Guest Post and Giveaway: Dee Garretson Author of Wildfire Run

Wildfire Run has officially made my “must-reads for middle-grade boys” list and when Dee offered to guest post I jumped at the chance! Not only has she put together an amazing post all about her favorite childhood book, but she has also offered a very special treat for my readers. Make sure to take a look at Dee’s favorite childhood book and stick around for the surprise at the end! Without further hesitation, Dee:

Imagine secretly living in a museum, having the whole place to yourself to explore at will, examining every mysterious sarcophagus and every spectacular jewel, no guards frowning over your every move. After reading The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler when I was nine, I couldn’t envision anything more enticing. E. L. Konigsburg’s book gave me the first taste of someone living an experience way beyond the ordinary, particularly my ordinary world of small town Iowa.

For children, a book is a fabulous gateway into what kind of person they might become, and I think that’s one reason the book resonated so much with me. The main character in The Mixed up Files, 12-year-old Claudia, has incredible audacity and self-possession. Back then, I dreamed of outrageous acts, but I never carried them out. I spent my days making mudpies and collecting feathers and rocks for my own mini museum. But Claudia, Claudia has the nerve to run away to a real museum in NEW YORK CITY! I couldn’t even imagine running away to the next town over, a place with the whopping population of 1,759, a number that probably included the dog who lived at the gas station.

I didn’t realize it until I started thinking about this post, but the kids in my stories all have their own version of audacity. Luke Brockett, the U.S. President’s son in Wildfire Run, takes matters into his own hands when disaster strikes, ignoring the safe choices that others want him to make. His audacity is the only dividing line between life or death for his friends. When I read or write, I want the ‘Oh no!’ factor, worrying and anticipating what is going to happen next. Is the main character going to make it? How are they going to accomplish their goals? In The Mixed up Files, I loved wondering if Claudia was going to escape detection, and how she was going to do it. I just had to know what was on the next page, which is the pure essence of a good story.

Beyond Claudia, another huge appeal to The Mixed Up Files was its setting. Not only was it in a big city, but in a museum, something as exotic to my child self as a different country. Both reading and writing for me has always been about the ability to explore another place or time, the more unfamiliar the better, and a vast labyrinth of a museum still appeals to me. The mystery of finding out about a strange place is a powerful draw. Maybe that’s why I set Wildfire Run at Camp David. Everyone has heard of the presidential retreat, but very few people have been there. It’s one of those places just begging to be investigated. My other stories all have unusual settings as well. Wolf Storm, the next book after Wildfire Run, takes place in Slovakia. I don’t think I’ll ever get away from the allure of the unknown.

Rereading about Claudia and her adventures revealed something about the impact of storytelling I had never considered. In my memory, I had changed the details of the story. The book is set is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, but for all these years I remembered it as being in a museum of natural history. I pictured Claudia climbing through exhibits of prehistoric animals, hiding behind totem poles and wandering through dioramas of ancient man. She didn’t do any of that, except in my head. It brought to mind an interview I saw with the director of the Narnia movies, Andrew Adamson. He talked about how he remembered reading the battle scene in The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe as a child, and how he wanted to recreate that in the movie. When he went back and reread the book, he discovered there was no real description of the battle scene. It had all been something he imagined after reading a few lines, because he was so drawn into the story.

And that, to me, tells about the impact of great stories on us. It doesn’t matter if the details of the book fade, it matters how the story becomes our own.

Thanks, Danielle for giving me this opportunity. More information about Wildfire Run, including a teacher’s guide, is on my website.
Make sure to check out the book trailer as well!

As I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed Dee’s novel, Wildfire Run, and I’m so happy to have her on today. It’s out today so don’t forget to pick up a copy! (If you missed my review, you can take a look at it by clicking here.) I absolutely love what Dee said about how the story becomes our own, because I truly believe that’s where we all get our start reading. It’s when you find that book that becomes “your” story, that a passion for reading begins to burn brightly. Thank you Dee!

Giveaway!

As I mentioned earlier, Dee has graciously offered a special surprise to readers of There’s A Book. One lucky winner will receive their very own copy of Wildfire Run signed by Dee herself! Please make sure to enter using the form below and the winner will be announced shortly after the closing date. The contest is open Internationally and will run from August 30, 2010 until midnight EST on September 18, 2010. One entry per person per household please.

This Giveaway has now closed. Thank you so much for all of your entries, check back soon for more giveaways!