Not because she refuses to let a man solve her problems. Not because she tries so hard to save her family’s woolen mill. Not even because she steps forward with courage in terrifying circumstances. She’s my hero because she finds herself in a situation that is, by all accounts, dire, and never once whines about it being unfair. Though her story is a take on the classic Rumpelstiltskin story, Charlotte is no typical fairy tale girl.
When her father is buried in the first pages of A CURSE DARK AS GOLD, Charlotte is plunged into a world of hard work, broken down machinery, troubled finances, and ancient curses. Does she complain? Does she say, “How come I have to answer for the mistakes of all these men?” Nope. With pluck and courage, compassion and commitment, Charlotte forges ahead to set things right – no matter whose fault it all was in the first place.
We could use more heroines like Charlotte Miller – and more authors like Elizabeth Bunce, who weaves Charlotte’s harrowing story into a rich, colorful tapestry that’s difficult to let go of when the last page is turned.
I’m giving a presentation on historical fiction at November’s NYS Reading Association Conference, and I originally borrowed this ARC to note examples of how writers of historical fantasy weave factual details into their novels. When I finished reading CURSE, though, my notepad was blank. Not because there weren’t examples. There were plenty of them – from the details of the woolen mills of the early Industrial Revolution to the country folklore of that time. It’s just that I…umm…forgot to write them down.
That, my friends, is the mark of a great story. *sighs, picks up pen, and goes back to take those notes*
Question: When does a middle grade historical novel become a Halloween book?
Answer: When the author agrees to dress up as her main character because she can’t resist Burlington’s Church St. Marketplace Halloween Celebration. Spitfire is about a girl who disguises herself as a boy to fight in a Revolutionary War naval battle on Lake Champlain. That means…you guessed it… On Church St. this Saturday, I’ll be an author, disguised as an 18th century girl, disguised as an 18th century boy. Here’s the official blurb…
Saturday, October 27, 1:00: Join children’s author Kate Messner for a trip back in time to the American Revolution on Lake Champlain at Borders Books and Music, 2nd floor. Kate portrays Abigail Smith, the main character in her middle grade novel SPITFIRE, who disguises herself as a boy to fight in the battle of Valcour Island. Participatory activities for kids are based on the book. A book signing will follow the event.
If you’re leaf-peeping in Vermont this weekend, please stop by and say hello!
On Tuesday, October 30, I’ll be at the North Country Teacher Resource Center Educator Showcase at Plattsburgh State from 4:30-6:00, with five other fun author/illustrator people. (At this one, I’ll just be regular Kate…)
October must be contest month in the kidlit blogsophere because I can’t remember a time when I’ve seen so many offerings. Cool ideas, too — here’s a roundup for those of you with lottery dreams…
Being a teacher, I guess I’m especially partial to Jama Rattigan’s Apple-for-the-Teacher contest over at her blog, Alphabet Soup. She’s offering up a copy of Sarah Miller’s MISS SPITFIRE, which is amazing, and the APPLE COOKBOOK, which makes me hungry just looking at it.
) is having a Figure-Out-My-Contest-Contest at her LJ. Come up with the perfect contest for Jo, and you could win a signed first edition of LESSONS FROM A DEAD GIRL.
Curtis Brown agent Nathan Bransford has a Best First Paragraph Contest running on his blog, with a Thursday night deadline. He’s offering manuscript and query critiques as prizes. (Even if you’re not at that stage in your career, it’s worth heading over to check out some of the entries!)
Heather Brewer, author of EIGHTH GRADE BITES, is giving away 13 of her extra-special vampire hoodies for Halloween. She still has a few left, so check out her blog, Bleeding Ink, to enter.
I’m sure I haven’t listed them all, so if you have a contest running, too, feel free to post a link in the comments section.
And finally, have you seen the contests popping up with the Robert’s Snow: For Cancer’s Cure illustrator interviews? A number of the amazing illustrators who donated snowflakes for the auction have also signed books and prints as contest prizes to help draw traffic to the auction site. Kris over at Paradise Found, has compiled all of the Robert’s Snow contest links on her blog.
Be sure to check out this week’s illustrator features, too!
I’m partial to books with strong girl protagonists, so I loved Mitali Perkins’ RICKSHAW GIRL. Naima is a young girl growing up in Bangladesh, living a life marked by both her family’s poverty and her appreciation for color and beauty. As the best alpana painter in her village, Naima has a unique gift — a gift that she initially sees as irrelevant to her family’s financial problems. But Naima is a spitfire – a girl who can’t settle for fitting into the mold her society has created for her.
Perkins’ exploration of gender roles and the creative thinking challenging those roles in modern day Bangladesh is both poignant and accessible to young readers. Her themes of self-determination and community are presented within the context of a story that has beautiful sensory language, vivid characters, and some great surprises along the way.
My weekend was full of gushy pumpkin guts, fresh-baked bread, ripe red apples, and yellow river leaves. For this, I am thankful…
Montreal’s Atwater Market — always a feast for the senses!
This bakery (above & below) was the model for the patisserie in my MG Contemporary novel that’s making the rounds right now. Needless to say, my research was extensive!
On one bright fall hike each year, we always collect a few leaves to press. These are sleeping between the pages of my phone book now. On Thanksgiving, we’ll shake them out to decorate the table and remember the smells of late October…
Blogger’s Note: I’m a children’s author and a middle school English teacher, so my students are collaborating on our series of illustrator profiles! Today’s feature is courtesy of the 6th, 7th, and 8th graders of the SMS Writers Club!
We were asked to feature writer/illustrator Judy Schachner here to help raise awareness of the Robert’s Snow fundraiser. Robert’s Snow raises money for cancer research at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Judy was kind enough to agree to an interview and has donated a signed copy of one of her books and a Skippyjon Jones doll to a lucky blog reader!
Thanks for joining us, Judy! We love Skippyjon Jones, so we were so happy that you created a snowflake. Why are you involved in the Robert’s Snow fundraiser?
Because it feels good to give. And because I lost my mother to cancer when I was young and then later my stepmother. Could you tell us about your snowflake for this year’s auction? This is the third snowflake I’ve painted. It’s the second time I’ve painted my cat Skippyjon Jones (with mittens on his ears). It’s done in acrylics.
What led you to become an author/illustrator?
A huge love of drawing, painting and storytelling that I’ve done since I was a very little girl.
What other career dreams did you have when you were younger?
I was too shy to star on Broadway, I didn’t have the math grades for nursing, and too many bad habits to be a nun so a life in art was my only choice. Many of your illustrations go along with stories that have some humor. How come?
I love “funny” but other books of mine are quite different – Yo Vikings, The Grannyman, Mr. Emerson’s Cook, and Willy and May.
The Skippyjon Jones books are so popular, and we wonder if that’s partly because the name is just so much fun to say. How did you come up with Skippyjon’s name?
Cats should always have more than one name. SkippyjonJones is what my cat called himself.
We just learned that your real Skippyjon Jones, your own Siamese cat, passed away recently, and we’re so sorry.
Skippyjon died in September. I can’t tell you how sad I am. Here’s a picture of him in his younger days.
So he was the inspiration for the Skippyjon Jones books? How did you create the stories?
Skippyjon’s character is like a good stew. You start with a big pot. Then add a very funny brother named Kevin, who was famous in our house for his over-active imagination. Add a handful of Siamese cat named Skippy, one basement with a bumblebee in it, and a tussle in the litterbox. Finally a dash of Antonio Banderas.
Which came first for this series of books — the story or the illustration ideas?
I like to work in dummy form right from the beginning. Pictures fill in the spaces where the words aren’t working and vice-versa. I usually think of a title right away and almost always have my beginning sentence. It’s the rest of the book that’s a problem.
Of the books you’ve illustrated, do you have a favorite?
Yes, Yo Vikings, it’s about my children and it’s based on a true story.
Now a few rapid-fire questions… If you had to choose a favorite author and a favorite book of all time, what would they be? To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
Your favorite food? Angel Food Cake
Favorite thing to do in your spare time? Read, re-arrange the furniture, and kiss my cats.
Favorite time of year? Give me snow!!
Bring on the snow! Judy Schachner’s snowflake is featured in Auction #3, which runs from December 3-7. If you would like to bid on a snowflake for Robert’s Snow, click here to check out Judy’s creation and the others.
If you’d like to be entered in a drawing to win a signed copy of one of Judy’s books AND a Skippyjon Jones doll, here’s what you need to do. Simply visit Auction #3, and then come back here and leave us a comment to tell us about a snowflake that you love. We’ll enter your name in the drawing, and a member of the Writers Club will draw one lucky winner out of a hat to win a signed book and doll. (Note: If you don’t have an LJ account, please make sure you leave your name. It’s tough to enter “anonymous” in a drawing and even tougher to track her down if she wins…)
Be sure to check out today’s other Robert’s Snow illustrator features…
Have you ever given a presentation, and NO ONE wants to ask a question during the Q and A? I hate that. But I LOVED visiting with the Oak St. School 3rd graders today.
You’d think 75 kids packed into a small classroom might be a little chaotic. It wasn’t.
You’d think 75 third graders squeezed together like puppies in a basket might be noisy. They weren’t.
Those Oak Street kids are fabulous listeners, friendly hosts, and some of the best question-askers ever. Here’s a sampling of our conversation:
How long did it take you to read and learn about everything so you could write your book?
About a year and a half. I loved doing all that reading and learning, and then the writing was fun, too.
How long did it take colonial guys to make a fire with that flint and steel you showed us?
I guess it would depend on how good they were at it. I think it would take me a very long time!
Yeah, you only got a few sparks.
What made you want to write this story, in particular?
I live on Lake Champlain, and I always look out at the water and think about what happened here years ago — all the battles and the people who lived here before us. I wanted to tell their story.
Sometimes, I go camping on Valcour Island, where your story happens. Have you ever been camping there?
Yes, I have. It’s pretty, isn’t it? My family likes to have campfires there and roast marshmallows.
I like s’mores.
Me, too!
Hey, how did they make things shoot out of that powder horn you showed us?
They didn’t make things shoot out of it. They used it to store their black powder so they could fire their muskets and cannon.
Oh. (disappointed look). Nothing ever shot out of it?
Nope. Sorry.
Do you know my sister? She goes to the middle school.
Yes, I do. She’s nice.
At that point, I had to leave the rest of the questions unanswered to go back to the middle school, where that particular sister and a few other siblings were waiting for 3rd period English to start. I was sorry to leave with hands still in the air, but I’ve promised to follow-up with an email or another blog post. I have no doubt there were some future researchers and authors in that audience today!
I got an email this week from Mr. Smythe, my high school English teacher who read about SPITFIRE in a newspaper clipping someone mailed him. He’s proud of me.
You have to understand — Mr. Smythe wasn’t just any teacher. He was that teacher. If you’ve survived high school and lived to tell about it, you know what I mean. The teacher who makes you believe you can do better. The teacher who makes you work harder than you’ve ever worked and makes you love every minute of it.
Long before I met Harry and Hermione, Mr. Smythe introduced me to Hermia and Helena, Lysander and Demetrius, and their magic was no less charming. Mr. Smythe had a way of bringing those old stories to life, making them feel as urgent and real as the upcoming prom. And when we wrote for his class, we wrote with passion. Language mattered. It mattered with an intensity that burned long past the end of 9th period…and burns to this day. Thanks, Mr. Smythe.
First of all…it snowed in the Adirondacks Saturday night, so my drive down Interstate 87 to the Chronicle Book Fair in Glens Falls, NY was stunning — blazing red, orange, and yellow fall foliage, mixed with sugar-snow mountaintops in the distance. I arrived at the book fair content that the views alone were worth the two-hour drive. It was icing on the cake when the Dog Ate My Homework Bookstore sold out of SPITFIRE and then went on to sell a bunch of my backup copies, too. I loved signing books and chatting with all the kids, teachers, history lovers, and librarians who stopped by my table. Truth be told, though, I had two favorite guests…
One was the young man who bought SPITFIRE early in the day and had me sign it for him, then proceeded to settle down in the lobby to read, stopping back every hour or so to let me know where he was in the book. He made my day…
And so did the lady who stood by my table for a while, looking down at the cover of the book. Finally, she spoke.
“You know, they made a movie of that book,” she said, pointing to it.
“Well, no,” I told her, “They didn’t, actually. This is a new book.”
“Yes, they did,” she insisted.
“Well, maybe they made a movie of another book with the same title,” I said. “That could be…”
“Nope,” she said, tapping the cover of SPITFIRE again. “It was that one. Katherine Hepburn starred in it. She was great.”
How about that?? I am honored, to say the least.
I was solo for this book festival, since it was a long day for the family, so I don’t have my usual photo album, but here are a couple pictures.
Here’s my table (minus me…taking the photo). This was a HUGE book festival. Imagine 120 setups like this. That’s how many authors were there!
And here I am with Joseph Bruchac, an author whose work has inspired me for a long time. Joe was kind enough to read SPITFIRE before it was a book and say the nice things about it that are now printed on the back cover. It was great to have his new books signed for J and E at today’s festival.
And there’s more SNOW news…. Robert’s Snow: For Cancer’s Cure officially kicks off this week! You can visit the participating bloggers listed below to read all about the children’s book illustrators who have donated their time and talents to create incredible, original, wooden snowflake ornaments to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. You can bid on your favorite snowflake, knowing that the funds raised will help to fight cancer. On Saturday, members of my middle school writers club and I will feature Judy Schachner, creator of the amazing SKIPPYJON JONES series! You’ll even have a chance to win a signed copy of one of her books and a SKIPPYJON JONES doll! Be sure to stop by on Saturday to meet Judy and see her incredible snowflake.
Here’s a schedule for the rest of this week’s illustrator features & interviews:
I went to the post office after school today to mail the manuscript for the option book from my SPITFIRE contract. This, despite the fact that I am still finishing up some revisions.
Why? Because there’s a bit of a time issue. The book is about Samuel de Champlain’s voyage from Quebec to Lake Champlain in 1609, and there are big, big happenings being planned in NY, VT, and Quebec for the Quadricentennial in 2009. That’s not so far away in the world of publishing. My editor, who knows all of this, asked to see what I have so far. I am hoping that this is a good sign, but it was still painful to stuff the thing in that Priority Mail envelope knowing that there’s more work to do. I had an almost overwhelming urge to leap over the counter and snatch it back out of the bin, but I decided that would have scared the post office lady too much.
So the manuscript is gone. Think good thoughts for it, okay?
Charlotte Miller is my new hero.
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We were asked to feature writer/illustrator 
