READER’S FORUM

October 10, 2024 at 11:57 pm Reply

DF

(I'm sorry if this posts twice. I tried once but I don't think it worked.)

Dear Mr. Korman,

Last summer, my school district recommended 'The Unteachables' as a summer reading book. I read it and I loved it and I decided I would try to read every book you've ever written (which is actually going to be pretty hard because a bunch of them aren't available for Kindle). So far, I've read 37 of your books and I can absolutely say that you are my favorite author of all time!

I'm in 6th grade and in English class right now I'm doing an independent reading project where I have to create a PowerPoint presentation about whatever book I'm reading, which is currently 'No More Dead Dogs' and part of the project is that I have to write a bio about the author - you!

Born and raised in Canada, he now lives on Long Island...

(I bet you think I'm talking about you right now, but I'm actually talking about myself! Seriously! I was born in Toronto but my family moved to Lynbrook seven years ago.)

I love the story about how you first became a published author. I'm hoping that you might tell me a good story (or a few!) about something related to 'No More Dead Dogs' that I can also include in my project. I know your MacDonald Hall books were inspired by what happened in your 7th grade English class. Did anything happen in your life that inspired 'No More Dead Dogs'?

Writing is hard for me because I have orthographic dyslexia, which is a type of dyslexia that affects my writing. Luckily, it doesn't affect my reading ability because I REALLY love to read! When I have to do English assignments like this independent reading project, it always helps me when I can make it fun, instead of just writing a bunch of boring facts like your age and how many books you've written and your birthday (happy early birthday, by the way!) and where you were born, blah blah blah. So I'd be super grateful if you would please be willing to share some other fun stories about yourself or your books with me that I can write about in my project!

Thank you in advance. You rock!!!

Sincerely,

DF
October 11, 2024 at 03:52 am Reply

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Hi, D.F.,

Thanks for posting and for your support for so many of my books. If you've read 37, you only have 67 more to go to say you've read them all!

NO MORE DEAD DOGS was written after young (8 or 9) me cried all the way home after reading WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS and BOB, SON OF BATTLE, and every book where there's a dog on the cover, and you just know that dog is going down! I wrote my book and deliberately saved the dog, thereby driving the teacher crazy, but striking a blow for all us tear-stained kids. And now you know what motivated that particular book. Seriously -- I was upset enough to demand an end to all those dead dogs! And I thought I was doing something about it. It made a point, anyway, didn't it?

You like to make your writing fun, and so do I! So we have more in common than just Canada and L.I., right? I write for a living but it doesn't have to be tedious just because it's work. One of my editors once said that I think like a kid, which is a neat trick, because I haven't been a kid for a very long time. And it helps that I have Mom, who is well into her 80's, and she thinks like a kid too!

I hope this helps with your project, DF. Thanks again for your support! -----Gordon Korman-----
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Hi, D.F.,

Thanks for posting and for your support for so many of my books. If you've read 37, you only have 67 more to go to say you've read them all!

NO MORE DEAD DOGS was written after young (8 or 9) me cried all the way home after reading WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS and BOB, SON OF BATTLE, and every book where there's a dog on the cover, and you just know that dog is going down! I wrote my book and deliberately saved the dog, thereby driving the teacher crazy, but striking a blow for all us tear-stained kids. And now you know what motivated that particular book. Seriously -- I was upset enough to demand an end to all those dead dogs! And I thought I was doing something about it. It made a point, anyway, didn't it?

You like to make your writing fun, and so do I! So we have more in common than just Canada and L.I., right? I write for a living but it doesn't have to be tedious just because it's work. One of my editors once said that I think like a kid, which is a neat trick, because I haven't been a kid for a very long time. And it helps that I have Mom, who is well into her 80's, and she thinks like a kid too!

I hope this helps with your project, DF. Thanks again for your support! -----Gordon Korman-----