Today I welcome Fran Manushkin to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults.
AOB: What is the title of your book?
GOODBYE TO GOLDIE
April, 2010, Picture Window/Capstone. It’s also in Spanish as ADIOS A GOLDIE, August, 2012, Picture Window/Capstone. It’s a very Early Chapter Book, First and Second Grade, illustrated by Tammie Lyon.
Goldie is the dog who belongs to Katie Woo. I don’t know what her breed is—let’s say she’s the breed called “Adorable!” She’s incredibly talented: she can dust furniture with her tail,catch a snowball in her mouth, play soccer, and comfort you during thunderstorms.
The story begins with Goldie, Katie’s old dog, becoming sick and dying. Katie and her parents are very sad, and they help her to mourn (and be comforted) by making a scrapbook of drawings and stories about their many happy memories of Goldie.
AOB: What inspired you to write this story?
Capstone asked me to write stories about important experiences that children have. I remember how much I loved my dog Snowball and how sad I would have been if he died when I was young. Luckily, he lived a long, long time, but I wanted to help comfort children whose pets have died.
What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?
I was worried about making it too sad. But I think I met the challenge by devoting most of the story to Katie sharing her happy memories of Goldie with her best friends.
What other YA/MG books have you written? Do any of them feature a key dog character? If so, which ones?
What are these stories about?
I haven’t written any middle-grade or young adult books. GOODBYE TO GOLDIE is one of 27 books in my easy-reader series about Katie Woo and her adventures. I’ve also written six books that work for the Common Core Curriculum: the series is called KATIE WOO: STAR WRITER, and it teaches first and second graders how to write a poem, a journal, a letter, a research paper, an opinion piece, and a narrative.
What kind of story can we expect next from you? Is it about a dog? If so, what is it about?
My next stories are two more Katie Woo easy readers. One is about Katie first ride on an airplane and the other is about Katie riding on a horse for the first time. It’s called COWGIRL KATIE.
AOB: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?
I’d like you to know how much I love dogs. I wish I had one right now!
AOB: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? And why?
I loved Mary Poppins! I wanted to have a nanny like her so much!
AOB: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
I would tell aspiring writers to read—A LOT! In order to write, you need to read many books—they will help you see the immense variety of books that it’s possible to write, and they will inspire you!
AOB: Where can readers go to find out more information about you and/or your books?
Web page: www.franmanushkin.com
Facebook: Fran Manushkin and also the Katie Woo page, and the Katie Woo Bookclub page.
Thank you Fran Manushkin for joining us at Best Dog Books!
For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.
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