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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
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.
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
jarred hatchette

LitLovers - Swindle Discussion Questions - Book Review - Book Club Guide - 0 views

www.litlovers.com/...1014-swindle-korman

about the author

shared by jarred hatchette on 25 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • jarred hatchette on 25 Apr 11
     
    Gordon Korman was born in Montreal, Canada, and grew up in the Toronto area. Since he had no brothers, sisters, or pets, he started writing to keep himself entertained. Then his 7th-grade English teacher gave the class an exciting assignment: "He gave us four months-45 minutes a day!-to work on the story of our choice. My project was This Can't Be Happening at Macdonald Hall, which became my first published book. I happened to be the class monitor for the Scholastic TAB Book Club, so I figured I was practically a Scholastic employee already! I sent my novel to the address on the TAB flyer, and a few days after my 14th birthday, I had a book contract with Scholastic." By the time Korman graduated from high school, he had published five other novels and several articles for Canadian newspapers. He then moved to New York City, where he studied film and dramatic writing at New York University. Known for his funny, realistic novels for children and young adults, Korman has also collaborated with his mother on two books of poetry written by the fictional character Jeremy Bloom. Never short for ideas, Korman is grateful to the real kids he meets for inspiration: "The best place to get ideas is at the schools I visit. No matter how inventive we writers try to be, the real characters are always the best ones." Gordon Korman lives in Great Neck, New York, with his wife and son.
victoria fuller

Reading Rockets: A video interview with R.L. Stine - 0 views

www.readingrockets.org/...stine

r l stine interview

shared by victoria fuller on 02 May 11 - No Cached
  • R.L. Stine wrote humor and joke books until an editor asked him to write a young adult horror novel. After Blind Date became an instant best seller, Stine started a young adult horror series called Fear Street. In 1992, R.L. Stine wrote his first book for Goosebumps, which would quickly become the best-selling children's book series in history.
  • Robert Lawrence Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio in 1943. Stine was a rather shy and fearful child, but he did have a clever imagination. At the age of nine, Stine began typing up his own short stories and humor magazines such as Tales to Drive You Batty. He would then circulate these publications to friends during class. In high school, Stine wrote a humor column for the school newspaper called "Stine's Lines." At Ohio State University, R.L. Stine edited a humor magazine and contributed articles under the name "Jovial Bob." After college, he moved to New York City with aspirations of becoming a writer. For 16 years, R.L. Stine worked at Scholastic, where he edited and wrote for a humor magazine called Bananas. Stine also wrote for Nickelodeon's television show, Eureeka's Castle. R.L. Stine's first children's book, How to be Funny, was published in 1978. Stine wrote humor and joke books until one day an editor asked him to write a young adult horror novel. After Blind Date became an instant best seller, Stine started a young adult horror series called Fear Street. In 1992 R.L. Stine wrote his first book for Goosebumps, which would quickly became the best-selling children's book series in history. Stine also hosted the top-rated Goosebumps television show on Fox. Today R.L. Stine writes books for two new series, Mostly Ghostly and Rotten School. He and his wife live in New York City.
  • Robert Lawrence Stine
  • victoria fuller on 02 May 11
     
    this is a video interview about Robert Lawrence Stine(R.L Stine)
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...
Emily=) bowles

R. L. Stine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 1 views

en.wikipedia.org/R._L._Stine

CJHS ELA Author Talk R.L. stine

shared by Emily=) bowles on 20 Apr 11 - Cached
    • Emily=) bowles
      Emily=) bowles on 20 Apr 11
       
      Can't believe he has sold so many books. He has sold over 400 million books.
  • Stine was born in Columbus, Ohio[5] to Anne Stine, a homemaker and Lewis Stine, a shipping clerk.[6] He began writing at age 9 when he found a typewriter in his attic, subsequently beginning to type stories and joke books.
  • In 1989, Stine teamed up with Parachute Press to create Fear Street.
  • ...10 more annotations...
  • In 1992, Stine created a comedy series called Space Cadets which lasted only three books. Also in 1992, Stine and Parachute went on to launch Goosebumps
  • His books have sold over 400 million copies worldwide,[4] landing on many bestseller lists.
  • In three consecutive years during the 1990s, USA Today named Stine as America's number one best-selling author.[11
  • the Guinness Book of World Records named Stine as the best-selling children's book series author of all time
  • n the first decade of the 21st century, Stine has worked on installments of five different book series, Mostly Ghostly, Rotten School, Fear Street, The Nightmare Room, Goosebumps Horrorland and the stand-alone novels Dangerous Girls
  • On June 22, 1969, Stine married Jane Waldhorn, who became an editor and writer[8] and formed Parachute Press with Joan Waricha on April 1, 1983.[16] Their only child, Matthew, was born on June 7, 1980[8] and works in the music industry.[17
  • Among the awards he has received are the 2002 Champion of Reading Award
  • the Disney Adventures Kids' Choice Award for Best Book-Mystery/Horror (three-time recipient) and the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards (also received three times).[11] During the 1990s, Stine was listed on People Weekly's "Most Intriguing People" list,
  • He won the Thriller Writers of America Silver Bullet Award in 2007. His stories have even inspired R. L. Stine's Haunted Lighthouse, 4D movie-based attractions at SeaWorld San Diego and Busch Gardens Europe.[citation needed]
  • In 1986, Stine wrote his first horror novel, called Blind Date.[9
Emily=) bowles

R.L. Stine Biography | Author Bio | Books | Rotten School | Fear Street | Goosebumps | ... - 2 views

www.kidzworld.com/...5866-rl-stine-biography

CJHS ELA Author Talk R.L. stine

shared by Emily=) bowles on 25 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Birthdate: October 8, 1943 Birthplace: Columbus, Ohio Real Name: Robert Lawrence Stine
  • scaring kids
  • 20 years
  • ...40 more annotations...
  • Courtesy of HarperCollins
  • climbed up into his attic and found an old typewriter
  • nine years old
  • joke books
  • writing ever since
  • humor
  • editor
  • ten years
  • make kids laugh
  • do have a phobia that my nephews think is just insane - I cannot jump into water. I have to step into swimming pools. It's a real phobia, but my nephews think it's hilarious that this scary guy is so terrified of jumping into water."
  • magazin
  • Banana
  • rom the Ohio State University,
  • graduated f
  • small magazines
  • start writing novels
  • 28 years old
  • Goosebumps
  • y Nickelodeon TV show,
  • The Nightmare Room
  • a TV Show.
  • he set out
  • 1989 - R.L. Stine team
  • best-seller.
  • ed up with Parachute Press to release his first horror series,
  • R.L. Stine used to write for a children's humor magazine called Bananas. He was known as Jovial Bob Stine.
  • which was aimed at 9-14 year olds
  • 1986 - R.L. Stine wrote Blind Date, his first scary novel for teens. It immediately became a
  • 1992 - R.L. Stine releases a new book series - Goosebumps. This series is aimed at younger kids, but still delivers some scary tales. The book series eventually spun off into
  • R.L. Stine has a son named Matt who is 25 years old.
  • R.L. Stine's books have been translated into more than 28 languages and are best-sellers around the world!
  • R.L. Stine writes an average of two books a month!
  • R.L. Stine comes up with the titles of his books first and then works from there, while most authors come up with the title last.
  • R.L. Stine was named the #1 best-selling author in America for three straight years between 1994 and 1996
  • ries like
  • for more than
  • He's bee
  • with s
  • writing
  • Fear Street,
  • victoria fuller on 25 Apr 11
     
    Some facts about R. l Stine.
  • Emily=) bowles on 03 May 11
     
    Phobias and about how he writes
Sam Hughes

R L Stine - 0 views

www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/...r-l-stine

shared by Sam Hughes on 06 May 11 - No Cached
    • Sam Hughes
      Sam Hughes on 06 May 11
       
      wow!
  • the best-selling book series that made Stine an international celebrity and
  • After the enormous success of Fear Street, Stine and Parachute went on to launch Goosebumps
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • R L Stine is the best-selling children's author in history.
  • the #1 best-selling author in America for several years
  • R. L. Stine lives in Manhattan with his wife, their teenage son, Matt, and their dog, Nadine.
Lucas Babers

Answers.com - What is Jeff Kinney's most important accomplishments - 0 views

wiki.answers.com/...most_important_accomplishments

CJHS Author kinney jeff

shared by Lucas Babers on 05 May 11 - No Cached
  • What is Jeff Kinney's most important accomplishments?
  • his best accomplishments is his books and his games
  • his best accomplishments is his books and his games
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.
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!!!
  • “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.
  • ...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.
  • 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
  • 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

Write On Reader - Gary Paulsen - List of Books - 0 views

library.thinkquest.org/...bc_paulsen_list.htm

cjhs author gary paulsen

shared by justin moore on 03 May 11 - No Cached
  • justin moore on 03 May 11
     
    some off the wourlds best author [in my oppenion] of his books.
Lindsay Thompson

Does Lurlene McDaniel have any awards? | ChaCha Answers - 0 views

www.chacha.com/...ne+McDaniel+have+any+awards%3F

cjhs author mcdaniel lurlene awards

shared by Lindsay Thompson on 02 May 11 - No Cached
    • Lindsay Thompson
      Lindsay Thompson on 02 May 11
       
      She won the Rita Award Best Novel Winner in 1992!!!!
  • Awards: Rita Awards Best Novel winner (1992) : Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep.
Bryan Soles

Garth Nix | Scholastic.com - 0 views

www2.scholastic.com/...contributor.jsp

garth

shared by Bryan Soles on 04 May 11 - No Cached
  • Garth Nix is the New York Times best-selling author of the acclaimed novels Sabriel, Lirael, and Abhorsen, as well as the Seventh Tower series. His latest series is Keys to the Kingdom, a seven-part series. Seven days. Seven keys. Seven virtues. Seven sins. One mysterious house is the doorway to a very mysterious world — where one boy is about to venture and unlock a number of fantastical secrets. Mister Monday launched the series and won the Aurealis Award for Best Children's Novel. Arthur Penhaligon suffers a near-fatal asthma attack, but it is a key shaped like the minute hand of a clock that saves him. When a stranger named Mister Monday stops at nothing to retrieve the key, Arthur ventures into a house that contains an entire world and only he can see. It is where he must unravel the secrets of the key. In the second installment, Grim Tuesday, Arthur meets a new enemy who threatens both Arthur's family and his well-being. Drowned Wednesday is the third book as well as the name of the enemy who draws Arthu
  • even deeper into the mystery of the House. After receiving his degree in professional writing from the University of Canberra, he started working in the publishing industry, steadily moving from the positions of sales rep to publicist. In 1991 he became a senior editor with a major multinational publisher. After a period in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia in 1993, he left publishing to work as a marketing communications consultant. In 1999, he reentered the publishing world to become a part-time literary agent. Garth Nix currently lives in Sydney with his family and lots of books.
hunter hooten

GEMOnline ][ Authors 4 Teens ][ Harry Mazer ][ Introduction - 0 views

www.authors4teens.com/introduction.jsp

harry mazer

shared by hunter hooten on 06 May 11 - No Cached
  • Harry Mazer
  • Last updated on: November 3, 2010
  • Harry Mazer has been writing books for teenagers for nearly thirty years
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • on a variety of topics, including divorce, war, survival, romance, and family relationships. His Snowbound has become a classic young adult survival story.
  • His autobiographical The Last Mission stands among the most popular stories about World War II. And the American
  • Library Association lists The Solid Gold Kid, written with his wife Norma, as one of the
  • 100 Best of the Best Books for Young Adults published between 1967 and 1992.
  • hunter hooten on 06 May 11
     
    a little more about him
hunter hooten

Harry Mazer | Official Publisher Page - 1 views

authors.simonandschuster.com/...1286046

harry mazer

shared by hunter hooten on 18 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • Harry Mazer is the author of many books for young readers, including My Brother Abe, A Boy at War, A Boy No More, Heroes Don't Run, The Wild Kid; and Snow Bound. His books have won numerous honors, including the Horn Book Honor List and the ALA Best Books for Young Adults citations. He is the recipient of the ALAN Award. Harry Mazer lives in Montpelier, Vermont.
  • Nicole Hicks on 18 Apr 11
     
    This site lists all his works and has information about him.
  • hunter hooten on 06 May 11
     
    some of his books
Carly Felty

Margaret Peterson Haddix - 0 views

www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/...margaret-peterson-haddix

margaret haddix

shared by Carly Felty on 20 Apr 11 - No Cached
    • Carly Felty
      Carly Felty on 20 Apr 11
       
      she got many awards for her books
    • autumn holder
      autumn holder on 03 May 11
       
      ohh ya
  • Her books for young readers include Running Out of Time, Among the Hidden, Among the Impostors, Among the Betrayed, and The Girl with 500 Middle Names.
  • Her work has been honored with the International Reading Association Children's Book Award, American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults and Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers citations, and several state Readers' Choice Awards. Margaret Peterson Haddix lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio.
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