the year of janies diary

when i was a kid, we went to the library every week, usually thursday evening and checked out books for the week. there was one book i checked out probably a dozen or more times, i read it over and over again. then one day i went to find it and it was no longer available. what?? now this is like 20 or more years ago, no internet, no easy way to find it so i started going to the used book stores and searched (in those days you had to PHYSICALLY search the place). finding that book became a mission for me, i always looked for it at garage sales, thrift shops and used book stores (even when i lived in virginia). never stumbled on it though. ok, so now we have the internet and it has been on my alibris search for many years. once in awhile it will come up in a search, but it is always over a hundred dollars (and even though i wanted it badly, i just can't pay that much for a book) sooooo, the other day i just threw the title in the amazon book search and it came up! and for a reasonable price as well! oh, i must digress to say i did find it on amazon about a year ago, purchased it for a price a bit out of whack only to find it never arrived and the order was canceled (i was never charged) it had been some kind of mistake and was never available...ok, so i purchased it this time and waited with anticipation for it to arrive, hoping it wasn't another mistake. it came christmas eve day, the best present ever!


this book is written in a diary style and i wanted so much to write a book just like it when i was a kid, in college i took a childrens book writing course with the intention of writing a book just like this one, but with my own twist. i think diaries were pretty popular when i was young, i got a new one every year at christmas and would write amazing details in it! they are too embarrassing to read now, but i still hold on to them.
growing up without the abundance of electronic stuff kids have today, i was forced to read as entertainment and i became a major addict of reading and books. i would say i have a serious problem now because i love books and i want every book i hear about or see... i read cookbooks like novels, devour travel essays and memoirs, living all sorts of crazy adventures in my head, becoming "friends" with every author and plotting my own fantastical future which changes after every new story i read. it's a problem. so when this book arrived all worn and rough, obviously treasured by so many people (it was a library book with a long list of check out dates) i felt a real thrill. reading the first few pages felt so familiar, even after all these years and i mean some SERIOUS years! i can't wait to read it again and share it with the girls, i hope they like it as much as i did!