Hi Shannon! Thanks for chatting with me about Middle Grade books in general and your novels in particular.
What book
or books from your childhood left a lasting impression and why?
I was always a
reader. One of those kids who spent hours in the library and poured over the
Scholastic Book Club list hoping my parents would buy me all the titles I
marked. My bedroom was always riddled with books. There were a few that really
stuck with me from childhood.
The first is
The Tripods series by John Christopher. Probably the first sci-fi I remember
reading. About these walking machines who controlled humans and prevented
creativity and curiosity.
The second is
Z is for Zachariah by Robert C. O’Brien. A teacher read this to us in
elementary school and it practically seared into my brain. It is about the
aftermath of a nuclear war and a young girl who believes she may be the only
person left on earth. Looking back, it seems like an intense topic for an
elementary read-aloud, but I’m so glad she did.
Why did these
books stick with me? Perhaps because they were absolutely about life and death.
I’m not sure I’d thought much about my own death before reading these books.
They made me think about what I would do in such dire circumstances. And they
made me root for the main character.
Years ago,
without recalling the titles, I went into a bookstore and described them. Kudos
to the knowledgeable librarian who knew exactly what they were. I bought them
and reread them again. They were just as powerful. That says something about
great writing.
WHAT FLOWERS
REMEMBER is a companion novel to my debut title, THE SUMMER OF HAMMERS AND
ANGELS. As I wrote FLOWERS, I did have to refer back to the first book more
than a few times. I had to ensure I didn’t inadvertently give characters some
different trait or physical feature. And I wanted to ensure I kept the same
tone to my writing.
FLOWERS also
deals with the topic of Alzheimer’s. While I’d had my own experiences with the
disease through my Grandfather, I wanted to be certain that what I’d seen with
him was typical. So I did research online to determine signs and symptoms and
typical behaviors.
A few of the
sites that were helpful:
I'm eager to read Summer of Hammers and Angels! Also Z is for Zachariah.
ReplyDeleteSince you are writing a series yourself, I be you'll find Summer of Hammers and Angels interesting.
DeleteHello! Good luck with this idea for letting readers know about your realistic books. I've read two books by each of the Shannons and found all four compelling. And I read Z IS FOR ZACHARIAH as an adult and won't forget it. Now I want to read the other middle-grade, realistic novels that are being featured by #MGGetsReal. I'm looking forward to meeting some new characters!
ReplyDeleteHi Sheila, thanks for reading and your good wishes. I think you'll like the other books featured in #MGGetsReal.
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