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Hi, Emma,

Thanks for posting. Your question: the story was centered around the fort they claimed as their own, but they were an assortment of kids, the kind you find in any town. And in any group, you’ll find some problems. For example, one of them is caught in the middle of his parents’ divorce; one has a handicap that keeps him in special ed, away from the others; one lives with his grandparents because his parents deserted him and his older brother, who is hanging out with a bad kid; one is Ricky, new in town, with a nice family — he’s the yardstick by which the others are measured. And then there’s C.J., scared, humiliated, worried about his Mom, and choosing to live with it because he doesn’t know any other way.

I saw them as a cross-section of youngsters drawn together by their loyalty, their friendship, and their fabulous fort.

So why did I choose to include that topic? I felt it belonged in my story.

Hope that helps.                                                                           —–Gordon Korman—–