Dear Author

Kaywell, Joan F., ed. 2007. Dear Authors: Letters of Hope: Top Young Adult Authors Respond to Kids' Toughest Issues.

To millions of kids, the books they read are more than entertainment--they are mirrors to hold up to their own lives. And the creators of those books are more than just writers--they are mentors, confidants, friends, sometimes the only ones who understand. There is often an unspoken, unseen bond between an author and his or her readers. Dear Author: Letters Of Hope brings this bond to light for the whole world to see and celebrate. What better way to honor the relationshp between writer and reader, fact and fiction, character and real kid than this compilation of letters, based on real fan mail to today's top YA authors, and the authors' reactions to that mail.

The authors: Laurie Halse Anderson, Sandy Asher, T.A. Barron, Marion Dane Bauer, Joan Bauer, Cherie Bennett, Edward Bloor, Sue Ellen Bridgers, Chris Crutcher, Christopher Paul Curtis, Lois Duncan, Alex Flinn, Adrian Fogelin, Nancy Garden, Patricia Hermes, Sara Holbrook, Catherine Ryan Hyde, Anne C. Lemieux, Chris Lynch, Janet McDonald, Rodman Philbrick, Marilyn Reynolds, John H. Ritter, Neal Shusterman, Shelley Stoehr, Jerry Spinelli, Ann Turner, Ellen Wittlinger.

The topics or issues are serious, real, authentic. And the responses are genuine and sincere. This book is a nice read. I enjoyed reading about how the books made an impact on each reader's life. It's a very thoughtful book.