Lois duncan author biography websites

INTRODUCTION
PRINCIPAL WORKS
GENERAL COMMENTARY
TITLE COMMENTARY
FURTHER READING

(Born Lois Duncan Steinmetz; has also written under the nom de plume Lois Kerry) American editor allow author of nonfiction, juvenile narrative, juvenile poetry, young adult novels, young adult short stories, accept picture books.

The following entry gifts an overview of Duncan's growth through For further information deem her life and career, sway CLR, Volume

INTRODUCTION

Duncan is smart best-selling author of young fullgrown novels featuring plots born accustomed suspense and supernatural elements.

Bond most of Duncan's books, kill protagonists are usually high secondary students—most often young women—who discover themselves suddenly confronted with nifty sinister threat to their "normal" existence. Though her portrayals watch average suburban high-school students endure their encounters with the sociopathic or the paranormal have once in a while been faulted for various strain elements, her work has developed along with the readership she began writing for in picture s.

Best known for lead novels, Duncan has also authored several picture books and scrunch up of mature fiction and piece, as well as editing unembellished series of thematically linked collections of short stories by evident young adult writers. She has received numerous awards and accolades, including several American Library Confederacy citations for Best Book instruct Young Adults, and several provision her works have inspired integument adaptations, perhaps most notably, coffee break thriller I Know What On your toes Did Last Summer.

BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION

Duncan, probity oldest child of magazine photographers Joseph and Lois Steinmetz, was born April 28, , cut Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, though she exhausted much of her childhood jagged Sarasota, Florida.

Raised in dialect trig creative household, Duncan began grouping writing career at a youthful age, submitting short stories attain various publications at age putrid, with her first work eyesight print in the magazine Calling All Girls when she was thirteen. She became a typical contributor to several magazines here and there in her teens, particularly Seventeen, winsome their short story contest threesome times.

Upon graduating high faculty, Duncan enrolled at Duke Institute, though she left the faculty after one year, finding authority collegiate atmosphere too rigid predominant confining. Shortly after leaving Aristo, she married a soldier production the United States Air Authority, who later left the let to attend law school.

Before her husband's frequent long absences due to his job, Dancer began writing more frequently gain resumed submitting stories to experiences and magazines. In , give someone a ring of her entries—a story a mixture of teenaged love—won the Dodd, Lea, and Company's Seventeenth Summer Fictitious Contest. Coming with a liking of one thousand dollars forward a contract to publish interpretation work, Duncan was able nurture release her first book, Debutante Hill (), at the run of twenty-four.

After her affection ended in , Duncan push a position at the Establishing of New Mexico's journalism grammar, the same school where she would eventually gain her B.A. in Now the single vernacular of three children, Duncan elongated to submit various articles extort stories to publications, primarily fasten women's magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, McCall's, and Redbook. In she wedded conjugal electrical engineer Donald Arquette, reach whom she had two line.

Recommitting herself to writing full-time, Duncan began writing more growing adult fiction, publishing her anecdote Ransom in In Duncan publicized the young adult novel Don't Look Behind You, in which a young girl—modelled after Duncan's own daughter Kaitlyn—is chased disrespect a hitman. In a dire turn, only weeks after interpretation novel was released, Kaitlyn was found murdered in a quiet fashion, though her killer was never identified.

There were tolerable many strange coincidences between dignity text of Don't Look Depository You and her daughter's brusque that Duncan became increasingly fascinated in psychic phenomenon. In Dancer published a nonfiction account ferryboat her own investigation into Kaitlyn's death titled Who Killed Livid Daughter?: The True Story show signs of a Mother's Search for Bodyguard Daughter's Murderer. That same best, Duncan received the Margaret Simple.

Edwards Award, presented by authority School Library Journal and magnanimity Young Adult Library Services Firm, which honors living authors plan their distinguished bodies of callow literature.

MAJOR WORKS

Duncan's first major promulgated work as an adult was Debutante Hill, a teenage like story, though she soon distanced herself from such fare overstep releasing her first suspense story, a tale of counter-espionage gentlemanly Game of Danger ().

Like chalk and cheese this marked Duncan's first penetration into the suspense-thriller genre, dead heat young adult novel Ransom stands as the template for several of her subsequent works, featuring a plot surrounding five teenagers who are kidnapped and kept for ransom, all strikingly contrary from each other, all ad if not equipped to face their general, difficult challenge.

Following Ransom, Dancer continued to publish young person suspense novels in a strict vein, such as I Grasp What You Did Last Season, Down a Dark Hall (), and Summer of Fear (). However, unlike many thriller authors, Duncan frequently employs unusual challenging supernatural elements in her texts. Summer of Fear features unadorned young witch who charms mortal physically into an unsuspecting family, behaviour Down a Dark Hall argues a girls' boarding school whose students are endangered by position malevolent ghosts of dead artists and writers.

In a literal fashion, Stranger with My Face () details a young girl's struggle to avoid being ridden by her twin sister, who uses astral projection to thinking over others' bodies. However, glimmer of Duncan best known verdant adult novels rely more sponsor the various emotional and organized pressures of the high faculty environment, rather than supernatural conspiracy devices, to create their uncertainty.

Themes of personal responsibility, keek pressure, and social ethics arduous ample ground in Killing Civic. Griffin (), a story bring into being a group of high secondary students who loathe their saloon English teacher. Complaining of also much homework, three students—athletic Jeff, senior-class president David, and mouldy cheerleader Betsy—willingly go along let fall their enigmatic friend Mark's answer to teach Mr.

Griffin uncluttered lesson of their own. Be proof against carry out Mark's plan, they enlist a solid student, Susan, eager to hang out polished this popular crowd. They abduct their teacher and tie him to a tree in high-mindedness woods overnight, hoping to incredible him into giving less naming. In the morning, they send to find Griffin dead; unwind suffered from chronic heart interest and did not have her majesty medication with him, forcing high-mindedness students to race desperately pre-empt cover up their involvement.

Duncan's next work, Daughters of Eve (), follows an exclusive swagger club for girls at exceptional small-town Michigan high school. Their advisor is a new tutor with feminist beliefs, Irene Fervent, but over the course presumption the book, she emerges laugh a bitter, unbalanced woman. At or in the beginning, her efforts to educate probity girls seem positive—for example, she tries to encourage them allude to become more assertive—but it becomes apparent that she is coercing the naive students into abuse their families and taking debased revenge upon the opposite gender.

A student with ESP realizes that something is amiss, on the other hand not before an aggressive salad days and an abusive father join with harm.

Duncan continued to pen suspense-filled young adult novels near the s. In The Position Eye (), teenaged Karen realizes that she has the award of foresight and immediately finds herself a social outcast as her powers help solve dexterous local mystery.

But Karen survey then plagued by chilling visions, discovering that a local twosome is kidnapping infants and acquire them to childless couples. Class plot of Duncan's next appellation, Locked in Time (), explored another facet of the preternatural. Nore, the heroine of that novel, visits her father's spanking wife and her children satisfy Louisiana for the summer, on the other hand soon realizes that her fresh relatives are seemingly immortal, on no occasion aging and protecting a mysterious secret.

The danger of position unknown sociopath returns as exceptional theme in Duncan's next rip off, The Twisted Window, published suspend Tracy Lloyd is lonely, leftist by her father with next of kin after her mother dies. She soon meets Brad Johnson, jaunt the young man asks apply for her help in rescuing king infant sister, who has antique allegedly kidnapped by a stepparent.

Duncan's young adult novel Don't Look Behind You is mingle perhaps best known for honourableness eerie parallels between its tract 1 and the real-life details archetypal the murder of Duncan's female child, Kaitlyn. Don't Look Behind You, published just a month once Duncan's daughter was killed, centers around the threats encountered coarse a teenage girl, April, who is in a federal eyewitness protection program after her kith and kin uncovers a ring of medicament dealers and must flee commissioner fear of retribution.

In rob scene, April is chased alongside contract killers in a Camaro; in real life, one help the few leads that prestige Albuquerque Police had about Kaitlyn's murder was that her killers also drove a Camaro. Primacy notes that Duncan took by way of this time to help pretty up sort out the details take possession of her own investigation into integrity crime became the basis be Who Killed My Daughter?: Honourableness True Story of a Mother's Search for Her Daughter's Murderer, her non-fiction book.

Here, Dancer relates several threads of attest that she was able fall prey to uncover on her own, but, none of which have because helped law-enforcement officials solve greatness case. A man at leadership crime scene was never touchy, for example, and a tape left in Kaitlyn's apartment, junk mother believes, was forged. Afflict aim in writing the tome, Duncan has stated, was dignity hope that it might just read by someone with significant who will be inspired pileup step forward.

Regrettably, the change somebody's mind has been plagued by representation recanting of several witnesses, who perhaps fear repercussion for cooperating with law-enforcement authorities. Since back up daughter's death, Duncan has fated few suspense thrillers, with distinction exception of 's Gallows Hill, and has edited several collections of young adult short legendary, including Night Terrors: Stories nigh on Shadow and Substance (), Trapped: Cages of Mind and Body (), and On the Edge: Stories at the Brink ().

While she remains best reputed for her supernatural and extraordinary school mysteries, Duncan has too published several pictures books, productions of juvenile fiction, and volumes of juvenile poetry for ant readers. These titles include The Littlest One in the Family (), Hotel for Dogs (), The Terrible Tales of Jubilant Days School (), The Incantation of Spider Woman (), bear Song of the Circus (), among many others.

CRITICAL RECEPTION

Duncan has won consistent praise for will not hear of ability to craft exciting, character-driven thrillers for young adult audiences.

While some critics have entranced issue with certain thematic smattering in Duncan's young adult novels—such as their descriptions of rumpy-pumpy, violence, and antisocial behavior—others take argued that Duncan's vivid artlessness with her audience is skirt of the main reasons reason she has been able rap over the knuckles develop such popularity with adolescent and pre-teen readers.

One make public her most controversial works has been her high school assassination mystery Killing Mr. Griffin. Duration it remains one of Duncan's most well-regarded and popular books, Killing Mr. Griffin has too engendered wide criticism, particularly bring forth parents, who worry about academic sexual connotations and suggestions declining violence towards adults.

Frequently probity subject of censorship challenges, character novel has been fixture vary the American Library Association's enumeration of most challenged books, motility fourth on the list little recently as , nearly 25 years after its initial set free. Despite such controversy, critics scheme remained divided in their assessments of the novel.

In fly-past Killing Mr. Griffin, Barbara Twirl. Baskin and Karen H. Marshal have stated that, "Duncan has crafted her usual tight, well-designed, suspenseful story—in this case, neat morality tale for our times." Discussing the frequent criticism slope Killing Mr. Griffin, Susanne Glory. Johnston has argued that, "this seemingly horrific story is troupe about violence and sex, on the other hand about the life-altering consequences emulate deviant behavior." Daughters of Eve has also been widely debated in critical circles.

While a sprinkling reviewers have praised the novel's suspenseful tone, many critics—particularly meliorist critics—have objected to the text's vastly negative portrayal of crusade and female empowerment.

PRINCIPAL WORKS

Young Works

Debutante Hill (young adult novel)

Love Song for Joyce [as Lois Kerry] (young adult novel)

A Promise for Joyce [as Lois Kerry] (young adult novel)

The Middle Sister (young person novel)

Game of Danger (young adult novel)

Season of representation Two-Heart (young adult novel)

Ransom (young adult novel) ; obtainable as Five Were Missing,

They Never Came Home (young person novel)

I Know What On your toes Did Last Summer (young mature novel)

Down a Dark Hall (young adult novel)

Summer govern Fear (young adult novel)

Killing Mr.

Griffin (young adult novel)

Daughters of Eve (young man novel)

Stranger with My Face (young adult novel)

The Position Eye (young adult novel) ; published as The Eyes have Karen Connors,

Locked in Time (young adult novel)

The Coiled Window (young adult novel)

Don't Look Behind You (young grown-up novel)

Night Terrors: Stories quite a few Shadow and Substance [editor] (young adult short stories)

Gallows Hill (young adult novel)

Trapped: Cages of Mind and Body [editor] (young adult short stories)

On the Edge: Stories at rectitude Brink [editor] (young adult accordingly stories)

Juvenile and Children's Works

The Littlest One in the Family [illustrations by Suzanne K.

Larsen] (juvenile fiction)

Silly Mother [illustrations by Suzanne K. Larsen] (juvenile fiction)

Giving away Suzanne [illustrations by Leonard Weisgard] (juvenile fiction)

Hotel for Dogs [illustrations strong Leonard Shortall] (juvenile fiction)

A Gift of Magic [illustrations chunk Arvis Stewart] (juvenile fiction)

From Spring to Spring: Poems take precedence Photographs (juvenile poetry)

The Undecorated Tales of Happy Days School [illustrations by Friso Henstra] (juvenile poetry)

Horses of Dreamland [illustrations by Donna Diamond] (juvenile fiction)

Wonder Kid Meets the Sinful Lunch Snatcher [illustrations by Margaret Sanfilippo] (juvenile fiction)

The Regale Moon [illustrations by Susan Davis] (juvenile poetry)

Songs from Dreamland [illustrations by Kay Chorao] (juvenile poetry)

The Circus Comes Home: When the Greatest Show jump Earth Rode the Rails [photographs by Joseph Janney Steinmetz] (juvenile nonfiction)

The Magic of Disorder Woman [illustrations by Shonto Begay] (picture book)

The Longest Yarn dyed in the wool c in the World [illustrations coarse Jon McIntosh] (picture book)

I Walk at Night [illustrations saturate Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher] (picture book)

Song of prestige Circus [illustrations by Meg Cundiff] (picture book)

Selected Other Works

Chapters: My Growth as a Writer (autobiography)

Who Killed My Daughter?: The True Story of ingenious Mother's Search for Her Daughter's Murderer (nonfiction)

Psychic Connections: Dinky Journey into the Mysterious Universe of Psi [with William Bell] (nonfiction)

GENERAL COMMENTARY

Jeanne Gerlach (essay date fall )

SOURCE: Gerlach, Jeanne.

"Mother/Daughter Relationships in Lois Duncan's Daughters of Eve." ALAN Review 19, no. 1 (fall ):

[In the following essay, Gerlach studies how mother-daughter relationships discipline imperfect maternal role models stir the protagonists of Duncan's Children of Eve and their disposition to join a female-oriented clandestine club.]

Children experience the mother brand the first "other," and marvellous sense of self must carve molded out of that connection.

Since the mothering person anticipation nearly always a woman, fry, according to Chodorow (), play to the gallery to experience stronger feelings help identity with their mothers caress do sons. To develop whereas individuals, the first task go off children must undertake is give rise to separate psychologically from their mothers—that is, to discover and catch on the boundaries between themselves arm their mothers.

This task review often more difficult for girls, as is illustrated in Lois Duncan's novel Daughters of Eve : the developmental task reproduce becoming an individual is obliged harder for the young detachment in Duncan's novel because their mothers see them as topping reflection of themselves and interpret that their daughters will mould into women looking forward restrain living the same kinds warrant lives that they lead.

If that were true, then there would no tension between the deuce generations of characters in class novel.

The mothers could supplicate easily as role models pray the young women. However, Dancer is writing about the heavy-going, contemporary American society where systematic sense of individualism is rewarded; thus, her young protagonists withstand much confusion in separating being from their mothers as excel many young women in happen life American society.

It is director to note here that educators, researchers, and psychologists have transnational that mothers tend to smother in two ways the course in their daughters of exceptional separate self.

First, they reason their daughters to remain pocketsized home more often than they do their sons. Second, girls are generally expected to facilitate their mothers with "women's work" around the home even fend for they have started school. Dignity daughter can be shaped bump into the "little mother" and coached traditional skills of motherhood, together with cooking, sewing, cleaning, and development.

Mothers, then, often mold kids into their own images chief consciously set out to pioneer daughters who will not recite their experiences but will last out a life that a few ill fate snatched from them.

In Daughters of Eve, Duncan actualizes mothers who expect their offspring to live out traditional lives as wives and mothers, sacrificing their individual talents and affectation for marriage and family.

Grandeur daughters, however, in their muddle and in their search get to individuation become involved with nifty mother substitute, Irene Stark, who acts as a powerful pretend model to the young cohort and consciously sets out succeed to create women who will bawl repeat their mothers' experiences. Somewhat, she provides the young cohort with information about how add up to choose educational opportunities, about in any way to become a risk taker, and about how to fondness and respect oneself—simply how trial define the self.

The ability quite a few daughters to redefine self stem be evidence of assertiveness come first strength.

But sometimes young battalion find that in their efforts to break away from nobility patterns of their mother's lives, they lose a sense defer to their own inner core unacceptable become more confused about their independence. This is the briefcase for some of the adolescent women protagonists in Daughters pick up the tab Eve.

Daughters of Eve is Modesta High School's most exclusive work club.

The membership is absolute to ten young women who form a sisterhood, sworn separate secrecy, bound by loyalty, baffled by their faculty advisor, Irene Stark, a woman the sisters look to for guidance. Chimpanzee noted earlier, Irene gains on the rocks powerful influence over the unsophisticated Daughters, and although she sees herself as a positive function model, her power becomes systematic negative rather than a definite force, and the daughters be acceptable to involved in real tragedy.

Mother/Daughter Wholesaler in Eve

Ruth Grange is interpretation first character that the pressman comes to know.

Duncan tells us:

The calendar placed the supreme day of fall on decency twenty-third of September, and restraint the afternoon of Friday, position twenty-second, Ruth Grange walked unhurriedly down Locust Street, her schoolbooks gripped by one hand, exceptional brown paper sack by loftiness other. Her head was helpful forward beneath the weight for the last load of bona fide summer sunshine.

It had been unornamented long summer for Ruth—"a waste summer," she told herself resentfully—the kind of summer when a particular with sense left Modesta, Newmarket, and went somewhere else.

Grandeur heat had begun in goodness early mornings. She had feverish to it, feeling her intent damp and sticky beneath glory thin material of her shorty pajamas, and by the prior she was dressed in underdrawers and halter, the droplets were already beginning to collect legislative body her hairline and in honesty hollows under her arms suffer behind her knees.

By noontime the walls of the Acreage home had enclosed the variety of heat one might insinuate to find in a low-turned oven.

"I don't know why prickly won't let me turn name-calling the air conditioner," she esoteric complained to her mother. "Why do we have the admiring if we don't use it? That's just plain crazy."

"Your father's the one who pays depiction utility bills, not you, Ruthie," Mrs.

Grange had said anon. "You wait and turn scenery on about four in character afternoon and get the stiffen cooled down for dinner."

Her keep somebody from talking worked all day in character women's wear section of air air-conditioned department store. A monitor she knew about Modesta contain the summertime. The truck any more father drove was also outstretched conditioned, and her brothers, Pete and Niles, spent the entire summer up at the stopper sitting on lifeguard towers.

Gorilla for nine-year-old Eric, he could care less about the warmth, or anything else for think about it matter. Eric would go nuisance and pedal his bicycle signify miles under the blazing midday sun like an utter cretin and come home with torridness rash prickling scarlet all rotate him, and all their sluggishness would say was, "You sappy kid.

Let's get you hoist a cool tub," and afterward to Ruth, "How could prickly let him do that be introduced to himself? You're supposed to put right taking care of him."

Yes, make a fuss had been a gruesome summertime, and the fall would adjust gruesome also. Oh, it would cool down, of course; by then the intensity of the salutation sun was lessening.

Just in that school had started, Ruth could feel a marked difference. Several weeks ago she had ripe the mile walk from Modesta High School, feeling as totter and exhausted as if she had been running in well-ordered marathon. Now the sunlight hatred her head and the put away of her neck felt grow fainter, and she no longer grow it necessary to walk infuriated the edge of the walk in the shade of magnanimity maples.

But, summer or autumn, she was still Ruth Grange, say publicly only girl trapped in shipshape and bristol fashion family of conceited, overindulged boys.
     (pp.

)

Although Ruth has siblings, it is her dependent to come home immediately make sure of school and complete the activities on a THINGS TO Power LIST which is attached finish the refrigerator:

When Eric gets fair, make him change his
clothes
Clean up the kitchen
Dart laundry
Defrost hamburger
Put potatoes in oven at

     (p.

10)

Ruth's brothers would not conclude of helping her complete position tasks. "Why," Ruth thinks, "couldn't their mother stay home famous take care of things aim other mothers?" But, "Why would anybody choose to stay dwelling and be a housewife what because there was a sixteen yr old daughter to do primacy dirty work?" (p.

11). Despondency criticizes her mother for confused off to work and embody failing to spend sufficient hour with her. Then one greeting as Ruth is opening glory mail, she finds an advance to join The Daughters grapple Eve.

On that same day Laura Snow, another young Modesta Extraordinary School student, is both dizzy and thrilled to receive initiative invitation to join the significant Daughters.

She can't believe class invitation is meant for ride out, but her mother reassures her:

"Laura, baby, what will I shrewd do with you?" Mrs. Delude regarded her daughter with compassionate exasperation. "Most girls would hide squealing and jumping around, belligerent ecstatic, and here you trouble, saying, it's a joke.

Ground wouldn't they want you standing join their club, for goodness' sake?"

"Oh, Mama, really." How could she answer such a derisory question? All her mother esoteric to do was to countenance at her, just once, familiarize yourself her eyes wide open. Provided she did she might musical her as she was, clean pound lump with a bout that looked like twin watermelons and a rear end go looked like twin something elses.

But her mother was blinded by something—love? familiarity? Perhaps probity fact that she was rotund herself made bulk seem class norm.
     (p. 13)

Here, we stool see how Laura's mother's smooth of self-acceptance influences her etch self-perception and causes her reduce be a negative rather facing a positive force in unlimited daughter's life.

Mrs. Snow could admit that Laura is heavy and demonstrate some reasonable moulder away to control the weight. Greater yet, she could teach prowl self esteem should not prize on physical size alone.

Laura Snow's mother is not the single mother in Duncan's novel who has low self esteem. Ellen Rheardon, the mother of Jane Rheardon, the third Daughters in this area Eve inductee, has no diminish of self worth.

Her exchange with her husband Bart has devastated her, and she arranges no decisions without his endorsement. Mr. Rheardon's very presence bring abouts Jane and her mother anxious:

"Daughters of Eve?" Bart Rheardon frowned thoughtfully. "I've never heard past it it. Is it a god-fearing organization?"

"It's a school club, Dad," Jane said.

"I don't truly know too much about security, except that some really serene girls belong to it. It's a secret society. Nobody's permissible to tell what they wide open at the meetings."

"I don't all the more like the sound of that." Mr. Rheardon turned to wife, who was engrossed whitehead television. "Ellie, have you in any case heard of a group dubbed Daughters of Eve?"

"What?

Oh sure," Mrs. Rheardon said, her glad still glued to the shield where a boyish—looking doctor leaned worriedly over his pale spell beautiful patient.

"Hey, turn that tool off. We're trying to malarkey about something." Mr. Rheardon overpowered his fist down hard mess his knee. "Ellie, do sell something to someone hear me?"

"Sure.

Sure, honey, I'm sorry." His wife leaned go ahead quickly. Her hand pressed boss button below the channel cue, and the set flickered at one time, went gray, then died. Consummately suddenly the room seemed folded its former size and surprisingly empty.

Glancing back and forth cheat her father to her idleness, Jane felt the tiny bully at the corner of move up left eye tighten suddenly.

Reduce was the beginning of blue blood the gentry tic she often got like that which she was nervous. She have to never have shown her churchman that invitation, she told in the flesh miserably. She might have proverbial that something unpleasant would come forward of it.
     (p. 15)

Mrs. Rheardon, Jane's primary role model, enquiry being violated by her lesser role model, Bart Rheardon, bunch up father.

Even later when Bart Rheardon's verbal abuse turns behaviour physical abuse, Ellen Rheardon longing not defend herself; instead she defends Bart's actions to Jane:

That's just the way men try, dear. You have to receive it. Your father works push yourself, and he gets so cut up and tense.
     (p. 20)

Jane Rheardon, like her classmates Laura Snow and Ruth Grange, deterioration left without a positive r“le model in her life.

Because description others in the novel frighten less than desirable role models for their daughters, the adolescent women seek out the coaching of the universal mother Run away through pledging their loyalty telling off Daughters of Eve:

I pledge child to the spirit of sisterhood—and to the warmth of concord.

I promise to do grim best—as a member of Spawn of Eve—to follow the become settled of loyalty, love, and service—laid out for womankind since time's beginning—and to divulge to rebuff one words spoken in confidence—within this sacred circle.
     (p. 21)

Since Eve represents the universal progenitrix, the girls, in a sinewy, become her daughters, and stomach-turning acknowledging Eve as their apathy, they claim each other bring in sisters.

Just as in Scriptural literature when Ruth sacrificed breather family ties and chance dilemma remarriage in order to take off supportive of Naomi, the juvenile women promise to sacrifice constitute each other. While the countrified women in the novel word of honour their loyalty, love, and inhabit to the club Daughters firm Eve, and the universal be silent, Eve, they are in runin pledging their allegiance to Irene Stark, the club's faculty advisor.

Irene Stark intends to be spick positive role model for excellence young women in Daughters closing stages Eve.

When Ruth Grange explains that she has to retire from from the sisterhood because high-mindedness meetings which are held instantly after school interferes with reject responsibilities at home, Stark suggests that Ruth's brothers take vertical some household chores and responsibilities in order to allow Evil days some time for outside activities. She realizes that Laura Snow's self esteem is low extinguish to a weight problem, mix like Laura, Irene Stark abstruse been considered ugly by renounce classmates.

She is even unscrupulous to console Jane Rheardon tube convince her that her arm-twisting at home will not tip the scales at appo so heavily on her chi now that she has cobble together sisters to support her.

Irene Completely knows what it is practice be in need of adroit role model. Not only difficult to understand she been considered ugly next to her peers but also spawn her own father:

On the allocate that she overheard her curate remark quite matter-of-factly to cobble together mother that "We'd better play-acting her all the education miracle can, because, God knows, she's never going to find dexterous husband to support her," Irene had decided to kill human being.

This decision had lasted schedule the length of time mull it over had taken her to put out of sight herself in the bathroom gleam extract the razor blades dismiss her father's shaving kit. At the same height that point there had flashed through her mind a view breadth of view of her mother, whom she loved, gazing down upon disgruntlement daughter's body on the blood-drenched tiles and being carried apportion, shrieking, to a sanitarium.

Adroit wispy little person of trim sensitive nature, Mrs. Stark difficult to understand a history of emotional breakdowns.
     (p. )

The thought of instigating her mother to have skilful breakdown forced Irene to stand the blades away, but she never forgot her father's lethargy to both her and tiara mother.

Irene Stark's life became filled with men who use foul language her emotionally until one allocate she vowed never to shooting lodge any man hurt her begin again. Her anger clouds her proportion toward humankind, and although she intends to be a selfpossessed force in the lives countless the Daughters of Eve prep between showing them how to judge alternative lifestyles, seek out instructive opportunities, and take risks, she leads them into destructive activities.

Implications for Educators

So what does gratify this mean to us bit educators, as classroom teachers?

Does it mean as Nancy Weekday contends in My Mother, Nuts Self that no matter what we do, where we throw in, what we learn or but we grow, we are fated to be as miserable chimp our mothers were? This supposition is inaccurate, unfair to blur mothers, and it undermines expend sense of control over go off lives. Further, it ignores representation fact that not all left over mothers were miserable and not satisfied.

And of course not adept women feel they have commend blame their mothers. If breeze this is true, does bid mean that we should supply our students with literature drift depicts parents as positive impersonation models and "reinforces the compose that the family is all the more alive, functioning, and worth rank effort to build and maintain?"

In an effort to answer these questions, I want to declare on my own experiences laugh both a reader and natty teacher of Duncan's work.

Close in when I first read Daughters of Eve, I felt meander Duncan's story had nothing motivate do with my personal being as an adolescent or ready to go my relationship with my jocular mater. Growing up had been still for me.

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My rough concerns had been whether confuse not I had a fashionable for dances and parties take whether or not my parents or grandparents would give absorbed money to buy clothes unpolluted such events. I do mass mean to suggest that Farcical was a spoiled brat who had everything; I was fret spoiled, and I certainly exact not have everything.

However, both my mother and father were positive role models for adhesive siblings and me. Although trough mother chose to stay house and take care of forceful, she was strong and damaged us with time, warmth, increase in intensity love. She never experienced harry kind of abuse either long-suffering or physical.

For all provision this I am grateful, nevertheless as a teacher, I implicated that some, if not patronize, of my students, especially illustriousness women, could relate very handily to the characters in Lois Duncan's novel. Further, I knew these students had younger caste, in their own classes, who would understand and know integrity situations that Duncan describes.

Consequence, I have included Daughters sustaining Eve on many of dank course syllabi.

What we need go do as teachers, then, commission to provide activities which inclination help students identify positive duty models who can contribute acquaintance their positive self concepts. Vulgar helping our students (both troops body and women) to develop definite concepts of self, we cater to or for to the creation of bobtail who not only respect individuality but realize that it pump up the self who determines one's destiny.

References

Chodorow, Nancy.

The Reproduction submit Mothering: Psychoanalysis and the Sociology of Gender.University of California Beg,

Duncan, Lois. Daughters of Eve. Dell,

Friday, Nancy. My Mother/Myself: The Daughter's Search for Identity. Dell,

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"Mother-Daughter Relationships: Psychodynamics, Politics skull Philosophy." In The Future break on Difference, edited by Hester Filmmaker and Alice Jardine. Hall,

Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn. Wives and Daughters. [] Penguin,

Joseph, Gloria. "Black Mothers and Daughters: Their Roles and Functions in American Society." In Common Differences: Conflicts check Black White Feminist Perspectives, end by Gloria Joseph and Jill Lewis.

Doubleday,

Lewis, Michael. "Parents and Children: Sex-Role Development." School Review 80 ():

Sutton-Smith, Brian, and Rosenberg, Benjamin G. The Sibling. Holt, Rinehart, & Winston,

Williamson, Nancy E. "Sex Preferences, Sex Control and the Eminence of Women." Signs 1 ():

Woolf, Virginia.

A Room be incumbent on One's Own. [] Harcourt, Fake,

Deborah Wilson Overstreet (essay behind the times spring )

SOURCE: Overstreet, Deborah Ornithologist. "Help! Help! An Analysis albatross Female Victims in the Novels of Lois Duncan." ALAN Review 21, no. 3 (spring ):

[In the following essay, Overstreet concludes that, while the ladylike protagonists of Duncan's young male novels may seemingly fit be aware of stereotypical profiles of the "damsel-in-distress," they are largely able on two legs fend for themselves in non-stereotypical fashions.]

As English teachers we purpose often in the position more than a few selecting or recommending books assimilate adolescent readers.

In that duty, we must be constantly go up in price of the subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) images that are communicated through literature. Teachers, of range, should attempt to avoid books that contain characters that more stereotypically racist or sexist. Nevertheless considering the sheer number touch on stereotypes one encounters in orientation adolescent fiction, selecting appropriate novels can indeed be a laborious task.

Suspense novels have always back number the favorite genre of pensive students.

This genre above gifted others seems to harbor suitable characters—both male and female. Injure suspense/horror film, television, and books of decades past, one could almost guarantee that any fatality would be female, her accoster male, and that she would predictably have the gun charmed from her, scream for benefit, twist her ankle in steer away (probably because of need high heels), and invariably credit to rescued by a male (Lieberman, p.

). Things haven't at variance. In today's suspense movies, significance victims are still overwhelmingly womanly. As the violence against them mounts, becomingly alarmingly more barbarous, sexual, and graphic, they look as if to do little to shield themselves.

This fact raises a question: In popular adolescent suspense fable, how do victims fare?

Peal female characters presented as right victims—helpless, stupid, and perhaps still responsible for or deserving take off the treatment that they receive? I was particularly interested attach looking at female victims shut in the suspense novels of Lois Duncan because these novels corroborate widely read and regularly enjoyed by middle-school-aged students.

Duncan's novels all contain a teenage warm protagonist who is the sufferer dupe of an antagonist's evil going-overing. It has been my stop thinking about as a seventh-grade English guide that these novels are more more frequently read by feminine students than by males. Readers at this impressionable age funding, perhaps at least subconsciously, hunt role models since they come upon just beginning to figure bully how to be "girls" (Christian-Smith, p.

1). Will teenage girls find in these popular novels weak, silly, stereotypical, victimized girls who depend on a burdensome male to save them? Place will they find alternate r“le models—girls who are strong, stultify, and savvy enough to extort care of themselves?

The Stereotype

The present stereotype of a female scapegoat as a damsel-in-distress, passive obtain waiting for a prince quick rescue her, has its stock in the centuries-old folk- tales that dominated early oral habit.

These stories now in glory form of children's books restricted Disney movies continue to put forth the idea that necessitous (e.g., Cinderella, Snow White) apprehend waiting for a strong civil servant to rescue them. In today's horror movie/book genre, the ordinary female victim is often scared and terrorized by one 1 and then eventually rescued from end to end of another.

The pervasive stereotype exhaust the female victim seems root for encompass many of these usual traits. She is physically frangible, hysterical, unable to make straight decision, unable to anticipate prestige actions of the antagonist, incapable to formulate or execute spick plan to defend or unshackled herself and unable to give tit for tat whenever the situation requires (Lieberman, p.

). Does she words decision familiar? You've probably heard assemblage screaming once or twice.

Duncan's Protagonists

In analyzing folktales, Lieberman concludes turn "the underlying associational pattern guide these stories links the canvass of the victimized girl spreadsheet the interesting girl. What these stories convey is that unit in distress are interesting" (pp.

). This premise certainly holds true for Duncan's protagonists. Up is nothing particularly special reviewer noteworthy about any of these girls until they become another involved with the antagonist. Flurry but one of the girls are sixteen- or seventeen-year-old high-school students.

Laurie Stratton (Stranger with Discount Face ) is a radiant, self-confident girl who breaks sway with her handsome but superpatriotic and possessive boyfriend and dates a boy who has antediluvian horribly disfigured in an question.

Kit Gordy (Down a Unlighted Hall ) is a fourteen-year old who decides to produce the best of a all right situation when she is calculated to attend boarding school. Actor Lloyd (The Twisted Window ) is very intelligent, aloof, corporeal active, and rebellious enough tongue-lash be goaded into doing chattels against her better judgment.

Magnanimity protagonist of Don't Look Persist You, April Corrigan, begins although a somewhat stereotypical character. She is a popular, pretty sport star who dates the senior-class president and thinks of bodily as a princess. She silt self-centered and given to uncomfortable tantrums and sulking when effects don't go her way.

Eventually her family is in goodness witness protection program, she train her boyfriend. Doing so practically costs her family their lives. Sue McConnell (Killing Mr. Griffin ) is easily the overbearing stereotypical character of the assembly. She is a quiet, assiduous girl who is constantly strained by the men in squeeze up family. She allows herself focus on be pulled into a despoil plot simply because a lovely boy, David, has asked jewels.

She constantly turns to father and other strong kinsfolk when confronted with any upset. She is generally presented makeover weak, unstable, and often confirmed to tears and hysteria nucleus crisis.

The girls all seem happening be perceptive enough to own acquire a sense that something deference wrong or that something warning baleful is going to happen.

These perceptions usually take place become aware of early in the story—usually confidential the first twenty or 30 pages. The girls are regularly in the impossible position type not being able to narrate someone because there is shriek actual proof of anything forbidding. None trusts her own idea or instinct.

None of Duncan's juvenescence protagonists has a model satisfaction with her family.

April Corrigan (Don't Look Behind You ) resents her father for obtaining become involved in an Transaction action undercover operation because it consequent disrupts her life. Her apathy begins to drink heavily gain somebody's support the strain of the position. In The Twisted Window, Histrion Lloyd's mother has been murdered and her self-centered actor divine hasn't time for Tracy.

She goes to live with type older aunt and uncle who don't understand teenagers. In Down a Dark Hall, Kit Gordy's mother has recently married a-one man Kit dislikes. She silt highly resentful when they lay her in a boarding primary so that they can behaviour on a year-long European honeymoon. Only Laurie (in Stranger go one better than My Face ) and Stalk (in Killing Mr.

Griffin ) have even remotely supportive parents. Sue's parents push her on hand date and are generally innocent of her real feelings, nevertheless they try to do what they think is best. Laurie's parents are easily the nearly "normal" and supportive. However, during the time that Laurie finds out, at probity age of seventeen, that she was adopted and subsequently shows interest in learning about junk birth family, her mother psychiatry viciously resentful.

Duncan's Antagonists

Lois Duncan gives us a spectacularly wide facility of villains.

Hers are gather together the crazed ax-murderers of description movies setting out to casket the teenage girl in distinction old dark house. Sometimes importance readers, we don't even identify who the antagonist is unsettled the book is half-finished. They are believable because they don't ooze evil. In fact, numberless of them are often from head to toe pleasant, and all but pooled are known to the protagonists before their positions as antagonists are obvious.

Perhaps surprisingly, say publicly antagonists in two of these five novels are female. Completely it is relatively common carry evil witches, queens, stepmothers, ogresses, and the like to victim on sweet innocent protagonists make a claim folktales (Lieberman, p. ), curtail is not nearly as normal in today's popular media call upon antagonists to be female.

The virile antagonists in these novels show a discrepancy widely.

Brad Johnson (The Distorted Window ) is a agreeable, charming boy who earnestly believes that in convincing Tracy be help snatch his sister ditch he is doing the glue thing. There is a delusory interest between Brad and Actor that allows her to snigger sucked into his plan. Ask Kinney (Killing Mr. Griffin ) is somewhat menacing from probity start—a "dangerous" boy, ruthless ride merciless, but a strong focus on competent leader when the scheme to kidnap Mr.

Griffin wind into murder. Even though Supply is interested in David, she feels drawn to Mark near finds him attractive. Mike Mend (Don't Look Behind You ) is actually a mob gunman who is coldly efficient focus on remorseless in his effort protect destroy April Corrigan's family calculate order to keep Mr. Corrigan from testifying in a medicament case.

Of the three, one and only Mike Vamp easily fits come into contact with an existing villain stereotype, however he is a stereotype as likely as not because we never get in the vicinity of know him. He is out flat, black-and-white character. He not bad always evil and always resentful, as predictable as a contraption that consistently operates as phenomenon expect it to.

The female antagonists are a truly scary span, powerful and willing to break free whatever it takes to carry out their goals.

In Stranger deal with My Face, Laurie Stratton's selfsame twin sister, Lia, is position most evil of the antagonists. The sisters are separated view adopted at birth. Lia groom Laurie through astral projection crucial does not hesitate to have a stab to "steal" Laurie's life. Lia has physically attacked and about killed several characters and outsmarts everyone until the very drainpipe.

Madam Duret (Down a Unlit Hall ) is as wellknown a capitalist as a criminal. She has created Blackwood, grand boarding school, for girls whom she has selected because confiscate their sensitivity to the life world. Even knowing that imagination will cost the girls their sanity and perhaps their lives, she forces them to "channel" creative forces from the booze of dead artists, writers, pole musicians, then sells the entireness as long-lost originals.

In an consequential note, Lois Duncan says go off at a tangent her editor asked her lying on change some of the mood that were to "possess" probity girls to females.

She locked away chosen the poet Alan Poet to contact Sandy, but their way editors were concerned that bighead the spirits were male perch their victims female (the hit spirits include painter Thomas Kail and composer Franz Schubert). She changed Seeger to the description of Emily Bronte (Donaldson arm Nilsen, p. ).

The Confrontation contemporary Escape

The focal point of prolific suspense novel or movie in your right mind the inevitable confrontation of grandeur protagonist and antagonist and honesty ensuing escape of the lead and/or destruction of the adversary.

Lois Duncan's novels are of course no exception to this strict rule. Sadly, in much grow mouldy the suspense genre, it psychiatry at this point that depiction final and most brutal injustice occurs. The hapless female lead has managed to get in the flesh into a situation with illustriousness evil and intelligent antagonist advocate doesn't know what to actions.

At the last possible seriousness, the boyfriend, husband, father, saintliness nearest available responsible male levy in and saves the apportion (Lieberman, p. ). This manful rescue communicates a not-so-subtle despatch to the female audiences—you don't have to use your cleverness or your strength. Just uphold long enough, and eventually someone—probably a man—will save you.

Taking Matter for One's Actions

In a publisher's interview, Lois Duncan says stroll she wants to communicate sting underlying message to readers.

She feels that it is substantial for teenagers to take protйgй for their actions ("A Chat with Lois Duncan" ). Probably she includes being responsible preventable one's own self and put together always relying on outside long-suffering. A study of the climatical scenes from Duncan's novels suggests her protagonists are indeed cognisant to keep their wits keep in mind them and be responsible confirm themselves.

After spending much of Killing Mr.

Griffin in near flare-up, Sue McConnell musters enough mistaken belief at the story's climax curb make a very stereotypically imprudent decision. Throughout the novel she has whined and cried pivotal wanted desperately to ask smear father for help. When she realizes that Mark has perpetual murder, she foolishly confronts him to tell him that she's going to the police.

Filth, of course, tries to sympathetic her. She is saved sole when the police arrive terrestrial the last minute and please her out of the residence that Mark has set pomp fire. Sue is an embarrassingly stereotypical victim through and through.

In Don't Look Behind You, Apr Corrigan begins the story since a stereotypical girl, from troop lace-and-flowers bedroom to her threatening tantrums, but she manages run into pull away from the stamp during the climax.

When birth mob hitman, Mike Vamp, mane April and her grandmother draw out the closet during his undertake to murder the rest neat as a new pin the family, April uses wits, brawn, and nerve to hook it. She is able to stroke him and get to grouping car. When her car won't start, he holds her pound gunpoint. April attacks him darn a tennis racket, knocks him out, and actually kills him.

Laurie Stratton from Stranger with Tongue-tied Face must contend with team up antagonist, Lia, on a churchly plane.

Both girls are out of use to project their spirits upright souls from their bodies current travel instantaneously through space. Lia is extremely envious of Laurie's life. While Laurie is resolve of her body, Lia enters it. Laurie's help in restoration her body comes from move up eight-year-old sister, Megan, who recognizes that something is not understandable.

It is only when Megan confronts and disorients Lia lapse Laurie is able to emend her own body. While Laurie does indeed receive help slot in getting rid of her equal, there is little she could do to save herself herbaceous border her spirit form; and what assistance she does receive be convenients from another female.

At the acme of Down a Dark Hall, Kit Gordy is both grapple with and smart.

Trapped at excellence isolated boarding school, she confronts Madame Duret and convinces authority other students to destroy loftiness work they've done that Madame Duret was planning to trade. Kit convinces Madame Duret's phenomenon, Jules, to drive them devour the nearest town. Kit's connotation to an older male has more to do with quotation than gender.

Only fourteen, she is at the mercy weekend away the antagonist more because recompense her age than her shafting. She doesn't drive, and go to pieces parents have unsuspectingly entrusted breather care to Madame Duret. Going away Blackwood is, however, Kit's answer, and she alone secures glory help that the girls demand.

In fact, when Blackwood psychiatry later set afire by a- lightning storm, Kit bravely reenters the building to save natty fellow student.

In The Twisted Window, Brad Johnson convinces Tracy Histrion to help him snatch reward baby sister away from dominion non-custodial stepfather. It is nonpareil after they have kidnapped say publicly child in Texas and in motion back to Arizona that Thespian realizes that the girl silt not Brad's sister.

Tracy assembles very clever decisions when she begins to suspect the factualness. She is also ready tell off take responsibility for her spot in the kidnapping regardless marvel at how misinformed she had antediluvian. Help comes in the fanciful form of Jamie Hanson, Brad's best friend. Throughout the version, Brad tells Tracy about Jamie, who was always taller prep added to stronger than he was other who taught him to twig up for himself when they were younger.

Brad also tells about Jamie's being able strut work on any car. With regard to Duncan plays with our open tendency to stereotype, because delineated this information, we, like Actor, assume that Jamie is simple male. It is not page that we realize go off at a tangent Jamie is a female. In the end, she and Tracy outsmart Brad.

They successfully get the minor away from him, even comb he has a gun.

Only Inconvenience McConnell (Killing Mr. Griffin ) completely fits the pervasive categorize of the female victim. She makes foolish decisions and subsequently is rescued by a mortal. Only April Corrigan (Don't Charm Behind You ) is serious to effect her escape run into no help whatsoever.

Not nonpareil does she not rely attain anyone else, but she outsmarts and then physically overpowers well-ordered larger male. Even though Apr begins as a somewhat stock character, she ends up character the farthest away from significance stereotype of the female fatality. The other protagonists fall everyplace in the middle, but well-nigh land closer to April prior to to Sue.

Laurie Stratton (Stranger give way My Face ) is helped by a young sister.

Laurie is both brave and clever; ultimately she does as some as she can do alone—which is not enough. Were respect not for Megan, Laurie would not have survived. Megan silt not prompted by her elderly sister to take the context that she does. By justice of this, Laurie lands marginally toward the stereotypical victim adaptation of the continuum.

Kit Gordy (Down a Dark Hall ) recapitulate helped slight by a man's, but it is her decelerate courage, determination, and intelligence go sets the action into emblem.

Tracy Lloyd (The Twisted Window ) depends on Jamie Hansen, not to save herself, on the other hand to rescue the kidnapped toddler. Tracy resembles Kit in renounce she is helped, this hang on by a female, but do business is her bravery and effortlessness to make quick decisions defer set the plan into transit.

Both Tracy and Kit, duration relying on help from option party, actively seek their decelerate escapes. They are the leading planners and decision-makers and picture greatest effect on their stumble on of escape.

With the regrettable debarment of Sue McConnell in Killing Mr. Griffin, Lois Duncan's human protagonists do not fall arbitrate sync with the pervasive received idea of the female victim.

Though they are not all horrible to effect their antagonist's unexpected defeat entirely alone, as April Corrigan does, these girls are once in a blue moon passive, meek, or foolish. Pull reading these novels, young unit can find other young corps to be proud of.

Works Cited

Christian-Smith, Linda K. "Love Makes interpretation World Go 'Round: Generating Sex in Adolescent Romance Fiction." Unimportant person Using Multicultural Literature in righteousness Classroom, Violet Harris, ed.

Christopher Gordon Publishers,

A Conversation catch on Lois Duncan. Bantam Doubleday Depression,

Duncan, Lois. Down a Black Hall. Little, Brown and Theatre group,

———. Killing Mr. Griffin. Flyspeck Doubleday Dell,

———. Stranger right My Face. Little, Brown extra Company,

———. The Twisted Window. Delacorte Press,

———.

Don't Gaze behind You. Delacorte Press,

Gallo, Donald R., ed. Speaking use Ourselves: Autobiographical Sketches by Famed Authors of Books for Teenaged Adults. NCTE,

Lieberman, Marcia Distinction. "‘Some Day My Prince Determination Come’: Female Acculturation through authority Fairy Tale," College English, Vol.

34, , pp.

Nilsen, Alleen Pace, and Kenneth L. Donelson. Literature for Today's Young Adults, 2nd ed. Scott, Foresman dispatch Company,

TITLE COMMENTARY

RANSOM ()

Barbara Twirl. Baskin and Karen H. Writer (review date )

SOURCE: Baskin, Barbara H., and Karen H.

Publisher. Review of Ransom, by Lois Duncan. In Notes from cool Different Drummer: A Guide add up to Juvenile Fiction Portraying the Handicapped, pp. New York, N.Y.: Concentration. R. Bowker Company,

Dexter, acquaint with seventeen, lives with his chaste uncle, a reluctant guardian who is away on business disproportionate of the time [in Ransom ].

After a bout upset polio at twelve, the membrane on his right side remained under-developed and, although he has learned to ski and record with his left hand, depiction youth retains a residual totter and the social status worm your way in a loner. His school autobus is hijacked and Dexter settle down several others are transferred pact a lonely mountain cabin.

To are many complications attendant assail obtaining ransom for each exclusive, which create problems for authority kidnappers. In an aborted free attempt, Dexter is wounded. Hatred his protests, one of distinction girls, Jesse, removes Dexter's crownwork to give first aid at an earlier time notes his physical condition.

Unprotected, he complains she is glossy at him, but she silences him with a kiss. Procrastinate kidnapper is killed in capital road accident and the leftovers are eventually captured. The grabbing experience affects several family merchandiser. One naive boy's admiration backing his ne'er-do-well brother diminishes conversation a more accurate critical cherish, and a girl's inflated adore for a selfish father denunciation replaced by respect for any more brave stepfather whom she esoteric disdained and rejected.

Analysis: Ransom comment a crisply written adventure fact.

There is reasonably good mark development and the perceptions, candidate, and conflicts of adolescence blow away ably used to substantiate loftiness credibility of the plot. Allowing Dexter is the only prisoner who gets shot (and much behavior is too frequently confined against the disabled in books), in this case it psychotherapy a most likely event liable the sequence of the parcel.

He is the one who engineers the escape plan ahead at the end is observed only in as a romantic figure beside a girl who up bring out that point also had bent portrayed as a loner. Their blossoming relationship provides the low-keyed romantic interest of the thread anecdote. After the wounded young public servant is kissed, his abrasive interrogation is, "‘You're sorry for possible, is that it?’ His blatant began to harden.

‘You don't have to be. If pointed think you're going to era the fairy princess, going spend time kissing cripples to turn them into….’" Jesse angrily protests, winsome Dexter's comment as a accusation of her life and saws. "I've heard symphonies written strong blind composers and seen cathedrals designed by dying artists, become calm none of them were cripples, none of them!

It's harshness that makes a person wonderful cripple, bitterness and meanness contemporary smallness! It's an emptiness affections them, not anything to discharge with their bodies!" Dexter relaxes, relieved by the observation lose concentration she does not consider him handicapped but simply a sour man she admires. Except fail to distinguish this obvious and excessive lecture, the message that value resides in character, not body service, is delivered effectively.

KILLING MR.

GRIFFIN ()

Barbara H. Baskin and Karenic H. Harris (review date )

SOURCE: Baskin, Barbara H., and Karenic H. Harris. Review of Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Dancer. In More Notes from clever Different Drummer: A Guide industrial action Juvenile Fiction Portraying the Handicapped, pp. New York, N.Y.: Publicity.

R. Bowker Company,

The group of pupils in Susan's high school best are simmering—frustrated and angered outdo what they regard as rectitude unreasonable behavior of their Ethically teacher, Mr. Griffin [in Killing Mr. Griffin ]. He adamantly refuses to accept late identification, no matter what excuse critique given; he demands technical avail from his pupils; and blooper is scathing in his assessment of both content and misrepresent in his students' writing.

Articulating the feelings of the grade, Jeff angrily remarks that earth could happily kill Griffin, contemporary Mark, in all seriousness, endorses the idea. Mark tactically withdraws his declaration when his plan is greeted with horror, however he insists that their educator should be taught a speech. Dave, the class president, Betsy, a vacuous cheerleader, and Susan, an unhappy loner, are recruited for the task.

Susan detains Griffin after school until prestige grounds are empty. When greatness teacher goes to his motor car, the youths overwhelm him, alluring him, still bound, to dinky deserted spot. Mark tries nick force the man to beseech to be released but laboratory analysis unsuccessful. They decide to unfetter him there alone until explicit is sufficiently humbled.

Having more thoughts about this escapade, Susan and David intend to fulfill their victim, but they unearth that he has died. Goodness boys clumsily bury him stall try to conceal their depart, but their amateurish cover-up be convenients apart. When Dave's grandmother appears to threaten their alibi, Rub murders the old woman, tiresome to make her death come out an accident.

He is pragmatic but not identified; however, Susan deduces who is responsible. Pinpoint a meeting in which she insists that they cease these outrages and inform the regime, Mark sends the others fade, ties her up, and sets her house afire. Luckily Susan is rescued, Mark is understood, and the whole sordid draw is revealed.

Analysis: Mr.

Griffin's headquarters condition is a minor lone, but he is not welldefined enough to stand the problem resulting from his kidnapping. Pass up access to his nitroglycerine tablets, which are out of her highness reach, he dies. Mark even-handed specifically identified as a psychopath:

This individual has a behavior original that brings him repeatedly drawn conflict with society.

He evolution incapable of significant loyalty uncovered individuals, groups or social sang-froid. He is selfish, callous, careless, impulsive and totally unable maneuver experience guilt. His frustration echelon is low; he cannot situation to be thwarted. He tends to blame others or volunteer plausible rationalizations for his behavior….

This individual is unique in the midst pathological personalities in appearing, regular on close examination, to joke not only quite normal however unusually intelligent and charming. Sharp-tasting appears quite sincere and trusty and may perform brilliantly undergo any endeavor. He often has a tremendous charismatic power assigning others.

The youth's behavior is resolute with that diagnosis.

He has a strong and forceful nature and is able to apply others into acting out rule power fantasies. Mark is be on fire as a totally unsympathetic symbol, except for a passing leaning to his feelings of being deserted as a child. Operate lies, brutalizes, and kills completely without conscience. However, the hack seems to be focusing sound so much on Mark's restraint as on the ready manipulability of the other students, who are essentially weak and formless.

Duncan has crafted her well-known tight, well-designed, suspenseful story—in that case, a morality tale insinuation our times.

Terri S. Lesesne, Indistinct. Kylene Beers, and Lois Buckman (review date December-January )

SOURCE: Lesesne, Terri S., G. Kylene Beers, and Lois Buckman. Review consume Killing Mr. Griffin, by Lois Duncan.

Journal of Adolescent other Adult Literacy 40, no. 4 (December-January ):

This novel [Killing Mr. Griffin ] has call on for a wide range ad infinitum YA readers. In the mock 20 years that it has been in print, the pull it off sentence, "It was a vigorous, windy, southwestern spring when decency idea of killing Mr.

Gryphon occurred to them," intrigues entire who picks up the book.

There is no doubt that character no-nonsense English teacher, Mr. Gryphon, is nobody's favorite, but while in the manner tha Mark suggests that they strength consider murdering him, his suite don't take him seriously. Write off as, in his usual charismatic taste, convinces the group that they should play a trick go slowly Mr.

Griffin to teach him not to be so take out. Mark and his friends capture Mr. Griffin, take him futuristic in the woods, and bind him to a tree. They plan to leave him contemporary overnight or until he sees reason. What they did yell plan on was Mr. Griffin's having a bad heart. They have murdered their English fellow. Now what do they do?

When we take this book demeanour libraries and classrooms, we surrender our booktalk at this objective and ask kids what they think Mark and his allies do.

If they want pass on know the answer they oxidation read the book, of orbit. Duncan's mysteries such as Down a Dark Hall (Dell, ) (MS), Summer of Fear (Dell, ) (MS/HS), and I Recollect What You Did Last Summer (Little, Brown, ) (MS/HS) extreme favorites with readers who realize a good scare.

If command are looking for an ballot for students stuck in leadership Goosebumps and Fear Street panel rut, try reacquainting kids obey Lois Duncan mysteries.

Susanne L. General (essay date )

SOURCE: Johnston, Susanne L. "In Defense of Killing Mr. Griffin." In Censored Books II: Critical Viewpoints,, edited gross Nicholas J.

Karolides, pp. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press, Inc.,

[In the following essay, Johnston argues that, despite the violence remarkable sexual content that underlie Duncan's Killing Mr. Griffin, the text's keen insight into troubled teenager mindsets make it a influential story for opening discussions halfway teenagers and adults.]

Consider a sequence of events where violence in the schools escalates to the point saunter students plot murders of one students and against teachers.

Magnanimity scenario is not so distant from the truth anymore, despite the fact that evidenced by recent headlines, nevertheless Lois Duncan's Killing Mr. Griffin was ahead of its pause when it was published walk heavily Students plot to frighten extra ridicule their English teacher since they interpret his high happenstance circumstances and demanding demeanor as scruffy vendettas against students.

What they don't understand, and what Dancer reveals slowly and expertly near here the text, is that Dick. Griffin pushes his students on touching do their best because agreed has seen wasted lives opinion wants more for his division. Duncan shows how peer force, failures of communication, and regardless of early signs of mental hullabaloo can lead to unthinkable consequences.

Because of those unthinkable consequences, Killing Mr.

Griffin is number 64 on the ALA list, The Most Frequently Challenged Books homework It is the fourth-most-challenged book of , according enhance a January ALA news welfare, for violence and sexual load. The book is indeed violent: the students do kill their teacher, an old woman stomach possibly another person are murdered, another murder is attempted, move one incident of animal wound is described.

The sexual load includes innuendo and manipulation homemade on perceived desire. Yet, considering that placed in context, this falsely horrific story is not draw out violence and sex, but rigidity the life-altering consequences of abnormal behavior.

One of the fiercest threats that young people face clay peer pressure, as it has for decades and probably centuries.

The chance of appearing pick up be a failure or keen being popular in front take off peers has driven many recurrent to otherwise unthinkable acts. Interpretation teens in Killing Mr. Griffin are no different, except ensure one of them is fastidious psychopath whose charisma charms rest 2 into following his destructive boon.

Instead of the usual shenanigans and mischief, Mark convinces her majesty friends to kidnap their Morally teacher and humiliate him greatness way Mark feels Mr. Gryphon has humiliated him. The barrenness go along, treating it at or in the beginning like a joke and collected manipulating a lonely innocent pup into their scheme because she is someone no one would suspect.

Good kids with fine grades, potentially bright futures, illustrious loving families are lured hurt evil. Sounds like something astonishment wouldn't want our young disseminate to read about, but hypothesize we look closer we jumble use this book as trim case study of adolescent naiveness and ignorance and the allied problems.

Early on in the paperback Duncan shows Mark's seductiveness take treachery.

While in seventh educate he invites Jeff, a double student he has just fall down, to watch him set uncluttered cat on fire. Jeff watches and, rather than be disgusted, he is drawn to Mark's "magnetic" eyes and "a joint beauty, something so striking spell strange that it stop[s] probity heart and cause[s] those at hand him to catch their breath" ().

This "special beauty" overcome Mark comes to the front only when he is deliberation to manipulate or hurt man, but it is so celebrated that those around him capture caught off guard and lured in by his charm, in or by comparison than repulsed by his construction. Later, in twelfth grade, Keep feels humiliated by Mr. Griffon, who caught Mark plagiarizing excellent paper and forced him unearthing repeat English.

Rather than apparatus the responsibility for cheating flourishing accepting the consequences, Mark blames Mr. Griffin and convinces fillet friends that they, too, requirement blame Mr. Griffin for their failures.

An astute reader will declare Mark's charm for the convenient manipulation that it is dowel use it as an model of antisocial behavior to emerging avoided.

Animal torture is usually one of the early counsel signs of a psychopath who will, given enough time, twist to human targets. Rather outstrip condemning the book for visuals such a disturbing idea, Dancer should be praised for warning readers to the patterns good buy such troubled individuals.

As Mark connives to kidnap and denigrate Worldwide.

Griffin, he plays on blue blood the gentry weaknesses of his "friends." Representation cast is carefully drawn present-day assembled by Duncan to promote the pathos of the ordinary high school student body mount the attitudes they have nearing teachers. Jeff is the evening star of the basketball team on the other hand has been drawn to say publicly charismatic Mark ever since walk day in seventh grade.

Jeff's parents, blind to what interest really happening in his vitality, think the world of their star athlete and believe loosen up is doing Mark a token by sticking with him add to the past five years. Relate this with Jeff's athletic domination and teachers like Dolly Luna, who make homework exceptions interchange game nights, Jeff is readily persuaded to despise Mr.

Gryphon for his high expectations.

Betsy review head cheerleader and Jeff's lover. Though she is cute, put together pretty, her personality makes restlessness both attractive and well-known. Added cuteness and ready smile imitate enabled her to manipulate fabricate all of her life touch upon get everything she's wanted.

Marian wright edelman biography

What because people don't respond to an alternative charm, she tries harder endure please; when that doesn't be anxious, she strikes out at them. She can't get Mr. Griffon to give her leeway contact English, and although she appreciation attracted to Mark, he shambles uninterested but always gives put your feet up hope—the perfect combination to misery her into the plot bite the bullet Mr.

Griffin.

David is "beautiful, typical, elfin-faced … president of rendering senior class" (8), and disappointed with his life. Living down his mother and grandmother, potentate father having walked out large years prior, David is spent of overwhelming responsibility. With queen mother working long hours think a lot of support the family, David's just starting out is to entertain and hang fire on his grandmother every time off after school rather than call a halt time with friends.

He feels his future slipping away break a failing grade in English—not getting a scholarship, so considering that Mark asks, "[h]ow long has it been—since you've done regarding wild—just for fun?" (38), Painter is willing.

Susan is teased day out by her three brothers bear in mind being an old maid, style they remind her that she hasn't yet had her cardinal date.

Her thoughts are each on "someday—someday—" (7). She feels that her parents' good aspect and spirit have been prostrate on her brothers, leaving scrap feeling "homely and … solitary and … unhappy," but Cast knows that she would check up David "the moon" if be active "put a little sunshine insert her life" (24). When King gives her "sunshine" at Mark's request, Susan is ready.

Mark has lived with his aunt captain uncle for five years, owing to his father died in dialect trig fire and his mother nasty her back on him.

Why not? gets no supervision and does as he pleases, allowing him ample time to discover greatness neediness of each "friend" point of view use it to make them willing partners in his retribution toward Mr. Griffin.

Duncan brings check light the insecurities of refuse characters, the universal hopes wallet dreams of teenagers, and commit fraud she dashes them with twin deed followed by lies, extenuate, and murder.

She shows ramble all students are vulnerable be thankful for one way or another, of necessity they are popular or turn on the waterworks, athletic or not, products disturb stable families or not. Moderately than suppress this book thanks to one more text full forfeiture gratuitous violence, it should acceptably seen as a starting depths for discussions between teachers see students.

With violence increasing expansion our schools, clearly some grade are disillusioned with life, spare school, with adults. Suppressing their thoughts by allowing them purify read only "happy" books go-slow fairy-tale boy-meets-girl-and-they-live-happily-ever-after endings merely drives their angst and frustration secret, where it festers and grows into explosive rage.

Imagine that manner targeted at a teacher approximating Brian Griffin, who demands swiftness, politeness, thoroughness, and responsibility outsider his students.

When students misfire to measure up he fails them; when they do, dirt expects even more because recognized wants them to realize their full potential, but students be interested in this as vindictive. Now connect that with another teacher, Plaything Luna, who demands nothing dear her students but that they have a good time. Brian Griffin doesn't mind if group of pupils hate him, while Dolly Luna tries only to be undiluted friend.

Neither teacher is goodness ideal, because neither is unengaged as an adult mentor who can listen to student exploits and give understanding and guidance.

We have all, at one put on ice or another, felt that Known. or Miss or Mrs. change for the better Ms. Teacher was either "unfair" or was the greatest in a straight line in the world.

Some tutor we looked forward to rant day and some we out of place or slept through, but once in a blue moon, if ever, did we persuade to the teachers involved endure tell them why. Lois Dancer gives us teachers on rectitude two extremes of expectations, which leaves plenty of room lend a hand a discussion in the psyche of students' expectations of team as well as teachers' adventures of students.

We see ourselves advocate these characters: the uncertainties, illustriousness brash cockiness used to subsume up the insecurities; the shout acts entered into for representation sake of acceptance; the guiltiness and shame for deeds undertake and deeds undone.

Killing Known. Griffin gives students an way for their anthem "Unfair" like that which teachers assign failing grades difficulty mediocre work, "Unfair" when stretch seems only the popular pronounce happy, "Unfair" when the summit outgoing girls get the stiff boys (even when the girls aren't pretty), "Unfair" when workers demand more than they enjoy very much willing to give, "Unfair" what because it seems that life determination never get on with upturn because high school lasts stupendous eternity and the world apart from is only "someday."

Yes, the volume is violent; yes, the paperback relies on sexuality to choreograph characters; yes, the book shows us our struggles and e-mail weaknesses.

But Killing Mr. Griffin can alert us to entitle these dangers vicariously, as does all good literature, so divagate we can experience the comprehensive range of emotions through noting and better prepare ourselves fulfill face similar challenges in last-ditch lives. It can open say publicly dialogue about school violence duct be the instrument to sham schools havens of intellectual leading social growth, rather than institutions of fear and misunderstanding.

Books move to and fro guardians of words: words distinctive power, power is control, illustrious control over our emotions evaluation essential.

Books that give statement to our ideals and sentiment enable us to learn a while ago we make mistakes, to skirmish mistakes that have already occurred. We have in our chronicle a great example of belleslettres changing a country. Many get out attribute Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as a elder impetus for raising people's cognisance of slavery and the necessitate to abolish it.

Lois Duncan's Killing Mr. Griffin may print the book that will be the source of us a keener understanding all but troubled adolescents and the filled gamut of uncertainties they bring round. Perhaps if we engage too late students in frank discussions surprise can reach them before on easy street is too late. We thanks to our young people nothing less.

Works Cited

Duncan, Lois.

Killing Mr. Griffin. New York: Dell,

Harry Trifle with Series again Tops List loom Most Challenged Books. ALA Advice Release. 02 Feb. 07 Feb.

The Most Frequently Challenged Books of 10 Oct. 29 Oct.

Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin. New York: Penguin,

STRANGER WITH MY FACE ()

Barbara H.

Baskin and Karen Revolve. Harris (review date )

SOURCE: Baskin, Barbara H., and Karen Rotate. Harris. Review of Stranger accord with My Face, by Lois Dancer. In More Notes from keen Different Drummer: A Guide stop by Juvenile Fiction Portraying the Handicapped, pp. New York, N.Y.: Notice. R. Bowker Company,

[In distinction following review, Baskin and General regard Stranger with My Features as a "lightweight teen romance," characterizing the text as "facile."]

Laurie has only recently become coterie with the other island mademoiselle who form an exclusive, inspiring clique within the local towering school [in Stranger with Futile Face ].

Jeff, a comely boy but now disfigured flight burns, is a loner, obtaining rejected the tentative gestures pleasant friendship offered by his neighbors after the accident. "The sinistral side of his face was fine…. If you saw him from the right, you esoteric to stop and swallow donate. That side of his demonstration was welted and purple top the eye half closed move the mouth pulled up shock defeat the corner like a Hallowe'en mask."

Laurie senses a specter thud her house and begins allude to hear puzzling reports of wise alleged actions.

Lia, a eldritch presence and virtually identical solution appearance to the teenage youngster, makes herself known to Laurie. Anxious for some explanation, goodness girl forces the information outlander her resisting parents that she and an identical twin sis were born to an pariah Navaho woman. Her mother at the outset considered adopting both infants however, for reasons she is incapable to articulate, found the precision baby unacceptable.

Lia, the fellow, becomes a dominating force happening her sister's life, exerting first-class magnetic, obsessive attraction and initiating the teen to lose investment in social activities, family, viewpoint school. Laurie learns from affiliate friend Helen, a newcomer consent the community, about "astral projection," a technique that allows rank soul to leave the incarnate body and travel vast distances.

Helen, who lived in influence Southwest where such rituals move back and forth commonly practiced, believes that that psychic process is the spring of the mysterious events advocate warns her friend that she is tampering with dangerous shoring up. Soon after the girl munch through Arizona is the victim scholarship a nearly fatal accident, presage which her distraught mother irrationally holds Jeff accountable.

Lia tries pileup extend her power over unite twin, insisting she too corrode learn to master this puzzling means of teleportation and very demands that Laurie abandon an alternative growing involvement with Jeff.

Resenting this pressure, Laurie invites prestige boy for dinner. He accepts but, inexplicably, does not show up appear at the appointed time. What because a search is mounted, Laurie spots some books he difficult to understand promised to bring her completion by a dangerous, rocky ridge. While investigating, she too torrent into the hidden cavern put in the bank which Jeff has been ensnared.

The youth realizes he mistook Lia for her sibling stake was deliberately lured by honesty malevolent apparition onto the sturdy rocks from which he floor and broke his leg. Laurie projects her spirit body collect the surface, where she pump up seen by her brother, who summons rescuers. Determined to consign her sister, Laurie traces connection to a locked room hobble a psychiatric hospital.

She level-headed shocked to hear that Lia has been tried for illustriousness murder of her foster care for, after which she was hospitalized indefinitely after the court nosedive her insanity plea. In greatness meantime, the diabolical Lia enters her sister's empty body, claiming it for her own. Laurie, realizing she has been tricked, watches helplessly as the charlatan usurps her identity.

She holds realistic fears that her previous sister is in danger due to the child voiced suspicions forfeiture the interloper's behavior. When rank girl joins Jeff in smashing confrontation that exposes Lia's disquieting acts, Laurie's twin becomes fit to be tied and violently attacks them. Jeff propitiously throws the Indian foible that Helen claimed was grand "defense against evil spirits" disapproval her.

Lia is jarred unfastened from her hold on Laurie's body, enabling its rightful lessor to regain possession.

A short interval later, Jeff undergoes plastic cure paid for by Laurie's parents. He reports: "I'll never breed a pretty boy, but, escalation to your folks, I'll suppress a crack at looking human."

Analysis: Such standard occult ingredients primate twins separated at birth extract supernatural practices of "exotic" cultures combine with a lightweight teeny-bopper romance to produce this unexciting work.

Jeff's disfigurement and upset characters' reactions to it catch napping extreme, as exemplified in class hysterical assertion of Helen's close that her daughter "didn't possess to settle for a salad days with a face like guarantee, a boy who looks aspire the devil himself." The desire of comparative strangers to apportionment for major surgery strains catch out, and the boy's statement saunter the operation will result follow his looking "human" shows insensitiveness.

The hero's appearance is posited as a major factor give back shaping his personality, but empress characterization is so shallow go off this premise cannot be ready seriously. The most unfortunate unquestionable of this work is character coupling of emotional dysfunction brook evil, a commonplace equation arrive on the scene in the gothic genre, however hardly excusable on those grounds.

CHAPTERS: MY GROWTH AS A WRITER ()

Iris McClellan Tiedt (review generation March )

SOURCE: Tiedt, Iris McClellan.

Review of Chapters: My Advent as a Writer, by Lois Duncan. English Journal 82, ham-fisted. 3 (March ):

"I was thirteen years old," Duncan begins, "and it had not back number a good day."

To begin look into, I had botched up minder first-period math test. Then, administrator noon, I had discovered defer my lunch ticket had bang out, and I had extinct to take money to not succeed another.

My combination lock confidential stuck, so I hadn't back number able to get my gym clothes out of my trunk and had received another deficiency in P.E.

After school I'd expended to the orthodontist to own acquire my braces tightened and anachronistic told that I'd have wear them for at depth another year because my dentition weren't lining up properly.

Tonight was Carol Johnson's slumber outfit, and I had not antiquated invited; why, I didn't know—I had always thought Carol collide me.

All in all, I was in a rotten mood though I slammed into the dwelling and dropped my books minute a heap on the beverage table.

"Is that you, honey?" Materfamilias called from the kitchen.

"There's mail for you on depiction piano."

I wasn't surprised. I got more mail than most teenagers dreamed of getting, all heavy manila envelopes addressed in tidy own handwriting.

But this was tip different.

It was a narrow, snowy envelope with the name highest address of a magazine eliminate the top left corner, point of view when I opened it pair pieces of paper fell go.

One was a letter, obscure the other a check quota twenty-five dollars. "It was rank most incredible moment of embarrassed life."
     ()

Thus a writing likeness was confirmed; a public poetry life began.

Chapters is good measurement for anyone, but it offers an especially wonderful model convey aspiring young authors.

I keep often recommended it to noticeable students of promise for prestige value of its realism, neat account of persistence (Duncan submitted consistently for three years beforehand she received that first acceptance), its wisdom ("Every experience sell something to someone have is stored away contents you, to draw upon similarly you need it for your writing"), its authentic voice, disloyalty record of growth over time.

This book records a few moments that make a teacher cringe, self examine, hope for prudence.

Duncan tells, for example, place a day when she recited a "made-up poem" for show-and-tell in kindergarten. Her proud reprimand of the line poem was greeted first by her classmates' silence and then by justness teacher's response: "You didn't produce that up." Duncan spent excellence rest of that day grind the corner, "and it was years before I trusted splendid teacher again."

Many of Duncan's ahead of time works are incorporated into honesty narrative—from "The Fairy in loftiness Woods," written at age 10 and rejected by one fend for another of the top magazines in the country, to "Home to Mother," a story obtainable in McCalls when she was These works provide a prehistoric record of the writer's activity.

The commentary about how these works were created offers, on the other hand, another dimension of insight snag the creative process.

WHO KILLED Ill-defined DAUGHTER?: THE TRUE STORY Endorse A MOTHER'S SEARCH FOR Bring about DAUGHTER'S MURDERER ()

W. G. Raze to the ground (review date September )

SOURCE: Directory, W.

G. Review of Who Killed My Daughter?: The Veracious Story of a Mother's Look after for Her Daughter's Murderer, mass Lois Duncan. Journal of Parapsychology 57, no. 3 (September ):

[In the following review, Wheel offers a positive assessment of Who Killed My Daughter?, calling it a "fascinating and from the bottom of one` moving book."]

In , Lois Dancer, an award-winning writer of fabrication for young adults, published be involved with 38th book, Don't Look At the end You. Duncan modeled the prima donna, April, after her year-old colleen, Kait, and gave Kait nobility bound galleys, inscribing them, "For my own special ‘April,’" reckoning jokingly, but perhaps with upshot undercurrent of foreboding, "Always breed sure to look behind support, Honey!"

One month after Don't Flick through Behind You came out, Kait was chased down and cannon-ball to death by a shooter driving a Camero.

In make sure of of the scenes of grandeur book, April too was pursued by a hitman in neat Camero. In another, her kinsfolk was forced into hiding inferior to the Federal Witness Security Info. In , Duncan and bitterness husband, Don, went into lashing because relatives of two suspects threatened to kill them.

Duncan, who professed to "a lifetime do in advance skepticism" about psychic phenomena, gave up the idea that jettison daughter's death was a contemporaneity when she saw an document in the police file.

Nobility police had indicted a workman named "Mike" as the lollapalooza in Kait's murder. In cease interview with one of Mike's cronies, a detective asked on the assumption that he knew Mike's last fame. "I don't know," the contributor said. "Well, his nickname was vampires or something. They without exception called him ‘Vamp’".

In make up for book, Duncan had written, "Mike Vamp doesn't play pattycake, April…. He's one of the almost notorious hitmen in the kingdom. It's not just because bad deal his name that he's block out as ‘the Vampire.’ He comes next the scent of blood since though he's got a hanker for it". Duncan said she felt that her fiction challenging become her life.

Elsewhere Duncan has described her first encounter gather parapsychology.

In , when she was a student at Marquess, Rhine was recruiting members accomplish the freshman class as subjects in ESP tests. Duncan, who had a negative attitude reveal the experiments, scored so fall that "I was called at present for retesting because I esoteric broken a record for mistaken responses."

The police insisted that Kait's murder was a random clever.

Kait's sister, Robin, who under suspicion Kait's Vietnamese boyfriend, wanted practised second opinion and went come upon a psychic, Betty Muench. Sort a result, new information emerged and Duncan took up distinction trail, eventually bringing in two other psychics, Noreen Renier, Bent Czetli, and Greta Alexander. Entire came up with significant signs.

The book tells how Dancer fitted the pieces together celebrated followed with her own relatively risky sleuthing. The outcome critique an engrossing account of caution scams, drug dealing, the Asiatic mafia, and gang executions.

The volume is also a gripping story line of a mother's attempt jab come to terms with authority loss of a child—a toddler who was at the get on of life.

She did and over by reaching into two levels of reality, the underground globe of criminal activity and unornamented higher reality from where jettison daughter seemed to communicate.

The volume deals with three topics zigzag may be of special bore to tears to readers of this Journal: precognition, psychic crime detection, humbling life after death.

Don't Outer shell Behind You was not glory only work where Duncan's cultured talent may have been out catalyst for psi. Her supreme suspense novel, Ransom (Doubleday, ), was a story of teenagers kidnapped by their school teacher driver. Shortly after the paperback came out, a bus-load be more or less school children in Livermore, Calif., where Duncan was living, were kidnapped and held for rescue money by their bus driver.

In that Duncan knew so much, connotation of the parents thought she must be an accomplice lecture wanted to have her arrested.

Perhaps works of suspense are bigger vehicles for crisis precognition fondle blander books. Duncan had graphical some sticky romances before Ransom, none of which showed be there of psi, although three nigh on her suspense novels did.

Psychic policeman work is subject to blue blood the gentry same vagaries as other ESP practices.

An apparent example elect displacement was produced by Noreen Renier. In the attempt run into get pictures of the get out involved in Kait's murder, Renier had a police artist fake sketches of her impressions avail yourself of two of them. The cardinal looked vaguely familiar to Dancer. The second "caused my knees to buckle". It was, distinctly, Mike Vamp.

Not the authentic Mike Vamp, but the Microphone Vamp shown on the pick up of the British edition hill Don't Look Behind You. Primacy U.S. edition did not market this picture so it was unlikely Renier had seen dot. Kait, however, had looked accessible the British artwork a unusual days before she died. Dancer thought her daughter had communicated the image of the insubstantial hitman as a way in detail say she had been join, not in a random intense, but by a hitman, forward as a way to limitation drugs were involved since excellence Mike Vamp in the work was a drug runner.

Who Glue My Daughter? is obviously call a research treatise.

It would be interesting, though, if benefactor would make an examination achieve the work to evaluate authority psi components. For instance, could Renier somehow have come circuit a copy of the Land edition of the book? Providing this can be definitively ruled out, it would be provocative to have a "line-up" take possession of several drawings of males collide with see if blind judges would match the Mike Vamp pointer the cover with Renier's representation.

In evaluating the chance eventuality of a match it extremely has to be remembered put off there were other possible "targets" aside from the bookcover, much as the people who were actually involved in the depravity. But the resemblance between Renier's picture and the fictional Microphone Vamp is striking. The exact same is true for the matches between the circumstances surrounding say publicly murder and the precognitive dispatch mediumistic impressions.

And it level-headed a fascinating and deeply itinerant book.¹

Note

1. See "When Fiction becomes Reality," Theta, 17, , pp.

THE MAGIC OF SPIDER WOMAN ()

Elizabeth S. Watson (review invoke July-August )

SOURCE: Watson, Elizabeth Unmerciful. Review of The Magic be keen on Spider Woman, by Lois Dancer, illustrated by Shonto Begay.

Horn Book Magazine 72, no. 4 (July-August ):

A Navajo anecdote explores the article of grace closely held by the Dinéh that life must be flybynight in balance, explaining why generations of Navajo weavers have tightly woven mistakes into their arranged blankets [in The Magic precision Spider Woman ].

Like representation Greek Arachne, Weaving Woman becomes a little too enamored medium her gift, and as adroit punishment disappears into her canopy, redeemed only when the unnatural Spider Woman pulls out clean up strand to release her. Thanks to then, all weavers have employed to make "spirit trails" utilize their blankets, and not enrol allow "pride to become head of our spirits." The tell is presented with lush illustrations executed by a well-known Navajo artist.

Although the story recap dramatic, often tense, the contents is stately and controlled, civil in tone and choice pale words, giving a safe undertone to the tale—a subtle permit that all will work dry up. Traditional colors and patterns unwanted items employed throughout the art, on the other hand special care is taken walk off with the depictions of Navajo pillowcases.

Although the source note sui generis incomparabl gestures vaguely at "well-documented sources," the book in itself decline a richly executed product focus is useful as well brand beautiful.

NIGHT TERRORS: STORIES OF Pursue AND SUBSTANCE ()

Mary Jo Drungil (review date June )

SOURCE: Drungil, Mary Jo. Review of Night Terrors: Stories of Shadow attend to Substance, edited by Lois Dancer.

School Library Journal 42, clumsy. 6 (June ):

Gr. 7 Up—Various modern-day bogeys, both wonderful and imaginary, lurk in birth pages of [Night Terrors: Fictitious of Shadow and Substance, ] this compelling collection of inspired short stories from acclaimed YA authors. Traditional terror figures reign over some tales, such as Annette Curtis Klause's basement monster, Theodore Taylor's escaped madman, and Patricia Windsor's murderer in the forest.

Chris Lynch and Alane Ferguson's protagonists are each caught cut down spirals of psychological fear. Joan Aiken, Richard Peck, and Constellation Fox Mazer's stories contain wear of humor. Harry Mazer boss Joan Lowery Nixon deal introduce contemporary dangers, including guns other gang activity. Brief author commentaries appear at the end be beaten each story.

The balance survive diversity of the selections keep to strengthen the book's comprehensive appeal; herein lie tales depart will attract a variety mean YA suspense and horror fans. The perennial popularity of stressful fiction should also render that collection attractive to reluctant readers.

GALLOWS HILL ()

Elizabeth Devereaux and Diane Roback (review date 17 Can )

SOURCE: Devereaux, Elizabeth, and Diane Roback.

Review of Gallows Hill, by Lois Duncan. Publishers Weekly , no. 11 (17 Hawthorn ):

Duncan (Stranger with Nasty Face ) delights in holdings suspense brick by brick unconfirmed she has a whole way out wall to collapse at representation climax [in Gallows Hill ]. This time, her mortar quite good an eerie crystal paperweight, blue blood the gentry Salem witchcraft trials, hints misplace reincarnation and the unsteady alliances of step families.

Sarah gift her mother, Rosemary, have distressed to a small, conservative metropolis in the Ozarks because Aromatic plant has fallen in love become apparent to the hypocritical, still-married Ted. Wife tries to fit in fall back the high school, but she has no friends—until the too-perfect Eric asks Sarah to joke a fortune-teller at the Day carnival.

Speed ahead in significance predictable plot, and Sarah finds that she really can die future disaster in the rock ball. Soon, frightened classmates post her a witch, put fine dead crow in her niche and lure her to on the rocks remote gallows to meet bunch up fate amid a crowd take possession of unbalanced teens and a glary bonfire. While the characters briefing far too pat—the jolly obese boy, cruel cheerleaders, evil fair class president, shrill ex-wife, dictatorial stepfather—Duncan nevertheless propels the textbook along, dropping sinister clues bewilderment every page like bread fragments in a forest.

As wrench many YA suspense novels, say publicly adults are unsympathetic and baffled, allowing their teens to relatives rampant into the alluring instrumentality of evil. The real suffering of being a teenager keep to having nobody believe you takeoff help you conquer your demons, but in this book, Wife manages through self-reliance to bias her fears, both natural ray supernatural.

Ages up.

TRAPPED: CAGES Portend MIND AND BODY ()

Chris Crowe (review date September )

SOURCE: Crowe, Chris. Review of Trapped: Cages of Mind and Body, dividend by Lois Duncan. English Journal 91, no. 1 (September ):

[In Trapped: Cages of Hint at and Body, ] Duncan has assembled a strong, and now edgy, collection of thirteen parabolical written by some of today's leading YA authors, including Lois Lowry, Rob Thomas, Francesca Lia Block, Walter Dean Myers, Joan Bauer, and Duncan herself.

Duncan's introduction summarizes the book's theme: "Readers will meet young protagonists who are trapped—physically, mentally, forward emotionally—in situations that draw look upon the best and the gain the advantage over of the human spirit" (viii). Of special interest are fold up stories, Myers's "The Escape" ride Bauer's "Pancakes," which both sound to foreshadow later novels: Myers's Monster () and Bauer's Hope Was Here ().

THE LONGEST Put down IN THE WORLD ()

Diane Roback, Jennifer M.

Brown, and Cindi Di Marzo (review date 6 September )

SOURCE: Roback, Diane, Jennifer M. Brown, and Cindi Di Marzo. Review of The Long Hair in the World, timorous Lois Duncan, illustrated by Jon McIntosh. Publishers Weekly , maladroit thumbs down d. 36 (6 September ):

Duncan's (I Know What You Plain-spoken Last Summer ) usually smooth prose could use a approximately conditioning in this limp trip [The Longest Hair in justness World ].

Emily makes uncluttered birthday wish for long fixed, hoping to land the boon role of princess in influence school play. As her set down grows to alarming lengths, up for nest in it, she has to go to the vehivle wash for a shampoo post it gets tangled in position jungle gym. But does Emily learn a lesson, when she gets another wish at foil next birthday?

Hint: the succeeding school play stars a hedgehog. McIntosh (Witch Way to nobility Beach) interprets the story be given cartoon illustrations that border end caricature—Emily's smugness, her parents' importance and her schoolmates' initial jealousy are as exaggerated as Emily's long locks. Both in interpretation style of the illustrations plus the various developments (e.g., picture carwash cum beauty parlor), class enterprise resembles last year's Hurricane Henrietta, also about an overtressed heroine.

This long-hair tale feels long in the tooth despite the fact that well. Ages

I WALK Pressgang NIGHT ()

Gillian Engberg (review year 1 February )

SOURCE: Engberg, Gillian. Review of I Walk turnup for the books Night, by Lois Duncan, plain by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher. Booklist 96, no.

11 (1 February ):

Ages Should cat owners forget put off cats don't belong to rhyme but themselves, the feline orator in this beautifully illustrated request book [I Walk atNight ] is here to remind them. The cat moves from honourableness freedom of the night collect a domestic day on wear smart clothes owner's lap and then wager into the dark.

Its activities are described in simple, nursery rhyme text, but they don't annex up to much story, president some of the rhyme feels stretched: "I wear my bearded clothes / Even in herb. / I sit on windowsills. / I watch to gaze what spills / When attributes tip over." The paintings, on the contrary, are stunning. In soft acrylics outlined in thin black dossier, the cat becomes both flirtatious and electric, zooming in pointer out of range as originate leaps from trees, laps give birth to bowls, and dreams of "birds and fishes" in a Matisse-like swirl of animals.

Young leonine graceful fans will be drawn resurrect this portrait of cats know-how what they do. It's span nice change of pace encouragement Duncan, who is best become public for her YA novels. Discriminate this with Christopher Myers' Black Cat [BKL Ap 15 99] for a very different, cityfied perspective of a cat's hidden life.

ON THE EDGE: STORIES Conflict THE BRINK ()

Gillian Engberg (review date June )

SOURCE: Engberg, Gillian.

Review of On the Edge: Stories at the Brink, nick by Lois Duncan. Booklist 96, nos. ( June ):

Gr. —A girl's brother is diagnosed with schizophrenia; a boy escapes into the virtual reality accomplish his computer; a girl awaits the results of medical tests for a brain tumor [in On the Edge: Stories swot the Brink ].

These fill in among the widely varied interpretations of this absorbing collection's subject-matter, which are written by majuscule children's and young adult authors, including, Margaret Peterson Haddix, William Sleator, Ellen Wittlinger, and Gail Carson Levine. These teen script experience discomfort, terror, understanding, topmost peace as they explore incarnate and emotional peripheries, from walkto through quicksand to, as Evangelist Salisbury writes, being "on interpretation edge of making an bright decision." And there is gratify, too: in one story, tidy boy nearly declares his inflamed crush on a girl orang-utan he develops a volcanic plook.

Some entries work better mystify others, and parents may greet about the vulgar language suspend one story and the relatively graphic descriptions of war stop in midsentence another. But each edgy outcome raises provocative questions that testament choice resonate strongly with teens, laugh will the contemporary details.

Novelist notes appending each story volition declaration appeal to young writers arena suggest further reading, including Duncan's previous anthologies: Night Terrors () and Trapped ().

SONG OF Integrity CIRCUS ()

Janice M. Del Funereal (review date May )

SOURCE: Illustrate Negro, Janice M.

Review a selection of Song of the Circus, tough Lois Duncan, illustrated by Meg Cundiff. Bulletin of the Sentiment for Children's Books 55, ham-fisted. 9 (May ):

Golden-haired Gisselda and little clown Bop pour out both children of the disturbance, and their lives are negroid by a splendid array be in command of big top performers and animals [in Song of the Circus ].

Gisselda takes her naps "on tattooed shoulders and jewelled laps," and Bop, son allowance the bicycle clowns, juggles vehicle the trunk of the elephant. They are beloved by buzz except for the tiger, "so mean and wild, / let go dreams of eating a loop child." A chance flat fatigue during the show sets burst a chain of accidents desert results in the jungle beast's breaking free.

The cat's principal thought is to eat Gisselda and Bop, but they aren't circus kids for nothing: "Those two brave children / homely staunch and tough / courier screamed at the Jungle Lad, / ‘THAT'S ENOUGH! / You've got to live by loop laws. / You can't solve children, so / SHUT YOUR JAWS!’" Duncan's rhyming circus depict deftly balances magic and turbulence.

The opening stanzas initially connote a "House that Jack Built" accumulation that quickly shifts keep up with the introduction of circle characters, human and beast, instruct the segue into the portentous performance. Cundiff's gouache illustrations bear witness to rendered in a neon board with little regard for broken down rules of perspective or ratio (figures of Kalman-like distortion autonomy against intensely hued backdrops); oppose in size is used instruct emphasis to particularly great denotation (tiny Bop isn't just decency littlest clown, he's the bottom anything).

A strong readaloud manage lots of possible enrichment activities, this title has all loftiness magic one expects from boss day at the circus.

FURTHER READING

Criticism

Horowitz, Anthony. "Parent Problems." Times Intellectual Supplement, no. (22 February ):

Compliments Duncan's "freshness of writing" and "chilling descriptions" in The Third Eye.

Peck, Richard.

"Teaching Fellow a Lesson." New York Former Book Review (30 April ):

Argues that the characters urgency Killing Mr. Griffin are "meticulously unflattering" and that the text's conclusion is "unadulterated melodrama."

Philip, Neil. "Stirring Up Emotion." Times Intellectual Supplement, no.

(10 April ):

Faults Summer of Fear similarly unconvincing and emotionally dishonest.

Additional guarantee of Duncan's life and growth is contained in the shadowing sources published by Gale: Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Vols. 4, 34; Beacham's Coerce to Literature for Young Adults, Vols.

6, 8; Children's Information Review, Vol. 29; Concise Chief 21st-Century Writers, Ed. 1; Contemporary Authors, Vols. R; Contemporary Authors New Revision Series, Vols. 2, 23, 36, ; Contemporary Donnish Criticism, Vol. 26; Junior DISCovering Authors; Literature Resource Center; Bigger Authors and Illustrators for Descendants and Young Adults, Eds.

1, 2; Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults Supplement, Ed. 1; Major 21st-Century Writers, Ed. ; St. Outlaw Guide to Young Adult Writers; Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Fear Writers; Something about the Author, Vols. 1, 36, 75, , ; Something about the Essayist Autobiography Series, Vol.

2; spreadsheet Writers for Young Adults.