An Off-the-Tracks Interview Between Lev Grossman and His Beloved Silver Arrow
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The second book in Lev Grossman’s The Silver Arrow series is a thrilling return to the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway, complete with more animals to save, a missing uncle and, even more mysteriously, another train riding the tracks. Follow Kate and Tom as they work to save their uncle — and the world. In this rare, exclusive character-author interview, the steam train Silver Arrow asks author Lev Grossman some burning questions about his work.
The second book in Lev Grossman’s The Silver Arrow series is a thrilling return to the Great Secret Intercontinental Railway, complete with more animals to save, a missing uncle and, even more mysteriously, another train riding the tracks. Follow Kate and Tom as they work to save their uncle — and the world. In this rare, exclusive character-author interview, the steam train Silver Arrow asks author Lev Grossman some burning questions about his work.
SILVER ARROW: LET’S START WITH THE QUESTION THAT I THINK HAS BEEN ON THE MINDS OF MOST OF YOUR READERS: IF THE FIRST BOOK IS THE SILVER ARROW, AND THE SECOND IS THE GOLDEN SWIFT, AREN’T YOU CONCERNED THAT YOU’LL RUN OUT OF PRECIOUS METALS SOON?
Lev Grossman: Well, it’s interesting, I was actually thinking of varying the formula for the third book –
SA: I MEAN AFTER PLATINUM THEN YOU’RE SORT OF STUCK WITH PALLADIUM, WHICH DOESN’T SOUND AS COOL, DOES IT? THE PALLADIUM EXPRESS? DOESN’T HAVE THE SAME RING TO IT.
LG: Um. I guess not. Next question.
SA: IF THERE WERE A RACE BETWEEN ME, THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE, THE POLAR EXPRESS, THE HOGWARTS EXPRESS, THE ORIENT EXPRESS AND THE LITTLE ENGINE THAT COULD, WHO WOULD WIN?
LG: You would.
SA: CORRECT. IS IT CHALLENGING WRITING A BOOK FOR KIDS WHERE A COMPLEX, GROWN-UP ISSUE LIKE CLIMATE CHANGE IS A PART OF THE STORY?
LG: That’s such a good question! When I started the Silver Arrow books all I wanted was to write one of those Roald Dahl-like sweep-you-away magical adventures. But then when it came to climate change and all that environmental stuff, I didn’t want to ignore them — I didn’t want to pretend they didn’t exist — so they became part of the story, but it’s not really an ‘issue’ book. It’s always been Kate’s story, which is the story of a girl who’s discovering that the grown-up world is harder and more complicated than she thought it would be, but also that she’s so much stronger than she thought she was.
SA: …
SA: I’M SORRY WHAT WAS THAT? I MUST’VE DOZED OFF FOR A SECOND THERE.
LG: Do you have to talk in ALL CAPS like that all the time? Is your shift lock stuck in there?
SA: NO COMMENT. NEXT QUESTION