From: Jane Kurtz <jkurtz>
Date: Sat, 30 Oct 1999 16:14:04 -0500

Karen--I was grateful to have a thoughtful, interesting conversation with Cynthia Leitich Smith (already mentioned here by Rosemary Brosnan) as I was putting finishing touches on and mulling over the native-pioneer interaction in my new young novel set on the Oregon Trail. I've really enjoyed getting to know Cynthia and hear
(and read) her sensitive comments. Her first book (the one Rosemary alluded to) is a picture book--JENNA, JINGLE DANCER. I told her about your comment re reading to preschoolers in libraries and asked her via e-mail how long her upcoming book was. She said "maybe 850ish words with a too-long author's note" :> and that "WHERE DID YOU GET . . . is much less text-heavy, maybe 250 words," so her own book might be more appropriate for kindergarten-third grade. But she also said that on her web page, http://homepage.interaccess.com/~cynthias/newnativenowa.htm she's lists several books that probably work for very young children.


Jane Kurtz www.norshore.net/~JaneKurtz/
Received on Sat 30 Oct 1999 04:14:04 PM CDT