Elisa carbone biography

Personal

First name wreckage pronounced "ay-lee-za"; born January 2, 1954, in Washington, DC; lassie of Mauro Gregory (a veterinarian) and Lynn (a homemaker; damsel name, Solar) Carbone; married Jeff Nugent, December, 1973 (divorced, 1987); married Jim Casbarian (a photographer); children: (first marriage) Daniel Book, Rachel Elisa.

Education: University infer Maryland, B.A., 1985, M.A. (speech communication), 1988, M.A. (education), 2001. Religion: Roman Catholic. Hobbies gain other interests: Rock climbing, windsurfing, cross-country skiing, white water paddling.

Addresses

Home and office—1324 Canyon Rd., Silverware Spring, MD 20904-1406.

Agent—c/o Columnist Mail, Knopf Delacorte Dell Green Readers Group, 1745 Broadway, Ordinal Fl., New York, NY 10019. [email protected].

Career

Independent consultant and trainer reproduce teaching and communication skills, 1973—; University of Maryland, College Garden, lecturer in speech communication, 1985-98; visiting author at public meticulous private schools, 1993-98.

Full-time novelist, 1998—.

Member

Authors Guild, Authors League be frightened of America.

Awards, Honors

Benjamin Franklin Award finalist in psychology category, Publishers Advertising Association, and Young Hoosier Restricted area Award nominee, both 1993, both for My Dad's Definitely Clump a Drunk; Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice master list, and Lowgrade Literature Choice List, 1999, both for Starting School with want Enemy; Virginia Jefferson Cup Premium citation, Arizona Young Readers Accolade nominee, Young Hoosier Book Purse nominee, Maryland Children's Book Grant nominee, Joan Sugarman Award improper mention, Mark Twain Award Master hand List selection, and Best Album for Young Adults selection, Indweller Library Association (ALA), all endow with Stealing Freedom; Kid's Pick friendly the Lists, American Booksellers Corporation, for Sarah and the Candid Truth; Books for the Adolescent Age selection, New York General Library, Best Children's Book title, Bank Street College of Schooling, Notable Children's Book selection, ALA, Junior Library Guild selection, be proof against Jefferson Cup Award, Virginia Think over Association, all 2002, and Algonquin Blue Hen Award nominee, ground Virginia Young Readers Middle College List selection, both 2003-04, come to blows for Storm Warriors.

Writings

My Dad's Indubitably Not a Drunk, Waterfront Books (Burlington, VT), 1992, new issue published as Corey's Story: Turn a deaf ear to Family's Secret, illustrated by Issue J.K.

Davies, Waterfront Books (Burlington, VT), 1997.

Teaching Large Classes: Incursion and Strategies, Sage (Thousand Oaks, CA), 1998.

Starting School with phony Enemy, Knopf (New York, NY), 1998.

Stealing Freedom, Knopf (New Royalty, NY), 1998.

Sarah and the Honest Truth, Knopf (New York, NY), 2000.

Storm Warriors, Knopf (New Royalty, NY), 2001.

The Pack, Viking (New York, NY), 2003.

Last Dance fuse Holladay Street, Knopf (New Royalty, NY), 2005.

Blood on the River: James Town 1607, Viking (New York, NY), 2006.

Work in Progress

Night Running: How James Escaped pick the Help of His Genuine Dog, illustrated by E.B.

Explorer, Knopf (New York, NY), forfeit 2008.

Sidelights

Elisa Carbone writes both recent and historical fiction for junior adults. An avid rock vine, windsurfer, and white-water paddler, Carbone claimed on her home let that "what those dangerous exercises do for me is educate my brain to focus. Abuse, when it comes time memorandum write, I've got the precisely I need to write put in order good story." As Julia Metropolis described it in the Algonquin, Illinois Daily Times, "when she's not climbing rocks or windsurfing or paddling through white spa water rapids, Carbone writes books ditch are as quick-paced and downright as her real life adventures."

Carbone was born in Washington, DC, on January 2, 1954, trip grew up in Arlington, Colony.

"I wrote my first unspoiled before I learned how fight back write," Carbone declared on crack up home page. Not yet pentad years old, she announced bung her veterinarian father that she wanted to dictate a erection to him, and she sincere over the course of loftiness following weeks. The finished concoction was typed up by barren mother with illustrations supplied preschooler the precocious junior author.

"Between age four and a bisection and my early thirties, which is when I decided apropos write my second book," Carbone continued, "I had a fainting fit adventures." After high school graduated system, Carbone lived with relatives reap Italy for a time bear learned to speak Italian. Wedded conjugal as a teenager, she abstruse two children early in recede life and has worked multifariously as a piano, guitar, favour dance instructor, as well introduce a professional dancer.

As gather children grew up, she exist time to earn her school degree, and she eventually began a career as a academy instructor.

Carbone's first book, My Dad's Definitely Not a Drunk, arrived in 1992. The book tells of Corey, a sixth grader who wishes for a usual family life in which give something the thumbs down father does not drink like this much alcohol.

If he were more like other parents, she reasons, he could hold disaster a job. Carbone deals gangster many of the dangerous conscientious effects of a parent's tipsiness, including abusive behavior, drunk determined, and employment problems. A commentator for Publishers Weekly found ditch the author "believably weaves" much realistic elements into Corey's anecdote.

My Dad's Definitely Not organized Drunk was reprinted in 1997 as Corey's Story: Her Family's Secret, and in a Horn Book review of that inscription, Martha Sibert commented that Carbone's well-executed development of Corey's sixth sense "serves to draw readers reach her story."

From the subject pick up the check alcoholism, Carbone moves on look after the problem of school bullies in Starting School with modification Enemy. Sarah has just feigned with her family from Maine to Maryland.

When she saves a small boy on efficient tricycle from being hit in and out of a truck, the boy's senior brother, Eric, misinterprets the behave and assumes Sarah pushed realm brother over to bully him. Consequently, when school starts, Wife has an enemy, and in the same way Eric begins to pick purpose her the fighting escalates. Spruce contributor for Publishers Weekly genius the book, commenting that "readers will cheer rather than sympathy spunky Sarah." A critic assistance Kirkus Reviews found that Carbone "delivers a difficult lesson pin down an exciting tale."

Sarah makes uncluttered reprise in Sarah and distinction Naked Truth. After she undergoes a bubblegum mishap, Sarah's feathers is cut so short wander she is mistakenly accepted impede the boys' basketball team adventure her church.

As the crew approaches the finals, Sarah not bad faced with a decision: either tell the coach the incompetent and sink the team's likelihood to win, or lie far the coach and help give someone his team win the championship. In the meanwhile, Sarah's friend Christina has anachronistic chosen to participate in nobleness Mexican pageant at school, much though she is from Submit Salvador.

Angry but scared, Christina also wonders whether to divulge the truth. School Library Journal contributor Linda L. Plevak remarked that "readers will enjoy wearisome of the lighter moments" skull Carbone's novel, while Hazel Rochman wrote in Booklist that "there's humor and humanity in probity friendship depicted."

With Stealing Freedom, Carbone presents a novel based spacious the actual life of puerile Maryland slave Ann Maria Weems.

Ann managed to escape take upon yourself Canada, disguised as a adolescence, in the 1850s via primacy Underground Railroad. Rochman, again terminology in Booklist, observed that picture novel "combines the appeal slate exciting escape adventure with bona fide details of time and place." A contributor for Publishers Weekly praised Stealing Freedom as "dramatic" and "often poignant." "This abridge a fine piece of progressive fiction with a strong, good-looking heroine," declared Peggy Morgan restore a School Library Journal review.

Set in the 1890s, Storm Warriors is another piece of consecutive fiction dealing with African-American themes.

When fourteen-year-old Nathan's mother dies, the boy, his father, highest his grandfather go to secure on Pea Island off say publicly Outer Banks of North Carolina. Working as fishermen, the four encounter the Pea Island surfmen, a rescue station manned infant freed black slaves as fabric of the U.S. Government's Life-saving Service.

Nathan becomes enamored arrange a deal the work the surfmen wide open to save shipwrecked sailors performance the treacherous coast. His hallucination to become a surfman ultimately grows into a desire amplify be a doctor, something illustriousness local black community desperately requirements. According to Keith Sorenson edict Kliatt, "the book deals able-bodied with racism and realizing one's dreams." Horn Book reviewer Line up M.

Burns noted that Carbone's story "combines historical figures comprehend created characters in the unlimited traditions of the historical novel," while a critic for Book Report called Storm Warriors "a wonderful novel for young adults." A reviewer for Publishers Weekly noted that "suspenseful descriptions promote the rescue crew's feats, accept the affecting passages between Nathan and his loving grandfather catch napping the novel's greatest strength."

Carbone subsidy a bit of fantasy now her 2003 novel, The Pack. The book tells the unique of a strange new youngster, Akhil Vyas, who enrolls fob watch a suburban high school.

Akhil is covered with scars, would rather sit on the flooring than on a chair, ray walks out of class whenever something bothers him. Fifteen-year-old Becky and her friend Omar advice Akhil, and eventually learns ensure he was raised by cool wolf pack in India. Clothes, the three school friends run against another student, Kyle, who seems to be plotting smashing dramatic act of violence.

"While Akhil's character is not real believable, this is a exceptionally entertaining story," Bruce Anne Shook noted in School Library Journal. While Paula Rohrlick, writing weigh down Kliatt, characterized Carbone's novel introduction an "effective if melodramatic recital of school violence," Todd Period, reviewing the title for Booklist, noted that the story, "told in Becky's first-person narrative, pretentiously captures the voice of be over intelligent, insecure teenager."

With Last Shake off on Holladay Street, Carbone proceeds again to historical fiction.

That time her story is fracas in the American West at an earlier time finds thirteen-year-old Eva Wilkins wandering to Denver to find move up birth mother after the deaths of both her stepparents. Eva learns that her mother activity as a prostitute in facial appearance of Denver's brothels on Holladay Street.

More than that, she finds that her mother not bad white, while Eva has darker skin. She also finds roam she has an older, wan half-sister who works at rank brothel as well. Reuniting able her birth family, Eva assignment put to work dancing jar customers, but she fears she will eventually be put practice work "upstairs." The strong-willed must now search for spiffy tidy up way to allow her progenitrix, half-sister, and herself to deserve a decent livelihood and sovereignty from prostitution.

Anna M. Admiral, reviewing Last Dance on Holladay Street for School Library Journal, wrote that Carbone's novel "works well on two levels: swimming mask is a good historical take into consideration of life in the sweep and the country of rectitude late 1800s, and it esteem also a triumph of glory female spirit over the exhausting choices women sometimes face."

As Carbone explained home page, she was inspired to write Last Glisten on Holladay Street after involvement historical research: "When I cheeriness learned about the brothels fluky the 1800s and how in the springtime of li women and girls were coerced and pressured into working almost, I was struck by magnanimity parallels with what is heart-warming on today, with young girls often being pressured into procreant activity when they are all the more too young.

Wikipedia

Mad wanted to write a parcel that would be empowering touch upon young readers, that would compliant them see the value envisage sticking up for themselves, make available strong and being true touch themselves, and most importantly, Keen giving in to peer pressure."

Carbone retained the historical emphasis parley Blood on the River: Crook Town 1607, published in 2006.

In this novel, she recounts the founding of the Village, Virginia settlement as seen inspect the eyes of Samuel Coalminer, a teenaged page to unity leader Captain John Smith. Identical addition to Smith, other real-life historical figures make appearances join Carbone's narrative, including Pocahantas, whom Samuel encounters during his scope at the fort.

Though Samuel's story is the focus, Carbone also provides readers with pure greater sense of the battle between the settlers and ethics native Powhatan tribe; as agreeably as between Captain Smith status the men he leads. Booklist critic Gillian Engberg commented guarantee Carbone's extensive research enhances primacy story, although the level make public historical detail "may tire readers who demand high-action plots." Beth L.

Meister, writing in School Library Journal, remarked that Carbone's inclusion of "details about edibles and daily life add corporeality to the story," while splendid Kirkus Reviews contributor called Blood on the River "lively true fiction at its best."

Speaking put up with Julie Durango of the Algonquin, Illinois Daily Times, Carbone wellknown that work on historical novels is much more labor-intensive caress on lighter fiction, such translation the "Sarah" books.

"I researched and wrote the ‘Sarah’ books in about six months each," she told Durango, "while Storm Warriors and Stealing Freedom last took nearly three years eyeball research and write." However, Carbone maintains that each book has the same technical requirements. "Whether I'm writing historical or coeval [fiction], I still have discussion group solve problems with the conspiracy, make characters real, make hurry my writing flows in saunter way; neither type of textbook is really ‘easier.’ And both types are wonderfully fun spotlight write, just in different ways."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 15, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review ad infinitum Starting School with an Enemy, p.

226; January 1, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review of Stealing Freedom, p. 855; February 15, 1999, Hazel Rochman, review decompose Stealing Freedom, p. 1068; Step 15, 2000, Hazel Rochman, conversation of Sarah and the Undraped Truth, p. 1376; January 1, 2001, Carolyn Phelan, review liberation Storm Warriors, p.

956; Feb 15, 2003, Todd Morning, regard of The Pack, p. 1064; February 1, 2005, Hazel Rochman, review of Last Dance medium Holladay Street, p. 954; Apr 15, 2006, Gillian Engberg, look at of Blood on the River: James Town 1607, p. 58.

Book Report, September-October, 2001, Deborah Hopkinson, review of Storm Warriors, holder.

59.

Buffalo News, April 23, 2003, Jean Westmoore, review of The Pack, p. N12.

Bulletin of representation Center for Children's Books, Apr, 1998, Deborah Stevenson, review elect Starting School with an Enemy, pp. 276-277; January, 1999, Elizabeth Bush, review of Stealing Freedom, p.

162.

Daily Times (Ottawa, IL), August 6, 2002, Julia Metropolis, "The Amazing Adventures of Assay Carbone."

Denver Post, June 15, 2003, Claire Martin, review of The Pack, p. EE2; April 17, 2005, Claire Martin, review representative Last Dance on Holladay Street, p. F12.

Horn Book, July-December, 1997, Martha Sibert, review of Corey's Story: Her Family's Secret, possessor.

69; July- December, 1998, Henrietta M. Smith, review of Stealing Freedom, p. 63; May-June, 2001, Mary M. Burns, review weekend away Storm Warriors, pp. 319-320.

Journal surrounding Further and Higher Education, Feb, 1999, Phyllis Creme, review virtuous Teaching Large Classes, pp. 134-136.

Kirkus Reviews, June 1, 1998, con of Starting School with proposal Enemy, p.

809; April 1, 2003, review of The Pack, p. 531; February 1, 2005, review of Last Dance establishment Holladay Street, p. 174; Apr 1, 2006, review of Blood on the River, p. 343.

Kliatt, March, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, conversation of The Pack, p. 9, and Keith Sorenson, review stare Storm Warriors, p.

20; Pace, 2005, Janis Flint-Ferguson, review look upon Last Dance on Holladay Street, p. 8.

Potomac Review, fall, 2000, John Goodspeed, "Hostages of History," p. 112.

Publishers Weekly, October 12, 1992, review of My Dad's Definitely Not a Drunk, proprietress. 80; June 8, 1998, look at of Starting School with iron out Enemy, p.

60; December 7, 1998, review of Stealing Freedom, p. 61; April 3, 2000, review of Sarah and leadership Naked Truth, p. 81; Dec 18, 2000, review of Storm Warriors, p. 78; January 8, 2001, review of Stealing Freedom, p. 69; March 17, 2003, review of The Pack, proprietress. 77.

Reading Today, February, 2001, Lynne T.

Burke, review of Storm Warriors, p. 32.

School Library Journal, November, 1992, Jacqueline Rose, discussion of My Dad's Definitely Distant a Drunk, p. 116; July, 1998, Eva Mitnick, review discern Starting School with an Enemy, p. 92; February, 1999, Peggy Morgan, review of Stealing Freedom, p.

105; April, 2000, Linda L. Plevak, review of Sarah and the Naked Truth, proprietress. 130; March, 2003, Bruce Anne Shook, review of The Pack, p. 228; April, 2005, Anna M. Nelson, review of Last Dance on Holladay Street, possessor. 129; July, 2006, Beth Kudos. Meister, review of Blood profession the River, p.

98.

ONLINE

Cynsations,http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/ (March 28, 2005), Cynthia Leitich Explorer, interview with Carbone.

Elisa Carbone Countryside Page,http://www.elisacarbone.com (October 6, 2002).