And now for something completely different…..

One of the things I always find fascinating about many of the books I read regarding the various home fronts created by World War II is that they are so often based on actual events. But not necessarily the big events – most have their foundations in smaller, more local incidents. And that is what makes they so fascinating – at least to me, since my interest is always the impact of the war on the lives of people on the home front. This is also why I like to read and write about books that were written during the war – no one knew the outcome so they have a whole different perspective.



And life on the home front naturally involved the popular culture of the time – radio programs, popular songs, food under rationing conditions, advertisements and, of course, comic strips of the time. Recently, I was at the library researching Superman and called up a book called Boys of Steel: the Creators of Superman, a fascinating 40 page book for young people interested in Superman, illustrated by Ross MacDonald and written by Marc Tyler Nobleman.

Now Marc Tyler Nobleman has written a book called 30 Minutes over Oregon. It is a World War II story about a very real, little known event. So I was pretty psyched to read and review this book when I heard about it, but it turned into a ‘not gonna happen’ situation. Why? Well, according to Marc, and, despite the fact that various children’s book editors had very positive things to say about the book, “no publisher has acquired this picture book manuscript. The most recurring reason I’m told is because nonfiction—especially nonfiction about someone who is not a household name—doesn’t sell.”

Apparently, they don’t know about Non-Fiction Monday

So, what’s a writer to do? Appeal to the book blogging world, of course. Here’s the deal:

Marc would like you to cruise on over to his website, Noblemania: the stories behind the stories I write and read the story behind 30 Minutes over Oregon in his post called Picture Book for Sale and please, please when you are done, leave a comment – but be honest. If you don’t think the book would work, say so.

And while you are reading, be sure to check out all eleven of the book covers designed by various people, from professional illustrators to kids with an interest.  They are all fabulous.

Left cover by Brad Sneed
Right cover by Alex, age 9

 
You might want to swing by The Happy Accident and see what Greg Pincus has to say about all this.