La Bloga interviews Diana Lopez this week about her middle grade novel, CONFETTI GIRL, published by Little Brown.
Here is a short excerpt--read the complete interview at
http://labloga.blogspot.comQ: You are dealing with two serious issues: the divorce of parents and the loss of a mother. There are many students in middle schools dealing with similar situations. What is your message for these children?A: I wanted to explore how people grieve. Some, like Lina’s father, withdraw, while others, like Vanessa’s mom, blame the whole world. So how do you get past your sorrow or anger? And how do these emotions affect those you love, those you haven’t lost?
For me, stories start with questions, questions I don’t know the answers to. If I were wise, I wouldn’t need to write. If I were wise, I’d be a priest or counselor. But I’m a writer, one who believes Robert Frost when he says, “Poems should delight first, teach later.” So I hesitate to give a message because that’s something the reader needs to conclude for himself. But if I have to, the message would be something like this . . . look around. Who’s in your house? Who’s in your neighborhood? Who’s at your school, your church, or your job? When someone has gone, don’t forget that someone else has stayed.
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