BCPL Meet the Authors - James Howe page.
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James Howe says he doesn't believe he was born to write. When he was seven or eight he would have told you he was born to ride. Back then, he wanted to be a jockey. Those dreams were dashed when his mother told him that she had calculated his adult height at 6' 4" (he turned out to be 6' 2"). She suggested that he become a writer. James thought that was something you did for fun, not for a living. So for years he wrote for fun.
When he was nine or ten, he wrote a play based on the "Blondie" comic strip. He also wrote short stories and self-published newspapers. His favorite was a newsletter for a club he founded: Vampire Legion. The newspaper was called the Gory Gazette.
At Boston University, where he majored in theater, he wrote more plays. He then moved to New York City and pursued a career as an actor and model, appearing in commercials. He also directed plays and worked as a literary agent for playwrights and other writers.
One day in the mid-70's he dreamed up the character of a vampire rabbit named Bunnicula. He thinks all the movie versions of Dracula might have been the inspiration for Bunnicula, but it was his wife Deborah who suggested he write a children's book about him. Sadly, Deborah died of cancer shortly after Bunnicula was published. Based on his experiences and observations during Deborah's illness, he wrote The Hospital Book. Since then he has written more books about the Bunnicula characters, including Howliday Inn, The Celery Stalks at Midnight, Nighty-Nightmare, and Return to Howliday Inn.
In 1981 Mr. Howe began writing full-time. Besides the Bunnicula books, he has written a series of mysteries featuring thirteen-year-old sleuth, Sebastian Barth. He has also created a series of short chapter books about two best friends named Pinky and Rex. Other works include picture books, novels, nonfiction, adaptations of classic stories, and screenplays for movies and television. Recently he published his first young adult novel, The Watcher followed by his second young adult novel, The Misfits.
Over the years James Howe has learned that there's more to being a children's author than writing books. There's the thrill of seeing each idea develop. There's the satisfaction of receiving letters from readers and the pleasure of meeting them face-to-face. He has come to realize that there's more to writing than his own amusement. There's the reward of fun that's shared. And you can make a living at it!
So, there's a moral to this story: except when she's telling you to eat mushrooms, listen to your mother!
Used with permission of Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
| Juvenile Fiction (J) | Picture Books (E) |
|---|---|
| Bunnicula: a Rabbit Tale of Mystery | Horace and Morris, but Mostly Dolores |
| Bunnicula Strikes Again! | There's a Dragon in My Sleeping Bag |
| Celery Stalks at Midnight | There's a Monster Under My Bed |
| Howliday Inn | I Wish I Were a Butterfly |
| Nighty-Nightmare | |
| Return to Howliday Inn | |
| Sebastian Barth Mysteries | |
| Dew Drop Inn | |
| Eat Your Poison, Dear | |
| Stage Fright | |
| What Eric Knew | |
| Pinky and Rex series | |
| Morgan's Zoo | |
| Teddy Bear's Scrapbook | |
| Young Adult Fiction | |
| Watcher | |
Note: This page was created by BCPL and is an informational page only. The Baltimore County Public Library does not sponsor any authors, and does not have contact information for them. If you wish to get in touch with a particular author we suggest you contact that author's publisher for more information.
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This page is provided by the Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Maryland USA.
The text version of this page was last revised on
26 August 2008.
The graphics version of this page was last revised on
26 August 2008.
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