Hi, everybody. I'm Debbie Roppolo, award winning author, mischief maker, and your guide on our journey behind the covers. I've been thinking lately. Yeah, I know that's sometimes a little bit scary, me thinking too much. But at some point in our lives, each and every one of us struggle with popularity, especially during our school years. And I know especially for me, it started just about whenever I hit the third grade
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:37
I've always been a big fan of Judy Bloom, all of her books, but I never was happy with the way the character Linda was treated in her book blubber. It just hit a little bit too close to home for me. And I've got to say, it was really refreshing to read the year of Penny and to see the other side of the coin, if you will, to see what it's like from the bullied student's perspective
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 1:09
You. I was really motivated by my children and watching them go through just typical childhood experiences that brought back so many memories for me. And I think I wanted to speak into different situations in a creative and imaginative way. And pen just sort of came to life in my head, and it was like she was a real little person that I was watching, and I just needed to write down what she was doing
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 1:05
We want to know that we fit in. I think that's something that we all understand. And so for Penny, I think her deep desire to be popular is a universal desire, in that maybe we don't think of it in terms of popularity, but that same foundation of I want to be accepted is beneath all of that
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:18
It. You really brought the 80s back to life in this book. The 80s is an era that I miss. Yeah, I know. I'm telling how old I am. But getting back on topic, I'm just curious, why this time frame? Why the 80s?
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 0:35
You. I miss the 80s, too. I chose the. It was such a simpler time, no technology really, to speak of. If we wanted to communicate with friends, we did it face to face or perhaps passed a note. It was just a simpler time. And I think kids today are longing for a little less chaos and something simpler, and I think the 80s appeals to them because of that
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:22
Nosy little soul that I am. I looked through some of the reviews of your book, and some of your readers say that it's a hard book to put down. I agree you do a great job in pulling people into the storyline. But I'm curious, is there a message you want everyone to get from the year of Penny?
Swell Team
@Swell · 0:15
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 1:04
And if we want to calm those fires, we need to learn how. How to not do that, how to respond in a way that says, I forgive. And I think there's a lot of growth that can happen in forgiveness
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:16
Most authors are inspired by other authors. I know two authors who inspire me are Irma Bombeck and Beverly Cleary. So I want to know what authors inspired
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 1:34
Oh, so many. You know, I took probably about a decade before I started writing children's literature to just immerse myself in reading children's literature and just become a student of the library. And that was immensely helpful in my writing journey. Some standouts, I guess, would be Elizabeth Prentice. Of course, she's a long ago author, but she could tell a beautiful story in such an engaging, soft way
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:23
You being a mom, wife and author is hectic. I think we can both agree on that. I know. Personally, sometimes I feel like I'm on a treadmill coated with cooking oil, trying to get everything done. So what does your day look like? How do you find time to write?
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 2:09
And just to have the discipline to sit down to do it while trying to also be teaching my children, who fortunately are really avid readers and they also love to write. And that for me is super helpful because then we can all be doing these activities as a real gift. But it's really something that I found I can't just fit it in. It has to be priority
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:32
Laurie, thank you so much for joining me today on behind the covers. It has been a privilege getting to talk to you and getting to know you a little bit better. And I appreciate you sharing your book and your writing journey with us. There is one more question I would like to ask. Is there anything that's silly or funny, quirky about you that you would like to share that not everyone knows?
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 0:48
You, Debbie. If you asked my husband that, he could probably list 5000 quirky things about me. Let me think. Well, you know I'm a left handed, generally barefooted gal who loves the woods in nature. That's where you can most often find me. But one thing people maybe don't know about me because if you met me today, you would probably think. Think I was, oh, I don't know, a bit of a homebody
Debbie Roppolo
@Pecansprings · 0:08
Hey, Laurie, one more question before we go. I'm just curious, are there any more adventures in store for penny?
Laurie Pluimer
@PennyBooks · 0:48
I'm glad you asked. Oh, yes, we haven't heard the last from Penny. In fact, coming this summer, hopefully, is her next adventure, which is her fifth grade year. Penny, fifth grader extraordinaire. And I love this tale of her as we watch her ups and down again. But there are some pretty big twists and turns in store for Penny that I think the readers are going to love, so be on the lookout for that