Constance Foland
Ever since Constance Foland was a young girl she loved to read. "My mother taught me to read when I was four," she says. "She always gave me books for Christmas and my birthday. At one point I had read all the books on the shelves of my local library!"
A Song for Jeffrey, her first book and part of the AG Fiction line of novels from American Girl, is partly autobiographical, Foland says. "I loved to sing as a kid and made up my own songs¾those parts are true to life. My parents divorced when I was eleven, and I had an older sibling who didn't have much time for me, just like Dodie, the main character in A Song for Jeffrey."
Foland's inspiration for Jeffrey, Dodie's friend who suffers from muscular dystrophy, came from her childhood curiosity of people living with disabilities. "As a kid, I always wondered about people with disabilities. Is it all right to ask about the physical challenge? Should I ignore it? Is this person vastly different from me? I created characters who talked about the physical challenge openly and honestly," says Foland.
Ms. Foland's current occupation as an elementary school teacher in New York City has helped her writing in many ways. "I'm always with kids, so I know a little bit about how they talk, how they act, and what moves them. In addition, I work in a school where the principal, a writer herself, encourages her staff members to write and helps us along that pathway."
Ms. Foland grew up in East Greenbush, NY. She received her Bachelor's degree from the Fashion Institute of Technology and her Master's degree from Columbia University. Before her current occupation as an elementary school teacher, Ms. Foland worked as a textile buyer in the fashion industry, as a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa, and in public relations for Sesame Street.
Ms. Foland lives in New York City where she is currently working on her second children's novel.
Reviews
A Song For JeffreyConstance M. Foland
Dodie and Jeffrey are two eleven-year-old children who become friends. Jeffrey has Muscular Dystrophy and is confined to a wheel chair. This creates a unique experience for Dodie. Her parents are living apart but are trying to work things out. She manages to helpfully embrace both her parents and her new friend. Both Dodie and Jeffrey have a talent; Dodie, sings and Jeffrey paints. With these talents they learn to share and love each other for who they are, much like her parents are trying to do. It is part of "American Girl" series. 1999, Pleasant Company Publications, Ages 9 to 12, $9.95 and $5.95. Reviewer: Leila Toledo
ISBN: 1-56247-849-4
ISBN: 1-56247-754-4
Added 1999
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