It’s always a happy day when a book gets reprinted. I recently heard from H.I.P. Books that Roller Coaster has gone back to press again. It’s my shortest book to date, and the one aimed at the youngest readership — reluctant readers in around grade 3.
It was a lot of fun to write. I got to design my own amusement park from scratch — and then burn it down!
I drew a map of the park, so that I could keep locations straight (directions never having been a strong point of mine). Then I brought the map to my firefighter brother and we talked about wind direction, where the fire might start, and how it would spread.
The publisher later used that map for the teacher’s guide — or rather, the publisher used an artist’s much-better-drawn version of that map for the teacher’s guide. Just for fun, my original is attached below. Enjoy!
