Mills, Claudia 1954-

views updated

MILLS, Claudia 1954-

PERSONAL: Born August 21, 1954, in New York, NY; daughter of Charles Howard (a safety engineer) and Helen (a teacher; maiden name, Lederleitner) Mills; married Richard W. Wahl (a natural resources economist), October 19, 1985; children: Christopher Richard Wahl and Gregory Charles Wahl. Education: Wellesley College, B.A., 1976; Princeton University, M.A., 1979, Ph.D., 1991; University of Maryland, M.L.S., 1988.

ADDRESSES: Home—2575 Briarwood Dr., Boulder, CO, 80305. Office—Department of Philosophy, Campus P.O. Box 232, Boulder, CO 80309-0232. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Four Winds Press, New York, NY, editorial secretary and production assistant, 1979-80; University of Maryland, College Park, editor at Institute for Philosophy and Public Policy, 1980-89, assistant professor of philosophy, 1991-92; University of Colorado, Boulder, assistant professor of philosophy, 1992—, associate chair of philosophy, 1999—, director of Summer Philosophy Institute of Colorado, 1995—. Judge in children's book grant program, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), 1992 and 1994; member of Book Award Committee, Children's Literature Association, 1994-96, chair of Book Award Committee, 1996-98; fiction judge for Golden Kite Award, SCBWI, 1996; correspondent, Loose Leaf Book Company radio series, 1999-2002.

MEMBER: Authors Guild, Authors League of America, Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Children's Book Guild of Washington, D.C. (president, 1986-87), Phi Beta Kappa, Colorado Authors League.

AWARDS, HONORS: Notable Children's Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies, National Council for the Social Studies/Children's Book Council, for All the Living and Boardwalk with Hotel; Children's Books of the Year, Library of Congress, 1986, for The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton, 1988, for Cally's Enterprise, 1991, for Hannah on Her Way, 1992, for Dinah for President, and 1998, for Standing Up to Mr. O; Recommended Reading List for Children, National Council of Christians and Jews, 1992, for A Visit to Amy-Claire; Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 1996, Blue Ribbon List, Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books, and Top Hand Award for Young Adult Fiction, Colorado Authors League, all for Dinah Forever; Pick of the Lists, American Bookseller, 1997, for One Small Lost Sheep; Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year selection, 1997, for Losers, Inc. and One Small Lost Sheep, 1998, for Standing Up to Mr. O and Gus and Grandpa Show and Tell, 1999, for Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike and You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, and 2000, for Gus and Grandpa at Show and Tell; Top Hand Award for Young Adult Fiction, Colorado Author's League, 1997, for Losers, Inc.; Outstanding Acheivement Awards, Parents Guide to Children's Media, for Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train, Gus and Grandpa at Show and Tell, and Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Awards, for Gus and Grandpa Show and Tell, Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, andGus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume; International Honor book, Society of School Librarians, 2000, for You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman; Books for the Teen Age, New York Public Library, 2001, for Lizzie at Last; Notable Book citations, American Library Association, for Gus and Grandpa at Basketball and 7×9 = Trouble!; Colorado Authors League Award and Blue Ribbon List, Bulletin from the Center for Children's Books, both for 7×9 = Trouble!; Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award nominee, 2002, for You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman.

WRITINGS:

YOUNG ADULT NOVELS

Luisa's American Dream, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1981.

At the Back of the Woods, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1982.

The Secret Carousel, Four Winds (New York, NY), 1983.

All the Living, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1983.

What about Annie?, Walker & Co. (New York, NY), 1985.

Boardwalk with Hotel, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1985.

The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1986.

Melanie Magpie, Bantam (New York, NY), 1987.

Cally's Enterprise, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1988.

After Fifth Grade, the World!, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1989.

Dynamite Dinah, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1990.

Hannah on Her Way, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1991.

Dinah for President, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

Dinah in Love, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1993.

Phoebe's Parade, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

The Secret Life of Bethany Barrett, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1994.

Dinah Forever, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1995.

Losers, Inc., Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1997.

Standing Up to Mr. O, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1998.

You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1999.

Lizzie at Last, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2000.

Alex Ryan, Stop That!, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2003.

PICTURE BOOKS

A Visit to Amy-Claire, illustrated by Sheila Hamanaka, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1992.

One Small Lost Sheep, illustrated by Walter Lyon Krudop, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1997.

Ziggy's Blue-Ribbon Day, illustrated by R. W. Alley, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), in press.

"GUS AND GRANDPA" SERIES; EASY READERS

Gus and Grandpa, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1997.

Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1997.

Gus and Grandpa at the Hospital, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1998.

Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1998.

Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 1999.

Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2000.

Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2001.

Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2002.

Gus and Grandpa Go Fishing, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2003.

Gus and Grandpa and the Piano Lesson, illustrated by Catherine Stock, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2004.

OTHER

(Editor, with Douglas MacLean) Liberalism Reconsidered, Rowman & Alanheld (Totowa, NJ), 1983.

(Editor, with Robert K. Fullinwider) The Moral Foundations of Civil Rights, Rowman & Littlefield (Totowa, NJ), 1986.

Values and Public Policy, edited by Robert J. Fogelin, Harcourt (Fort Worth, TX), 1992.

7×9 = Trouble! (chapter book), illustrated by G. Brian Karas, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2002.

Perfectly Chelsea (chapter book), illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers, Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (New York, NY), 2004.

Also the author or editor of numerous professional publications in philosophy and public policy, as well as articles on children's literature for journals including Children's Literature, Children's Literature Association Quarterly, and Children's Literature in Education.

SIDELIGHTS: Claudia Mills has blended a career as a prolific children's author with that of a highly-regarded academic, an associate professor of philosophy at the University of Colorado who has specialized in practical ethics, ethical theory, and social philosophy. She is the author of a score of popular novels for middle-graders that introduce readers to spunky fifth- and sixth-grade girls and boys facing challenges on the way to growing up and learning about their personal identity. Often told with a dash of humor, Mills's stories feature protagonists who are outspoken and willful, such as the plucky Cynthia, the enterprising Cally, and the outgoing Dinah, who has appeared in four of Mills's books. Male protagonists also populate the Mills fictional universe, including twelve-year-old Julius Zimmerman whose mother is bent on improving him one summer, and seventh-grader Alex Ryan who loves being the center of attention. These are just two of the protagonists Mill serves up in her popular "West Creek Middle School" series, which began with the 1997 Losers, Inc. Mills maintains a lighthearted, though sometimes slow-paced, approach to her tales, while conveying important messages to her readers without being didactic, note critics. For younger readers, Mills has also produced numerous picture books, including the popular "Gus and Grandpa" series.

Born in New York City, Mills moved to North Plain-field, New Jersey, with her family before she began kindergarten. Possessing an active imagination, she played fantasy games with her younger sister, pretending to be in magical lands with names like Maloone, Socker, Bladen, and Moo. "My mother was an elementary school teacher who loved to write," Mills noted on her member's Web site of the Children's Book Guild. "When I was six years old, she gave me a blank notebook and told me that this was to be my poetry book. So I began to write poetry. This was the beginning of my life as a writer." In elementary school, the young Mills already had dreams of becoming an author and spent many hours writing poems and stories. Her first publishing success came as a surprise when her English teacher told her class to write a story. Mills did not think her effort was very good, but her teacher thought differently and sent it to the Junior Scholastic annual writing contest. It won first prize in the national competition. From this experience, Mills related in a Junior Literary Guild article, "I learned that it's hard to be a good judge of your own writing." When she was fourteen, Mills wrote an autobiography called "T Is for Tarzan," in which she talked about her experiences in the eighth grade. The manuscript was "the literary sensation of junior high school," she related. "I still draw heavily from my own life in my books, but at least now I change the names."

Electing to study philosophy in college, Mills attended Wellesley, where she earned a bachelor's degree. She continued on to a doctoral program at Princeton, but left the university before completing her Ph.D., a degree she would eventually earn ten years later at the same institution. "I didn't begin serious professional writing," Mills once told CA, ". . . until I left graduate school impulsively in mid-year to take a secretarial job at Four Winds Press. I occupied myself during the four-hour round-trip from Princeton [to New York City] by writing picture book and novel manuscripts, which I submitted to Four Winds Press under various pseudonyms. It was very easy—but so disheartening—to slip a rejected manuscript unobtrusively into my book bag.

"Finally a manuscript proved promising enough on a first skim for the editor to hand it over to me, her secretary, for a reader's report. I took the challenge and wrote an objective, candid report on my own manuscript, including suggestions for needed revisions. The editor forwarded to the author (me) her 'excellent reader's report,' and then I dutifully took my own suggestions in rewriting. I finally confessed my duplicity when the manuscript was completed. Fortunately, the editor had a keen sense of humor, and the manuscript was published as At the Back of the Woods."

Mills's first book was not published until after she left Four Winds to take a job at the University of Maryland's Center for Philosophy and Public Policy in 1980. Her first three books, Luisa's American Dream, At the Back of the Woods, and The Secret Carousel, were all published by Four Winds, after which she moved on to other publishers, continuing to work with her "lifelong editor," Beverly Reingold, she explained to CA. Mills published All the Living in 1985, the same year she married her husband, Richard Wahl. Her fifth work, What about Annie?, was published by Walker & Co. as part of its American history series for young readers. This was a departure for Mills, who typically sets her books in the present. Taking place during the Great Depression, What about Annie? features thirteen-year-old Annie Bodansky, one of six children in a Catholic family living in Baltimore. Annie's father has just lost his job working for American Radiator, and his subsequent and severe emotional depression affects the entire family. When her father attempts suicide, Annie runs away from home in her friend Tim's airplane. When an emergency forces her to bail out of the plane, however, she returns home. The accident "contributes to her father's healing," according to Catherine Wood in School Library Journal, "but does not miraculously solve the family's many problems."

Family problems are also the subject of Boardwalk with Hotel, in which young Jessica Jarrell learns that her parents adopted her because they thought they could not have children of their own. Soon after adopting her, however, Jessica's mother gave birth to a son and a daughter, and now Jessica believes her parents do not love her as much as they do her younger siblings. Consequently she comes to hate and resent Brian and Julie and starts to fight with them. By the story's conclusion, Jessica learns that her parents love all three of their children, adopted or not. Although a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books contributor complained that the story lacked "depth or momentum," Phyllis Graves commented in School Library Journal that many pre-teens "who vacillate between over-confidence and anxiety" will be able to sympathize with Jessica. Graves predicted that the book "should have wide appeal."

Creating less-than-perfect characters like Jessica, who are nonetheless sympathetic and appealing, is one of the hallmarks of Mills's books. As Phyllis Wilson put it in a Booklist review of After Fifth Grade, the World!, "Mills has a knack for creating plucky heroines whose armor has a believable tarnish." The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton features fifth-grader Cynthia, who resents the fact that her younger sister is stealing her spotlight by writing a book when Cynthia always felt that it was she who excelled at writing. In this work, Mills created a character who "can be small, petty, and jealous," as one Booklist contributor put it. However, the "flaws in Cynthia's personality are part of the book's allure." What Cynthia learns, and what the author shows her readers, is that a kid can be unique and special without necessarily being the best. She eventually gains perspective, with the help of her family, and obtains a better sense of self-worth. "Young readers will happily ride the roller coaster of emotions along with Cynthia," claimed School Library Journal critic Virginia Golodetz.

After Fifth Grade, the World! features another flawed young character, Heidi Ahlenslager. Heidi and her friend Lynette have a mean teacher, Mrs. Richardson, whose strict ways they set about trying to reform: first through kindness, then, when that does not work, through cruel pranks that wind up getting them both in trouble. Heidi has her good points (she's a bright student, energetic, and imaginative), but goes too far in her attacks against her teacher when she displays a caricature of Mrs. Richardson at a school assembly. After Heidi's attempts cause her to lose support from Lynette, her family, and the principal, she begins to understand the meaning of accepting others as they are. A Publishers Weekly critic praised the fact that Mills does not offer convenient solutions to Heidi's problems, such as having Mrs. Richardson lose her job or inexplicably metamorphose into a kinder person, and suggested that Mills should get an award "for writing realistically about the middle grades."

Parents can be less than perfect in Mills's stories, too, and in Cally's Enterprise, the author shows that adults can be guilty of trying to direct their children's lives, preventing them from finding their own identities. In this story, Cally Lippincott's parents control almost everything she does both in and out of school, including making her take classes in gymnastics and ballet that Cally does not enjoy. Through a business partnership with her friend Chuck Forster, however, Cally "grows in assertiveness . . . , finally challenging her parents' control over her schoolwork and extracurricular activities," as Mills herself wrote in a Children's Literature in Education article. A demanding teacher who insists her students do their homework without their parents' assistance also helps Cally when she finds she can write an excellent report all by herself. Though Susan Schuller, writing in School Library Journal, felt "the story line is fractured and the writing strained in its attempts at humor," a Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books contributor asserted: "It's nice to have a book about the desire for independence, so typical a development of the young teen years."

The problems of school popularity figure into several of Mills's later books. In Hannah on Her Way, Hannah Keddie is a smart and artistically inclined ten year old who is not too popular with the other kids because she still clings to her toy dolls and prefers wearing her hair in a braid rather than in one of the more fashionable, adult styles her friends like. So when Caitlin Crystal, a well-liked student who transferred to Hannah's school after flunking out of private school, makes friends with her, Hannah cannot believe it at first. But Caitlin helps Hannah in gym and gets her in with the popular girls at school, and Hannah starts to really like Caitlin. Trouble comes, however, when Caitlin asks Hannah to help her cheat on a math test. In the end, both girls learn from each other: Hannah grows up a little, and Caitlin learns something about integrity. Hannah on Her Way was praised by reviewers, who called the book an honest portrayal of contemporary girls. Phyllis G. Sidorsky, for example, writing in School Library Journal, said the story is "painfully true to life [and] is also humorous and heartwarming." "This book will be enjoyed not only by readers who themselves feel outshone by their classmates," commented Deborah Stevenson in Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, "but also by Caities who are Hannahs at heart."

Like Hannah, sixth-grader Bethany Barrett has a problem with popularity, though from a somewhat different angle. In The Secret Life of Bethany Barrett, Bethany really likes a rather plain and unpopular girl at school named Jane. She is afraid that befriending Jane will cause her to lose friends. Bethany's problems do not end there, however. She has other worries, like her brother's speech problems, her concern that her older sister will let her boyfriend keep her out of going to Yale (thus devastating her parents' hopes), and the fact that the school authorities are looking for the author of a poem—which is Bethany—that was posted about the mean school librarian. While School Library Journal contributor Bonnie L. Raasch called The Secret Life of Bethany Barrett a "mundane addition to friendship/family stories," Stevenson asserted in another Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books review that "Mills has a knack for conveying the intensity of the pressures on the middle-grades crowd."

Since 1990, Mills has written a series of books featuring her character Dinah Seabrooke, including Dynamite Dinah, Dinah for President, Dinah in Love, and Dinah Forever. In typical Mills fashion, Dinah is a flamboyant girl with an artistic flair who has some lessons to learn about growing up, accepting others, and finding her place in the world. When the reader first meets Dinah in Dynamite Dinah, she is a ten year old who craves to be the center of attention, and she succeeds in various ways until a new baby brother comes into her life and her teacher tells her that she cannot be the star in the school play. But, just like Cynthia in Mills's earlier work, Dinah begins to understand that other people need attention too, and she becomes a little less self-absorbed, though "Mills is realistic enough to realize that people, especially Dinah, can only change so much," as a Publishers Weekly reviewer noted.

In Dinah for President, Dinah starts sixth grade at J. F. K. Middle School, where she has trouble with the fact that, surrounded by seventh and eighth graders, she is no longer the star of the school. Therefore, to get more attention, she runs for student president, basing her platform on urging the school to start a recycling program. At the same time, she develops a close friendship with the elderly Mrs. Briscoe, whom she is helping with work around the house, as well as reading to her from The Wind in the Willows. Critics have praised Mills's portrayal of how Dinah matures through these experiences, becoming more aware of the world around her and of the needs of other people. Dinah "is subtly transformed throughout the book," observed Jana R. Fine in School Library Journal, "from a self-absorbed girl to a young woman with a social conscience."

Mills's other books featuring Dinah move from the theme of respect and sympathy for others to the deeper problems of love and death. In Dinah in Love, Dinah begins to understand why boys can act so differently from girls when she considers asking Nick Tribble—her debate team rival—to the school sock hop. With some help from Mrs. Briscoe, Dinah learns why boys sometimes do immature things, like when Nick throws a pink bra on her head, and learns a little about the difficult art of courtship. Dinah Forever deals with the even more serious problem of death when Mrs. Briscoe, with whom Dinah has become very close friends, passes away, and Dinah struggles to convince herself that life has purpose and meaning. Both these books, critics felt, have appealing characters in entertaining story lines. Of Dinah Forever, Hazel Rochman said in Booklist, "Kids will enjoy the quarrels among friends and enemies, the romance, and the passionate ideas." Writing in School Library Journal, Cindy Darling Codell called Dinah in Love "nicely structured and gifted with interesting characters." "Dinah in Love and its companions," Voice of Youth Advocates critic Alice F. Stern asserted, "will be enjoyed by fans of [Lois] Lowry's Anastasia and [Phyllis Reynolds] Naylor's Alice."

With Standing Up to Mr. O, Mills presents another "school coming-of-age story for those who love a stimulating argument," according to Booklist's Rochman. Mills takes on the theme of animal rights in this tale of twelve-year-old Maggie who begins to dread her biology class when it is time to dissect worms and other smaller animals. She is against killing on purpose, but her friends are divided on the issue. Complicating matters, Mr. O., her favorite teacher and something of a stand-in father, is the biology instructor and expects her to comply with class procedure. When Maggie resists, Mr. O. becomes angry with her, threatening to flunk her if she does not participate in the dissection. Things escalate even further when the instructor prevents her antidissection essay from winning an essay contest. Through all of this, Maggie learns hard lessons, primarily the need to "face her disappointment in others with moderation and compassion," as Horn Book's Jennifer M. Brabander noted. Rochman similarly concluded that Maggie learns that occasionally in life, "People disappoint you, even your best friend lets you down, even your beloved mentor, and you go on." A critic for Kirkus Reviews had further praise for the middle-grade novel, noting that "once again Mills renders the trials of a good kid in a sympathetic and believable style." Writing in the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, Stevenson similarly commented that "Mills does an excellent job of blending serious philosophical contemplation with middle-grades realities."

More "middle-grades realities" are served up in Mills's "West Creek Middle School" series, which was initiated with Losers, Inc. Ethan Winfield is twelve and figures that he is already a loser. So convinced is he, in fact, that he forms Losers, Inc., a club whose membership includes his buddy Julius, as unpopular and out of it as Ethan is. Ethan's self-esteem is not helped by the fact that his older brother, Peter, is perfect in everything he does; not only does he get straight A's, but he also excels at sports. Sudden motivation comes in the form of a beautiful new student teacher, Ms. Gunderson, who forces Ethan out of his love for being a loser. He even starts to work on a science project in order to impress her and takes on a hefty volume by Charles Dickens for his book report. The unpopular Lizzie gets a crush on him, and though he has been cruel to her in the past, along with the other kids, he is nice to her now just for Ms. Gunderson's sake, suffering the expected taunts from other children. Neither are things much better at home, and in the end, Ethan is not saved by some miraculous ending, but rather learns lessons about life and achieves new insights because of his own actions. "As usual, the author is particularly good at simple expression of complex characters and relationships," wrote Stevenson in a review for the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Robert Lipsyte, writing in the New York Times Book Review, however, felt that Mills's take on middle-grade angst was less than realistic: "When the meanest kids in school come up with a plan to enter one of Lizzie's poems in a fake national contest, and when the outcome is totally benign, devoid even of nasty comedy, we know we are in a no-kid's land." Other reviewers, though, had more praise for the book. Rochman, writing in Booklist, felt that "Mills writes here with touching comedy about a boy's muddle at home and at school." A contributor for Publishers Weekly called the book "funny, lively, and hopeful," and "certain to strike a chord with the target audience."

Ethan's best friend Julius is next featured—"wittily and winningly," according to a Publishers Weekly contributor—in You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman. Julius still feels like a loser, even though Ethan has suddenly found his own talents. With summer vacation coming up, Julius's mother decides to take things into her own hands and get her recalcitrant son in shape for the coming academic year. Such plans include a French class in the morning and a job babysitting in the afternoon. Through it all, Julius fears that he will once again disappoint his mother, but surprisingly he "ends up having a pretty decent time," according to Horn Book's Brabander. Julius begins to see the world differently and even finds a girlfriend. Ilene Cooper, writing in Booklist, felt that "Mills relates all this with her usual amusing take on things and makes Julius an endearing hero." The Publishers Weekly reviewer went on to call the book an "often poignant comedy" that "as a whole rings satisfyingly true." Frederick McKissack, Jr., writing in the Washington Post Book World, praised Mills "for creating a character that is both credible and unconventional." McKissack concluded, "Boys as nurturers? Another good direction in which to move the genre."

Lizzie gets her own title in the series with Lizzie at Last and is "determined to shake off her reputation as a nerd," as a reviewer for Publishers Weekly commented. To this end, she dons stylish jeans and acts like she does not know the answers in math class. Even her poetry takes a backseat as she strives to fit in, but finally Lizzie comes to her senses and back to herself during a visit to the rare book room of a library. The same Publishers Weekly reviewer noted that "Mills delivers a timely message to middle graders confronted with peer pressure." Similarly, Patti Gonzales, writing in School Library Journal, observed that "readers will empathize with this appealing protagonist and delight in her accomplishments." Horn Book's Brabander thought that "Mills excels at conveying the comforting news that everyone—popular or not—faces problems at school and at home," while Booklist's Kay Weisman concluded that the novel was "a solid, upbeat choice for the middle grades."

In the fourth book in the "West Creek Middle School" series, Mills brings the class clown, Alex Ryan, to center stage in "a touching and funny read," according to Laura Reed in a review of Alex Ryan, Stop That! for School Library Journal. Alex is upset when his father becomes a chaperone for a school outing, as he often makes fun of his son. Additionally, Alex falls for Marcia Faitak, one of the cutest girls in seventh grade, and his efforts to get her attention only alienate her. Then, trying to make things up to her, he only manages to get the girl's leg broken. His subsequent rescue makes him a hero, but soon the truth comes out that he was responsible for the accident in the first place. Booklist's Weisman predicted that with this latest installment, librarians should "expect requests for previous titles in this humorous series."

Writing for a slightly younger audience, Mills presents the difficulties of learning the multiplication tables in 7×9 = Trouble!, a "lighthearted story," according to Marilyn Ackerman in School Library Journal. As Mills noted on the Children's Book Guild Web site, she wrote the book "because both my boys had to memorize all the times tables when they were in the third grade, and it was a big ordeal! I thought it might be an experience a lot of kids could relate to." Mills added another real-life incident to this tale, the time when a child's hamster escaped from a classroom and was found eating all the kindergarten snacks. In her novel, third-grader Wilson is having trouble learning the multiplication tables, while his younger brother, still in kindergarten, is already starting to remember them. Wilson desperately wants to pass his multiplication test, as his friends have, so he can win an ice-cream cone from his teacher. Ackerman called this chapter book "entertaining," and one that "youngsters will relate to." Horn Book's Martha V. Parravano commented that "Mills has an unerring gift for identifying childhood challenges . . . and joys." And a critic for Kirkus Reviews found the book "an excellent selection for the new chapter book reader."

Mills further commented on the Children's Book Guild Web site that she has "always had another job while writing my books." Not only does she balance her work as a philosophy professor with her writing, but also her other "job" as mother to two sons. Writing, then, is more a "secret love" than labor for her. "Some writers say that they hate to write," Mills observed on the Farrar, Straus, & Giroux Web site. "I love to write. I write my books early in the morning, while the rest of my family is still sleeping. I get up at five a.m., fix myself a mug of hot chocolate or Earl Grey tea, and then curl up on the couch with my pad and pen." Mills writes all her first drafts by hand and usually composes about a page per day. "But page by page, day by day, on the couch at dawn, I've written many books now."

If Mills acknowledges that she has other jobs in addition to her writing, she also has more than one genre she writes in. Since the early 1990s, she has become well known as the author of beginning, independent-reader picture books. She has produced some stand-alone titles such as One Small Lost Sheep, about a young shepherd in Bethlehem who has lost a lamb. This Nativity tale "captures the mood with tenderness and warmth," according to Gail Hamilton, writing in Canadian Materials, and is "a beautiful tale," as Ursula Adams described it in Children's Book Review Service.

Much of Mills's picture book efforts, however, have gone into the numerous volumes in the "Gus and Grandpa" series, featuring seven-year-old Gus and his seventy-year-old grandpa. In the debut title, Gus and Grandpa, the two embark on adventures, like going shopping and losing their car in the parking lot, celebrating birthdays, and training a dog to do tricks. Reviewing that book in Booklist, Rochman praised the "simple, lovely words in short lines [that] will help beginning readers."

The duo makes sweets for themselves in Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies, but the neighbors have no idea about their cooking skills and supply the two with cookies galore at the holiday season. But never fear; Gus contributes the excess goodies to the local homeless shelter. Booklist's Cooper thought that the book offers "a nice holiday-season feeling, making its point about giving in a fresh way."

Gus's grandfather has a heart attack in Gus and Grandpa at the Hospital, but Gus overcomes his fear at seeing his helpless relative when he realizes he can play with the automated bed. Finally, the grandfather comes home and the two are relieved that they will have more time together once again. Writing in Booklist, reviewer Elizabeth Drennan found this title "just as pleasant as the others" in the series.

Mills "seems to get better and better with each new book," wrote Horn Book's Parravano in a review of Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike. Once again the grandfather displays his understanding when Gus is hesitant to surrender his training wheels. Gus gets inventive in Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell, in which the young boy brings his grandfather to school for show-and-tell. Lisa Smith, writing in School Library Journal, felt that "the warm, loving relationship Gus and Grandpa share shines through."

Sports are featured in Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, in which the old man helps his grandson focus during basketball games. More critical praise met this title. Louis Lahana, reviewing the book in School Library Journal, noted that it was "filled with fast-paced action and a bit of humor," as well as being "rich with lessons in persistence, achievement, and family relationships." "Simple without being condescending, this will have huge appeal for new readers," predicted Booklist critic Rochman.

Grandpa's "wisdom and good sense come through for grandson Gus" in Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume, according to Booklist's Stephanie Zvirin. When Gus's parents disapprove of his Halloween outfit, he turns to his grandfather and his trunk of old clothes for help. Describing the book's ending as "satisfying," a Kirkus Reviews critic offered warm words for the way in which "Mills quietly shows Gus solving his own problem."

Mills has been praised for being able to portray the needs of modern children and present their difficulties in a realistic fashion. As she noted on the Farrar, Straus, & Giroux Web site, this is mostly an early morning affair. "Between five and seven a.m. every day, I return to fifth grade, or sixth grade, sometimes even seventh, and, between sips of cocoa or tea, I bring that world to life again. And I love doing it."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 1985, pp. 66-67; January 1, 1987, review of The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton, p. 710; July, 1989, Phyllis Wilson, review of After Fifth Grade, the World!, p. 1906; May 15, 1991, p. 1799; November 15, 1993, p. 626; October 1, 1995, Hazel Rochman, review of Dinah Forever, p. 316; February 1, 1997, Hazel Rochman, review of Gus and Grandpa, p. 950; March 1, 1997, Hazel Rochman, review of Losers, Inc., p. 1165; September 1, 1997, Susan Dove Lempke, review of One Small Lost Sheep, p. 140; September 15, 1997, Ilene Cooper, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies, pp. 235-235; May 1, 1998, Kay Weisman, review of Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train, p. 1526; October 15, 1998, Hazel Rochman, review of Standing Up to Mr. O, p. 422; November 1, 1998, Elizabeth Drennan, review of Gus and Grandpa at the Hospital, p. 508; February 1, 1999, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike, p. 975; October 15, 1999, Ilene Cooper, review of You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, p. 446; October 1, 2000, Kathy Broderick, review of Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell, p. 352; November 1, 2000, Kay Weisman, review of Lizzie at Last, p. 540; November 15, 2001, Hazel Rochman, review of Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, p. 574; April 1, 2002, Julie Cummins, review of 7×9 = Trouble!, p. 1328; September 1, 2002, Stephanie Zvirin, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume, p. 140; April 1, 2003, Kay Weisman, review of Alex Ryan, Stop That!, pp. 1397-1398.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May, 1985, Catherine Wood, review of What about Annie?, p. 93; November, 1985, review of Boardwalk with Hotel; March, 1987; April, 1988, review of Cally's Enterprise,; April, 1991, Deborah Stevenson, review of Hannah on Her Way, pp. 200-201; February, 1992, p. 164; April, 1992, pp. 217-218; December, 1993, p. 130; January, 1995, Deborah Stevenson, review of The Secret Life of Bethany Barrett, p. 173; April, 1997, Deborah Stevenson, review of Losers, Inc., p. 290; October, 1998, Deborah Stevenson, review of Standing Up to Mr. O, p. 68.

Canadian Materials, February 27, 1998, Gail Hamilton, review of One Small Lost Sheep.

Children's Book Review Service, Ursula Adams, review of One Small Lost Sheep, p. 28.

Children's Literature in Education, September, 1990, Claudia Mills, "Capitalist Tools? Today's Entrepreneurial Novels for Children," pp. 189-197.

Horn Book, September-October, 1990, p. 603; August, 1992, p. 451; September-October, 1998, Jennifer M. Brabander, review of Standing Up to Mr. O, p. 613; March-April, 1999, Martha V. Parravano, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike, p. 211; September-October, 1999, Jennifer M. Brabander, review of You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, p. 614; November-December, 2000, Jennifer M. Brabander, review of Lizzie at Last, p. 760; November-December, 2001, Martha V. Parravano, review of Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, pp. 754-755; March-April, 2002, Martha V. Parravano, review of 7×9 = Trouble!, p. 215.

Junior Literary Guild, April-September, 1988, review of Cally's Enterprise.

Kirkus Reviews, September 1, 1998, review of Standing Up to Mr. O, p. 1289; March 1, 2002, review of 7×9 = Trouble!, p. 341; August 1, 2002, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Halloween Costume, p. 1138.

New York Times Book Review, June 8, 1997, Robert Lipsyte, review of Losers, Inc., p. 27.

Publishers Weekly, April 28, 1989, review of After Fifth Grade, the World!, p. 81; March 30, 1990, review of Dynamite Dinah, p. 62; January 20, 1997, review of Losers, Inc., p. 402; February 3, 1997, review of Gus and Grandpa, p. 107; July 26, 1999, review of You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, p. 91; October 7, 2000, review of Lizzie at Last, p. 96.

School Library Journal, May, 1985, Catherine Wood, review of What about Annie?, p. 93; September, 1985, Phyllis Graves, review of Boardwalk with Hotel, p. 137; December, 1986, Virginia Golodetz, review of The One and Only Cynthia Jane Thornton, p. 106; November, 1987, p. 106; April, 1989, p. 103; May, 1989, Susan Schuller, review of Cally's Enterprise, p. 99; July, 1990, pp. 77-78; May, 1991, Phyllis G. Sidorsky, review of Hannah on Her Way, p. 94; May, 1992, Jana R. Fine, review of Dinah for President, p. 114; June, 1992, p. 99; December, 1993, Cindy Darling Codell, review of Dinah in Love, p. 114; February, 1995, Bonnie L. Raasch, review of The Secret Life of Bethany Barrett, pp. 99-100; April, 1997, Susan W. Hunter, review of Losers Inc., p. 138, Jody McCoy, review of Gus and Grandpa, p. 114; October, 1997, Jane Marino, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Christmas Cookies, pp. 42-43; May, 1998, Lisa Gangemi, review of Gus and Grandpa Ride the Train, pp. 121-122; September, 1998, Pamela K. Bomboy, review of Gus andGrandpa at the Hospital, p. 177; December, 1998, Jennifer Ralston, review of Standing Up to Mr. O, p. 129; April, 1999, Maura Bresnahan, review of Gus and Grandpa and the Two-Wheeled Bike, p. 105; September, 1999, Terrie Dorio, review of You're a Brave Man, Julius Zimmerman, p. 277; August, 2000, Lisa Smith, review of Gus and Grandpa and Show-and-Tell, p. 160; November, 2000, Patti Gonzales, review of Lizzie at Last, p. 160; September, 2001, Louie Lahana, review of Gus and Grandpa at Basketball, p. 200; April, 2002, Marilyn Ackerman, review of 7×9 = Trouble!, p. 118; April, 2003, Laura Reed, review of Alex Ryan, Stop That!, p. 165.