Karen asked Tricia Springstubb:

Hi Tricia, My 9-year-old was invited to the Young Authors conference in Monroe Michigan, where he will have the opportunity the hear you speak! He's very excited, and wanted to read some of your work before the conference. He's currently reading What Happened on Fox Street. He was wondering - What was your inspiration for this book? :) Thank you for dedication to young readers and writers! Karen

Tricia Springstubb Karen, I'm very excited, too! Congratulations to your son—can't wait to meet him! FOX STREET was inspired by an actual incident here in Cleveland, where developers and the mayor planned to use eminent domain to demolish a small working class neighborhood and replace the homes with high-end condos and retail. The neighborhood fought back! I followed the conflict from a distance, and began to imagine what it would be like to be a 10 year old girl living on one of those streets, all her life contained there. Mo's losing her mother, her sister Dottie, Mercedes and Da, the quest for the fox: all that came from my imagination (though when I was little, my friends and I did have a secret hide-out/clubhouse in a nearby field!). Hope that answers the question—and see you soon!

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