BIO

Nancy Farmer has written three Newbery Honor Books: THE EAR THE EYE AND THE ARM; A GIRL NAMED DISASTER; and THE HOUSE OF THE SCORPION, which, in 2002, also won the National Book Award. Other books include DO YOU KNOW ME, THE WARM PLACE, and three picture books for young children. She grew up on the Arizona-Mexico border, and now lives with her family in Menlo Park, California.

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AUTHOR TALK

Author Nancy Farmer Shares the Story Behind Writing THE LAND OF THE SILVER APPLES, the Sequel to THE SEA OF TROLLS 

Nancy writes:

"I studied history in my mother's 19th century library. Her books were full of wonderfully gloomy pictures of storms at sea, heretics getting thrown out of towers and lightning bolts striking sinners. This was perfect training for getting and keeping a child's attention during history lessons. Later, as an adult in Zimbabwe, I was hired to write "the sparkly bits" in textbooks for African children. My job was to lure reluctant readers and the series was called The Spellbinders. I discovered that children would study anything, even open-pit copper mining, if it was presented in the right way.

In my novels I don't cut back on vocabulary. I meticulously research and use bibliographies and appendices, because almost all of my books are intended as textbooks as well as entertainment. Do reluctant readers read them? You betcha. Kids are a lot more motivated than people give them credit for.

THE LAND OF THE SILVER APPLES, the sequel to THE SEA OF TROLLS, is written on several levels. It exists most importantly as an adventure. If this is all a reader responds to, that's fine, but beneath lies a layer of history and legend. Beneath these, in turn, are questions about immortality, the afterlife, what's worth living and dying for, honor and loyalty. Heavy stuff, dude. Kids like heavy stuff. It's a mistake to deprive them of it.

Jack, an apprentice bard, Thorgil, a Viking warrior, and Pega, a slave girl, must enter a timeless realm where all is beautiful and yet ultimately hollow. Their task is to rescue Jack's sister, but from the very beginning deeper meanings are hinted at. Pega is given a simple candle in which lies a direct link to the life force and to humanity. Pale though its light seems, it is stronger than any illusion. Pega is one of the key players in pushing back the old beliefs as Christianity spreads its influence throughout the pagan world. That's a lot of concept for one little book, and most readers won't notice or care. They can have a lot of fun in the lighter end of the pool. But I have provided a deep end for children who like diving under the surface and exploring the depths. Enjoy."


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