Interview with Author Bonnie Pryor and Special eBook Offer

Bonnie Pryor is the author of several of Enslow's historical fiction books, including the Hannah Pritchard trilogy. She took some time recently to talk to us about how she combines historical facts with her fictional characters. 

Bonnie Pryor

Enslow:  What is your favorite childhood memory about books?

Bonnie:  My favorite memories are about reading and my favorite places to read were…sitting in a crook of an old plum tree, under my covers at night, inside my math book at school, and under the dining room table when I was supposed to be dusting….any place I had a book.

Enslow:   How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Bonnie:  I suppose I had a fairly sheltered childhood with strict parents, so I have trouble imagining bad characters.

Enslow:  When did your interest in writing historical fiction start?

Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the
Revolution (Book  1)

Bonnie:  I’ve always enjoyed reading historical fiction, but, for some reason or other, I didn’t think of it until about fifteen years ago when an editor (knowing I liked historical fiction) suggested I try writing some.

Enslow:  What was your biggest challenge when writing The Hannah Pritchard trilogy?

Bonnie:  Fitting what was going on in the real world at that time into my story – for instance, John Paul Jones being in Portsmouth, NH, and Paul Revere in Boston.

Enslow:  What is your favorite trait of your female pirate character, Hannah Pritchard?

Bonnie:  Hannah is strong and independent. She figures things out and takes care of them on her own.

Enslow:   Hannah finds herself aboard an American privateer ship during the Revolutionary War and has to hide her female identity to be able to work as a cabin boy. How do you think this reflects the roles of women during this time period?

Pirate Hannah Pritchard:
Captured  (Book 2)

Bonnie:  Except for a few female pirates, who were not very nice characters, women were considered bad luck on a ship. Although women worked as hard and as well as men, they were restricted by the society of the times as to what they could and couldn’t do.

Enslow:  Hannah and her friends must complete some important missions for the Continental navy and outsmart an enemy pirate in a race to bring home the buried treasure. What’s your secret to writing fabulous adventures while still referencing real people and real historical events?

Bonnie:  I did a lot of research to get the timelines correct in my head. The events that were actually happening then were exciting, so it wasn’t hard to fit them into the story.

Captain Hannah Pritchard:
The Hunt for Pirate Gold
(Book 3)

Enslow:  What do you and Hannah have in common?

Bonnie:  Like Hannah, I’m an independent person with a mind of my own and I’ve always been fairly interested in having adventures.

Enslow:  If you could trade places for a day with one historical character, who would it be and why?

Bonnie:  It would be Margaret Mead. Growing up I admired her and her amazing adventures as an anthropologist and actually thought about going into that field.

About the Author: 

Bonnie Pryor claims she was ‘born loving books’ and it certainly seems as if books are the warp and weft upon which the threads of her life are woven.

Thirty years after the publication of her first book, Grandpa Bear, she has written and had published a total of thirty-seven books for children and young adults. Though her first love is picture books, she has written easy-to-read books, chapter books, mysteries, and historical fiction. Many of her books have been translated into different languages and are sold in countries around the world.

REVIEW

"The 'Real History Behind the Story' section is a great addition to this historical fiction series. These would be excellent books for teachers to use in their classrooms, because they intertwine American history with realistic tales."
     –Library Media Connection, March 2008

SPECIAL EBOOK OFFER FOR A LIMTED TIME ONLY!
Consumers can take advantage of a SPECIAL OFFER on the eBook versions of the Hannah Pritchard trilogy from their favorite eBook retailers including Amazon and Kobo. For a limited time, Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution (Book 1) is only 99 cents and Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured (Book 2) is just $3.49. Captain Hannah Pritchard: The Hunt for Pirate Gold (Book 3) is also available for $7.69.

Enslow's Historical Fiction Explores the American Experience

Book Three of the
Hannah Pritchard adventure stories

Enslow Publishers has proudly produced high-quality K-12 nonfiction books since 1976. We've also started to publish fiction suitable for young readers. Among our efforts are historical fiction works focusing on episodes in the American story. These tales feature young fictional characters who face dramatic challenges and meet exciting people through the course of a 160-page narrative. The books range in AR reading level from 4.5 to 7.0. Subjects are as varied as the Salem witchcraft trial, the Civil War, and the construction of the transcontinental railroad. There's also a wonderful trilogy by author Bonnie Pryor based on the adventures of a female pirate, Hannah Pritchard. The titles include Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution, Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured! and Captain Hannah Pritchard: The Hunt for Pirate Gold.

Each of the ten books in Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures is available in a library-bound edition for $20.95. That price, available to schools and public libraries, represents a 25% discount from Enslow's list price.

Celebrate the American spirit with Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures! 

It's Talk Like a Pirate Day!

978-0-7660-3817-2 Library
978-1-59845-283-9 Paperback

Enslow is celebrating the fact that the last book in the Hannah Pritchard trilogy has just been released. Captain Hannah Pritchard is now available. The first title, Hannah Pritchard, was published in 2008, and the second, Pirate Hannah Pritchard, in 2009. Written by Bonnie Pryor, these middle school titles take the reader from the beginning, when Hannah finds that her family has been murdered, to her imprisonment by the British, to her hunt for buried treasure.

Elementary students may want to create pirate crafts using Pirate Ship Adventure Crafts. This title provides step-by-step instructions on how to make eleven simple pirate-themed crafts using easy to find materials. Create a ship, pirate crew, treasure chest, and more. It also includes a story for kids to tell with their crafts, or they can act out their own pirate story.


 

Available in both library and paperback bindings, this title is part of the "Fun Adventure Crafts" series.

Enslow Celebrates "Drop Everything And Read" Day

"Drop Everything And Read Day," an annual event that occurs on April 12th, encourages families to spend at least thirty minutes in a reading activity. The day's organizers envision the day as an opportunity for children, in particular, to read something of their own choosing, rather than "required" academic reading. For kids looking for a way into exploring a blended world of the imagination and fact-based context, we suggest a title from Enslow Publishers' Historical Fiction Series. These 160-page books, such as Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution, offer compelling narratives and vivid characters woven together with author Bonnie Pryor's accessible, age-appropriate writing style. Accelerated Reading scores for these books range from 4.7 to 7.0.

Library-bound versions of all nine books in Enslow's "Historical Fiction Adventures" are available directly from Enslow Publishers for the discounted school/library price of $20.95. Selected titles are available in paperback for $14.95.

Happy Birthday Bonnie Pryor!

Having written several titles in Enslow's Historical Fiction Adventures series, Bonnie Pryor's Hannah Pritchard titles have sold quite well for Enslow Publishers.

Hannah Pritchard was published in 2008 and Pirate Hannah Pritchard was published in 2009. There will be a third Hannah Pritchard title, due out in fall of 2011. Watch for it!

Review of Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured!

School Library Journal review (Feburary, 2010) of author Bonnie Pryor's second adventure of Pirate Hannah Pritchard: Captured!

This sequel to Hannah Pritchard: Pirate of the Revolution (Enslow, 1998) is easy to read and fast moving. Courageous, strong, and determined are just a few of the adjectives that describe the 14-year-old protagonist...

160 pages, Historical Fiction Adventures Series, Enslow Publishers, Inc.

Description from the Publisher's website:
Aboard the Sea Hawk, Hannah Pritchard and her fellow pirates are sailing home to share the treasure they took from the British. But, during their journey, a British frigate attacks the Sea Hawk, destroying the ship. Hannah and a few crewmates narrowly escape with the treasure chest. Marooned on an island, Hannah and her friends are captured by the British. Follow Hannah Pritchard in her second pirate adventure as she faces brutal conditions as a British prisoner during the American Revolution

http://www.enslow.com/displayitem.asp?type=1&item=2648