Alane Adams Interview - The Circus Thief ~ JeanBookNerd

Photo Content from Alane Adams

Alane Adams is a children’s author, professor, and literacy advocate. She is the author of the Legends of Orkney fantasy mythology series for tweens; she also writes Early American picture books for young children. Adams lives in Southern California.

Age Range: 4 - 8 years

Grade Level: Preschool - 2

Hardcover: 32 pages

Publisher: SparkPress (November 6, 2018)

ISBN-10: 194300675X

ISBN-13: 978-1943006755

Praise for THE CIRCUS THIEF

“The circus is bursting with amazing sights and sounds, from clowns and elephants to a lady with a beard, in The Circus Thief, a delightfully nostalgic tale of compassion, kindness, and generosity.” ―Foreword Clarion Reviews

“Bright, brave characters star in this exhilarating tale of magic and mystical creatures.” ―Kirkus Reviews

Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Storytelling allows us to experience the world beyond our own experiences and imagination. It allows us to imagine what it would be like to be a boy with magic, or a girl who falls down a rabbit hole. When we read, we inhabit the souls of the characters, read their innermost thoughts, and traverse the journey with them. This teaches us one of the most important human skills—empathy.

What is your happiest childhood memory?
We took a lot of road trips—sometimes driving thousands of miles through Mexico on hunting trips. That was back in the days when there were no iPads or devices so a book was the only thing that passed the time. The whole family would be reading stretched out on mattresses in the back of the truck (no seatbelts back then!) while my dad would sing old songs while he drove.

What made you decide to write books for children?
I had always wanted to be an author, but never had the courage to really pursue it. I dreamed of writing paranormal suspense novels and wanted to be the next Dean Koontz! And then one day my 12-year-old son approached me and asked me to write him a book he could read. It was the best day of my life because from that day forward, I was a children’s author!

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why?
Not to be cliché, but definitely English! I loved to read and always wanted to be an author. It just didn’t seem practical and so I chose other paths for my education.

What was the greatest thing you learned at school?
Wear shorts under your dress if you’re going to do twirls on the bars.

In your new book; THE CIRCUS THIEF, can you tell my Book Nerd Kids Community a little about it and why they should read your novel?
The Circus Thief tells the story of Georgie’s exciting day at the circus. All four of the Thief books are based on stories my dad told me about growing up on the farm in Pennsylvania. So the fact is, he had a circus horse named Roxie like the horse in the book! It is a heartwarming tale of how working hard can pay its rewards by being allowed to go to the circus, and Papa, having a big heart, teaches Georgie compassion for others, including animals, by agreeing to save Roxie from the work farm.

For those who are unfamiliar with Georgie, how would you introduce him?
Georgie is an eight-year-old boy growing up on a farm in 1920s Pennsylvania who has a habit of getting into trouble when he least expects it! He sometimes makes mistakes, but Mama and Papa have a way of helping him learn from them.

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I would love to have Georgie meet Captain Underpants! Just imagine all the trouble they could get into together.

What part of Harley did you enjoy writing the most?
I feel bad for Harley—times are tough and he’s desperate. Desperate times make people act in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. So I don’t think of Harley as a bad friend, just one who is really in a hard place.

You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your readers. What would it be?
The library is the most magical place on earth. They hand out books for free, let you take them home and read them, then come back and give you more. Always have a library card!

TEN WAYS TO MAKE CHILDREN READ

1. Give them a story with characters they can relate to, like 8-year-old Georgie.
2. For picture books, make the illustrations eye-catching and heart-tugging. The pictures tell much of the story for younger kids, so they have to capture the heart of the characters.
3. Make the story exciting enough to get them to want to turn the pages. That means giving the character a problem that can be solved in a very short time since we only have 32 pages!
4. The best way to get a child to read, is to spend a lot of time reading together. That means one on one time, snuggled up, with only a book for a distraction.
5. Always have a fresh stack of books alongside the old favorites. Kids will reread the same book they love, but its good to have fresh stories to create new favorites.
6. Because reading levels change all the time, be sure to be adding in more challenging stories that they can sink their teeth into.
7. Carve out a regular time for reading together. Whether its bedtime, or snack time. Try to be consistent.
8. Don’t rush reading time! Don’t make it a “just one more thing we have to do”. It is the single most important activity you can do together, so treat it as a sacred time.
9. Do pick out books kids are going to like. They don’t all have to be classics. A good Captain Underpants story can really make things fun!
10. Try to connect books to real-life experiences. Read The Circus Thief then make a plan to go to the circus!

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid?
I think I like the 1970’s the best. Things were so much simpler back with only like eight channels to choose from on TV, we had the Brady Bunch and the Partridge Family—life was good!

The last time you were at a circus?
It’s been a while, but I took my boys to the Ringling Bros. circus several times while they were growing up. Like Georgie, seeing elephants up close was probably the coolest thing ever.

What is your greatest adventure?
Being a parent has been my greatest and most rewarding adventure. Seeing my kids go from helpless infants through awkward school years to becoming productive members of society and even getting married has been an amazing journey, with much more to come!

What did you do for your last birthday?
Ha, I was on a book tour in Arizona visiting schools.

What’s the most ridiculous fact you know?
No matter how tired a teenager is, the idea that they should go to bed earlier is completely illogical.

What was your favorite book as a child and why?
I can still remember reading The Hobbit—those first few pages and the magical journey it took me on. To this day, I only like writing fantasy fiction.

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
It’s hard because I like where I’m at, and life is about taking the bumps in the road to get where you are. But if I had to, I think I would go back to that moment I waffled over majoring in English and choose my passion over my practicality.

The circus is in town, and Georgie has his heart set on going. When Papa agrees to take him and his friend Harley, the boys marvel at the amazing elephants and clowns. But the best act of all is the amazing Roxie, a trained horse who can do all sorts of tricks. When Georgie is invited to ride on her back, he discovers it’s her last show―Roxie is going to be sent to the work farm! When Roxie bolts with Georgie on her back, Papa must come to his rescue.

The Circus Thief is a heartwarming tale of boyhood set in 1920s Pennsylvania for children ages 4–8.

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