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Hell Gate Meet the author Linda Fairstein |
A Spy in the House Meet the author Y.S. Lee |
The Promise of Morning Meet the author Ann Shorey |
Abigail Meet the author Jill Eileen Smith |
Petals from the Sky Meet the author Mingmei Yip |
Margaret Lazarus Dean
Dear Reader, On the morning of January 28, 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded, killing all seven astronauts aboard, including schoolteacher Christa McAuliffe. Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you heard what had happened? I was in an eighth-grade classroom watching the launch on TV, along with schoolchildren all over the country. The experience of watching this disaster, seeing the nation react to the tragedy and the investigation, stayed with me for years. Those experiences became the basis for my novel, THE TIME IT TAKES TO FALL. Dolores Gray is thirteen years old in 1986, and the Challenger launch is uniquely important to her—she lives on the Space Coast near Cape Canaveral, her father works on the Solid Rocket Boosters, and her idol and favorite astronaut, Judith Resnik, is aboard. When the shuttle explodes and her father is blamed, Dolores's life, her family, and her community will never be the same. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune says about THE TIME IT TAKES TO FALL: "Dean has created an immensely believable heroine and delivers a fascinating and approachable look at that most intimidating of all endeavors: rocket science. If there's any justice at all, her book will be read by women's book clubs across the country." Visit www.margaretlazarusdean.com to tell me where you were and what you were doing when the space shuttle Challenger exploded—the most interesting stories will be displayed on my website. Also register to win one of ten signed copies of THE TIME IT TAKES TO FALL. Best, Margaret Lazarus Dean |