From: maggie_bo at comcast.net <maggie_bo>
Date: Wed, 05 Oct 2005 21:57:11 +0000

Looks like part of this message was cut off--but THE SECRET LANGUAGE was one of my favorite books as a child, and I read it over and over. I still have it. I remember reading in the collected letters of Ursula Nordtrom that she either planned to, or began, writing a sequel, but was never satisfied with it. Would have loved to have read that book!

Maggie Bokelman UW-SLIS graduate

-------------- Original message --------------

> One dead author comes to mind --- Ursual Nordstrom whose THE SECRET LANGUAGE
> On 10/3/05, Kathleen Horning wrote:
> >
> > Have you ever found a book by an author or illustrator you've never before
> > heard of, and when you rush out to find more, you learn that there's
> > nothing? Or have you ever read a great first novel that leaves you eager for
> > the author's second one, and then you wait and wait and you're still
> > waiting?
> >
> >
> > The first part of this month we'll be discussing those authors and
> > illustrators who seem to have dropped off the face of the earth after their
> > initial success. When we were first discussing this idea for this topic
> > among the CCBC librarians, we toyed with titles such as "Missing in Action,"
> > "Whatever Happened to..." and, even, "One Hit Wonders." We ended with the
> > title "Write Something More!"
> >
> > Some of the authors I'd like to see more from include:
> >
> > Sharon Bell Mathis, author of such groundbreaking novels in the mid-1970s,
> > such as "Teacup Full of Roses," "Listen for the Fig Tree," and "Sidewalk
> > Story," as well as the exquisitely crafted short story "Hundred Penny Box,"
> > she seemed destined to emerge as one of the major African-American literary
> > voices in children's literature, alongside Virginia Hamilton, Mildred D.
> > Taylor and Walter Dean Myers. Since 1975, she's written only two books, both
> > for younger children: a collection of football poems called "Red Dog, Blue
> > Fly," (Viking, 1991) and a work of short fiction, "Running Girl: The Diary
> > of Ebonee Rose" (Harcourt, 1997).
> >
> >
> > Marian Calabro, author of a great nonfiction book, "The Perilous Journey
> > of the Donner Party," which used 12-year-old Virginia Reed's 1847 letter to
> > her cousin back in Springfield, Illinois, and the focal point for her
> > retelling of events. If only the Sibert Award for nonfiction had been around
> > in 1999 -- this book would have been a major contender. It remains one of
> > the finest works of nonfiction in recent decades. I would love to see more
> > from her.
> >
> > Suzanne Freeman, author of one novel "The Cuckoo's Child" published nearly
> > 10 years ago. This novel appeared on just about every "best of the year"
> > list and had many starred reviews. She showed such great promise with her
> > first novel. What happened to her?
> >
> >
> > Janni Howker, author of a terrific collection of short stories "Badger on
> > the Barge" and two great novels "Isaac Campion" and "Nature of the Beast."
> > These works were all published in the mid-1980s, then she seemed to
> > disappear. She resurfaces -- briefly -- in the late 1990s with a picture
> > book "Walk Like a Wolf." Janni has one of the most original voices in
> > children's books, and I'd love to see a book at least every two years from
> > her. If you haven't discovered her earlier works, go out and find them
> > a.s.a.p.!
> >
> > If anyone out there knows anything about any of the above authors, and
> > whatever became of them, let us know. If you, too, are a fan of their books,
> > feel free to wax poetic and publically mourn their absence.
> >
> > And who are your own lost authors or illustrators?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Kathleen T. Horning, Director
> > Cooperative Children's Book Center
> > University of Wisconsin-School of Education
> > 4290 Helen C. White Hall
> > 600 North Park St.
> > Madison, WI 53706
> >
> > horning at education.wisc.edu
> > Voice: 608-263-3721
> > Fax: 608-262-4933
> > www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Monica Edinger
> The Dalton School
> New York NY
> edinger at dalton.org
> monicaedinger at gmail.com
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Received on Wed 05 Oct 2005 04:57:11 PM CDT