Dear Author: Letters of Hope Top Young Adult Authors Respond to Kids' Toughest Issues

by Joan Kaywell (Editor)

Overview

To millions of kids, the books they read are more than entertainment— they are mirrors to hold up to their own lives. And the creators of those books are more than just writers—they are mentors, confidants, friends, sometimes the only ones who understand. There is often an unspoken, unseen bond between an author and his or her readers.

Dear Author brings this bond to light for the whole world to see and to celebrate. Laurie Halse Anderson, Chris Crutcher, Jerry Spinelli, Christopher Paul Curtis, and many more of today’s bestselling YA authors respond to this intimate mix of heartbreaking and heartwarming letters, giving a glimpse into the hearts and souls of kids today, and the writers who have changed their lives. It’s nothing short of inspirational.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781101042793
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	03/01/2007
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	367 KB
Age Range:	12 Years

About the Author

Joan F. Kaywell lives in Tampa, Florida.

Editorial Reviews

Being a teenager is tough business. Young adult authors have the pulse of today's teens and show it with their willingness to approach the very real issues that teens face each day. When young adult literature connects to teens, teens often have the desire to connect with the authors, to share ways in which the words latched onto their souls. Dear Author highlights the best of the letters received by today's most beloved authors. T. A. Barron, Laurie Halse Anderson, Nancy Garden, Neal Shusterman and others write letters of hope to the teens, offering their insightful, heartfelt, humorous, and sometimes emotional responses in return. Whether faced with a life-changing decision or reflecting on events that robbed their innocence, teens profiled speak for the infinite number of people who have been forever changed by reading a book. Dear Author shows that although young adult authors cannot change the tough lives teens have to face, they can guide their readers to finding the hope within their books and, ultimately, the hope within their lives.

Shelbie Witte

In some ways, the connection between the author of a book and its reader is remote. They will probably never meet face to face, remaining only theoretically aware of each other's existence. But in other ways, the author-reader connection is intense and intimate. Sometimes an author perfectly captures feelings that the reader has never expressed aloud, forging a bond of understanding not experienced in the routine of daily life. The author may never know how his or her words have moved an individual reader, unless that reader takes the time to write a letter of appreciation. Kaywell gathers a collection of such letters along with the authors' responses. In many instances, the letters are profoundly moving. The opening letter is from a girl who writes to Laurie Halse Anderson about her own experience with rape. Another teen writes to Lois Duncan, author of Who Killed My Daughter? (Delacorte, 1992/VOYA December 1992), and describes her agony after her stepfather killed her two brothers. The authors' responding letters are compassionate and encouraging. This collection also works as a kind of readers' advisory; when one reads how deeply someone has been affected by a book, one becomes interested in the book and wants to read it. Dear Authors is not the kind of book that sells itself, but with a little encouragement, many teens will find themselves captivated by the exchanges between readers and authors.

VOYA - Diane Colson

Gr 8 & Up - If there was ever a book that every young adult librarian and every reading teacher should read, this is it. And the students with whom they work will be clamoring to get their hands on it as well. Dear Authoris an astounding compilation of letters from teen readers to writers, and their replies. The letters speak of heartache, abuse, bullying, ostracism, and other issues that these young people have faced. They have written to the authors because they have identified with one or more of their characters. Lois Duncan and John Ritter reply with heartfelt responses, identifying with their readers and encouraging them to be strong. Following the letters are short biographies and bibliographies for each of the authors included. Why is this book so essential? First, it clearly shows what a tremendous impact YA literature has on teens. Second, it is immensely helpful in highlighting titles that just may help students/patrons deal with situations that are looming large in their lives. Whether or not they intended to, these authors have written stories that assist young adults in coping with their own lives. Essential.-Delia Carruthers, Sunset Ridge Middle School, West Jordan, UT

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