Birthdays: T.S. Stribling (1881), Meindert DeJong (1906), Barbara Follett (1914), Alan Sillitoe (1928), David Plante (1940), James Ellroy (1948), Julia Cameron (1948), Peggy Rathman (1953), Geoff Nicholson (1953), Daniel Woodrell (1953), David Carter (1957), Khaled Hosseini (1965), Dav Pilkey (1966), Fiona Maazel (1975),
T.S. Stribling won the 1933 Pulitzer Prize for Literature for “The Store”
Meindert DeJong is a multiple winner of the Newbery Award for his children’s books
Barbara Follet was a child prodigy whose first two books were published when she was twelve and fourteen. She disappeared at age 25.
Khaled Hosseini is best known for his 2003 novel “The Kite Runner”
Dav Pilkey is most noted for his children’s series “Captain Underpants”
Quote: “Writing fiction is the act of weaving a series of lies to arrive at a greater truth.” – Khaled Hosseini
Tip: Pretend you’ve been offered a spot on a talk show to promote your book. What would you say? This can be the beginning of a blurb.
Jumpstart: Using the names Tiffany and Bertha, write a scene for each of them, but don’t stereotype them. Give them something different than what their names conjure up at first thought. For instance, Bertha could be a pole dancer and Tiffany a strong, tough, Marine.
Sparkling Book Reviews 