Children can get a real kick out of meeting authors. A friend told me about how excited her girls (then in 5th and 7th grade) were to meet children’s author Lois Lowry. It sometimes helps if the child has already read the book, but there’s no doubt that hearing an author speak can spark a kid to say ‘I want to read that.’
When children get into middle school or high school, the time they spent reading for fun tends to decrease, according to studies. For parents who worry about the decline of reading, taking their kid to meet an author might boost their interest. Three authors who target the middle readers and young adult group will be together to talk about their books this weekend. Heather Brewer and Jody Feldman live in the area; Marissa Brewer is from the East Coast. Claire Applewhite e-mailed all three authors to ask them about their work:
* 7 p.m. Friday, May 16, at St. Charles City-County Library
Kisker Road Branch. Registration recommended: 636 926-7323
* 4-7 p.m. Saturday, May 17, at Main Street Books, 307 South Main St., St. Charles, 63301, 636-949-0105
By Claire Applewhite
Special to the Post-Dispatch
Like proverbial kids in the candy store, not every young reader likes the same thing - or just one thing. Some favor fantasy or historical romance, others action or magic and still others brainteasers. This weekend, St. Louis youngsters can meet authors of who have a hand in all of that: Heather Brewer, Marissa Doyle and Jody Feldman, authors of “Eighth Grade Bites,” “Bewitching Season,” and “The Gollywhopper Games.” Brewer and Feldman live in the St. Louis area, and Doyle is from Massachusetts. The authors talked about their writing through e-mail.
Q: Heather, your books take the reader to another “other” world. What is the story behind “your story?” How did the idea for this world evolve?
A: I’ve always been fascinated by vampires, and have played around with vampire stories for years. But how I came up with the idea for my Vlad Tod series isn’t very exciting. There was simply a light bulb moment, where I pictured a boy with black hair and fangs. And in a blink, I knew his story and just had to write it.
Q: Tell us about your characters.
A: Vladimir Tod is the main protagonist in “The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod” series, and he’s also the most unique. His mother was human, but his father was a vampire. Sadly, his parents perished a few years before we meet Vlad, leaving him wondering what vampire abilities he may develop. The fact that Vlad is a bloodsucking creature of the night is secret to all but his guardian, Nelly, and best friend, Henry. To make matters worse, Vlad’s favorite teacher disappears and is replaced by an odd man in a purple top hat who seems to know Vlad’s secret.
Q: I was intrigued by a description of “Eighth Grade Bites” as “part Goosebumps mixed with Harry Potter and a dash of Stephen King.” Is this an accurate observation?
A: That’s one of my favorite descriptions! It was Butch Hartman (creator of Nickelodeon’s “The Fairly Odd Parents”) who said it, and I think it’s an absolutely accurate description. I’m proud to say that my books are funny and creepy, with a hint of very real horror.
Q: Jody, who is a typical reader/fan of your books?
A: In a world where video games and reality TV take up so much attention, “The Gollywhopper Games” provides a reading alternative. It has been pitched as “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” meets “The Amazing Race” meets “Encyclopedia Brown.” It’s fast-paced and perfect for boys and girls from 10-14 as well as strong readers who are a year or two younger. The reason I mention both boys and girls? I’ve heard from librarians, teachers and parents complaining about the limited selection of books that have equal appeal to both genders.
With its puzzles and brainteasers, “The Gollywhopper Games” is highly interactive. Readers can – if they want – pause and solve the challenges along with the characters. Yet, I’ve also heard from parents with reluctant readers, glowing because their children finished a book on their own for the first time in ages. And don’t tell kids, but it’s G-rated and makes a good family read-aloud.
Q: Jody, how and why did you decide to write for the young adult market? Do you feel that it hampers or constricts your topics or characters?
A: During my first and only 9-to-5 job, as a copywriter for an in-house advertising department, I would often finish my work with a couple hours left on the clock. Because they were paying me to be there to write full-time, I decided one day to play with words in a different way; to see if I was the next Dr. Seuss.
Problem is, there is and will be only one Dr. Seuss. But that started a whole string of picture book manuscripts that are neatly tucked away in a filing cabinet, probably never to see the light of print. There was one picture book, however, that didn’t feel complete in its 1,000-word format. So I expanded it. Suddenly, I was hooked on writing novel-length work. For children; not adults.
Q: Marissa? Why did you decide to write in the young adult market?
Q: Writing for YAs was an accident … or, more accurately, I didn’t realize I was writing YA when I wrote “Bewitching Season.”. .. I thought I was writing a romance. But I could never make the focus of the story be the developing relationship — I wanted to focus on the history and mystery and growth of my heroine. When I got a comment that said “This reads more like a YA than a romance, I understood what it was I was really trying to write.
And no, I find writing YA freeing because there aren’t any of the rules or conventions that have to be followed in adult genre fiction — I can go where the story wants to go. Madeleine L’Engle once said, “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” I love this, and think it so true — young adults are fearless readers, so those of us who write for them can be fearless too.
For more on the authors, visit their websites: www.heatherbrewer.com; www.jodyfeldman.com; www.marissadoyle.com.
Claire Applewhite is a St. Louis writer.