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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

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.

"It's one thing to be

princess of a kingdom; it is quite another to be princess of an entire planet!"

Although she enjoyed writing Cabot never planned on becoming a professional author. Instead, she dreamed of being an actress or a veterinarian.

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 reason girls are drawn to the book is an element of naughtiness—ooh, I'm reading something that's not supposed to be read."

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."

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

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."

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.