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History is BACK

A long time ago, I wrote a historical children’s novel. It was set in the 1400s because I’m a medieval history freak. I studied the Middle Ages in college; I’ve even written a nonfiction book on the bubonic plague that you can take a look at here (lots of gross illustrations and descriptions of buboes, if you’re into that!). The novel had a nugget of a good idea in it. But I was told, over and over again, that history was dead. There was no market for it. Kids didn’t read history.

I retired the manuscript, though I didn’t really believe that history was dead. I’d adored The Door in the Wall when I was a kid. I saw The Midwife’s Apprentice win the The_Door_in_the_Wall_coverNewbery Medal. I devoured historical novel after historical novel — all of them published. I knew someone besides me had to be reading them.

At some point, I realized that my agent had long been obsessed with the historical events I treat in the story. She read it and loved it, and her enthusiasm was contagious. So I revised it. And I revised it again. And parts of it again. I added new characters, slashed the dreaded infodumps that seem so necessary to historical fiction (because nobody really knows which were the Lancasters and which were the Yorks, right?) and somehow got the background I needed in there anyway. I changed the narrative point of view. I didn’t have any real hope that the novel would ever be published, because, you know, history is dead. So I was on no timetable, and I just let the story do what it wanted to do.

And then, late last year, an editor read the manuscript and sent the most beautiful email I’ve ever gotten. Not only did she love the story, shexcitemente completely understood everything I was trying to do in it. And she wanted to publish it. Apparently, when I read the offer I made a noise that was so bizarre that it scared my husband half to death. But it was a genuine howl of joy.

There’s a Santayana quote that goes, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” I don’t know if the daily evidence that we’re repeating the worst parts of our history has anything to do with my book’s acceptance. There might be parallels to be King_Richard_III_from_NPG_2-e1502563148323drawn between Richard III and his rise to power and present-day people and situations — but hey, that’s a discussion for another day.  Today, I’ll just revel in the fact that The Butcher’s Daughter has found its perfect home.

 

 

And here’s the official announcement in Publisher’s Marketplace:

PubMarketplace

WOOHOO!!!

Thank you, Nebraska!

I’ve just learned that Baker’s Magic has been named a Golden Sower Award Honor book! nebraska2This is the children’s book award given by the state of Nebraska. The books are nominated by librarians, and kids from all over the state — 71,939 of them! — read them and then vote for their favorites.

In my category, chapter books, the Golden Sower Award winner was Louis Sachar for his book Fuzzy Mud. It’s a thrill even to be mentioned in the same universe as the author of Holes, so I’m doubly honored.

nebraskaSo many thanks, readers of Nebraska! One of these days I will visit you — and I really hope I get to see that amazing-looking museum built over Interstate 80.

The Great Bouts Buns Bake-Off

The students in the Golden Sower Book Club at Georgia Wheeler Elementary School in 100_8176Omaha, Nebraska, held a Bouts Buns bake-off. Not only do their efforts look incredibly tasty, they even made a video about it!

With their permission, here’s a link so you can watch this creative bit of filmmaking — and admire the beautiful buns the kids made.

Click here: Bouts Buns Bake-Off

Hooray for the Ocean State!

rhode islandI’ve just found out that The Marvelwood Magicians has been nominated for the Rhode Island Children’s Book Award! This is such exciting news. Students in the state will be reading the book, and then they’ll be voting on it, and maybe it will win. But even if it doesn’t, the nomination means that lots of kids will get a chance to read it.

shelter-harbor-inn
where I spent Day 1 of my honeymoon, long long ago

Rhode Island is a beautiful state with a glorious coastline. I spent part of my honeymoon there. I have friends who live there. And now the librarians and readers of Rhode Island are honoring the Marvelwoods. Thank you all so much!

Just FYI: here are some strange and/or interesting facts I’ve learned about the state:

  • Its official name is The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
  • Newport, RI, was the first town in the country (before it was even a country) to host a circus.
  • Its official state bird is a…chicken.
  • It’s the home of the country’s oldest Baptist church and oldest synagogue — and oldest still-functioning lending library.

 

(And as the nomination is the result of librarian love, I must add: HAPPY NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK! There is no better place than a library, and librarianno better people than librarians. They are our bookish superheros.)

 

Go Cornhuskers!

I’m feeling the Nebraska love this month. Baker’s Magic is nominated for a Golden Sower award,  a statewide children’s-choice award. As a result, I’ve been in touch with lots of readers from the state.

I did a Skype visit with a couple of fifth grade classes from Falls City, NE — the first Skype where I tried to use PowerPoint. I also had to use a borrowed webcam, since my built-in one is, oddly, in the lower left-hand side of my screen. When I Skype with it, it makes me look very strange to people on the other side — I’m looking away from them as I talk to them. Anyway, it all worked; the students were great and asked good questions, the PowerPoint and webcam behaved. And then I did another Skype with kids from Doniphan, NE — again, it went perfectly, and the questions they asked were excellent.

The Golden Sower winner isn’t decided until spring, so I’ll be waiting anxiously. In the meantime, Nebraska students, keep reading! (And I’m happy to Skype with your classes: just send me a request.)

Danger: Elephant Ahead

People have been asking me, “Why a circus book?”

Circuses have had a place in my imagination for a long time. They’re part of my family mythology. When I was two or three years old, we all went to the circus. My brother was a baby at the time, so my mother was in charge of him and my older sister. My father was tasked with keeping me in line.

Easier said than done, apparently.

I got away from him, and a moment later, I was standing in front of a large elephant on its way to the big top.

According to family legend, I was completely unafraid, though the onlookers were horrified. I didn’t even come up to the elephant’s knee. It could have squished me like a bug.

Instead, we gazed at each other silently. Nobody dared to move.

Then my father saw me, and he sprang forward, grabbed me, and yanked me out of the elephant’s path.

I have no real memory of this incident, though my parents sure do. But I grew up with the story, and I tried to instill both the terror they felt and the fearlessness I displayed into The Marvelwood Magicians.

You may well have your own circus tale. Tell me about it! Your comment will enter you in a contest to win one of two signed copies of The Marvelwood Magicians.

Write a comment on the blog telling me why you love (or fear!) the circus. Two winners will be picked by random.org on October 20.

Good luck!

Another Day, Another Book

Yesterday was publication day for The Marvelwood Magicians. 

And the title of this blog is the EXACT OPPOSITE of how I feel.

This is my sixth novel; you’d think it would get old, right? But honestly, it doesn’t. Though the process gets a little easier, a little more familiar (sort of like giving birth to your sixth child, if you aren’t too squeamish for that metaphor), it’s still an utter thrill to bring a new book into the world. Knowing all those pre-orders are winging their way to readers (you pre-ordered it, right?), seeing it on bookstore  and library shelves, and hearing from people who’ve read it — all of that is just as much fun with the sixth book as it was with the first.

 

So go read! If you want to order a copy, just click on the cover. Let me know what you think! Happy book birthday to the magical Marvelwoods!

A Present!

I got a present! The very first bound book of The Marvelwood Magicians arrived on the doorstep, tied with a ribbon and accompanied by a card of congratulations signed by the Boyds Mills Press folk. What a thoughtful, unexpected gift. I feel very lucky to be working with this wonderful group — thank you all!

 

And isn’t it gorgeous?

Marvelwoods Making Magic!

 

Early reviews on The Marvelwood Magicians have begun trickling in — and they’re excellent! I’m so excited for this circus family to meet the world. September 19 is the day!

 

 

From Kirkus (read the whole review here):

A hair-raising, exhilarating, big-top mystery.

 

And from School Library Journal:

The suspenseful plot moves quickly, and Zahler vividly portrays the unbearable pain of losing an innate part of one’s self.

VERDICT Bound to entice voracious and reluctant readers alike.