Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of novels such as A Wedding in Great Neck and You Were Meant for Me as well as dozens of books for children, including the newly released The Bicycle Spy. She is the editor of and a contributor to The Barbie Chronicles: A Living Doll Turns Forty, as well as All the Available Light: A Marilyn Monroe Reader.From the author's Q&A with Deborah Kalb:
Q: The Bicycle Spy, your new novel for kids, takes place in World War II-era France. Why did you decide on that setting, and how did you research the book?Learn more about the author and her work at Yona Zeldis McDonough's website.
A: In this case, I was tapped by an editor at Scholastic and given a very brief synopsis which I was invited to expand. I also wrote a few sample chapters.
Researching the book was a pure delight because I love historical fiction and am a total Francophile besides. So I read books, scoured the Internet, and consulted with a professor of French history at Vanderbilt University. There is so much material on this period that the issue was not finding it, but selecting it.
…I loved researching the Tour de France, and especially enjoyed...[read on]
Coffee with a Canine: Yona Zeldis McDonough & Willa and Holden.
--Marshal Zeringue