W r philbrick biography

Figg by Rodman Philbrick. Slob by Ellen Potter. All the Broken Pieces by Ann Burg. A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck. Forest Born by Shannon Hale. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. If I Stay by Gayle Forman. Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Crossing Stones by Helen Frost. Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur. Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James L.

The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. The Unfinished Angel by Sharon Creech. The Book of the Maidservant by Rebecca Barnhouse. Philbrick Chris Jordan William R. Powered by CITE. Notify me of new comments via email. Cancel Report. Create a new account. Log In. Browse Biographies. Fire Pony also uses Montana as its setting and features a young man as its narrator.

In the story, half-brothers Joe and Roy Dilly are on their own, having fled from ranch to ranch after the habits of arsonist Joe put an end to job after job. The older of the two brothers, Joe has a talent for both blacksmithing and saddle-breaking horses and soon becomes a prized employee. Meanwhile, eleven-year-old Roy, while remaining concerned that his older brother's fascination with fire will ultimately force the two to go on the run again, begins to settle in at the ranch.

Trying to follow in Joe's footsteps, he attempts to break a palomino filly named Lady Luck, which Jessup has promised to Roy if he is successful. Ultimately, Roy rides Lady Luck to glory at a rodeo, despite the efforts of another man named Mullins to thwart the boy's success and get the horse for himself. Older brother Joe, angered at Mullins, first accosts the man, then goes into a hay field and sets a fire which quickly grows out of control and ultimately threatens the life of Roy and Lady Luck.

Noting the complex personalities of the two brothers, Horn Book contributor Martha V. Parravano commented that Philbrick's portrait of "the scarred but spirited Roy is near flawless"; likewise, Joe is "loving and funny and talented even as he is scary and unpredictable and disturbed. The two ideas combined into a story about a boy and his older brother, who is not only a talented farrier, but a sometimes arsonist.

The idea from that part may have been inspired by my love of Faulkner, in particular his story 'The Barn Burner. While The Fire Pony, Freak the Mighty, and its sequel are very "issue-oriented" novels—learning disabilities, single parenting, and family violence are just a few of the subjects covered—Philbrick's more recent books for younger readers, particularly those written with his wife, Lynn Harnett, are fun reads which also contain a salting of typical teen concerns in their plots.

Because of the fast-paced w r philbrick biography and the relatively simple vocabulary in such books as The Haunting, Abduction, and Children of the Wolf, they have been praised for their ability to motivate even reluctant readers to turn the page and see what happens next. Part of their success may be credited to Philbrick and Harnett's ability to devise a system of working together that seems to work well.

As Philbrick explained, "Lynn and I discuss story ideas. Then I write an outline and Lynn does all the heavy lifting, writing the first draft of the chapters. After more discussion we polish up a finished draft. The books Lynn Harnett and I collaborate on are intended to be easy-reading mass market paperbacks. My own work might be considered slightly more 'serious,' but, I hope, still entertaining enough to hold a reader's attention.

For the most part I find that all young readers really want is a good story, of whatever type. In the latter novel ten-year-old Arthur Woodbury has a weight problem that makes him the object of his classmates' jokes.

W r philbrick biography

He buys a weight-loss device from the REM World Products company, which promises that the contraption will help him slim down while he sleeps. However, Arthur does not follow the instructions for the new gadget properly, and is instead transported to REM world, with little hope of getting back home. Arthur's arrival in REM world also disrupts the laws of the magical universe, placing its existence in jeopardy.

In order to save the REM universe and return to his own world, Arthur embarks on a series of adventures involving a diverse group of fantastic creatures. With the help of these beings, Arthur is able to accomplish his twin goals, and in the process loses weight and develops courage. Figg debuted at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. According to the author, Randall Shane enters the story in the first chapter, when he is accused of murdering a client.

The Big Dark was released in print and audio versions in January A mystery for young readers, Who Killed Darius Drake? Wildfirea thrilling survival tale, was published in We Own the Skythe story of an immigrant flying circus, set in Maine inwas published in September Philbrick has also written using the pen names W. Philbrick, William R. Dantz, and Chris Jordan.

Philbrick and Lynn Harnett were married from until her death, in Before Philbrick began writing full-time, he worked as a longshoreman and boat builder. Contents move to sidebar hide.