Jazz, Pizzazz, and the Silver Threads - Hardcover

Quattlebaum, Mary

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 038532183X ISBN 13: 9780385321839

Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 1996

Synopsis

Hanging on to his desire for a pet despite his parents' belief that he is irresponsible, Calvin Hastings becomes involved with caring for his friend Jenny's pet hamster and helping Ms. Eva's dance troupe prepare for a dance recital.

About this title

From the Publisher:

Every day 9-year-old Calvin Hastings wishes for a pet. But somehow his parents have gotten the idea that he's irresponsible. So what if Calvin has a hard time concentrating on homework and remembering things? He certainly would have no trouble paying attention to a puppy or a kitten or a rabbit!

Just when Calvin starts to lose hope, things suddenly pick up. His neighbor, Jenny Teitletot, buys a hamster for her magic act, and Calvin discovers jazz. Soon, they're all ready for show biz--the razzmatazz has just begun!

About the Author:

"I grew up with three brothers and three sisters and many, many pets and I often draw on childhood adventures (and misadventures) in creating stories and poems. My current everyday life also provides lots of inspiration for my writing. For example, my first book, Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns blossomed (pun intended!) from my small plot in a city community garden where, like Jackson, the main character, I seem to grow more weeds than flowers.
"The hamster in Jazz, Pizzazz, and the Silver Threads is based on several real-life, mischievous hamsters. The ideas for Jenny's magic `mess-ups' in Jazz, Pizzazz and its forthcoming sequel, The Magic Squad and the Dog of Great Potential, come from my husband's experiences as a kid magician. And the poems for A Year on My Street are all based on the people and happenings in my neighborhood, from feeding pigeons to listening to the sax man.
"Before becoming a freelance writer, I worked as a research writer/editor for Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC. These days, in addition to writing children's books, I direct Arts Project Renaissance, a creative writing program for older adults, and teach creative writing workshops to folks of all ages at local schools, libraries, and Georgetown University's continuing education division."
Mary Quattlebaum's first book, Jackson Jones and the Puddle of Thorns, is the winner of the first annual Marguerite de Angeli Prize for middle-grade fiction. She has also written Jazz, Pizzazz, and the Silver Threads; its companion, The Magic Squad and the Dog of Great Potential, to be published in March 1997; and A Year on My Street, a First Choice Chapter Book for younger readers. She received a B.A. from the College of William and Mary and an M.A. from Georgetown University. Recipient of the Novel in Progress/Judy Blume Grant from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, she has been published in Children's Digest and Ladybug, as well as several literary magazines. She lives in Washington, DC with her husband.

About this edition

• Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
• Publication date: 1996
• ISBN 10: 038532183X
• ISBN 13: 9780385321839
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 120