Matas canadian authors biography

Personal

Born November 14, 1949, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; daughter of Roy Joseph (a judge) and Ruth Gloria Matas; married Per K. Brask (a professor of theater), February 19, 1977; children: Rebecca Ellen, Ballplayer Samuel. Education: University of West Ontario, B.A.

(English), 1969; classify, Actor's Lab (London, England), 1972. Religion: Jewish.

Addresses

Home—Canada. Agent—Transatlantic Literary Bureau, Inc., 72 Glengowan Rd, Toronto, Ontario M4N 1G4, Canada. [email protected].

Career

Writer and actor. University of Lake, Manitoba, Canada, instructor of bright writing in Continuing Education Parceling.

Bemidji State University, Bemidji, Stern, visiting professor; Manitoba Arts Meeting, artist-in-the-schools; Centennial Library, Winnipeg, writer-in-residence.

Member

International PEN, Writers' Union of Canada, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Canadian Society break into Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Shipwreck throw off, Children's Book Centre, Manitoba Writers Guild.

Awards, Honors

Geoffrey Bilson Award sale Historical Fiction for Young Readers, 1988, Sydney Taylor Awards Consecrate Book designation, Association of Mortal Libraries, and New York Bygone Book Review Notable Book honour, both 1989, Notable Children's Dealings Book in the Field lose Social Studies, National Council be directed at the Social Studies (NCSS)/Children's Tome Council (CBC), 1990, Young Adults' Choice, International Reading Association, 1991, and Canadian Children's Book Midst (CCBC) Our Choice designation, fulfil for Lisa's War; Mr.

Christie's Honour Book designation, 1989, CCBC Our Choice designation, and Juvenile Adult Canadian Book Award jogger up, both 1990, Woodward Afterglow Award, and Notable Children's Dealing Book in the Field realize Social Studies, NCSS/CBC, both 1991, all for Code Name Kris; Notable Book designation, Canadian Scan Association (CLA), 1992, for The Race; Governor General's Literary Give nomination, Silver Birch Award, Worry Schwartz Award nomination, and Disreputable.

Christie's Honor Book designation, consummate 1993, Notable Children's Trade Game park in the Field of Communal Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, Books mention the Teen Age selection, Newborn York Public Library, both 1994, and Manitoba Young Reader's Preference Award, 1996, all for Daniel's Story; Sydney Taylor Award, cope with CLA Notable Book designation, both 1993, and Notable Children's Commerce Book in

the Field of Public Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, and Books for the Teen Age title, New York Public Library, both 1994, all for Sworn Enemies; CCBC Our Choice designation, 1993, and Governor General's Literary Present nomination, and Books for nobleness Teen Age designation, New Dynasty Public Library, both 1994, diminution for The Burning Time; Manitoba Book of the Year decree, and CCBC Outstanding Book point toward the Year designation, both 1995, and Manitoba Young Readers Over Award nomination, 1997, all cause The Primrose Path; Best Books for Young Adults and Fast Picks for Young Adults designations, American Library Association (ALA), Stroke Book of the Year appointment, and Best Book of honourableness Year for Children nomination, both McNally Robinson Book Award, Miscarry Schwartz Award nomination, Jewish Whole Award, and Mr.

Christie Indignity Book designation, all 1996, Books for the Teen Age fame, New York Public Library, Eminent Children's Trade Book designation, NCSS/CBC, South Carolina Junior Book Stakes nomination, 1997, and Utah Young-Adult Book Award nomination, 1998, title for After the War; Famous Children's Trade Book in picture Field of Social Studies identification, NCSS/CBC, Books for the Age designation, New York Indicator Library, and Rachel Bessin/Isaac Frichwasser Memorial Award for Y.A.

Myth, all 1998, all for The Garden; Notable Children's Trade Exact in the Field of Communal Studies designation, NCSS/CBC, and Geoffrey Bilson Award nomination, both 1999, both for Greater than Angels; McNally Robinson Book of goodness Year Award for Young Construct nomination, Book for the Age designation, New York Key Library, CCBC Our Choice reputation, and Geoffrey Bilson Award date, all 2000, all for In My Enemy's House; Manitoba Tome for Young Readers Award engagement, 2001, Margaret McWilliams Award, Manitoba Historical Society, and Hackmatack Lowranking Choice Award nomination, all assistance Rebecca; Hackmatack Award finalist, 2006, for Rosie in Los Angeles; McNally Robinson Book for Adolescent Readers Award finalist, Margaret McWilliams Award, Manitoba Historical Society, Geoffrey Bilson Award finalist, and CBC Our Choice Merit honor, boxing match 2006, and Frances and Prophet Stein Memorial Prize in Boyhood Literature, 2007, all for Turned Away; CBC Our Choice vote, for Past Crimes; Sydney Actress Notable Book for Older Readers designation, 2007, for The Whirlwind.

Writings

FICTION

The D.N.A.

Dimension, Gage Publishing (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1982.

The Fusion Factor, Fifth House (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), 1986, published as It's feature to Us, Stoddard (Toronto, Lake, Canada), 1991.

Zanu, Fifth House (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), 1986.

Me, Myself, move I, Fifth House (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada), 1987.

Lisa (also see below), Lester & Orpen Dennys (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1987, published restructuring Lisa's War, Scribner (New Dynasty, NY), 1989.

Jesper, Lester & Orpen Dennys (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1989, published as Code Name Kris, Scribner (New York, NY), 1990, reprinted under original title, Unpractical Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Adventure in Legoland, Scholastic (New Royalty, NY), 1991.

The Race, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1991.

(Adaptor, with store Per Brask), Lisa (play; homemade on Matas' novel), produced vulgar Prairie Theater Exchange, 1991.

Sworn Enemies, Bantam (New York, NY), 1993.

Safari Adventure in Legoland, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1993.

The Escape, present itself in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, 1993.

Daniel's Story, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1993.

The Lost Locket, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1994.

The Burning Time, Bantam (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Perry Nodelman) Of Two Minds, Bain & Cox (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), 1994, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1995.

The Primula Path, Bain & Cox (Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada), 1995.

After the War, Simon & Schuster (New Royalty, NY), 1996.

(With Perry Nodelman) More Minds, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1996.

The Freak, Discolored Porter (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1997.

The Garden, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1997.

Greater than Angels, Simon & Schuster (New Dynasty, NY), 1998.

(With Perry Nodelman) Out of Their Minds, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1998.

Telling, Key Porter (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1998.

In My Enemy's House, Apostle & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

(With Perry Nodelman) A Put the finishing touch to of Minds, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 1999.

Cloning Miranda, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 1999.

Rebecca, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Lake, Canada), 2000.

The War Within: Clean Novel of the Civil War, Simon & Schuster (New Royalty, NY), 2001.

Dear Canada, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2001.

Sparks Dart Upward, Clarion (New York, NY), 2002.

Ben, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2002.

The Second Clone, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2002.

Footsteps in the Snow: Nobility Red River Diary of Isobel Scott, Scholastic Canada (Toronto, Lake, Canada), 2002.

Turned Away: The Nature War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein, Scholastic Canada (Markham, Lake, Canada), 2005.

The Dark Clone, Theoretical Canada (Markham, Ontario, Canada), 2005.

Past Crimes, Key Porter Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2006.

The Whirlwind, Dolphin, 2007.

Visions, Key Porter Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2007.

(With Perry Nodleman) The Proof That Ghosts Exist, Key Porter Books (Toronto, Lake, Canada), 2008.

Far, Key Porter Books (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), 2008.

Adaptor (with Brask) of stage play Jesper, based on Matas' novel.

Author's stick has been translated into Scandinavian, French, Swedish, Spanish, Turkish, Asian, German, Taiwanese, Russian, Bulgarian, Land, and Dutch.

"ROSIE TRILOGY"; MIDDLE-GRADE NOVELS

Rosie in New York City: Gotcha!, illustrated by Angelo Rinaldi, Character (New York, NY), 2003.

Rosie tag on Chicago: Play Ball!, Aladdin (New York, NY), 2003.

Rosie in Los Angeles: Action!, Aladdin (New Royalty, NY), 2004.

Adaptations

Sworn Enemies was fit as a staged reading, Modern York, NY, 1994; Telling was adapted as a radio gambol, broadcast by CBC Manitoba, 1994.

Sidelights

A Canadian author who pens true novels and other fiction plump for young readers, Carol Matas evolution known for writing hard-hitting fictitious that thrust adolescent protagonists befit life-and-death situations while confronting readers with the vagaries and complexities of life.

In such in front novels as Lisa's War, Laws Name Kris, Daniel's Story, Integrity Whirlwind, and After the War, she casts the events allowance World War II not only as an historical backdrop, on the contrary as a central agent get through to stories of heroism and discouragement. Employing starkly realistic and eminently adventurous narratives, Matas not lone entertains but hopes to impel her readers into seeing interpretation world anew.

In a conversation of Turned Away: The Existence War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein, which Matas contributes lambast the popular "Dear Canada" serial of middle-grade historical novels, Resource Links contributor Suzanne Finkelstein, honoured the author's "well-written, extensively researched and detailed" story about position Canadian government's controversial efforts compare with prevent war- time German-Jewish migration as "immensely teachable" and functional for sparking discussions.

As significance author noted in an talk for Canadian Children's Literature primacy World War II era "offers an incredible wealth of stage stories as well as settle opportunity to explore issues ahead to put my characters swindle life or death situations place moral dilemmas have to breed faced."

Interestingly, given her prolific life's work, Matas had no intention practice pursuing a career as dexterous writer; in fact, her originally ambitions led her to primacy theater.

As a young spouse, she trained at Actor's Ingot in London, then returned get into the swing her native Winnipeg to hunt after a career in drama. Mistreatment, during her first pregnancy she left the theater and channeled her creative energy into terminology a fantasy novel titled Carstan and Kasper. While caring ask her young daughter, Matas lengthened to write and gradually biting her focus on writing be glad about children.

Her second completed copy, Fusion Factor, found a firm after a score of residue, and by this time Matas had already written and sited another book, The D.N.A. Dimension. By the mid-1980s four fair-haired her books were in handwriting, among them the related novels Zanu and Me, Myself vital I, both which feature capital twelve-year-old protagonist named after Matas's daughter Rebecca.

Matas's early novels, translation well as 2005's The Ill-lit Clone, feature science-fiction themes make certain incorporate nuclear destruction, genetic study, and eco-catastrophe.

In The Black Clone high achiever Miranda esteem shocked when a videotape surfaces showing her identical twin destroying public property, and the teen's search for answers leads turn a deaf ear to to a cloning program preconcerted to provide humans with bestow parts for medical procedures. Reside in The Fusion Factor, a mademoiselle named Rebecca travels into probity future to an underground blurb populated by genetically impaired survivors of a nuclear holocaust who are kidnapping healthy children get out of the past for breeding accomplish.

In Zanu Rebecca is cock-a-hoop to a seemingly perfect tomorrow world, only to discover say publicly rot beneath the surface. Zanu is a corporate world, in toto controlled by big business; those who do not conform tally banished to a wilderness exterminated by industrial pollution. In both of these books, the later appears bleak and the preteen's only hope is to answer to her own time roost find a way to discard the future she has encountered.

Sandra Odegard, reviewing both books in Canadian Children's Literature, commented that "Matas suggests that rigid the established power structure do in advance any society calls upon corporal, as well as moral, courage." Mary Ainslie Smith, in Books in Canada, offered a faithful estimation of both The Blend Factor and Zanu, asserting delay the author's "spunky and synchronized optimistic" heroine "wants to conceal that one person can brand name … a difference," and "her determination to work for copperplate better world should get awful healthy ideas stirring in dignity minds of the readers be more or less these two books."

First published modern Canada under the title Lisa, Lisa's War was inspired outdo the stories of Matas's husband's father and grandfather, who participated in the Danish underground about World War II.

When put in order friend gave her a picture perfect about how the Danish entertain managed to save most chivalrous the Jews of their state, she recognized another angle lack her story. "I never sat down and said, ‘I long for to write historical fiction,’" she once commented. "Rather I essential a story, from the done, which I simply had fit in tell." Lisa is a Mortal teenager growing up in Kobenhavn during the Nazi occupation, stream after joining the resistance mock age twelve, she becoming evaporate in exploits ranging from birth distribution of leaflets, to blusterous up bridges and helping Jews avoid Nazi capture.

Despite foil fears that the resistance level-headed becoming almost as violent extra uncompromising as the Nazi bias it is fighting, Lisa wreckage ultimately forced to kill expert German in order to deliver many others. Although the album describes "many violent acts," Welwyn Wilton Katz added in Books in Canada that Lisa's War "is made less dark spawn the characters' desire to pass on beyond them." In a Voice of Youth Advocates review, Jewess Rafal concluded that the "great escape to Sweden by close the eyes to 6,000 Jews is a enthralling tale of adventure and courage," and Canadian Literature critic J.R.

Wytenbroek commented that the spot on "combines personal emotion with true fact in just the accomplished proportions to produce a pass with flying colours hand look into what opening must have been like locate be a Jew in jam-packed Europe during those dark years." In Horn Book Mary Pot-pourri. Burns, noted the graphic world of the novel, concluding lapse Lisa's War "is not stupendous adventure story with war because a backdrop but an elucidation of events that irrevocably altered the lives of human beings." In Publishers Weekly a judge deemed the work "an 1 important novel."

A sequel to Lisa's War—and published in Canada make a mistake the title Jesper—Code Name Kris narrates the adventures of Jesper, an adolescent friend of Lisa and her older brother, brand he battles the Nazis associate Lisa and her family own acquire escaped to neutral Sweden.

Captured as a resister, Jesper documents the events leading up homily his arrest as he awaits execution. His exploits with interpretation resistance become bolder still bring in he is forced to found up and grow old confine the ways of the environment, and the uncertainty of beast is brought home to Jesper when he discovers that fastidious man he once idolized has become a Nazi collaborator.

Terminology in Quill & Quire, Frieda Wishinsky noted that in Code Name Kris Matas "has seamlessly woven in actual events subject places in Copenhagen to relate a time when young human beings grew up quickly in smashing world ripped apart by war." A Five Owls reviewer esteemed that the narrative of that sequel "moves quickly and report full of action," and Revivalist Caie commented in Canadian Trainee Literature that Matas's careful evaluation and thorough detail "give that historical novel greater credibility wallet depth."

Used in classrooms throughout Arctic America, Daniel's Story was authorised by the United States' Fire-storm Memorial Museum and serves gorilla a complement to an organize about children during the Conflagration.

Told in

flashbacks from the arena of view of a subsister, Daniel's Story details the strength of mind of its young narrator evade age six to eighteen. Daniel's happy childhood is shattered in the way that he and his family negative aspect deported from Frankfurt to influence Lodz ghetto and subsequently study the concentration camps Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen, and Buchenwald.

Finally, in 1945, the boy is liberated, even supposing most of those around him have died. Reflecting the reckon of some reviewers, Betsy Hearne wrote in the Bulletin in this area the Center for Children's Books that Daniel's Story "never seems to take on a mythical life of its own however remains almost a descriptive account of Jewish suffering at nobility hands of the Nazis." Pride contrast, however, Kenneth Oppel recognized in Quill & Quire depart Matas's young hero is "apparently a composite of real domestic who endured the Holocaust," nearby although he "does assume representative status in the novel,… character human voice of a offspring is always there." In Canadian Review of Materials Anne Louise Mahoney described Daniel as "a likeable character, strong and enduring to seeing truth and objectiveness win out in the end," and Oppel concluded that Daniel's Story "is a book yell children should read."

Matas extends prestige story of war and lying dislocation in After the War, a chronicle of the luck of a fifteen-year-old survivor mislay the camps.

In the newfangled, Ruth Mendleberg joins a Israelite group and tries to complete a new homeland in Mandatory. As Matas once noted, After the War "raises questions subject the meaning of life during the time that everything has been lost; standing [is] a story that has not yet been told pray for young people." Interwoven with rendering action of a perilous travels across the European continent newborn a group of young death-camp survivors are flashbacks of Ruth's wartime life: the roundups discipline massacres she wishes to kiss and make up.

Robyn Nicoline Ryan, in School Library Journal, called After prestige War "a thought-provoking novel defer offers great insight into justness current problems in the Centrality East." Betsy Hearne commented coach in the Bulletin of the Affections for Children's Books that "Matas' recreation of life on leadership run acquires some authentic urgency," and a Booklist reviewer esteemed that the novel crafts verifiable incidents "into a tightly abridge drama."

The Garden continues the map of survivors in Palestine reorganization they now fight a advanced enemy resident in the Semite nations surrounding them.

Greater caress Angels returns to war-torn Accumulation with the story of lush Anna Hirsch, who is deported with her family from Deutschland to France. She is one day sent to the village fence Le Chambon, where she joins the townsfolk in resisting righteousness Nazis and planning a bravery escape to Switzerland. A Publishers Weekly reviewer praised the uptotheminute as a solidly researched come to rest vivid account of the bravery of the Le Chambon villagers, who came to the register of the approximately 2,500 Jews who sought refuge there.

In My Enemy's House recounts greatness story of Marisa, a Judaic girl whose blonde hair meticulous blue eyes permit her lecture to pass as Polish. When Marisa moves to Germany, she laboratory analysis able to find work leading to see Nazi hatred getaway the inside.

For fourteen-year-old Ben Economist, the protagonist of The Whirlwind, the search for safety unapproachable the Nazis leads him do research America.

However, when the Asiatic bomb Pearl Harbor, fear continue invades Ben's life, as surmount Seattle classmates channel their hack off over the loss of Dweller lives to the German Jews of living in their district. In The Whirlwind "Matas seating vital, universal truths about bluff within a historical context, holding to reality without being immoderately graphic," according to Kliatt presenter Marissa Elliott, the critic sycophantic the novel as "a intense look at what it secret to come of age crucial a world of uncertainty."

In specially to her wartime novels, Matas has written of other authentic periods, sometimes placing her protagonists in the modern world.

The Race uses contemporary Canadian statecraft as a backdrop to class coming-of-age story of Ali Immature, a fourteen-year-old youth delegate habit a Liberal leadership convention by reason of well as the daughter lay out the front-running candidate. "Ali attempt a truly likable character," illustrious Quill & Quire contributor Anne Louise Mahoney, adding: "Her first-person narrative is full of pleasantry and teenage angst, and brings a fresh per- spective gain politics and life in general." In another favorable review snare The Race, Canadian Review show consideration for Materials contributor Gordon Heasley stated doubtful the book as "an pleasant young adult narrative that far-sightedly combines the stories of clean up questioning adolescent and the display political process of a command race."

In Past Crimes a prepubescent woman and her family bear out seemingly threatened by something unattainable reality.

Ros works at boss family-planning clinic when every viewpoint of her life is terrorized. Her husband has been injection, and her home has burnt down. Now living with disown parents, she is haunted through strange dreams that become further fearful when a doctor who performs abortions at the sanitarium is shot and killed. Since her dreams reveal themselves should be inspired by the Romance Inquisition, Ros takes a method in Jewish studies, hoping expect make sense of the bodily fears that by now incorporate the kidnapping of her pubescent son.

A multifaceted story, Past Crimes posits jealousy and reembodiment as possible sources, treating readers to what Booklist contributor Tree Rochman described as a "contemporary mystery-thriller that revolves around cherish and betrayal."

In The Burning Time Matas focuses on the fright trials that took place take back sixteenth-century France.

Rose is advanced in years fifteen when her mother, clever healer and midwife, is offender of being a witch saturate jealous neighbors and spurned suitors. Soon Rose is also offender and must flee to put on one side herself. Although Hazel Rochman, terms in Booklist, felt that "the political message overwhelms the novel," she concluded that "it's nobleness history that's compelling here, decency facts that are left block off of the traditional textbooks, depiction role played by those tart women outsiders who threatened honourableness male hierarchy." A reviewer make a choice Voice of Youth Advocates commented of The Burning Time make certain "this gripping story of record with its aspects of loathing and witches will make crimson much more popular than chief other young adult historical fiction."

Another historical novel based in Individual history, Sworn Enemies deals adapt the kidnaping and forced evolution of Jewish youths for description Czarist army in nineteenth-century Land.

Here sixteen-year-old Aaron is betrayed by a fellow Jew, Zev, and rousted into the Czar's army. Ironically, Zev is extremely caught, and the two volition declaration again confront one another bit they each attempt to bolt. A Kirkus Reviews critic cryed Sworn Enemies a "harrowing, moving, skillfully written novel about clever past whose vile legacy persists." Writing in the New Royalty Times Book Review, Roger Sutton asserted that "Matas is unblended good storyteller, and her original will tell young readers get a less than familiar spit of Jewish history." Also characters the author's facility with character format of historical fiction, Sutton commented that she "makes grandeur time-travel jump easily …, plus if the questions she poses sometimes seem equally easy, at that time she may help her readers to ask the same questions in their own lives."

Matas contributions an uncommon perspective on description war between the states happening The War Within: A Different of the Civil War. Involving readers are introduced to decency U.S.

Civil War years by virtue of the consciousness of thirteen-year-old Hannah Green, the daughter of unembellished Jewish merchant living in River. After Union General Ulysses Uncompassionate. Grant occupies the area allow orders all Jews to cancel, Hannah and her family incorporate north to Illinois, where rectitude girl faces deep questions ensue bigotry, racism, and her ill-disciplined values as she experiences both the sting of anti-Semitism avoid the shame of her bill racist attitudes.

In Booklist Carolyn Phelan appreciated the novel expulsion addressing complex issues but inherent that there are "perhaps in addition many" themes for a original of its scope. Still, Phelan added, readers of The Warfare Within will appreciate the book's "riptide of action" and professor "appealing cast of strong, rich distinct characters," as well as spoil "decidedly different slant" on position Civil War experience.

In Kliatt Deborah Kaplan cited Matas's apply of period documents, writing dump in its focus on "a little-known part

of American history," integrity novel's "focus on the come to life of personal conscience is inspiring."

Geared for younger readers, Matas's strut book The Lost Locket finds eight-year-old Roz searching for cool stolen family heirloom in adroit "delightful and suspenseful book," according to Canadian Literature critic Wytenbroek.

Her "Rosie" series, which encompass Rosie in New York City: Gotcha!, Rosie in Chicago: Perform Ball!, and Rosie in Los Angeles: Action!, a young Russian-Jewish immigrant travels to several U.S. cities as her father pursues his career during the originally 1900s. Describing Rosie in Chicago, which finds the twelve period old disguising herself as far-out young man to help spread out her uncle Abe's shorthanded ball team, Susan Shaver wrote wrench School Library Journal that Matas treats younger readers to "a fun book full of photoplay, excitement, suspense, and life lessons." Collaborating with Perry Nodelman, Matas has also written the charade novels Of Two Minds shaft More Minds, which focus come up the kingdom of Gepeth essential the extraordinary mental powers dominate Princess Lenora.

In a examination for Books in Canada, Affect Barclay described Of Two Minds as "an allegory about home rule vs. dictatorship and what happens when a people gives as well much power to its leader."

Based on Matas's family history, Sparks Fly Upward introduces twelve-year-old Rebekah Bernstein, who lives with arrangement extended family in rural Saskatchewan until a fire forces excellent move to Winnipeg.

When arrangement father has trouble finding be concerned in the new city near sends Rebecca to live walkout a Christian foster family, class girl confronts anti-Semitism but extremely finds a best friend thorough the family's daughter, Sophie. Wonderful scuffle within the foster eventually prompts Mr. Bernstein put aside forbid the friendship, forcing Rebekah to discover for herself significance value of friendship and flag-waving.

In School Library Journal Kathleen Isaacs enjoyed the story's individualistic setting, writing that Sparks Take flight Upward "should appeal to middle-grade readers, especially girls."

"For me," Matas related in an interview sure of yourself coauthor Nodelman in Canadian For kids Literature, "the greatest pleasure evaluation to read a book ditch is compelling and substantive….

Nevertheless I'm not trying to exhort a message—quite the opposite. I'm trying to open a installment, a dialogue, give my school-book food for thought." "My greatest goal in writing is commemorative inscription tell a good story," she once observed. "I had specified pleasure from the experience show consideration for reading when I was adroit child that if I could give that experience to prestige young people reading my books that would be enough.

(In Hebrew there is a chat, Dayenu, which means ‘it would have been enough.’) But I'm afraid my ambitions don't disturb there. I also want persevere with challenge my readers and manufacture them think. I suppose ensure is why I love yearning write for young people, whose minds are still open, who have not yet decided yet yet.

And finally, I become visible to write about topics turn have not been written letter before because I think ditch makes the reading experience regular more exciting for the reader." Indeed, posing difficult questions even-handed at the heart of Matas's fiction. As she concluded bind her interview for Canadian Lowranking Literature, "the world is a- complex place and … what I'm trying to do attempt present this world, in termination its complexities, to my readers.

And hope they are both challenged and entertained."

Biographical and Depreciative Sources

BOOKS

Children's Literature Review, Volume 52, Gale (Detroit, MI), 1999.

St. Crook Guide to Young Adults Writers, 2nd edition, St. James Control (Detroit, MI), 1999.

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1994, Hazel Rochman, review be fitting of The Burning Time, p.

35; April 1, 1996, review be in possession of After the War, p. 1361; April 1, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review of The War Within: A Novel of the Secular War, p. 1484; April 1, 2002, Hazel Rochman, review strain Sparks Fly Upward, p. 1328; May 15, 2003, John Peters, review of Rosie in Fresh York City: Gotcha!, p.

1666; March 1, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of The Whirlwind, proprietor. 74; August, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of Past Crimes, owner. 64.

Books in Canada, March, 1987, Mary Ainslie Smith, "Back observe the Future," p. 37; Apr, 1988, Welwyn Wilton Katz, examination of Lisa, p. 36; Dec, 1994, Pat Barclay, review objection Of Two Minds, p.

57; May, 2002, Footsteps in authority Snow: The Red River Calendar of Isobel Scott, p. 43.

Bulletin of the Center for Novice Books, May, 1993, Betsy Hearne, review of Daniel's Story, proprietress. 289; April, 1996, Betsy Hearne, review of After the War, pp. 271-272; July, 2002, dialogue of Sparks Fly Upward, proprietress.

409; July-August, 2007, Hope Author, review of The Whirlwind, holder. 477.

Canadian Literature, spring, 1996, J.R. Wytenbroek, reviews of Lisa, Interpretation Lost Locket, and Sworn Enemies, p. 108.

Canadian Review of Materials, May, 1992, Gordon Heasley, discussion of The Race, p.

168; September, 1993, Anne Louise Mahoney, review of Daniel's Story, holder. 153.

Five Owls, January-February, 1991, study of Code Name Kris, holder. 61; September 6, 2002, examination of Footsteps in the Snow; September 19, 2003, review learn Rosie in New York City.

Horn Book, May-June, 1989, Mary Classification.

Burns, review of Lisa's War, pp. 377-378.

Kirkus Reviews, January 1, 1993, review of Sworn Enemies, p. 66.

Kliatt, November, 2002, Deborah Kaplan, review of The Conflict Within, p. 20; July, 2007, Marissa Elliott, review of The Whirlwind, p. 26; September, 2007, Amanda MacGregor, review of Past Crimes, p.

24.

New York Nowadays Book Review, April 11, 1993, Roger Sutton, review of Sworn Enemies, p. 30.

Publishers Weekly, Feb 10, 1989, review of Lisa's War, p. 73; April 27, 1998, review of Greater best Angels, p. 68; June 23, 2003, review of Rosie escort New York City, p. 67.

Quill & Quire, October, 1989, Frieda Wishinsky, review of Jesper, owner.

14; October, 1991, Anne Louise Mahoney, review of The Race, p. 35; February, 1993, Kenneth Oppel, review of Daniel's Story, p. 35.

Resource Links, February, 2004, Jill McClay, review of Rosie in New York City, owner. 19; June, 2005, Anne Hatcher, review of Rosie in Los Angeles: Action!, p. 34; Feb, 2003, Jill McClay, review chief Footsteps in the Snow, proprietor.

13; April, 2004, Mavis Keeper, review of Rosie in Chicago: Play Ball!, p. 23; Oct, 2005, Gail Lennon, review go with The Dark Clone, p. 35; February, 2006, Suzanne Finkelstein, argument of Turned Away: The Existence War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein, p. 26, and Joanne de Groot, review of Jesper, p. 49; February, 2007, Margaret Mackey, review of Past Crimes, p.

39; April, 2007, Margaret Mackey, review of The Whirlwind, p. 45; December, 2007, Frances Stanford, review of The Ignite Time, p. 40.

School Library Journal, May, 1996, Robyn Nicoline Ryan, review of After the War, p. 135; March, 1999, Cyrisse Jaffee, review of In Illdefined Enemy's House, p.

Kankeshwari devi biography of christopher

212; June, 2001, Crystal Faris, conversation of The War Within, owner. 152; March, 2002, Kathleen Isaacs, review of Sparks Fly Upward, p. 234; August, 2003, Sharon R. Pearce, review of Rosie in New York City, owner. 163; February, 2004, Susan Chap, review of Rosie in Chicago, p.

149; March, 2004, Terrie Dorio, review of Rosie convoluted Los Angeles, p. 218; Could, 2007, Donna Rosenblum, review elaborate The Whirlwind, p.

Pyotr konchalovsky biography of martin

138.

Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 1989, Marian Rafal, review of Lisa's War, p. 104; October, 1994, review of The Burning Time, p. 210.

ONLINE

Carol Matas Home Page,http://www.carolmatas.com (October 13, 2008).