Welcome to the Guestbook!
I’m always eager to read your comments about my books and stories, so please feel free to pitch in. Here are a few things for you to know:
1) I answer the messages here personally.
2) No message shows up here until I actually answer it to prevent spam and other inappropriate postings. So there will sometimes be a delay before your message posts, especially if I am traveling.
3) Teachers, a gentle request: Please do not have multiple children send me variants of the same message. A group email is much easier to respond to and not such a drain on my time. My thanks in advance for being alert to this.
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Dear Mr. Coville-
Thank you so much for writing and continuing to write such excellent books. The empathy and sensitivity you have for children in all types of family situations shines through your work, and was especially comforting to me as a child of divorce when most protagonists of the books I read either had married parents or were orphans.
Ten years after first picking up your BOOK OF NIGHTMARES I'm still freaked out by "There's Nothing Under the Bed," a true testament to your craft (and probably the story most responsible for setting me down the path of the horror fan, moreso than any other children's horror). I also loved your unicorn stories---both the Chronicles and A Glory of Unicorns. Your adamant insistence on unicorns as creatures of innocence and freedom was unique in my experience---as a teen and even now as a post-adolescent reader the trend seems to be that pure, sincere appreciation of magical creatures is for dorks, and that cool kids only read about unicorns (or dragons, or aliens) that are dangerous and "edgy."
Perhaps that's just nostalgia talking. What I mean to say is, your works have impacted me deeply, and now as a twenty-one-year-old I still hold a special place in my heart for them. The people who manage to make it to your website and work up the courage to leave a note in the guest book are but a fraction of the number you have touched in an immensely positive way.
I hope you and yours are in good health, and thank you again for being such a light in the world.
-Derek
Thank you so much for writing and continuing to write such excellent books. The empathy and sensitivity you have for children in all types of family situations shines through your work, and was especially comforting to me as a child of divorce when most protagonists of the books I read either had married parents or were orphans.
Ten years after first picking up your BOOK OF NIGHTMARES I'm still freaked out by "There's Nothing Under the Bed," a true testament to your craft (and probably the story most responsible for setting me down the path of the horror fan, moreso than any other children's horror). I also loved your unicorn stories---both the Chronicles and A Glory of Unicorns. Your adamant insistence on unicorns as creatures of innocence and freedom was unique in my experience---as a teen and even now as a post-adolescent reader the trend seems to be that pure, sincere appreciation of magical creatures is for dorks, and that cool kids only read about unicorns (or dragons, or aliens) that are dangerous and "edgy."
Perhaps that's just nostalgia talking. What I mean to say is, your works have impacted me deeply, and now as a twenty-one-year-old I still hold a special place in my heart for them. The people who manage to make it to your website and work up the courage to leave a note in the guest book are but a fraction of the number you have touched in an immensely positive way.
I hope you and yours are in good health, and thank you again for being such a light in the world.
-Derek
Reply by Bruce Coville
Dear Derek -
First off, my sincere apologies for being so tardy in responding. The Guestbook is supposed to send me an email to alert me when someone posts here, but sometimes the system gets wonky and I don't find out. I am very sorry for the delay.
I got a kick out of your memories of "There's Nothing Under the Bed." I think it's the scariest story I ever wrote. (Years after she worked on it, my editor told me she still had nightmares about it sometimes!)
Your appreciation for the Unicorn Chronicles, and my portrayal of the unicorns, speaks to me deeply. I realized way back in high school that I was a "dork" and there really wasn't anything I could do about it, so I've tried to embrace that identity (which, despite the sneering attitude behind the term I think has a great deal of positive and good energy).
I truly appreciate this message. I hope you are well and thriving, and I wish you much joy in your life.
BC
First off, my sincere apologies for being so tardy in responding. The Guestbook is supposed to send me an email to alert me when someone posts here, but sometimes the system gets wonky and I don't find out. I am very sorry for the delay.
I got a kick out of your memories of "There's Nothing Under the Bed." I think it's the scariest story I ever wrote. (Years after she worked on it, my editor told me she still had nightmares about it sometimes!)
Your appreciation for the Unicorn Chronicles, and my portrayal of the unicorns, speaks to me deeply. I realized way back in high school that I was a "dork" and there really wasn't anything I could do about it, so I've tried to embrace that identity (which, despite the sneering attitude behind the term I think has a great deal of positive and good energy).
I truly appreciate this message. I hope you are well and thriving, and I wish you much joy in your life.
BC