Napoli, Donna Jo 1948–

PERSONAL:

Born February 28, 1948, in Miami, FL; daughter of Vincent Robert (a contractor) and Helen Gloria Napoli; married Barry Ray Furrow (a law professor), December 29, 1968; children: Elena, Michael Enzo, Nicholas Umberto, Eva, Robert Emilio. Education: Harvard University, B.A., 1970, Ph.D., 1973; post-doctoral study at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ADDRESSES:

Office—Department of Linguistics, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA 19081. Agent—Barry Furrow, School of Law, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

CAREER:

Smith College, Northampton, MA, lecturer in philosophy and Italian, 1973-74; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, lecturer in mathematics and Italian, 1974-75; Georgetown University, Washington, DC, assistant professor of linguistics, 1975-80; University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, professor of linguistics, 1980-87; Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, professor of linguistics, 1987—, and head of linguistics program. Visiting professor at University of Queensland, University of Geneva, and Capital Normal University of Beijing; guest lecturer at University of Sydney, Macquarie University, University of the Witwatersrand, and University of Stellenbosch.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Authors Guild, Authors League of America, Linguistic Society of America, Società linguistica italiana.

AWARDS, HONORS:

New York Public Library, "100 titles for reading and sharing" selection, 1992, for The Prince of the Pond, "books for the teen age" selection, 1994, for The Magic Circle, 1997, for Zel and Song of the Magdalene, 1998, for Stones in Water, 1999, for Sirena and For the Love of Venice, and 2000, for Spinners; cited for outstanding merit, Bank Street Child Study Children's Book Committee, 1993, for Prince of the Pond, 1995, for When the Water Closes over My Head, and 1996, for Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace; Publishers Weekly "best book" selection, 1993, for The Magic Circle, 1996, for Zel, and 1997, for Stones in Water; Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "blue ribbon book" designation, 1993, for The Magic Circle, and 1996, for Zel; Young Adult Library Services Association "best book for young adults" selection, 1994, for The Magic Circle, 1997, for Song of the Magdalene, 1998, for Stones in Water, and 1999, for Sirena; American Library Association "notable book" citation, 1993, for The Magic Circle, and 1998, for Stones in Water; Booklist "children's editor's choice" citation, 1993, for The Magic Circle; Leeway Foundation grant for excellence in fiction, 1995; American Booksellers Association "pick of the list" selection, 1996, for Zel and Song of the Magdalene; School Library Journal "best book" selection, 1996, for Zel; cited for Hall of Fame Sports Book for Kids, Free Library of Philadelphia, 1996, for Soccer Shock; National Council for the Social Studies citation, "notable children's trade book in the field of social studies," 1997, for Song of the Magdalene and Stones in Water; included in Dorothy Canfield Fisher Book Award master list, 1996-97, for Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, 1997-98, for Zel, and 1998-99, for Stones in Water; M. Jerry Weiss Book Award, New Jersey Reading Association, 1997, for The Prince of the Pond; cited in "best science fiction, fantasy, and horror list," Voice of Youth Advocates, 1997, for Zel; Golden Kite Award, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, and Sydney Taylor Book Award, National Association of Jewish Libraries, both 1998, for Stones in Water; children's literature citation, Drexel University and Free Library of Philadelphia, 1998; "children's choices" citation, International Reading Association, 1999, for Sirena; "notable books for children" citation, Smithsonian, 1999, for Crazy Jack; Kentucky Bluegrass Award, 2002, for Albert; Nevada Young Readers Award, 2003, for Daughter of Venice; Sons of Italy national book club selection, 2006, for The King of Mulberry Street; "honor book" citations for Carolyn W. Field Book Award, Golden Kite Book Award, Sydney Taylor Book Award, and other awards; grants and fellowships from organizations such as American Association of University Women, National Science Foundation, National Endowment for the Humanities, Mellon Foundation, and Sloan Foundation.

WRITINGS:

NONFICTION

(Editor) Elements of Tone, Stress, and Intonation, Georgetown University Press (Washington, DC), 1978.

(With Emily Rando) Syntactic Argumentation, Georgetown University Press (Washington, DC), 1979.

(Editor, with William Cressey) Linguistic Symposium on Romance Languages: 9, Georgetown University Press (Washington, DC), 1981.

Predication Theory: A Case Study for Indexing Theory, Cambridge University Press (New York, NY), 1989.

(Editor, with Judy Anne Kegl) Bridges between Psychology and Linguistics: A Swarthmore Festschrift for Lila Gleitman, Lawrence Erlbaum (Hillsdale, NJ), 1991.

Syntax: Theory and Problems, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1993.

(With Stuart Davis) Phonological Factors in Historical Change: The Passage of the Latin Second Conjugation into Romance, Rosenberg & Sellier (Turin, Italy), 1994.

Linguistics: Theory and Problems, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 1996.

Language Matters: A Guide to Everyday Questions about Language, Oxford University Press (New York, NY), 2003.

(With Marina Nespor) L'animale parlante: introduzione allo studio del linguaggio, Carocci (Rome, Italy), 2004.

(Editor, with Andrew Sunshine, and contributor) The Tongue's Palette, Atlantis-Centaur, 2004.

Editor (and contributor) of poetry books, including The Linguistic Muse, Meliglossa, Lingua Franca, and Speaking in Tongues. Short fiction represented in anthologies compiled and illustrated by Diane Goode and published by Dutton (New York, NY) in 1992 and 1997. Contributor to linguistic journals.

JUVENILE FICTION

The Hero of Barletta, illustrated by Dana Gustafson, Carolrhoda (Minneapolis, MN), 1988.

Soccer Shock, illustrated by Meredith Johnson, Dutton (New York, NY), 1991.

The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin, illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner, Dutton (New York, NY), 1992.

The Magic Circle, Dutton (New York, NY), 1993.

Shark Shock, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

When the Water Closes over My Head, illustrated by Nancy Poydar, Dutton (New York, NY), 1994.

The Bravest Thing, illustrated by daughter, Eva Furrow, Dutton (New York, NY), 1995.

Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, illustrated by Judith Byron Schachner, Dutton (New York, NY), 1995.

Song of the Magdalene, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1996.

Zel, Dutton (New York, NY), 1996.

On Guard, Dutton (New York, NY), 1997.

Trouble on the Tracks, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1997.

Stones in Water, Dutton (New York, NY), 1997.

Sirena, Scholastic (New York, NY), 1998.

Changing Tunes, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 1998.

For the Love of Venice, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1998.

(With Richard Tchen) Spinners, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 1999.

Crazy Jack, Delacorte (New York, NY), 1999.

Beast, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2000.

Shelley Shock, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Three Days, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2001.

(With Richard Tchen) How Hungry Are You?, illustrated by Amy Walrod, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2001.

Hang In There, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2001.

Albert (picture book), illustrated by Jim La Marche, Silver Whistle (San Diego, CA), 2001.

(With Marie Kane) Rocky, the Cat Who Barks, illustrated by Tamara Petrosino, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Flamingo Dream, illustrated by Cathie Felstead, Greenwillow Books (New York, NY), 2002.

Daughter of Venice, Delacorte (New York, NY), 2002.

The Great God Pan, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2003.

Breath, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2003.

Song of the Magdalene, Simon Pulse (New York, NY), 2004.

North, Greenwillow Books (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Shelagh Johnston) Hotel Jungle, illustrated by Kenneth J. Spengler, Mondo (New York, NY), 2004.

Gracie: The Pixie of the Puddle, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2004.

Bound, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2004.

(With Robert Furrow) Sly the Sleuth and the Pet Mysteries, illustrated by Heather Maione, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2005.

Pink Magic, illustrated by Chad Cameron, Clarion Books (New York, NY), 2005.

The King of Mulberry Street, Wendy Lamb Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Ugly, illustrated by Lita Judge, Hyperion Books for Children (New York, NY), 2006.

(With Robert Furrow) Sly the Sleuth and the Sports Mysteries, illustrated by Heater Maione, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

Fire in the Hills, Dutton Children's Books (New York, NY), 2006.

(With Eva Furrow) Bobby the Bold, illustrated by Ard Hoyt, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2006.

The Wishing Club: A Story about Fractions, illustrated by Anna Currey, Henry Holt (New York, NY), 2007.

(With husband, Robert Furrow) Sly the Sleuth and the Food Mysteries, illustrated by Heather Maione, Dial Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2007.

Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2007.

Napoli's books have been published in Chinese, Danish, Dutch, Farsi, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Thai.

JUVENILE FICTION; "ANGELWINGS" CHAPTER BOOKS

One Leap Forward, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

On Her Own, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

Little Creatures, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

Friends Everywhere, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 1999.

New Voices, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

No Fair!, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Lies and Lemons, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Left Out, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Know-It-All, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Happy Holidays, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Give and Take, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

April Flowers, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Running Away, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

Playing Games, illustrated by Lauren Klementz-Harte, Aladdin Paperbacks (New York, NY), 2000.

ADAPTATIONS:

The novels The Magic Circle and The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin were adapted for the stage and performed as a musical in Media, PA, at Media Theater, 2000.

SIDELIGHTS:

A professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College, Donna Jo Napoli cares ardently about language, as can be seen in her novels for young adults and middle-grade readers. Exploring topics ranging from sports and sharks to dark fairy tales, Napoli employs both humor and skillful prose to craft stories of hope and inspiration. "A gifted author" is how a Kirkus Reviews commentator once described her, yet Napoli herself remarked that she had not expected to be a writer. "It just happened to me, when I found that writing helped me through difficult times in my life. I'm happy when I write. Very."

The youngest of four children, Napoli was born in Miami, Florida. Her early years were ones of continual moving—by age thirteen she had lived in thirteen different houses that her father, a contractor, built on speculation and subsequently sold. Though she remained in the same school, her neighborhood kept shifting and friends were lost. Napoli grew up feeling like an "outsider," as she once wrote. She was a slow learner when it came to reading, but when the words finally clicked together for her in the second grade, she found new friends in the school library. "We had no books in our house," Napoli explained. "None whatsoever. We had no magazines. My father read the newspaper. I'm not sure I ever saw my mother read at all. My older siblings had school books. And I had the never-ending library." For Napoli, school was a "haven—where no one shouted and there were so many books." A good student once her problems with poor eyesight were handled properly, Napoli blossomed in high school in such subjects as French, Latin, and math.

Graduating from high school, Napoli attended Radcliffe, then the name of the women's college of Harvard University. "The world of ideas that I had yearned for in the books I read and gotten a hint of in my high school honors classes opened up to me at last," she recalled. She took her undergraduate degree in mathematics, but switched to Romance linguistics for her doctorate, which was the perfect blend of her interests both in math and in languages. During her junior year in college she also married, though graduate studies and teaching positions kept her domestic life a challenge for many years. Writing as a career was the farthest thing from Napoli's mind at the time. Although she took a course in composition and was encouraged by her instructor to pursue a career in writing, she had no desire "to be a poor writer." "I wanted to earn money and never have to make my family move and never have to make my children worry about whether there would be food on the table. I was practical."

After earning her doctorate, Napoli taught at Smith College, University of North Carolina, and Georgetown University. The birth of her first child made her and her husband, Barry Furrow, seek more stable situations. Furrow quit legal practice and became a professor of law, while Napoli worked toward becoming a full professor of linguistics. In addition to her numerous professional publications of both books and articles, Napoli was also writing poetry. A miscarriage between her first and second children sent her into an emotional tailspin, and to find her center, she began writing daily letters to a friend. "I wrote my heart out," Napoli recalled. "Eventually, I came to terms with the loss of that baby." Her correspondent saved the letters and later gave them to her in a big box. "As I looked at those letters," Napoli explained, "I realized it allowed me to be whoever I wanted to be, for some of those letters didn't sound like me—they sounded at once much stronger and wiser and much more vulnerable and lost than I really was. That was the start of my writing career."

From Georgetown Napoli went to the University of Michigan, and then on to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. Finally, her first children's book was published by Carolrhoda Books in Minnesota. The Hero of Barletta was a retelling of an Italian folk tale—Napoli and her family had spent many summers in Italy—in which a clever giant saves his town from an advancing army. "I felt happy to sell that first story," she explained, "but I also felt rather strange: the message seemed to be that I could tell traditional stories, but not stories I made up from scratch. It was a mixed message." A linguist, Napoli decided to make the message a little less mixed, and wrote from scratch about something close to the family—soccer, a sport which her son Michael played. Adam, the ten-year-old protagonist of the novel, discovers that he has magic freckles—they can both see and talk. He decides to use this secret to help him earn a place on the school soccer team. Napoli first sent the book to an agent who recommended cutting the freckles as they were too "dopey," but advice from her children and other writers prevailed. Napoli submitted the book unchanged to Dutton in 1990 and it was accepted. "The freckles really steal the show here," commented a Kirkus Reviews correspondent, who also described Soccer Shock as "a well-written story with an affectionate, tolerant cast." Denise Krell, writing in School Library Journal, however, referred to the "far-fetched" freckles, but decided that even with such a "fantastic twist," this "lighthearted novel succeeds with genuine characters in a believable setting." Napoli wrote a sequel to the book with Shark Shock, in which Adam, a year older and having lost and then regained communication with his freckles, strikes up a friendship with a blind boy during his summer vacation at the beach. While commenting that Napoli's idea of talking freckles "stretches credibility to the breaking point," Maggie McEwen concluded in School Library Journal that "this light read will appeal to children who have an appreciation for the absurd."

Napoli's next book for middle-grade readers, The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin, was a result of family storytelling nights and employs the fairy tale frog-prince motif, but with a unique twist. A prince is turned into a frog by a hag, and is then taken under the protective arm of Jade, a female frog who teaches him the ropes in the pond. Blessed with a prodigious number of spawn, the sensitive frog prince determines to raise some of them personally. Yet when a princess passes by, the frog prince leaps to the cheek, kisses her, and becomes a prince once again, leaving Jade and their offspring behind. "The frog prince motif has inspired many books," noted Booklist reviewer Carolyn Phelan, "but few as original as this novel." Betsy Hearne of the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books commented both on the point of view—the story is told by Jade, the female frog—and the book's willingness to deal with loss, and concluded that The Prince of the Pond is "an animal fantasy that fairy tale readers will relish." A Kirkus Reviews contributor felt that the author had done her research well: "[This is] a book with an astonishing amount of in-depth natural history cleverly embedded in its endearing, screwball charm." In fact, Napoli spent a great deal of time reading about amphibians and observing pond life. "When I write for children," Napoli explained, "I am dead serious. If you sit back and think seriously about the frog prince story even just for a moment, you will realize that without a frog to help this prince through the ordeal, he would have been snake meat fast." To please her fans, who were curious to know what became of the frog family, Napoli wrote a sequel, Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace. Attempting to save his pond from the miserable hag, young Jimmy, a frog offspring of the prince, is transformed into a human and does not care much for the change. He inevitably ends up working in the palace where he encounters his father. "This successful successor is certain to satisfy old fans and win new friends to the frog prince and his brood," commented a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

Napoli's first young adult novel, The Magic Circle, was inspired by an innocent question posed by the author's daughter, Eva, as to the preponderance of wicked witches and stepmothers in fairy tales, and the dearth of equally evil warlocks and stepfathers. "My little feminist heart beat hard," Napoli recalled, "and I flipped the pages of my mind through all the fairy tales I knew, looking for the worst woman character I could find. There she was: the witch in Hansel and Gretel." Napoli's subsequent book was an attempt to give a history and motivation to the witch in a prequel to the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale. In Napoli's rendition, the witch was a good-hearted woman at one time who learned sorcery to become a healer, but evil spirits have turned her into a bad witch, with a hunger for children. She takes herself off to the woods where she will not be tempted, until one day two succulent children appear on her doorstep. "Napoli flexes her proven talent for unexpected viewpoints, builds strong pace with compressed vigor, and evokes powerful sensory images," noted Betsy Hearne of the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Lisa Dennis, writing in School Library Journal, observed "a strongly medieval flavor" in the setting, characterization, and tone, and concluded that "Napoli's writing and the clarity of her vision make this story fresh and absorbing. A brilliantly conceived and beautifully executed novel that is sure to be appreciated by thoughtful readers." A Publishers Weekly reviewer summed up the feeling of many commentators for this unique book, dubbing The Magic Circle a young adult novel of "genuine magic and suspense" that would "captivate adults as well." Napoli later published the second in a series of planned revisions of dark fairy tales, this one based on the Rapunzel story and titled Zel. Told alternately from the point of view of Zel held in the tower, the prince who wants to save her, and Zel's witch mother who put the girl in the tower, the book plunges into the psychology of the characters. "The genius of the novel lies not just in the details but in its breadth of vision," noted a reviewer in Publishers Weekly. "Its shiveringly romantic conclusion will leave readers spellbound." In a Horn Book review of Zel, Roger Sutton commented that the early chapters of the book are a bit of a "wander," but concluded that the novel ultimately "transforms myth without flippancy, honoring the power of its roots."

Napoli turned to realistic novels with When the Water Closes over My Head and The Bravest Thing. Both stories had a little help from Napoli's children; the first was inspired by her son Michael's fear of drowning, and the second by her daughter Eva's desire to become a veterinarian. On vacation with grandparents in Iowa, nine-year-old Mikey is continually confronted with his fear of drowning in When the Water Closes over My Head, and eventually surmounts this phobia. The book is "a funny, easily read story that boys and girls should take to like ducks to water," enthused a Kirkus Reviews commentator. Hazel Rochman, writing in Booklist, drew attention to Napoli's technique of "tightly structured, cinematic episodes," and use of dialogue that captured the "daily tangle of close relationships," and concluded that "kids will want more stories about this family." In The Bravest Thing, ten-year-old Laurel has to face the death of her newborn bunnies, an aunt with cancer, and her own diagnosis of scoliosis. "Despite the multitude of hard knocks, this is not a problem novel," noted Publishers Weekly. "Napoli … inspires the reader to believe that obstacles, no matter how daunting, can be made smaller through courage."

Having overcome his fear of drowning, fourth-grader Mikey returns in Napoli's On Guard, this time to confront anxieties of another sort. The second of four children, Mikey fears that he will not be special enough in any one way to distinguish himself among his siblings. Mikey discovers the sport of fencing, and determines to win the medal his teacher awards weekly to a student who has impressed her with a particular skill, accomplishment, or quality. "Napoli is excellent at depicting Mikey's general tendency towards uncertainty, his frustration at his lack of family stardom, and his passionate attachment to his new field," wrote Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books reviewer Deborah Stevenson. "Especially with its lure of an offbeat and glamorous sport, this will please many young readers."

Napoli has also written historical fiction for young people. Song of the Magdalene, set in ancient Israel, constructs an account of the life of biblical figure Mary Magdalene from a troubled youth as the daughter of a wealthy Jewish widower in the town of Magdala to her experiences as a helper of Jesus. A Publishers Weekly reviewer described the work as uneven in many respects, noting, for instance, that "the pacing seems clotted around climactic moments," but nevertheless commented that "readers may come away with new thoughts about a different era." Voice of Youth Advocates contributor Libby Bergstrom offered a more favorable assessment of Song of the Magdalene, observing that "the power of Napoli's investigation into the human psyche will draw YA readers into this book; Miriam [Mary] is a character they will not soon forget." Trouble on the Tracks, set in Australia, and Sirena, set in ancient Greece, are two other works of fiction, the first a realistic contemporary adventure and the second a fantasy set in ancient Greece. "People often ask me where the ideas for my stories come from," Napoli noted. "While I'm not sure that I always know where a story comes from, I can say that I never have trouble coming up with ideas and I have difficulty understanding how anyone could have that trouble…. I believe that if you keep your eyes and ears and mind and heart open, you will find plenty to write about—more than anyone could ever write in a lifetime…. I write from my heart and gut. So it's not surprising that a lot of my views on life are discernible in my books. But I never set out to convince people of a particular moral. And I deeply resent children's books that do." While finding material is never a problem for Napoli—who has also written picture books and adult mysteries—finding the time in her busy life for writing is a problem. An organized professional, Napoli even writes in her laundry room so that she can do two tasks at once. Her advice to young writers is simple: write what you know about; write about something that is important; and use good language. A conscientious re-writer, Napoli gets feedback from her editor, family, school children, and even strangers on the street.

If Napoli tries not to shove a certain theme down the throats of her readers, she still has a message. "When I write for children," Napoli concluded, "I do not hesitate to present them with the sadness of mortality and the horrors of wickedness—but I always try to leave them with a sense that whether or not they can change the problems in life, they can find a way to live decently and joyfully. Hope is an internal matter. I strive to cultivate it in my readers. Children offer fertile ground."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, January 15, 1993, Carolyn Phelan, review of The Prince of the Pond: Otherwise Known as De Fawg Pin, p. 909; July, 1993, Sally Estes, review of The Magic Circle, p. 1957; January 1, 1994, Hazel Rochman, review of When the Water Closes over My Head, p. 827; October 15, 1994, Frances Bradburn, review of Shark Shock, p. 427; March 15, 1995, Ilene Cooper, review of Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, p. 1331; October 1, 1995, Julie Yates Walton, review of The Bravest Thing, p. 317.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, January, 1993, review of The Prince of the Pond, p. 153; April, 1993, review of The Magic Circle, p. 260; September, 1994, review of When the Water Closes over My Head, p. 21; June, 1995, review of Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, p. 355; October, 1995, review of The Bravest Thing, p. 64; January, 1997, review of Song of the Magdalene, p. 182; February, 1997, review of On Guard, p. 217; March, 1997, review of Trouble on the Tracks, p. 253.

Horn Book, September-October, 1996, Roger Sutton, review of Zel, p. 603.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1991, review of Soccer Shock, p. 1225; October 1, 1992, review of The Prince of the Pond, p. 1259; June 15, 1993, review of The Magic Circle, p. 789; January 1, 1994, review of When the Water Closes over My Head, p. 72; May 1, 1995, review of Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace; January 15, 1997, review of Trouble on the Tracks, p. 144.

Publishers Weekly, November 16, 1992, review of The Prince of the Pond, p. 64; June 14, 1993, review of The Magic Circle, p. 73; February 21, 1994, review of When the Water Closes over My Head, p. 255; June 12, 1995, review of Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, p. 61; July 3, 1995, review of The Bravest Thing, p. 62; October 30, 1995, review of The Bravest Thing, p. 62; June 17, 1996, review of Zel, p. 66; November 4, 1996, review of Song of the Magdalene, p. 77.

School Library Journal, August, 1988, Nancy A. Gifford, review of The Hero of Barletta, p. 84; April, 1992, Denise Krell, review of Soccer Shock, p. 118; October, 1992, John Peters, review of The Prince of the Pond, p. 118; August, 1993, Betsy Hearne, review of The Magic Circle, p. 186; March, 1994, Carol Schene, review of When the Water Closes over My Head, p. 223; January, 1995, Maggie McEwen, review of Shark Shock, p. 109; June, 1995, Sally Margolis, review of Jimmy, the Pickpocket of the Palace, p. 112; October, 1995, Susan Oliver, review of The Bravest Thing, p. 138.

Voice of Youth Advocates, August, 1993, review of The Magic Circle, p. 169; February, 1997, Libby Bergstrom, review of Song of the Magdalene, p. 331.