Your Questions Answered

“Emily and Jackson”

Comment:

My class just finished reading Emily’s Fortune and Emily & Jackson Hiding Out. I just wanted to let you know how much they enjoyed them. The last page of each chapter just pulled them into the next one, they kept asking for “just one more.” Oh, but that makes my heart feel good. They’ve been pulling Shiloh off of the shelves too. I love it when there is a book that makes them want to read more by that author and wanted to share that with you. Thanks for making my kids want to read more!

 

Phyllis replied:

I don’t know what grade level you teach, but one of my series that 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers often use as a “reward” (teacher reads a chapter at the end of each day if class has done a good job) is my boys vs. girls series, beginning with “The Boys Start the War,” then “The Girls Get Even,” etc.  There are twelve books in all, and I would recommend you doing the reading, or at least, the first chapter of the first book.  That’s all it takes to get them hooked..  Thanks so much for your email.

Famous Hoosier Report

comment:

Hi! I am a fourth grader and have chosen you as my famous Hoosier for my Famous Hoosier Project for school. I love reading your books, especially the Boys Vs. Girls series. I was excited to find out that you were born in Indiana! After you were born, how long did you live in Indiana? Thank you for taking the time to read this!

 

Phyllis replied:

I was born in Anderson, Indiana–then we lived in Muncie for awhile–then back to Anderson.  We moved to Illinois when I was starting the seventh grade.  I’m glad you’re enjoying the Boys Vs Girls books.  Those all take place in my husband’s home town, Buckhannon, West Virginia, though I call it Buckman in my books.

Sang Spell

Comment:

I am writing to let you know how delighted I am to have finally reconnected with your book, Sang Spell. I read the book about 20 years ago and could not recall the name of it, but have thought of the story from time to time. My family and I recently moved back to Knoxville, Tennessee and so I’ve become interested in reading fictional works with a setting in East Tennessee. I’ve been searching for your book in various ways for 6 months and finally remembered that there was info about ginseng in it—Bingo, Google finally brought the book and you up. I just picked up a copy at the Knox County Library and will start to read it again. I just wanted you to know how well-written and interesting this book is and that I’ll be recommending it to friends and family.

 

Phyllis replied:

I’m so glad you were able to find the book again.  I really can’t remember how I first got interested in the theme–I believe it was an article in the Washington Post about the Melungeons that intrigued me.  I did some research and traveled to the area, but mostly the story was from my imagination.  Thank you so much for writing to me!

March for our Lives–a note from Phyllis

Alice McKinley and Marty Preston would have been out there marching with the young people in Washington yesterday.  I am so proud of all of you, all over the country–the world!– who are not afraid to demand sensible and profound changes to the regulation of guns in the United  States.  I think of the young Freedom  Riders who ushered in Civil Rights legislation; the draft-age protesters who saw no end to the Vietnam War–just the slaughter of young men on both sides go on and on; and now you, who will take action when Congress is often too timid to even bring a vote to the floor on even the most reasonable of gun control measures.  In two or three years your generation will hit the polls.  Remember what you heard yesterday:  tell your state and federal lawmakers that if they don’t vote for universal background checks, They’re out!  If they don’t have the courage to stand up to the NRA, Get out!  Organize a town hall and invite your congress person to attend.  If he or she won’t come, invite their opponent.  You have more power than you know.

What is your favorite type of writing?

Comment:

I am a sixth grader currently reading two of your books for an author book report. These books are Blizzard’s Wake and Faith, Hope and Ivy June. So far these books are amazing and I just was wondering if you could answer a couple of questions for my author report. What is your favorite type of writing? Why do you like writing? Thank you so much!

 

Phyllis replied:

What ever type of writing I’m doing at the moment is my favorite kind–I like variety, and I try never to follow up one type of book by immediately writing the same kind.  After I write a mystery, I may write a humorous book.  After a serious book about family life, I may want to do something scary.  This helps keep my writing fresh, I think.  I probably love writing so much because my parents read aloud to us every night, almost until we were in high school.  Of course we read books on our own, but family story hour was just something we did.  I especially enjoyed listening to my dad read Mark Twain’s books aloud.  Huckleberry Finn was my absolute favorite.

Girls Get Even

Comment:

We are an upper elementary literature co-op class and we just finished reading The Girls Get Even. We struggled to come up with the protagonist and antagonist. Could you help us? Thank you so much! We really enjoy your books.

 

Phyllis replied:

Sorry, but that’s your homework, not mine.  Have you considered that there might be several of each, or that they might even trade places?

Beth Herndon/Send No Blessings

Comment:

Will there ever be another Beth Herndon book? I need to know if she marries Harliss, what happens to poor Geraldine, and whether or not she makes it as a typist.

 

Phyllis replied:

It’s been a long time since I wrote the book, SEND NO BLESSINGS, but it’s one of my favorites.  Absolutely, Beth makes it as a typist.  Whether she marries Harliss or not depends on how much she changes in her views about life, and whether they each feel the same about each other after she works for a year.  Geraldine is a different story, but I’d like to think that Beth sets an example for her, that even as a single mother, Geraldine will find a way to improve herself and increase her self-confidence.

Wax Museum Project

Comment:
I am in 4th grade and recently read your book “How I Came to be a Writer.” I also own and have read your Newberry Award Winning book Shiloh. My sister has read all of your Boys vs. Girls books. I have loved learning about your life and recently did my wax museum project on you.
I enjoyed telling all of those that came to our wax museum all about me (acting as you). Thank you for influencing me and helping me learn. I’m glad you didn’t die by the train or drowning.
I hope to hear back from you if you get enough time to respond.
 

Phyllis replied:

I’m glad I didn’t die by train or drowning, either.  (I see you’ve been reading my website).  I had never heard of a wax museum project, but I hope you did a good job being me.  That would be a fun project in school, but we never did anything like that when I was in fourth grade.

What type of books do you write?

Comment:

What type of fiction would you term your books?

Phyllis replied:

I write all kinds–realistic family fiction, suspense, adventure, humor, gothic ghost stories, historical, fantasy…..

Writing about Buckhannon, W. Va.

Comment:

I am an Elementary Education Major at WVWC in small town Buckhannon, West Virginia. Currently, I am writing a group paper with fellow classmates about the importance of incorporating your works into a classroom setting. If you could explain, into your own thoughts, why do you think that your books should be placed into Children’s hands worldwide. How would you? If by chance you had the opportunity to promote your novel about Shiloh or from a novel from the The Boys Start the War series internationally, would you? Can I ask you what inspirations lead you to writing about stories from a rural town such as Buckhannon, WV. Additionally, if you had any words of wisdom to pass down to future generations of students to come, what would you say?
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Phyllis replied:

My books have already been translated into sixteen different languages and placed in various countries around the world.  Both the Shiloh books and the Boys Start the War series are placed in West Virginia, as well as my novels Wrestle the Mountain, Send No Blessings, and Josie’s Troubles.  I fell in love with West Virginia after I fell in love with my husband, who was born in that state and graduated from WVWC, and we spent part of our honeymoon there.  Though not accurate in every detail, the Boys Start the War series was set, in my mind, in Buckhannon.