The Moon that inspires Betsy Byars's memoir isn't the one in the sky, but a huge, harmless blacksnake she finds in the rafters of her porch. This meeting begins an exploration of the writing process. With energy, wit, and delight, the Newbery medalist shows how "the good scraps" of her life, from a bully named Bubba to a gift-wrapped dime, weave into her work.

ANNOTATION

While describing her humorous adventures with a blacksnake, Betsy Byars recounts childhood anecdotes and explains how she writes a book.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The Moon that inspires Betsy Byars's memoir isn't the one in the sky, but a huge, harmless blacksnake she finds in the rafters of her porch. This meeting begins an exploration of the writing process. With energy, wit, and delight, the Newbery medalist shows how the good scraps of her life, from a bully named Bubba to a gift-wrapped dime, weave into her work.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

For Byars, meeting an enormous blacksnake on her front porch becomes a springboard for tracing her lifelong love of animals, and also her likes and dislikes, successes and failures as a writer. The result is an appealingly idiosyncratic narrative that seamlessly weaves together the Newbery winner's life and art. In a personable, highly conversational style studded with wry observations and shot through with humility and perspective, Byars shares her views on the relative significance of various elements of a story; the importance of names in inventing characters (``I never had any trouble creating a terrible character as long as his name was Bubba''); the necessity for ``lots and lots of good scraps'' from real life; and the impossibility of writing when one is being watched, even by a snake. She uses lists, questions, examples from several of her works and even excerpts from fan letters--flattering and not--to illustrate her points. And, of course, she traces her developing friendship with Moon in its often hilarious ups and downs. It is pure pleasure and privilege to be thus invited into the world of such a warm and engaging artist. This goes far beyond most memoirs in its ability to engage the reader. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)

Children's Literature - Jan Lieberman

Betsy Byars fans are in for a treat when they her autobiography. Moon is the black snake that slips and slithers in and out of every chapter of the book stirring Ms. Byars to share her foibles, her philosophy, and her dreams with us. A licensed pilot, a mother of 4, a lover of animals, and an accomplished writer, the reader is not only impressed but delighted with her story. Chapters 9 and 10 will bring on the giggles as she describes her 'run-in' with a dead snake which she put in her car to take home for further study. A terrific read-aloud that will inspire you to read all 36 of her books. 1996 (orig.

Children's Literature - Beverly Kobrin

Moon, of Betsy Byars' absorbing The Moon and I, is a six-foot blacksnake. As Ms. Byers shares the slices of her life that have to do with it and others of its kind, she explains exactly how she writes. When youngsters next fret over your requests for rewrites, point out-as the author does-that this manuscript was written approximately 18 times before her publisher accepted it.

School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-- In this lively personal narrative, Byars focuses on the humorous results of her recent encounter with a very large, slightly mysterious black snake. Readers are thereafter treated to many interesting facts about snakes, and the elusive reptile becomes the key that opens the door to the author's happy childhood, the writing process, and the woman herself. The snake as centerpiece is a truly inspired choice; readers will be hooked into learning not only about such creatures and their habits, but also about Byars. In a witty, conversational style marked by short sentences and paragraphs and a deceptively simple use of dialogue to capture the humor or irony of the moment, this writer tells how she has arrives at the ideas for her books. Children will love this offering. It is very special nonfiction that truly entertains as it informs. --Phyllis Graves, Creekwood Middle School, Kingwood, TX