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| photo: Todd Rafalovich | |
Jennifer L. Holm is a three-time Newbery Honor winning-author of Our Only May Amelia, Penny from Heaven and Turtle in Paradise. Full of Beans (Random House Children's Books, August 30, 2016) returns to the Depression-era Key West of Turtle in Paradise and draws on some of Holm's own family history. It is a standalone prequel for ages 8 to 12 narrated by Turtle's unforgettable cousin, Beans Curry, founder of the illustrious Diaper Gang. Holm lives in California with her family.
On your nightstand now:
Full of Beans takes place in Key West in 1934, and in the process of researching it, I became pretty obsessed with 1920s/1930s Florida. It's not typically a place that we think of as "historical" (maybe it's because of Disney and all the pink flamingoes), but it was a really crazy and interesting place. So, I'm looking forward to reading For Sale American Paradise: How Our Nation Was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida by Willie Drye.
Favorite book when you were a child:
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander was the book that got me hooked on reading as a kid. I loved the main character, Taran, and how he wrestled with the big questions of life and death and right and wrong. He starts out seeing the world in black and white and by the end realizes that life is (sadly) more complicated.
Your top five authors:
Lloyd Alexander (Favorite when I was a kid)
Hal Foster (Favorite in the funny pages)
Kirby Larson (Favorite as a grown-up)
Laurie Colwin (Favorite before I fell in love)
Elinor Lipman (Favorite after I fell in love)
Book you've faked reading:
Anything by Dostoyevsky. (I've also faked being able to spell his name, too, in case you were wondering....)
Book you're an evangelist for:
Matt Phelan's Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Keaton. Matt has the unique ability of combining historical fiction with spare, acrobatic art. He is the Andrew Wyeth of comics in my opinion.
Book you've bought for the cover:
Donner Dinner Party by Nathan Hale (technically, I bought it for the title).
Book you hid from your parents:
Whole lotta Silhouette and Harlequin romances. (Shhhh! They still don't know!!)
Book that changed your life:
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander. I loved it so much I considered naming my daughter Eilonwy after the headstrong sword-wielding princess in the book. (We ended up naming her Millie May instead although she does rock a suit of armor.)
Favorite line from a book:
Actually two lines, from Lloyd Alexander's The Black Cauldron:
"I am old enough to sit in a council of men," Taran interrupted excitedly. "I have learned much; I have fought at your side, I have...."
"Gently, gently," Gwydion said. "We have agreed you shall have a place. Though manhood," he added softly, with a trace of sadness, "may not be all that you believe."
Five books you'll never part with:
D&D Monster Manual (first edition, baby!)
Prince Valiant collection
Dr. Seuss's Sleep Book by Dr. Seuss
The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander
Key West Cook Book by the Woman's Club of Key West 1948
Book you most want to read again for the first time:
Little Bear's Friend by Else Holmelund Minarik, illustrated by Maurice Sendak. It is quite possibly the most perfect pairing of text and art in an early reader.
What would you like to do most in life?
Help the world realize that historical fiction can be thrilling, exciting and impact a child's life. Because it can.