Melanie Davda
asked
K.A. Barson:
Hello K.A., I am a Learning Specialist at Fraser Academy, a private school in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. My student and I just finished reading your book, 45 Pounds or Less. We loved it! Every class, both of us looked forward to reading the book and talking about what was going to happen. Our question for you is about Tony. What happened to him? Did he ever come back? What inspired you to write this story?
K.A. Barson
Ah, Tony! I get more questions about him than anything else. In an early draft, Ann longed to reconnect with him, but he never answered her. To me, that felt real because 1. my brother was estranged from our family at the time and 2. sometimes in life we want relationships be stronger, but they just aren't, as was the case with me. (FYI: My brother is now in our lives, and things are good.)
Because of that, I imagine that things are good with Tony, too. In my new book CHARLOTTE CUTS IT OUT, which just came out April 5, Ann and Raynee from 45 POUNDS make a cameo appearance. They go into Charlotte's salon for pedicures and discuss Tony. (Spoiler: Tony comes home for Thanksgiving, and is in touch with the family again. He does still live out of town though.) I added that because I was getting reader questions about Tony while I was writing CHARLOTTE. :)
Since your class likes to predict what will happen in stories, I'd like to add that I believe that once a story is published, it no longer belongs to the author; it now belongs to readers. To me, that means that your opinion about what happens next is just as important as mine. What do YOU think happens?
The inspiration behind 45 POUNDS is partly from my own experience and partly from the experiences of my students and other teens I've met. I've struggled with weight and self-image all of my life, and I wanted to tell a story where a girl feels big and ugly and awkward, while those around her see how great she is. I think that's a pretty common thing. We need to stop judging ourselves so harshly because everyone is valuable and uniquely awesome.
Thanks for the question!
Kelly
Because of that, I imagine that things are good with Tony, too. In my new book CHARLOTTE CUTS IT OUT, which just came out April 5, Ann and Raynee from 45 POUNDS make a cameo appearance. They go into Charlotte's salon for pedicures and discuss Tony. (Spoiler: Tony comes home for Thanksgiving, and is in touch with the family again. He does still live out of town though.) I added that because I was getting reader questions about Tony while I was writing CHARLOTTE. :)
Since your class likes to predict what will happen in stories, I'd like to add that I believe that once a story is published, it no longer belongs to the author; it now belongs to readers. To me, that means that your opinion about what happens next is just as important as mine. What do YOU think happens?
The inspiration behind 45 POUNDS is partly from my own experience and partly from the experiences of my students and other teens I've met. I've struggled with weight and self-image all of my life, and I wanted to tell a story where a girl feels big and ugly and awkward, while those around her see how great she is. I think that's a pretty common thing. We need to stop judging ourselves so harshly because everyone is valuable and uniquely awesome.
Thanks for the question!
Kelly
More Answered Questions
Amanda
asked
K.A. Barson:
Did you always know what you wanted to be when you got older? I used to want to be a zoologist, a teacher, and now I hope to be a child psychologist and am going through school working towards. Sometimes I look back and think about those old dreams/wants I had and what life could be like in the future if I chose those. If you ever wanted to be something else, do you think back on it too? Do you regret it?
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