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January 2006 Featured Author

Dear Readers,

Happy 2006! We’re off to a great New Year of reading with celebrated author Dr. Shirley Russak Wachtel as our featured author of January 2006.

In addition to having penned My Mother’s Shoes, a novel which recounts the life of her mother, a survivor of the Holocaust and her life as the child of survivors herself, Dr. Wachtel has also written picture books including, What Would I Be and The Eight Days of Hanukkah. Other works by Shirley include the deliciously wonderful Charlie Wonder, Chef-Detective, a mystery book for children. Inside this book are several yummy recipes.

Dr. Wachtel is also the author of The Addison Wesley Longman Interactive Guide to Newsweek, a reading text for college students, and her writings have appeared in major publications throughout the United States, including the The New York Times. Dr. Wachtel’s literary achievements also branch off into different areas; she has won many contests for her poems and short stories.
For the past fifteen years, Dr. Wachtel has shared her love of reading by being an English professor at Middlesex County College in Edision, New Jersey. She lives in New Jersey with her family.

CBRS (Children's Book Review Staff): Dr. Wachtel, thank you for your time and for all the wonderful books you have given to us so far in your career. First of all, we would like to know how long have you been writing and how many books have you written?

Dr. W (Dr. Watchel): I wrote my first children's book, WHAT WOULD I BE? in 1993. It was published two years later. I have written two other books for children, THE EIGHT DAYS OF HANNUKAH (a picture book), published in 2004, and CHARLIE WONDER CHEF-DETECTIVE, which came out in June, 2005. My book for young adults, THE STORY OF BLIMA--A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR, also came out in June (published by Townsend Press). I have also published a workbook, which is a guide to Newsweek Magazine (1999), and I am currently working with a colleague for a three-volume college reading textbook to be published by McGraw-Hill.

CBRS:Did you always want to be a writer?

Dr. W: Yes. I have wanted to be a writer since I was 8 years old. I used to copy poems from a poetry book and then write my own. Working with a friend, I began a mystery book, THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE RED GOWNS, when I was 11 years old.

CBRS:What was the first book you remember reading as a child?

Dr. W: Wow! That is a tough one. It was probably SIXTEEN by Janet Daly, or one of the books by Beverly Cleary. I also loved reading the Nancy Drew series.

CBRS:We’re always told by our parents that we should pick a quiet, comfortable place to do our homework. Do you have a quiet, comfortable place where you write? If so, where is it?

Dr. W: I do. I like to sit outside on my deck and write when the weather is mild. Sometimes I sit by the window in my living room.

CBRS: What are the best and worst things about being a writer?

Dr. W: The best thing is when you have a sense of fulfillment upon completing a work which is original. The worst thing about writing is the loneliness.

CBRS: Please tell our readers about Charlie Wonder - Chef-Detective, and how you got the inspiration to create such an exciting character.

Dr. W: My youngest son, Charlie, really helped a lot with the idea. I was conducting writing workshops for students with my book, WHAT WOULD I BE?, which is about what children want to be when they grow up. My son, who was about 8 years old at the time (he is now 18), like many others, wanted to have more than one career. He wanted to be a chef-detective so he could bake, and throw tarts at the bad guys!

CBRS: Do you get any feedback from young people and their parents about the great recipes that they find while reading Charlie Wonder? The brownies are tops in our book.

Dr. W: All of the recipes are favorites of mine. But the brownies and the fruit salad seem to be preferred by most people.

CBRS: My Mother's Shoes is an entirely different novel from Charlie Wonder - Chef-Detective. It's actually a story which retells your mother's experiences as a Holocaust survivor and your life as it relates to her experience. How difficult was it to write? What emotions did you feel as you worked on this project? Additionally, why was it important for you to tell this story?

Dr. W: MY MOTHER'S SHOES is the story closest to my heart because it does tell the story of my mother's heart-rending experience during the Holocaust, and then her adjustment to America. Writing the story was very emotional for me, especially since my parents are no longer alive. I am proud that I was able to bring her story to the public so that we never forget the reality of the Holocaust and learn the importance of treating all human beings with respect. THE STORY OF BLIMA--A HOLOCAUST SURVIVOR was recently published by Townsend Press and is the first part of MY MOTHER'S SHOES. It tells the story of her experience during the Holocaust. I hope the entire novel, (the second part is written in my voice and that of my mother) will soon be available.

CBRS: Do you have a favorite book out of the all the ones you've written?

Dr. W: MY MOTHER'S SHOES is and probably will always be my favorite.

CBRS: When can we be looking for something new from you in the bookstores?

Dr. W: I have another idea for a book like CHARLIE WONDER. It will be called BRAD SURESHOT--COACH-DETECTIVE and THE CASE OF THE DISAPPEARING DRIBBLER. It will include lessons for playing basketball. By the way, Brad is the name of my middle son!

CBRS: Dr. Wachtel, thank you again so much for visiting with us. It is our honor to have you as the Featured Author this month.

And you readers, start the New Year out right by reading one of Dr. Wachtel's books today. Might we suggest WHAT WOULD I BE?, Charlie Wonder Chef - Detective, or for you older kids, The Story of Blima - A Holocaust Survivor.

Click here to view previous featured authors