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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966 entries.
Hi Bruce,
A retired Pru colleague, Bob Kane, saw your cover article in 55 + Magazine and asked me if I had met you. We live in Salt Springs and here was this famous author of childrens' books right close by. I am a financial advisor here at Prudential in the Dewitt office, but the reason I am writing is that my brother, Douglas Gatta, who practiced law for over 42 years, retired from NJ ,moved to Calif and just published his first children's book "Left and Right" by DJ Gatta JD.
Our family was so thrilled that he had done this project. Its on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. I know he would love to know others with similar interests. His philosophy about this book is that its for the parents/caregivers of children to have a teaching experience and for children to grow up being better critical thinkers! Congratulations on all your marvelous works. I hope someday we can meet. Good to know you came back home !
A retired Pru colleague, Bob Kane, saw your cover article in 55 + Magazine and asked me if I had met you. We live in Salt Springs and here was this famous author of childrens' books right close by. I am a financial advisor here at Prudential in the Dewitt office, but the reason I am writing is that my brother, Douglas Gatta, who practiced law for over 42 years, retired from NJ ,moved to Calif and just published his first children's book "Left and Right" by DJ Gatta JD.
Our family was so thrilled that he had done this project. Its on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. I know he would love to know others with similar interests. His philosophy about this book is that its for the parents/caregivers of children to have a teaching experience and for children to grow up being better critical thinkers! Congratulations on all your marvelous works. I hope someday we can meet. Good to know you came back home !
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Lee -
Thanks for this nice message. I was really pleased with that article - I even liked the photos!
Oddly enough, I believe I was in your offices just this summer, as I think my father's life insurance was through Prudential.
Congratulations to your brother on publishing his first book. I hope he has much success with it.
All best,
BC
Thanks for this nice message. I was really pleased with that article - I even liked the photos!
Oddly enough, I believe I was in your offices just this summer, as I think my father's life insurance was through Prudential.
Congratulations to your brother on publishing his first book. I hope he has much success with it.
All best,
BC
Hi Bruce, My nieces and I just finished reading Always October. We are hoping for a sequel. I see that there is not one in the works at this time, but we just wanted you to know we really hope there is in the near future. Thank you for the delightful read.
Sincerely,
Brittany, Madyson and Morgan
Sincerely,
Brittany, Madyson and Morgan
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Brittany, Madyson, and Morgan -
So glad to know that you liked ALWAYS OCTOBER! I wrote it without a sequel in mind, but I will confess that it certainly seems to invite one. On the other hand, I like leaving something for my readers to think about. It's a trick I learned from Eleanor Cameron, who was one of my favorite authors back when I was a kid. (I never met her, but I think we learn from everyone whose books we read.) She used to end her books, some of them at least, with the story completed but something hanging in the air that you couldn't stop thinking about. I try to do the same thing sometimes . . . and definitely with ALWAYS OCTOBER.
Alas, even if I wanted to do a sequel, my editor has moved on to a different publishing company.
Thank you so much for reading the book. It was a tough one for me, but once I was done writing it I really loved it!
BC
So glad to know that you liked ALWAYS OCTOBER! I wrote it without a sequel in mind, but I will confess that it certainly seems to invite one. On the other hand, I like leaving something for my readers to think about. It's a trick I learned from Eleanor Cameron, who was one of my favorite authors back when I was a kid. (I never met her, but I think we learn from everyone whose books we read.) She used to end her books, some of them at least, with the story completed but something hanging in the air that you couldn't stop thinking about. I try to do the same thing sometimes . . . and definitely with ALWAYS OCTOBER.
Alas, even if I wanted to do a sequel, my editor has moved on to a different publishing company.
Thank you so much for reading the book. It was a tough one for me, but once I was done writing it I really loved it!
BC
Tonight, I have just finished reading Always October to my son and daughter - ages 10 and 9. We loved it! Just wondering, in light of the ending, will there be any books to follow it? We are dying to know about the first transformation!!
Thanks -
Kadie, Gunnar and Hailey Frechette
Thanks -
Kadie, Gunnar and Hailey Frechette
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hey, Kadie, Gunnar, and Hailey -
Good to hear from you . . . and really glad to know you loved ALWAYS OCTOBER! That was a tough one for me to write (it got a lot longer than I expected) but I was really happy with it when I was done. But it's the reader reaction that really counts, so this message delighted me.
No sequel in the works right now, alas. On the other hand, I love leaving my readers with the chance to think about what happens next . . .
Thanks for checking in.
All best,
BC
Good to hear from you . . . and really glad to know you loved ALWAYS OCTOBER! That was a tough one for me to write (it got a lot longer than I expected) but I was really happy with it when I was done. But it's the reader reaction that really counts, so this message delighted me.
No sequel in the works right now, alas. On the other hand, I love leaving my readers with the chance to think about what happens next . . .
Thanks for checking in.
All best,
BC
Hello 🙂 I will keep this brief as I'm sure your busy. I just rediscovered the Nina Tanleven series in my parents house. Those are some of my favorite books from childhood. Spooky and mystery, laughter and sadness. I just wanted to thank you for making my childhood a better place. Sorry for spelling and grammar errors. I work nights and haven't slept yet. Once again thank you for your work.
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Adam -
Many thanks for this message. I have a special fondness for the Nina Tanleven books, mostly because Nine and Chris are based on my own daughter and her best friend. (And Nine's dad is an improved version of me.) I loved writing those, but they were also tough because I had to have two plots - the one in the present and the one in the past - and bring them together at the end.
It's really nice to have them remembered this way. Glad you enjoyed them so much.
BC
Many thanks for this message. I have a special fondness for the Nina Tanleven books, mostly because Nine and Chris are based on my own daughter and her best friend. (And Nine's dad is an improved version of me.) I loved writing those, but they were also tough because I had to have two plots - the one in the present and the one in the past - and bring them together at the end.
It's really nice to have them remembered this way. Glad you enjoyed them so much.
BC
Dear Bruce,
When I was younger, I read "The Unicorn Chronicles" voraciously. I loved them. It was the first book series that I'd ever been obsessed with (I hadn't even read "Harry Potter" at the time), and because of this, I wrote you a letter. Never in a million years did I expect a reply back, (and never, EVER did I expect my fan art to show up on this very website!), and I still have it to this day.
Today, I am a freshman in high school. Writing is my passion, and I hope to pursue it professionally when I graduate. When I have free time, I shelf books at my local library, and during my weekly shelving, I came across "The Last Hunt".
It was then that I realized--I'd never finished the series I had been so obsessed with.
I came back to this website, to refresh my memory on the characters, and I remembered how much I loved the books and how much I looked up to you. It was a pleasant memory, and I became giddy with childhood nostalgia. Needless to say, I had to stop by the Guestbook.
Mr. Coville, thank you so much for instilling a love of fantasy books and a passion for writing that I've never let go since the fateful day I picked up "Into the Land of the Unicorns". You're still my favorite author, even after all this time!
Sincerely,
Mazie S.
PS: By the way, I'm applying for the Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers in Pittsburgh this summer. Hope to see you there!
When I was younger, I read "The Unicorn Chronicles" voraciously. I loved them. It was the first book series that I'd ever been obsessed with (I hadn't even read "Harry Potter" at the time), and because of this, I wrote you a letter. Never in a million years did I expect a reply back, (and never, EVER did I expect my fan art to show up on this very website!), and I still have it to this day.
Today, I am a freshman in high school. Writing is my passion, and I hope to pursue it professionally when I graduate. When I have free time, I shelf books at my local library, and during my weekly shelving, I came across "The Last Hunt".
It was then that I realized--I'd never finished the series I had been so obsessed with.
I came back to this website, to refresh my memory on the characters, and I remembered how much I loved the books and how much I looked up to you. It was a pleasant memory, and I became giddy with childhood nostalgia. Needless to say, I had to stop by the Guestbook.
Mr. Coville, thank you so much for instilling a love of fantasy books and a passion for writing that I've never let go since the fateful day I picked up "Into the Land of the Unicorns". You're still my favorite author, even after all this time!
Sincerely,
Mazie S.
PS: By the way, I'm applying for the Alpha SF/F/H Workshop for Young Writers in Pittsburgh this summer. Hope to see you there!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Mazie -
How nice to have you return to the Guestbook!
The fact that you know, already, that writing is your passion is a good sign. I also knew early that I had to write. You are lucky in having this knowledge. I used to be upset with my oldest son, as he didn't have a dream, didn't have a passion for something he wanted to do. Later I came to realize that this was not his fault, that it was not a flaw but a tragedy. Not everyone has a passion, a dream. Those of us who do are lucky beyond measure.
How cool to know that you are applying for Alpha. I am not consulted on admissions, but I will certainly have my fingers crossed for you to be there!
All best,
BC
How nice to have you return to the Guestbook!
The fact that you know, already, that writing is your passion is a good sign. I also knew early that I had to write. You are lucky in having this knowledge. I used to be upset with my oldest son, as he didn't have a dream, didn't have a passion for something he wanted to do. Later I came to realize that this was not his fault, that it was not a flaw but a tragedy. Not everyone has a passion, a dream. Those of us who do are lucky beyond measure.
How cool to know that you are applying for Alpha. I am not consulted on admissions, but I will certainly have my fingers crossed for you to be there!
All best,
BC
Hey, Bruce--
I stumbled back on to your site by a random twist of chance, recalling that I used to spend a lot of time here. Looking back to my guestbook entries 3-4 years ago, I may have gotten a bit emotional thinking about how much you inspired and influenced me to write and read back then.
Now, I'm no longer the same silly little girl who took up your time years ago, but I am still a writer, and certainly still a reader. I believe that you were definitely a prime mover in me pursuing my literary hobbies.
Keep on keeping on. You're an inspiration.
Cheers!
I stumbled back on to your site by a random twist of chance, recalling that I used to spend a lot of time here. Looking back to my guestbook entries 3-4 years ago, I may have gotten a bit emotional thinking about how much you inspired and influenced me to write and read back then.
Now, I'm no longer the same silly little girl who took up your time years ago, but I am still a writer, and certainly still a reader. I believe that you were definitely a prime mover in me pursuing my literary hobbies.
Keep on keeping on. You're an inspiration.
Cheers!
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Emma -
Nice to hear from you again. But I want to firmly correct you on one point: you were not a "silly" little girl back then. You were a girl. Period. Nothing silly about it. One of the joys and beauties of young girls is their excitement and emotional involvement in the things that speak to their hearts. Nothing silly about it.
I am very happy to know that you are still a writer, and a reader. And very grateful to know that I was a part of that.
I promise to keep on keeping on. . . if you will promise to keep growing and changing, but to never let go of that beautiful little girl inside!
All best,
BC
Nice to hear from you again. But I want to firmly correct you on one point: you were not a "silly" little girl back then. You were a girl. Period. Nothing silly about it. One of the joys and beauties of young girls is their excitement and emotional involvement in the things that speak to their hearts. Nothing silly about it.
I am very happy to know that you are still a writer, and a reader. And very grateful to know that I was a part of that.
I promise to keep on keeping on. . . if you will promise to keep growing and changing, but to never let go of that beautiful little girl inside!
All best,
BC
I just wanted to say that I really love your books. You're one of my favorite authors.
Reply by Bruce Coville
What more can a guy ask for! ;> Seriously, many thanks for this. And best wishes for a glorious holiday season!
BC
BC
What do you mean in jearmy thatcher dagon hatcher with S.H.Elives cause I was thinking S.H.E lives
Reply by Bruce Coville
You got it! Mr. Elives (say "Mystery Lives" and you'll get that, too) is doing moon magic, and in almost all mythologies the moon is a female. "She Lives!"
BC
BC
am andrew jauron and am from ms HOlland clas i like you book j m t h
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Andrew -
Glad you liked JT,DH. I wrote it 13 times to get it right!
BC
Glad you liked JT,DH. I wrote it 13 times to get it right!
BC
Hey Mr.Coville It's me again I just started my reading of jenifer murdleys toad. ive recently wrote books myself I made a series called the 3rd grade panda and 2 years ago I made a book called The Bowling Penguin and read it to my seceond grade class,as you proably remember im in Ms.Hollands 4th grade class and Lottie (you wrote to her and she is in my class,) was in my second grade class when I read it.Sincerly,Jr
Reply by Bruce Coville
Hi, Jr -
Glad to know you've started JMT. Hope it will make you laugh!
I like the title "The Bowling Penguin" - sounds like something you would have had fun writing.
BC
Glad to know you've started JMT. Hope it will make you laugh!
I like the title "The Bowling Penguin" - sounds like something you would have had fun writing.
BC