I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight: A Story about John Paul Jones (Creative Minds Biography) [Library Binding]

Elaine Marie Alphin (Author), Arthur B. Alphin (Author), Paul Casale (Illustrator)

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Library Binding
• Publisher: San Val (January 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 141774927X
• ISBN-13: 978-1417749270
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,059,379 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Elaine Marie Alphin knew she was going to be a writer before she could even read or write. On early morning walks with her father in San Francisco, she listened to the stories he told, and made up stories to tell him, and she realized then that she wanted to spend her life making up stories. Winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery (Counterfeit Son), the ForeWard Book of the Year Award for Young Adult Fiction (The Perfect Shot), the Society of Midland Authors Children's Fiction Award and Young Hoosier Book Award (Ghost Soldier, also an Edgar Award nominee), the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award (Dinosaur Hunter), two Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators Magazine Merit Awards, and the Virginia State Reading Association Award (The Ghost Cadet), Mrs. Alphin has made writing for children and young adults, and speaking to them at schools and conferences, her dream career. Although she started out as a journalist in Houston, a tip from her husband, Art, drew her to writing for children. Her fiction and nonfiction books for youngsters from beginning readers through teenagers have been selected for Bank Street College lists, TAYSHAS lists, VOYA Top Shelf lists, and 20 Children's Choice state award lists. Although adults occasionally ask when she's going to grow up enough to write for them, Elaine Marie Alphin explains why she loves writing for young readers instead: "I always wanted my writing to challenge readers to question their assumptions, and I discovered that a lot of grown-ups don't really want to question their assumptions. They've made choices and compromises in their lives, and they want to feel comfortable about them. But young readers are still finding out who they are, like I am, I guess. They're the perfect audience for me because they want to consider new ideas in order to decide for themselves which ideas they agree with and which they don't, and work out how they want to live their lives." Elaine Marie Alphin has written one book for adults: Creating Characters Kids Will Love. It's about writing for young readers. Get to know Elaine Marie Alphin better at her website: www.elainemariealphin.com. The Alphins live in Bozeman, Montana, and spend time in South Dakota and Wyoming.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History Kids Can Understand, May 31, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: I Have Not Yet Begun to Fight (Creative Minds Biography) (Library Binding)

I read this book with my fourth grade students and they were truly engaged throughout the book. The Alphins' make this historical figure and his time come alive. The illustrations are outstanding and, like the text, full of historical detail. It's about time someone started writing non-fiction that was accurate, detailed, and readable. My students have loved Elaine Alphin's fiction for years -It's nice to have her writing for the other side of the library as well.