An Interview with Dee Shulman and Polly Price

Yesterday I reviewed Polly Price's Totally Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare, the second Polly Price title. Today I have an interview for you that I did with the author of the book, Dee Shulman, and with Polly Price. I thought it was only fair to make sure that Polly herself got to say a few words. After all, she is the person whose story is being told.

TTLG: Dee, where did the idea for this series come from? 
Dee: You could say I have been both Polly and Arabella... As a kid, I used to find my own (adorable) mother acutely embarrassing whenever she laughed ... she was just too loud and way too enthusiastic for a mother! And then – weirdly - I turned into Arabella myself. My daughter used to hide on the floor of the car if she spotted one of her friends out of the window. I was guilty of dressing wrong, talking wrong, running in public ... my list of crimes was endless! 

So it was a great theme to play with – I just needed to tweak it a teeny bit – convert embarrassing to excruciating -  and Arabella was born!

TTLG: Dee, how did you get inside Polly's head to understand how she might feel or react? 

Dee: I think it would be more accurate to say that Polly got inside my head. Once her handwriting appeared on the page she really took over. 

TTLG: Polly, it is clear that having an actress for a mother can be very trying at times. What are the things that you like the least about your mother's work and lifestyle?
Polly: I have made a list and given them marks out of 10. 10 is the worst!

Mum’s work

·         A normal parent goes to work during the day which means she DOESN’T come and pick you up from school. Unfortunately an actress is often bored during the day. A bored actress is not something anybody wants turning up at school at 3.45. You can hear my mother approach  approximately 4 minutes before the classroom door gets flung open. The only plus side is that 4 minutes gives you just enough time to hide behind the boxes in the stationary cupboard. (10)

·         Unfortunately, Mum doesn’t have anyone she can dump an 11 year old daughter on.  Believe me – she would if she could. So if I’m not in school, wherever she goes I go. I CANNOT WAIT until I am legally allowed to leave home. (10)

·         Tragically the places my mum goes to work are FILLED with other actors. Need I say more?* (10)

Mum’s Lifestyle 
Actors along the lines of my mother are always getting STRANGE CRUSHES on things. My mother has had many...

·         She chants*  (very annoying) (8)     

·         She gets food fads. Life was garstly when she turned vegan  (We had slimy black mushroom stew nearly every day) (10) *

·         Vanilla was a PARTICULARLY dangerous crush. By the way - Vanilla is a human being (almost) not a kind of ice-cream (unfortunately) (10+) **

·         Men. Especially younger ones. Especially younger French ones. Especially one younger French one in particular. See the new book, Mum in Love, for further details
*See On Stage in America for further information
**See Reality TV Nightmare for further details

TTLG: Polly, there must be some things that you like about having an actress for a parent. Tell me about some of the good stuff.
Polly: Yes – SOMETIMES (occasionally) I get to meet the good  kind of actor... 
NB: These are rare. They talk to you as though you are a member of the human race. Very occasionally they are VERY nice. Naming no names  I do encounter some good kinds in my diaries.  W.G in On Stage in America  and C.D in Reality TV Nightmare.

If your mother goes on tour you do sometimes get to go to exciting places – like America. See On Stage in America for further details.
If your mother gets a crush on a younger French boyfriend – you may get to go to France. *See Mum in Love for further details

I can’t think of many other good points – but I will let you know.

TTLG: Polly and Dee, what is it like to work together? Do you argue about the stories and how the artwork is going to look?
Dee: Hmm Polly would you say we work well together?
Polly: Put it like this... I write a TOTALLY secret diary that NOBODY is supposed to be looking at and then Dee Shulman comes along and the next thing I know it’s on the shelves in Waterstones and my mother is taking out lawsuits.

TTLG: Polly, do you think Dee understands your problems.
Polly: NO. (see above)  

TTLG: Is it hard working with a grownup? 
Polly: YES. Not to be recommended at all. 

TTLG: Is there a project that you two really want to work on together in the future? Tell us about it...please!
Dee: Between you and me (Polly doesn’t know this yet) there is talk of a trip to Australia...to meet someone VERY important. 
Polly: No there is definitely not a project that we want to work on together.

TTLG: Thank you both so much for agreeing to being interviewed.

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Polly Price's Total Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare

Every so often I come across a book that really captures my fancy in a special way. My Totally Secret Diary: On Stage in America by Dee Schulman is just such a book. In the diary, we meet Polly Price, a tween whose mother is an actress. One would think having an actress for a mother would be great, but in Polly's case, her mother is a trial. Truly, she is a trial.

Not long ago I was sent the second book in the series and I was delighted to read and review it. I thought Polly's mother was difficult in the first book, but it would appear that the woman is able to take being insufferable to new heights. My review of this book is below, and tomorrow I have a special treat for you, an interview with the author, Dee Shulman, and with Polly Price, the girl whose life becomes a nightmare.

Polly Price’s Totally Secret Diary: Reality TV Nightmare

Dee Shulman

Fiction

For ages 9 to 12

Red Fox, 2010, 9781862304246

Polly Price is afflicted with a mother who is a high maintenance individual. More than anything, Polly wishes she could have a normal mother who provides edible dinners, lets Polly have friends over, and is only mildly irritating and embarrassing. Instead, Polly’s mother is a highly-strung actress who isn’t happy unless she is the center of attention.

   Life in Polly’s home is never easy, but now it worse than ever because her mother, Arabella Diamonte, has been invited to be a guest on Celebrity Home Watch, a reality TV program. Everyone watches Celebrity Home Watch, which means that everyone will get to peek into the nightmare that is Polly’s home life. So far Polly has managed to keep her mother’s identity a secret, but now the whole world will know the dreadful truth.

   One would think that this dreadful development would be more than enough for one eager-not-to-be-noticed girl, but alas Polly’s life gets worse when her mother hires a life coach to help her get ready for her reality TV debut. The life coach, Vanilla, is a large overbearing woman who turns the house upside down, and who uses runes and tarot cards to make decisions, including determining which days are auspicious for Polly to go to school.

   One would think that with Vanilla to help her, Arabella would be able to manage to make a good impression when the reality TV people come over to shoot their show. Unfortunately, the whole thing turns into a ginormous nightmare for everyone concerned, especially Polly.

   Readers will be hard put not to laugh out loud as they read this second Polly Price diary. They will see that having a celebrity in the family can make life very complicated. Could it be that having a boring ordinary life might not be so bad after all?

   Presented in a diary format, complete with doddles, spelling mistakes, taped in photos and other items, this is a book that truly gets inside a young girl’s mind and heart. Readers will feel Polly’s pain, and celebrate when she somehow manages to come out of the ordeal in one piece. 

Picture Book Monday - A review of Larf

I have always had a soft spot for those reclusive creatures who are called either yeti, abominable snowmen, Sasquatch, or Big Foot, depending on where they come from. I can't blame them for being reclusive, and enjoy reading stories about them. The first one I read about was in Tintin in Tibet. In this Tintin story, the yeti is a rather pitiful fellow who is gentle and lonely. Today's book in about a sasquatch who likes his life of solitude. 

Larf

Ashley Spires

Picture book

For ages 5 to 8

Kids Can Press, 2012, 978-1-55453-701-3

Larf is a tall hairy sasquatch who lives in a wood cabin the woods with his bunny, Eric. Larf likes living on his own, and is happy that people have no idea that he exists. Luckily for him people “rarely believe in anything new and strange,” so even when he is accidently seen, no one really believes that they are looking at an honest to goodness sasquatch.

   Larf is convinced that he is the only one of his kind left until the day when he reads an article in the newspaper that announces that a sasquatch is going to “make an appearance” in a nearby town that day. Larf does not like change, but he cannot help thinking that maybe, just maybe, it might be nice to have another sasquatch around. So, Larf puts on what he thinks is a great disguise and he goes to town. Larf is both disappointed and pleased when he finds out that the so-called sasquatch is a fake. He is ready to go back to his solitary life in the woods when he has a most unusual encounter.

   For some people change is frightening, and they are happiest when nothing out of the ordinary happens. In this charming and sweetly funny picture book, we meet a character who dares to do something that makes him uncomfortable and who discovers that some changes are rather nice.

   With a delightful main character, wonderful illustrations, and a heartwarming ending, this is a picture book that will appeal to readers both young and not so young. 

Poetry Friday - A review of Pigmares

I could never watch scary movies when I was a child, because they always gave me nightmares. Many of my friends loved them though, and would talk at length about seeing movies where vampires sucked people's blood, and monsters lurked in nasty dark places.

In today's poetry title, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous scary movies of all time, and he does so in a unique and very humorous way.

Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the silver Screen

Doug Cushman

Poetry

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-401-2

It is nighttime, and a young pig is sitting up in bed watching monster movies on his little TV. After seeing “Dead zombies crawl out from foul-smelling places,” and “Vampire pigs fly from castles at night,” the young pig begins to realize that he should “never watch monsters on film before bed.”

   The monsters he is talking about include Frankenswine, a creature that is made up of “pieces and parts.” Feared by others because of his horrific appearance, Frankenswine runs away until he ends up alone and friendless on an Arctic ice floe.

   Then there is The Porker from the Black Lagoon, a terrible creature “with scaly claws and slimy snout.” This monster has disgusting habits, and it is terribly crabby to boot. Of course, one does have to consider that “it is hard to grin when every day / there’s water in your shorts.” Perhaps this monster is entitled to spells of bad temper.

   The Porker from the Black Lagoon is not the only monster that has to deal with dreadful living conditions. The Abominable Snow Pig lives in a place of perpetual cold, a frozen mountain in Tibet. His food is always cold, as are his hands and feet. Even the logs in his fireplace “are giant ice blocks.”

   In this deliciously clever collection of poems, Doug Cushman pays tribute to some of the most famous horror movies of all time, and he does so in a very humorous way. All the monsters in these poems are porcine in nature, and their stories, and the situations they get into, are deliciously funny and silly.

   At the back of the book the author gives his readers a little information about the real horror movies that inspired the poems.

   

Fiction Wednesday - A review of Little Rat Makes Music

My daughter came into this world with a natural affinity for music. Learning how to play the piano when she was five was easy for her, but practicing was something she avoided as much as possible. I cannot tell you how many times we had the "you need to practice or you will never move forward" conversation. 

Today's book will resonate with every young artist, musician, and athlete who hates to practice, and with every adult who has tried to find ways to encourage their child to practice regularly.  

Little Rat Makes Music

Monika Bang-Campbell

Illustrated by Molly Bang

Fiction

For ages 6 to 9

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, 978-0-15-205305-5

Little Rat comes from a music-loving family. Her father is a gifted musician who can play four instruments, and her mother loves to sing. Her mother takes Little Rat to folk-music concerts, and her father takes her to listen to orchestral performances. Little Rat particularly enjoys watching the violinists, who “played all sorts of notes” and thus create a variety of musical moods.

   One day Little Rat and her mama are walking past the Community Hall when they heard the sound of music. When they go inside, they see a group of young animals playing violins. Little Rat is charmed by the sounds she hears, and so her mother arranges for her to have violin lessons.

   At her first lesson, Little Rat and the other beginner students learn how to hold their bows and violins. They don’t learn how to play a single note, let alone a little tune. How boring it all is. At the next lesson, Little Rat is finally asked to play a note, and what a note it is too. Little Rat’s note sounds like “an angry seagull.”

   Over time, Little Rat’s playing gets better, but one thing Little Rat hates to do is to practice. It is boring and frustrating. Why does learning how to play the violin have to be so hard?

   Acquiring a new skill is rarely easy, and often the early learning phases are very hard to deal with. The only way to get better is to practice, but practicing is dull because you do the same thing over and over again, and what you produce is often not that good. In this wonderful chapter book, we see how a young rat comes to accept that practicing is necessary, and that it takes work to become good at doing something. With touches of humor and great sensitivity, Monika Bang tells a story that will resonate with young people who are experiencing their own practicing issues. Artists, musicians, and athletes all have to make the same journey that Little Rat makes.

Picture Book Monday - A review of Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Children all over the world are used to being threatened with dire consequences if they don't do their chores, eat their dinner, brush their teeth, or go to bed on time. They are told that they will be grounded, will not get any dessert, or will not get their allowance that week. The boy in today's picture book story is threatened with something so outrageous that he does not take the threat seriously, which is a BIG mistake.

Billy Twitters and his blue whale problem

Mac Barnett

Illustrated by Adam Rex

Picture Book

For ages 6 to 8

Hyperion, 2009, 978-078684958-1

When Billy Twitters’ mom gets fed up with his behavior, she threatens that she will buy him a blue whale. When he doesn’t clean his room, eat his dinner, or brush his teeth she always makes the same threat. Billy is not worried though because he knows that blue whales are enormous, and that his parents can’t just pick up the phone and order a blue whale.

   Then one morning Billy wakes up and finds out that a blue whale is blocking the front door. Apparently blue whales can be ordered and delivered after all. Bill’s mother tells him that the whale is his responsibility and that he, Billy, has to take the whale wherever he goes, including to school.

   Billy very quickly figures out that having a pet whale is a nuisance, a really really big nuisance. Billy’s classmates don’t appreciate the whale’s presence, he gets uninvited from a birthday party, and taking care of the whale is not at all easy. In fact, it is back breaking work. It would seem that Billy has got himself into a real situation.

   Readers will laugh out loud when they see Billy struggling to take care of his huge pet. Clearly having a pet blue whale is not a good idea. Nothing good comes of it. Just when we think that the story is over, we are given an ending that is a huge surprise. What a clever way to end a cautionary tale!

   

Poetry Friday - A review of Last Laughs

I wasn't at all sure that I was going to like today's poetry title. It sounded a little odd, but interesting at the same time. Since the book was also written by two of my favorite poets, I took the plunge, and I am so glad that I did. I had a grand time reading animal epitaphs, laughing (and groaning) at the clever word play, and at the images that the poems brought to mind.

Last Laughs

J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen

Illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins

Poetry Picture Book

For ages 7 to 9

Charlesbridge, 2012, 978-1-58089-260-5

Here we are at Amen Creature Corners, a cemetery where animals, not humans, are buried. It is true that “beasties” come here to cry over the graves of their friends and loved ones, but they are also here to have “one last laugh” courtesy of the dearly department. In this cemetery “it’s not / all gloom and doom / that’s written / once upon a tomb.”

   Actually, many of the words on the gravestones are funny, in a rather irreverent way. We read about how Rowdy Rooster made the mistake of being so “cocky” that he dared to head-butt a car. He is one of many animals who seemed to have lacked a sense of self preservation. There is the moth who “lived by the fire / and died by the flame,” and the woodpecker who pecked a tree limb one to many times with disastrous results.

   Then were those who were just too sure of themselves. There was a swordfish who fought a shark, and lost the battle, and a piranha who found out too late that it had the “second-sharpest / teeth in the river.”

   Full of clever word play and often decidedly macabre humor, these poetical animal epitaphs will tickle the fancy of readers who like their poetry served up dark. 

Fiction Wednesday - A review of The Deadlies

There are many people out there who are mortally afraid of spiders. I luckily am not one of them, but I must confess that I am not exactly thrilled when I find a black widow or a brown recluse around my house or in the yard/garden/garage/barn. Let's face it, these little animals are dangerous. There is nothing wrong with being wary of them. I must confess though, that I am never going to feel the same way about a brown recluse spider now that I have read the first Deadlies title, which is today's fiction title. Read on to find out why.

The Deadlies: Felix takes the stage

Kathryn Lasky

Illustrated by Stephen Gilpin

Fiction

For ages 7 to 9

Scholastic, 2010, 978-0-545-11681-7

Felix the brown recluse spider lives in a philharmonic hall with his mother Edith and his two sisters. Felix is a devotee of music and greatly admires the Maestro who always stays in the theatre after a performance is over to practice his conducting. Felix and his sisters have always been told that the most important rule to remember is to “never, ever reveal yourself to human beings,” and they always do their best to follow this rule. They know all too well that humans hate spiders, especially species that are venomous, which Felix and his kind are.

   Then one evening Felix makes the mistake of letting the Maestro see him. The Maestro hits Felix with his baton, and then he passes out. Though the Maestro is not dead, he has seen Felix, and everyone knows what is going to happen next. Exterminators will be hired to rid the music hall of spiders. Felix and his family are going to have to move.

   Poor Felix feels very bad about what has happened, because he never meant to cause so much trouble. At the same time, he is rather annoyed at the unfairness of his situation. It is not his fault that he was born a brown recluse spider. It is not his fault that he has highly poisonous venom that can kill people. It is not fair that he has to hide himself because of who he is. He isn’t just a venomous spider, he is also a kind fellow who loves music.

   Felix and his family are lucky enough to have a cat friend, Fatty, who carries them to a dusty antique shop specializing in maritime “treasures.” The shop is a perfect temporary stopping place for all of them, including Fatty, who will be able to hunt for mice. There are other spiders in residence who are unkind to Felix and his family, but the recluses are used to this sort of thing. They are not only feared by humans, they are also despised by other spiders as well. It is such an unfortunate situation, but it is one that they just have to put up with.

   Then pirate spiders attack, and Felix and his family are presented with a new set of problems. Will they ever be able to have a safe, happy, and quiet life?

   Many people are unfairly judged in this world because they are different in some way. In this book, young readers will see how this feels through the eyes of recluse spiders. Rather than hiding away, artistic Felix wants others to see him for who he is and not for what he is. Surely, this is what everyone wants.

   With humor and sensitivity, Kathryn Lasky tells a story that explores big and meaningful themes from the point of view of very small animals. Her tale is a joy to read, and readers will be glad to know that this is the first book in a new series. Felix and his family will be back.

Picture Book Monday - A review of The Giant Jam Sandwich

Today's book is a title that I read over and over and over when I was a little girl. My father used to read it out loud, and since he had such a delicious way of speaking and a gift for reading to others, he made the story come alive. As he read, I would sit on his lap and look at the pictures, which are full of cunning details. I hope you enjoy this book as much I did.

The Giant Jam Sandwich

John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway
Illustrated by John Vernon Lord
Picture Book
For ages 5 to 7
Houghton Mifflin, 1987, 978-0395442371
It is a hot summer’s day when the town of Itching Down is invaded by no less than four million wasps. In very short order, life becomes unbearable and the villagers call a meeting to decide what should be done about the wasps. After much talk, Baker Bap comes up with a wild idea: to make a giant jam sandwich to lure the pests into a trap.

   Soon the village of Itching Down is humming and buzzing with more than just wasps. A huge loaf of bread is baked and two slices are cut. Spread with butter and strawberry jam the villagers create a trap like none other, one which they hope the wasps will find irresistible.

  This highly entertaining story about an ingenious, if somewhat unorthodox, plan is a classic that will never lose its charm. Perfectly paced rhymes capture the drama of the tale, and original illustrations are full of details that will bring forth more than a few smiles. This is a title that children will want to read over and over again.

Poetry Friday - A review of Little Dog and Duncan

Not long ago my daughter had a friend come to stay for a while, and the girls discovered that even though they are the best of friends, living with someone new can be challenging. Feathers got ruffled on occasions, which meant that feelings got hurt and compromises had to be made.

Today's poetry title is about a little dog who has a friend come to stay, and who discovers that it is not always easy to get used to having a house guest.

Little Dog and Duncan

Kristine O’Connell George

Illustrated by June Otani

Poetry Picture book

For ages 5 to 7

Clarion, 2002, 0-618-11758-X

   Little Dog is excited because a very big dog, Duncan, has come to visit. In fact, Duncan will be spending the night at Little Dog’s house. When Duncan starts to feel homesick, Little Dog “sits close / helping Duncan mope,” which is what friends do for friends.

   Having such a big guest around presents some challenges, and Little Dog and her little girl have to work hard to make sure that Duncan doesn’t get into trouble. Sometimes Little Dog feels a little overwhelmed and does not want to share her toys or her little girl with the guest. She makes it clear that some things are “Mine!” Though the two dogs are very different in many ways, in others they are just the same. They both love mud, they both beg for treats, and they both want to share the little girl’s bed, which they do!

   Told using a collection of poems, this delightful story about Little Dog, her person, and her friend Duncan is a treat for people who love dogs. Readers will laugh when they see how the two dogs interact, and when they see how problems are overcome. Sharing your space with a houseguest isn’t always easy, but if you have a big heart and some patience you can make it work.