Pale Silver Rainplop Press (2008)
ISBN 978097439629
Reviewed by Madeline McElroy (age 8) for Reader Views (4/09)

Today, Tyler R. Tichelaar is pleased to interview Linda Thieman, who is here to talk about her new children’s book, “Katie and Kimble: The Magic Wish.”

Linda Thieman is a former teacher of English as a Second Language. She loves writing, especially the Katie & Kimble books, a chapter book series for ages 7-10. Linda is quite a card player in her spare time, but likes to play for fun, not for money, which makes her too nervous. All her life, Linda has been interested in religion and spirituality, and she loves to watch movies and TV shows that explore the different ways that characters try to connect to God or Spirit. She’s also a big fan of Regency era fiction and the works of the late English author Georgette Heyer, in particular. Her first Katie & Kimble book was “A Ghost Story” but today she is here to talk about the second book in the series, “The Magic Wish.”

Tyler:  Welcome, Linda. To begin, if our readers haven’t already read your first book, will you tell us a little about your main characters, Katie and Kimble?

Linda:  At the beginning of “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story,” Katie Russell, who is almost nine, and her family move into an old house out in the country. There, Katie discovers quite quickly that they are also living with the ghost of a ten-year-old girl, named Kimble. Kimble died in the Great Influenza of 1918, and she’s been alone for a long time. She desperately wants to know what happened to her mother, and she needs Katie to help her. So, Kimble leaves little presents for Katie to intrigue her and so that Katie won’t be scared of her. And it works. Kimble gets Katie’s attention and the two become friends.

Tyler:  Where did you get the idea for these characters?

Linda:  Well, at first, I was going to do something a little less complex—maybe a picture book series about a child and an imaginary friend. That evolved into a child and a ghost, so an invisible friend but not imaginary. Then I thought, well, why not make this about two girls? Then, as the story evolved, I realized that I was going to need to use a chapter book format to handle it.

Tyler:  Linda, I’m intrigued by your decision to have had Kimble die in the Great Influenza of 1918. That’s probably an obscure event in history for young readers. Why did you choose that event as the means of Kimble’s death?

Linda:  For several reasons, actually. It may now be an obscure event, but over 600,000 Americans died in the Great Influenza and it had a huge impact on the nation, so I think that historically, it’s an important event. In addition, I was conscious of not wanting to traumatize my young readers. I didn’t want Kimble to die a violent death, but I needed to find a way that would explain how young, healthy children and adults could suddenly become ill and unexpectedly die. And third, the Great Influenza of 1918 is particularly meaningful to me because my grandmother lived through it. She was born in 1896, and as a young woman, she was forced to drop out of college and travel from Iowa to South Dakota to fill in at a bank. So many young and healthy people died in the Great Influenza, and a lot of men had already been shipped overseas during the war, so there were few men left and suddenly women were needed to fill positions. It had a big impact on my grandmother.

Tyler:  Linda, before “The Magic Wish,” you wrote “Katie and Kimble: A Ghost Story.” Will you tell us a little about that book? Do you think children should read it first before reading “The Magic Wish”?

Linda:  The books do stand alone as independent stories. However, I think it greatly enriches the experience of reading “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish” if a reader has already read “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story.” Each story in the series builds on what has come before it. If you haven’t read the first book, you might wonder how the relationship between Katie’s mom and Kimble has developed. You might wonder why Kimble calls Mrs. Russell “Mama.” That’s certainly the reaction that Katie’s dad has in the second book! And if you’re looking at it from the point of view of enhancing your child’s ability to read, teachers acknowledge that series books with continuing characters take some of the pressure off of the child. By the time they get to the second book, they already know who all the characters are and what the settings are, so they have less work to do and can focus on the actual story.

Tyler:  What about these characters do you think appeals to young readers?

Linda:  From the comments I’ve received from the young readers themselves, I think there are several things that appeal to them. For one, the friendship between Katie and Kimble is very genuine. Katie has just moved to a new town and has no friends, but she’s not the kind of person who sits around and feels sorry for herself. The minute they get there, she hears Kimble laughing when Twinkle, Katie’s big Old English sheepdog, knocks Katie down. So right away, Katie is intrigued and decides she’ll have to investigate. Katie is a smart girl and very independent, and her parents encourage her to be. I think that really appeals to kids. Also, I think the kids like that the books are “full of love,” and not just the love between two friends but the love in the family. As one mom blogger said in her review, Katie is very secure in her family life, and I think the young readers really respond to that cozy, warm, safe feeling. Plus, as one eight-year-old reader said, she likes that the books always have a happy ending. And they always will. That I can promise you.

Tyler:  What age group would most enjoy the “Katie & Kimble” books, and do you think adults will enjoy them as well?

Linda:  The “Katie & Kimble” books are written for ages 7-10. “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story” has a Lexile© measure of 280L, and “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish” has a Lexile© measure of 290L. I’ve tested both books out in a third grade class and in a fourth grade class, and they were well received by both the girls and the boys. I’ve also heard from several parents that the books work well as read aloud books for their six year olds. And I’ve heard from quite a few others that the stories are sophisticated enough to hold the attention of reluctant readers who are older than the age of ten. So far, the oldest reluctant reader I’ve heard of who enjoyed the books was almost fourteen.

Parents come off really well in these books and one of the themes present is the relationship between mother and child. I think we can all identify with that yearning for a mother. I remember seeing a ninety-year-old man once describe how he still yearned for that connection to his mother. We never lose that. Moms seem really to enjoy the books, and I’ve had several tell me that the last chapter of “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story” moved them to tears, when Mrs. Russell sort of figuratively embraces Kimble for the first time. I also know of one dad who has loved the books and thought they were great for his daughter.

Tyler:  Linda, for those not so involved in education, such as grandparents who might consider buying the books for their grandchildren, will you explain to us what a Lexile© measure is—is it typical that children’s books receive these measures, and what exactly do you mean when you say you had the books tested out—by this type of measuring or just by reading the books to children to get their reactions?

Linda:  I had the first two “Katie & Kimble” books read aloud to the two classes.  Then, the classes drew pictures of scenes from the books and they wrote me letters telling me what they liked and what they thought might be improved upon. I also received feedback from the teachers. For instance, the third grade teacher told me that she had a particularly rowdy group of boys that year, and if she promised them that she would read them a chapter of “Katie & Kimble” if they behaved for the next hour, they acted like little lambs.

In regards to the Lexile© measure, the Lexile© framework is something that both school systems and parents can use. There are a large number of states that have made the Lexile© framework the standard that they use to determine a child’s reading level and the appropriateness of the reading material for that level. It’s an aid to book selection. After they were published, I sent the “Katie & Kimble” books into Lexile© to have them measured. I did this because as I was preparing the classroom or homeschooling materials that go along with the first two “Katie & Kimble” books, the third grade teacher who was advising me suggested that it would be a useful thing for teachers and parents to know.

Tyler:  Linda, what made you decide to write the books to meet the educational requirements for third graders? I’ve interviewed many children’s authors, and you’re the first to mention this—I’m impressed and it makes me think you were smart about identifying your target audience and also working your books into school programs—many children’s authors don’t have educational backgrounds and so perhaps they don’t think to test the books this way. What advice would you give to children’s authors in writing to their target audience of a specific age group of children?

Linda:  Well, once the story evolved into something complex enough that I realized I was going to have to use a chapter book format, I took some good advice and went to a bookstore to look at the different levels of chapter books. A loose system was being used in which a book would be called, for instance, Reading Level 3 (RL3) or Reading Level 4 (RL4), and there was quite a big difference between the two in terms of number of words, number of chapters, chapter length, sentence length and structure, vocabulary, and the complexity of the content. So, I decided that Reading Level 3 would work for me, which roughly corresponds to third grade. I purchased a couple of books, including “The Boxcar Children,” and based the “Katie & Kimble” books on those examples. This system was sort of hit and miss, but amazingly, the Lexile© measures for the first two “Katie & Kimble” books are 280L and 290L, and “The Boxcar Children” measured at 300L. Now, however, once you do all that research and decide which reading level you wish to target, Lexile© provides writers with a free, pre-publication measure so that you know if you’re at the right level or not.

Tyler:  Will you tell us how in “The Magic Wish,” Katie and Kimble get the opportunity to make a magic wish?

Linda:  Katie is having breakfast one morning, something that seems to annoy Kimble to no end. Since Kimble is a ghost, she doesn’t need to eat, and she grows impatient whenever Katie takes time out to eat. So, Kimble picks up the box of Magic Wishes cereal and starts throwing pieces of it into the air. Katie’s dog, Twinkle, chases the cereal and the girls are having a great deal of fun with it. And then, when Katie reaches over to close the cereal box, she sees a coupon sticking out. The coupon says it’s good for one free wish, and when Katie and Kimble start asking questions aloud, the coupon replies! Now, how that coupon got there in the first place is something that is addressed in the next book. Everything that happens is designed to teach Kimble what life means:  what it means to be human, what it means to be a ghost, what it means to have the love of a family. Nothing happens without a reason or a purpose in these stories.

Tyler:  Linda, obviously Kimble has been dead for about ninety years before she meets Katie—if everything that happens in the books is designed to teach Kimble what life means—what did Kimble do before Katie came into her life? Is that ever revealed in the books?

Linda:  Katie is curious about that, too, and little bits and pieces are revealed in each book. We learn quite a bit more in “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish” about what it is like for Kimble to be a ghost. In the first book, we learn that the last people who lived in the house were elderly and had no children. In the second book, we learn more about how Kimble has lessons when she’s in ghost form. Both of these things will eventually be expanded upon in future books.

Tyler:  Considering what we know about Kimble from the previous book, I can understand why the girls made the wish they did that Kimble become human. Will you tell us more about why they decided this wish was the best choice?

Linda:  Kimble has been alone and a ghost for a very long time. At the start of “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish,” Katie and Kimble have only known each other for a few days, but Katie helped Kimble find out what happened to her mother and helped her say goodbye. Because of this, the girls have become very close in a short time, and Kimble really wants Katie to understand her. So they go through a process of discussing what the wish should be and gradually, Katie gets the idea that Kimble could become human for the two days that the wish will last. Again, there’s more to this than meets the eye, and it will be revealed in the third book of the series.

Tyler:  Linda, Kimble’s mother also died. Is she a ghost then, too? Is it possible for Kimble to reconnect with her as a ghost?

Linda:  When Kimble’s mother died, she did not become a ghost. She passed on in the natural way and didn’t get stuck the way Kimble did. The central mystery of “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story” is what happened to Kimble’s mother. It is Kimble’s longing for her mother that is keeping her stuck in ghostly form. Katie helps Kimble discover that both Kimble and her mother got sick at the same time, and that Kimble’s mother died two days before Kimble did. Kimble was so sick at the time that she never knew that her mother had died. (An odd footnote that I just came across recently is that the exact same thing happened to Louisa May Alcott when her father died two or three days before she did. She never knew about it because she was so ill.) As for Kimble reconnecting with her mother now that Kimble is a ghost, one thing about the “Katie & Kimble” series is that the definitions or perhaps the illusions of what we call “reality” are not as firmly set as they may seem. So, to answer this very astute question directly, in fact, Kimble will meet up with her mother in the fourth book of the series, called “Katie & Kimble: The Time Bubble.” And how it happens has the same origin as that which is revealed in “Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door,” book three in the series, about the magic coupon from the second book. That is breaking news.

Tyler:  That sounds fascinating, Linda. I can’t wait to hear more about book three and book four when they are published, but for now, let’s return to “The Magic Wish.” Since Katie and Kimble were already friends while Kimble was a ghost, what is the advantage to Kimble being human, even for only a short while, and what do the girls do during this period that they couldn’t do before?

Linda:  It was important for me, as the author, to establish early on in the series that Kimble is real and not just the product of Katie’s active imagination. By the end of “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish,” there is no longer any question as to whether or not Kimble is real. Also, in the first book, “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story,” Katie’s dad, Mr. Russell, does not know about Kimble. Katie wanted to tell him, but everything happened so quickly, she didn’t have the chance. She had, however, confided in her mother, and her mom came to believe that Kimble existed. So, the real suspense in “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish” is all about how they will introduce Kimble to Mr. Russell and what his reaction will be. When Mr. Russell finds out, he actually surprises them on a couple of fronts.

But in the end, Kimble’s being human for two days makes it crystal clear that she is real, whether in ghost form or in human form, because she leaves some undeniable signs when she is human and the signs remain after she returns to being a ghost.

In the meantime, while Kimble is human, she sort of overdoes it on every possible aspect of what it means to be in human form, such as riding a bike, swinging, and especially eating.

Tyler:  Linda, you mentioned plans to write more books about Katie and Kimble.  Which book are you working on now?

Linda:  I am working on the third book of the series, “Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door,” right now. In the third book, Kimble is now back to being a ghost, and one of the benefits that derived from her two days as human is that now both Mr. and Mrs. Russell can see and hear her in ghostly form. So, suddenly, in “Katie & Kimble: The Golden Door,” it’s as if Kimble is a full-fledged member of the family and some issues come up. Katie’s parents want to nurture Kimble, but aren’t quite sure how to take care of a child who is a ghost. And definitely, some boundaries need to be set because you can’t just have a ghost running the household like a two year old does. Also, in the third book, I’ll be introducing another on-going character, a ten-year-old boy named Danny Garcia who will become a good friend to the entire family. Future books will build on and flesh out the history of Kimble’s family, too.

Tyler:  Great. I’m curious about Kimble’s family history, but when the Russells wonder how to nurture Kimble, will they have to nurture a ten-year-old forever? Will Kimble perpetually be mentally or visibly (I know not physically) a ten year old or will she mature, at least mentally and emotionally, along with Katie?

Linda:  What an excellent question. Kimble is learning and growing in every book and becoming less and less a victim and more and more a contributing member of the Russell family. She’s not just there. She will have chores at some point and will actually help out around the house, which, believe me, is going to be hysterically funny. However, the dilemma you present is not one that I will have to face as an author. The series starts in early June, right before Katie turns nine, and each book takes place over a few days or a week. As each book starts up right where the last one left off, the seven books total that I have planned out don’t even get to the start of the school year. Maybe the eighth book, when it comes to me, will start up the school year. The original plan was that however many “Katie & Kimble” books I end up writing, they will all take place while Katie is in fourth grade and the summer before. If I need to, I’ll go into the summer after, too.

Tyler:  Linda, in your introduction I mentioned one of your favorite writers, but no children’s authors. Would you say there are any children’s books that inspired you in writing your books, or which children’s books were your favorites as a child?

Linda:  As a child, I loved “The Boxcar Children,” as I mentioned, and “Susie and the Ballet Family,” which is now out of print. I bought a used copy recently and re-read it. I also loved “From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” And my all-time favorite, which I’ve probably read fifteen times, is Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time.” I think all of these books had that warm, cozy feeling that I try to recreate in the “Katie & Kimble” books.

Tyler:  Thank you, Linda, for the opportunity to interview you today. Before we go, will you tell us about your website and what additional information our readers might find there about “Katie and Kimble: The Magic Wish”?

Linda:  Sure. The Katie & Kimble Blog is updated daily. http://www.katieandkimbleblog.com. On the left sidebar, there is a link to all the reviews of both books that I’ve received, and all the interviews and guest posts I’ve done. So you can find some reviews of “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish” there and some information about how the stories develop. Also, being a former teacher who happens to love materials development, I created a full set of free downloadable classroom and homeschooling materials to accompany both “Katie & Kimble: A Ghost Story” and “Katie & Kimble: The Magic Wish.” The materials meet the national standards set for third grade. There are also word puzzles for “The Magic Wish” that even tell you in which chapter the answers can be found. And there are some songs. For example, Mr. Russell sings a beautiful old hymn in “The Magic Wish,” called “For the Beauty of the Earth,” so I put up a link to a group of sisters who sing the song and you can listen to the song free of charge. Plus, there are lots of other free activities for the young Katie & Kimble readers.

Tyler:  Thank you again, Linda, for the interview. It’s been a pleasure talking to you, and I hope you’ll come back to tell us more about the future adventures of Katie and Kimble.

Linda:  Thank you, Tyler.