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WORK TITLE: THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SAM
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PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.hannahbarnaby.com/
CITY: Charlottesville
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LAST VOLUME: SATA 328
http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2012/03/book-review-wonder-show-by-hannah.html http://historicalnovelsociety.org/reviews/wonder-show/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: three.
EDUCATION:Hobart and William Smith Colleges, B.A., 1996; Simmons College, M.A., 2000; Vermont College of Fine Arts, M.F.A., 2003.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, MA, assistant editor, 2000-05; Simmons College, Boston, adjunct writing instructor, 2003-06; Boston Public Library, Boston, children’s writer-in-residence, 2004-05; teaches at WriterHouse, Charlottesville, VA. Has also worked as a bookseller.
AWARDS:Best Fiction for Young Adults designation, American Library Association, Best Children’s Books of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, and William C. Morris Award finalist, all 2013, all for Wonder Show; Best Children’s Books of the Year selection, Bank Street College of Education, 2016, for Some of the Parts.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
A former bookseller and children’s book editor, Hannah Barnaby is the author of a number of works for young audiences. Her novels Wonder Show and Some of the Parts focus on young women coping with unexpected tragedies, and her picture books Bad Guy and Garcia and Colette Go Exploring offer inventive tales about sibling rivalry and friendship, respectively.
Set during the Great Depression, Wonder Show introduces fourteen-year-old Portia Remini, who has fallen on hard times since the death of her mother: sent to live with an aunt while her father looked for work, she has been remanded to the McGreavey’s Home for Wayward Girls. Escaping this institution after a friend’s tragic death, Portia eventually finds a home with Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, a circus of human curiosities. As she learns carnival skills at Mosco’s, Portia also gets to know conjoined twins Polly and Pippa, a giant named Jim and his midget partner Jimmy, and Violet, a teenaged albino who becomes her best friend. As she grows to trust this new family, Portia begins to shift her focus from past tragedies and worries to hope for the future.
Calling Wonder Show “a truly satisfying tale with an important message to us all,” School Library Journal reviewer Marie Orlando went on to describe Barnaby’s debut novel as “richly textured with psychological tension, complex characterization, a vivid setting, and a suspenseful plot.” Citing the author’s ability to provide “poignant insight” into the nature of family, a Kirkus Reviews writer predicted that “this celebration of the deliberately constructed self will hold readers in its spell.”
In her second young-adult novel, Some of the Parts, Barnaby presents an “incisive and staid novel about coping with death,” observed Booklist critic Julia Smith. High schooler Tallie McGovern struggles to cope with the loss of her older brother, Nate, who was killed in a automobile accident that occurred while Tallie was behind the wheel. Overwhelmed with sadness and isolated from her parents and friends, the teen can only find solace in her relationships with Mel, an eccentric classmate, and Chase, an enigmatic new student who reminds Tallie of Nate. When Tallie discovers a thank-you note from Life Choice, an organ donation service, she resolves to track down the recipients of her brother’s organs, as a way to hold onto his memory.
Some of the Parts garnered a strong critical reception. According to a writer in Kirkus Reviews, “Barnaby slowly reveals the cracks in Tallie’s emotional veneer through a well-crafted internal monologue,” and a contributor in Publishers Weekly lauded the novel for “its understated writing and for its penetrating exploration of the outer limits of grief and guilt.” Horn Book reviewer Jonathan Hunt cited “an emotional quality to the book that rings true,” and Karen Alexander, writing in School Library Journal, predicted that the story “will resonate with teens, who will feel Tallies desperation and want her to seek more help for her grief than she does.”
Barnaby turns to the picture-book genre in Bad Guy and Garcia and Colette Go Exploring. Featuring vibrant artwork by Mike Yamada, the former title centers on a plucky lad who, in an effort to shed his cutesy-pie image, imagines himself as an unrepentant scoundrel who lays traps for unwitting superheroes, devours astronauts, and refuses to share buried treasure he has uncovered. Observant readers will notice that each of the scenarios involve the youngster’s kid sister, Alice, who manages to turn the tables on her sibling in a surprise ending. Peggy Henderson Murphy praised the “amusing and clever tale” in a School Library Journal review.
Another fanciful tale, Garcia and Colette Go Exploring depicts the exploits of a pair of energetic animal companions. Best friend Garcia the rabbit and Colette the fox simply cannot agree on a destination for their next adventure; while Garcia wishes to journey into space, Colette wants to venture deep into the sea. After building a rocket and soaring into space, Garcia grows lonely for his pal, and upon arriving back on Earth he finds that Colette has also returned to land after her own marvelous but solitary submarine voyage. In the words of School Library Journal critic Amy Nolan, “Barnaby has penned an entertaining picture book celebrating creative play and togetherness.”
(open new)A boy named Max discovers that the new kid in school is actually a monster in There’s Something about Sam. Max is planning his sleepover birthday party, and he does not want to leave out the new kid, Sam, even though he does not know him very well. Encouraged by his mom, Max invites Sam. Max’s friends approve of Sam’s inclusion, highlighting qualities about Sam that they find exceptional if odd. Because Max’s birthday party falls on a full moon, Sam is reluctant to go, but he ultimately decides to show up. A series of events reveal that Sam is actually a werewolf. Max is impressed by Sam’s transformation from boy to werewolf, while the other kids are initially frightened of him. A Kirkus Reviews writer suggested that the book contained “confusing transitions between scenes and awkward sentences. All the characters, including the protagonists, are awfully bland.” However, Carolyn Phelan, contributor to Booklist, called the volume “good fun.”
Another supernatural creature stars in Barnaby’s Monster and Boy, the first in an illustrated series. The titular monster has been quietly living under the boy’s bed, but he finally decides to meet the boy face to face. The monster accidentally swallows the boy when he screams in fright. They work together to find a way to get the boy out. “This whimsical pair will be a hit with those looking for a playful, adventurous story,” asserted Ellen Conlin in School Library Journal. A writer in Kirkus Reviews commented: “No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story.”
In an interview on the website of Writer House, an organization at which Barnaby serves as an instructor, Barnaby discussed learning how to write. She stated: “Writing is a practice rather than a quantifiable topic, and only through the process of the writing itself can the way to write become known. In other words, there are no magic answers, but there are delicious discoveries all along the way.”(close new)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, November 15, 2015, Julia Smith, review of Some of the Parts, p. 51; May 1, 2020, Carolyn Phelan, review of There’s Something about Sam, p. 62.
Horn Book, March-April, 2016, Jonathan Hunt, review of Some of the Parts, p. 84.
Kirkus Reviews, March 20, 2012, review of Wonder Show; November 15, 2015, review of Some of the Parts; March 15, 2017, review of Bad Guy; April 1, 2017, review of Garcia and Colette Go Exploring; May 1, 2020, review of Monster and Boy; April 1, 2020, review of There’s Something about Sam.
Publishers Weekly, November 30, 2015, review of Some of the Parts, p. 63; March 27, 2017, review of Bad Guy, p. 98.
School Library Journal, August, 2012, Marie Orlando, review of Wonder Show, p. 97; January, 2016, Karen Alexander, review of Some of the Parts, p. 98; May, 2017, Peggy Henderson Murphy, review of Bad Guy, p. 58; June 2017, Amy Nolan, review of Garcia and Colette Go Exploring, p. 68; June, 2020, Ellen Conlin, review of Monster and Boy, p. 55.
ONLINE
C-Ville Weekly Online, http://www.c-ville.com/ (May 11, 2016), Raennah Lorne, “Novelist Hannah Barnaby Writes from Personal Experience.”
Cynsations, http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (March 3, 2016), “Hannah Barnaby on Writing for My Life: How I Dug into My Past for Fiction.”
Hannah Barnaby website, http://www.hannahbarnaby.com (August 25, 2020).
James Preller’s Blog, http://www.jamespreller.com/ (June 7, 2017), James Preller, interview with Barnaby.
Wernick & Pratt Agency website, http://wernickpratt.com/ (August 25, 2020), author profile.
Writer House website, http://writerhouse.org/ (August 25, 2020), author interview.
Young Adult Library Services Association Literature Website, http://www.yalsa.ala.org/ (January 23, 2013), Summer Hayes, interview with Barnaby.
ABOUT ME
I love books. Almost every job I've ever had was, in some way, related to books. I have catalogued them, repaired them, barcoded them, shelved them, sold them, edited them, reviewed them. And now I get to write them!
There's nothing I like better than sneaking away for a few minutes and jotting down an idea for a new story. Most of my books started with a "what if" question . . . but ideas are everywhere, so I make sure I always have a notebook and a pen in case I find an idea to save for later. (Like a baby goat with a really great smile!)
FAQ
Throughout my work as an editor, a teacher, and a writer, I've noticed some patterns questions readers generally have for authors. So here are the questions I predict you would ask me if you could.
1. Where you do get your ideas?
Anywhere and everywhere. Ideas are slippery things; the ones that seem great at first aren't always the best when you try to build on them, and some that seem like passing thoughts end up sticking with you and inspiring a whole story. The first image that sparked Wonder Show was in a dream I had (which sounds horribly cliche, though I know some writers who swear by napping as a way to generate or percolate ideas). I saw a girl riding a bicycle across a prairie, and had the sense that she was a) from a long time ago, and b) running away from someone. Then the book evolved as I wrote it. I added ideas from various sources as I went. It was kind of like wrapping new rubber bands around an existing ball of rubber bands.
A word of advice for new/old/aspiring/confused writers: It is normal to worry that if you use all of your great ideas in the same project, you will never have another idea. But you will. Ideas beget ideas. They spread, they breed, they spark each other. I promise.
2. How long did it take you to write Wonder Show?
If you are an aspiring novelist or a get-rich-quick schemer, you may want to skip this one. From start to finish, Wonder Show took seven years. Appalling, I know, and yet I'm told that this isn't an unusual timeline for a first novel. It should be said that while I was writing the book, I got laid off from my full-time job and then worked two part-time jobs, PLUS I moved twice, got married, and had two children. Life got in the way, as life will do. I figure if I can get the second novel done in half the time it took me to write the first, and then the third done in half *that* time, pretty soon I'll be writing a book a week. Easy peasy.
3. Who are your favorite authors?
"Favorite" is such a tricky word for me. I was the kid who could never pick just one favorite color because I worried that all of the other colors would feel bad. I will say that I have temporary favorites, as I go through different phases of reading and writing, and I have old favorites to whom I periodically return when I need a fix. My favorite re-reads are: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith; I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith; The Canning Season by Polly Horvath; and The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken. Favorite YA authors include Han Nolan, Sonya Hartnett, M.T. Anderson, Garret Freymann-Weyr, and Jennifer Donnelly.
Want to know more? Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook. Or email me with a burning question of your very own.
distinguishing qualities. Consider adding an image for extra engagement.
Series
Monster and Boy
Monster and Boy (2020)
Monster's First Day of School (2021)
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Novels
Wonder Show (2012)
Some of the Parts (2016)
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Picture Books
Bad Guy (2017)
Garcia & Colette Go Exploring (2017)
There's Something About Sam (2020)
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Hannah Barnaby has worked as a children’s book editor, a bookseller, and a teacher of writing for children and young adults. She holds an MA in children’s literature from Simmons College and an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Vermont College. Her first novel, Wonder Show, was a William C. Morris nominee. Hannah lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with her family.
Hannah Barnaby's debut novel, WONDER SHOW, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist in 2013; her second novel, SOME OF THE PARTS, received a starred review from Publisher's Weekly and sold out its first printing in two weeks. Her debut picture book, BAD GUY, illustrated by Mike Yamada, will release in May 2017, and her second, GARCIA & COLETTE GO EXPLORING, illustrated by Andrew Joyner (G.P. Putnam's Sons) will follow shortly thereafter. Hannah has worked as a children's book editor, a bookseller at independent children's bookstores, and a teacher of writing for children and young adults. She holds an MA in Children's Literature from Simmons College and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College, and she was the first Children's Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library. She lives in Charlottesville, VA.
QUOTED: "Writing is a practice rather than a quantifiable topic, and only through the process of the writing itself can the way to write become known. In other words, there are no magic answers, but there are delicious discoveries all along the way."
When did you first feel like a writer?
When I was in eighth grade, my English teacher accused me of plagiarism. I had turned in an essay (I confess, I can’t remember what it was about), and he was sure that I had cheated because the quality was beyond his expectations. I finally convinced him that I had written it myself, and while the whole experience was kind of terrifying, it was also my first realization that writing could be so powerful, and that it could evoke such powerful responses. That was when I first felt like a writer. It was many more years, though, before I called myself a writer.
What is your philosophy about teaching a writing class?
I think a writing class works best if everyone feels that they are on equal footing, that their voices are important and their work is of value. That includes the instructor. I firmly believe that writing is a practice rather than a quantifiable topic, and only through the process of the writing itself can the way to write become known. In other words, there are no magic answers, but there are delicious discoveries all along the way.
If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and why?
The first fictional character I can remember truly loving was Francie Nolan in Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. In the first half of the novel, she was a lonely little girl who treasured books above all else; in the second half, she grew into a self-assured young woman. I go back to that story again and again, and I always find something new to love about Francie.
INSTRUCTOR BIO
Hannah Barnaby worked as a children’s book editor, independent bookseller, and book reviewer before becoming the first children’s writer-in-residence at the Boston Public Library. Her first young adult novel, Wonder Show, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist and her second, Some of the Parts, received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly. She made her double picture book debut in 2017 with Bad Guy (S&S), illustrated by Mike Yamada, and Garcia & Colette Go Exploring (Putnam), illustrated by Andrew Joyner. Hannah has an MA in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College. She lives in Charlottesville.
WHAT WRITERHOUSE STUDENTS ARE SAYING ABOUT HANNAH
“Answered questions, gave solutions.”
“Multiple approaches to plot, multiple sources, down to earth instructor.”
“She was fantastic, approachable, well-informed and organized.”
“She was excellent.”
“I think she did everything well.”
with an MA in Children’s Literature from Simmons College and a job as an editorial assistant at Houghton Mifflin Company. She went on to earn an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College, and served as the first Children’s Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library. Her first novel, WONDER SHOW, was a William C. Morris Award Finalist in 2013 and was also named to YALSA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list. Hannah’s next YA, SOME OF THE PARTS publishes in 2016, and she will also have two picture books coming out in 2017. She lives in Charlottesville, VA with her family.
QUOTED: "confusing transitions between scenes and awkward sentences. All the characters, including the protagonists, are awfully bland."
Barnaby, Hannah THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SAM HMH Books (Children's None) $17.99 7, 14 ISBN: 978-1-328-76680-9
The birthday boy accidentally invites a werewolf to his sleepover.
At first, Max doesn’t want to invite new kid Sam to spend the night along with his other friends. “There’s something different about him,” he argues, but his mom counters that “that’s no reason to leave him out.” The third grader conveys his concerns to his other friends, but they seem to like the weirdo—apparently he “can run really fast,” says Michael (similarly initially left off Max’s guest list for nose-picking), and Elliott enthuses that he “always knows what’s cooking in the cafeteria way before lunchtime.” Sam himself seems hesitant, his hair standing on end as he says “I’m not sure I can…there’s a full moon that night.” But Sam decides to show up after all, and during the course of the sleepover he and his oddities start to grow on Max. Before long it’s revealed that the rare-meat–loving, hairy boy who’s inclined to bite is, in fact, a werewolf. The beastly reveal at the end is fun, but the journey there is bogged down by confusing transitions between scenes and awkward sentences. All the characters, including the protagonists, are awfully bland, and their somewhat interchangeable names make it hard to distinguish between them. The illustrations are unfortunately drab for such a lively concept. Max, his mother, and all his guests save Jeremy, who presents black, seem to be white.
It’s got a werewolf, but it’s bloodless. (Picture book. 4-7)
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"Barnaby, Hannah: THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SAM." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2020. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A619127602/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e808dda5. Accessed 12 June 2020.
QUOTED: "good fun."
There's Something about Sam. By Hannah Barnaby. Illus. by Anne Wilsdorf. July 2020. 32p. HMH, $17.99 (9781328766809). PreS-Gr. 3.
Making invitations to his birthday sleepover party, Max hesitates over inviting Michael, who picks his nose, and the new kid, Sam, because "there's something different about him." He decides to include them both. Sam seems reluctant initially, saying that the full moon falls on Max's birthday, but decides to attend. At the party, he's the only kid who likes his hamburger rare and, when darkness falls, the only one to develop hairy hands, sharp claws, and fangs. Though three of the boys scream and hide, Max reacts to the surprising changes with admiration: "Awesome!" He and Sam run into the yard, where the others soon join them in a wild rumpus. Barnaby's text hits just the right notes, from Max's initial uneasiness about Sam to his joyful acceptance of his friend's differences. Rereading the story, kids may find clues they missed the first time. Wilsdorf captures the action in the line-and-wash pictures, from the realistically chaotic party scenes to the closing image of Max happily writing "Sleepover / Sam!" on every calendar page. Good fun.--Carolyn Phelan
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 American Library Association
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Phelan, Carolyn. "There's Something about Sam." Booklist, vol. 116, no. 17, 1 May 2020, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A623790867/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=da149343. Accessed 12 June 2020.
QUOTED: "This whimsical pair will be a hit with those looking for a playful, adventurous story."
BARNABY, Hannah. Monster and Boy. illus. by Anoosha Syed. 144p. Holt/Godwin Bks. Jul. 2020. Tr $13.99. ISBN 9781250217837.
Gr 1-3--One night, as a young boy goes to bed, he tells his mother that he is not afraid of monsters. The monster who lives under the bed hears the boy and decides to show him the error of his ways, but things go awry when the boy starts to scream and the monster accidentally swallows him. Together, the monster and the boy solve problems, journey through the house, and meet up with the boy's precocious little sister before finally falling asleep. Young readers will find friends in monster and boy. On most of the pages, Syed's silly and inviting illustrations are rendered in black, white, and teal and perfectly complement the duo's amusing antics. The first line of each chapter is in teal and a different font, which may be challenging for early readers, but the rest of the text is easy to read with plenty of white space. Barnaby directly addresses the reader a few times throughout the story, as well as changes tenses. Newly emergent readers may find this style choice challenging, but it could work well as a teaching tool for slightly older readers or in a read-aloud setting. Otherwise, the language is straightforward and the illustrations work in tandem to support the text. VERDICT This whimsical pair will be a hit with those looking for a playful, adventurous story for early independent chapter book readers. Most collections serving this age range will benefit from this addition.--Ellen Conlin, Naperville P.L., IL
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Conlin, Ellen. "BARNABY, Hannah. Monster and Boy." School Library Journal, vol. 66, no. 6, June 2020, p. 55. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A625710090/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=09bf7b65. Accessed 12 June 2020.
QUOTED: "No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story."
Barnaby, Hannah MONSTER AND BOY Godwin Books/Henry Holt (Children's None) $13.99 7, 28 ISBN: 978-1-250-21783-7
A boy discovers that monsters are real—and that one lives under his bed.
The monster and the boy—no names given—share a bedroom, but they have never met. The monster is nocturnal and has lived under the boy’s bed for many years; he knows the sound of the boy’s voice and loves the smell of his dirty socks. One night the boy’s mother reads her son a book about monsters, and she tells him that there is no such thing as monsters. Knowing this is untrue, the monster decides to introduce himself. Predictably, this doesn’t go as well as the monster expects, and when the boy screams, the monster swallows him in a panic. This is distressing for both the monster (who just lost his only friend) and the boy (who now finds himself trapped inside a stomach). Eventually the monster coughs the boy out—only to discover the boy is now grasshopper-sized. Humor ensues. In archly amusing fashion, the author breaks the fourth wall—this is marked by teal-colored page backgrounds—reassuring readers during potentially scary parts of the book, filling in background details, or collegially including them in aspects of the storytelling. Teal-flecked grayscale cartoons appear on almost every page, making this a solid choice for new independent readers. As depicted on the cover, the boy has tightly coiled brown curls and pink skin.
No need to be afraid of monsters after reading this sweet and unusual friendship story. (Fantasy. 6-9)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2020 Kirkus Media LLC
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MLA 8th Edition APA 6th Edition Chicago 17th Edition
"Barnaby, Hannah: MONSTER AND BOY." Kirkus Reviews, 1 May 2020. Gale General OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A622503199/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=62e6bb58. Accessed 12 June 2020.