My Editor's Review

My wonderful editor, Michelle Frey, at Knopf/Random House, wrote a lovely review of my second novel, THE WONDER OF CHARLIE ANNE.  Her thoughts were featured recently in the Random House blog, called Random Acts of Reading.

Thank you, Michelle!

Here it is:

"Kimberly Newton Fusco is a luminous writer. Her books make young readers feel both the pain in the world and the beauty—and show them the healing power of friendship.  THE WONDER OF CHARLIE ANNE is the tender, generous story of an interracial friendship between two young girls during the Depression.  It was acclaimed by many reviewers, and I love these lines from a starred review in Kirkus that capture its spirit: ”Good humor, kindness and courage triumph in this warm, richly nuanced novel that cheers the heart like a song sweetly sung.”  I know kids would respond to this gem of a book, if it could find its way into their hands.  And because Kim’s writing is spare and lyrical, it goes down fast and can reach a broad audience of both confident and more reluctant readers."  -Michelle Frey, Executive Editor,  Knopf Books for Young Readers.

http://randomactsofreading.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/our-editors-share-some-of-their-favorite-books/

Bee's many travels....

CHILD MAGAZINE of South Africa recommends THE DARING ESCAPE OF BEATRICE and PEABODY (BEHOLDING BEE in the US) as one of its top picks for holiday gift giving.

Thanks to British publisher Faber and Faber, Ltd, Bee is going to places I've only dreamed of!

http://www.childmag.co.za/content/great-reads-teenagers#.UqDFS9JDuSo

Go Bee!

Thanks to the Columbus (OH) Dispatch for naming

 BEHOLDING BEE

 one of its four top 2013 fantasy novels for children! 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/life_and_entertainment/2013/11/24/1-1aa-fantasy-books-art-gofpmvn3-1.html

Don't forget those book order forms!

So thrilled that Scholastic bought the rights to feature my second novel, THE WONDER OF CHARLIE ANNE, in its school book clubs in the US and Canada.

 Remembering how exciting it was to see those book flyers every month...

What a wonderful time meeting young people and parents/teachers/librarians at The Rhode Island Festival of Children's Books and Authors!  With authors Adam Gidwitz, Daniel Handler aka Lemony Snicket and his editor Susan Rich, Avi, Sharon Creech, Kate Messner, Dan Santat , me, and Gregory Mone. Not pictured, Bill Harley, Jarrett J. Krosoczka, Chris Van Allsburg and Laurie Keller.

I spoke about BEHOLDING BEE and how I found the idea for a character like BEE -- at a traveling carnival, of course!

Questions for Bee

Children's Librarian Wendy Walker of the Payette Public Library in Payette, Idaho, wrote to me asking for BEHOLDING BEE discussion questions for her young readers' book club.

 I loved thinking deeply about the novel and coming up with questions that I thought were important to the book.  I also enjoyed looking up how far Payette is from my little town of Foster, RI.  It would take 39 hours to drive the 2,679 miles.  As soon as I finish the draft for my newest novel, I will be ready to go!

Until then, here are the discussion questions for BEE.

Discussion Prompts for BEHOLDING BEE

BEHOLDING BEE is essentially a book about courage and learning to believe in yourself.  How does Bee become self-reliant and resilient?

Why does Bee spend so much time hiding behind her hair?

Why does Pauline think it will be impossible to leave the carnival and find a new home?  Why does Bee think it can be done?  Why is a home so important to Bee?

Why can’t Pauline look past the pig smell and see inside to Bobby’s heart?  Why is this easy for Bee?

Why is Bobby so important to the book?

Pauline says everyone has troubles, so Bee is not alone.  “Some folks have troubles on the outside for everyone to see, and some have troubles on the inside where they hide and fester. “But everyone has something, Bee. So you are not alone.”  But Bee responds, “I think it must be way easier to have troubles on the inside where no one can see.”  What does Bee mean by this?  Is she correct?

Why is resilience such an important theme in the book?

Why is Bee the only person who can see Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter?  Do you believe they are really present, or are they figments of Bee’s imagination?  Is there any evidence that they may, in fact, be living in the house with Bee?

Are Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Swift ghosts, angels or something else?

During the 1940s, “freak shows" were common on the carnival circuit.  Bee’s birthmark isolates her in many ways from regular society.  What are some examples of other characters in the book who face isolation/discrimination?

Did Mrs. Swift and Mrs. Potter face discrimination in their times?  What do they try and teach Bee about being strong?   

Is there something of a fairy tale in Beholding Bee?  How?

Mrs. Swift’s background as a suffragette gives her special knowledge of the things Bee needs in her life if she is to stand on her own two feet.  Explain.

Special education classes have changed since the 1940s.  Are children “set aside” today?  Why did school officials in Bee’s time think that it was important for children with special needs to be separate?

British Bee!

I'm so excited to introduce my novel to British readers, thanks to the wonderful publisher Faber and Faber, London.

The first review of the British Bee is in!  Thank you to Luna's Little Library who named the novel one of her Top 10 Reads of 2013.

"Bee is an orphan who lives with a traveling carnival. Every day she endures taunts for the birthmark on her cheek – though her beloved Pauline, the only person who has ever cared for her, tells her it is a precious diamond. When Pauline is sent to work for another carnival, Bee is lost.

Then a scruffy dog shows up, as unwanted as she, and Bee realizes that she must find a home for them both. She runs away to a house with gingerbread trim where two mysterious women, Mrs Swift and Mrs Potter, take her in. They clothe her, though their clothes are strangely out of date. They feed her, though there is nothing in their house to eat. They help her go to school, though they won’t enter the building themselves. And only Bee seems able to see them…

Whoever these women are, they matter. They matter to Bee. And they are helping Bee realize that she, too, matters to the world – if only she will let herself be a part of it.

The story is narrated by Bee, who at the beginning of the book is only 11. She’s grown up with a travelling carnival and works at the hot dog stand with Pauline, a young woman who has been Bee’s family since her parents died when Bee was 4.

The story starts with Bee’s life at the carnival. One of the things that I loved so much about Kimberly Newton Fusco's writing was that everything is so vivid. Bee is an amazing little girl that I can’t imagine anyone not loving.

When Pauline is sent to another carnival Bee has escapes in search of a home, taking her dog (Peabody) and piglet (Cordelia) with her. She finds a house “the colour of buttercups with blueberry shutters and a front porch with rocking chairs still rocking”. Inside she is welcomed by Mrs Swift and Mrs Potter, two elderly ladies.

I could quite happily tell you about how fantastic and touching the story is but I don’t want to spoil the joy of reading it. I loved the language, the imagery, the characters and of course the names. The Daring Escape of Beatrice and Peabody is magical – enjoy!"