Why had I never heard of this book? Published in 2010, Out of My Mind was on the New York Times bestseller list for two years, and I just read it!When I wrote about Moonrise a few weeks ago, I mentioned how children often ask me which the first book that made me cry was. I usually respond by telling them, instead, about the most recent book that made me cry - and now, it's Sharon M. Draper's Out of My Mind.Eleven-year-old Melody Brooks is smart. She has a photographic memory and a delicious sense of humour. She loves her family, and her family loves her.But she can't show this part of herself to anyone, at least, not until she finds out about the Medi-Talker, a machine that can help her communicate. With cerebral palsy, she is confined to a wheelchair. She can make jerky movements at best, and easily loses control over her limbs. She drools, she cannot feed herself, and she … [Read more...]
Number the Stars
What does it mean to be brave? And how can we help one another to be brave?Number the Stars is a beautiful work of historical fiction set in Denmark during the second world war.I love historical fiction that comes alive to me. Some time ago, I wrote about ten works of middle-grade historical fiction set in ten different places, and if I had to rewrite the piece, I would add Number the Stars to the list.Annemarie, who lives with her family in Copenhagen, knows stories about courage, but she is sure that if her bravery is ever tested, she will fall short of the mark. Other people are brave, not she. In tales about the Resistance and stories about their beloved king, people are brave. Not she.However, just before the Jewish New Year, the rabbi announces that Jewish homes will be raided. Annemarie's neighbours, the Rosens, must flee. Young Ellen comes to stay with … [Read more...]
Sisters at New Dawn – The Story Behind the Story
Everybody knows that writing a book takes time. Sometimes (is it especially so with me?), it takes quite a long time.I wrote Sisters at New Dawn six years ago. 2014. Of course, this meant that in the last edit, I had to make lots of changes in it to keep up with the times. For instance, I had to change the idea of young people on Facebook to young people on Instagram; you'll discover the context if you read the book. That changed in these six years.I sent my manuscript out to the first publisher on my list on the 14th of October 2014. I maintain a spreadsheet to keep track of my submissions, so I know. And publishing comes with follow-ups and more follow-ups. Four months and three follow-ups later, I was told that the story was 'interesting', but it didn't work for them.In three years, I read and rewrote Sisters for the I-don't-know-how-many-th time. Then, I … [Read more...]