Ethan Interviews Kate Forsyth

Kate Forsyth is an Australian author who has written loads of books for kids. She is doing a big blog tour at the moment so I have asked her a bunch of tricky questions for her visit to my dad's blog.

Her latest book is called The Puzzle Ring and it is really cool. It is all about a girl called Hannah whose father has disappeared. She finds out that there is a curse on her family and she travels from Australia to her ancestral home in Scotland to try to solve the mystery.

Yesterday Kate was at Steph Bowe's Hey Teenager blog and tomorrow she will pop up at Tales of Whimsy. Check her out there if you can.

EP: I am 11 years old. What books did you read when you were my age?

KF: When I was your age I loved reading so much, I read my way through the entire library at my primary school. My favourite writers were Susan Cooper and the Dark is Rising, Ursula le Guin and the Wizard of Earthsea, J.R.R Tolkien and the Hobbit, Lloyd Alexander and the Prydain Chronicles, Elisabeth Goudge and The Little White Horse, plus lots o mystery and adventure books – the Famous Five, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden ...

EP: I really like the cover of your book. Does the book have different covers in different countries?

KF: No, its the same cover – and this si the first time that ahs happened. All my other books have different covers in all the different countries. Sometimes they even have different names!

EP: Hannah is a cool heroine. Is she anything like you?

KF: Well, I don’t have red hair, nor am I left-handed, and I can’t sing or play guitar either. I’d like to! I do like making up rhymes though, and solving secret codes, and I do like reading fantasy books, so in some ways we’re similar.

EP: What do readers in Australia think of the Scottish storyline?

They think its fascinating! Kids here don’t know much about Scottish history, but they all like stories with battles and bloody murder and betrayal in them – and the tales of the Fair Folk are just fantastic!

EP: Do kids over there know much about the history you are playing around with in the book?

KF: Kids in Scotland didn’t know it either! When I was in Scotland last year talking to lots of kids about the book, they were all amazed that an Australian knew more about their history than they did.

EP: When you finally made it to Scotland where your family come from what did you think of it?

KF: I loved it so much. It was just how I imagined it would be – which happens so rarely! I’d love to buy a castle there ... maybe one day ...

EP: Did you try some tablet?

KF: Not sure I know what you mean ....

EP: Are all the books you have written in Australia published over here?

KF: No, not at all. I’ve written 23 books all up, ranging from picture books to poetry to books for adults. I hope one day all will be published in the UK, though...

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The Puzzle Ring by Kate Forsyth is published by Scholastic and is out now in all good bookshops. If your bookshop doesn't have it then it is obviously rubbish and you should shop somewhere else. So there.

Oh, and tablet is a bit like fudge and you get it from Scotland. My gran is from Scotland and we have some when we go round her house.

Comments

[Matthew]

Tablet. What a memory. My Scottish Granny used to make this. It was wonderful. Kate realy missed out if she didn't have any on her trip to Scotland. Thanks for reminding me of this Ethan.

[Richard Whittle]

Kate Forsyth's big blog tour - what a super idea! As for tablet, I've lived in Scotland for ten years and never had the courgage to eat any (but I love fudge, so perhaps I should try some). My son once ate a deep-fried Mars Bar, though. It was covered in batter before it was fried. So far I have managed to avoid those too (I haven't actually seen one but I know they exist - rather like the Loch Ness Monster).

[Ken]

Poor Kate, not to have tasted tablet! This is the recipe I use http://scruss.com/tablet.html
I take no responsibility for any dental bills, heart attacks are type 2 diabetes incurred by anyone who follows the link.
No, really. I love tablet but it's sweeter than sugar. Just looking at the ingredients gives me a sugar rush.

[Ella Press]

Awesome interview, very funny! That tablet sounds delicious, I'd love to try it!

Thanks Ethan and Kate!
Ella