Ditmas I.S 62

                                                                                      700 Cortelyou Road

                                                                                      4/2/03

 Dear Lois Duncan,

                  How are you? I hope you are fine. I am 13 years old and writing from Ditmas I.S. 62 from Brooklyn, N.Y.  We are doing an author study project and we decided to do it on you.  We read 4 books written by you and I am reading the 5^th one.  We read The Third Eye. Stranger With My Face, Who Killed My Daughter,  Killing Mr. Griffin,  Summer Of Fear, and I am now reading Gallows Hill.

             I really like all of your books and enjoy reading them.  They all have suspense in them. I really felt bad when I read the book, Who Killed My Daughter.  I want to ask you about the book Stranger With My Face. The girls did astral Projection in the book. In real life can people do astral projection? And, how did you know about astral projection?

             There is a personal question that I want to ask you. This question came to my mind when I read the book Who Killed My Daughter.   Is it true that your daughter was in the wrong place on the wrong time?  I know that the police think that and I think that you don’t believe that but is it true?

            Your books really affected me a lot. First I never liked to read suspense or mystery books but after I read your books I think that you are the best author. I only like to read the suspense books that are written by you! Thanks.           

                                                                                         Sincerely,

Book Summary

       The title of the book is The Third Eye. It is about a girl named Karen Connors. She has psychic powers and visions. Karen and a policeman named Ron must join together to find eight little kids who were kidnapped from the Daycare Center where Karen worked. Karen’s boyfriend, Tim, was very famous at school. When Karen went out with Tim she became popular at school. Karen went to the Zenner residence to baby-sit Bobby and his sister, Stephanie. Bobby went outside to play with his friend but took too long to get home for dinner and Karen reported Bobby missing. Then she had a vision that he was in a box in back of a car. She saw the license plate number in her vision and it was Tim’s car. She told the police that it was Tim’s car and they found him. When Karen saw Officer Wilson she thought that he was too young to be a cop.

         When Karen was aged 5 she helped find a little boy in her neighborhood who was missing. Then the Connors had to move because people came to ask Karen to find their missing kids. Karen went home after finding Bobby and went straight to bed because she was feeling weak because of her vision.  The police Officer Ron Wilson asked Karen if she could help him find a missing girl named Carla Sanchez. Karen said yes because she loved kids. Officer Wilson told Karen about a lady named Anne Summers, a psychic, who wanted to help him with the case. She would help him now but she’s on a case in Taxes.

           Karen went to Ms. Sanchez’s house and inside Carla room. She hugged her toys so that she could try to get a vision of Carla. When Karen had a vision she could smell damp rotting  leaves. While at the Sanchez home, Officer Wilson explained that he did not like dogs because he had been attacked by a dog when he was a kid. Ron also said that his brother was lucky. While Karen and Ron were driving home she had a vision of Carla that led her to a river bank. She felt hungry and weak. They found a bicycle and a pair Sandals. Then Karen had a vision of Carla’s last minute of life. Carla had drown in the river.

         When Karen was going to work at the Daycare, a lady named Betty asked for directions. She asked Karen if she wanted a ride there and Karen got in the car. Karen suspected Betty of foul play when Karen tried to escape from the car but the door was locked. Betty brought Karen to an apartment and Jed tied her up and pushed her onto the floor. Karen triggered the smoke alarm and a firefighter finally rescued her. 

           Ron came by to ask Karen to go with him to see Anne Summers in Dallas and to try finding the kidnapped kids. Ron’s nephew Mathew was kidnapped with other kids. When Ron and Karen reached the hospital they saw Anne Summers in a bed. She was shot at her house. Anne started talking about their psychic powers. Karen had a vision that the kidnapped kids were in Dallas. Ron and Karen headed out to where the house was. They camped out at Pike Pikes. The next day they had reached the house. Ron came out of the car and when a dog attacked him, he shot the dog. Karen’s mom had a vision that helped the police to find them. They took Betty and Jed away and the kids were safe.  Karen had a vision that she married Ron and had his child.

Lois Duncan Biography

          Lois Duncan grew up in Sarasota, Florida. Her mother and father were photographers for a very famous magazine. Since Lois was a little girl she knew she wanted to be a writer. When she was ten she submitted her first story to a magazine called “Calling All Girls”. She made her first literary sale at the age of thirteen. When she was in high school she wrote short stories for magazines.

            In 1962, Lois Duncan moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico. In New Mexico she taught in the Journalism Department at the University of New Mexico. Lois Duncan got over 300 of her short stories published in magazines.

           Lois Duncan‘s latest book for teens is Gallows Hills.  Gallows Hill is a 4-star rating in a review for the “Richmond Times”, a school newspaper. This book is the bomb.

               Lois got married to Don Arquette and had 5 children. Two of their children are authors (Kerry Arquette and Bratt Arquette). Their oldest daughter Robin is a singer.

Class: 8-23lA                                                                 Date: 3-4-03

             Lois Duncan was born in Philadelphia. She grew up in Florida and graduated from the University of New Mexico. Duncan is the author of over 40 books.  She published her first story when she was 13years old.  She did articles for Teen magazines and some times “Seventeen”. Her mother and father were internationally magazine photographers. She had one younger brother. She got married at age 19 and had 3 kids. She got divorced 9 years later. In 1989 her daughter Kit was killed in a drive by shooting. She chronicled her search for the murderer in her book Who Killed My Daughter?

            Lois is the author of 48 books, Most of the books have been chosen as American Library Association “Best Books for Young Adults”.  But the hardest sorry she had to write was the one about her daughter’s murder. She searches for the truth behind this horrid killing. After the book was published, she appeared in “Good Morning American” and ”The Larry King Show”.

            Most of her books are about a perfect life, but then at the middle of the book everything turns bad, and everything turns upside down. Lois Duncan’s books are so interesting that you get caught up in the books and you can’t stop on till you read to the end. Lois Duncan said to her readers that “She never remembers a time when she was not reading”

        THE THIRD EYE is about a girl named Karen Conners who has a sixth sense, she could see the past and the future of someone’s life. One day Karen was on her way to the daycare center where she takes car of missing children. It was really late so Karen had to rush. Karen got into the car of a nice person who offered her a ride. Karen was terrified because she recognized that the driver was a kidnapper. She told Karen to show her where the daycare was. She put the babies in a truck and brought them to a deserted house. While Karen was in a different deserted house her “vision” came on and she realized that she had to save the “dream girl” from dieing. Her boyfriend Ron had dazzling blue eyes and a winning smile, and when he is danger, Karen helped him. She learns that she can close her eyes and her “vision” comes through time and space. She sees a place where the kidnapped children sleep. Karen called the police for help and the children are returned home.

STRANGER WITH MY FACE is about a girl named Laurie who has a twin that looks exactly like her. Laurie, her boyfriend Gordon, and some of Laurie’s other friends planned to go to the beach on a hot, sunny day. The next day Laurie woke up with a headache and she couldn’t make it to the beach party because she was throwing up. At school Gordon didn’t want to talk to her because Laurie told everybody that she was going to be at the party with Gordon but she showed up with another boy. Laurie was terrified when she heard the story that her friends told her. Laurie tried to tell them that she was sick all day at home.

One night when Laurie was going to bed she looked in the mirror and saw two faces of hers, she was shocked and she covered her face and fell on her bed. Laurie got up and looked at the mirror and saw Lia, her twin sister, in the mirror. Later on that month, Laurie’s parents discussed things about their birth and adoption with Laurie.

 At the end of the book Laurie discovered that Lia  caused the death of her step-sister and was put into a mental hospital because of a plea of insanity. Lia dies and Laurie learns that Astral Projection can be dangerous.

         I am writing a persuasive about Judy Blume’s books because she writes interesting stories for girls. Judy Blume is famous for Are you There God its Me Margaret, Its Not the End of the World, Deenie, Blubber, and all kinds of Fudge books.

            I think Deenie was the best book that I’ve read out of the four. I think this book was the best because it’s a girl’s book and lots of girls can relate to Deenie. In Deenie, Deenie has scoliosis {a crooked spine} and she can’t walk straight. Every time her mother takes her to a modeling job she says she has bad posture. That’s how she found out she had scoliosis.

                 I also think this book is the best because once you start reading it, you can’t put it down. I mostly recommend this book to girls because they can relate to it in so many ways because everyone has problems that they think they can’t deal with.

             I think if Judy Blume were to make a movie of Deenie it would be a very interesting movie.