I was recently interviewed at The Book Base. Thanks for reading!
How long have you been a blogger?
I’ve been blogging at Bildungsroman for close to 8 years now.
Approximately, how many books do you read every year?
I average about a book a day, so I read around 300 books a year, more if you count scripts and screenplays.
What were your favourite books as a child?
My favorite books as a child included The NeverEnding Story by Michael Ende, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin, The Fairy Rebel by Lynne Reid Banks, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. I was also a huge fan of The Baby-Sitters Club by Ann M. Martin.
What are you reading at the moment?
I recently finished My Not-So-Still Life by Liz Gallagher, her inspired follow-up to her wonderful debut novel The Opposite of Invisible. I am about to begin Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots by Abby McDonald, which I picked up because, like the protagonist, I am a vegetarian and environmentalist (though she is even more “green” than I am!) I am also reading, re-reading and memorizing three scripts as I prepare for projects which are about to go into production: a webseries, a short film, and a world premiere play. (I’m an actress.)
If you had to pick one, what’s the best book you’ve read in the last twelve months?
To name only one book I’ve read this year as an overall best would be like a parent trying to pick a favorite child and feeling as those she neglected the others. The only way to make it easier is to categorize:
Juvenile fiction, realistic: The Summer I Learned to Fly by Dana Reinhardt
Juvenile fiction, fantasy: Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
Detective mystery meets mythology: A Hundred Words for Hate by Thomas E. Sniegoski
The paranormal meets mythology: Spirits of the Noh by Thomas Randall (The Waking, Book Two)
Historical fiction meets the paranormal: The Secret Journeys of Jack London, Book One: The Wild by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon
Realistic teen fiction: Doggirl by Robin Brande
The end to a series, realistic teen fiction: Real Live Boyfriends by E. Lockhart (the fourth and final Ruby Oliver book)
Non-fiction: Self-Management for Actors by Bonnie Gillespie
Who are your three favourite authors?
Christopher Golden, Thomas E. Sniegoski and Lewis Carroll.
Which book has had the greatest impact on your life?
You pose another difficult question! It would probably be any and all of my favorite childhood books: The Westing Game, The NeverEnding Story, Anne of Green Gables, and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Also, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Each reflects a different part of me, as a person and as a writer. Each holds a piece of my heart because I connected to them so strongly, and those connections remain strong to this day.
Which books are you most eagerly anticipating?
The Fallen 3: End of Days by Thomas E. Sniegoski, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark: Emerson Blackwood’s Field Guide to Dangerous Fairies by Christopher Golden and Guillermo del Toro, The Secret Journeys of Jack London: The Sea Wolves by Christopher Golden and Tim Lebbon, The Waking: Winter of Ghosts by Thomas Randall. Also, The Lost Crown: A Novel of Romanov Russia by Sarah Miller, which was released last month and is patiently waiting for me to read it on a day with no interrupt
Knowledge is constantly sought and, hopefully, ultimately obtained.
However, no two people learn the same way. Some rely upon personal
experience; others, research. Some things are practiced and perfected, while
seem to be learned subconsciously or "by osmosis," not to mention that
which is instinctual or inherent.
My mother and sister taught me a great deal. They always, always
answered my questions. My curiosity rivals that of Alice in Wonderland, so
that was no small feat.
I did not learn every single thing from them, however. I learned from
what I saw and heard at school, in stores, at events, on television, in
movies - and in books.
Though I have a vivid imagination, I have always been able to
differentiate between fantasy and reality, fiction and non-fiction, just as I
could differentiate between a character and an actor. I feel as though I
gain some insight from every book I read, whether it is "real" or not.
If something interesting happens to a character, something that was
based in fact, I want to learn more about it.
No, Sweetie, You Don't Have Diabetes
Prior to reading The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, I had
never heard of diabetes. In the third book, The Truth About Stacey, the
main character struggles as she tries to both control and conceal her
condition. In first-person narrative, she describes her treatment and
her symptoms. She was often thirsty. Uh-oh. So was I! I momentarily
wondered if I too had diabetes. I went to my mother and asked her. She told
me I did not have diabetes. I was relieved. I drank some fruit juice.
I read more about diabetes in this book and checked out some fact-based
articles about it. I had learned something new and developed a
sympathy for those walking in Stacey's shoes.
I devoured all of Ann M. Martin's novels, including the single titles
that were not related to her famous series. One such novel, With You and
Without You, detailed the illness and loss of a parent. The title is
wholly accurate, as the story shows life for the family before and after
the father gets ill, and how their lives change throughout the
struggle and after he succumbs to the disease. As the Mouse said in Alice's
Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, "Mine is a long and a sad
tale!" Yes, it was sad, but it made me feel for people I knew who had lost
family members while also making me appreciate my family's health and
our close ties.
There are so many books that opened my eyes to new words and new
worlds, that impressed and empowered me, that made me ask questions and
formulate my own answers.
The Sisters Impossible: The first time I heard of peaking (not peeking)
and the physical pains that ballerinas endure.
The Doll in the Garden by Mary Downing Hahn: The first time I heard of
consumption.
The Ghost Wore Gray by Bruce Coville: The first time I heard of the
song Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.
The list goes on and on.
Ready, Readers?
Readers sometimes get just as much if not more out of dramatizations -
books, plays, films, or TV shows - than "real stories." Fiction can
inspire people to read non-fiction. To those who feel fiction is not
worthwhile and who think their students, children, or patrons do not
benefit from reading made-up stories, I give you these testaments about books
that opened readers' eyes.
"I must be inordinately ignorant, but virtually every book, I find,
teaches me something I didn't know," confesses author Justina Chen
Headley.
The first book that opened her eyes was The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton
Juster, which just so happens to include a journey through Mountains
of Ignorance. It's one of my favorite books too, but I'll let Justina
continue for now: "That book reassured me that it was fine that I resided
in the State of Imagination. Thank God. Who'd want to live in the
Doldrums?"
Lorie Ann Grover, author of On Pointe and Hold Me Tight, shared
something rather personal. "I recently realized that Island of the Blue
Dolphins and Pippi Longstocking and the Boxcar Children all taught me that
children can be self-reliant. This was oh-so-helpful when my father left
our family. I knew I could still stand."
Holly Cupala detailed Gwinna by Barbara Helen Berger, a picture book
about a girl born with wings growing from her back. "Her parents bind
them behind her - so they are a source of pain and shame for her. When
Gwinna hears a song from the land of her origin, she unbinds herself - at
first to great pain - but as she learns to use her wings, she becomes
who she truly is.
"I think of it as an allegory of those things which cause us pain and
hinder us, but when we unbind them and allow them to heal, they can
reveal our true selves. For me, that has been creativity - unbinding
expectations and what I thought I should be doing with my life and allowing
myself to do what I am meant to do." Holly still feels bound sometimes,
she says, but with different things now that she's "a taxpayer and a
parent!"
Tolerance and Respect
Tolerance is taught in so many ways. Sadly, there are a lot of
intolerant people in this world, and their prejudices often extend to those
around them. Books allow readers to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.
Hopefully, after taking that walk, they have learned a little something
not only about others, but about themselves.
Justina and I both recommend David Levithan's novel Boy Meets Boy. She
calls it "hugely revelatory," and enjoyed how he created not a dystopia
but a utopia, at least in one community. "I realized how much farther
we have to go in our society to be wholly open-minded and accepting,
not just lip-service tolerant."
Kelly, the woman behind Big A little a, The Cybils, and The Edge of the
Forest, greatly enjoyed the Little House series by Laura Ingalls
Wilder. "The first [book] I remember really opening my eyes was when Mary
went blind in From the Shores of Silver Lake. For some reason, that
really hit me hard.
"I always identified with Laura as a child reader. I too was the kid
with the ugly brown hair that didn't hold curl, who, even though she
tried, didn't always get things right. And then there was this perfect,
beautiful, kind child -- Mary -- and something terrible happened to her
despite her perfection. I think that's when I first realized, at 7 years
old, that bad things do indeed happen to good people."
Tanita, author and blogger, returned again and again to Chris
Crutcher's Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes, which she read when she was a senior in
high school. "If you're raised church-y, and have never considered
another point of view -- or hypocrisy -- or any of those things, that book
hits you like a ton of bricks. I examined my own beliefs on deeply
personal issues and just entered into the world of the novel -- struggling
to reconcile myself, my beliefs and the larger world. Though it seems
trite to say it, that book changed me, made me more thoughtful, and
broadened my worldview."
Sherry from the Semicolon blog thought of two books by John Neufeld:
Lisa, Bright and Dark and Edgar Allan. "I was introduced by the first to
the reality of mental illness and by the second to racism in all its
ugliness. I daresay the books were not as well-written and profound as I
thought they were at the time, but they did make me think."
Dia Calhoun, whose books include Avielle of Rhia and The Phoenix Dance,
brought up The Keeper of the Isis Light by Monica Hughes. "It is a
wonderful book that taught me how important it is to be true to your own
essential nature, even in the face of prejudice. And it taught me about
the dangers of changing who you are to try to please someone else. It's
a beautiful story."
Justina also spoke of K.L. Going's Fat Kid Rules the World. "It showed
me in painful detail what it was like to be obese in our society - the
daily indignities, the constant self-criticism. And yet the author
provided an enormous, heart-filled lesson about redemption. And hope. And
friendship. And how sometimes the most unexpected friends are the ones
who save us from ourselves."
Emily, a proud mom, just finished The Earth, My Butt and Other Big
Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. "I loved this book so much because, even
as an adult, it's good to be reminded that no one's life is perfect. As
a teenager, I could have used a book like this to help me see that even
though my friends' families all appeared perfect, none of them
actually were. [This book also teaches] a great lesson in self-acceptance."
Classic Tastes
While in high school, Maren and I bonded over books, choir, and
Sliders. Maren loves classic literature, and she respects authors that fill
their books with imagery, with details that create mental pictures for
the reader. "My favorite book will always be The Great Gatsby. To Kill A
Mockingbird and Beowulf should also be required reading for everyone.
"In high school, I also found a delight in an author named Emilie
Loring who wrote romance novels during both world wars and until the 70s. I
collect her books. Her father and brother were playwrights, and her
dialogue is like a time capsule treasure box."
Libby, who is currently working on an essay entitled Teach the
Children: Education and Knowledge in Recent Children's Fantasy, also named a
classic: Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. She first read it in
junior high. "I read it in a white heat, barely putting the book down for
two days, and at the end I cried and cried when I realized that, no,
Scarlett and Rhett weren't going to be happy. I may have known life
wasn't fair before then, but I don't think I'd ever read a book that said
so before then. I know now what huge problems that book has, but it was
very meaningful to me at the time."
Blogger Jen Robinson states, "As an adult, the book that most opened my
eyes was Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand. This book changed the way I look
at the world, and solidified my opinions about the importance of
personal responsibility."
Audrey says simply, "1984 taught me to love George Orwell."
Talking to Teens
When I asked teenagers at a book forum which books opened their eyes, I
received a wide variety of responses.
Emilee Nicole liked The Blue Girl by Charles DeLint. "[I learned] that
it doesn't matter if your peers like you because you're different. When
it comes down to it, they're just like you in more ways then one."
Taylor was shaken up by Dreamland by Sarah Dessen, which is about an
abusive relationship. Emilee Nicole also had a strong reaction to a
dangerous situation in The Blue Girl. "Imogene risked her safety in order to
make sure that what happened to another student didn't happen to her.
If you don't get along with someone but they need your help, help them.
That's what I learned."
Jasmine spoke at length about Things Change by Patrick Jones. "It had
me practically ripping my hair out; not in the bad way, mind you. Paul
was such a charmer, and this is the first book to really open my eyes to
an example of an abusive relationship." Somewhere along the way, she
realized, "So this is what it feels like for women who want to keep
believing the relationship will change, that the guy/girl will change."
Andrew spoke of Go Ask Alice, which taught him about peer pressure and
the effects of drug use on not only the users but their families and
friends as well.
Alex learned that lesson from Crank by Ellen Hopkins. "That book showed
me so many things, such as how easily one can become addicted to drugs
and what a long hard battle it is to turn away from them."
Andrew also mentioned the book Eleven Seconds. "Although some people
may be disabled, they can do anything if they put their minds to it."
Nicole had a similar reaction to the book Firegirl by Tony Abbott. "It
taught me how even the smallest gesture can cause a big impact. After
reading that book, I knew all the times I was nice to someone who was
treated differently was - hopefully - like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy
day."
Andrew then brought up the dramatic and tragic play Death of a Salesman
by Arthur Miller. "It showed me what the meaning of the American dream
really is, and it also showed how far one man would go to support his
family."
Nouk sees meanings in every book. "I know most feelings which are
described in books, and if I don't, I know them then. Sometimes I'm so in
the story and feeling with the characters that when I put the book away I
just can't do something else - I am still thinking about it. Books can
do something to me."
The Power of Poetry
Nancy Keane, a school librarian, remembers carrying around a large
anthology of poems when she was in elementary school. "I read every single
one of those poems and tried to memorize some of them. It was the first
time I remember thinking about the power of words. I was amazed that
these poets could express themselves in a format [to which I hadn't been
exposed]."
Maren memorized Shel Silverstein poems in 2nd grade and still loves
them to this day.
It's All About Vocation
Tanita found that Rats Saw God by Rob Thomas, which she read at the end
of high school, made her really want to go into teaching English. "I
was under the mistaken impression that it would be all brilliant saves
and teachable moments when I swooped in and saved people my age from
their worst selves. Fortunately, I got over that quickly enough."
Tanita's debut novel comes out in 2008. Perhaps she will teach creative
writing someday instead.
Jackie admits that she never really grew out of teen lit. "I will
always credit Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, which I read at the ripe old
age of 22, for sparking the epiphany that teen literature is some of the
most dynamic, interesting, creative stuff going on in publishing today.
It helped me realize that specializing in youth and teen services as a
librarian was DEFINITELY for me. I haven't looked back."
After reading The Secret Wish of Nannerl Mozart by Barbara Kathleen
Nickel, Tori was inspired me to learn to play the keyboard and compose
music of her own. "I never got more than a few notes written in terms of
composing, but I did enjoy learning to play songs like Sur le Pont
d'Avignon."
Non-Fiction Nook
The Child Called It by Dave Pelzer left quite an impression on Nicole,
age 22. "I couldn't believe it was a true story, and that a person
would be able to do the those things to a child - a human being."
It makes her upset to think that things like that happen to kids every
day. "I know there are groups and other organizations out there trying
to help, but it's just awful to think that not every single one will be
able to get that help!" She is at least comforted by the fact that
Pelzer survived and was able to write books to share his story.
History, Our Story
It's evident that we can learn about our past from historical fiction.
Better still if we can learn from it. We are not doomed to repeat it if
we are educated, prepared, and aware. If we inform our children and
ourselves about past and current events, we can change the future and
improve the present.
At the age of 14, Rebecca read Lisa and Jesper, two books by Carol
Matas. They inspired a long-standing interest in the Holocaust. "I credits
We Remember the Holocaust by David A. Adler with truly impacting me to
the point where I went to Poland primarily to visit Auschwitz a few
years ago. To this day, I still remember one photo of a cherubic
2-year-old boy who died in the Holocaust from that book."
One little book inspired Becky to read hundreds. "Number the Stars [by
Lois Lowry] really set me on my path of reading about the Holocaust --
both fiction and non-fiction. This interest is still alive after
thirteen years!"
She offers another example. "Carolyn Meyer's series on the Young Royal
Tudors -- Mary, Anne, Elizabeth, Catherine -- also inspired me to read
more about that time period. Henry the VIII and his wives are just so
fascinating."
Tori, age 17, enjoyed a similar series. "Reading the Royal Diaries when
I was younger - particularly the ones about Cleopatra VII, Mary Queen
of Scots, Marie Antoinette, and Elizabeth Tudor - instilled in me a
passion for European history that has carried through to today: I'm
studying it in university."
Sheila Ruth from Wands and Worlds recently read The Shadow Speaker by
Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu, which she describes as a sci-fi/fantasy story set
in a future Niger in a world which has been changed drastically. "One
of the characters in the book is an escaped slave, and I was stunned to
discover, when doing some research to write my review, that slavery
was only officially outlawed in Niger in 2003, and that in spite of that,
tens of thousands of people may still be living in slavery in that
country."
Rebecca highly recommends Sold by Patricia McCormick. "It most
definitely opened my eyes to the plight of young girls and women in India. A
wonderfully written and poignant book."
Elisabeth first read The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay when she was
twelve, and it sparked her interest in South Africa and apartheid. "At
the time I read it, Mandela was still in prison and there was still
apartheid. I ended up doing two research projects about the area and read
as much as I could about its history." Now at age 28, it's still one of
her favorite books and continues to be fascinated by South Africa.
She was also about twelve when she read Roots by Alex Haley. "I then
became very interested in the issue of race and poverty and ultimately
ended up doing a lot of volunteer work for African-American causes -
rebuilding a burned church, joining the NAACP."
"The book that opened my eyes to the power of historical fiction was a
children's book about Lady Jane Grey that I read in elementary school,"
says Jen of Jen Robinson's Book Page. "I can't remember the title, but
I was utterly captivated by the power of the true story about this
young girl, and her tragic end."
Taking Pride
Books speak to people. Now those people will speak for themselves:
Vivian, aka HipWriterMama, was struck by a children's book which
allowed her to see her parents in a new light. "My parents grew up in Korea
during the Japanese Occupation and never liked to talk about what they
went through. I've read a few books about this, but they were all adult
non-fiction books.
"It wasn't until I read When My Name was Keoko by Linda Sue Park that I
was able to get an idea of what the Japanese Occupation must have been
like through a child's point of view, and it made me see and
understand my parents in a whole different way."
"When I was very young [about five or six]," begins Emily, "I read
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, the book about a girl, born after the
atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, who gets leukemia from prenatal
exposure to radiation. And it was the saddest thing I'd ever read. I
was struck by her total innocence, not just as a civilian but as someone
who wasn't even born before the war ended.
"I learned how to make paper cranes. I think I folded about a hundred
of them. I learned, many years later, to speak Japanese. I lived for ten
months in Nagasaki, not visiting the atomic bomb museum once because
it would've been too much for me. Just a few years ago, I participated
in a remembrance ceremony for the atomic bombs, and read a poem in
Japanese and in English. Those things don't come directly from that book, no
- but it is a book that opened my eyes."
I hope you, too, can think of a book which opened your eyes. Find it.
Re-read it. Share it with someone. Then keep your eyes open and find
another good book to read.
This article appeared in the November 2007 issue of The Edge of the Forest.
Many thanks to those of you who responded to my original post and provided me with such wonderful stories for this piece!
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