AUTHOR TALK

Similar in format to the Talking with Artists books, this is a welcome addition to the field of author biography. Marcus (Dear Genius,not reviewed, etc.) has produced a fascinating compilation of 15 interviews with some of today’s most successful authors of children’s books. Beginning each six- or seven-page segment with a brief but meaty biography, he includes contemporary and childhood photographs of his subjects, question-and-answer interviews, and selected bibliographies—the “Bruce Brooks Reader,” for example. One perceptive photograph in each profile pictures a manuscript page marked up with editorial comments and author revisions, something most children will find similar to their own schoolwork. Also fun is a chance to see the studio or office where each author works. In the interview sections, Marcus’s well-chosen and insightful questions elicit sensitive and sometimes very personal replies. Many of his questions are those that kids would have asked, such as “What’s the best part of being a writer for you?” To which Ann M. Martin replies, “. . .mostly it feels exciting, especially when I’m involved with the characters or the scene. I can feel the excitement in my stomach. It’s almost like being at the circus.” In answer to “How do you know when a book is done?” Russell Freedman says, “A book is never really finished. At some point you just have to say to yourself, I’ve done as well as I can do.” Among those interviewed are Judy Blume, Karen Cushman, Lois Lowry, and Jon Scieszka. Children receive not only a glimpse of their favorite writers’ lives, but also advice and inspiration for their own work. (Nonfiction. 10-12)