Interview with Deborah Hopkinson, author of A Boy Called Dickens

I am excited to have author  Deborah Hopkinson on Laura's Reviews today to help honor Charles Dickens by talking about her new book, A Boy Called Dickens.  And without further ado  . . . our interview. 

LAG:  What inspired you to write historical fiction books for children?

DH: I love history and remember as a girl that I had hard time finding books on women in history. So I began with historical fiction about women that intrigued me – astronomer Maria Mitchell, Fannie Merritt Farmer, and Jubilee singer Ella Sheppard Moore, to name a few. And then the more I wrote the more I became immersed in history.

LAG: Why did you choose Charles Dickens for your subject on your latest book?

DH: I loved reading Dickens as a child. I think I was probably only ten or eleven when I stumbled on Great Expectations, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield that I’ve had forever. I probably read them long before I was actually ready for the material. But that’s one great thing about Dickens – you can read and enjoy his work on many levels.

I’ve just started listening to Great Expectations on audio and I understand there is a new adaptation coming to PBS in April.

LAG: Did you find out any new and interesting facts about Dickens in your research?

DH: I knew Dickens had worked in a blacking factory as a boy, but what fascinated me most in researching this book was realizing how that experience haunted him throughout his life. He never told his children about it but kept it a secret.

LAG:  What is your favorite Charles Dickens novel?

DH:  It’s a tossup between Great Expectations and David Copperfield. I may have to back and read them all to make a decision!

How do you take the life of a real person and tell the story in a way that sparks an interest in the mind of a child? I know – complicated question!

A Boy Called Dickens is definitely historical fiction. I tell young people when I do school visits that whenever we put words in someone’s mouth that they didn’t say, we are writing fiction, even if it is close to the truth or based on fact. What I try to do, though, is not necessarily write a biography but to tell a story that illuminates something important in the real person’s life.

In the case of Dickens, we can see that his childhood experiences had a profound influence on his life and work. Kids may not be ready to read Little Dorrit yet, but maybe someday when they do, they will recall this story and it will provide context and richness for their later reading.

LAG:  What are you currently working on?

DH:  I have two books coming out this year, TITANIC: Voices from the Disaster and Annie and Helen, and I’m also working on a middle grade novel based on Dr. John Snow and the cholera epidemic of 1854

For more information about my books and historical thinking, I hope readers will visit my website: http://www.deborahhopkinson.com/.

LAG: Thank-you for the great interview Deborah Hopkinson!

A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson

I noticed A Boy Called Dickens by Deborah Hopkinson on an email sent to me by Bookpage for children’s books. I thought reading and reviewing this book would be another great way to celebrate Charles Dickens and his 200th birthday this month.

A Boy Called Dickens is a children’s picture book detailing the life of young Charles Dickens. Dickens has a hard life with his father going to Debtor’s prison while he was a boy. He was then forced to work in a shoe blacking factory in order to make money to support his family, who were also living in jail with his father. The worst thing to Dickens is the fact that he is unable to read his beloved books and attend school. He makes the most of his adversity and uses his imagination to create wonderful stories.

My boys loved A Boy Called Dickens. In fact NPR mentioned Dickens on the radio Wednesday and Kile (just turned six) piped up and said, “Dickens’ family was in jail and he worked in a factory. He grew up and wrote lots of books.” I was amazed and glad that he was retaining what we had read. He did pick the book to read each night last week so it must have intrigued him.

The boys really loved the artwork by John Hendrix, which goes perfectly with the story. Daniel is sure that one of the story creations of Dickens is a pirate from his hat and I went with it. They really like the beginning where the story asks where young Dickens is. They like to look at the picture and find him. They feel sad for him that he can’t go to school, but also think it is very cool that he is able to write his own stories and grows up to become a famous author. In other words, the boys found the story interesting, relatable, and educational. Or maybe I found it educational, and they just happened to learn from it! I liked how the tale ends happily and the note about Dickens’ life at the end.

As a child I LOVED biographies of famous people and learning about history. This love has served me well as I still remember a lot of my basic history as gleaned from those books. I am excited to find a great historical fiction author to share with my children. Deborah Hopkinson has written quite a few children’s historical fiction books. I need to find them to read to my children.

Overall, A Boy Called Dickens is a children’s historical fiction picture book that is sure to delight both children and adults.

This is my fifth item in the Victorian Challenge 2012.

Book Source: The Kewaunee Public Library