'Reflecting reality . . . is rarely simple'

 

“Every published writer suffersthrough that first draft because most of the time, that's a disappointment.” – Rebecca Stead  

 

Stead, born in Manhattan in Januaryof 1978, must write great “second” drafts because her works have all been winners.  Her novel When You Reach Me won theNewbery Medal, the oldest award in children's literature.  She won theGuardian Prize for best children's book released in Great Britain for herbook Liar & Spy; and her most recent book, The List ofThings That Will Not Change, has enjoyed great reviews and worldwide success.

 

Stead, who grew up in New York Cityand still makes her home there, said she enjoyed writing as a child but laterfelt that it was "impractical.”  So,she studied law instead.  But after thebirth of her two children, she returned to writing, authoring FirstLight, a book written to entertain her oldest son.   

 

“I asked myself what it was that Iwanted from writing and where my connection with books began,” she said. “Andthe answer to that question was definitely in childhood, because that's wheremy connection with reading began.”

 

Her second book, When You Reach Me. has been ranked the 11th bestchildren’s novel of all time in a survey done by the School LibraryJournal, and the Newbery judges noted, "Every scene, every nuance, everyword is vital both to character development and the progression of the mysterythat really is going to engage young readers and satisfy them.”

 

“A lot of my ideas for books comefrom newspaper articles,” she said. “But I don't like to be actively lookingfor ideas.  I do try to write in waysthat reflect reality, and I think that reality is rarely simple.”