Table of Contents
Interviews & Essays
A Conversation with Blue Balliett
What do you want readers to come away with when they read The Wright 3?
BB: I want readers to come away with a sense of the mysteries and possibilities that surround us, even in our everyday lives. I love to read books that grab my attention and make me think, "Who knows? Why not?" I hope my books do this. Plus, I want readers of all ages to feel inspired about their ability to make intuitive, intelligent connections, and to think their way through tough problems and challenges. I'm thrilled when I hear from kids that my books make them feel more confident as thinkers and doers.
Had you always planned to write this sequel? How did the novel come to be?
BB:When I wrote Chasing Vermeer, I wasn't thinking about a sequel at all. But after the book was finished, I found that Petra and Calder weren't disappearing from my mind. I wanted to give them a completely different kind of art challenge to work on, and so I began scribbling down ideas about a piece of art that you could walk into, a piece of art that wasn't in a museum. That was the beginning of The Wright 3.
Who do you think this book will appeal to? Do you have a certain audience in mind when you write?
BB:I am always thinking about how kids see things, and that's only natural considering I've spent the last 25 years with kids, both as a mom of three and as a teacher. My audience is kids, probably independent readers of 10 and up, but I also think my books are for thinkers of all ages. I was so interested to see that in Italy there is both an adult edition of Chasing Vermeer (no illustrations) and a kids' edition that includes Brett Helquist's artwork. Both have sold well.
It's amazing how you bring together such seemingly unrelated elements from Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House to Fibonacci numbers to H. G. Wells' The Invisible Man to questions about art. Did you ever worry that the ideas were "too big" for kids?
BB:I never worry about these ideas being too big for kids. My books can be read on a number of levels, just as the world can be seen on a number of levels. And I believe in introducing kids to intriguing ideas like centuries-old number sequences and legends about invisibility, because what you are doing is seeding ideas that can only grow --sometimes many years into the future, but to me this is what education is all about. And I feel that kids aren't given nearly enough exposure to the joys and complexities of the art world. Kids need more access to big ideas and big questions.
Do you have a favorite character? When you were a kid, were you like any of your characters?
BB: I think asking an author about a favorite character is a bit like asking a parent about their favorite child -- each character is special when you are focused on bringing them to life in a book. But if I were to say which character feels most familiar to me, I'd have to say Petra. I've always liked playing around with words and wondering about things that grownups think are impossible. Plus, when I was Petra's age I was shaped a bit like a lima bean and wore glasses.
Read a Sample Chapter
The Prophet of Yonwood
By Jeanne Duprau Random House Books for Young Readers Copyright © 2006 Jeanne Duprau
All right reserved. ISBN: 978-0-439-69367-7
Chapter One The Inheritance Nickie Randolph's first sight of the town of Yonwood was a white steeple rising out of the pine forest that covered the mountainside. She leaned forward, gazing through the windshield of the car. "Is that it?"
Her aunt Crystal, who was driving, put one hand up to shield her eyes from the rays of the setting sun. "That's it," she said.
"My new home," said Nickie.
"You have to get that notion out of your mind," said Crystal. "It's not going to happen."
I'm going to make it happen, thought Nickie, though she didn't say it out loud. Crystal's mood was already bad enough. "How long till we get there?" she asked.
"We'll be there in twenty minutes, if nothing else gets in our way."
A lot had gotten in their way so far. The Streakline train was closed down because of the Crisis, so they'd had to drive. They'd been on the road for seven hours, though the trip from Philadelphia should have taken no more than five. But long lines at gas stations, detours around pot-holed or snow-covered stretches of highway, and military roadblocks had slowed them down. Crystal didn't like delays. She was a fast-moving, efficient person, and when her way was blocked, she became very tense and spoke with her lips in two hard lines.
They came to the Yonwood exit, and Crystal turned off the highway onto a road that wound uphill. Here the trees grew thick on either side, and so tall that their bare branches met overhead, making a canopy of sticks. Drops of rain began to spatter the car's windshield.
After a while, they came to a sign that said, "Yonwood. Pop. 2,460." The trees thinned out, and the rain fell harder. They passed a few storage sheds, a collapsing barn, and a lumberyard. After that, houses began to appear on the side of the road-small, tired-looking wooden houses, their roofs dripping. Many of them had rockers or couches on the front porch, where people would no doubt be sitting if it weren't the dead of winter.
From a small brick shelter at the side of the road, a policeman stepped out holding a red stop sign. He held it up and waved it at them. Crystal slowed down, stopped, and opened her window. The policeman bent down. He had on a rain jacket with the hood up, and rain dripped off the hood and onto his nose. "Hello, ma'am," he said. "Are you a resident?"
"No," said Crystal. "Is that a problem?"
"Just doing a routine entry check, ma'am," the man said. "Part of our safety program. Had some evidence lately of possible terrorist activity in the woods. Your purpose here?"
"My grandfather has died," Crystal said. "My sister and I have inherited his house. I've come to fix the house up and sell it."
The man glanced at Nickie. "This is your sister?"
"This is my niece," said Crystal. "My sister's daughter."
"And your grandfather's name?" said the man.
"Arthur Green," said Crystal.
"Ah, yes," the policeman said. "A fine gentleman." He smiled. "You be careful while you're here, now. We've had reports indicating there may be agents of the Phalanx Nations traveling alone or in small groups in parts of the area. Have you been spoken to by any suspicious strangers?"
"No," said Crystal. "Just you. You seem very suspicious."
"Ha ha," said the man, not really laughing. "All right, ma'am," he went on. "You may go. Sorry for the delay, but as you know there's a crisis. We're taking every precaution."
He stepped away, and they drove on.
"Terrorists even here?" Nickie said.
"It's nonsense," said Crystal. "Why would a terrorist be wandering around in the woods? Pay no attention."
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Prophet of Yonwood by Jeanne Duprau Copyright © 2006 by Jeanne Duprau. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
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