Duble, Kathleen Benner 1958-

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Duble, Kathleen Benner 1958-

PERSONAL:

Born March 4, 1958, in Fayetteville, NC; daughter of Ken (an air force colonel) and Barb (a human-resources vice president) Benner; married Chris Duble (an insurance company executive), 1983; children: Tobey, Liza. Education: Miami University, Oxford, OH, B.A. Hobbies and other interests: Violin.

ADDRESSES:

Home—Boxford, MA. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER:

Writer.

MEMBER:

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

AWARDS, HONORS:

Notable Honor Book designation, International Reading Association, 2002, for Bridging Beyond.

WRITINGS:

Bridging Beyond, Philomel (New York, NY), 2002.

Pilot Mom, illustrated by Alan Marks, Charlesbridge Publishing (Watertown, MA), 2003.

The Sacrifice, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2005.

Hearts of Iron, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2006.

Bravo Zulu, Samantha!, Peachtree (Atlanta, GA), 2007.

Quest, Margaret K. McElderry Books (New York, NY), 2008.

The Story of the Samson, illustrated by Alexander Farquharson, Charlesbridge Publishing (Watertown, MA), 2008.

Contributor to periodicals, including Highlights for Children.

SIDELIGHTS:

Kathleen Benner Duble is the author of several novels for middle-grade readers, including the highly praised Bridging Beyond. Mixing her own family history with a science-fiction premise, Duble introduces readers to fifteen-year-old Anna. While wrestling with guilt over her responsibility in injuring her now-comatose friend Jessica in a drunk-driving accident, Anna moves across the country with her single mom to occupy the home of her recently deceased great-grandmother, Mimi. In this new environment, the troubled teen begins to experience trances in which she goes back in time and finds herself part of a younger Mimi's risk-taking crowd of friends.

Describing Bridging Beyond as "an intriguing novel that could be read as science fiction or science theory," Claire Rosser noted in a Kliatt review that Duble depicts "Anna's confusion, guilt and struggle to find answers" with "great compassion and skill." School Library Journal reviewer Francisca Goldsmith wrote that Duble's "eerie tale" effectively uses "the clever and imaginary psychological premise of ‘genetic memory’" to create a "fast read," while a Kirkus Reviews critic maintained that "Anna's self-obsessed wallowing is realistically portrayed" and effectively offset by the parallel story of "the entrancing young Mimi and the desperate joie de vivre of her ‘hedonistic pals.’"

Pilot Mom, published in 2003, tells of the relationship between a girl and her mother, who is a pilot in the military. When the mother is ordered to Europe for a training mission, the girl, with her best friend, accompanies her to the air base where all their questions are answered comfortingly. Reviews of the story were mostly positive. Wanda Meyers-Hines, writing in School Library Journal, called the book "a worthwhile addition as there is a shortage of material addressing" parents in the military. Connie Fletcher, in her review in Booklist, called it "a strong ‘can do’ message for girls." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews remarked that the book does a good job of "responding to [the girls'] questions and fears in a post-‘shock and awe’ world."

In The Sacrifice, Duble recreates the witch hunts of Salem, Massachusetts, as told by ten-year-old Abigail. Constantly reprimanded for her behavior, Abigail witnesses her community spiral out of control with false accusations of witchcraft. She, her sister, and her aunt are charged and many die before Abigail is able to set things right again. Reviews were mostly positive. Jane G. Connor, writing in School Library Journal, observed that the story is "well written with accessible language." Hazel Rochman wrote in a Booklist review that "the social history is intensely dramatic." A contributor to Kirkus Reviews lauded the book, saying that The Sacrifice is "one of the best fictional accounts for young readers about the witch trials."

With Hearts of Iron, fourteen-year-old Lucy Pettee is learning that privacy is hard to come by in the tiny mining community she lives in. It is further complicated when she wants to spend some private time with her boyfriend, Jesse. Jesse wants to move out from the iron industry and is at odds with his father over the decision. Lucy does not want to leave the area but is put in an awkward situation when a suitor is invited to town by her father to marry her and bring her back to the city. Reviews were generally favorable for this nineteenth-century drama. A Kirkus Reviews contributor noted that "the tangle of human affairs makes for a satisfying tale of home." Suzanne Gordon's review in School Library Journal describes it as "well-written historical fiction with a unique setting and a touch of mystery." Writing in Booklist, Anne O'Malley noted that the author "skillfully portrays the characters … and community life and economics in this unusual historical romance."

In Bravo Zulu, Samantha!, Duble tells the story of twelve-year-old Sam's visit to spend time with her maternal grandparents, a trip that she starts off resenting. She would much rather spend her summer at home, where she can see her friends. However, once she is ensconced at her grandparents' house, Sam finds herself in the middle of a mystery. Her grandfather has been grumpy since he was forced to retire from his job as a colonel in the air force, but Sam, who has little to do but watch him, thinks he might be up to something. Sam starts to follow her grandfather in earnest, and once she realizes what he is doing, she must decide whether she wants to snitch on him to her grandmother, or if she would rather help him. That's assuming he will let her, since they have never had a close relationship. Could this new project change that? School Library Journal reviewer B. Allison Gray found the story somewhat slow at times, but concluded that it could "be appealing to reluctant readers interested in the science and craft of airplanes." Hazel Rochman, in a review for Booklist, remarked upon the fun details, such as Samantha's interest in The Guinness Book of World Records, and declared that "the angry arguments make for great dialogue."

Duble once commented: "I believe that there are no coincidences in life. ‘Chance happenings’ are truly not chance at all, but a force constantly driving us to discover the path we were meant to take, the work we were meant to do, and the people we were meant to love. Each of us is led in a direction that will eventually form a circle, complete and miraculous in its fullness.

"I was in the third grade when my teacher, Miss Malone, reviewed a piece of my writing and told me I should think about becoming an author. I thank her daily for having guided me into work that I love.

"In college, I majored in creative writing. My favorite professor, Milton White, was a great inspiration, always challenging me, always pushing me. During one term, he decided to hold a class on writing a romance novel and asked me to participate. I thought it crazy. Why would I want to write a romance novel? Still, out of respect for him, I took the course and had fun. Looking back now, I realize he opened the door for me to know that other avenues of writing existed beyond the great American novel.

"After I was married, my husband and I moved to Boston. I was writing adult short stories but having little luck. My husband met a man whose wife held a children's book critique group weekly. Harkening back to Milton White, I thought, why not? Many thanks go to Jackie French Koller and her little group in Groton, Connecticut. They helped me discover my niche in the writing world, helped me hone my craft, helped me pick my way through the complicated world of publishing.

"My book The Sacrifice involves a story discovered by my father who was researching my family's genealogy. I had grown up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, so it was a surprise when I found I had roots in the very town I was now living in: Andover, Massachusetts. My ancestors were involved in the Salem witch hysteria: my great-grandmother was accused and imprisoned for witchcraft when she was ten. As my father and I continued researching, we discovered that this great-grandmother had actually owned the land on which the house I lived in stood. How could I ignore the force that led me to this ‘coincidence’? How could I not tell Abigail Faulkner's story?

"Each of my books, each of my stories, is connected in some way to who I am. Pilot Mom is my sister's story, a mother and a tanker pilot who served in the Gulf War. Bridging Beyond is my grandmother's story, with her love of music and her recklessness in youth. And my middle-grade novel Hearts of Iron is set around a forge on the mountain where my husband spent his summers. Each of these people are a part of my life. Each ‘coincidentally’ told me, showed me, or led me to these stories.

"And finally, the bond that ties my circle together is my children, Tobey and Liza. Over the years, they have inspired me with their innocence and joy, given me passion for living and working and taught me the strength of love that knows no bounds. They are my greatest miracles."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July 1, 2003, Connie Fletcher, review of Pilot Mom, p. 1896; September 15, 2005, Hazel Rochman, review of The Sacrifice, p. 62; October, 2005, review of The Sacrifice; September 15, 2006, Anne O'Malley, review of Hearts of Iron, p. 71; June 1, 2007, Hazel Rochman, review of Bravo Zulu, Samantha!, p. 68.

Children's Bookwatch, November 1, 2005, review of The Sacrifice; January 1, 2007, review of Hearts of Iron.

Kirkus Reviews, May 15, 2002, review of Bridging Beyond, p. 73; June 15, 2003, review of Pilot Mom, p. 858; September 1, 2005, review of The Sacrifice, p. 972; October, 2005, review of The Sacrifice; October 15, 2006, review of Hearts of Iron, p. 1069; March 15, 2007, review of Bravo Zulu, Samantha!

Kliatt, May, 2002, Claire Rosser, review of Bridging Beyond, p. 9.

Publishers Weekly, July 7, 2003, review of Pilot Mom, p. 72.

School Library Journal, May, 2002, Francisca Goldsmith, review of Bridging Beyond, p. 148; January 1, 2004, Wanda Meyers-Hines, review of Pilot Mom, p. 97; December 1, 2005, Jane G. Connor, review of The Sacrifice, p. 144; November 1, 2006, Suzanne Gordon, review of Hearts of Iron, p. 134; June, 2007, B. Allison Gray, review of Bravo Zulu, Samantha!, p. 142.

Voice of Youth Advocates, June, 2002, review of Bridging Beyond, p. 117.