Heather Vogel Frederick
When you look at the picture of this charming author, you will see the brilliant smile that lit up the restaurant in Portland, OR on a recent silver gray afternoon. Her smile of greeting set a comfortable tone for our entire visit; we had a wonderful chat about the life of a writer and of her own particular dedication to research. Our shared meal gave us a welcomed sense of kindred spirit - the enjoyment of all things "book."
Heather Vogel Frederick was destined to be a writer, having spent much of her childhood being read to by her father and later reading voraciously by herself. Her father was a school principal and everyone called the family "bookworms". The model for the pleasures of reading was a naturally occurring event as her grandfather had owned a bookshop in Providence, RI. When her father had the opportunity to serve as a school master in a tiny village in England, Heather had the magical experience of actually living in a place that seemed like something out of the fairy stories to which she had always been drawn. A local neighbor tolerated the "help" of the little American children; Heather and her sisters spent many happy afternoons tending to the cows and chickens while watching the expert skills of the "sheep dog" that rounded up the cows. It was these afternoons that led Mrs. Frederick to realize that she was captivated by the chickens. Chickens have, indeed, appeared in her stories and will show up again in her new book: Mother Daughter Book Club (April release from Simon & Schuster).
Later, living in Boston, MA, Heather was steeped in history. She explored New England with thoughts of becoming an author. When she rode her bike past Louisa May Alcott's house, she can actually remember saying, "I will grow up to be an author, too." Preparation for this desired occupation included majoring in English and German-even if she did not realize at the time that writing would really end up being her occupation and vocation. A Fulbright Scholarship allowed her to live in Germany where she perfected her translation skills. Once she discovered that translating documents was not nearly as stimulating as being a translator for live discussions, she took a different career tack - which led her closer to becoming a "real" author. During this formative time, she took a children's literature course her senior year in college. The teacher, Margery Hamlin, became an inspiration and a mentor. Life then included marriage and a move to California where she had a variety of jobs before returning to Boston - again building an experiential foundation for her writing skills.
Becoming a reporter for "The Christian Science Monitor" trained her in extensive research and occupied her for many years until her children came along, she then became a freelance journalist for The New York Times, Family Life, Child, and contributing editor for Publishers Weekly. "Writing has almost always been how I supported myself." This fact took on an even greater meaning when her editor suggested she write about a group of girls reading Little Women in a book club with their mothers. Knowing that Alcott supported her entire family with her writing was one of the many facts that inspired The Mother Daughter Book Club - which is filled with details from Frederick's rigorous research. She could not even begin to write the fictionalized story of four girls and their mothers (each girl speaks with her own voice) until she had spent many hours delving into the life and writings of Alcott, herself. Indeed, while we spoke I was so inspired by Heather's enthusiastic description of Alcott that I resolved to read about her myself. Mrs. Frederick highly recommended Alcott's less well known works.
Frederick's books The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed and The Education of Patience Goodspeed are both rich in the history of women at sea. While doing some genealogical work on her own family, she discovered a great-great-great etc. grandfather who had run away from home to work on a whaling ship and she began to read about whaling during the 19th century. The voyages were often of several years duration, so it was not unusual for ship captains to take their wives along for the working trip. Many of the stalwart women endured difficult lives and suffered great privation with courage and strength. Inspired by these brave women, Frederick changed her plans for her protagonist to be a young boy and Patience Goodspeed came to life.
The history of the 50's and 60's cold war influenced Frederick's development of the Spy Mice books. She had enjoyed programs such as "The Man from U. N. C. L. E.," "Get Smart," "Mission Impossible," etc. So the opening of the Spy Museum in Washington, DC sparked the idea of writing about spies for young people - out of the blue the spies in her stories turned out to be mice. The Spy Mice titles (Goldwhiskers, The Black Paw, and For Your Paws Only) are not meant to be in the same category as the Goodspeed novels, but they, too, are supported with real research. Frederick spent time in DC at the Spy Museum absorbing facts and details to give veracity to her own spies, even if they are mice. While considering DC from "mouse viewpoint," she observed the numerous pigeons (ubiquitous to any city but particularly evident in the tourist areas of DC) everywhere. They were the answer she had been seeking for the solution of how the mouse-sized spies would "get around" in the big city...pigeon transport was the perfect answer. One can really appreciate how she incorporates the actual details of (DC) life into her fictional stories.
Working from her home office, she rises early to walk the dog and begin writing for the day. Even though she does not have a set regimen, she does work in the morning on her own writing and spends the afternoons dealing with the "nuts and bolts" of an author's life (planning for presentations, answering multitudes of e-mails, responding to her editor, etc.) and being the mother of two sons, a wife, and the keeper of 1 dog and 3 chickens (The Dixie Chicks: Pixie, Dixie, and Trixie) that "give us eggs everyday." Her willingness to "mother" the hens reflects her love of nature and great appreciation of the out-of-doors. She and her family love to walk, hike, camp and canoe. She and her husband have recently begun to enjoy sea kayaking in the protected waters around San Juan Island, Washington State.
With many irons in the fire, Mrs. Frederick has two picture books coming out: Baby Berry Pie (Harcourt) and Hide and Squeek (Simon and Schuster) - ah, ha more mice! I was enchanted with the idea of Baby Berry Pie and she described the wonderful berries grown around Portland and how her story is really about tucking a little one into bed -between the "crusts" of a very loving "pie." Her serious research side is obviously well balanced with a charming sense of humor.
Heather Vogel Frederick made it very easy to visit with her-her own days of doing interviews gives her first hand knowledge of being on both sides of the luncheon table. Our time together was most pleasant and informative - the perfect reflection of Heather herself. We will all look forward to many more books - with or without chickens or mice-from this dedicated, talented author.
Contributor: Sheilah Egan
Be sure to visit her well presented web site: www.heathervogelfrederick.com
Reviews
The Education of Patience Goodspeed
Heather Vogel Frederick
Patience Goodspeed was really looking forward to being assistant navigator on her father's ship. However, after a brush with cannibals in the Pacific Ocean, Patience's father decides it is safer for Patience, her brother Tad, and her aunt Anne to stay at a boarding school in Hawaii. Patience is not pleased by this decision, especially when they are joined by Fanny Starbuck, Nantucket's most eligible widow. Patience clashes with Reverend Wiggins, the headmaster who thinks girls should study sewing rather than math, and take genteel walks rather than hearty swims in the ocean. Many native Hawaiian girls also attend the school and Reverend Wiggins is determined to make them "proper" ladies. However, with the help of a local doctor who maintains that exercise is necessary for all women, Patience and Anne slowly begin to open the Reverend Wiggins' mind. While the book appears to be historically accurate in setting, the attitudes of Patience and the other characters (the females in particular) do not seem typical of the time. For example, Patience reacts to the possibility of having a stepmother the way a modern child would, not a girl raised in the nineteenth century. This discrepancy aside, Patience is an engaging character and readers of The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed will be thrilled to follow her on further adventures. 2004, Simon and Schuster, $16.95. Ages 8 up. Reviewer: Amie Rose Rotruck (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Amelia Bloomer Project, 2005; American Library Association SRRT; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Society of School Librarians International Book Awards Honor Book 2005 Language Arts-Grades K-6 Novels United States
ISBN: 0-689-86411-6
For Your Paws Only
Heather Vogel Frederick
Illustrations by Sally Wern Comport
When elementary school children and mice join forces in a spy ring, adventure is already in process. Glory Goldenleaf, mouse private eye, and Oz Levinson, fifth grade undercover agent, enlist all able bodied associates and their technology when Glory discovers that her arch-enemy, Roquefort Dupont, Lord of the Sewers and supreme leader of Washington, D.C.'s rat underworld, can read. Oz is attempting to face down his own issues; Jordan Scott and Tank Sherman, two bullying sixth-graders, have been assigned to be his assistants in a cooking bakeoff in New York City. Hordes of rats are descending on the Big Apple, led not only by Roquefort and his henchmen, but also by Dupont's international rivals, Stilton Piccadilly, Muenster Alexanderplatz, and Gorgonzola, each accompanied by their underlings. The rodent mission is to destroy all mice; the battle cry rings out, "Mouse-free from sea to sea! Mouse-free for you and me!" Cyber savvy mice, friendly pigeons, and an opera star mom assist Glory and Oz in their attempt to foil the mafia-like assault of the rat horde in a never-to-be-forgotten Thanksgiving Day parade, witnessed by the world, or at least most of the United States. This is the second book in the "Spy Mice" series, and readers who have not read volume one, Spy Mice: The Black Paw, will find themselves wondering about allusions to the prior events. Humor, both subtle and slapstick, peppers this adventure story that is sure to please readers who favor fast paced fantasy. 2005, Simon & Schuster, $9.95. Ages 8 to 11. Reviewer: Janice DeLong (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Children's Books 2005: One Hundred Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2005; New York Public Library; United States
ISBN: 1-4169-0573-1
The Voyage of Patience Goodspeed
Heather Vogel Frederick
After her mother's death, Patience Goodspeed's ship captain father insists that she and her younger brother, Thaddeus, join him on a three-year whaling voyage. Patience had hoped to attend school and continue her math studies. Determined to make the best of things once on board, Patience keeps an eye out for Thaddeus, studies navigation, and shares the kitchen with a gloomy cook aptly named Glum. After a successful whale catch, stormy seas rise, culminating in a mutiny in which Patience's father and brother are marooned on a deserted island, and Patience and a few secretly loyal crew members work to take back the ship. Thanks to Patience's forethought and navigational abilities, the ship is retaken, and the family reunited. The novel is well researched and informs the reader of whaling and life aboard ship in the nineteenth century in a compelling, readable way. The rich language, taut plot, and spunky heroine combine to make this adventure novel a rollicking good read that will also be a meaningful addition to a history curriculum. 2002, Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing, $16.00. Ages 8 to 12. Reviewer: Valerie O. Patterson (Children's Literature).
Best Books:
Amelia Bloomer Project, 2003; American Library Association-SRRT; United States
Children's Catalog, Eighteenth Edition, Supplement, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Ninth Edition, 2005; H.W. Wilson; United States
Middle and Junior High School Library Catalog, Supplement to the Eighth Edition, 2003; H.W. Wilson; United States
Awards, Honors, Prizes:
Beacon of Freedom Award Nominee 2005 United States
State and Provincial Reading Lists:
Arizona Young Readers' Award, 2007; Nominee; Intermediate Book; United States
Lamplighter Award, 2004-2005; Nominee; Grades 6-8; United States
Nutmeg Children's Book Award, 2006; Nominee; Grades 4-6; Connecticut
Sequoyah Book Award, 2004-2005; Nominee; Children's; Oklahoma
ISBN: 0-689-84851-X
Added 03/28/07
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