Take lots of Rowling with a dash of Sachar

Much about J.K. Rowling today in the news.

USAToday has published the AP's recap of the Tatler interview.

Tracy Grant takes on the questions left by Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince for "KidsPost" (Washington Post). The article begins, "Have you figured out who RAB is? Does your family get into shouting matches over whether Snape ( Professor Snape, please) is good or evil?" My daughter, a co-worker and I got into just this argument over Thanksgiving Dinner. In any case, I learned something (or was reminded of a clue) when reading this piece. Definitely worth a look.

Also "KidsPost" asks children to vote for their favorite child character in Harry Potter.

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Jacqueline Blais speaks to Louis Sachar about Small Steps for USAToday. Sachar discusses his influences and how he writes (2 hours a day with 5-6 hours of revision). He says, for example, "In high school, he read J.D. Salinger and Kurt Vonnegut, who 'got me excited about reading and writing.' What both writers have in common, he says, is the ability to engage readers and make them think. He tries to do the same."