editwcatThe Short Version Where I Talk About Myself In the Third Person:
Dana Alison Levy was raised by pirates but escaped at a young age and went on to earn a degree in aeronautics and puppetry. Actually, that’s not true—she just likes to make things up. That’s why she always wanted to write books. Dana writes novels and nonfiction for teens and younger kids. Her books have garnered multiple starred reviews, been named to Best Of lists, and were Junior Library Guild Selections. Also her kids like them. Her latest  nonfiction book is Breaking the Mold: Changing the Face of Climate Science, and is a nonfiction book where she interviewed sixteen amazing diverse scientists and pretended to understand what they were talking about while secretly googling everything. Dana’s next novel, Not Another Banned Book, is out now.

The Long Version Where I Go Back to First-Person Because It’s Not As Weird:
House cleaner in Paris; waitress in Santorini,Greece; assistant literary agent in New York; art gallery manager; MBA fast-tracker; executive recruiter; carob bean picker: which of these haven’t I done?*

I realize this list might look ominously random. Usually, when you graduate from a prestigious university, you aren’t encouraged to go clean toilets in Paris. Or, if you’ve earned a Master’s in Business Administration, you don’t generally try and write for a living.

But the real reason for this list is the same one that led Jennie, in Higglety Pigglety Pop! to go out in the world. I was looking for Experience. (And if you haven’t read this Maurice Sendak classic then run, don’t walk, to get it. I’ll wait).

Over the years I have found Experience in many wonderful and sometimes strange places. Today my family and I live in a New England seaside town, where my kids surf and play ice hockey in the backyard rink and sometimes let me tag along with them. The Husband (who was offered the carob bean job back when we were both 23…not that I’m holding a grudge or anything) and I enjoy largely peaceful lives, as long as the US and Canada aren’t playing each other in Olympic hockey.

Writing is what I do now, and in some ways what I’ve always done. Stories, journals, professional writing; it has always been a vital part of my life. My stories are for children and young adults, as well as for people like me who, no matter what their age, are still looking for their next experience.

If you want to know more, check out the Extras…and be prepared for more random answers than you ever wanted!

*I was not a carob bean picker. I tried to be, in Crete, but Yanni wouldn’t hire me because I wasn’t a man. Good luck shattering the glass ceiling over the carob bean trees.

Here is a place to get your Frequently Asked Questions (and your Rarely Asked Questions) answered. Other stuff you want to know? Contact me here.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

I read your blog and you keep talking about the Furnivals. Who the heck are they?

The Family Furnival was my original name for the book that became THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER. Part of the reason we changed the name? Some people thought that “Furnival” sounded like “funeral.” I know. I didn’t think so either.

Is THE MISADVENTURES OF THE FAMILY FLETCHER the first book you ever wrote?

Nope. It’s actually the third or fourth full book I wrote, and probably the fifth or sixth that I started. And that’s only counting from when I got serious about writing.

Wow! Did all the other books stink? What took you so long?

Maybe. At least some of them probably do stink. But others might still bubble up to the surface. And each one I wrote made me a better writer.

Do you have a bio or a head shot I can download?

I do! You can find a link on the right side of the page, but if you’re really lazy, I’ll put it here too.

That bio didn't tell me enough real information for my report! Can you help me out?

Sure! I was born in Massachusetts and have lived here most of my life, but I did live in Paris for six months when I was fifteen, then again when I was twenty-one. I also lived in New York City for a while. I went to college in Montreal, Quebec (in Canada) and studied English Literature. I later got a business degree at Babson College, because I thought I wanted to go into business marketing, but it turned out I really wanted to write books. I have never actually taken a creative writing class. I have two kids who are in university and four cats. I realize this puts me squarely in crazy cat lady territory, and I am fine with that. I love to travel more than pretty much anything else, but also love to swim in the ocean, hike, ski, pet any cat or dog that comes along, and yes, you guessed it…read. Don’t ask me what my favorite book is, because that question gives me hives.*
*It doesn’t really give me hives but it does cause me great distress because I love SO MANY BOOKS.

Hey! Why are the Fletcher boys so old for their grades? Seems like they are each a year older than they should be!

There are two answers to this. One, um…because I’m the author and I say so! And two, because depending on their birthdays kids can be on the younger side or older side of their grade, and in the case of Sam, his birthday falls in the early summer and his parents decided, back when he turned five, that just-turned-five was too young for kindergarten, so they waited a year. Then, when Jax and Eli were school-aged, they wanted the boys to be in the same grade even though they’re six months apart. So they waited until Eli was school-age, which meant Jax was old for his grade.

What's the right age to read your books?

I guess it depends. They are for kids ages eight to twelve, according to my publisher, but I think kids as young as five or six can enjoy them as read-alouds, and I’ve been told that thirteen and fourteen-year-olds find them pretty funny. Also my mom likes them, and she’s definitely older than twelve.

I want to write books. Where can I learn what to do?

Ah! I’m so glad you asked. Take a look here and you’ll see some resources for writers.

How long does it take to write a book?

Well, how long does it take to paint a picture, or read a novel, or take a really good nap? The answer, of course, is that it depends. It depends on the writer, and it depends on the book. But I can usually write a rough draft in a few months, then take anywhere from another few months to a year to revise. Also, I type reallyreallyreally fast. So I’ve got that going for me.

Are you ever going to write real books? You know, for grown-ups?

Hmmm…pages, chapters, words, even a snazzy cover…yep, I think this IS a real book! But in answer to the question, I currently write for middle grade kids (around eight to twelve) and young adults (teenagers). I don’t have any adult books planned.

Did any of the things in your books happen in real life?

Yes.

Oh, you mean, what are they? Well, let’s use the cake metaphor. (I like cake). The ingredients used in cake are pretty basic: eggs, flour, sugar, butter, and so on.* But depending on how you mix them, and what other ingredients you add, you can get very different results. So in my books, a lot of the ingredients are real things that happened to me, or my sister, or my kids. But I mix them up with other made-up parts to tell my stories.

*I don’t really know much about baking cakes, but those sound right, don’t they? If you know a good cake recipe feel free to send it along!

RAQs (Rarely Asked Questions)

Can you wiggle your ears?

Funnily enough, I CAN! It’s a very subtle movement, but I can do it.

If all animals were safe, and it wasn’t cruel to take them from their habitat, what animal would you choose for a pet?

Ooooh, that’s a hard one. Maybe a snow leopard? Maybe a harbor seal? Hmmm…

What superpower would you have, if you could choose?

That’s easy. I’d be able to swim underwater without needing to breathe.

What’s the weirdest thing you ever ate?

I ate calves’ brains once. But it was in France, when I was very young, and no one — not even my parents — knew what we were eating! Truthfully, it was pretty good. It had a French cream sauce. And honestly, most things are pretty good in a French cream sauce. I’ve also eaten rattlesnake and chocolate covered ants.

Which item of hockey equipment smells the grossest?

Surprisingly NOT the skates. It’s the gloves. Wow, do they stink!

How many cats do you have? Why do you post so many photos of them? Did you ever have any other pets?

For the record, that’s three questions, but I’m feeling generous, so I’ll answer all of them.
1. I have three cats. Boo (named for a character in To Kill a Mockingbird, Boo Radley), Amos, and Boris, (named for the William Steig book of the same name)
2. Because they are cute and/or hilarious and/or I am procrastinating.
3. I had a giant standard poodle who didn’t know he was a poodle when I was growing up. His name was Otis. I also had a gerbil named Rascal and two cats named Max and Coco. As an adult I had three cats who have gone to the great catnip playground in the sky. They were Miccio, who died as a kitten and broke my heart, and two older rescue cats: Duke, who had six-fingered paws and was stronger than a dog, and Belle, who was so scared of everything that she mostly lived under the couch.

This is Boo, with a kraken balanced on his head. He is a very patient beast. (The cat, not the kraken. The kraken is noticeably impatient).