Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: Everything Else in the Universe
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.tracyholczer.com
CITY:
STATE: CA
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in CA; married; husband a general contractor; children: three.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer. Worked formerly as a sales clerk, a credit analyst, and a waitress.
AWARDS:Indies Introduce New Voices pick and Indie Next pick, both 2014, both for The Secret Hum of a Daisy.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Tracy Holczer is a California-based children’s writer. Holczer was raised in California, first in San Jose and then in Grass Valley. It was in Grass Valley that she discovered the beauty of mountains, lakes, and rivers. The beauty of California wilderness is a theme that permeates Holczer’s work. Holczer lives in Los Angeles with her three daughters and husband.
The Secret Hum of a Daisy
Twelve-year-old Grace, in the middle-grade novel The Secret Hum of a Daisy, is accustomed to moving around. For as long as she can remember, she and her mother have lived on the road, settling down in a California town for a few months before the urge to flee fills her mother once again. Her mother, a whimsical artist, is constantly on the search for the perfect home, and Grace is always just as eager as her to find their forever home. When the duo settles in Hood, Grace believes they have found it. The new town seems perfect to Grace, so when her mother suggests they pick up once again, she refuses. That night, her mother dies in a drowning accident.
Shocked and grieving, Grace now moves to Auburn Valley, California, to live with her grandmother—her mother’s mother. Grace wants to hold onto the memories of her mother, and she is furious that she has to live with her grandmother. Although they have only just met, Grace resents her grandmother for kicking out her daughter when she became pregnant with Grace. She does not trust the woman and rebels against her by refusing to sleep in the house, taking up residence in the shed instead. She causes mischief around the house in the hopes that her grandmother will send her away, just like she did with her own daughter. Instead, her grandmother shows Grace some of the art her mother used to make when she was younger. She had a knack for finding beauty where others saw trash, and Grace’s grandmother shows the girl a metal crane her mother had made out of junk.
Whenever Grace and her mother moved to a new town, her mother would set up a scavenger hunt for the girl to help familiarize her with the new home. Seeing the metal bird, Grace is convinced it is a sign of another of her mother’s scavenger hunts. Grace embarks on a treasure hunt, investigating the lands and people that were once the setting of her mother’s childhood. Talking to the townspeople, Grace learns about her family’s history and begins to feel the sense of home and rootedness she has always yearned for.
A contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a tender, transformative exploration of family, loss and reconciliation,” adding, “Grace’s surprising discoveries about herself, her family, and her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgiveness, are engrossing.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly wrote, “Holczer writes with depth, heart, and a poetic lilt … making readers feel the same longing ache as Grace.”
Everything Else in the Universe
In Holczer’s second juvenile novel, Everything Else in the Universe, twelve-year-old Lucy and her father have always had a special bond. While her father was working toward his surgery residency, Lucy was his most supportive coach. When her father is drafted to serve in the Vietnam War, Lucy attempts to maintain her serious, levelheaded way of handling things and develops a daily “behavioral comfort routine” to keep her worries at bay. While her father is overseas, Lucy and her mother move to California to live closer to Lucy’s paternal relatives, a boisterous, loud Italian family. Lucy feels out of place among the embarrassingly affectionate family, but she keeps her mind on her father and keeping her cool while he is out fighting.
He returns an amputee, dashing his dreams of becoming a surgeon. Lucy believes her family teamwork mentality will get her father through this disappointment, but she is wrong. Her father has grown quiet and distant and refuses Lucy’s attempts to help. Lucy’s uncle encourages her to reassess her single-minded devotion to her father’s recovery and explore her own interests.
Lucy finds a friend in a neighborhood boy, Milo, whose father is still in Vietnam. The two bond over their unique obsessions: Lucy loves collecting rocks, while Milo is fascinated by dragonflies. On one of their adventures, they find a soldier’s personal effects, including photos and a Purple Heart, buried in the ground, and decide to go on a mission to return the items to their owner. As they trek around San Jose, they meet Vietnam veterans, protestors, and other affected by the devastating war.
In a review for the Horn Book magazine, Betty Carter wrote, “Their experience is sometimes heartbreakingly poignant,” adding, “The portrait of two children maturing with grace and tolerance is triumphant.” The novel is “well-grounded in its era and peopled by fully realized characters,” wrote a contributor to Publishers Weekly, while a contributor to Kirkus Reviews described the book as “a touching, memorable read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, April 15, 2018, Ilene Cooper, review of Everything Else in the Universe, p. 59.
Horn Book, July-August, 2014, Cynthia K. Ritter, review of The Secret Hum of a Daisy, p. 95; July-August, 2018, Betty Carter, review of Everything Else in the Universe, p. 111.
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2014, review of The Secret Hum of a Daisy; April 15, 2018, review of Everything Else in the Universe.
Publishers Weekly, February 24, 2014, review of The Secret Hum of a Daisy, p. 186; April 16, 2018, review of Everything Else in the Universe, p. 93.
School Library Journal, May, 2014, April Sanders, review of The Secret Hum of a Daisy, p. 111; June, 2018, Susannah Goldstein, review of Everything Else in the Universe, p. 75.
ONLINE
Tracy Holczer website, http://www.tracyholczer.com (November 12, 2018).*
Tracy Holczer writes books for kids from a chair in her living room, flanked by her small, fluffy dogs. She wears a fancy crown as warning to family members that she is not to be disturbed. It doesn't always work, so she'll often leave her "office" for glamorous destinations like the public library or nearest coffee shop. The Secret Hum of a Daisy is her first novel.
Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her husband, three daughters, and two rather fluffy dogs named Buster and Molly. She has a deep love for the mountains where she grew up, the lakes and rivers that crisscrossed her childhood, so she writes them into her stories. The Secret Hum of a Daisy was written in praise of both nature and family, and all that can be found there if you’re willing to hunt for treasure.
Teachers Write 8.4.16 Thursday Quick-Write with Tracy Holczer
Published: August 4, 2016
Good morning! It’s Thursday Quick-Write day, and we have guest author Tracy Holczer with us this morning. Tracy is the author of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY and joins us today to talk about creating characters readers will remember.
Digging Deep: Creating Memorable Characters
“Go deep, not wide.”
I don’t know who to attribute this quote to, but I think about it often in life and in my writing. Because no matter how well a story is plotted, for me, it won’t come to life unless the characters ring true and deep. Although everyone has a different personal story, and each book is different in terms of circumstances and plot, the deepest shades of the human condition tend to be the same. Wanting to be loved, feeling disconnected or lonely, yearning for acceptance to name a few that are universal. These are themes covered over and over again in stories because they strike the heart directly. And if we can strike the heart, we connect to our reader, and that is the whole point.
So how do we show this emotion on the page? The only way I’ve found (and believe me, I have tried to work around this more than I should) is by digging deeply into ourselves.
As a child growing up, I felt outcast. Like I didn’t belong. Whether this was actually true or not is irrelevant. It felt true. And as we all know, feelings and reality don’t always go hand in hand. And although adults and children alike have these types of overwhelming feelings, adults can more often talk themselves through it. We have the tools we need to deal with life on life’s terms. And if we don’t, we can pay someone for their expertise or read trucks full of books on the subject or beat phone books with a hose (very therapeutic) or take a yoga class or drink wine, or, or, or.
But children? They are at the mercy of the adults in their lives. How much they learn about their own emotional landscape is up to adults. Here is where fiction can help. As a novelist, I try to explore every layer of emotion that characters may be feeling, and the only way I can do that is by tapping into my own.
This is when I think of the Big Feelings in my life. Like when I was seven-years-old and my mom sat me down at the foot of her bed and told me she and my father were divorcing, how it literally felt like my entire world was falling apart. Everything I believed to be true about family, suddenly wasn’t. Or my first crush in the seventh grade, how I chased him and caught him to be my date to the Sadie Hawkins dance, which filled me with an exhilaration unmatched to this day. How when we were “married” by the minister in front of the haystacks at the dance, and he turned to me to “kiss the bride,” and I leaned so far backwards that I fell into said haystacks. As exhilarated as I felt, I wasn’t ready for that first kiss.
There are so many of these memories to explore and mine for their emotional truth. So much in our own lives that carry the universal. This is the way we connect to each other. Through shared experience and hope. And for me, digging deep into my own emotional truth is the only way to tell a story.
Today’s Assignment: A great writing exercise is to fictionalize an actual event in your own life. Take a Big Feeling and tell a story around it. Texturize it. Give it sounds and smells. Sit with the memory and look around. Who was there? What did they add or take away from you? Who were you before that moment and how did it change you? Explore, explore, explore. And bring it to life. Not only will your readers love you for it, but you will love yourself, heal yourself maybe, just a little bit more.
Happy writing!
I am a California native and spent a great deal of my childhood outside. There, I helped my dad net smelt along the beaches of Half Moon Bay, collected sea glass in Aptos, and fished the lakes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. When I wasn’t outside, I was in my Nonni’s pink kitchen eating lots of meatballs at family dinners, or I was at school writing short, blood curdling stories and staring out the window. A lot.
By the time I was fourteen, my parents had decided that city life was for the birds (well, not really the birds, just very busy people, which they no longer wanted to be) and we moved to Grass Valley, California.
Having spent my summers camping, it wasn’t much of a shock going from all those cement sidewalks and fast-food restaurants of the city to wide open fields, snow, and the giant cedars in Grass Valley. There I discovered that football games in a small town are as important as eating your vegetables and that you can have snow days in California. I also discovered that geese know how to run, and if you are still and quiet, you can watch a family of deer graze together under the pine trees.
Having my own kids, combined with this deep love of the mountains, was wonderful inspiration to write stories for children. It took me a very, VERY, long time, and I learned that sometimes worthwhile things come with a journey that is just as important as the worthwhile thing you’re trying for. Sort of like a two for one deal.
I now live in Southern California with my family, two rats, three cats, and one fluffy old dog.
Blurb Bio:
Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her family, two rats, three cats and one rather fluffy old dog. Her debut novel, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, was a 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices pick and Indie Next pick. Her second novel, Everything Else in the Universe released June 12, 2018.
Short Bio:
Tracy Holczer lives in Southern California with her family, two rats, three cats and one rather fluffy old dog. She has a deep love for the mountains where she grew up so she writes them into her stories. A 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices pick and Indie Next pick, her debut middle grade novel, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, was written in praise of both nature and family, and all that can be found if you’re willing to hunt for treasure. Her second novel, Everything Else in the Universe, takes a trip through the San Francisco Bay Area during the Vietnam war. It’s about a big, crazy-loving Italian family, a life-changing friendship and the healing power of meatballs.
Long Bio:
At eleven years old, Tracy Holczer read Little Women, and decided she wanted to be a writer. Feathered ball-point pen in hand, she wrote short blood-curdling stories and long, angst-ridden poems through the rest of her childhood. When she was a teen, her family moved to Grass Valley, California where she convinced her mother to get her glasses, even though she didn’t need them, so she would look smart. This is where Tracy decided she would be the next John Steinbeck and write about the glory of trees.
When she grew up, she took a few detours and worked as a sales clerk, a credit analyst, and a waitress in a honky-tonk bar. Somewhere in there, single momhood happened, so she added impersonating Santa Claus and Spider Assassin to her list of jobs. Eventually, she ended up in Southern California, married a General Contractor and lived happily ever after where she doesn’t have to sell ties, crunch numbers or wear a long white beard. Instead, Tracy gets to write stories and visit classrooms.
A 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices and Indie Next pick, Tracy’s middle grade debut, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, was published in May, 2014 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Her second novel, Everything Else in the Universe, was released by Putnam in June, 2018. Set in the San Francisco Bay Area during the war in Vietnam, the story is about a big, crazy-loving Italian family, a life-changing summer friendship and the healing power of meatballs.
CURRENT GIVEAWAYS
Here are my current Giveaway Contests
Stuck in a Good Book Giveaway Hop through September 14th
NOT EVEN BONES through September 23rd
Larissa Helena query critique through September 22nd
THREE RULES OF EVERYDAY MAGIC through September 29th
Clean Your Shelves Giveaway Hop through September 30th
Upcoming Agent Spotlights and Query Critique Giveaways
Wendi Gu Agent Spotlight Interview on 10/29/18
Weronika Janczuk Agent Spotlight Interview on 11/26
TRACY HOLCZER INTERVIEW AND THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY GIVEAWAY
Happy Monday Everyone! Hope you're having a great day. I may be a bit slow in getting to your blogs today. My Mom has been in town for Mother's Day weekend and she leaves later today.
FOLLOWER NEWS
Rachel Morgan is sharing the covers for her new series, The Trouble Series. And here's some links and other information:
Four new heroines are about to enter the book world in this romance series full of swoon-worthy guys, comical moments, witty dialogue, and hot kisses…
Find the series on Goodreads.
Read the prequel novella, FORGIVEN, for FREE at most online retailers!
And Laura Pauling has a new YA contemporary novel that just released called website.
PROM IMPOSSIBLE. You can find Laura at her
Here's the purchase links: Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ iTunes
I have a few winners to announce.
The winner of THE EIGHTH DAY is Claudia McCarron!
And the winner of ROSE AND THE LOST PRINCESS is Jess Lawson!
Congrats! E-mail me your address so I can send you your book. Please e-mail me by the end of Wednesday or I'll have to pick another winner.
Today I’m thrilled to be a part of debut author Tracy Holczer’s blog tour and to have here here to share about her debut MG contemporary book, THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY that released on May 1, 2014. This sounds like a fantastic story I think you’ll like. And it’s gotten fantastic blurbs including:
"Tracy Holczer's story is a lyric about love and loss and not being able to find your future until you've uncovered your past."
— Richard Peck, author of Newbery winning A Year Down Yonder
Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:
Twelve-year-old Grace and her mother have always been their own family, traveling from place to place like gypsies. But Grace wants to finally have a home all their own. Just when she thinks she's found it her mother says it's time to move again. Grace summons the courage to tell her mother how she really feels and will always regret that her last words to her were angry ones.
After her mother's sudden death, Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's never met. She can't imagine her mother would want her to stay with this stranger. Then Grace finds clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on. Maybe it is her mother, showing her the way to her true home.
Lyrical, poignant and fresh, The Secret Hum of a Daisy is a beautifully told middle grade tale with a great deal of heart.
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much for joining us.
1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.
I became a writer because of All the Things. A childhood filled with wonder and nature and love and awfulness. All of those experiences mixed together into a stew and I just have this deep need to unwind it and get it down. My stories are not autobiographical in their literal circumstances, but the emotional circumstances are written from my experience with loss and joy and that overwhelming feeling I had as a kid that things just had to get better. And they did. So for me, it’s important to deliver that message to my readers, but also, writing those types of stories is a constant reminder to myself.
2. That’s great that your writing reminds you of this too. Where did you get the idea for your story?
I sat down quite a few years ago to capture something that happened in my own childhood. I had a statue named Mary that I believed was magic—believed it so hard that I brought it to school for show and tell and would tell anyone who asked about its magical properties. One girl laughed at me and my ridiculous claims, so I told her I’d prove it by throwing Mary onto the hard asphalt. When it shattered, something broke in me, too, and later, I felt drawn to write about what happened. But, interestingly, characters have their own needs and so those particular circumstances from my past fell away as I concentrated more on the feelings they inspired. A lack of faith, a feeling of disconnection, grief. Grace came alive because of what happened to me as a kid, but she took on a life of her own as I gave myself over to the process of story. And healing.
3. It’s great how you drew on your own experiences for the inspiration for your story. Voice is so important, especially in middle grade stories. Did Grace’s voice come easily to you and what tips do you have on getting the middle grade character’s voice right?
Grace’s voice was always there. In fact, I’ve struggled a bit in my new story with the voice because Grace’s way of looking at things still butts in from time to time. My best advice on writing for middle grade is revisiting your own middle grade years. Really go there. Focus on the emotion of the time; the white-hot joy, the overwhelming heartbreak, the expansion of ideas and wrong turns. Also, read a hundred middle grades, one right after the other. Write down what made them work, what sorts of emotions were on the page. Embrace your middle-grade self. She’s in there.
4. I know your advice is true, but must I really go back to those painful years? Just kidding. I know cranes play a role in your story. Share a bit about them and why you decided they would be important to the story.
One of the components of the story is migration. Mama moves she and Grace all over the state of
California, searching for the perfect place to call home. And there is a mystery subplot with the origami. Then I read there was a crane reserve not far from the area where the story takes place, and it all came together. Wings, feathers, flight—those images just felt true to Grace’s journey.
5. That’s amazing how you just discovered the crane reserve close to the setting for your book. What was a challenge you faced craft-wise in writing THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY and how did you overcome it?
PLOT. Traditional thinking around plot is that the character must have an external goal. It wasn’t until finding Robert Olen Butler’s FROM WHERE YOU DREAM that I discovered the idea that it’s enough for the character to have a strong yearning for something they aren’t emotionally equipped to handle. The story then goes about breaking down the barriers that stand in the way of achieving happiness. Once I got this, it was easier to provide an external plot. I highly recommend the book for everyone, but especially those looking to write contemporary, character driven stories.
6. Robert Butler’s book sounds like a great read for contemporary writers. I’ve read that you enjoy reading books on the craft of writing. What are three of your favorites and why do you recommend them?
I use different pieces of craft books at different times. To get down a first draft, I use Blake Snyder’s SAVE THE CAT, but only the beat sheet. As a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer, this helped me tremendously in plotting just enough to get myself to the next structural marker in the story, without feeling burdened by a too specific outline. The one I use in revision is THE PLOT WHISPERER. This one helps in getting to know each of the characters as well as provide every possible idea for how to organize the mess I just created. FROM WHERE YOU DREAM is one to use all along the way for inspiration and as a reminder to trust my instincts.
7. I use the ideas from SAVE THE CAT too and I’ve heard of THE PLOT WHISPERER. I’ll have to check it out. Rosemary Stimola is your agent. How did she become your agent and what was your road to publication like?
I really wanted someone who I felt “got” my work, would invest in me as a writer with their time and effort, and who published other books in the same vein as mine. Secondarily, it would be nice to have someone with connections in other areas – foreign markets, film and TV. So, I went to querytracker and pulled up a list of possibilities, and then read interviews, went to agency websites and read clients’ books. When I had my list, Ro was at the very top. At first, though, I thought, “Um. Hunger Games. This is so not going to happen.” But then I found this in an interview Literary Rambles linked to on Cynsations where Ro stated, “… I never walk away from a pitch-perfect, character-driven middle grade with the right blend of humor and pathos.”
After sending a query, she requested the manuscript just before Christmas 2012 and got back to me in early January with a revision request. After a revise and resubmit, I sent it back and she offered representation. It was all so surreal. You have this dream for years and then, BAM, it’s not a dream anymore. It’s actually happening. Ro has been perfect for me. She is no-nonsense, professional and concise. She returns emails within minutes and loves to brainstorm. I have never once felt like a small fish in her big pond. She treats everyone like a rock star and I’m so happy she’s with me on this journey.
We went on submission in late February and had a two-book deal in May with Stacey Barney at Putnam/Penguin. Another total dream come true. I would say that everyone needs to publish with Stacey, but you can’t have her. She’s mine. However, everyone should publish with Penguin. They are incredible. Ro has since sold rights to Konigskinder/Carlsen in Germany, at auction, and brought HUM along to Bologna and London where I’m waiting, not-too patiently, to hear news.
8. I met Rosemary at a SCBWI weekend conference. She’s a fantastic speaker so I can imagine what an amazing agent she must be. I know you’re doing a blog tour. How did you decide on the blogs for your tour and what advice do you have for middle grade authors setting up their debut blog tour?
I researched blogs that I thought would have an interest in contemporary middle grades, or who primarily focus on middle grade. I pitched myself and offered to send a galley. I took up people on their offers for an interview or review if they came my way. The advice I would give is to keep it to ten blogs or less and don’t focus on the blog’s readership numbers as much as the connection you feel to that blog’s reviews/personality, etc. Always lead with your heart.
9. That’s great advice on setting up a blog tour. I’m flattered you included Literary Rambles in your tour. What are you working on now?
My next book, the tentatively titled THE NATURAL HISTORY OF SAMANTHA ROSSI is scheduled for release in 2016 from Penguin and 2017 from Konigskinder. It’s a Vietnam Era story (I refuse to call it historical fiction since I was a kid in 1971, albeit, a very tiny kid) about a girl who wants to be a scientist and when her father comes back from Vietnam changed, she turns to her science books for theories on how she might reverse evolution. It’s a story about once in a lifetime friendships, a Series of Unfortunate Substitute Teachers, and meatballs. Lots of meatballs. As an aside, if you go here http://tracyholczer.com/treasures.html and click on Nonni’s Pink Kitchen Recipes (and yes, that is an actual picture of my Italian grandmother’s pink kitchen) I freely give the best meatball recipe you will ever find. More recipes to follow as we get closer to release. Happy meatballing!
Thanks for sharing all your advice, Tracy. You can find Tracy at:
Website (where you can find the first chapter of HUM on the Books tab)
Goodreads
Blog (the 30th of each month)
Twitter
And here’s purchase links:
For an autographed copy (make sure and note it in the comments of the purchase or they won't know about the autograph): http://www.shoponceuponatime.com/book/9780399163937
Indiebound
Amazon
So there are two giveaways. First there’s a blog tour giveaway. Fill out the Rafflecopter below to enter:
And Tracy’s publisher Putman Juvenile generously offered an ARC of THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower (just click the follow button if you’re not a follower) and leave a comment through May 26th. I’ll announce the winner on May 28th. If your e-mail is not on your Google Profile, please leave it in the comments.
If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry. You must be 13 or older to enter. This is for US & Canada residents only.
Here’s what’s coming up:
Tomorrow On Tuesday Casey has a guest post by Shannon Wiersbitzky with a giveaway of WHAT FLOWERS REMEMBER.
On Monday I have a guest post by Jacqueline West and a giveaway of one of her books (winner’s choice) in her MG fantasy THE BOOKS OF ELSEWHERE series. I read the first book in the series and really enjoyed it.
I’ll be off the following Monday because it’s Memorial Day but I’ll be back on Wednesday that week with an interview with author and blogger friend Cherie Reich and a giveaway of REBORN, her new YA fantasy that I can’t wait to read.
The next Monday I have an interview with debut author Skylar Dorset and a ARC giveaway of NEVER TRUST A FAIRY, a urban fantasy that sounds really good and that I would have read if so much hadn’t been going on in my personal life lately.
The following Monday I have an interview with debut author Bethany Neal and a ARC giveaway of MY LAST KISS, her YA ghost story/mystery. I loved it.
And here's the rest of the blogs on this Blog Tour:
May 6: Writer, Writer, Pants on Fire
May 7: Leandra Wallace
May 8: Heidi Schultz
May 9: AuthorOf
May 10: Read Now, Sleep Later
May 11: Kidlit Frenzy
May 12: Literary Rambles
May 14: Smack Dab in the Middle
Indies Introduce Interview
An Indies Introduce New Voices Q&A With Tracy Holczer
By Anne Caldwell
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Tracy Holczer is the author of The Secret Hum of a Daisy (Putnam Juvenile), a Summer/Fall 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices pick for middle grade readers. She lives with her husband and three daughters in Los Angeles, where she writes full time.
“When 12-year-old Grace’s mother dies, she’s reunited with her estranged grandmother in a rural town she has never even visited. It takes a mysterious treasure hunt, a new best friend with a quirky little brother, dozens of origami cranes, and a town welcoming her with open arms for Grace to come to terms with her new family and discover her true home. Poignant, endearing and fresh, this beautifully told middle grade novel is full of wisdom and heart,” said Krista Gilliam of Little Shop of Stories in Decatur, Georgia.
What inspired you to write The Secret Hum of a Daisy?
Tracy Holczer: Grace, in all her prickly wisdom, knocked on the door of my brain, in her too-tight Mary Janes, and wouldn’t leave. Very demanding, that one. I resisted at first, because I was hesitant to dive into feelings of grief and loss. I mean, really. There are whole professions dedicated to relieving those feelings for people and here I am, standing at the edge of some great abyss of misery, ready to dive in. Who does that? Me, I guess.
Ultimately, though, I could see the pinprick of light at the end of her tunnel and wanted to get her there. Also, I was inspired by the part of myself that is Grace. It’s easy to forget how strong we are, how very courageous, just to deal with the everyday uncertainty of life, let alone the horrible knock-downs. I wanted to celebrate that, and watch and see if this girl, who had lost everything, could find the hope to rebuild.
What thoughts went through your head when you received the phone call telling you that you had earned a spot on the Indies Introduce list?
TH: First, I must admit that I had just stepped out of the shower and madly wrapped myself in a towel as the phone rang. Forgive the imagery, but I love this because that’s life! Galumphing seems to be a necessary part of this journey. Nothing like taking a really important phone call with mascara racooning my eyes to keep things in perspective.
At first, I didn’t understand what the wonderful Summer Laurie was telling me. I got about every third word, and had to ask lots of questions, because she can’t possibly be telling me I made the Indies Introduce New Voices list.
But she was. So I thanked her, which seemed wholly insufficient, and then tried to have a normal, productive day. Which so didn’t happen.
What advice would you give a young reader interested in writing?
TH: I love this question. I would say, “Only pay attention to the people who feed you.” They are the only ones that matter. If they are feeding you good food or love or encouragement, if they feed you books or inspiration or knowledge — they are your people. Gather them around. The others? They may be everywhere and be hard to ignore. They are the people who say you’re doing it wrong or that you are weird. The people who take things from you — your happiness, or excitement or exuberance — those are not your people. Sometimes you must tolerate them, but this will build your character (and give you more to write about). Sometimes you have to do what they say, because they are teachers/parents/principals/relatives. But you don’t need to bring them into your heart. Save your heart for those people who will cherish it. Your life, your experience, and what you have to say is precious. Write about all of it. Write long and hard and with everything you have. With passion and persistence, you will get there.
How did origami cranes and The Children’s Peace Monument help inspire your debut?
TH: There was something about the folds of a crane that made me think about the secret folds of the heart. How we keep so many things tucked away. Also, I folded many cranes over the course of revising the story, and it struck me how a crane starts with a large square of paper, and you fold it smaller and tighter, until you aren’t sure how this can turn into anything good, and then, with one last fold, that square has transformed into something that flies. I’m still amazed, every time.
The Children’s Peace Monument actually came about from something my agent had suggested in rewrites about Sadako Sasaki and her story. At first they didn’t seem connected to me, but as I wrote Sadako more deeply into the story, it seemed like such a wonderful parallel to how we each grieve differently. How we all have our own way of handling death. It also seemed like a perfect fit for Mr. Flinch’s social studies class.
Poetry is featured in Secret Hum. Tell us a little about your interest in poetry and why you think it’s such an important tool for children.
TH: Robert Frost has always been a particular favorite of mine. I love all of his poetry because of its accessibility. I was one of those kids who did poorly during that part in English class when we had to discuss themes and symbolism. I think, because of that, I wrote this into the story:
“Thinking can steal the magic right out of a thing. The trick is finding a good balance.” Mama went on to tell me that those poems were like colorful bits of laundry all pinned to a line and blowing in the breeze. “Let the pictures come from the words, Grace. It’s the seeing that stays with you. And you might see something different on a different day.”
Grace’s first poem is so very simple.
Fly away
sad feelings.
I want children to feel comfortable coming to poetry and know that anything they write and want to call a poem is a poem. Here, children can see there is tremendous power in just a few words and that you don’t need to write a novel to tell a story.
Were books an important facet of your childhood? What book(s) did you read as a child?
TH: I dabbled in reading in elementary school. But I was a little too dreamy to really sit down and focus for long periods of time. However, if I could save and scrap enough quarters together to buy a book from the Scholastic catalog, I would read that from cover to cover, over and over again. Once I hit 11 and read Little Women, though, the dabbling was over. I was hooked. Another really influential book was The Hobbit.
Are you working on anything now?
TH: I am! I am hard at work on my second novel, tentatively titled The Natural History of Samantha Rossi about 12-year-old Sam who wants, more than anything, to be a scientist. And when her father comes home from Vietnam changed, she is convinced all she has to do is turn to her science books to reverse evolution. There are daring expeditions, a Series of Unfortunate Substitute Teachers, and an unending supply of meatballs. Sam should hit shelves in summer 2016.
If you were a bookseller, is there a book you would say every child just has to read?
TH: Weirdly, no. Every child brings a different sensibility to reading and will enjoy different books because of it. The book that changed my life wouldn’t necessarily change the life of anyone else. I would instead ask that child if there was a book they thought I just had to read. And then I would read it.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three titles would you want to have with you?
TH:
To Kill a Mockingbird
Peace Like a River
Walk Two Moons
Bookstores that haven’t signed up for the 2014 Indies Introduce Summer/Fall promotion can do so here. The list of participating stores will be shared with Indies Introduce publishers on May 19, so stores should sign up before then to receive specials on Summer/Fall selections.
The Secret Hum of a Daisy, by Tracy Holczer (Putnam Juvenile, Hardcover, 9780399163937) Publication Date: May 1, 2014.
Learn more about Tracy Holczer at tracyholczer.com.
Blog Tour: Everything Else In The Universe - An Interview with Tracy Holczer
June 18, 2018 Alyson Beecher
Everything Else in the Universe
by Tracy Holczer
G.P. Putnam & Sons Books for Young Readers (June 12, 2018)
Fiction * Family * Vietnam War
Audience: Ages 10 and up
Indiebound | WorldCat
Description from GoodReads: Lucy is a practical, orderly person--just like her dad. He taught her to appreciate reason and good sense, instilling in her the same values he learned at medical school. But when he's sent to Vietnam to serve as an Army doctor, Lucy and her mother are forced to move to San Jose, California, to be near their relatives--the Rossis--people known for their superstitions and all around quirky ways.
Lucy can't wait for life to go back to normal, so she's over the moon when she learns her father is coming home early. It doesn't even matter that he's coming back "different." That she can't ask too many questions or use the word "amputation." It just matters that he'll be home. But Lucy quickly realizes there's something very wrong when her mother sends her to spend the summer with the Rossis to give her father some space. Lucy's beside herself, but what's a twelve-year-old to do?
It's a curious boy named Milo, a mysterious packet of photographs and an eye-opening mission that makes Lucy see there's more to life than schedules and plans, and helps to heal her broken family. The latest from critically-acclaimed author Tracy Holczer is a pitch-perfect middle grade tale of family and friendship that's sure to delight fans of One for the Murphys and Rules.
Thank you Tracy for stopping by Kid Lit Frenzy and talking about your new book Everything Else in the Universe.
Kid Lit Frenzy: As I was thinking about Everything Else in the Universe, I couldn't help but wonder if it would be considered historical fiction or contemporary fiction. Not that this distinction changes how I would share the book with students, but I am curious how you viewed it as you were writing it.
Tracy Holczer: After the election in 2016, I was in revisions and was struck by how history was repeating itself. When I originally conceived and did first drafts of the story, the 70's was a singular time in history. The details I chose to reflect that history leaned heavily on protest and conflict with the war, as well as universal themes of sacrifice, family and friendship. What I had originally considered to be historical feels very contemporary, now, I believe, because of what's happening all around us. During last revisions, I tried to go with that, focusing on historical elements that actually paralleled the here and now. I hope this sparks many conversations about the importance of protest, what children sacrifice when parents go to war, and that history can and will repeat itself if we are not vigilant.
KLF: What was the biggest surprised that Lucy or Milo revealed to you as your were writing the story?
TH: The biggest surprise was digging up that flight helmet in the garden. I did not see that coming until Milo's shovel banged against metal, and I saw the U.S. stamp down there in the dirt. I love it when that happens. It sort of turns everything on it's ear, but in a good way.
KLF: In conversations, we have spoken about how family and culture are important. Can you talk about this in relationship to Lucy and Everything Else in the Universe?
TH: Family and culture are everything. There is so much conversation going on right now about identity and who has the right to tell which stories. I'm very much in the camp of writing from a solid foundation of what you know emotionally. Writing a main character from the perspective of someone else's identity feels very much like identity theft to me. Especially in light of the CCBC publishing statistics about People of Color and First/Native Nations. Until those numbers rise, where people of their own cultures are telling more of their own stories, I think we need to make room at the table. Does this mean I believe white people shouldn't write about other cultures? No. Our books should be peopled by real life characters, and the world we live in is diverse. I just can't help but feel that, because there is a call for more diversity in writing for children, writers are seeing that as a trend they should follow, an opportunity to sell. Which is a terrible reason to write anything, imho. Bottom line is, write from your heart, but be clear on your motives. Intentions are well and good, but don't mistake them for sensitivity. Sensitivity takes more work.
KLF: I loved that the cat was named Cannoli. If I ever get more cats maybe I will name them Cannoli and Ravioli. Speaking of Cannoli, where have you found a decent one in Southern California? I miss the ones I used to get in Connecticut.
TH: An interesting story about cannoli. The Italians in my family didn't make them until my mother came along and she was all, "where's the cannoli?" So she found a recipe and started making them at family events. They were terrible. Filled with ricotta and dried fruit and overly thick, oily shells (sorry, Mom!). But the family loved them! (or maybe they just pretended to for my mother. Sorry again, Mom!). Anyway, I didn't have a real cannoli until my friend Nicole Maggi's book launch (check out her newest - What They don't Know from Sourcebooks Fire, Oct. 2018), where she had them flown in from Ferrara's in NYC. According to Nicole, Eagle Rock Bakery has some good ones. So let's make that our next lunch date!
KLF: Can you share about any writing projects that you are currently working on?
TH: I am currently working on something tentatively titled Braving the Woods. It's a fairy tale retelling of sorts where the main character's parents have been enchanted by grief. My girl, Juniper, comes up with a way to break the spell, which involves a one thousand mile journey to get her recently deceased brother's military service dog. It deals with living in the shadow of an idolized big brother and how to break free from that. With a little bit of a surprise ending (that I hope I can make work, cross your fingers for me). I pulled some from Grimm's Little Brother, Little Sister, which embraces the theme of bringing family back together after great suffering and death. Suffering and death! Good heavens, I guess someone has to write the weepies! Oh, how I love them myself. And I hope my readers do, too.
Check out the other stops in the blog tour:
Smack Dab in the Middle - June 16th
Mr. Schu Reads - June 17th
Kidlit Frenzy - June 18th
Teach Mentor Texts - June 20th
Caroline Starr Rose - June 22nd
About the author: Tracy Holczer spent her first twelve years in San Jose, California with her boisterous Italian family. Everything Else in the Universe is a love letter to that family, the pink kitchen where she discovered her nonni's secret ability to infuse food with love, and the San Francisco Bay Area in all its foggy glory. Her critically acclaimed first novel, The Secret Hum of a Daisy, made several state award lists and garnered starred reviews. A full time writer, Tracy lives in Los Angeles with her family, one fluffy dog and three cats.
Saturday, June 16, 2018
Everything Else in the Universe: An Interview with Tracy Holczer
First, congratulations on your powerful new middle grade novel, Everything Else in the Universe. As a fellow writer who has also recently released a middle grade novel concerned with the U. S. involvement in the war in Vietnam, I’m delighted to talk to you a bit about your own process in particular and about historical fiction in general.
Tell me a little bit about the book’s premise, and how you landed on this subject.
Everything Else in the Universe is first, and foremost, a story about family and healing. I had a disabled father, and grew up in the 70’s, so the Vietnam era seemed a natural fit. I wanted to explore the viewpoint of a child with a parent serving, the sacrifices made by children when their parents are sent to war. As the novel progressed alongside the runup to the election in 2016, it seemed important to lean more heavily on the division of feeling about Vietnam at that time in history and the political ramifications. Not just about protest, but of the very real conflicted feelings a child might have about loyalty, not just with regard to patriotism, but to a parent who has suffered a great loss while serving. To me, when stripped to that level, whether the war was just or unjust almost became irrelevant. It became a story about a girl trying to figure out her place in the world, but more importantly, her place in her family.
Did you set out to write a book about the effect of the war in Vietnam on the families of the American soldiers that served?
I set out, primarily, to write about one family. To shine a light on the sacrifice this country expects not just of its military personnel, but the children in those families. I watched films of parents returning from war and was struck by the pure relief of the children. Wild, uncontained, relief. And I just wanted to try to capture the whole picture. What came before and after that moment.
Could you share a bit about your research process for the book?
I am a bit of a scatterbrain. So, my research was all over the place. I went to San Jose, California, where the book is set, and went through their newspaper archives for the summer of 1971, the summer Lucy and Milo became friends. I read Farmer’s Almanacs and World Book Encyclopedias and Life Magazines. I went back to my own childhood photos and ordered a Sears catalogue from the summer of 1971. I interviewed Vietnam vets and heart surgeons. I also read letters from Vietnam vets to their families. It was very surreal doing the research as history seemed to be repeating itself.
What do you think a book like Everything Else in the Universe offers contemporary readers, especially middle-grade readers?
Sadly, I think our Vietnam stories are now showing middle-grade readers that history can, and will, repeat itself if we are not vigilant.
The writing process, especially for the novel, is a long, hard road, and the publication of a book marks a major achievement. As the book makes its way into the hands of readers, what about the book or the project brings you the greatest sense of accomplishment?
My sense of accomplishment comes from finishing. There were times, many more than I’d like to remember, where I was certain I wouldn’t. That this story was too much for me, and I’d bitten off more than I could chew. But every time that happened, I took a breath (or three), and went back to it. I look forward to talking about this difficult process with kids. The importance of holding a goal and seeing it through, no matter what.
Thanks so much, Tracy. Congratulations!
I'm delighted to be the first stop on Tracy's blog tour. Readers who want to learn more about Everything Else in the Universe can follow Tracy's blog tour here:
Mr. Schu Reads - June 17th
Kidlit Frenzy - June 18th
Teach Mentor Texts - June 20th
Caroline Starr Rose - June 22nd
Everything Else in the Universe
Betty Carter
The Horn Book Magazine. 94.4 (July-August 2018): p111+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Full Text:
Everything Else in the Universe
by Tracy Holczer
Intermediate, Middle School Putnam 255 pp. g
6/18 978-0-399-16394-4 $16.99
As the only child in a close-knit family, twelve-year-old Lucia Mercedes Evangeline Rossi (Lucy for short)--focused, serious, and levelheaded--prides herself on being a team player working toward helping her dad finish his surgical residency. When her father is drafted to serve in Vietnam (it's 1971), Lucy copes with her fears for him by performing repetitive tasks each day. She maintains her "behavioral comfort routine" even as she and her mother move to be near her paternal relatives, an (embarrassingly) exuberant and affectionate Italian American family.
When her father returns home with his right arm amputated and his plans to work as a heart surgeon dashed, Lucy believes the family teamwork that got him through medical school will help with his adjustment. It doesn't. An uncle suggests that perhaps her single-minded devotion to her father doesn't allow for serendipity in her own life, for finding "something truly wonderful, maybe even necessary while looking for something else." Gradually, she does find something truly wonderful in a friendship with a neighbor boy, Milo, whose father was also sent to Vietnam and who is keeping a tragic secret. The historical setting and the national arguments about Vietnam swirl around Lucy and Milo as they try to find their places in a world they cannot control, but one in which they can find purpose. Their experience is sometimes heartbreakingly poignant, and the portrait of two children maturing with grace and tolerance is triumphant.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Carter, Betty. "Everything Else in the Universe." The Horn Book Magazine, July-Aug. 2018, p. 111+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A548321805/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=cbd3c465. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A548321805
Everything Else in the Universe
Publishers Weekly. 265.16 (Apr. 16, 2018): p93.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* Everything Else in the Universe
Tracy Holczer. Putnam, $16.99 (272p) ISBN
978-0-399-16394-4
Holczer's perceptive novel, set in 1971, opens as 12-year-old Lucy Rossi's father returns home from Vietnam missing his right arm. Lucy and her parents have always been a mutually supportive team. Expecting this dynamic to continue, careful Lucy (who relies on her "behavioral comfort routines") studies up on amputees and prosthetics, only to find her father resistant to her efforts. Bewildered by the change in her family, Lucy feels left out and unloved, particularly after she's sent to stay with her uncle's boisterous family. A new friendship with Milo, whose dad is fighting in Vietnam, helps; his interest in dragonflies mirrors Lucy's in rocks, and after they discover a soldier's personal effects, they work together to find the owner. Affectingly tracing Lucy's struggles with her altered family, Holczer also credibly portrays the conflicting views on the war, from protestors to former vets. Well-grounded in its era and peopled by fully realized characters, the book is a resonant historical novel and a thoughtful exploration of how war and injury affect family, friendships, and individual growth. Ages 10-up. June)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Everything Else in the Universe." Publishers Weekly, 16 Apr. 2018, p. 93. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A536532794/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=00b3e5bf. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A536532794
Everything Else in the Universe
Ilene Cooper
Booklist. 114.16 (Apr. 15, 2018): p59.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Full Text:
Everything Else in the Universe.
By Tracy Holczer.
June 2018. 272p. Putnam, $16.99 (9780399163944). Gr. 5-8.
Twelve-year-old Lucy's surgeon father is coming home from Vietnam--minus his arm. Steady, solemn Lucy has held things together in the year he's been gone by studying the rocks he's sent her, trying to fit in with his boisterous Italian family, and being a team with her patrician mother. But the move to California has left her friendless until she meets Milo, whose father is still in Vietnam. When they find military artifacts, including photos and a Purple Heart, buried nearby, the duo decide to locate the rightful owner. Lucy's adjustments are thoughtfully examined, and her evolving efforts to stabilize her family in general, and her father in particular, are well crafted. The backdrop of Vietnam fits more easily at some times than others, but its long reach is explained and acknowledged. There's a lot of sadness and uncertainty that blankets Lucy's story, but Holczer does a fine job of piercing the weight with bits of family levity, and with the ethereal beauty of the dragonflies--Milo's obsession--that flit in and out of the story.--Ilene Cooper
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Cooper, Ilene. "Everything Else in the Universe." Booklist, 15 Apr. 2018, p. 59. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A537268219/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=f684c9a5. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A537268219
Holczer, Tracy: EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE
Kirkus Reviews. (Apr. 15, 2018):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Holczer, Tracy EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE Putnam (Children's Fiction) $16.99 6, 12 ISBN: 978-0-399-16394-4
It's 1971, and the Vietnam War has upended Lucy Rossi's life; when her Army doctor dad returns an amputee, the unsettling changes intensify.
After her dad shipped out, Lucy, 12, and her mom moved from Chicago to San Jose, California, close to his eccentric, loving Italian-American family. Lucy still hasn't made friends. She treasures the small rocks her dad encloses in his letters and longs for his return. But he arrives home changed: He won't use his prosthesis and rebuffs her attempts to help; he talks to her mom in private but shuts Lucy out. She finds solace in her friendship with another newcomer, Milo, whose dad's still in Vietnam. Finding an unknown soldier's discarded helmet, photos, and Purple Heart, they decide to identify and locate him and deliver the items to his family. Along the way, they're welcomed at an informal refuge for veterans but turned away from the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion, where Vietnam veterans are despised. As her dad's condition worsens and the hunt stalls, friends and family teach Lucy to value human connections she's dismissed. Lyrically written, the novel portrays the war's corrosive, divisive impacts with compassion but skirts the harder issue of those within and outside the military who resisted a war they saw as wrong. Major characters are white; two memorable secondary characters are African-American.
A touching, memorable read that explores the costs, large and small, of an unpopular war. (Historical fiction. 10-14)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Holczer, Tracy: EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE UNIVERSE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2018. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A534375188/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=e92170db. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A534375188
The Secret Hum of a Daisy
Cynthia K. Ritter
The Horn Book Magazine. 90.4 (July-August 2014): p95+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 The Horn Book, Inc.. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Sources, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.hbook.com/magazine/default.asp
Full Text:
The Secret Hum of a Daisy
by Tracy Holczer
Intermediate, Middle School Putnam 314 pp.
5/14 978-0-399-16393-7 $16.99
"Death is a hard nut to crack" for twelve-year-old Grace, who is mourning her peripatetic artist mother's unexpected passing. She wants to keep Mama's memory close but doesn't think she can do that living with her grandmother in Mama's hometown of Auburn Valley, California. The two have only just met, and Grace refuses to trust Grandma or forgive her for sending Mama away as a pregnant teen. She protests by sleeping in the shed and causing mischief in hopes that Grandma won't want her anymore. After Grandma shows her one of the junk-art birds her mother made--a metal crane--Grace embarks on a treasure hunt; Mama used to familiarize Grace with each new town they lived in by sending her on a treasure hunt, and now Grace believes Mama left clues for her to follow in Auburn Valley. In talking to townspeople, who help her fill in the gaps about her family's past, Grace finds her own identity and the hope, peace, and home she's been looking for. Holczer weaves healing symbols (birds, daisies) and poetry into her lyrical text, and Auburn Valley's quirky characters and small-town charm add humor and warmth. Grace is a multifaceted, relatable protagonist: she's pensive, stubborn, lonely, and caring--much like Grandma, which is why they are able to help heal each other's grief. Their relationship evolves in an honest and tender way in this heartfelt debut about loss and love.
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Ritter, Cynthia K. "The Secret Hum of a Daisy." The Horn Book Magazine, July-Aug. 2014, p. 95+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A375951298/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=25a77aa9. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A375951298
Holczer, Tracy: THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY
Kirkus Reviews. (Apr. 15, 2014):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Holczer, Tracy THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY Putnam (Children's Fiction) $16.99 5, 1 ISBN: 978-0-399-16393-7
In this debut novel, Holczer presents a tender, transformative exploration of family, loss and reconciliation. Grace has been moving all over California with Mama, looking for the perfect home. She is sure they have found it in Hood, so when Mama suggests they uproot, Grace puts her foot down. On that night, Mama dies. Now Grace is living with her estranged Grandma-the very same woman who sent Mama away when she was pregnant with Grace. Grace is determined to make life impossible so Grandma will send her away, too. Grace's voice is smart and observant; her sadness is palpable. Despite her resistance, Grace is assisted through her grief by a cast of colorful, original characters, including her Grandma, who reminds Grace in many ways of Mama. And Grandma, just like Mama always did whenever they moved to a new town, has set up a treasure hunt for Grace in hopes of leading her, and welcoming her, home. The phrasing and the images are beautiful and rich. If the pace begins to lag a bit, young readers invested in the emotional journey will not mind. Grace's surprising discoveries about herself, her family, and her friends, and her struggles with sorrow and forgiveness, are engrossing. (Fiction. 10-14)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Holczer, Tracy: THE SECRET HUM OF A DAISY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2014. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A364691062/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=2f1455fe. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A364691062
The Secret Hum of a Daisy
Publishers Weekly. 261.8 (Feb. 24, 2014): p186.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
* The Secret Hum of a Daisy
Tracy Holczer. Putnam, $16.99 (320p) ISBN 978-0-399-16393-7
In a lovely and captivating debut, Holczer crafts a tender story of an orphaned girl left with a grandmother she resents in a town that holds the secrets of her family's past. Twelve-year-old Grace is no stranger to new places: her wayward, artistic mother seemed to uproot them every few months without explanation. After Grace's mother dies in a drowning accident, Grace is expected to move in with a grandmother she doesn't know or trust, as she struggles to understand the loss of her mother, discover her family's history, and follow a trail of clues she's certain her mother left for her. Holczer writes with depth, heart, and a poetic lilt ("I shivered in my sleeping bag, feeling the chill of the river, and wondered if my dreams were bringing me one piece of Mama's death at a time"), making readers feel the same longing ache as Grace. Despite a lack of suspenseful or action-packed scenes, Grace's story and Holczer's nuanced characters engage from beginning to end. Ages 10-up. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio. (May)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"The Secret Hum of a Daisy." Publishers Weekly, 24 Feb. 2014, p. 186. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A360119267/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=5a4e50fe. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A360119267
HOLCZER, Tracy. Everything Else in the Universe
Susannah Goldstein
School Library Journal. 64.6 (June 2018): p75+.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2018 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
HOLCZER, Tracy. Everything Else in the Universe. 272p. Putnam. Jun. 2018. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780399163944.
Gr 4-6--Twelve-year-old Lucy should be having the best summer of her life--her beloved father has just returned from Vietnam, and she is looking forward to spending time with him. But her father is struggling--both with the loss of his arm and what that loss means for his career as a surgeon. Lucy is an autodidact and a fixer, so she goes into research overdrive and wants to spend her summer helping her father recalibrate--but her father needs space and sends Lucy to stay with her extended family instead. There, Lucy embarks on a mission with a new neighbor to return a Purple Heart to a mysterious Vietnam veteran. The novel introduces a nuanced view of the Vietnam War to readers via conversations Lucy has with her peacenik cousin, veterans at the VFW, and her grandfather. Lucy's profound anxiety over her father's mental and physical state is treated gently by Holczer, as Lucy works towards healing and opening herself up to help and love. This is a quiet, tender work of historical fiction about grief, love, and learning to let go. VERDICT A worthy addition to any middle grade collection, especially for readers who loved Jennifer Holm's Penny from Heaven.--Susannah Goldstein, Bronx School for Law, Government, and Justice, NY
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Goldstein, Susannah. "HOLCZER, Tracy. Everything Else in the Universe." School Library Journal, June 2018, p. 75+. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A540902908/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=18d9b6d6. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A540902908
Holczer, Tracy. The Secret Hum of a Daisy
April Sanders
School Library Journal. 60.5 (May 2014): p111.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2014 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Full Text:
* HOLCZER, Tracy. The Secret Hum of a Daisy. 320p. Putnam. May 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780399163937; ebk. $10.99. ISBN 9780698158610.
Gr 6-8--Holczer writes about the common theme of loss, but creates quite an uncommon character who must deal with the sudden death of her mother, and moving in with a grandmother she has never met. Grace's mother leads them on a nomadic life of moving from one place to another, always searching for just the right home, until her untimely death. Grace must then find a way to get to know and forgive her grandmother who has always been a stranger in her life. She soon discovers that her mother has left her one more treasure hunt. The clues take her deep inside her family's past and unlock memories that finally give her the stability and roots she has always been craving. Holczer expertly crafts the characters and dialogue to create a story readers will identify with, and thoroughly enjoy. The undercurrent theme of loss is balanced well with humor and an authentic protagonist. More than simply a book about grief and the death of a parent, Grace's story is about the search for identity. An essential purchase for middle-grade collections.--April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Sanders, April. "Holczer, Tracy. The Secret Hum of a Daisy." School Library Journal, May 2014, p. 111. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A367298845/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=8a1218e8. Accessed 20 Sept. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A367298845