Why Shannon Hale is My Hero
Why Shannon Hale is My Hero:
- I admit it, I love fairy tales.
- I also love Jane Austen.
- Princess in Black: ninja plus princess. Plus quirky names and scary bunnies
- Real Friends: I've already decided that 11 year old Shannon and 11 year old Melanie are kindred spirits. See my letter to Shannon at age 10. I'm saying we're friends at 11 because it takes awhile to build a friendship.
- Twitter/standing up for another: Shannon Hale recently withdrew from a conference after at first trying to stand up for someone regarding sexual harassment. Which didn't go over well—instead she received a very condescending message, which she (initially anonymously) posted on twitter. Twitter blew up. And Hale very graciously responded. And then withdrew from the conference.
- #kidlitwomen post: in a recent blog post (March 2018), Shannon Hale talks about why both boys and girls can read about princesses. And how we, as parents, teachers, pediatricians, adults can help shape what our little ones are thinking, and help open up worlds to our kids, rather than closing doors. See this article here where she talks about how talking sexism in reading hurts both boys and girls.
- I write with my husband too. Sometimes.
- Squirrel Girl: loud, real, laugh out loud moments and chortles from my girls
- The mom/writing/work juggle is real: I love that she makes a living with her writing, while still writing exceptional work, while still juggling being a parent of four children.
Photo above was taken at the L.A. Times Festival of Books in 2017 with Dean Hale and Shannon Hale.
Tell Dr. Bookworm!
Is there a writer or illustrator who you admire? Is there someone you admire not just for their mad writing/illustrating skills but for who they are? I'd love to hear about them in the comments section below!
The SKINNY ON THIS WRITER will be a monthly series with the quick rundown on some of our favorite authors. Shannon Hale is our inaugural bullet list writer. :D
