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Deborah Hopkinson is the award-winning author of more than 45 books for young readers.

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By Deborah Hopkinson
for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations

What was your initial inspiration for writing Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig, illustrated by Charlotte Voake (Schwartz & Wade, 2016)?

Actually, several years ago my agent, Steven Malk, mentioned that it might be fun to do a book about Beatrix Potter. After reading about her life (and enjoying the film "Miss Potter"), I became fascinated by her story, accomplishments, and legacy.

My first attempts at writing a nonfiction book about her failed, however. But when I went back to try again, I hit upon focusing on one incident from her journal that illustrates her love of animals and of art.

The promotional copy describes the story as "mostly true." So this is historical fiction, yes? Where did you honor the Potter's actual life and where did you creatively extrapolate?

It’s absolutely historical fiction! I do author visits at schools all over the country, and one of the first things students and I discuss is the distinction between nonfiction and historical fiction. I’ve been previewing the cover of Beatrix Potter and the Unfortunate Tale of a Borrowed Guinea Pig, and have found that even young children recognize that it’s a made up story (and slightly silly to boot).

In fact, some details in the story are based on fact, including the part where Beatrix borrowed from her neighbor a guinea pig named "Queen Elizabeth," which expired in the night from consuming a feast of paper, paste, and other scrumptious tidbits.

As I mention in the note, Beatrix was actually in her twenties when this occurred, but we have set the story when she was younger. The dialogue is invented also, although we do include several excerpts from her journal in the book.

I’ve included an author’s note of her life that also explains that the story is fictionalized.

What were other the challenges--research, craft, logistical and/or emotional--in bringing the story to life?

One of the aspects of Beatrix’s own creative process I wanted to emulate was the “picture letter.” She originally got the idea for The Tale of Peter Rabbit (1902) when writing a get well note to a young boy in the format of a letter that included spot art illustrations. I wanted to make this book a sort of picture letter itself.

Working with Charlotte Voake’s delightful illustrations, the amazing team editorial team of Anne Schwartz and Lee Wade (Schwartz & Wade) were able to capture that feeling for the book. For instance, even before you get to the title page, there is a spread that begins, “My Dear Reader…” which shows a hand penning the words. At the end, the story is signed by me and the author’s note is in the form of a postscript.

I’m always looking for ways that teachers and librarians can use books with students, and I think that, in addition to being an author and illustrator children enjoy, Beatrix Potter is a model for someone who began working on her craft as a child.

How did Charlotte Voake's illustrations enhance your text?

Charlotte’s work is absolutely perfect for this story! I love her illustrations of Beatrix’s pets, which are filled with wry humor.

Charlotte is British, and we’re excited that her British publisher, Walker, will be publishing the book in Great Britain in July to coincide with the 150th anniversary celebration of Beatrix Potter’s birth.

(This anniversary is, as you can imagine, rather a big deal in England, and the Royal Mint is even issuing special commemorative coins.)

What other new releases should your readers be sure to check out in 2016?

As it happens, 2016 is also the 150th anniversary of the founding of the ASPCA in April 1866. And this April I’m excited that my new historical fiction middle grade novel, A Bandit’s Tale, The Muddled Misadventures of a Pickpocket, will be out from Knopf.

It’s set in New York City, and is narrated by a young Italian immigrant brought over to be a street musician. It also features appearances by actual historical figures involved with improving the rights of children and animals, including Jacob Riis and ASPCA founder Henry Bergh.

What advice do you have for fellow writers about historical research and blending facts with fiction?

In October 2016, I’ll be teaching a Highlights Foundation workshop (with Pamela Turner) on writing nonfiction for middle grade students. I taught this class last year, and one of our main discussion points was how to know when a project can -- or should be -- fiction or nonfiction.

I’ve always been a huge fan of both genres, and enjoy writing about the same historical periods in different ways. My first long work of nonfiction, Shutting out the Sky, Life in the Tenements of New York (Scholastic, 2003), came about because I had written a Dear America historical fiction book (Hear My Sorrow (Scholastic, 2004)) about the Triangle Waist Company fire. In A Bandit’s Tale, I am returning to the same setting but telling the story in a picaresque style.

I think the main point whether one is writing historical fiction or nonfiction is that the piece must work as a dramatic, compelling story. This sometimes means including less research than one might like – but, then, you never know when you might use it again.

Cynsational Notes

Deborah Hopkinson lives near Portland, Oregon. Follow her on Twitter @deborahopkinson.

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Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story

By Deborah Hopkinson; illustrated by Steven Guarnaccia

 

Memorial Day is May 26^th this year and for those that are not old enough to remember its beginnings, it started off as Decoration Day following the Civil War. One General John A. Logan initiated the decorating of the Arlington Cemetery graves in Washington, D.C. of both the Union and Confederate soldiers that had died in the War Between the States. That tradition started in 1868 with a proclamation to observe Decoration Day “annually and nation wide.” Earlier ceremonies in Charleston, South Carolina in 1865 preceded even that marking of the tradition. Since then, it has morphed into Memorial Day when ALL men and women in our country that have died in wars are honored. Today, it is celebrated on the last Monday in May. It seems also to have become a line of demarcation that heralds the beginning of the summer season starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day.

It also began the start of a long series of weekends when families could gather for concentrated time together. And that’s a good thing. But something may have gotten lost in the message of Memorial Day. That something is remembering and honoring those for whom time is a memory; the men and women that have given their lives in service of our country.

It should be an essential that as our young people grow, as part of their life lessons of service and sacrifice for others, one highly teachable moment comes certainly during the observance of Memorial Day. We hope it will continue to mean more than an opportunity for sales at malls and a barbecue at the beach. And for it to mean more, we as parents and educators have to teach more in what we model to them.

In 2000, a National Moment of Remembrance was instituted at 3pm on Memorial Day, meaning in whatever way what one sees fit, one is asked to set aside a moment to honor those that made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms. And what more teachable vehicle is available for young ones than the picture book?

Enter “Knit Your Bit: A World War I Story.” Starting out as “the war to end all wars,” it frankly failed in that regard as history tells us. But in “Knit Your Bit”, young readers will encounter a stirring historical fiction picture book based on a real event that occurred in Central Park in 1918. It was preceded by a wave of practical patriotism that swept a nation and showed that those “also serve who stand and wait”, otherwise referred to fondly as the “home front!”

Enter Ellie and Mikey, a young elementary brother and sister whose dad is off to war. What else can they do but wait and worry? Well, they can KNIT! Huh? Yes, this grass roots movement, begun by the Red Cross, stirred the country, young and the not-so-young, to knit much-needed hats, gloves, and scarves for soldiers like Mikey’s dad that were far away from home. And knit they did – men and women and boys and girls!

Naturally the young male contingent would be a mite put off by the thought of girly knitting bees, but boys will always rise to the challenge of a COMPETITION with the GIRLS!! A weekend knitting contest in Central Park that actually took place is the impetus for Mikey and his pals to “purl” up a storm and put hand to knitting needle. For the young boys it means contributing to the comfort of those far away and learning a new skill at the same time. It’s a sort of “two ‘fer.” But will the boys be up to the challenge? Will anything less than a win be a success in their eyes? Read and see.

The inside front and back covers of the picture book are filled with amazing black and white photos of actual groups of boys and girl in theirs knitting classes in action! One in particular shows a group of about 20 young boys, yarn and needles in hand as they do their best to keep the soldiers warm.

Knit Your Bit is a story of events that don’t hit you over the head with a patriotic plug or the generic “thank you for your service to our country”. The meeting between Mikey and a young soldier just returned from the war brings the meaning of real sacrifice home to Mikey and I think it will to the reader as well. As Mikey sees the empty pant leg of the soldier on crutches, he realizes that his male pride has suffered not half as much as has the young soldier.

Knit Your Bit is a good piece of historical fiction that allows picture book readers a window into a past that seems to have less and less relevance to them as we become further removed from these events.

Such reminders as Knit Your Bit serve as great picture book vehicles that model to children just one of many ways to become compassionate and caring of those to whom we owe much as a nation.

Now just how does that pattern for the sock go? Knit one. Purl two? Oops, dropped a stitch, darn it!

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*You can STILL Knit Your Bit! Knit Your Bit groups continue TODAY and if you want more information, here is a web address to find out more about participating.

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/knit-your-bit/index.html

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Booklist Online has a great Halloween list of 2013 titles for young readers - most of which are picture books from well loved authors and illustrators.

Click here to reach the list.

I had to return two books to the library unread.  Big Fail!  Here are the reviews of the other three that I DID read.

Goblins  by Philip Reeve.  We meet Scarper, smarter than the average goblin and literate besides, just as he is catapulted from a tower. He ends up teaming up with a less than brilliant human to rescue a princess from a giant but all is not what it seems.  And then, there is the Lych King's tower, those three traveling mages and the weird case of the exploding cheese that came to life.  Oh, and a comet and a prophecy and some men made of bones and...goblins and boglins and flying lizards????  Yep.  This is a fun romp through the standards of fantasy.  Grades 4 and up.  Older fantasy fans will enjoy it, perhaps even more.

The Watcher is the Shadows is Chris Moriarty's second entry into the Inquistor's Apprentice series.  Reading the first book is recommended.  Sacha, Lily, Mr. Wolf and Payton are still monitoring New York City for magical crimes.  But there is a strike against working conditions in one of J. P. Morgaunt's sewing mills and suddenly all of the NYC police force, including the Inquisitors, are on riot watch.  In the meantime, the mysterious death of the Klezmer King proves to be more than just an accident.  And then there are the sudden unexplained deaths of mobsters and a not-quite-invisible watcher in the shadows.  Set in an alternate turn-of-the-20th-century New York, and infused with Jewish mysticism, this series is a fascinating read.  Grades 6 and up.  Not for the easily frightened.  I made sure NOT to read it at night.

The Great Trouble  by Deborah Hopkinson was my favorite of all the books I read in the last week and a half.  When Eel is accused of stealing the money he has saved, he runs to the tailor for proof that he has been working more than one job.  But the tailor is one of the first victims in the London cholera epidemic of 1854.  Left without a roof over his head and desperate to protect his secret, Eel turns to another one of his employer's, Dr. Smith.  Hopkinson skillfully weaves in historical facts and allows Eel and Dr. Smith to be the sleuths that solve the mystery around the epidemic.  This book was fascinating, with an excellent sense of place and time.  For historical fiction buffs of ALL ages, especially those 10 and up.

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Here are the numbers:

• 2,208 people were on board the RMS Titanic on her maiden voyage
• of these, 891 were crew members and 1,317 were passengers
• yet she carried just 20 lifeboats that could have held a total of 1,178 people
• she sank, after hitting an iceberg, on April 15, 1912
• only 712 people survived

But numbers can only tell us so much. They don’t convey the excitement surrounding the largest and most luxurious ocean liner ever built at the time, the confusion and fear on board when disaster struck, the bravery of many crew members and passengers, or the heartbreak of realizing a loved one did not survive.

As the subtitle of Deborah Hopkinson’s Titanic: Voices from the Disaster implies, this is a human history of the Titanic. After describing the building of the ship and giving readers a sense of its massive scale, Hopkinson introduces some of the crew and passengers (from several countries, and different social backgrounds) who were on board. Their memories add depth and intimacy to events, engaging Titanic buffs as well as readers less familiar with the disaster. Hopkinson does an excellent job weaving multiple voices together—first describing, well, “normal” life on the Titanic for passengers and crew, then the chaos after the iceberg was spotted—with contextual information regarding different aspects of the Titanic (both in terms of what was known or custom at the time, and based on what we know now) into an organically flowing narrative.

Numerous images (photos, reproductions of telegrams, and more) spread throughout the book provide additional atmosphere; it’s one thing to read about some of the amenities on board, but seeing photographs of the gymnasium and a life preserver made of cork give the details even more impact.

The back matter is another thing to rave about here. Seriously, it is awesome, especially if you love back matter as much as I do. It’s comprehensive (comprising about a quarter of the book!), including a glossary, timeline, selected bibliography, source notes, additional biographical information about some of the passengers, and an excerpt from the British Wreck Commissioner’s Inquiry Report.

Book details: middle grade nonfiction, published 2012 by Scholastic, ISBN 9780545116749

Book source: public library.

Cross-posted at Guys Lit Wire.

Filed under: Non-Fiction, Reviews

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By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 9, 2012

Enter to win a copy of Deborah Hopkinson’s biographical picture book Annie and Helen; illustrated by Raul Colon.

An original new book about two amazing women from history, Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller.

Giveaway begins September 9, 2012, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends October 7, 2012, at 11:59 P.M. PST.

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardcover: 48 pages

Overview

Author Deborah Hopkinson and illustrator Raul Colón present the story of Helen Keller in a fresh and original way that is perfect for young children. Focusing on the relationship between Helen and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, the book is interspersed with excerpts of Annie’s letters home, written as she struggled with her angry, wild pupil. But slowly, with devotion and determination, Annie teaches Helen finger spelling and braille, letters, and sentences. As Helen comes to understand language and starts to communicate, she connects for the first time with her family and the world around her. The lyrical text and exquisite art will make this fascinating story a favorite with young readers. Children will also enjoy learning the Braille alphabet, which is embossed on the back cover of the jacket.

About the Author

DEBORAH HOPKINSON is the author, most recently, of A Boy Called Dickens. She has written numerous other books, including Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building, an ALA Notable Book and a Boston Globe­-Horn BookHonor Book; Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek, an ALA Notable Book and a Junior Library Guild Selection; and the ALA Notable Apples to Oregon. Her many other acclaimed titles include Under the Quilt of Night and Fannie in the Kitchen. Visit: http://www.deborahhopkinson.com

How to Enter

• Fill out the required fields below

• Enter once daily

Giveaway Rules

• Shipping Guidelines: This book giveaway is open to participants in the United States only.
• Giveaway begins September 9, 2012, at 12:01 A.M. PST and ends October 7, 2012, at 11:59 P.M. PST, when all entries must be received. No purchase necessary. See official rules for details. View our privacy policy.

Prizing courtesy of Random House Children’s Books.

Original article: Giveaway: Annie and Helen by Deborah Hopkinson

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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By Deborah Hopkinson, for The Children’s Book Review
Published: September 9, 2012

Recently I had the opportunity at my day job (I’m vice president for advancement at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon) to take the popular “Strengths Finder” test.   My top strength turned out to be “Learner.”

I’d have to say that’s a fairly accurate description.  It also explains much about how I choose the subjects I write about in my nonfiction and historical fiction for young readers.  I have wide-ranging reading interests (I like to read with my story antennas up).  When I’m learning something new, I’m engaged, enthuse, and happy. And then there are those magical moments when I come across something extraordinary that makes me sit up and say, “Wow!  How come I never knew that before?”  Whenever this happens, there’s a good chance I want to write about it.

That’s certainly true with my new nonfiction picture book, Annie and Helen, illustrated by Raul Colon.  Like most people I knew the general outlines of Helen Keller’s life, and I was familiar with the iconic moment at the water pump.  But I knew very little of Annie Sullivan, or the details of her actual teaching methods. What I found was astonishing – so astonishing I wanted to share it with young readers.

When I first began researching this book, I actually focused more on Annie Sullivan, whose early life was fraught with hardship.  After her mother’s death, she and her little brother were put in an almshouse in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, where her brother later died.  Annie, who’d become almost blind herself from trachoma, was able to go to the Perkins School for the Blind when she was 14. Operations partially restored her sight and she graduated in 1886 at the top of her class.  The next spring, not quite 21, she set off alone from New England by train to take her first job: teaching a young deaf and blind child in Alabama named Helen Keller.

Annie Sullivan invented her own teaching methods, and that’s what I ultimately decided to write about in Annie and Helen.  The book includes excerpts from Annie’s letters to her friend and former house mother, Mrs. Sophia Hopkins.  The letters chronicle Helen’s progress and show how inventive and resourceful Annie was as she helped Helen make sense of the world through language.  That spring must have been exhilarating for both teacher and student: by July, Helen had mastered enough skills to write a simple letter.

Annie and Helen is not a “cradle to grave biography.”  Instead, it covers the period of March-July 1887, when teacher and pupil forged their incredible relationship. While I have written traditional biographies for very young readers on John Adams and Susan B. Anthony, and on Charles Darwin for slightly older readers, I often prefer to focus on a specific incident or a time period in order to illuminate someone’s life.  Keep On! focuses on  Matthew Henson’s early life and Arctic explorations, A Band of Angels is about Ella Sheppard’s experiences as a Jubilee Singer,  and A Boy Called Dickens shows Dickens at age 12, when he was working in a blacking factory.

My books also include both nonfiction and historical fiction.  My 2012 title, Titanic: Voices from the Disaster is nonfiction.  But rather than write a biography of Dr. John Snow, the pioneering epidemiologist who proved that cholera was spread by water, I chose to fictionalize the story in my forthcoming middle grade novel, The Great Trouble, A Mystery of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel.  Hopefully readers will enjoy the story, and also there’s a long author’s note included if they want to know more.

I hope I will also be a reader who wants to know more.  And perhaps that’s also a reason for choosing to write about Helen Keller. What better inspiration for the love of learning could there be?

To find out more about Deborah Hopkinson’s books, visit: www.deborahhopkinson.com

You can also discover more by following along on the Annie and Helen Blog Tour

September 1^st:  Watch. Connect. Read

September 1^st:   SharpRead

September 2^nd: Nerdy Book Club

September 3^rd: Bakers and Astronauts

September 4^th: Two Writing Teachers  

September 5^th: Cracking the Cover  

September 6^th: Teach Mentor Texts  

September 7^th: Nonfiction Detectives

September 8^th: Booking Mama

September 9^th: Children’s Book Review  

September 10^th: Random Acts of Reading

September 11^th: 7 Impossible Things Before Breakfast

Original article: Why Helen Keller? Selecting Subjects for Biographies

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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I spent a lot of time reading biographies of prominent Americans when I was in third grade.  The biography I liked most was that of Helen Keller.  I admired her determination and courage. … Read More →

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By Bianca Schulze, The Children’s Book Review
Published: February 7, 2012

A Boy Called Dickens

By Deborah Hopkinson; Illustrated by John Hendrix

Reading level: Ages 4-9

Hardcover: 40 pages

Publisher: Schwartz & Wade (January 10, 2012)

Source: Publisher

What to expect: Charles Dickens, London—19th Century, Fiction

In honor of the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth—February 7—Random House Children’s Books has published A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson, illustrated by John Hendrix.

Deborah Hopkinson has created an incisive and thought provoking picture book that introduces children to one of the greatest and most treasured writers of all time. Although it is fiction, Hopkinson has based the story on real moments from Dickens’ life. The captivating illustrations created by John Hendrix add mystique to the text. Graphite and pen-and-ink provide the gloominess and dinginess of old London, while fluid acrylics add personality to the people and rosiness to their cheeks—the time period in history is captured well.

Growing up extremely poor, Dickens had four things going for him: a pencil, a slate, a love of books and a dream to write stories of his own. Even though times were very tough and the young, hungry, penniless Charles Dickens had to work in a rat-infested blacking factory, he still managed to hold onto his dream. It is this theme that makes the story not only interesting, but empowering to young readers. A Boy Called Dickens is a Junior Library Guild selection—if you’re looking for a little slice of history a la mode, you’ll find this book to be delicious.

Add this book to your collection: A Boy Called Dickens

©2012 The Childrens Book Review. All Rights Reserved.

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A Tall, Thin Tale(Introducing His Forgotten Frontier Friend)by Deborah Hopkinsonpicture by John HendrixSchwartz & Wade / Random House 2008If in 2007 a book appeared by a 90 year old author claiming to have been a boyhood friend of JFK, relating an experience where the two as boys nearly drowned in the Charles River of Boston one summer day, where the author saved the young JFK's life and thus

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I know, I know, winter is supposedly over and I'm only supposed to be reminding you all of warmth, spring, flowers, and the wonderful weather. Well...my apologies...today's post is about anything but spring and warmth, but a wonderful read that I insist you go check out!

Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole, is written by the WONDERFUL Deborah Hopkinson and illustrated by Stephen Alcorn. In it, we learn the amazing story of Matthew Henson, a young black man, born just after the Civil War ended, that just happened to help discover the North Pole.

At only 13, Henson climbed aboard a boat and spent 5 years sailing all over the world, soaking up all the knowledge he possibly could. After accepting the invitation from explorer Robert Peary, Henson accompanied him in 1906 to try and make way to the North Pole. Unfortunately, that attempt failed, but the pair made another journey in 1909, where they finally reached their destination. The pair were forced to endure an awful lot of hardship...terrible storms, injuries, and freezing cold temperatures, but also made close relationships with the Inuit in the process.

The book reads like a picture book, with easy-to-understand text and an exciting tone. The illustrations match the story well and a fantastic timeline and epilogue are included in the back. I really enjoyed the small excerpts of Henson's diaries that were placed amongst the text by Hopkinson.

This is a great choice for libraries or homeschoolers! I love unique figures of history that we really hear about, turning up in wonderful books by fantastic authors. I definitely recommend this title!

To learn more or to purchase, click on the book cover above to link to Amazon.

Keep On! The Story of Matthew Henson, Co-Discoverer of the North Pole
Deborah Hopkinson
36 pages
Non-fiction
Peachtree Publishers
9781561454730
January 2009

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Welcome to another Blog Book Tour. This time I am going to be talking to Deborah Hopkinson about her new book Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A tall thin tale. You can read my review of this title on the Through The Looking Glass Book Review website.

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