From: Kerry Madden <kiffnkerry>
Date: Mon, 25 Jul 2005 09:38:31 -0700 (PDT)

The latest book that comes to mind in a mother leaving her child is "Because of Winn Dixie"...
 
...and as for a gender thoughts...I know that as a young reader, I found solace and hope in characters like Francie Nolan, Scout Finch, Katie John in the Mary Calhoun series, Jean Little's characters....and Lois Lowry's too...Caddie Woodlawn, Laura Ingall s...and I remember a Mary Stolz book, LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP, that I recall loving so much and reading over and over in middle school...I know that these characters influenced me as a novelist when I began writing Gentle's Holler as I wanted Livy Two to be a girl who longed for adventures. As I kid, I ached for characters who weren't girly-girl...
  I have three kids now...they're attracted to all kinds of stories...my biggest recommendation right now are all the Miyazaki films like SPIRITED AWAY, HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, KIKI'S DELIVERY...such wonderful girl protragonists in these films where you don't
 think boy or girl - they are just completely compelling stories...And yes, Kevin Henkes is such a perfect example of kids just being kids...not male or female...
  Kerry Madden www.kerrymadden.com Gentle's Holler (Viking Children's Books)



www.readerville.com www.kerrymadden.com
Received on Mon 25 Jul 2005 11:38:31 AM CDT