When Jennifer Holm started writing books she didn't expect to be writing "kid lit." But nine books and Newbery Honor, Parents Choice Silver and Publisher's Weekly Best Book -- and more -- awards later, she's found her niche.
"I didn't write my first novel as a children's book. I just wrote it," Jennifer says. But her agent thought it would be great for younger readers. Jennifer was surprised. "I thought it was too racy -- there's some violence and death in it." She realized a lot had changed in children's literature since she was a kid. "I was kind of behind the times."
Her first book came out in 1999, a historical novel called "Our Only May Amelia." It's the story of a young girl in the 19th century, set on the Washington state farm where her father grew up. It gained Jennifer a Newbery Honor, a book contract -- and enthusiastic student fans across the country. She's written four more historical novels since, and also a chapter book series and a graphic novel series. Her next novel, "Penny from Heaven," published by Random House, comes out in July. We talked to Jennifer about writing for a younger audience.
VT: Do you make special allowances when you write for kids?
Jennifer: I think at heart I'm like a 12 year old, basically. I don't talk down to my audience. I write the way I think a real kid feels and talks. Kids think about the same things adults think about -- they have the same issues and concerns.
VT: What's the best thing about writing for young readers?
Jennifer. They're not hung up on all the stuff adults get hung up on. That's the most interesting thing about it. In "May Amelia," the main character is a 12 year old girl. Her old, infirm grandmother comes to stay with her. The woman is a terror. She beats up May Amelia all the time with her cane. She's a very abusive character, and in the end, she dies. When May Amelia finds out her grandmother is dead she's like, I'm happy!
VT: Isn't that kind of harsh?
Jennifer: That's what adults would say. But kids -- my readers -- say, that's great that she died. They think it was a fitting ending, a bad person coming to a bad end. They have a much clearer view of the situation. And they haven't yet gotten into the "we can see both sides of the issue" and "everything is kind of gray" life views. They're much more black and white.
VT: How has this influenced your writing?
Jennifer: I just finished my latest novel, "Penny from Heaven." It's inspired by my mom's childhood, growing up in the 1950s. In the book I have a fictional character who's her first cousin and best friend, a kid named Frankie. He's a total juvenile delinquent -- always getting into trouble and completely unrepentant. If I didn't have the experience with May Amelia, with kids saying they like some of the characters adults find unsettling, I might not have created this sympathetic juvenile delinquent. Frankie's like the friends we all had when we were kids, friends who were bad news, friends our mothers didn't want us to hang out with. But good friends to us, still.
