|
text only
Baltimore County Public Library Home Page
Kid's Pages >
Meet the Authors > James Howe
|
Biography
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
|
Some Books by James Howe
| 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 |
|
|
James Howe visited the Baltimore
County Public Library on April 9 and 10, 2002.
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.
Authors
| Favorites
| Got
Homework? | Nature and Animals
Science
and Weather | Sports
|
Stories |
Summer
Reading
|
What's Hot
Baltimore
County Public Library, Towson Maryland USA
Last Revised:
26 March 2009
Feedback |
|
|
|
