Description

Betsy Byars, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Summer of the Swans, presents this delightful and inspiring memoir, which also offers an insightful look at her writing process.

The Moon that inspires this memoir isn't the one found in the night sky, but instead Bety’s eponymous reptile companion—a huge (and harmless) blacksnake that she found in the rafters of her porch.

Using this serendipitous meeting as a springboard for an exploration of her life and her art, Betsy Byar’s memoir is filled with energy, wit, and joy. She shows how "the good scraps" of her life, from a bully named Bubba to a gift-wrapped dime, weave into her work.

An ALA Notable Book

“Pure pleasure.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Extraordinarily skillful. A must.”—Kirkus (stared review)

About the Author

Betsy Byars is the author of many award-winning books for children, including The Summer of the Swans, a Newbery Medal winner. The Pinballs was an ALA Notable Book. She is also the author of Goodbye, Chicken Little; The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish; and the popular Golly Sisters trilogy.

Praise For…

★ “An adroit blend of telling experiences from Byars’s life and ingenuous confidences about her writing. This ebullient self-portrait is so delightfully informal that it may seem artless; actually, the dovetailing of the several elements is extraordinarily skillful, the comments on writing as sage as they are succinct.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

★”It is pure pleasure and privilege to be invited into the world of such a warm and engaging artist. This goes far beyond most memoirs in its ability to engage the reader.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)