You may have read Lois Lowry's most famous book, The Giver, like I had, which is what initially attracted me to her homepage, http://lois.lowry.com, but I was surprised to find she has written books that are strikingly different from The Giver trilogy, such as the Goonybird series, the Anastasia Krupnik series, and the Tate series, beginning with the book, The One Hundredth Thing about Caroline. She also has many fine "stand-alone" books, (books that are not part of a series), such as another well-known title, Number the Stars. Lois Lowry's website has all the basic features, including lists of her book titles, with some insight as to how the characters, plots, and themes were developed. She has included many of her lectures and interviews, some in PDF format, some on video. You can visit her blog and post questions or comments about her books or anything else you wish to discuss, although all messages must be approved by Lois before they are actually posted. (I'm waiting to see if two of mine will make the cut.) Also on the website is her bio, which is tragic and inspiring, (she has lost her sister and her son). She has FAQ, which was interesting to read and a list of her upcoming books and appearances. Unfortunately, there are no trips to Indiana or the surrounding area listed, but I've seen her speak at IPFW in 2003 and she was fascinating.
My favorite quote from Lois on her online bio was, "My books have varied content and style, yet it seems they all have the same essential general theme: the importance of the human connection." This humanness is certainly why her books resonate with such a wide audience.
How funny and appropriate after my post to you in response to your found poem about how your writing makes me feel, that right there on Lowry's home page she refers to her site as an alternative to inviting the visitor in for a hot cup of tea. It brings to mind her Allen Say story and the connectedness of all.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved this book. At first I thought the content was a bit obscure and challenging for kids, but I don't think that's true. Without actually forcing students to think a particular way, this book permits the student to interpret their own ending. She certainly has had a tragic life--I can't even imagine the pain she's gone through. Perhpas writing a book like this is cathartic in a way for her.
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