Burn is a critically-acclaimed verse novel by Alma Fullerton, published by Dancing Cat Books, the children and young adult imprint of Toronto publisher Cormorant Books.
Alma Fullerton talks to Open Book about Burn, the importance of teachers and the unique experience of writing in free verse.
Open Book:
Tell us about your book, Burn.
Alma Fullerton:
Burn is about a 12-year-old girl named Casey who is left to take care of her autistic sister when her mother leaves to pursue a career in music.
OB:
What inspired you to have Casey find an outlet in fire?
AF:
It was a very different story when I first wrote it and fire was the natural outlet in that version, however I’m not sure fire is so much of an outlet at first for Casey as an attempt to get her mother back.
OB:
What are some of the challenges and opportunities that come from writing in free verse?
AF:
The biggest challenge is trying to get a full novel across in few words. You really have to choose your words carefully and can’t use any fillers in attempts to round out characters or scenes. The opportunities — you sometimes hit the reluctant readers who love all the white space.
OB:
What recurring themes or obsessions do you notice turning up in your writing?
AF:
My first three books are all totally different stories but have dead mothers and Burn did at first too but I decided to change it because I didn’t want to write another dead mother book. I do, by the way, love my mother very much and the dedication in Burn is: To my Mother who never ran away from us, no matter how many times she might have wanted to.
OB:
Are you drawn to writing for any particular age group? If so, why?
AF:
I write for all age groups except adults. In the Garage and Walking on Glass are young adult novels, Libertad and Burn are middle grade novels and I will have a picture book out hopefully in 2012.
OB:
Who are some people who have deeply influenced (fellow writers or not) your writing life?
AF:
My first few teachers who will remain nameless because without them I wouldn’t have had the drive to want to prove them wrong, and my fourth grade teacher Mrs. Monds, who cared enough to know I had a learning disability and took the time to teach me to read and Irene Hunt who wrote a book which I picked up in grade eight or nine called The Lottery Rose. Her character was so fantastic he pulled me through the entire story and made me want to write books that pulled children into reading like she did to me.
OB:
Is there a book you’ve read recently that you wished you had written?
AF:
There are a lot. My friend Kathryn Erskine wrote a fabulous book called Mockingbird, Jennifer L. Holm’s Turtle in Paradise, Kathi Appelt’s Keeper, all fantastic books with well developed characters.
OB:
What are you working on now?
AF:
My agent is shopping an illustrated chapter book called Miss Understood about a girl with a learning disability who tries to convince her mother to let her take tests and get help. I’m also working on middle grade or young adult about a boy from Haiti.
Alma Fullerton was born in Ottawa Ontario, as one of seven children. Her dad was in the military so they moved when his postings changed, first to Trenton when she was two, then to Comox when she was twelve. Being dyslexic, she couldn't read until grade four and didn't enjoy reading at all until grade nine, when she discovered books that she really loved. Now that she is as an award-winning author, Alma visits schools to teach children that they, too, can overcome any obstacle.
Her first three books are: In the Garage (2006); Walking on Glass (2007), which was named to the 2008 YALSA Quick Pick list; and Libertad (2008), which was won and was nominated for many awards, including the 2008 Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature (finalist), the 2009 TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (finalist), the 2009 Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award (winner), the 2009 CLA Children's Book of the Year Honor Book, the 2009 Golden Oak Award (winner), the 2009 Once Upon a World Children's Book Award (winner), and the 2010 Silver Birch Award (shortlist).
For more information about Burn please visit the Dancing Cat website.
Buy this book at your local independent bookstore or online at Chapters/Indigo or Amazon.
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