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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:
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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964 entries.
What was your first book called?
Reply by Bruce Coville
The Foolish Giant. It was published in 1978.
Hi, I absolutely love your series The Unicorn Chronicles and I was wondering if you were going to continue the series. Also, I'm doing an author study project on you and was wondering if you could give me information about you. Thank You!!!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Oh, this is a bit of a sore topic for me. I designed the series concept for the Unicorn Chronicles with the hope that I could work in this world for the rest of my life. But, to my own shame, it took me a long time to finish the first series of books. And by the time I had finished the first sequence the publisher was no longer interested in more.
The good news is, the publisher has returned the rights to me. I am working to get the stories back in print, first as ebooks and then, I hope, in print editions. If they are successful, I would love continuing to write stories about Luster for as long as I live.
As far as information about me, there is a bio on the website that is the best place to start.
All best,
BC
The good news is, the publisher has returned the rights to me. I am working to get the stories back in print, first as ebooks and then, I hope, in print editions. If they are successful, I would love continuing to write stories about Luster for as long as I live.
As far as information about me, there is a bio on the website that is the best place to start.
All best,
BC
I have been reading through your guestbook and am so pleased to see that you now have the rights to the Unicorn Chronicles! I devoured that series as a child, and that series, and many of Tamora Pierce's books inspired me to write. I have been wanting to reread the series, but my collection is incomplete as I must have purchased a couple of them at scholastic book fairs and then read the others as library books. I'm missing book one. At any rate, I would LOVE if they were republished as e-books (and print too) and would promote the heck out of them!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Megan - Sorry not to get back to you more promptly. The website is supposed to notify me when someone signs the guestbook, but this seems to have slipped through its webby little fingers!
I'm hoping to have the first ebook out before the end of May - with a bit of luck, even earlier. Glad to know that the books will have an eager audience.
It delights me that so many of my fans are also fans of Tamora Pierce's books, as Tammy is one of my dearest friends. We get together on a regular basis to read our works in progress out loud to each other !
All best,
BC
I'm hoping to have the first ebook out before the end of May - with a bit of luck, even earlier. Glad to know that the books will have an eager audience.
It delights me that so many of my fans are also fans of Tamora Pierce's books, as Tammy is one of my dearest friends. We get together on a regular basis to read our works in progress out loud to each other !
All best,
BC
Hi! I've been a fan of the Unicorn Chronicles since I was a little girl (I'm not so little any longer, but I still love the books)
Unfortunately, I've never been able to read the last one - is there any recent news on a reprint?
Unfortunately, I've never been able to read the last one - is there any recent news on a reprint?
Dear Mr. Coville,
Not only did my fourth and fifth graders love the movie version of "Aliens Ate My Homework," but I have second and third graders happily telling me that they enjoyed it and today a first grader told me she watched it with her Father! Two of my third grade classes have voted to read the book for our next read aloud because so many of them were captivated by the movie. This will give us a lot of rich opportunities to compare the original text with the changes in the script. Thanks for letting us in on this next adventure! And, of course, my original student who asked if your books had ever been turned into movies is hoping that Netflix will do a sequel and portray the return of Rod's Father. It has really been delightful to see so many of my students go on this journey with Rod and Elspeth.
Sincerely, Mamie Rock
Not only did my fourth and fifth graders love the movie version of "Aliens Ate My Homework," but I have second and third graders happily telling me that they enjoyed it and today a first grader told me she watched it with her Father! Two of my third grade classes have voted to read the book for our next read aloud because so many of them were captivated by the movie. This will give us a lot of rich opportunities to compare the original text with the changes in the script. Thanks for letting us in on this next adventure! And, of course, my original student who asked if your books had ever been turned into movies is hoping that Netflix will do a sequel and portray the return of Rod's Father. It has really been delightful to see so many of my students go on this journey with Rod and Elspeth.
Sincerely, Mamie Rock
"My Teacher Is An Alien" was my first book that I purchased with my own money at my elementary school's book fair. I remember reading the book and feeling the absolute thrill of the story! It was by far my favorite book that I had ever read.
I remember buying the third installation, "My Teacher Fried My Brains", at another year's book fair, and laying on the couch in the small library my parents had converted out of a small office in our house. And by the time dinner was ready, I had read the entire book! That was my very first experience of ever reading an entire book in one day, and I loved it!
I was sad the day that I finished the final book in that series, and thinking, "now what?" That series opened my eyes to a love of fantasy fiction and a general love of reading. I still think fondly of those books and those memories they've left with me. I am a parent myself now and when I saw the new movie in our family video store, I knew I wanted my kids to see it and experience the author Bruce Coville.
Thank you so very much for what you've done in creating hundreds of fantastical books that lure the reader into worlds beyond their imaginations!
I remember buying the third installation, "My Teacher Fried My Brains", at another year's book fair, and laying on the couch in the small library my parents had converted out of a small office in our house. And by the time dinner was ready, I had read the entire book! That was my very first experience of ever reading an entire book in one day, and I loved it!
I was sad the day that I finished the final book in that series, and thinking, "now what?" That series opened my eyes to a love of fantasy fiction and a general love of reading. I still think fondly of those books and those memories they've left with me. I am a parent myself now and when I saw the new movie in our family video store, I knew I wanted my kids to see it and experience the author Bruce Coville.
Thank you so very much for what you've done in creating hundreds of fantastical books that lure the reader into worlds beyond their imaginations!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Michael -
Thanks for this lovely message. One of the things an author hopes as he or she gets older is that the work will not only find readers, but that it will be remembered. So your words mean a lot to me.
I was particularly delighted by your memory of reading MY TEACHER FRIED MY BRAINS in a single day. I can also remember the first time I read a whole book in a single day, and the wonderful sense of accomplishment that it gave me. Glad my own book was key to the same experience for you.
All good wishes,
BC
Thanks for this lovely message. One of the things an author hopes as he or she gets older is that the work will not only find readers, but that it will be remembered. So your words mean a lot to me.
I was particularly delighted by your memory of reading MY TEACHER FRIED MY BRAINS in a single day. I can also remember the first time I read a whole book in a single day, and the wonderful sense of accomplishment that it gave me. Glad my own book was key to the same experience for you.
All good wishes,
BC
Hey Bruce? I have to do an author study and I was wondering if you could tell me what inspired you to write your stories?
Thanks -Jenna
Thanks -Jenna
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Jenna -
Well, to begin with, there is generally a different inspiration or starting point for each story. (Sometimes it is just that I have a deadline and need to write something!)
The overall inspiration is that I love books, love them desperately, and wanted to make books of my own. That and my very fine sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Crandall, who was the first one who made me think I really could be a writer.
Good luck with your project.
BC
Well, to begin with, there is generally a different inspiration or starting point for each story. (Sometimes it is just that I have a deadline and need to write something!)
The overall inspiration is that I love books, love them desperately, and wanted to make books of my own. That and my very fine sixth grade teacher, Mrs. Crandall, who was the first one who made me think I really could be a writer.
Good luck with your project.
BC
I love unicorns and we had to do an author study and so I finally had a choice to choose something that actually interests me!
Thank you!
Thank you!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi Annabelle -
Delighted to know that you've got a topic that interests you! I've been fascinated by unicorns forever. My second book, way back in 1979, was a picture book called SARAH'S UNICORN. I didn't imagine, back when I wrote that little book, that I would eventually write a four volume epic about unicorns!
BC
Delighted to know that you've got a topic that interests you! I've been fascinated by unicorns forever. My second book, way back in 1979, was a picture book called SARAH'S UNICORN. I didn't imagine, back when I wrote that little book, that I would eventually write a four volume epic about unicorns!
BC
I've been fascinated with aliens my whole life. Finally an author who writes about what I love. I just started reading aliens ate my homework and I love it. 🙂
Reply by Bruce Coville
Delighted to know that. I hope you'll enjoy the series. I have a special fondness for it because Rod is the only character I ever based totally and completely on myself!
I loved Always October but there is one thing that surprised me, the very end it put me on a total cliffhanger because that it didn't show what kind of monster Jake was. I would love it if you made a sequel to this book.
Reply by Bruce Coville
Thanks for this - I'm delighted to know that you loved ALWAYS OCTOBER! It was a tough one to write . . . the story came out much longer than I anticipated. But I really loved the surprises I had along the way.
As to the ending . . . I like leaving something a bit unresolved, as it leaves something for the reader to think about, which helps to keep the story alive in your mind. This is a technique I learned from reading Eleanor Cameron's wonderful MUSHROOM PLANET books.
That said, I actually would have loved to do a sequel to AL-OCT. Alas, the first book did not do well enough to justify writing another. That was partly because the publisher did not put the book into paperback, a decision I still do not understand.
Thanks for your message . . . and for reading my books!
BC
As to the ending . . . I like leaving something a bit unresolved, as it leaves something for the reader to think about, which helps to keep the story alive in your mind. This is a technique I learned from reading Eleanor Cameron's wonderful MUSHROOM PLANET books.
That said, I actually would have loved to do a sequel to AL-OCT. Alas, the first book did not do well enough to justify writing another. That was partly because the publisher did not put the book into paperback, a decision I still do not understand.
Thanks for your message . . . and for reading my books!
BC