About Suzanne Lieurance, author of 'The Locket: Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire'
Thank
you for following the virtual tour for my historical novel, The Locket:
Surviving the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire from Enslow Publishers. Although
the tragic event that is the basis for this book happened over 100 years ago, I
think it is important for children today to know and understand what life was
like for the garment workers in New York City back then.
Obviously, this book was designed for classroom use as a way to
supplement the regular social studies textbooks when it comes to helping
students learn about events in American history. But I think readers enjoy the
book mainly because they get to know and like the main character, Galena, an eleven-year-old
Russian-Jewish immigrant, who lives in New York City with her family and works
at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company factory with her older sister, Anya.
When
I visit schools across the country I sometimes talk to students about using
real events in history as the basis for creating fictional stories. I even have
a workshop about this, so I can guide students to choose historical events to
research so they can create fictional characters who witnessed these events.
I
love to visit schools, libraries, and bookstores to talk about my writing and
my books. I particularly enjoy helping teachers and school librarians see how
they can use nonfiction to help students write better fiction. Teachers
and librarians can find out more about my school visits at my website at http://www.suzannelieurance.com.
If
you’re a teacher, librarian, or a parent who homeschools, download a free
Educator’s Guide for The Locket here now.
Here
are a few short reviews of the book:
"The
author has done a wonderful job on character development and the description of
the fire in the factory was compelling."
Delaware County Library System, September
2008
"The
fictionalization of a real historical event and the dramatization of early
labor issues involves reader[s] in a fast-paced, gripping story hard to put
down."
Children's Bookwatch, May 2008
"This
book will serve to inform readers on the working climate of the time as well as
the struggles of immigrants to conform to a new country and new society."
Irving Independent School District, March
24, 2010
"Woven
together in perfect compatibility, the historical background and fictional plot
give readers a clear insight into Jewish immigrants and ritual . . . and unfair
labor practices, and there is excellent foreshadowing of the fire."
School Library Journal, August 2008
".
. . brings American history to life through fictional characters and
historically accurate plots."
MultiCultural Review, Winter 2008
".
. . an insightful story that will appeal to young readers as well as providing
them with a clear understanding of the working conditions at the time . . . a
very well written book that will relate well to many young readers."
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Suzanne
Lieurance is an author, freelance writer, writing coach, speaker and workshop
presenter. She is a former classroom teacher and was an instructor for the
Institute of Children's Literature for over 8 years.
Lieurance
has written over two dozen published books and her articles and stories have
appeared in various magazines, newsletters, and newspapers, such as Family Fun,
Instructor, New Moon for Girls, KC Weddings, The Journal of Reading, and
Children's Writer to name a few. She offers a variety of coaching programs via
private phone calls, teleclasses, listserv, and private email for writers who
want to turn their love of writing (for children and/or adults) into a
part-time or full-time career.
Connect with Suzanne on the web:
Watch the trailer:
Comments
The Locket is available as an e-book on amazon.com, too.
Enjoy!
Suzanne