My grandmother and her sister, for instance, remembered running up to the courthouse after school let out to try and catch a glimpse of the Lindberghs, or of one of the many celebrities who attended the trial in January, 1935. Because I grew up in the town of Flemington, NJ, where the Lindbergh trial took place, I was privy to the actual setting and to its oral history as told to me by my family members. , you were a poet who had also published picture books and biographies for young readers.Įvolved from a collision of ideas and personal experience. You can learn more about Jen Bryant and her work by visiting her website at Conversation with Jen Bryant This interview was conducted primarily through email, but also based on conversations with Jen Bryant at Random House dinners at NCTE in Pittsburgh in 2005, Nashville in 2006, and New York City in 2007.

, a student said: “She even makes history interesting!” If she can do that for a disinterested student, imagine the benefits of using her books in your classes. Readers can expect to be transported to the locale and the period she writes about. An additional feature is the meticulous research that is a significant element of all of her novels. Her poet’s sensibilities contribute to the creation of believable characters, vibrant settings, and compelling plots. Using nine narrative voices, she captures the drama, the hype, and the irony of the trial that pitted science against religion.

, Jen returns to historical fiction to tell the story of the Scopes “Monkey” trial to test the legality of the Butler Act of Tennessee designed to prohibit the teaching of evolution. , the story of thirteen year old Georgia who is developing her artistic talent. (2004), the story of the trial of Bruno Hauptmann who was convicted of kidnapping the Lindbergh baby, and Is her third novel in poems for young adults (see review, p. Before poet Jen Bryant published her first YA novel, she had already written a number of successful picture books and biographies for young readers.

Kaleidoscope Eyes by Jen Bryant