Anne Schraff Message Board
annie here posts on 4/20/2008 1:13:02 PM
Biography of (me) Anne Schraff
I learned to read at age three and a half because I was tired of having to ask people to read all the funny papers to me. Once I knew how to read, I gobbled up books like most kids devour cookies. I soon figured that if reading was this much fun, writing had to be even better. And it was. I begged a typewriter from my mom and banged out stories every day. I was sure I'd sell them all and be the richest nine-year-old on my block. My first story was titled "Orchards for Linda." It was a tearjerker about a poor girl who had to buy her own flowers on a date. I mailed it to a big magazine and waited for the check. When it came back all bent up and rejected, I cried. But not for long. The next day I sent out another story. I spent my whole childhood writing stories and getting them back. Finally, when I was starting college, I sold my first story. I told everybody on my street that I was—at last—a writer. I told the mailman, the grocer, the pastor of our church. I walked on air for about a week. Since then I've sold hundreds of stories and more than 35 books. Ideas come at me from all sides. Once, I saw a dusty marble statue in an old antique store. It seemed to come to life before my eyes. Soon I wrote a story about a long-dead teacher returning to his school as a ghost to save some kids. It was called The Haunting of Hawthorne. One day I saw a sad sight across the street from our house. A young girl hugged her mother—but the mother didn't hug her back. This stayed in my mind as I wrote Please Don't Ask Me to Love You. Every day on my way to teach school, I passed a little market on a run-down street. The owner of the market, a friendly black man in his 70, would often wave to me. One day when I passed, I noticed the market was closed. The man who owned the market had been murdered. The newspaper story told of a kindly soul who had been a blessing to the neighborhood. I remembered him when I wrote “When a Hero Dies”. As I write my stories, I see the faces of so many students I have taught. They often shared their dreams with me. Their fears and joys became part of my day. In every book I write, there are little bits and pieces of wonderful people who were brave and fearful, funny and sad, hopeful and without hope. When I begin to write, a weird thing happens. The characters come to life and tell me their stories. I am writing down what is happening to these people. Often I'm surprised. I'll think, "Wow—I didn't know she was that kind of person!" Sometimes I'll start a story about a bad character and that person will turn out to be a hero. Writing is the biggest joy of my life. Every day I am thankful for having the chance to tell stories. I sometimes feel like a magic flute. I am blowing, but somebody else is making the music.
daniel ketz posts on 4/20/2008 1:04:58 PM
i need person info on anne schraff date of birth/death if she has children place of birth ect... please help i need it for a book report thank you
elizabeth posts on 4/17/2008 7:29:58 PM
Where are you from. Who are you . I have a report due on you tomorroe.
Sheri posts on 4/16/2008 10:00:55 PM
Check out this link for more info about Anne Schraff - there's even a photo:
(perfection learning dot com) - I was not able to list the URL here.
shonteria posts on 4/1/2008 8:20:49 PM
when did you first start writing books
Anonymous posts on 4/1/2008 12:45:35 PM
your awsome i love your books
i love your books posts on 3/31/2008 12:47:01 PM
I loved your book Ghost Boy it was very interesting my friends and I didnt want to stop reading your book even when our teacher kept on yelling at us. thanks for writing that book it was GREAT!!
matthew posts on 3/14/2008 3:18:40 PM
Please write more books.
Please Please write more books!
ANGEL posts on 3/8/2008 7:57:47 PM
Hi I am a sophmore and I just wanted to say that I love your bluford seris books. I am on the 4th one and I can't stop. I usually hated to read and had a really low reading score but ever since I started reading your books my teachers say I have been improving alot. I can read alot faster too. I finished the 3rd one in 2 hours. My mother is so happy. Thank you so much Ms. Schraff
-Angel Lewis
HomeSchooling Mom posts on 3/4/2008 7:50:42 AM
To DWALTERS: please note my posting of 1/11/08. Have your daughters read "Please Don't Ask Me to Love You" or "When a Hero Dies"? Both were based on observations by Anne Schraff of sights she saw on an ordinary day. Profound how something so simple can be woven into an incredible story.
Click Here for Messages:
1 - 10
11 - 20
21 - 30
31 - 40
41 - 50
51 - 60
61 - 70
71 - 80
81 - 90
91 - 100
101 - 110
111 - 120
121 - 130
131 - 140
141 - 150
151 - 160
Note: the views expressed here are only those of the posters.
