Saving Winslow, by Sharon Creech | Speed Interview

The Children’s Book Review

The Children’s Book Review: Which five words best describe Saving Winslow?

Sharon Creech: Gentle, funny, Creechian, sincere, poignant  (it feels odd to describe my own book this way. . .Maybe these are attributes that I hope readers will find in the book.)

Can you share a highlight from the book? Or maybe your thoughts on—or an excerpt of—your favorite sentence, paragraph, or page?

The scene between Louie and Nora in Ch. 9, p. 31, emerged one day and gave me great insight into Nora’s character:

Nora looked Louie in the eye. “Our brother was born two months early—“

“So was I!” Louie said. “I was a pitiful, scrawny, struggling thing.”

Nora touched Louie’s arm with one finger. “But you made it.”

If you had to take a vacation with one of the characters from Saving Winslow, who would it be? Why?

Hard to choose. A vacation with Louie might be a calm, mellow escape. A vacation with Nora might be equal parts surprising and annoying.

What has been the best reaction from a reader, so far?

One reader said, “As I got near the end, I wondered how you were possibly going to end this in so few pages? But then it ended so perfectly that I had to hold the book on my chest for a long, long time.”

What’s on your nightstand? Any books?

The nightstand is piled high and spills onto the floor and a nearby dresser, everything from short story collections to poetry to novels to memoir to non-fiction.  

For your writing energy: sugar or salt, tea or coffee?

Sugar (chocolate) and tea.

Writing tools: computer, pen and paper, or all of the above?

Computer first, then edited on paper.

Can you tell us one more thing we may not know about Saving Winslow, your writing style, or yourself?

The more I write, the more I realize that fewer words can say more than too-many-words.

—

Saving Winslow

Written by Sharon Creech

Publisher’s Synopsis: Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Saving Winslow is an uplifting modern classic in the making about a young boy who befriends an ailing newborn donkey and nurses him back to health, from New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech.

Louie doesn’t have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he’s determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won’t survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie’s bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Written in the spirit of Creech favorites Moo and Love That Dog, this standout tale about love and friendship and letting go will tug at the heartstrings.

Ages 8-12 | Publisher: HarperCollins | September 11, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0062570703

Available Here:

About the Author

Sharon Creech has written twenty-one books for young people and is published in over twenty languages. Her books have received awards in both the U.S. and abroad, including the Newbery Medal for Walk Two Moons, the Newbery Honor for The Wanderer, and Great Britain’s Carnegie Medal for Ruby Holler.

Before beginning her writing career, Sharon Creech taught English for fifteen years in England and Switzerland. She and her husband now live in Maine, “lured there by our grandchildren,” Creech says.

For more information, visit: www.sharoncreech.com

This speed interview with Sharon Creech, author of Saving Winslow, was conducted by Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Friendship, Loss, Love, Middle Grade Books, Sharon Creech, and Speed Interview.