Prose, Francine

Leopold, who has told tales at Leipzig's zoo for many years, is surprised to find that he must explain the nature of storytelling after he is accused of lying by a scientist.

A young girl faces the consequences of sudden loss after the death of her sister. As her parents drift toward their own risky consolations, thirteen-year-old Nico is left alone to grope toward understanding and clarity, falling into a seductive, dangerous relationship with her sister's enigmatic boyfriend. Over one haunted summer, Nico must face that life-changing moment when children realize their parents can no longer help them. She learns about the power of art, of time and place, the mystery of loss and recovery. But for all the darkness at the novel's heart, the narrative itself is radiant with the lightness of summer and charged by the restless sexual tension of teenage life.

Ninth-grader Maisie's concepts of friendship, loyalty, self-acceptance, and truth are tested to their limit after a school bus incident with the three boys who have been her best friends since early childhood.

After the death of his estranged father in the World Trade Center on September 11th, thirteen-year-old Bart, still struggling with feelings of guilt, sorrow and loss, wins a scholarship to the local preparatory school and encounters a vicious bully whose cruelty compounds the aftermath of the tragedy.

With the understanding of one writer for another, the author parses the artistry, ambition, and enduring influence of Anne Frank's beloved classic, "The Diary of a Young Girl.".

After the death of his estranged father in the World Trade Center, thirteen-year-old Bart, still struggling with his feelings of guilt, sorrow and loss, wins a scholarship to the local preparatory school and there encounters a vicious bully whose cruelty compounds the aftermath of the tragedy.

Explains how writers can improve their skills by reading literature carefully and paying attention to techniques used by successful authors.