She is new to the school, but not new to the community having been homeschooled until fifth grade. Some conflicts with family at home and some with people at school, but both sets had to work together and affect the other.īecause of the Rabbit is part of a specific type of school story – the new kid at school story. It also meant having twice as many conflicts. A book that takes place in school means a bigger cast of characters and many scenes are set indoors. So it was both fun and challenging to write a school story. Family also plays a big part in all of my books: grandparents, parents, siblings, and pets. So that’s why my books are often set in summer-it’s when many kids have the most opportunity to spend time outdoors. When I think back to those years, some of my happiest memories happened outside: finding toads, listening to loons and owls at night, playing with my sister, swimming and going for bike rides with my friends. As a child, I grew up on a lake in rural New Hampshire. What opportunities does writing a school story bring? What challenges? Does your approach differ when writing a school story versus other types of stories? Many of your other books take place outside of school. We consider Because of the Rabbit a “school story” because so much of the dramatic tension from the story happens around Emma’s experience in school. All those remembered feelings went into Because of the Rabbit. It was hard to balance wanting to belong with needing to be myself. Some friendships became more complicated, a few were left behind, and others evolved and grew stronger.

It was fun to be one of the “big kids” finally in elementary school.īut it was also a time when some of my friendships changed.

I liked school and all the things we were doing and learning. I remember fifth grade as a wonderful, exciting time, but also a hard one.

What do you remember from that time of your life, and how does that inform the stories you write? That upper elementary school, heading into middle school time is so fraught for so many kids.

Rules by cynthia lord read aloud