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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:
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937 entries.
Mr. Coville,
My 5th grade class read My Teacher is an Alien and they found it amazing and hilarious! We read the excerpt in the back, of My Teacher Fried My Brains, we are now anxious to read that one! Message from my students: "we never wanted our teacher to stop reading the book, we enjoy your book, we can't wait to read other books in the series! Happy Halloween!! Happy Thanksgiving!! Merry Christmas!!"
My 5th grade class read My Teacher is an Alien and they found it amazing and hilarious! We read the excerpt in the back, of My Teacher Fried My Brains, we are now anxious to read that one! Message from my students: "we never wanted our teacher to stop reading the book, we enjoy your book, we can't wait to read other books in the series! Happy Halloween!! Happy Thanksgiving!! Merry Christmas!!"
Reply by Bruce Coville
Man, what a great message! I can't tell you how much it delights me to know that you liked MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN so much. I hope you'll enjoy FRIED BRAINS, too. I will tell something I don't often mention - Duncan Dougal is based on a real boy I had in my classes back when I was a teacher.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all of you! (It's my favorite holiday!)
HAPPY HALLOWEEN to all of you! (It's my favorite holiday!)
Mr. CoVille, My 3rd grade class wrote to you about 20 years ago. We enjoyed reading your Magic Shop books and asked when your new book (Skull of Truth) was due to come out. you wrote back to us.
I still have your letter and I read your Magic Shop books to my class every year (I'm still teaching and still reading them) All my classes know of Jeremy Thatcher , Jennifer Murdley , Russell Cranneker, Charlie Eggelston and Juliet Love. We would like to know if there are any more or will be more of the magic shop books? I'm ordering several more of your books to add to our class I hadn't seen them in print before. Please Keep writing more books. You are an amazing writer. Thank you. Mrs Barnett's 4th grade class (I graduated to 4th grade) Red Mountain Elem. Ivins, Utah
I still have your letter and I read your Magic Shop books to my class every year (I'm still teaching and still reading them) All my classes know of Jeremy Thatcher , Jennifer Murdley , Russell Cranneker, Charlie Eggelston and Juliet Love. We would like to know if there are any more or will be more of the magic shop books? I'm ordering several more of your books to add to our class I hadn't seen them in print before. Please Keep writing more books. You are an amazing writer. Thank you. Mrs Barnett's 4th grade class (I graduated to 4th grade) Red Mountain Elem. Ivins, Utah
Reply by Bruce Coville
Ahoy Mrs. Barnett and 4th Graders! Thanks for this lovely message.
It delights me so much that you are reading and enjoying the Magic Shop books. As to whether there will be any more in the series . . . well, that remains to be seen. I had planned to do a 6th book, but I had some serious problems with my publisher, and as a result it has remained unwritten. But I do sometimes think about going back to it. It's a tricky situation.
However I can guarantee you that whether it is the Magic Shop or something else, I will definitely keep writing!
By the way, it might interest you to know that I used to be a 4th grade teacher myself. I love 4th grade! I think it's one of the best years ever!
your friend,
Bruce Coville
It delights me so much that you are reading and enjoying the Magic Shop books. As to whether there will be any more in the series . . . well, that remains to be seen. I had planned to do a 6th book, but I had some serious problems with my publisher, and as a result it has remained unwritten. But I do sometimes think about going back to it. It's a tricky situation.
However I can guarantee you that whether it is the Magic Shop or something else, I will definitely keep writing!
By the way, it might interest you to know that I used to be a 4th grade teacher myself. I love 4th grade! I think it's one of the best years ever!
your friend,
Bruce Coville
Hello Mr. Coville,
The MY TEACHER series is very good. I am inspired by you. One more question, do u play Fortnite? Please answer. Thanks so much!
Regards,
Adarsh
The MY TEACHER series is very good. I am inspired by you. One more question, do u play Fortnite? Please answer. Thanks so much!
Regards,
Adarsh
Dear Mr. Coville,
Our 5th grade class is currently reading My Teacher is an Alien. We love reading how Susan Simmons is finding out her teacher is an alien (we are currently reading chapter 5). Do you have any book suggestions for our class? Also, do you have any tips for us as writers?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Black's Class
Our 5th grade class is currently reading My Teacher is an Alien. We love reading how Susan Simmons is finding out her teacher is an alien (we are currently reading chapter 5). Do you have any book suggestions for our class? Also, do you have any tips for us as writers?
Sincerely,
Mrs. Black's Class
Reply by Bruce Coville
Ahoy, Mrs. Black's Class -
I'm delighted to know that you are reading (and enjoying!) MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN!
As far as book suggestions - what are you looking for? More science fiction? Some fantasy? Books by me, or by other people? Tell me a bit more about what you want, and I will offer some suggestions.
Here are three writing tips for you:
1. When you're trying to make a scene come alive, use more than one of the senses. By that I mean don't just tell me what a place looks like; tell me what it smells like and what it sounds like.
2. To help make your characters more memorable, give them some little trait that is unusual, something to help them stick in the reader's mind. (For example, a character might put mustard on everything he or she eats. Or only reads mystery books. Or has a habit he or she uses - like biting his/her tongue - while thinking.)
3. Read your writing out loud. This will help you discover things that you need to fix when you are revising.
Happy reading . . . and writing!
your friend,
Bruce Coville
I'm delighted to know that you are reading (and enjoying!) MY TEACHER IS AN ALIEN!
As far as book suggestions - what are you looking for? More science fiction? Some fantasy? Books by me, or by other people? Tell me a bit more about what you want, and I will offer some suggestions.
Here are three writing tips for you:
1. When you're trying to make a scene come alive, use more than one of the senses. By that I mean don't just tell me what a place looks like; tell me what it smells like and what it sounds like.
2. To help make your characters more memorable, give them some little trait that is unusual, something to help them stick in the reader's mind. (For example, a character might put mustard on everything he or she eats. Or only reads mystery books. Or has a habit he or she uses - like biting his/her tongue - while thinking.)
3. Read your writing out loud. This will help you discover things that you need to fix when you are revising.
Happy reading . . . and writing!
your friend,
Bruce Coville
Dear Mr. Coville
I love JEREMY THATCHER,DRAGON HATCHER. Tiamat sounds so cute! How did you come up with crying diamonds? How did you come up with Tiamat's name?
Thank you !
Sincerely,
Arrianna
I love JEREMY THATCHER,DRAGON HATCHER. Tiamat sounds so cute! How did you come up with crying diamonds? How did you come up with Tiamat's name?
Thank you !
Sincerely,
Arrianna
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Arrianna -
Glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I found Tiamat's name by doing lots of research on dragons and the stories surrounding them.
I came up with crying diamonds by using my imagination!
All best,
BC
Glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I found Tiamat's name by doing lots of research on dragons and the stories surrounding them.
I came up with crying diamonds by using my imagination!
All best,
BC
Dear Mr. Coville,
JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER
is an awesome book. I love dragons! I was wondering how you get the characters' names?
Thank you,
Owen
JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER
is an awesome book. I love dragons! I was wondering how you get the characters' names?
Thank you,
Owen
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Owen -
Glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. As to the names, naming is very important. Sometimes I am sending a message to a friend. Here's an example - I have a good friend, a librarian, named Cynthia Bishop. If you think about the name "Hyacinth Priest" you can see that "Hyacinth" is a bit like "Hi ya, Cynth" and a Bishop is a kind of Priest. So for that name I was playing a kind of private word game.
BC
Glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. As to the names, naming is very important. Sometimes I am sending a message to a friend. Here's an example - I have a good friend, a librarian, named Cynthia Bishop. If you think about the name "Hyacinth Priest" you can see that "Hyacinth" is a bit like "Hi ya, Cynth" and a Bishop is a kind of Priest. So for that name I was playing a kind of private word game.
BC
Dear Mr. Coville,
I really like the middle part of the book, JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER, because it's where the teacher gets the hot foot. I also like the part where Mary Lou comes to Jeremy's house.
I only have one question. When is the movie coming out?
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Will
I really like the middle part of the book, JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER, because it's where the teacher gets the hot foot. I also like the part where Mary Lou comes to Jeremy's house.
I only have one question. When is the movie coming out?
Thank you for your time!
Sincerely,
Will
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Will -
So glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I based that art teacher on a very bad teacher my little sister had when she was a kid. Writing that scene where Tiamat gave him a hotfoot was a lot of fun!
As to a movie - people have been trying off and on for about 20 years to get a film of this book going. Maybe someday . . . maybe.
BC
So glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I based that art teacher on a very bad teacher my little sister had when she was a kid. Writing that scene where Tiamat gave him a hotfoot was a lot of fun!
As to a movie - people have been trying off and on for about 20 years to get a film of this book going. Maybe someday . . . maybe.
BC
Dear Mr. Coville,
I really enjoyed reading JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER. I admire Tiamat. She's so pretty. I've been wondering how long have you been writing books?
Sincerely,
Olivia
I really enjoyed reading JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER. I admire Tiamat. She's so pretty. I've been wondering how long have you been writing books?
Sincerely,
Olivia
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Olivia -
I'm so glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I have been publishing books for 40 years now . . . but I have been writing them for even longer, because it usually takes quite a while to get your first book published. I started writing when I was about 18 and I am now 68.
BC
I'm so glad you liked JEREMY THATCHER. I have been publishing books for 40 years now . . . but I have been writing them for even longer, because it usually takes quite a while to get your first book published. I started writing when I was about 18 and I am now 68.
BC
Dear Mr. Coville,
I read your book JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER and I loved it. It was the best. My favorite part was Mr. Kravitz and his foot.
I do have some questions. Why would Tiamat get hurt in the portal, and why are they still connected? Thank you for writing such an exciting book.
Sincerely,
A reader
I read your book JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER and I loved it. It was the best. My favorite part was Mr. Kravitz and his foot.
I do have some questions. Why would Tiamat get hurt in the portal, and why are they still connected? Thank you for writing such an exciting book.
Sincerely,
A reader
Reply by Bruce Coville
Dear Reader -
Thanks for your message - I'm so glad you enjoyed JEREMY THATCHER!
The reason Tiamat would get hurt in the portal was that she was caught between two worlds. If the portal closed while she was stuck that way . . . well, let's just say it wouldn't have been pretty.
Jeremy and Ti are still connected for many reasons - including that tooth that you may remember from the final scene in the magic shop.
BC
Thanks for your message - I'm so glad you enjoyed JEREMY THATCHER!
The reason Tiamat would get hurt in the portal was that she was caught between two worlds. If the portal closed while she was stuck that way . . . well, let's just say it wouldn't have been pretty.
Jeremy and Ti are still connected for many reasons - including that tooth that you may remember from the final scene in the magic shop.
BC
Dear Mr. Coville,
I really enjoyed the book JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER. I have a question. How old were you when you wrote JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER?
Sincerely,
Stella
I really enjoyed the book JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER. I have a question. How old were you when you wrote JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER?
Sincerely,
Stella
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Stella -
I'm very glad you enjoyed JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER.
I wrote the book when I was 40 - but I first got the idea for it when I was 32!
BC
I'm very glad you enjoyed JEREMY THATCHER, DRAGON HATCHER.
I wrote the book when I was 40 - but I first got the idea for it when I was 32!
BC