[Katie Smith]

Dear Mr. Korman,

 

I teach fourth grade at Charlotte Latin School in Charlotte, NC. Each month, we do a "Book Tasting" where children present a book they have read and pick how they do it. I have students who have chosen to write a letter to the author. Since my students are not using e-mail yet, I am sending this on Paige's behalf. She would love to hear from you if you have a few minutes!

 

With gratitude, 

 

Katie Smith :-)

Dear Gordon Korman,

 

Hello! I really can't explain how much I appreciate you and your books. I know I sound cheesy and stuff, but I really mean it. I’ve done a book report on Slugfest, and I’ve read a ton of other books like The Unteachables, Linked (my FAVORITE!!!), Supergifted, and a lot more that I can't remember because I have the attention span of a goldfish when it comes to remembering book titles. My report on the book Ungifted is probably my favorite. My favorite part of the book is when the Daniels give Donovan the moron of the year award. Ungifted is such an intriguing book. I mean, it's just that type of book that makes you wanna keep reading books just like it. I'm really just so glad that you are an author because without you I would still be getting lectured by my mom about only reading graphic novels. I love the kooky main characters who have something that they're hiding, and I feel like Link and Donovan would be great friends. I just hope you realize how deserving you are. I love your writing style and how you switch from person to person in between chapters. I can’t express how amazing you are. The only way I can do that is by giving you a lot of compliments. Anyways, you’re really just that amazing. It’s not really important if you write back to me, even though if you did I would probably scream and jump up and down until I break all 3 stories of my house, along with the garage. I actually would jump out of my skin if you wrote me back. Also if you do write back to me, then you can expect another one soon!!. But seriously, a letter from you just telling me you read this would make me scream in excitement so loud that I would break the sound barrier. It really amazes me how all authors go through that process where someone tells you that you need to fix this and you need to fix that, like, WHAT??? Wild how you guys do all that to make other people happy. It’s even more special how you write and rewrite and edit and revise hundreds of pages so that other people can enjoy your books! It makes me dizzy just thinking about it. You deserve novels written about you. I wish I could, but it's taking more than an hour or two just to write this letter. Maybe this is a small little paragraph to you, compared to the 280 pages in ungifted. Do you have any new books coming soon? If so, what genre will it be? I think Ungifted and Linked In are tied for first place, but you are my favorite author. Mostly because a lot of other authors are like, “Blah blah blah, poetry, the pretty ponies prance across the flower field, pink rainbow flowers, yak yak yak.” I just want to make sure you know what an outstanding author you are.

   

                            

           From your favorite 4th grade student,

         Paige

(P.S. Where do you get your ideas for your books? I know this is probably a commonly asked question, but I'm genuinely curious.)

 

 

 

Hi, Paige,

What a nice letter. Thanks so much for writing to me. I hope you'll receive this letter with decorum and spare your house all the damage. Including the garage.

Your loyalty seems to be to UNGIFTED, so I'm pleased to tell you that there is a sequel already available, called SUPERGIFTED. And in about a year or so, the third in the series will be released, called HYPERGIFTED. I hope my stuff will be what you're still reading by then.

As for all the work we writers do, it's just part of the job. Doctors cure diseases, and accountants add up figures, and postmen deliver mail, barbers cut hair, etc, etc, and we edit and re-read and edit some more.

You question: My ideas come from plain old hard work and a lot of thinking and plotting. No big mystery; it's just work.

Thanks again for taking the time to reach out, Paige.                                     -----Gordon Korman-----