From School Library Journal
Grade 1-6-- These books will inspire young writers, both because of the quality of the works as well as of the young ages of their creators. In Who Owns the Sun?, 14-year-old Chbosky has written a lyrical tale of the need for freedom and of the dignity of the human spirit. A young black boy observes the wonders of nature and asks his father who owns them. Although told that no one can "own" such marvels, the boy learns that his father--this man whom he reveres above all else--is, indeed, owned by another. The Half & Half Dog, by 12-year-old Gross, is a story of tolerance, of a dog learning that he is worthy of love, and that his unusual appearance makes him special. Joshua Disobeys, by six-year-old Vollmer, tells the story of a young whale that fails to heed its mother's warning and is dangerously beached until it is rescued by an angry yet ever-devoted parent. The book can serve well as a starting point for discussions on parent/child relations, and the two pages of facts on whales will make it a suitable choice for units on whaling. While the strength of the books lies in their texts, the watercolor and marker illustrations have pronounced colors and are often suggestive of expressionistic styles. These books will prove worthwhile additions for promoting values discussions and in encouraging creative writing. --Nancy Menaldi-Scanlan, Wheeler School, Providence, R.I.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Library Binding
edition.
About the Author
At fourteen years of age, Stacy Chbosky wrote and illustrated WHO OWNS THE SUN? and won The 1987 National Written and Illustrated By... Awards Contest for Students in the 14 to 19 age category.
In 1990, Disney Educational Productions created a live-action film of her book and it won several awards, including a Golden Apple at The National Educational Film and Video Festival. In 1993, a ballet adaptation of SUN was performed by The Pittsburgh Youth Ballet with a narration by the distinguished actor, James Earl Jones.
Now a resident of Los Angeles, Stacy is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she lived with her parents, Lea and Fred, and her older brother, Stephen. When Stacy graduated from St. Clair High School in 1991, USA Today selected her for their All-USA Academic FirstTeam as one of the nation's "20 Best and Brightest" scholars.
Stacy studied theater at Carnegie-Mellon University and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. She has pursued an exciting theatrical career, appearing in the United States and in Europe in musicals, sketch comedy and improvisational productions.
