'The best books, reviewed with insight and charm, but without compromise.'
- author Jackie French

Saturday 27 July 2013

12 Curly Questions with author/illustrator Adam Wallace

1. Tell us something hardly anyone knows about you. 
My credit card details are ... hey! Hang on a minute! I'm onto you! Here's something else. Sometimes I wear my left sock on my right foot, and my right sock on my left foot. That was true, but not very interesting. So here's another thing ... this one time at band camp ... oh no, wait, that was someone else. Okay. Here we go. A good one. I have read the books of The Karate Kid 2 and The Goonies about 20 times each.

2. What is your nickname? 
Wally. Or Foxy.

3. What is your greatest fear? 
Nutella. It freaks me out.

4. Describe your writing style in ten words. 
Fun, free-flowing, an organic and natural process.

5. Tell us five positive words that describe you as a writer. 
Funny, genuine, bit geeky, fearless.

6. What book character would you be, and why? 
He's actually a real person, but I discovered him in a book ... Harpo Marx. His autobiography, Harpo Speaks, is the best book I have ever read, and his joy of life and willingness to have fun and surround himself with laughter in even the hardest times is inspiring.

7. If you could time travel, what year would you go to and why? 
2017, to accept my Academy Award.

8. What would your ten-year-old self say to you now? 
Probably nothing because I was so shy back then. But, if I have to choose something, it would be ... You did well to get rid of the bowl cut, Dude.

9. Who is your greatest influence? 
The kids I write for.

10. What/who made you start writing? 
I was bored as an engineer and decided I wanted to work with kids. So I started writing, I hosted kid's parties, and I got my Primary Teaching Dip Ed. Writing won out over the other things (The Peter Pan costume ruled out the party hosting).

11. What is your favourite word and why? 
Awesome ... because it's, well, awesome and just reeks of joy. I also like smappy, which is a combination of smiling and happy.

12. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life, what would it be? 
Question does not compute, as the old tv show's robot used to say. Hear hear.


Adam Wallace is an author/illustrator of picture books and junior fiction. His latest book, Pete McGee and the Master of Darkness, is the third book in the Pete McGee trilogy and was released in July 2013. You can find out more about Adam and his work, including a sample chapter of Pete McGee and the Master of Darkness, at his website, or connect via Facebook at the Adam Wallace and his books page.

If you are an author or illustrator who thinks they are BRAVE enough to answer our questions, 
OR if there is an author or illustrator you would like to hear from, LET US KNOW! 
We will see if they are up to the task. Just email: anouskaATkids-bookreviewDOTcom