Meet Deborah Blumenthal, Author of A Different Me, The Lifeguard, The Blue House Dog and other stories
Deborah Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and nutritionist who writes books for children and adults. She has been a regular contributor to The New York Times (including four years as the Sunday New York Times Magazine beauty columnist), and a home design columnist for Long Island Newsday. Her health, fitness, beauty, travel, and feature stories have appeared widely in many other newspapers and national magazines including New York's Daily News, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Woman's Day, Family Circle, Self, GQ, and Vogue.
Her latest picture book, THE BLUE HOUSE DOG, was the winner of the Missouri Show Me Readers Award for 2012-2013.
Blumenthal is the author of four young adult novels: FAT CAMP, THE LIFEGUARD, MAFIA GIRL, and her most recent YA novel, A DIFFERENT ME, published by Albert Whitman & Co. on September 1st.
Blumenthal lives in New York City.
Her latest picture book, THE BLUE HOUSE DOG, was the winner of the Missouri Show Me Readers Award for 2012-2013.
Blumenthal is the author of four young adult novels: FAT CAMP, THE LIFEGUARD, MAFIA GIRL, and her most recent YA novel, A DIFFERENT ME, published by Albert Whitman & Co. on September 1st.
Blumenthal lives in New York City.
BBB: What inspired you to become an author?
DB: Actually my first book was a picture book called, “The Chocolate-Covered-Cookie Tantrum.” I was inspired to write it after my younger daughter was three years old and she had a horrible tantrum after a play date.
BBB: How did you come up with the idea for your book, A Different Me?
DB: I’ve always felt that the teenage years are really tough ones, especially if you’re not one of the most popular kids in school. You’re not in touch with who you are yet, you feel as though everyone else has it more together than you do, and inevitably if you’re not popular you blame it on something about yourself that you’re unhappy with –fat thighs, a bump on your nose, acne, or any number of other “faults,” we see when we look in the mirror. When I wrote, A Different Me, I wanted to explore all the painful issues that teens live with on their way to becoming more secure about who they are.
BBB: Tell us about your main character.
DB: Allie is smart and successful in school, but she’s fixated on the bump on her nose, and she blames it for the fact that she’s unhappy and unpopular. When she goes online to find other people interested in having their noses done, she meets two other girls her age who also want the surgery, but for very different reasons.
DB: I’ve always felt that the teenage years are really tough ones, especially if you’re not one of the most popular kids in school. You’re not in touch with who you are yet, you feel as though everyone else has it more together than you do, and inevitably if you’re not popular you blame it on something about yourself that you’re unhappy with –fat thighs, a bump on your nose, acne, or any number of other “faults,” we see when we look in the mirror. When I wrote, A Different Me, I wanted to explore all the painful issues that teens live with on their way to becoming more secure about who they are.
BBB: Tell us about your main character.
DB: Allie is smart and successful in school, but she’s fixated on the bump on her nose, and she blames it for the fact that she’s unhappy and unpopular. When she goes online to find other people interested in having their noses done, she meets two other girls her age who also want the surgery, but for very different reasons.
BBB: What are you currently working on?
DB: I just finished another young adult novel that my agent recently submitted to a number of editors. I’ll tell you more as soon as it’s sold!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
DB: My website is www.deborahblumenthal.com
DB: I just finished another young adult novel that my agent recently submitted to a number of editors. I’ll tell you more as soon as it’s sold!
BBB: How can readers discover more about you and your work?
DB: My website is www.deborahblumenthal.com
