Anna Staniszewski

The other day I went to a book talk and signing by the lovely Shannon Hale at the Brookline Library. It was such a fun event. There wasn’t a huge turnout, but those of us who were there were very enthusiastic. Shannon was so friendly and relaxed that it made for a wonderful time. She talked primarily about her inspiration for her four fairy tale retellings (which was perfect for me since I’m planning on writing one myself soon).

One thing she said that really stuck out to me was that the best fairy tales to retell are those that leave you asking a lot of questions. She said that “The Goose Girl,” the first tale she retold, had a lot of holes in the story that left her asking “why?” She decided to retell the story in order to fill in some of those gaps. (She wondered, for example, why the tale had a talking horse that never actually speaks.)

After a great Q and A session, Shannon wrapped up by reading a book to us that she had written and illustrated in fifth grade. I loved that she did this because it allowed us to see her writing beginnings, and it also showed the kids in the audience that she had once been just like them. There was a twelve-year-old sitting behind me in the audience who informed us that she was currently working on a historical novel. I’m sure seeing the book that Shannon wrote at age ten was especially inspiring for her.

I left the library a bit in awe of Shannon. She was so at ease throughout the entire event and made it engaging and interesting for everyone in the audience. Clearly she’s a pro, but I think the fact that she’s naturally friendly helps tremendously. She was great at talking to everyone during the book signing and really trying to connect with her fans. I think the fact that there were girls there as young as six and as old as sixteen (not to mention the adults in the audience) proves just how wide of an appeal Shannon’s books have. I was thrilled to discover that her personality is just as lovely as her writing.

• Categories: Books, Random Fun