Ms. Kirsten Down’s Third and Fourth Grade students at Town of Webb School read and enjoyed the NYSRA Charlotte Award nominated Emily’s Fortune. They were left with many questions and author Phyllis Reynolds Naylor graciously responded to our request for an interview.
What gave you the idea to use an alliterative phrase for the cliff hangers? Did you make up some of those phrases?
It was the editor’s idea to have cliff hangers at the ends of each chapter. I remembered the old Uncle Wiggley books and how much I enjoyed the silly things at the ends of the chapters. I made most of the ones up for EMILY’S FORTUNE, and somehow the alliterative ones seemed the most fun.
Why do you never mention Jackson’s last name (or Uncle Victor’s)? Did you imagine his real family and what they would have been like? What really happened to Jackson’s family?
I’m not so sure myself. He told so many versions that it’s even hard for the writer to keep them straight. But he’d obviously had a hard life, and was a boy in need of both love and discipline. I didn’t mention any last names if I could help it, because there were so many characters to keep track of in the book, that it was all the reader could do to remember first names.
Why did you give Emily a turtle as a pet? Did you have a specific kind of turtle in mind?
I wanted a pet that Uncle Victor could threaten to harm, and yet it had to be a pet that not only could survive the long trip without much food or water, but that she could keep secret. A turtle was all I could think of.
Where did you get the idea for Emily’s Fortune from?
That story was a long time in coming. The original idea was a modern story about a teenage girl on a train being pursued by someone who wanted to do her harm. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that she would have more hiding places if she were younger and smaller. Then I decided that it would be hard to make it seem real, so it should read as a tall tale, and then it seemed as though it would have to be historic, and perhaps I could do more with a stage coach. So finally, FINALLY, the book began to take shape.
We liked the names of Mrs. Ready, Mrs. Aim and Mrs. Fire. How did they come about?
When I decided to make the story a tall tale instead of a realistic suspense novel.
Are you planning a sequel?
Yes! EMILY AND JACKSON HIDING OUT is already written and will be out this fall.
We would like to know the following things:
Why did Uncle Victor have a tiger tattoo?
Because I wanted him to. I loved writing about “the man with the tiger tattoo.” Something wild, more in his character.
Does Emily get any more turtles?
No. One was enough.
Does Jackson get adopted as her brother?
Wait and see.
What does Emily do with the money??!!
First, she actually has to GET the money. Right?
Mr. Moffit helped Emily, why?
Because he was a detective who kept his ears open, even when people thought he was sleeping. He could sense what was going on with Emily and her uncle, and when he saw a way to help without giving away his identity as a railroad detective, he took it.
I’m so glad you all enjoyed the book, and hope you’ll like the sequel!
Phyllis
January 17, 2012
