“Beasts of the Southern Wild” meets Because of Winn Dixie in this inspiring
story of hope.
Auggie Jones lives with her grandpa Gus, a trash hauler, in a poor part of
town. So when her wealthy classmate’s
father starts the House Beautification Committee, it’s homes like Auggie’s that
are deemed “in violation.” But Auggie is
determined to prove that there’s more to her—and to her house—than meets the
eye.
What starts out as a home renovation project quickly
becomes much more as Auggie and her grandpa discover a talent they never knew
they had—and redefine a whole town’s perception of beauty, one recycled
sculpture at a time.
Holly Schindler’s feel-good story about the power
one voice can have will inspire readers to speak from their hearts.
About the Author:
Holly Schindler was born in Missouri. After college she
taught music lessons while pursuing a writing
career. Initially she was only
writing adult work—but soon, her writing took an entirely different direction,
as the kids and teens whose music filled her home inspired her to try writing
for children. It was then that she found her true calling.
Holly Schindler is also the author of two YA novels, A Blue So Dark (named one of Booklist’s Top 10 First Novels for Youth
in 2010) and Playing Hurt.
Links to visit Holly Schindler:
Twitter:
@holly_schindler
Facebook:
facebook.com/HollySchindlerAuthor
Author
site: hollyschindler.com
Site
for young readers:
Holly Schindler’s Middles -
hollyschindlermiddles.weebly.com. I’m especially excited about this site. I adored getting to interact with the YA
readership online—usually through Twitter or FB. But I had to create a site where I could
interact with the MG readership. I’m
devoting a page on the site to reviews from young readers themselves! Be sure to send your young reader’s review
through the Contact Me page.
Group Author Blogs: YA
Outside the Lines (yaoutsidethelines.blogspot.com) for YA authors and Smack Dab
in the Middle (smack-dab-in-the-middle.blogspot.com) for MG
authors.
INTERVIEW WITH HOLLY:
My Favorite Pastime: How
did you come up with the name Auggie? (I
know that in the book she is named after her grandfather, so how did that
character name come about?)
Holly Schindler: THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY actually started
out as a picture book. In that first
draft, Auggie didn’t have a name at all—she told the story of her Grampa Gus, a
trash hauler turned folk artist. When I
submitted the book, editors consistently told me that the book had good writing
in it, but the concept of folk art was too advanced for the picture book
readership. I was encouraged to turn the
book into a middle grade novel.
As I wrote the middle grade novel, the story of
course became Auggie’s, more than it was Gus’s.
But since they shared so much in their journey toward becoming folk
artists, it only seemed natural that they would share their names, as well.
My Favorite Pastime: I
loved Auggie and her grandfather’s creations; where did you get your
inspiration for them to create their “company?”
Have you ever seen a display like Auggie’s home?
Holly Schindler: I’ve been going to rural farm auction since I was a
little girl—these days, I still go…mostly with my brother, who’s an antiques
dealer. I’ve always loved those unique,
one-of-a-kind items found at farm auctions: dresses made from feedsack
material, stools made from old Coke crates, etc. I knew I wanted Auggie and her Grampa Gus to
reinvent old items from his trash hauls in the same way…But as I wrote, I also
got completely intrigued with the idea of folk art environments, like the Watts
Towers in California or the Orange Show in Texas. I loved the idea of a work of art that was
big enough that the artist could actually live inside it!
My Favorite Pastime: You
depicted the age group so well, have you experienced the prejudice that
Victoria displays in the book?
Holly Schindler: Not to the extent that Victoria displays it. But I think we all experience being looked
down on, for whatever reason. When
you’re young, you can get looked down on for what seem like the silliest
reasons: not being in the right social circles or cliques, not having the right
label on your jeans. But when you’re
adult, the reasons are equally ridiculous: not having a flashy car, not living
in the right neighborhood, not having an impressive-sounding job. It’s important to learn—as Auggie does
throughout the course of the book—to feel secure in and love yourself. To never let others’ opinions color how you
feel about yourself.
My Favorite Pastime: Did
you ever have a best friend like Auggie does in the book who dumped you for
someone else?
Holly Schindler: Of course! No
one gets through childhood without being dumped a few times, or treated
unfairly by someone you’d once considered a friend. But I think those experiences teach us about
what kind of friend we want to be. In
the book, Auggie actually forgives Lexie—which I think says a great deal about
what Auggie thinks about friendship.
Sometimes, forgiveness is possible—other times, the hurt is too
great. Either way, I think you take
those lessons with you into the next friendship; it’s always an opportunity to
grow.
My Favorite Pastime: What
lessons do you hope that your readers will take away from THE JUNCTION OF
SUNSHINE AND LUCKY?
Holly Schindler:I hope they’re inspired
to try their hand at some artistic expression.
I hope they believe their voice matters.
And I hope they love their neighborhood—no matter where it is—a little
more…
MY REVIEW:
First of all, I wish I had Auggie and her Grandpa Gus’s talent! Secondly, I
would love to live in the house that Auggie and her Grandfather “improved”. And
lastly, I absolutely loved Auggie!
Obviously the author Holly Schindler managed to evoke a lot of feelings in
her writing of
The Junction of Sunshine
and Lucky. I scowled at Victoria, her father and the whole Beautification
Committee! I wanted to reach through the pages and shake Victoria out of her
prejudice and meanness to Auggie. I smiled at Auggie’s enthusiasm as her
creative juices started to flow and she found her “Shine”. I hurt for Auggie as
I read about her mother and her hope that someday her mother would return to
her. And I laughed in triumph with her as she rallied people together to
protect their property and fight injustice.
The Junction
of Sunshine and Lucky was a delightful read that has the characters staying
in my head and heart for long after I finished reading the book. A great book
for Elementary and Middle School readers that is full of lessons on accepting
people for who they are.
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