Another complicated book history. I wrote this book about thirty years ago (the first time) when my own children were small and playing a game they called “Soft House” by taking cushions off the sofa and building a house with blankets for a roof.
Once Upon a Time (She Said)
I was incredibly honored to be asked to be one of the three Guests of Honor at the Glasgow SF World Con. That’s the largest science fiction convention in the world, a moveable feast, held summer 2005 in Scotland. Part of the perks of being a World Con GOH, is that
Stuart Quartet: Prince Across the Water
Book 3 of the Stuart Quartet is about Bonnie Prince Charlie and the disastrous battle of Culloden that broke the Scottish clan system and saw the English banning the playing of bagpipes, the speaking of Scots Gaelic, and wearing tartan and kilts.
The Perfect Wizard
I have been a long-time fan of Hans Christian Andersen’s work. My favorites include “The Snow Queen,” “The Nightingale” and “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” Occasionally I am called “America’s Hans Christian Andersen,” to which I sometimes respond,
Young Heroes: Jason and the Gorgon’s Blood
For the fourth (and alas final) Young Heroes book, Bob and I decided on Jason because the old tales tell about how he was raised on a mountain by the kindly centaur, Chiron.
History Mystery: The Salem Witch Trials
When we were still in the research phase of this book, Heidi and her daughters and their friends, the Napiers of Myrtle Beach, went on a road trip to Salem to get the feel of the area and pick up more books. Heidi came back with a bumper sticker that said,
Fine Feathered Friends
After having done WILD WINGS with Jason’s bird photographs–which won a National Wild Life Book award–I realized that he still had many gorgeous bird photos left over. Not only that, each time I went to South Carolina to visit (his baby twins, not Jason and his
Barefoot Book of Ballet Stories, The
So there I was, walking around the halls of the International Reading Assn conference, and I stopped at the small but elegant display of Barefoot Books. I was immediately struck by their distinctive style. One in particular was The Barefoot Book of Opera Stories.
How Do Dinosaurs Count to Ten?
My editor thought that two very young board books about the Yolen/Teague dinosaurs might be a great idea. She suggested a counting rhyme for one of them. I came up with the Clean Their Rooms idea
How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?
My editor thought that two very young board books about the Yolen/Teague dinosaurs might be a great idea. She suggested a counting rhyme for one of them. I came up with the Clean Their Rooms