Barbara Park lives in Arizona with her husband. She has received over 40 awards for her books, including 25 Children's Choice awards.

Meet Barbara Park on tour!

Barbara Park answers some of the questions asked by her readers.

Where do you get your inspiration?
This may sound strange, but I don't normally write out of inspiration. I like to write. But I view writing as a job, rather than anything too inspirational.

Did you always want to be an author?
Nope! As a kid, I didn't have a clue. In college, I planned to teach high school history and political science. I was hoping I could make history seem a little funnier. :o)

Do you have a hero?
No particular name springs to mind here. But the people I admire most in life are the quiet “unsung” heroes who quietly go behind the scenes and help those in need. I am in awe of people like that.

How many books have you written?
To date, I've written one picture book, thirteen middle-grade novels, and twenty-six (and a half!) Junie B. Jones titles. (Whoa…after looking at those numbers, I'm suddenly feeling very, very tired.)

Do you finish every book you start to read? Or -- if you don't like a book -- do you stop in the middle?
I used to have a policy that, no matter what, I would finish reading every book I started. Recently, I have readjusted my position on this issue. These days, I give a book about 100 pages to catch my interest. Then -- if I'm still not liking it -- I drop it like a hot potato! (Word of warning: DO NOT DO THIS WITH SCHOOL READING PROJECTS…and I MEAN it!)

When did you first start writing?
Whenever I'm asked this question, I'm always tempted to fib a little. "Are you kidding?"- I want to say-"Why I've been writing stories since the first day I held a pencil."

The truth is, though, that as a kid I had absolutely no interest in writing at all. In fact, for me, a writing assignment was more upsetting than finding out my mother was cooking liver and onions for dinner.

Still-even though I didn't love to write-I did enjoy school. And, for some reason, I found myself amusingly chatty in the classroom. To quote a comment on my first grade report card, "We are trying to help Barbara remember not to talk when someone else is talking."

Anyway, I'm happy to report that in high school, I developed a love for reading that continues to this day. And I think it was this love of reading that made me eventually try to write a book of my own.

The first children's novel I wrote was called Operation: Dump The Chump. I still remember sending it to New York and praying that whoever read it would be in a really good mood and decide to give me a chance.

Well, all I can say is sometimes you get lucky. And, after Dump The Chump was rejected by three different publishers, the fourth one (Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.) said yes! I love those people!

Where do you get your ideas?
Time for another sad truth. My life isn't exciting enough to write about things that have actually happened to me, so I'm forced to make my stories up from scratch. Usually, I start out with a vague story line and a general idea of the kinds of characters I want to create. Then, once I begin to write, I get to know my characters better and the story starts to flow. If all goes well, it will flow in all sorts of directions that I never could have predicted.

How long does it take you to write a book?
The time it takes to finish a book depends on the kind of story I'm writing. The Junie B. Jones books rarely take more than a couple of months. But Mick Harte Was Here took almost two years. Mick Harte is the story of a young boy's death as told by his sister. Even though it's a relatively short book, it took a long time for me to achieve the right balance between the humor and the sadness. For similar reasons, my novel, The Graduation Of Jake Moon, was equally challenging. It's a story about a boy and his grandfather, who has developed Alzheimer's Disease. I came to love both of these characters, and I wanted to do them justice, so I took it slowly.

Have you ever been divorced or remarried, like the mother in My Mother Got Married (And Other Disasters)?
I feel fortunate that I've never had to go through either one of these situations in real life. But through friends I have learned how upsetting they can be for everyone involved. I've also learned that after the dust finally settles, eventually things start to look brighter and the smiles return.

Do you have any children?
My husband and I have two sons, Steven and David, but they're not exactly "children" anymore. They both live in Arizona. David is an attorney. And Steven is a U.S. Border Patrol agent.

Bonus questions:

Have you ever thought about making a movie of Junie B.?
Over the years, there has been a lot of interest from movie companies about making a Junie B. feature film. So far, I’ve been resisting. To me, the best place for Junie B. to live is in the reader’s imagination.

Have you ever wanted to be anything other than an author?
If I hadn’t become an author I think I would have liked to become a psychologist or family counselor.

Why aren't the pictures in color?
In beginning chapter books, the illustrations aren’t intended to be the focus of the story, as in a picture book.

Do you talk like Junie B.?
Gee, I hope not. Unlike Junie B., I’ve had a lifetime to learn the rules of English. ;o)

Do you think I can be a writer? I get straight A's in school.
Yay, you! If you keep getting straight A’s, there are no limits to what you can be!

Okay . . . that's it for now. Thanks for the questions, everyone. I truly do appreciate your interest in my books.

HAPPY READING!

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