MADISON, NJ - Last Tuesday, literature students at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison had the chance to visit and speak with author Natalie Standiford. Standiford is the author of many children’s books and young adult novels. She can be most recognized for her children’s story, turned movie, The Bravest Dog Ever: The Story of Balto.
Introducing Standiford, friend and FDU professor Rene Steinke said that her "secret genius is having a rich and deep memory of what it was like to be a child or a teenager."
Ms. Standiford came to the school to discuss and read an excerpt from her new young adult novel entitled, How to Say Goodbye in Robot. The novel, which was named ALA’s Best Book for Young Adults, revolves around "Robot Girl" and "Ghost Boy", the new girl in Baltimore and the class outcast, who become an interesting set of friends. They are conjoined through their love of late night talk radio and a secret.
The story unfolds in a heartbreaking way that makes the reader understand the two outcasts and root for their success. The ending of the story is not one that is typical of a book within the young adult genre and the content of the novel is appropriate not only for young adults but for older adults, as well.
Standiford began her talk by providing some background regarding the story. Having grown up in Baltimore herself, writing about it made more meaningful to her. "This book is a lot more personal, Baltimore, the school, late night radio. A lot of the places mentioned in the story I resurrected. I made it ‘my’ Baltimore."
She mentioned that many of the places, actors, and other popular references may not be familiar to her current young readers, so on her website http://www.nataliestandiford.com, she has included a "mystery page" which provides readers with more information about the references in her book.
After the reading, Ms. Standiford opened the floor up to students and their questions. Her inviting nature made the students comfortable and she answered all questions asked, including where she got the ideas for this book and how she became a writer. "She was really helpful", Senior Sean Kenny says, "She answered a lot of questions I had about where to go from here, after college, in the writing world."
Her biggest piece of advice for up and coming writers? "Read a lot, especially in the area you’re writing in. Also try to finish a whole book. Push through it, and just write the whole story. It’s easier that way."
Natalie Standiford is in the process of writing her next novel, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters, which is a book of three separate stories of three sisters who commit a crime against their grandmother. The novel is due out in Fall of 2010.