I once asked my very good friend, the late, great, Natalie Babbitt, why she didn’t write more. Natalie was always modest and self-deprecating to the extreme, but her answer at that time was, “People always tell me that Tuck Everlasting, is one of the best children’s books ever. How could I do better than that?”
When a writer has written a good number of books, it’s both understandable and even reasonable for readers to say, “My favorite book of yours is ______________.” And while it’s more than nice to know someone enjoyed one of your books, there is a downside to that compliment.
Instance: I had a friend who took it upon herself to read all my books. Whenever she read the latest and reported back to me, she’d always say. “I really liked ______________ but my favorite book of yours is still, No More Magic.” That is my first novel written in 1975. In other words, in all the years since, according to that loyal reader, I had not written anything better.
Not encouraging.
(Of late she has stopped reading my books.)
That said, at some point, when my writing career is over, perhaps someone will evaluate all my work (in an obituary?) and may well say, “Avi’s best book was ______________.” And maybe they will be right, though such a judgment is highly subjective. For I can also safely say I’m not aware of anyone who has read all of my books. So that when someone tells me that such and such is my best book, in my head I think (but never say) but did you read ______________?
When I talk to my young readers and sometimes adults, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “Of all the books you have written, what’s your favorite?”
My answer is, “The book I am working on.”
That is true.
I always want—and work—so that my current project will be the best. Will it be? It’s not for me to say. Readers (see above) will make that judgment.
And yet…and yet…A part of me does know. I have a new book that will be published next summer. Its title is The Secret Sisters. It is a particularly good book, one of my better ones. The book I finished just before that one is titled Fear. I felt it was so poor I did not offer it to any publisher.
Thinking that a work-in-progress can be good makes me work harder. It is exhausting if I sense a book is not that good.
I have two favorite remarks about the making of art.
“Art is not what you see but what you make others see.”
—Edgar Degas
“Art is never finished, only abandoned.”
—Leonardo Da Vinci
Nice work—if you can get it.
4 thoughts on “Avi, What’s Your Best Book?”
Dear Avi: I have not read all your books (yet) but I have read a good many of them, and I won’t be surprised when and if I do complete this task — I’m a big kid, age 67. I am currently in the middle of your two book set about Oliver Cromwell and his sister, Charity. I have been putting off Crispin, because I’m not sure I will like the setting. I lean more toward 18th Century Americana. I also enjoy your traitor tales. Of the books I have read, I can honestly say I really like them all. Your stories are those that the reader cannot put down. However, if I had to pick my favorite(s), it would be the two volume set “Escape From Home” and “Into The Storm”. My biggest complaint (which I actually wrote you about when I finished the books) was that I feel there is a need for at least a third volume to this story. I was looking forward to following this story as the subjects made their way out west. The ending just left me hanging. Give it some thought Avi, and please put out volume #3. Thanks for sharing your imagination with us.
I once agreed to do this but backed off when I couldn’t see my way through. Maybe someday I will.
Thanks for your kind thoughts. Have you read LOYALTY? 18th cent to the hilt.
I’ve always enjoyed Tuck Everlasting and was a young teacher when I was invited to an early release showing to see the movie. I was then able to take my 5th grade class on a fieldtrip to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood to see the movie. Ever since then, I’ve always been hopeful that I’d be able to do the same for The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. As we’ve now started the new school year and are five chapters in, those thoughts have again resurfaced.
Reading your thoughts on your book Fear just makes me want to read it. It also reminds me of a story I’ve heard you tell to my class a couple of times about a scary story you wrote years ago and gave to your publisher. They gave it back to you and told you it was too scary to ever publish as a kids book. A few years later they called you and decided to revisit it. Yet, you couldn’t find it. I believe you had recently found it when telling my class about it and were deciding to possibly edit and resubmit it. I always enjoy insights into your work like this.