. It is two of the men who tell stories each night and their stories are always about their adventures in World War I. The audience is expected to laugh at many of them and the narrator finds nothing to laugh at, feeling instead the horror of war. As the boy's relationship with the Foxman grows, he becomes aware of the contrast between the Foxman's handling of the war experience and that of his two uncles.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Things to Notice and Talk About
  • You'll want to focus on the Foxman as the book does. What caused his disfigurement? Notice the ways in which he deals with it, living away from society, hiding his face even hiding himself so that the boys don't have to look at him. Find examples of his behavior which show his constant awareness of his physical appearance. Imagine the horror of being horrible to look at.
  • Look at some of the minor characters here. The uncle is concerned about the boy. He asks if he is happy and if he knows the woods well enough now so that the uncle can relax a bit when the boy is gone for long periods of time. Does the uncle know about the Foxman?
  • What about the person who brings the supplies once a year to the Foxman? What does he/she know? How does that person deal with it? How was the routine established? Did the Foxman go to town once?
  • The Foxman says at one point, "Science kills beauty." What does he mean? What is his example of knowledge ruining wonder? What are some other examples? Talk about the effects on both boys of knowing the Foxman. Why is Carl's reaction different than his cousin's? What will change in the boy's life after this book? Will he stay in the north? with the family? alone? Will he go back to his alcoholic parents? Finally, there is the burning of the cabin with the Foxman and all he owns inside. Is that what Foxman wanted? Why did the boy take only the fox pelt? Was he right?
  • Another quote says that the storytellers are "plucking roses from manure." What about that one? Can you cite examples of it in the book and in life? There is violence throughout this anti-war novel. Pick out the references to it and debate their cause and effects. Speaking of alcoholism, investigate Alanon and Alateen. Could they have helped the boy? The battle of Verdun in World War I is talked about in the book. Find out what you can about it. We're hearing a lot about poison gas now in the Middle East. What was said about it then? Why was it outlawed? Can there be rules to war? Who makes the rules? The work on the farm is important to the book. Everyone does his or her share, even the animals. Talk about the draft horses. Do some research on the different breeds and their particular strengths. The cold plays a part in this story. He talks about the blue of cold. What does he mean? Frostbite is dealt with. Is rubbing snow on frostbite recommended? At one point the boy is freezing to death. Are his experiences consistent with those of real people in the cold? What about snow-blindness? Is it a real thing? Talk to an eye doctor about it. How would the author have known about such things?
  • A distinction is made in the book between killing and hunting animals. How do you feel about it? Is hunting still necessary? Is there a connection between the killing of animals and the killing during war in Foxman? Is trapping necessary? Why? Is there a humane trap? Contact animal rights organizations and furriers to get their sides of the debate. There are some pretty graphic descriptions in the book of preparing killed animals for food. Who prepares the meat you eat? There are other disfigured characters in literature and in real life: the Elephant Man, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera, the boy in "Mask." Compare their handling of the problem with that of Foxman. What would you do?
  • Related Books
  • Tree by Leaf by Cynthia Voigt Macmillan, 1988 ISBN 0-689-31403-5. Compare the Foxman to the father in Tree by Leaf. The father was also gassed and is hiding out in the boathouse rather than facing his family. Collected Stories by Richard Kennedy Harper, 1987 ISBN 0-06-023256-0. This book contains a story called "Oliver Hyde's Dishcloth Concert". In that story Oliver hides his face with a dishcloth, not because of a physical disfigurement, but because of an emotional one. Fireweed by Jill Paton Walsh Farrar, 1988 ISBN 0-374-42316-4 This novel deals with war more directly Keeper of the Doves by Betsy Byars Viking, 2002 ISBN 0670035769 Another novel which focuses on an outcast.
  • Other works by Gary Paulsen Read some of his other books (they're all good) and see if you can decide what his values are. Related Areas of Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site
  • US History. Featured Subject with related books, activities and links. Farms in Children's Literature. Featured Subject with related books, activities and links. Work and Occupations. Featured Subject with related books, activities and links. Alida's Song by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. Call Me Francis Tucket by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. The Haymeadow by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. The Monument by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. The Winter Room by Gary Paulsen. Book Review. Woodsong by Gary Paulsen. Book Review.
  • justin moore on 02 May 11
     
    Gary Paulsen and one of the books that he rought the foxman.
Leslie Blankenship

Lurlene McDaniel books reviews - 0 views

www.allreaders.com/...Topic_5755.asp

lurlene mcdaniel cjhs

shared by Leslie Blankenship on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Carley Mattea never expected to meet a boy as handsome as Kyle Westin--and certainly not in the hospital. Seventeen-year-old Kyle was blinded when a chemistry experiment exploded, and doctors don't know if he'll ever get his sight back. He's miserable and Carley knows how he feels--she's scarred with a facial deformity that Kyle can't see. The two have become friends, but Carley worries that if Kyle regains his sight, he'll be horrified by what he sees. ...
  • Leah is put in the hospital with a broken finger. While there she has a roomate named Rebekah. Rebekah is Amish... something Leah is not really familiar with. Rebekah's sister, Charity, and brother, Ethan, come to stay with her. Leah becomes really close to all of them. She gets especially close to Ethan, who at first won't even look her in the eye but then tells her she is the most beautiful girl he has ever laid eyes on. Everything is going great...
  • Angels in Pink "Raina's Story" revolves around a trio of friends: Raina, Holly and Kathleen. This story centers around blonde and beautiful Raina, a high school junior who, along with her two best friends, volunteers at a local hospital in her off time. Raina is on top of the world as she starts her junior year at school. She has her own car, she loves her volunteer work, she has a great boyfriend, Hunter, and two fantastic best friends. Things start ...
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • s ready to make a difference in the world. After graduation she joins a mission group on a hospital mercy ship sailing to Africa. However, Heather is unprepared to face the disease, famine, and misery she encounters. Ian McCollum is also among the medical staff in Uganda. Ian has left his native Scotland to help those threatened by a world
  • Heather Barlow has always been idealistic, and now that she has finished high school,
  • In this book Amber is a high-class teenage girl who gets pretty much anything she wants and is popular in school. When her sister can't go to Africa on a missionary trip, Amber takes her place. She not only helps other people while there, but she helps herself. She finds lots of new friends while in Africa... but most importantly... she finds herself!...
  • Megan's father talks her into becoming a candy striper at the hospital he works at to help her get over her best friend Cindy's death. On her first day she meets a boy named Donovan. They get really close but there is one problem... Donovan has needs a kidney transplant. Will he get it in time?...
  • Leah has taken a summer job at an Indiana bed-and-breakfast to be near Ethan, a young Amish boy who she met when she shared a hospital room with his younger sister Rebekah. Leah's bone cancer has been in remission after a course of chemo and a visit by someone named Gabriella. As the love between Leah and Ethan grows, they explore the conflicts between the ways of the "English" and the Amish. Ethan even tries some "english" ways, like driving and ev...
  • Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Carrie Blake has beaten her cancer . She meets a guy named Keith Gardner at a cancer support meeting. They fall in love. Then unexpectedly Keith Gardner's cancer comes back! An amazing novel dealing with Carrie's problems and Keith's struggle to survive. Keith has an amazing supportive family that teaches Carrie lots about her own divorced family. Keith, even though he is dying, helps Carrie make decisions in life and he helps her overcome her fears. ...
  • Roses For Melinda It's hard to think about dying when you are only a teenager, but that is exactly what Melinda must face, when she is diagnosed with cancer. At first it looks like there may be a chance that she can be cured, but soon she gets sicker and dies....
  • Six Months to Live Dawn Rochelle is an average girl of thirteen until her anual checkup results came back... cancer. How could she have cancer? Dawn imidately went into the oncology floor of her hospital. She had a roomate of the same age, Sandy Chandler, who also had cancer. They did everything together including fashion advise, counselling, and other activities in the hospital. It was Dawn's fourth month at the hospital when Sandy's test results came back saying she was ...
  • The Girl Death Left Behind Beth loses her mother, father, sister and brother at the same time. Soon after she has to move away to her aunt and uncle's place in a different state. This also means moving in with her bratty cousin and leaving her friends. She hates it at first but in the end everything ends up ok! This is a really good book but be prepared to cry!...
  • Time to Let Go When Erin's sister has a tragic accident that has left her dead, Erin starts having dreadful headaches she is pretty positive that it has something to do with her sister's death. Erin is a great dancer and she is in every play at her all girls play, But this year an all boys school will be joining them in the preduction of The West Side Story. Her partner which is the main male role is played by David. Everyone thinks David is so great and awesome but Er...
  • Until Angels Close My Eyes When sixteen year old Leah learns she has cancer, her whole world changes. While in the hospital the first time, she befriends Rebekah, a sick Amish girl, and her family. As Leah gets better, she gets a job near the family where she can be with them and also pursue a relationship with Rebekah's brother Ethan. While Ethan is testing his freedom and openly dating Leah, his family is displeased. When things seem they can't get any worse for Leah and E...
MyrandaK (((:

Meg Cabot Biography - life, children, parents, name, story, death, school, mother, young - 1 views

www.notablebiographies.com/...Cabot-Meg.html

biography meg cabot

shared by MyrandaK (((: on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
    • Shelby Tomlinson
      Shelby Tomlinson on 25 Apr 11
       
      There is lots of info on Meg Cabot. I don't have enough time to read ALL of it!!
  • February 1, 1967 • Bloomington, Indiana Author
  • s of fiction
  • ...27 more annotations...
  • At one point, Cabot, who began publishing in 1998, was pumping out a novel almost every month; by early 2006 she had published forty-four works of fiction.
  • At one point, Cabot, who began publishing in 1998, was pumping out a novel almost every month; by early 2006 she had published forty-four works of fiction.
  • In 2000, however, Cabot hit the jackpot when she penned The Princess Diaries, a young adult novel that quickly caught on with readers primarily because the wryly humorous author was able to accurately capture "teen-speak." In 2001, The Princess Diaries was adapted for the big screen by Disney and its popularity catapulted Cabot from writer to celebrity.
  • In 2004, the movie The Princess Diaries 2 was released, which further followed the escapades of Mia, the Princess of Genovia. A few months prior, Cabot signed a seven-figure deal with her publisher, HarperCollins, to continue writing the Princess series and to build on her other young adult series. As Cabot told Teenreads.com, "I hope to write about [Mia] as long as people want to keep reading about her."
  • Meg Cabot was born on February 1, 1967, in Bloomington, Indiana. She was an avid reader from a very early age, at first gobbling up comic books and science fiction at the local library.
  • While cooling off in the library, Cabot soon discovered classic literature, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, by southern writer Harper Lee (1926–), and Jane Eyre, written by English novelist Charlotte Brontë (1816–1855). Jane Eyre, the story of the romance between a man and his daughter's nanny, in particular, had a lasting effect on young Cabot. As she explained in a 2004 interview with Christina Nunez, "It introduced me to the world of romance, which I have never left."
  • In addition to reading, Cabot was also obsessed with princesses.
  • "I was a traditional Disney-princess worshipper," she told Trudy Wyss of Borders. "You know, I had the Snow White birthday cake when I was six, drew Cinderella endlessly on my notepads." Cabot read about princesses (her favorite fairy tale is Beauty and the Beast ) and fantasized about being a real-life princess, often telling her mom and dad that her "real" parents, the king and queen, would arrive one day in Indiana to find her.
  • "It's one thing to be
  • "I am living proof that it is possible to profit from being a high school freak."
  • princess of a kingdom; it is quite another to be princess of an entire planet!"
  • While in high school Cabot began to write her own stories because, as she claimed in an Onion Street online interview, there was absolutely nothing else to do.
  • In addition, Cabot wrote for the high school newspaper and kept detailed journals. She also was active in after-school activities, including choir, theater, and the art club.
  • Although she enjoyed writing Cabot never planned on becoming a professional author. Instead, she dreamed of being an actress or a veterinarian.
  • Unfortunately, she flunked algebra and did rather poorly on the math portion of her SATs.
  • Following graduation from high school, Cabot decided to study art at the University of Indiana, where she could attend tuition-free since her father was a professor.
  • In 1991, with a bachelor of fine arts degree in hand, the budding artist moved to New York City to pursue a career as an illustrator. Instead, she landed a job as a freshman dormitory assistant manager at New York University. It was not exactly her dream job, but there were periods when work was slow, which gave her plenty of free time to return to her early love: writing.
  • Seven years and thousands of rejection letters later (Cabot claims she has a mail bag full of rejections), her first novel was finally published. It was an historical romance called Where Roses Grow Wild (1998), and it was written under the pen name, or alias, of Patricia Cabot. Several more romances followed in 1999 and 2000. At the same time, Cabot was busy trying her hand at a novel, called The Princess Diaries, that was aimed at younger readers. Even though she was a published author, Cabot's young adult novel was rejected seventeen times before it was finally purchased by HarperCollins and released in 2000.
  • The inspiration for Princess came from an event that happened in Cabot's own life. After her father died her mother began dating her daughter's former art teacher. Cabot was so horrified that she began keeping a diary. She expanded the diary entries into a story about a ninth-grader named Amelia Mignonette Grimaldi Thermopolis Renaldo, also known as Mia, whose mother is dating her algebra teacher. Cabot also visited her old high school diaries to add a true teen voice to her character, a gangly, shy freshman being raised by her single mom in a Greenwich Village loft in New York City.
  • n addition to facing the trials and tribulations of teenage life, Mia's world is turned upside-down when she discovers that her father is actually the prince of a tiny European country called Genovia and that she is next in l
  • Critics gave mixed reviews to the The Princess Diaries, claiming that at times it was over the top and cartoonish.
  • "The reason girls are drawn to the book is an element of naughtiness—ooh, I'm reading something that's not supposed to be read."
  • A few reviewers, however, were troubled by some of the questionable situations that appear in the book. For example, Mia's parents were never married, and her mother has a boyfriend who sleeps over. In her All About Romance interview, Cabot speaks to the objection by saying The Princess Diaries is timely. "It really does reflect modern-day popular culture, as well as modern-day teen problems and concerns. Many librarians (and parents, as well as teachers) have pointed to those scenes in particular as examples of timely issues, considering how many kids now have single parents or have friends with single parents."
  • Regardless of the critics, readers were drawn to the book in huge groups.
  • In just a few short years The Princess Diaries had become a mini-dynasty with Meg Cabot as its queen
  • The Princess Diaries movies may not have been quite as successful if eighteen-year-old newcomer Anne Hathaway had not been chosen to play Mia Thermopolis, the nerdy American who is transformed into European royalty. In fact, even critics who panned the film consistently praised the fresh-faced, fledgling actress. As David DiCerto of the Catholic News Service wrote, "The mediocre material is elevated somewhat by the buoyant and beautiful Hathaway, whose sunny smile could light up a small kingdom of two."
  • nne Hathaway was born on November 12, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York, the middle child and only daughter of Gerald Hathaway, an attorney, and Kate McCauley, a singer and actress.
justin moore

paulsen page - 1 views

comminfo.rutgers.edu/...paulsen.html

author cjhs gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
    • Nicole Hicks
      Nicole Hicks on 20 Apr 11
       
      I can't believe he has written this many magazine articles!
  • Born on May 17, 1939 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Gary Paulsen is the prolific author of more than 40 books, 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays; primarily for Young Adults.
  • Paulsen's interests in books and reading came when he was a teenager and walked into a library to escape the cold of a Minnesota winter. Once inside, and much to his surprise, the librarian offered him a library card and a book to read (Something About the Author, 1995). Reading helped Paulsen cope with a difficult family situation then and remains a constant in his life today
  • ...16 more annotations...
  • Since the age of 15, Paulsen has worked at many jobs in an effort to support himself: migrant worker, soldier, field engineer, truck driver, and magazine editor (Handy, 1991).
  • Paulsen used his work as a magazine editor to learn the craft of writing. In 1966, his first book was published, The Special War. Using his varied life experiences, but especially those of an outdoorsman--a hunter, trapper, and two-time competitor in the Iditarod, a 1,200 mile Alaskan dogsled race, Paulsen writes about what he knows best. This knowledge comes through clearly in the descriptive details he uses, making the reader feel part of the narrative
  • Much of Paulsen's work features outdoor settings showing the importance of water and woods to the harmony of nature. He often uses a coming of age theme, where a character masters the art of survival in isolation as a rite of passage to manhood. Ethnic groups are presented with sensitivity and understanding, giving the reader a perspective not realized previously. . .the majestic use of language, the examination of human potential, a strong sense of humor...has won Paulsen his much deserved reputation...(Lesesne, 1996, p.341).
  • Paulsen lives in La Luz, New Mexico with his wife, Ruth, an artist.
  • Juvenile Fiction
  • Brian's Winter. New York: Delacorte, 1996. Call Me Frances Tucket. New York: Delacorte, 1995. Danger On Midnight River. New York: Doubleday, 1995. Escape From Fire Mountain. New York: Bantam Books, 1995. Hook 'em Snotty. New York: Doubleday, 1995. The Rifle. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1995. Rock Jockeys. New York: Bantam, 1995. The Tent. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1995. The Tortilla Factory. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1995. The Car. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace, Jovanovich, 1994. The Legend of Red Horse Cavern. New York: Bantam, 1994. Dogteam. New York: Delacorte, 1993. Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1993.
  • The Winter Room. New York: Orchard, 1989. The Island. New York: Orchard, 1988. The Crossing. New York: Orchard, 1987. Hatchet. New York: Bradury Press, 1987. Sentries. New York: Bradbury Press, 1986. Dogsong, New York: Bradbury Press, 1985. Tracker. New York: Bradbury Press, 1984. Dancing Carl. New York: Bradbury Press, 1983. Popcorn Days and Buttermilk Nights. Lodestar Books, 1983. The Spitball Gang. Elsevier, 1980. The Green Recruit.Independence Press, 1978. The C. B. Radio Caper.Raintree, 1977. The Curse of the Cobra. Raintree, 1977. The Foxman. T. Nelson, 1977. The Golden Stick. Raintree, 1977. Tiltawhirl John.T. Nelson, 1977. Winterkill.T. Nelson, 1977. Mr. Tuckett. Funk & Wagnalls,1968. Culpepper Adventures Series. New York: Dell, from 1992 to present.
  • Nightjohn. New York: Delacorte, 1993. Sisters/Hermanas. San Diego, CA: Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, 1993. Christmas Sonata. New York: Delacorte, 1992. The Haymeadow. New York: Delacorte, 1992. The Cookcamp. New York: Orchard, 1991. The Monument. New York: Delacorte, 1991. The River. New York: Delacorte, 1991. The Boy Who Owned the School. New York: Orchard, 1990. Canyons. New York: Delacorte, 1990. The Night the White Deer Died. New York: Delacorte, 1990. Woodsong. New York: Bradbury Press, 1990. The Voyage of the Frog. New York: Orchard, 1989.
  • ByTerie Katz.
  • Could you survive in the Canadian wilderness with just your basic instincts and a hatchet? In Paulsen's book,Hatchet, the protagonist, Brian Robeson, does just that, he survives in the wilderness for 54 days by using his instincts and a hatchet, a present from his mother.
  • Brian is being flown to see his father in the Canadian wilderness for the summer after the divorce of his parents, when he is thrown into a life threatening situation when the pilot of the two-seater plane has fatal heart attack. Immediately Brian must think of how to survive by landing the plane in a lake. From this moment Paulsen takes you through the survival techniques of Brian's 54 days in the wilderness.
  • HATCHET.
  • Fast paced, suspenseful with minute detail description, Paulsen's theme of survival is evident in his description of how Brian must learn from his mistakes and to rely on nature to survive. But Brian must also learn to get over the divorce his parents just went through and not dwell on the past and his fears, for this takes away from his focus to survive. Through Paulsen's descriptions you experience Brian's first success in making a fire without matches, catching his first meat, to his disappointments when his "home" is destroyed by a tornado
  • Paulsen effectively demonstrates to his readers how Brian must learn to survive by watching, listening, overcoming his mistakes, and through sheer determination to survive. Paulsen's sub-plot of "The Secret" about Brian's mother, and the divorce of his parents is mentioned a number of times in the story but it does not bring any relevance to the main theme of Brian's survival.
  • "Paulsen's knowledge of our national wilderness is obvious and beautifully shared...YA readers will surely identify with Brian's anger at his parent's divorce...his awakening self-assurance and pride" (Wilson, February 1988, p.283).
  • "Paulsen effectively shows readers how Brian learns patience - to watch, listen, and think before he acts..." (Chatton, December 1987, p. 103).
  • justin moore on 20 Apr 11
     
    this a very good way to learn about Gary Paulsen .
Leslie Blankenship

A Good Addiction: Book Review: Prey by Lurlene McDaniel - 0 views

agoodaddiction.blogspot.com/...-prey-by-lurlene-mcdaniel.html

cjhs mcdaniel lurlene

shared by Leslie Blankenship on 25 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Unique, beautifully grotesque, and cataclysmic. This book takes some very interesting turns, pitching the reader between being grossed out and engrossed. The subject alone- teacher sleeping with student- is one that makes the majority of people cringe and turn their nose up in disgust. But McDaniel writes Ryan in such a way that immediate discredit doesn't exist, even during his first time in bed with this teacher.
  • This book will make you think. Ryan's homelife isn't ideal- a mother who died when he was 2 and a father who loves him but travels often for work, leaving him alone the majority of the time- but by the end of the book, I found myself wondering how much, in this scenario, that homelife really mattered. How drastically different would Ryan's decisions have been if he had two loving parents who were there? Granted, sneaking around would have been more difficult but even with his father being gone, it didn't go unnoticed. I think this is a very prime example of a teen knowing what he wants and going for it, all legalities aside. Ryan is a cocky yet sweet guy but becomes his own sort of obsessive, falling quickly for a women double his age. He falls into the trap she sets easily, going through the gauntlet of emotions from lust and love to jealousy and betrayal. He puts Lori first for a long while, at least until her unsettling mental state begins to become apparent. It seems like Ryan gains some insight and maybe even grows a pair, turning back towards his schoolwork and the friends he ditched for her, but still masterfully played both sides.
  • ri is an incredibly unique character and despite being the sexual predator, she was written in a brilliant way to thrust sympathy and understanding towards her. She could easily have been the victim in this case which added an entirely new element, taking the story as a whole to a different level. This, coupled with Ryan's home life and several other twists- particularly towards the end- all tie together to make this book shocking and memorable. She uses her beauty and body to get what she wants, tossing the reader back and forth between appreciating her for it and despising her.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • The ending of this book was very shocking but once that faded, it left me in thought. I didn't see it coming and that one part made me feel a myriad of emotions but ultimately, it did make me wonder long term how this would effect not only Ryan but Lori too- and even Ryan's friends and family. These relationships, while seemingly solitary and intimate, have a ripple effect once they come out and while it's subtle at first, this ending very much emphasizes this point.Switching between character's, this book gives the reader a look at Ryan and Lori, as well as Ryan's best friend Honey. This varying mindset helps show multiple angles of the story without making it choppy or hard to follow. This book is written very beautifully, building each of the characters artfully. Overall, this one hits in at 4 stars and is one I recommend across the ages.
nick wood

The National Book Foundation - 0 views

www.nationalbook.org/famlit2001hmazer.html

cjhs author book the national

shared by nick wood on 02 May 11 - No Cached
  • During the week of June 18, veteran young-adult novelist Harry Mazer served as writer-in-residence at I.S. 145 in Jackson Heights, Queens, as part of the Foundation's Family Literacy program. During his visit, Harry met with 300 sixth graders, working with each class twice. Students received copies of his book, The Wild Kid, courtesy of Simon & Schuster Children's Books. Reading The Wild Kid in advance of Harry's visit, students and teachers loved the book, which deals with family issues relevant to their lives. As a result, they couldn't wait to meet its author.
  • When Harry referred to his many books during his discussions, numerous students raised their hands to show to him how they'd all taken his books out of the school library!
  • lost in the woods and stumbles upon a troubled boy living in the woods. It's a story told with sensitivity and compassion that the students admired and it was clear that they had learned much from the book.
  • ...13 more annotations...
  • Many stude
  • nts were curious about the publishing process, so Harry gave them some feedback on that subject. He explained the submission and editorial process, and they were shocked to learn that authors receive only 10 percent of a book. He used his latest book, A Boy at War, a story about Pearl Harbor, as an example. Many students
  • expressed interest in reading this book because they had just seen the movie.
  • Students asked Harry how he came up with the idea to write "The Wild Kid." Harry replied that he saw the title on a T-shirt in Manhattan. The story itself, he felt, was an
  • important one that needed to be told: a young boy who is mentally retarded becomes
  • Harry inaugurated his residency in a sixth-grade English class by giving the students some background on his life as a writer. He explained to students that his wife, young-adult novelist Norma Fox Mazer, and their daughter Ann are also writers. Harry spoke about growing up in the Bronx and then moving to upstate New York, where he currently resides. He worked as a welder during the first ten years of their marriage in order to provide for his young family, but found himself feeling trapped. So, he began writing.
  • Students at I.S. 145 asked well-thought out, provoking questions about The Wild Kid, and the publishing process. Many expressed that they wished for a different ending (that the two boys end up living together, as brothers) and urged Harry to write a sequel, because "We'd want to read that!" Harry agreed that it would be a whole other story, and therefore another book. So, he engaged the students in a brainstorming session, asking them to create their own endings for the next story.
  • hen asked which of his books is his favorite, Harry said that it was The Last Mission. He further explained that he felt it was his most important book, also, because it addresses the issues he himself faced in World War II. This proved to be a discussion with which students were fascinated, because they had never anticipated meeting a war veteran.
  • Prior to the residency, sixth graders not only read The Wild Kid, but also created shoebox models depicting various scenes from the book. It was a pleasure for Harry to see his work visualized in such creative ways. Harry praised and thanked each student for their efforts. He was clearly touched that they responded toward the book as they did.
  • Toward the end of the week, Harry made unscheduled visits to two social studies classes, during which he spoke mostly about his experiences at war. He attended these classes on the tail-end of their lessons on Pearl Harbor, which dove- tailed perfectly with The Last Mission, as well as Harry's latest book, A Boy at War. He described in detail the make and model of the planes on which the soldiers worked, including the more morose factors like guns, bombs, and seeing his friends and comrades "go down." Students listened with fascination as he recalled the death
  • close friend of his in combat. By the looks on the student's faces, war had never seemed more real to them than at that moment. By the end of those classes, several students vowed to read his latest book. Harry remarked that the most important books are the ones that kids enjoy and learn from simultaneously.
  • he week-long residency ended with a half-day on Friday. Students bid Harry heart-felt farewells and thanked him for working with them. Harry, in turn, received many hugs and told students he was proud to have had the opportunity to work with so many
  • "bright, beautiful kids."
  • hunter hooten on 02 May 11
     
    Harry Mazer
  • nick wood on 03 May 11
     
    some stuff about him
hunter hooten

Harry Mazer (1925-) Biography - Personal, Addresses, Career, Member, Honors Awards, Wri... - 2 views

biography.jrank.org/...Mazer-Harry-1925.html

cjhs Harry Mazar

shared by hunter hooten on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • designation, 197
  • Best of the Best Books designation, American Library Association (ALA), 1970–73, for Snow Bound; Kirkus Choice
  • 4, for The Dollar Man; Best Books for Young Adults designation, ALA, 1977, and Children's Choice designation,
  • ...22 more annotations...
  • International Reading Association (IRA)/Children's Book Council (CBC), 1978, both for The Solid Gold Kid; Best Books for Young Adults designation
  • , ALA, and Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award nominee, Vermont Congress of Parents and Teachers/Vermont Department of Libraries, both 1979, both for The War on Villa Street;
  • Best Books designation, New York Times, 1979, Books for the Teen Age inclusion, New York Public Library, 1980, Best Books for Young Adults designation,
    • hunter hooten
      hunter hooten on 20 Apr 11
       
      He has a lot of awards
    • nick wood
      nick wood on 02 May 11
       
      yes he dose
    • hunter hooten
      hunter hooten on 20 Apr 11
       
      He has written 19 novels for young adults
    • nick wood
      nick wood on 02 May 11
       
      19, that's a lot
    • hunter hooten
      hunter hooten on 20 Apr 11
       
      He has written 3 with his wife ,Norma,
    • nick wood
      nick wood on 02 May 11
       
      yep
  • World War II was on Mazer's mind also. At age seventeen he qualified to join the U.S. Army Air Force Cadets, but had to wait until he was eighteen to serve.
  • "I prayed that the war didn't end before I got in,"
  • he remembered in his SAAS essay. Mazer served for two and a half years, starting out as an airplane mechanic, then training as a ball-turret and waist gunner.
  • He was assigned to a crew on a B-17 bomber and in December of 1944 headed for Europe, where the crew flew their first mission two months later
  • In April their plane was shot down over Czechoslovakia, and only Mazer and one other crew member survived.
  • "I remember thinking afterward that there had to be a reason why I had survived," recalled the author. "I didn't think it was God. It was chance. Luck. But why me? Chance can't be denied as a factor in life, but I clung to the thought that there was a reason for my survival."
  • After ten years of factory work, Mazer became a teacher.
  • It was at this point that he and Norma discovered that they both longed to be writers
  • In the meantime, Mazer lost his teaching job and returned to factory work, taking paperbacks with him, trying to understand how a story worked. The insurance money from an accident finally enabled him to quit his job and begin writing full-time.
  • Mazer was discharged from the army in October of 1945, and days later began attending classes at a liberal arts college.
  • He began writing, but his work
  • "was too serious and self-conscious. I turned each word over in my head before I allowed it out into the open…. I wrote, but I was full of doubt, my standards were miles higher than my abilities. I suffered over what I wrote and didn't write any more than I had to."
  • The Solid Gold Kid, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1977. Heartbeat, Bantam (New York, NY), 1989. Bright Days, Stupid Nights, Bantam (New York, NY), 1992.
  • the courses that most interested him were English and history.
  • Jobs were scarce at the time, and many employers would not hire Jews. If he had been a dutiful son, Mazer later reflected, he would have become a teacher; "but I was in rebellion. I was impatient. I wanted to be great, famous…. My secret desire was to be a writer, but I knew nothing about how to make it happen. I had the idea that if I could only write it down, if I could only put all my feelings into words, I would finally figure everything out (whatever everything was)."
  • Agent—George Nicholson, Sterling Lord Literisti
  • hunter hooten on 20 Apr 11
     
    Harry Mazar Bio.
Bryan Soles

Lateral Learning Speakers' Agency - 2 views

www.laterallearning.com.au/...nix.html

garth

shared by Bryan Soles on 04 May 11 - No Cached
  • GARTH NIX
  • Garth has worked as a public servant, bookseller, book editor and literary agent. In 2002, following his outstanding international success, Garth returned to full-time writing (despite his belief that this contributes to the strange behaviour of many authors!). Garth lives in Sydney with his wife Anna, who is a publisher, and their sons Thomas and Edward. His highly inventive stories set in vivid, compelling worlds have been critically acclaimed and are popular around the world with readers of all ages. The rights to his Old Kingdom Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael & Abhorsen) have been sold to over 12 countries. To date, Garth's books have sold in excess of 1,600,000 copies internationally, with Abhorsen reaching No.3 on the New York Times best seller list.
  • abriel and Shade's Children, have won major awards in the areas of both children's literature and the fantasy genre - they have been named as CBC Notable Books and shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards, with Sabriel winning two awards in this prestigious Australian Science Fiction Prize. More recently, Mister Monday, the first book in Garth's The Keys to the Kingdom series, was an Honour Book (Older Readers Category) in the 2004 CBCA Awards and shortlisted for the Aurealis Awards (2003). Continuing The Keys to the Kingdom series, Grim Tuesday and Drowned Wednesday, Sir Thursday, Lady Friday and Superior Saturday have now been published, with children and adults alike eagerly awaiting the final installment, Lord Sunday, which will be published early in 2010.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • Garth is also the author of three booklets for Very Clever Babies - a series of 'easy readers' for three-month-old babies who are familiar with words such as 'perfidious' and 'icthyology'. His other achievements include a novelisation of one of the 'X-files' episodes and some 'proper' early readers - Bill the Inventor and Blackbeard the Pirate, and a book in the Aussie Bites series, Serena Smith and the Sea Serpent.
nick wood

Oak View Middle School Readers - 0 views

ovmsreaders.blogspot.com

author cjhs view oak middle

shared by nick wood on 02 May 11 - No Cached
  • the book ireviewed is called a Boy No More by Harry Mazer. Its about a boy named Adam, it thakes place in 1941. davi who is Adams friend and is Japanese wants Adaam to give his dad a letter who is in a interment camp, but when Adam gets there he finds Davi and the rest of his family there als. Adam finds out how racist people are to Japanenes at that time. i like this book beacuse it takes place during world war 2 and it shows what life was like at the home front. it takes place in californa.
  • A boy at war is about a teenager named Adam who’s growing up in a military family. His dad is in the navy so the house is run like a ship. Since he’s a navy brat who travels he’s always been to schools where there were other military families, but now since he’s in Hawaii he’s surrounded by civilians. He has it rough fur the first few days, but this kid named Davi starts picking on him a little and oddly enough they end up being buds. So they start hanging around with all the other Hawaiian kids. You know, play football and go fishing. It seemed like it was going good but when he told his dad, he said that he didn’t want him to be hanging around them because there was a lot of friction between the U.S. and Japan and since over half of the population was Japanese that his dad didn’t want to take any chances. One day he doesn’t listen to his dad and goes fishing with Davi and one of his other Hawaiian friends. They decided to go fishing in Pearl Harbor. They were going to go fishing off the shore but they find a boat in the bushes. So they go out in the ocean and coincidentally the Japanese decide to attack while they are in the ocean. But that’s just the beginning. See where the war tales Adam from there…..
  • The book I reviewed was called "Heroes Don't Run" by Harry Mazer. It's about a boy named Adam, who after Pearl Harbor joins the Marines and is shipped out to Okinawa and finds out what the war was really like. The book takes place mainly in South Carolina and Okinawa. I like it because it shows how daily life was for soldiers in the Pacific. I liked this book because it's a semi short book (at 112 pages) but it still has a great story line. It's a great war book so if you want a not long book this is it.
  • nick wood on 02 May 11
     
    these are some books that he has wrought and the oak view middle school has rated them
autumn holder

Ohio Reading Road Trip | Margaret Peterson Haddix Biography - 1 views

www.orrt.org/haddix

margaret peterson haddix cjhs author

shared by autumn holder on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
Carly Felty liked it
    • Carly Felty
      Carly Felty on 20 Apr 11
       
      Read on this has a lot of good info!!
    • autumn holder
      autumn holder on 04 May 11
       
      wow this has really a lot of information i think i might use it..... and i didn't even know you were using it i just looked it up and boom it was there.... lol
  • loved if she became a journalist. So when she attended college at Miami University in Oxford, Haddix majored in English and began writing for the school newspaper by the end of her freshman year.
  • (two brothers and one sister),
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • "What I hated was not any particular subject, but anything that reeked of busy work; all the pointless assignments that took a lot of time but taught me nothing.
  • e wild and entertaining
  • Though her dad's stories sparked an interest in writing, life in a small town afforded
  • es writing for young audiences, Haddix replied: "Teenagers are naturally such good characters in books. They hav
  • l the while, though, Haddix worried that her rising career in journalism was distracting her from her true calling: that of a fiction writer.
  • offer in Illinois, Haddix quit her job at the Indianapolis News and moved north with him. There, she worked various part-time and temporary jobs, including English teacher at a community college in Danville, in order to start he
  • as two ch
  • novels, including the first three of seven books in the "Among the…" series (Among the Barons, Among the Betrayed, and Among the Imposters). She's currently working on book four, Among the Brave, and another, nonseries title, called Say What? She has won an International Reading Association Children's Book Award, and the American Library Association has na
  • addix grew up on a farm in Washington Courthouse, Ohio - the same small town where her family has lived since the early 1800s.
  • Her father was a farmer and her mother, a nurse; her time as a young woman was equally split between home and farm chores with her three siblings
Lindsay Thompson

Teenreads.com -- Author Profile: Lurlene McDaniel - 0 views

www.teenreads.com/...au-mcdaniel-lurlene.asp

lurlene author mcdaniel cjhs

shared by Lindsay Thompson on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • "I write the kind of books I write because I want to help kids understand that nobody gets to pick what life dishes out to them. What you do get to choose is how you respond to what life gives you. No matter what happens, life is a gift. And always worth living." —Lurlene McDaniel
  • McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. "I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family," says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic
  • To make certain that her books are medically accurate, McDaniel conducts extensive research. She interviews health care professionals and works with appropriate medical groups and hospice organizations, as well as the Tennessee Organ Donor Services. "I study medicine and traditional grief therapy techniques to give the novels a sense of serious medical reality," she says. "I also study the Bible to instill the human element --- the values and ethics often overlooked by the coldness of technology."
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • She attended the University of South Florida in Tampa, where she earned a B.A. in English.
  • In addition to her popular YA novels, McDaniel has written radio and television scripts, promotional and advertising copy, and a magazine column. She is a frequent speaker at schools, writers' conferences, and conventions.
  • Three of her novels were selected by children as IRA-CBC Children's Choices: SOMEWHERE BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH, TOO YOUNG TO DIE, and GOODBYE DOESN'T MEAN FOREVER. SIX MONTHS TO LIVE has been placed in a literary time capsule at the Library of Congress, to be opened in the year 2089.
  • McDaniel's works include TO LIVE AGAIN, one of the Dawn Rochelle books; ANGEL OF MERCY, the companion to ANGEL OF HOPE; and HOW DO I LOVE THEE, three stories about young couples who are inspired by Elizabeth Barrett Browning's beautiful sonnet. In her novel, TELLING CHRISTINA GOODBYE, McDaniel shows that everything can change in the blink of an eye.
  • Lindsay Thompson on 20 Apr 11
     
    Lurlene's biography
Leslie Blankenship

Reviewer X: Author Interview: Lurlene McDaniel - 0 views

reviewerx.blogspot.com/...nterview-lurlene-mcdaniel.html

cjhs lurlene mcdaniel

shared by Leslie Blankenship on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Lurlene McDaniel began writing about young adults when her son Sean was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 3. His illness changed the lives of everyone in her family forever. “I saw what life was like for someone who was chronically ill, and I experienced how it affected the dynamics of the family,” says McDaniel. She says she found that writing about the trauma and its effects was therapeutic. She has written over 40 novels about kids who face life-threatening illnesses. To find out more about her, visit her websites:
  • My path was pure blessing, luck, right place-right time. I wrote ad/pr copy on the side and one day met a woman at a photo shoot and we struck up a conversation. When she discovered I was a writer, she invited me to try my hand at a children's book because her father owned a publishing company---School Book Fairs (now Darby Press). They bought 23 books from me before I moved on to Bantam/Random House.
  • Letters from my readers usually captivate me with their stories of overcoming great odds and struggles to make the best out of what life hands them.
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • I love the label. It was invented by librarians (I think) and it differentiates me from other YA writers.
  • No...readers tell me they like the endings because they reflect "real life." Some readers are disappointed when the boy/girl don't get together in an ending, however.
  • Fan mail still arrives, but the Web is where today's teen resides. That's why I have four Web contact points. I don't depend on snail mail anymore. Many letters have touched me. I have a "keeper" file of my best letters and sometimes read from it when I do public speaking.
  • That book was sold and in movie form before I was informed it had been filmed. Certainly I was paid, but I had no input about content. I was a little disappointed in the (not mine) ending (so were fans!), but I was glad it made it onto the screen at all because so many books get "optioned", but never produced. I'd still like one to go to the big screen, though.
  • Once again, longevity has been a major blessing. SIX MONTHS TO LIVE was first published in 1985, but it's still selling. Publishing today is harder than ever because the industry is in flux. Sales across the industry have fallen and no one quite knows how to fix it. Also the YA shelves are glutted with material and writers are fighting for shelf space. The YA rage now is fantasy, vampires, the supernatural. When I started with Bantam/Random House, the shelves were loaded with romance and horror. Styles change, but I will always write what I feel comfortable writing---teens handling life-altering events with a positive message about the wonder of living.
  • Write for the sheer pleasure of writing. Keep journals. Get an education. Submit. Focus on story, voice, style, structure, not on "being published."
  • I'm working on HEART 2 HEART, a story about a heart transplant and human connections. My newest, BREATHLESS, will come out in May 2009. It takes 4-6 months for me to write a book---if I don't procrastinate too much.
  • YA writing rocks!!! My agent and many readers have asked me to write for the adult market, but adults bore me. I love writing for teens and pre-teens.
chelan mcgee

Interview with Sharon Draper | TitleTales | A Service of Book Wholesalers, Inc. - 0 views

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shared by chelan mcgee on 02 May 11 - No Cached
    • Kaylee S
      Kaylee S on 02 May 11
       
      an interview of Sharon Draper
  • You were supposed to be fifteen, but I had already read all the elementary things and was bored. The librarian knew me really well and so she gave me the special card, but she would check every time to make sure that I didn’t check out anything that was too mature for my tender years, but she was absent on Thursdays!
  • in the lives of the characters. Kids ask me all the time what’s my favorite book from childhood, but I don’t really remember because I read so many books.
  • ...30 more annotations...
  • “I don’t want to sound like one of the 15-year-olds who write to me, but gee, I like your writing!” I really did sound like a kid when I wrote it.
  • That stack of books by everyone’s bed—I have that same stack: books I’ve read, books I’m going to read, books I need to read, books that people have told me are good books to read. My favorite author right now is Diane McKinney-Whetstone.
  • my mother used to read to me every single day.
  • When did you first discover that you had writing talent? SD: I’m not sure. I was always a good writer in school. I have always gotten good grades in writing classes; I have always gotten an A in English.
  • could b
  • Do you find that you have to put yourself on a writing schedule?
  • I like to write when inspiration hits me, but sometimes I’m in an airp
  • to have blocks of time.
  • But in order to write, I have
  • all the time, and I’m always thinking about new stories.
  • I keep a little notebook with me, and I jot down things
  • ort or not
  • at home when that happens.
  • Can you talk a little bit about how teaching has affected your writing, or if it has enhanced it?
  • I’ve retired, but I’m in schools quite often, so I may as well be teaching. I think I understand kids’ mindset.
  • : Why did you choose to write about slavery in the 18th century instead of the 19th?
  • There’s more written about the 19th century and the pre-Civil War because by then slavery was an established institution.
  • Were Amari and Polly based on real-life people, or were they composites of people you found in your research?
  • Amari and Polly are composites of people, but I believe that Amari or someone very much like her lived at one time.
  • when they were taken out, there was a door called the Door of No Return.
  • You can’t stand up like a real human being; you have to crawl.
  • With Polly, I wanted to bring out a little bit about the plight of an indentured servant.
  • : You talked about the females not having any power, but there are lots of strong female characters in the book. Even the females with small roles are very well-drawn. Can you talk a bit about creating those characters?
  • : As Polly is listening to Mr. Derby discuss buying and selling slaves at the dinner table, we catch a glimpse of the banality of evil, while so much of your story offers a vision of an active evil. Would you talk about your decision to include the different types?
  • The theme of hope is clear throughout your book. Can you talk about your understanding of hope and its role in surviving traumatic events?
  • Well, I’m always conscious of having a strong girl for my girls to read about and connect with. Boys have lots of books with strong boys, and I think it’s important that girls have strong female characters.
  • When you’re writing a story, you don’t pre-plan that a certain section is going to deal with the philosophical ethics of slavery; it just evolves and emerges.
  • I think if a human being doesn’t have hope, that person cannot survive. It doesn’t matter whether you’re going through traumatic experiences or just day-to-day life.
  • I: About young people: How do you think they’re doing? You offer advice to teachers on your website, but what about librarians—especially in the digital age? I think that might fit in with how you think young people are doing today.
  • I’m working on three books at once, and one is an educational book. A main section/thrust of that book is librarians, because they’re my main supporters.
  • Kaylee S on 02 May 11
     
    interview with Sharon Draper
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