Meet Authors of Children Books

Chatroom - Fourth Animal Diaries Chat
 
13 December 2000

Jane = Jane Kurtz, author of many (child)books
rene / rene1 = Mr. Rene de Vries, teacher of De Wadden 
MrsT4th = Mrs. Lynn Thornton's 4th grade, West Carthage, New York
goldlis = 4 students from Bright Star Academy (Texas, USA)
Goble = Mrs. Goble of Cannelton Elementary (Indiana-USA)

Goble> We want to welcome Jane Kurtz, our feature author, to our ANIMAL
- DIARIES chat
[Jane] Thanks, I'm happy to be here.
Goble> and we now see Mrs. Lynn Thornton's 4th grade is with us
[Jane] How's the weather where you are, class?
[MrsTs4th] Type HEREHi, it is ten degrees F right now - last night it was 
- -12
[Jane] Brrrrr. I guess we're all chilly. It's freezing up here in North
- Dakota.
[Jane] So does anyone have any questions or comments about the animals in my
- books?
Goble> We at Animal Diaries are very happy to host this chat...as it is, my
- students could not make it because our school in Cannelton, Indiana was
- called off due to snow and ice
>> goldlis has joined channel #Meerbrug
[MrsTs4th] Tyler would like to know what your favorite animal is.
Goble> Hello to Bright Star Academy in Texas! Welcome to the chat
>> rene has joined channel #Meerbrug
[Jane] Well, my favorite personal animal is my cat, Figaro. I used my own
- cat as part of my story for RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD about the flood in
- Grand Forks--but what happens to the cat in that book is not exactly what
- happened in our real lives.
Goble> We have with us Jane Kurtz, author of many children's books including
- Pulling the Lion's Tail and Fire on the Mountain
Goble> Hello to Mr. Rene, from The Netherlands!
Goble> Tell us about the difference in what happened to your real cat and the
- cat in the story
[Jane] One of my favorite animals from my childhood was a dik-dik that my
- sisters and I tried to make into a pet. That's why I put a dik-dik in my
- book, TROUBLE, because I remembered that real dik-dik.
[goldlis] Good afternoon! Have you visited any other African countries
- besides Ethiopia?
[Jane] Has anyone had a chance to read RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD?
[Jane] Until recently, I had only lived in Ethiopia and visited Egypt. In
- 1998 and 1999, I spent time speaking in schools in Kenya, so now Kenya has
- showed up in my novel that will come out in the spring, JAKARTA MISSING.
Goble> Great!
Goble> Yes, the book River Friendly River Wild is great for us because we
- live near the Ohio River!
[rene] (sorry I am so late, had to come over form europe, with a bad
- connection)
[goldlis] We loved Fire on the Mountain, best!
Goble> There are many flood stories that have been told to our students from
- their parents and grandparents
[MrsTs4th] What is the movie about??
Goble> We are glad you could make it Mr. Rene...is your son with you?
[Jane] So you know that the girl in RFRW leaves her cat behind. But in real
- life, I wanted to leave our cat but my daughter refused. Finally, she was so
- stubborn that I gave in and we took the cat with us when we evacuated.
[rene] Goodevening to you all... why using the title Jakarta (Indonesia)
- missing, while it is about Kenya?
[Jane] It's a complicated novel :> Jakarta, the oldest girl in the family,
- was born in Indonesia before the family moved to East Africa. Dakar, the
- narrator, was born in Senegal. The parents in this family named their
- children after their birth places.
[Jane] And, by the way, I wouldn't really say that it is ABOUT Kenya, but
- that Kenya is one of the settings that plays a part in the novel. It's about
- a family that has been living in East Africa and moves to a town in North
- Dakota.
[Jane] Have any of the classes noticed the many different animals in my
- books?
Goble> That is a good idea about the name of the children
[goldlis] Have any of the Ethiopians you met relocated to the U.S.?
Goble> Yes, we have!!!
[MrsTs4th] The class liked the animals in Trouble very much.
[rene] oh, ok, I understand ;-)
[Jane] Yes, many, many of the Ethiopians I knew as a child now live in the
- US. One of those families gave me the idea for the book that became FARAWAY
- HOME. The father showed a picture of himself as a school boy to his
- children, who know the US as home, and his son asked, "Why did you take off
- your shoes to go to school?"
[Jane] TROUBLE has been one of the favorite books when I'm able to talk with
- students. I show them a picture of the real dik-dik when I can. I also had
- a pet monkey for a while.
Goble> wow! The children probably love seeing that!
[Jane] The pet monkey was very anti-social for the most part, and bit me more
- than once. Finally, it escaped and ran to the top of a tall tree outside our
- house. That was the end of the idea of the monkey as a pet.
[MrsTs4th] What was the momkey's gamer?
Goble> Do any of you have any questions to ask Ms. Kurtz about any of her
- books?
[goldlis] Did you ever meet Dr. Jane Goodall, with your experience with the
- monkey?
[Jane] The monkey's name? Hmmm...that's too long ago. I don't remember
- what we named it.
[Jane] No, I've read about Dr. Jane Goodall, but her work with primates
- happened a long way away from Ethiopia--and after my childhood.

[goldlis] Do you select your own illustrators for each book?
[Jane] I have a book coming out in 2002 called WATER HOLE WAITING, and it
- stars a monkey. The monkey in that book--a vervet monkey--is more like the
- monkey we had as a pet. In fact, I think our monkey might well have been a
- vervet monkey. I now know more about vervets than I ever expected to.
[MrsTs4th] One of our students wants to be a missionary when she grows up -
- is there still a need for them in Etheopia?
[Jane] About illustrators...often people think that an author selects the
- illustrator, but it's actually a very big business decision and isn't put
- into the hands of a mere author. The editor usually chooses the illustrator.
[rene] My son and I tried to find a book of you in Dutch.. we went to library
- but we did not succeed... do you know if there is a Dutch version available?
Goble> You certainly have many wonderful experiences in which to base your
- stories...we love what we have read so far (my students) ...we have read
- Pulling the Lion's Tail and River Friendly River Wild
[Jane] I know there are British versions of FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN (MAMO ON THE
- MOUNTAIN) and PULLING THE LION'S TAIL (ALMAZ AND THE LION) but no Dutch
- version.
Goble> Mr. Rene, we will send you a couple of her books to you!
Goble> ;-)
Goble> we would love to do that!
[rene] great ;-)
[Jane] There is still a lot of mission work going on in Ethiopia--medical
- help and educational help and humanitarian aid of all kinds.
Goble> They will not be in Dutch, but you can translate, if you like
[Jane] Yes, I've used my own life experiences in some way for many of my
- books--my childhood in Ethiopia, my great-grandmother's trip over the Oregon
- Trail, an going through a flood, for example.
[goldlis] Are you likely to focus attention on the endangered animal species
- in future books?
[rene] well, you kow me, I would like to have some English books too in my
- classroom, and these books would fit in perfect in my English lessons
[Jane] Well, I'm no scientist. Writers really need to start from what they
- know, and since I write fiction, not non-fiction, I don't really know if any
- endangered species will end up showing up in my books or not.

[Jane] I hope my book WATER HOLE WAITING will give young readers a
- fascination with the animals found on the African savannah and they will care
- about the fate of those animals, which is in a troubled spot for so many
- reasons.
Goble> We like them message you have in the book of Pulling the Lion's Tail
[rene] how many students do we have in the chatroom, and do the students have
- a question for Mrs. Kurtz? this is a great opportunity to find out all about
- her!
[Jane] Yes, PULLING THE LION'S TAIL is a story told in Ethiopia (to both
- adults and children) about how sometimes the things we want don't come
- quickly...and we all need patience. I need patience, myself, in my writing
- career.
[MrsTs4th] We have 20 people here
Goble> I am going to save this chat everyone, and send it to you (just so you
- know)...and we will archive it also on the Animal Diaries site
[Jane] So, any questions that you can pass on from those 20 people?
[rene] great, Ts4th ;-)
[goldlis] 4 at Bright Star Academy
Goble> My students had questions ready...I know some of them...one is: What
- made you want to become a writer...and did you write much as a child or
- student?
[rene] hello Bright Star, great to meet you again ;-)
[MrsTs4th] Do they shave boy's heads if a parent dies?
[Jane] I read an enormous amount as a child. One of my favorite books was
- BLACK BEAUTY, speaking of animal books. I think I wrote a lot as a child,
- too, since my report card from 2nd grade says that the class enjoyed my
- poems.

[rene] do you have one of your poems at handy right now, to share with us in
- this chatroom?
[Jane] Hmmmm...that's a good question about the shaved heads. I saw boys'
- heads shaved a lot, and it might have been for mourning as with a girl. 
- Actually, the illustrations in LION'S TAIL are a bit misleading, since that
- hairstyle Almaz has is more of a boy's hairstyle.
[Jane] No, I actually don't have any poems from when I was young, even though
- I have some illustrations from when I was about in the 4th grade. I wish I
- did have some of my early writing to show students. As for poems I've
- written recently, RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD is the best example. I have a
- couple of books coming out that use rhymes and rhythm a lot more than my
- early picture books.

[goldlis] Will you focus on an anthology in the future?
[Jane] I show my illustrations to students to show them that even though I
- didn't grow up to be an illustrator, I still LIKE to draw...it just isn't one
- of my talents.
[goldlis] We think you are very talented!
[Jane] I had an editor throw out an idea of putting together an anthology for
- middle grade students about Africa. We're going to talk about it after
- Christmas. that's the first idea I've had for an anthology...and I wouldn't
- have had THAT idea if it hadn't been suggested to me.
[MrsTs4th] Students would like to know who is your favorite author?
[Jane] Well, thank you very much!

[Jane] When I was a kid, my favorite authors were Louisa May Alcott, A.A.
- Milne, E.B. White...and a few others. Now, I'm not sure I even have a
- favorite author. I read sooo much, both fiction and nonfiction. I do love
- the work of Kimberly Willis Holt. And the work of Nancy Werlin. And the
- work of Franny Billingsley. And so many other talented writers.
Goble> When did you know you wanted to write children's books?
[goldlis] Are any languages beside Amharic spoken in Ethiopia?
[Jane] I didn't think about writing books for children until my own children
- were young. Now they are 17, 18 and 20, so you can see that was a long time
- ago. But I read them so many books I fell in love with children's books.
Goble> ;-)
[Jane] There are 80 different languages in Ethiopia. Amharic was the
- official language for many years, but not any more. Now, several languages
- all vie for attention.

[goldlis] Will any of your kids write jointly with you?
[rene] my son wants to know... was it difficult for you the first time to
- find a publisher for your first book?

[MrsTs4th] What language did you speak as a child?
[Jane] As anyone who has read my novel, THE STORYTELLER'S BEADS, knows
- Ethiopia is quite a multi-ethnic society, and each group has its own
- language.
[Jane] Yes, it was very har to find a publisher for my first book. I wrote
- and sent out stories for about 10 years before any of my books was accepted. 
- Ouch...that was a hard and discouraging time.
Goble> It just proves if at first you do not succeed, try again!
[goldlis] Are any of your books on audio tape?
[Jane] Most of the stories I worked on in those days are put away in a
- drawer, but one of them recently sold to Simon & Schuster (with some new work
- on it). It's about wearing seatbelts :>
[rene] WOW... yes ! gosh... my son says.. now all the other publisers ashamed
- they did not accepted yoru first one at once. since you are now such a
- wellknown writer!
[Jane] I know there was talk about putting THE STORYTELLER'S BEADS on audio
- tape, and it may have been put on one for Schools for the Blind, if I
- remember right.

[MrsTs4th] Which is your favorite book?
[Jane] Well, tell your son that if they hadn't rejected me all those years,
- maybe I wouldn't have gotten to be such a good writer. Rejection made me
- push myself all the more toward excellence. What's your son's name? Is he
- interested in publishing?
Goble> Yes, of your own books, which is your favorite?
[Jane] I have a new favorite book every week because I read new books all the
- time.
[Jane] Oh, which of my own books is my favorite? Well, I tell kids that's a
- little like asking a mom which her favorite child is. Ask your students if
- any of them have asked their mom that. If so, what did she say?
Goble> Ha,,,,good answer!
Goble> I am sure they are all a labor of love! So, it would be impossible to
- choose!
[rene] His name is Frank... no, not yet, but he finds it amazing that you
- tried so long... and we agree... it makes some stronger to reach the goal you
- wanted to reach

[Jane] Sometimes the new baby in the family gets a little extra attention, so
- my new books, FARAWAY HOME and RIVER FRIENDLY RIVER WILD probably get a
- little more attention from me right now.
[Jane] Hi, Frank. Yes, I do think it made me stronger to have a goal that I
- believed in so passionately and wanted so much. I was discouraged many
- times, but I never really could give up for long because I love reading and
- writing so much.
Goble> If there is one message you would like to give to students who feel
- they want to be a writer, what would it be?
[rene] ;-) ... what about goldis... any child there who wants to become a
- writer?
[goldlis] Have any of your books focused on AIDS?
[Jane] Read, read, read. It's in reading that we get to be better writers.

[Jane] No, AIDS has not made its sad way into any of my books.
[goldlis] All four have published poetry already, and Megan wants to write a
- children's book. too.
Goble> How often do you go back to Africa?
[Jane] Also, as you read, pay attention to how the writer made you feel. 
- When you come to a part you like, try to figure out...how did the writer DO
- that? As you figure out how the writer had the effect he or she did, you
- will have an idea of something to use in your own writing.
[Jane] Wow on the published poetry! And go, Megan, go.
[rene] great goldis... where did they publish it?
[Jane] I hadn't been back to Africa for 20 years until I visited Ethiopia in
- 1997. Then I went back to East Africa for 3 years in a row--1997, 1998,
- 1999. I spoke in schools, there, and they paid for my airline ticket,
- otherwise I wouldn't have been able to afford the trip.

[Jane] You can see some pictures from my trips on my web
- page--www.janekurtz.com and I hope to get some more up there, soon.
[rene] yep, we saw them ;-)
[rene] any questions from the 20 of Mrs. T?
[goldlis] An anthology by the International Library of Poetry; Young Pegasus
- Poetry; and several online sites.nd

[goldlis] The photos are a great addition.
[rene] we feel honoured to be here in the chatroom with Jane Kurtz and the
- writers of Goldlis !
[Jane] Thanks. I have a webmistress who works very hard for me these days.
[MrsTs4th] WE like to play mankala, do you still play?
[Jane] My kids used to like to play mankala--or gebeta, as it's called in
- Ethiopia--but now they are getting a bit too old, so I haven't played for a
- couple of years. I definitely played it as a child, though.
[goldlis] Do you play the more advanced versions of Mancala or the simple one
- like we do?

[Jane] When I was back in Ethiopia, I happened to see a gebeta game that had
- been there (by the castles of Gondar) for hundreds of years. That game is
- played all over the world. Is there a Dutch version?

[Jane] I think I always played a pretty simple version. I've seen pictures
- of VERY complicated games, though!
[rene] I do not know for sure
[rene] however, dutch peoplelike to play games, so it has to be there
[MrsTs4th] This was a wonderful chat - thanks for all the great information! 
- Bye everyone!
[Jane] I know the game we usually call "mancala" has been played in various
- places all over the world for many, many years.
[rene] bye MrsTs and 20 kids!
[Jane] Bye, Mrs. T's class. Good luck with your own writing and reading.
Goble> Yes, goodbye and we hope you can join us again soon

[goldlis] Do you think it's easier to get your work published through
- magazines, first?
Goble> Do any of your own children write?
[Jane] I think it's easier for some people to go the magazine route first. 
- Ironically, I never had much luck with magazines. Some people have a
- "magazine" voice and some don't, I guess.
[Jane] My daughter is a great reader and writer. She wrote a play that was
- performed last year. She also has written quite a few songs recently.

[rene] wow... what kind of songs?
[Jane] My sons are both good readers, and my son who is a freshman in college
- does fine in all his writing classes, but he doesn't think he LIKES to write.

[Jane] She plays the guitar and makes up songs to sing with the guitar. She
- listens to a wide range of music but has recently read every book she could
- find about Janis Joplin. Her part time job is in a Barnes & Noble store.
Goble> That seems to be common I think ...many of my students say they cannot
- write, but their classmates like to hear what they write. ;-)

[goldlis] If you put your books on tape, maybe they could be accompanied by
- some background African instrumental music?
[Jane] BTW, when I went to Kenya last year, I went with my mother, and she
- stopped for a few days in Amsterdam to visit ol friends from Ethopia.
[rene] did you visited Amsterdam too,,, did your mother liked Amsterdam?
Goble> Barnes and Noble...that is a great place to work I am sure! I would
- not make any money though, because I would spend it all on the books I found
- there!
[Jane] Yes, that's a great idea about the African music. Authors don't
- produce their own tapes, generally, but if I ever get a chance to, I'll take
- your suggestion!

[Jane] I visited Amsterdam the year before on my way to Kenya (with my
- youngest sister). We spent a rainy day in the big museum, wandering around,
- and a sunny day walking around the city. Beautiful.
[goldlis] Maybe your daughter could produce some music for you!
[rene] good suggestion, goldlis
[Jane] My mother's friend, Mrs. Van Eagan, picked her up in Amsterdam and
- took her to the country, so she didn't spend much time in the city.

[goldlis] We have pen pals in Kenya and Tanzania and South Africa. We hope
- to study about Ethiopia soon.
[Jane] Yes, I've always hoped one day my artistic children could illustrate
- one of my books or produce music for a tape or something. Who knows?
[Jane] How exciting about the pen pals. What did you learn from them? How
- did you find them?
Goble> What places would you like to visit in the future (and then maybe
- feature in future stories?)...or are there themes you plan to use in the
- future?

[goldlis] We work with an team of explorers through Globalearn.com visiting
- various countries and host students there.

[Jane] Right now I'm working on a story that is based on an unreal society,
- so I can visit it any time in my mind :> It's another novel. I would love,
- if I ever got the chance, to visit Israel to do a follow-up story to THE
- STORYTELLER'S BEADS. I also have a dream of visiting Egypt, a place I
- visited as a child.
Goble> My classes have followed GlobaLearn expeditions in the past...but this
- year we did not...we followed Australia Quest instead
[goldlis] We learn of the culture, economy, government, etc.
[rene] we followed Brasilian (South America) Globalearn exp.
Goble> You certainly have many wonderful childhood experiences!!!
[Jane] In some ways, I notice that I use the same themes over and
- over...where is home? What does it mean to belong or not belong with the
- people around you? What is courage all about? What can impulsive,
- impatient, difficult kids (like I was) do when they accidentally mess up?
[rene] and now we follow the southpole exp. of two women
[goldlis] Megan's going to Australia as a TX delegate to the People to People
- Student Ambassador Program next June!
>> MrsTs4th has left channel #Meerbrug
[Jane] Wow, Megan. You should keep a journal. I have a feeling it will lead
- to some good writing!
Goble> Yes, Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen
[rene] yep, Ann and liv
[goldlis] Yes, she will be doing lots of journal entries and a Web page. Did
- you keep a daily journal as a child?l
Goble> yes, that program sounds wonderful!!! Megan, how did you get to be
- able to do that?
[Jane] Many, many of my books involve journeys. I'm sure that's tied to my
- own childhood.
[Jane] I did keep a journal, or diary, starting when I was in the 4th grade. 
- Now I call my journals "idea books."

[goldlis] She was recommended by an anonymous educator (we homeschool, so
- it's a real mystery), and had to interview with program Leaders..

[Jane] Or, I suppose I should say, I HAVE kept journals or diaries...because
- I still do.
>> rene has left channel #Meerbrug
Goble> Well, it certainly is a wonderful thing that Megan can do this!!! We
- sure would like to find out how this goes...keep us informed?
>> rene1 has joined channel #Meerbrug
Goble> oops
Goble> Mr. Rene should come back,,,he maybe was kicked out accidentally
Goble> that happens sometimes
[rene1] oops///
Goble> yep, he is back
[rene1] hey Megan, if you need someone who will carry your bags in
- Australia... what about me?
[goldlis] We thank you for your chat. We're due in a NASA chat, now. Best
- wishes. We'll keep you posted on the Australia visit. Thanks, Ms. Kurtz!
[Jane] Well, one of my own students is hoping for some help from me for his
- paper, so I had better say goodbye. Good luck on your trip, Megan. Can Mrs.
- Goble post the web page on the animal chats page? I'd love to hear how your
- trip was. My daughter got to visit Kenya last year (and stay with my oldest
- sister for a few weeks) and it was quite an experience.
[rene1] Yes, thank you very much for this nice chat
Goble> Yes, thank you goldis for joining us and we hope you can join us again
- soon.
[goldlis] Mr. Rene, Megan has lots of practice carrying her bags, but that
- WOULD be great!
[Jane] You're very welcome. I'd like to chat again one of these days when
- Mrs. Goble's class doesn't have a snow day.
[rene1] well.. just asking ;-))
Goble> Yes!
Goble> Oh, that would be great!
[rene1] great !
Goble> My students were sooooo looking forward to his chat
Goble> so I know they will be happy to hear that we can do this again
[Jane] I go to California sometime in January but otherwise will be home and
- doing a lot of writing, I hope. So just let me know a good time.
Goble> Thank you Jane for this wonderful chat!
Goble> Yes, we will!!!
[Jane] Have a good day (or night) both of you!
[goldlis] We'll send you a link for the Web page as it's constructed. Thank
- you. There will be lots of Outback animals!k
Goble> thank you, you too, and thanks again
[Jane] Bye.
Goble> we will send this out to everyone involved.
Goble> It was a great chat!
[rene1] Great, and all of you, thanks for this chat!
rene1] bye
[goldlis] Thanks all
Goble> bye
Goble> thanks again for sharing your information goldis
Goble> we wish you all the best!!!
Goble> Ok it has been a wonderful chat, thank you again!
Goble> Meet us again in the ANIMAL DIARIES chatroom for another exciting chat
- in January. We will make announcements very soon about that.

END OF FOURTH ANIMAL DIARIES CHAT