Grandma: A stellar source for writer’s research & just on the other end of the phone line

January 30, 2013January 30, 2013beccakinla advice, bubbe, grandmother, research, writing, writing process Tags: bubbe, bubbie, bubby, conversation, elderly, family, genealogy, gift, grandma, grandmother, history, information, interview, life, lifetime, love, old age, oral history, phone, research, resource, rural, tribute, wisdom, writer, writing, writing process 2 Comments

This grandmother may be cute, but she’s not as awesome as mine! (On the other hand, the little girl is much cuter than I ever was.)

I happen to be blessed with an amazing grandmother. At 92 (she should live to 120!) she’s slowed down a bit, and I wish I could spend more time with her. I used to phone just once a week, but I’m trying to call her more often, as it’s now hard for her to get out and about the way she used to. I fill her in on what’s going on around here, and she tells me what she’s been up to.

Frequently, what my grandma is up to is sorting through old letters, photos, magazines, and other memorabilia. Continue reading →

Which part is historical and which part is fiction? My Semi-official 39 Clues Rant

January 28, 2013January 28, 2013beccakinla children, children's books, kids, literacy, literature, reading Tags: 39 clues, addiction, adventure, books, children, conspiracy, excited, false, fiction, historical, history, kid, kids, linda sue park, lit, literacy, literature, margaret peterson haddix, middle grade, middle grade readers, novel, paranoia, paranoid conspiracies, reading, reality, rick riordan, series, students, target audience, thriller, thrilling, tweens, youth 1 Comment

It’s by the fantastic writer Margaret Peterson Haddix. What’s there not to like?

This post might get me in trouble with my kids, but so be it.

In case you don’t know The 39 Clues is a book series for middle grade readers (roughly kids 8-12). I think the initial target audience was older, but that’s who’s reading this series in my neck of the woods.

Kids love these books. They are exciting and are so engaging as to be addictive. Tweens clamor for more titles, which are delivered to bookstores at an astonishing rate. They are written by some top names in kids’ lit, like Rick Riordan, Margaret Peterson Haddix, and (one of my faves) Linda Sue Park. What’s there to dislike?

Here’s my beef.

The 39 Clues series freely borrows from historical fact, then elaborates on this to create a thrilling adventure for kids. Continue reading →

New story out! “Long Lost” in this week’s Binyan

January 3, 2013beccakinla HaModia, Jewish writing, Judaism, magazines, news, Orthodox, stories Tags: binyan, Chareidi, cousin, family, geneology, hamodia, history, kids, long-lost, magazine, name, orthodox, relative, shemos, shemot, short story, teen 1 Comment

Have you ever met someone who shared your last name, and wondered whether you were long-lost relatives? That’s the set up for my new story for teens in this week’s Binyan (inside the Parshas Shemos issue of Hamodia), “Long Lost.” Check it out if you get the chance.

I used a remarkable incident from my own family history to add interest to the story. Have you ever adapted incidents from your family’s past into a fictional story? Please share your comments below.

Rebecca Klempner

Author page of Rebecca Klempner

history

Grandma: A stellar source for writer’s research & just on the other end of the phone line

Which part is historical and which part is fiction? My Semi-official 39 Clues Rant

New story out! “Long Lost” in this week’s Binyan

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