Elana K. Arnold

Elana K. Arnold writes books for and about children and teens. Ver middle grade novel, A Boy Called Bat, is a Junior Library Guild Selection. She holds a master’s degree in Creative Writing/Fiction from the University of California, Davis where she has taught Creative Writing and Adolescent Literature.

From Arnold's Q&A at The Booking Biz:

Booking Biz: Where do you get the inspiration for your books?

Elana: Most of my books begin with a question, often based in my own life. For instance, when my kids were much younger, my husband and I made the decision to sell our home and most of our belongings and hit the road in an RV. It was an adventure and a growing experience in so many ways. Years later, when my kids neared adolescence, I wondered, what would happen if we had decided to take them on the road when they were 12 and 9 rather than when they were 7 and 4? Might it not have gone over quite so easily? Thus, FAR FROM FAIR was born.

A BOY CALLED BAT is an amalgam of many parts of my life: my respect and love for the ASD community, my ongoing obsession with unusual pets, and my affection for research, to name a few. Bat’s wonderful teacher, Mr. Grayson, and his wonderful school, the Saw Whet School, are modeled after my brother-in-law and the school he teaches for.

I love life. I love people. I love research and discussion and good food and warm animals plopped into my lap. There is so much, everywhere, to...[read on]

Learn more about the book and author at Elana K. Arnold's website.

The Page 69 Test: A Boy Called Bat.

Writers Read: Elana K. Arnold.

--Marshal Zeringue