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Closed for the Season

Mary Downing Hahn (Goodreads Author)

3.90 · Rating details · 5,650 ratings · 596 reviews

A contemporary thriller by the bestselling author of The Old Willis Place.

Two 13-year-old boys, Arthur and Logan, set out to solve the mystery of a murder that took place some years ago in the old house Logan's family has just moved into. The boys' quest takes them to the highest and lowest levels of society in their small Maryland town, and eventually to a derelict ...more

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Hardcover, 192 pages

Published June 15th 2009 by Clarion Books (first published January 1st 2009)

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Lists with This Book

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 3.90 ·

Rating details

· 5,650 ratings · 596 reviews

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Feb 20, 2015 Sana rated it did not like it

Shelves: cut-my-left-nut-off-instead, boring-af, i-dont-get-the-hype

~~Im back at it again with a reread of a book i gave five stars but dont remember, hi.~~

what the hell possessed me to give this 5 stars???

what the fuck was i high on???? no, srsly bc reading this book was the most boring-est and shittiest experience ever.

i didn't think it was possible for me to give a book by Mary Downing Hahn less than three stars, but here i am rating this boring piece of garbage one star.

the writing and story was extremely childish and unrealistic for me. I KNOW, this is middle ...more

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Jun 04, 2014 Ivonne Rovira rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Recommends it for: all mystery lovers

Shelves: children-literature

Twelve-year-old Logan Forbes moves from Richmond, Virginia, to the small-town suburb of Bealesville the summer before seventh grade. A bookish boy, he’s looking forward to a fresh start and hopes of, for once, connecting with the in-crowd. No such luck! His next-door neighbor is Arthur Jenkins, a socially inept, slovenly misfit who’s the most unpopular kid in town. In addition, thanks to a slick real-estate agent, the Forbes have moved into the notorious “murder house,” where Myrtle Donaldson ...more

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Apr 11, 2011 Moe rated it it was ok

Shelves: 5th-grade

Are you looking for a bone-chilling story? Well, this is not for you. The cover may look scary, but it really is not. The only really scary part about this book is the cover itself, and how come the author put such a goth picture on a book that didn't even give me goosebumps? Well thinking back, I do remember where I got it, it was the school's book fair. No wonder, because that is public school for you, always trying to order preschool-friendly chapter books for 5th graders.

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Mar 10, 2010 Alejandro Hernandez rated it liked it

Closed for the season is a very interresting book is a very fast read and you just get hook on it its a mistory book about a kid named Logan and his family who just move to this old house and he meet another kid named Arthur and he tell him that the oldlady that owned that house before him was muter in that house and then at first he thought that Arthur was this lame kid and he used to by a nerd boy in his old school so LOgan wanted to started a new life and get friend but the they started to ...more

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Sep 11, 2013 Brooklynn rated it it was amazing

A boy named Logan moved into his new house. His neighbor Arthur, that he just met is kind of the annoying kid no one hangs out with, but Logan doesn't have the heart to tell him. Logan finds out because of Arthur that a murder had occurred there, or that's what Author thinks anyway. Everyone else in the small town thinks the old lady killed herself. Well Arthur and Logan start investigating to see if she committed suicide or if she was murdered.the boys put themselves in a bunch of danger by ...more

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Aug 19, 2019 L.E. Fidler rated it really liked it

Shelves: doughnut-fiction, high-functioning-sociopaths, mommy-dearest, abusive-relationships, authority-problems, makes-me-wish-i-had-a-map, crime-drama, manure-i-hardly-know-her, bedtime-for-bonzo, reluctant-hero

So.

My middle child was struggling to finish her summer reading.

She likes books. And loves to be read to. And enjoys writing and telling stories. But summer work upsets her.

Which I get.

To help her out, I encouraged her to choose a mystery from the library. She chose this one and we decided we would solve the mystery together as a family.

For several days, my kids have been reading or listening to me read chapters, taking notes, making a crazy wall/murder board of suspects and settings, talking ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Wendi Lee rated it liked it

Shelves: i-love-my-library, read-sept-2017

Most of the time I don't read reviews or even synopses, and this is a case when I really should have, because I was expecting another Downing Hahn ghost story. Instead, this is more of a mystery/whodunit. It's well-written and interesting, just not what I was looking for as Halloween draws near.

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Sep 22, 2011 Anna Vizzini added it

Closed for the Season
Mary Downing Hahn
Publication date: 2009
Genre: Mystery

"Closed for the Season" is an amazing book. It takes place in a small town called Bealesville. It's about a boy named Logan Forbes and his family. They move to a house where a women, named Myrtle Donaldson, was murdered. She worked at a place called the Magic Forest, an amuzement park that is run down and very creepy. It is now closed and going to be torn down. People believed that Mrs. Donaldson embezzled money from the Closed for the Season
Mary Downing Hahn
Publication date: 2009
Genre: Mystery

"Closed for the Season" is an amazing book. It takes place in a small town called Bealesville. It's about a boy named Logan Forbes and his family. They move to a house where a women, named Myrtle Donaldson, was murdered. She worked at a place called the Magic Forest, an amuzement park that is run down and very creepy. It is now closed and going to be torn down. People believed that Mrs. Donaldson embezzled money from the Magic Forest and hid it in her house. Whoever murdered her was searching for the stolen money. Mrs. Donaldson's daughter, Violet, also plays an important role in this story. She is married to Silas, a criminal who has been in jail many times. Many thought he murdered Mrs. Donaldson and took the money. Especially a women named Mrs. Jenkins. She and her grandson Arthur Jenkins, live in the house that was next door to Mrs. Donaldson and is now Logan and his family's. Arthur and Logan become great friends throughout the story. They go through many challenges on their hunt to find the stolen money. They face criminals, night time at the magic forest, and Silas and his gang. The one who stole the money and killed Mrs. Donaldson is not who is expected, but i don't want to give everything away.
The theme of this book is that finding justice for someone can bring relief to a family, and even a community. In the end Violet was so happy to find answers about what happened to her mother. She was crying and hugging everyone. Also two days later, the first day of school for Arthur and Logan, everyone was talking about the news. They were talking about how long they've waited for answers, and how they never suspected who the murder was. Lastly Danny Phelps, Silas and Violet's son, used to be a major bully. Though now, he started to clean up his act. He didn't have that much hate knowing that his grandmothers killer was gone. He could live without being scared.
People who enjoy a suspenseful mystery story would be interested in this book. There's suspense around every corner. It makes you wonder the whole time. Compared to other books I've read it has to be my second or third favorite. I really enjoyed reading this book. I loved how Arthur and Logan are the weirdest friends. Arthur is a nerd and people don't like him, and Logans new and has more of a laid back personality and doesn't brag about his intelegance like Arthur does. Though somehow, they make their friendship work.
"Outside, the voices came closer.
"If you draged me out here on a wild goose chase," a man said, "I won't be paying a lawyer to get you out of jail."
"Don't worry," Silas said. "She knows where it's at."
"I don't know where it is," Violet said. "And even if i did, I wouldn't tell you."
"This ain't no game," Sialas said. "Quit messing with us and show us where it's at."
Danny crept a little closer to the open door and peered around the witch's ragged skirt.
"He'd better not hurt her," he whispered." This quote is on page 154. It's from when the boys were at the Magic Forest trying to find the money.
I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept me guessing the whole time. I have a good relationship to the author, Mary Downing Hahn. She wrote my favorite book, "The Old Willis Place". I really like her writing style. She describes things very well, and creates fully developed characters. This book has affected me in many ways. I still think about it even though im done reading it. I like all of the things i stated above beacause that's what makes a good story. Reading things that are really descriptive and well put together make a better picture in your head. I would definitely reccomend this book book to everyone, younger and older. It's an amazing book that everyone should read at least once.
...more

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Apr 06, 2011 Amy Ramsey rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Here is the blurb from the back of the book.

Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
Sandpiper Publishing
978-0-547-39853-2
YA Mystery/Suspense
$5.99
Rating 4 Blood Drops

The weather-beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest says:

CLOSED FOR THE SEASON

But when the boys ride up to it on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. The overgrown park looks sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges ...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Jake rated it it was amazing

Shelves: american-humanities

This book is about a boy named Logan who moves into a house in a little town called Bealesville. When his parents bought the house they didn’t know that the owner of the house had been murdered there, but soon after they move in their next-door neighbor a boy name Arthur told Logan that someone had broken in and ripped the whole house apart looking for something. Arthurs Grandmother was the one who found Mrs. Donaldson (the houses owner) dead at the bottom of the cellar steps. “Mrs Donaldson ...more

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May 21, 2013 Pleggmel rated it really liked it

I would rate the book Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn a 4 out of 5 stars.
This book is about a kid named Logan and Arthur trying to solve the mystery to a murder. Logan is the new kid who just moved in next to Arthur, Logan’s parents did not know that a woman was murdered there a couple years ago. Logan and Arthur find a lot of trouble trying to find who killed Mrs. Donaldson. They narrow it down all the way to an abandoned amusement park that makes the book have a scary edge. ...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Allela Ortin rated it really liked it

I decided to read this book mainly because the title and the cover of the book intrigued me. The story is about Logan and his family and how they move into a house which people claim to be where an old woman was murdered. Logan and his neighbor, Arthur, try to uncover the mysteries of her death, revealing more mysteries to solve, and more danger. My favorite quote from the entire book was, "Grandma and I knew there was something wrong. It was one of those weird feelings-you know what I mean?" by ...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Erin rated it it was amazing

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a wonderful mystery.

Logan is a kid who moves with his parents into a house in Virginia only to find out that the woman who lived there before his family was murdered. Logan meets his neighbor next door, a kid the same age, named Arthur. Arthur tries to convince Logan that the clues to the murder have to be hidden inside the house and if they find the clues maybe they can solve the murder mystery. While searching for evidence they come to an ...more

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Dec 13, 2012 Jon Huber rated it liked it

In the novel, Closed for the Season, Logan Forbes, a 13 year old boy realizes that his new house in Richmond, Virginia was where someone was murdered. His next door neighbor, Arthur Jenkins helps him on this mystery novel to find out who the murderer was. But it isn't easy. They have to make numerous trips to the Magic Forest,an amusement park that hasnt been open for decades,risking their life and tracking down clues. Then one night, they have to take a secret trip to the Magic Forest, meeting ...more

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Nov 29, 2011 Erin Forson rated it it was ok

Closed for the Season
by Mary Downing Hahn
What would you do if you moved into a new house and you found out that an old lady was found murdered inside? That's what happens to Logan when he and his parents move to a new house in a small town. The good part about this mystery is that Logan's new friend, Arthur (who he really doesn't want to be friends with), is a very strong character. He's funny (without knowing it), gutsy (he stands up to bullies), has no manners (as evidenced by his tendency to ...more

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May 18, 2015 Chloe O'neal rated it really liked it

Closed for the season
Closed for the season is a book about a family who just moved into a house where the previous owner died. Logan, the 13 year old boy who moved into the house, is not interested in what most boys his age would be interested in. Arthur, the next door neighbor who has a reputation for being weird, becomes Logan’s new best friend. He talks Logan into going in to the forest where an old amusement park lays. The forest was supposed to have the lady, who died in Logan’s house, ...more

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Oct 29, 2014 Raymond Xu rated it really liked it

The reason I chose this book was because I had nothing else to read. I thought that the book would be really interesting because if you look at the cover it seems interesting.
Logan is a kid that just moved into town and was told a mysterious story about the house he lives in. Rumors were said that someone's grandmother was murdered in the house. Logan starts befriending Arthur, but Logan's mom despises that kid. I was really impressed on how an author can make a kid really unlikable. In the book ...more

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Jun 06, 2012 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-s-lit

"Closed for the Season" by Mary Downing Hahn is the 2011-2012 Golden Sower Winner in the Intermediate level. The ideal audience for this book is both boys and girls in the fourth and fifth grades. The appeal of the book is that it is a mystery which is solved by soon to be fifth grade and sixth grade students. Some students are reluctant to read Mary Downing Hahn books because she mainly writes about ghosts and hauntings. This book is about a murder mystery and does not contain ghosts or ...more

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Sep 28, 2010 Tommy rated it really liked it

I chose to read this book because it looked like a good mystery story, and it looked scary. The genre would be mystery. The stetting would be the amusement park. Logan Forbes 12 years old. The beginning of the book Logan moves in to a new town and he is living in a house that this old lady got murdered in. then in the middle of the book they are at the store with Mrs. Donaldson’s daughter and she has a friend that goes to the store and makes a scene. The main problem is that they don’t know how ...more

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Jul 09, 2013 Kayla Buchan rated it really liked it

Shelves: kids-chapter-books

Intermediate
Youth Chapter Book- Mystery

Bloom's Questions:
1.Where did the boy's find the map for the Magic Forest?
2. How would you describe Logan's relationship with Arthur?
3. Using what you know, how would you convince Logan's mother to allow him to continue being friends and hanging out with Arthur?
4. What was the most exciting part of the book to you?
5. What is your opinion of Danny? Why does he act the way he does?
6. What do you predict will happen to the Magic Forest after Mr. Desilvio and ...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Elizabeth rated it liked it

Shelves: children-s-lit

This story is a great pick for those readers who are a little reluctant to pick up a book! This has a mystery waiting to be solved by every turn of the page. You stay interested and ready to find out what happens. This book would be great for fourth to sixth graders and either boys or girls. I found this book appealing because it was an easy read, kept you interested in the story, and had a great story line. This story was a Nebraska Golden Sower nominee for 2011-2012.

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Aug 24, 2014 Amanda Berry rated it really liked it

Mrs. Hahn is such a great local kids author. This book was based on the old Enchanted Forest theme park that I visited frequently as a kid--and once when it was run down and had long been closed. With many specific references to that exact park and even three original photos blended in on the book's cover, I was hooked for a spooky twist on my nostalgia.

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Aug 15, 2014 Ellie S21 rated it liked it

Two boys are trying to find out a serious mystery about who stole the "murdered lady's" money. I liked this book because it was full of secrets and just a great book in general. I recommend this to kids who like mysteries because it is all about one GIANT mystery.

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Oct 30, 2014 Kya R rated it it was amazing

I LOVE THIS BOOK ITS ONE OF MY FAVORITES!

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Jan 16, 2015 Kesha rated it it was amazing

Shelves: read-aloud-worthy, i-d-recommend-this-to-my-children

An age-appropriate mystery/thriller that will keep younger readers engaged.

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Sep 21, 2016 Brady added it

Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a really good book that revolves around a mystery murder. The main character Logan moves into a new house in a small town named Bealesville. When they get moved in he meets the next door neighbor named Arthur. Logan and Arthur become good friends and Arthur tells his a story that the old next door neighbor Mrs. Donaldson was murdered in the house. After the story they both want to find out how she was murdered so they explore the town to talk to Closed for the Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a really good book that revolves around a mystery murder. The main character Logan moves into a new house in a small town named Bealesville. When they get moved in he meets the next door neighbor named Arthur. Logan and Arthur become good friends and Arthur tells his a story that the old next door neighbor Mrs. Donaldson was murdered in the house. After the story they both want to find out how she was murdered so they explore the town to talk to people and find out what happened and what they find out was crazy and about got them killed.
The book was a good book and was fun to read. At the beginning of the book when Logan was moving into the new house it was kind of slow and boring but, after he is done moving in and meets Arthur the rest of the book is interesting. They start doing things together to try and figure out how Mrs. Donaldson was murdered and I started to feel like that I kind of am like Logan. I am the one that is always like lets not do something and my friends are like no it looks cool or fun lets go do it or check it out. I also started making personal connections like when Logan moved into the new house and made new friends thats how I kind of was when we moved into our new house. Another personal connection that I could make is when the started to explore the town to find out what happened that is what it is kind of like with my friends. We explore the town and hangout. Those are some other things why I really liked this book.
The theme of the book is No matter what you do it might come back to help you, or make your life horrible. I say thats the theme because at the beginning when Logan moves into the new house he thought it was going to be bad but, when he started hanging out with Arthur things change. They started doing things together and it made him want to live in there new house and stay living there. Another part is when they found out who murdered Mrs. Donaldson. They thought that they could get away with murdering and everything would be fine but, then they get caught. I feel like that I would read this book a second time thats how good it was.
...more

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Sep 25, 2014 Natasha Chand rated it really liked it

The book Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a novel about two boys named Logan and Arthur, and they try to solve the mystery hidden in the abandoned amusement park. This book has a few edges of it being a fictional book, but also being a mystery novel, and having not the major but changes the story plot twists. My overall reaction to this book is that I enjoyed reading it, that was my type of book, and I would read it over and over again to get that same feeling that I had when I read
The book Closed For The Season by Mary Downing Hahn is a novel about two boys named Logan and Arthur, and they try to solve the mystery hidden in the abandoned amusement park. This book has a few edges of it being a fictional book, but also being a mystery novel, and having not the major but changes the story plot twists. My overall reaction to this book is that I enjoyed reading it, that was my type of book, and I would read it over and over again to get that same feeling that I had when I read it for the first time.

If this book were a movie I would be the first person in line to go and watch it. Because it would be so interesting that everybody would stop eating their popcorn and just stare at the screen. In the movie I would believe that there would be dramatic music playing and everybody thinking that it was this person then something happens to prove them wrong so they get confused on who it is, it would be crazy. This movie will appeal to all viewers because it would be a family friendly movie. And it would have something for everybody like betrayal, and mystery and anger that will appeal to everybody in a way that they wouldn't get there eyes off the screen.

It was interesting that this story was revolved around an amusement park, and how there was something hidden in it that made you want to read until the end to find out what was inside of it and who got their hands on it. Another thing that was interesting was that it gave you that idea of where you thought that one person committed the crime, but then it was another person and so you end the book with a shock. Those are the things that I found really interesting that made the book come alive.

This book earns 4 stars from me, because this was my type of book it had everything that I love in a book, but the reason why it didn't get a 5 but a 4 was because the story wasn't long enough. They should have added more details before the end to make it more shocking at the end of book. Although they should have added more details it still had that story that made you want to keep on reading more, which was something that I loved.

...more

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Jan 30, 2016 Willow S rated it liked it

If you've come to the local library to check out a thrilling and suspenseful horror/thriller story novel...

Then you checked out the wrong book. Sorry!

Of course, it's not a bad book. But I was rather disappointed when it turned out to not even be the tiniest bit scary when the cover screamed: CREEPY BOOK OVER HERE! However, I did like the Closed For The Season Book and gobbled up all in one day back in 2014.

The writing was alright. Nothing special, but not bad either. Mary Downing Hahn certainly ...more

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Nov 05, 2015 Colby Vernon rated it really liked it

Closed for the Season is a magnificent book for all teens. The weather -beaten sign on the gate of the Magic Forest say "Closed for the Season." But when the boys ride up to the gate on their bikes, Arthur tells his new friend, Logan, who just moved to the town, that the old amusement park hasn't been open for years. Kudzu vines have grown over everything, making the park look like sinister even in broad daylight, so Logan is reluctant to go inside, but Arthur urges him on. He's sure they'll ...more

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Dec 14, 2015 Demi Purdy rated it really liked it

Shelves: eng261, traditional-literature, chapter-book, 5-8, contemporary-realistic-fiction

This book is a murder mystery that is fairly kid friendly and is suited for those in middle school. The story centers around Logan, who has just moved into a new house. His neighbor is a nerdy kid named Arthur, who he becomes friends with despite how rude he can be. Arthur tells Logan about how the murder of Mrs. Myrtle Donaldson took place in the very house. She used to work at the Magic Forest, an amusement park that centered around many fairy tale characters, until money was going missing and ...more

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About Mary Downing Hahn

Mary Downing Hahn

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I grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the I grew up in a small shingled house down at the end of Guilford Road in College Park, Maryland. Our block was loaded with kids my age. We spent hours outdoors playing "Kick the Can" and "Mother, May I" as well as cowboy and outlaw games that usually ended in quarrels about who shot whom. In the summer, we went on day long expeditions into forbidden territory -- the woods on the other side of the train tracks, the creek that wound its way through College Park, and the experimental farm run by the University of Maryland.

In elementary school, I was known as the class artist. I loved to read and draw but I hated writing reports. Requirements such as outlines, perfect penmanship, and following directions killed my interest in putting words on paper. All those facts -- who cared what the principal products of Chile were? To me, writing reports was almost as boring as math.

Despite my dislike of writing, I loved to make up stories. Instead of telling them in words, I told them in pictures. My stories were usually about orphans who ran away and had the sort of exciting adventures I would have enjoyed if my mother hadn't always interfered.

When I was in junior high school, I developed an interest in more complex stories. I wanted to show how people felt, what they thought, what they said. For this, I needed words. Although I wasn't sure I was smart enough, I decided to write and illustrate children's books when I grew up. Consequently, at the age of thirteen, I began my first book. Small Town Life was about a girl named Susan, as tall and skinny and freckle faced as I was. Unlike her shy, self conscious creator, however, Susan was a leader who lived the life I wanted to live -- my ideal self, in other words. Although I never finished Small Town Life, it marked the start of a lifelong interest in writing.

In high school, I kept a diary. In college, I wrote poetry and short stories and dreamed of being published in The New Yorker. Unfortunately, I didn't have the courage or the confidence to send anything there.

By the time my first novel was published, I was 41 years old. That's how long it took me to get serious about writing. The Sara Summer took me a year to write, another year to find a publisher, and yet another year of revisions before Clarion accepted it.

Since Sara appeared in 1979, I've written an average of one book a year. If I have a plot firmly in mind when I begin, the writing goes fairly quickly. More typically, I start with a character or a situation and only a vague idea of what's going to happen. Therefore, I spend a lot of time revising and thinking things out. If I'd paid more attention to the craft of outlining back in elementary school, I might be a faster writer, but, on the other hand, if I knew everything that was going to happen in a story, I might be too bored to write it down. Writing is a journey of discovery. That's what makes it so exciting. ...more