Spinner, Stephanie 1943-

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SPINNER, Stephanie 1943-

PERSONAL: Born November 16, 1943, in Davenport, IA; daughter of Ralph (in business) and Edna (Lowry) Spinner. Education: Bennington College, B.A., 1964. Hobbies and other interests: Horses, painting, travel.

ADDRESSES: Home—Hickory Lane, Pawling, NY 12564. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Random House, 1745 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.

CAREER: Writer of children's and young adult books.

AWARDS, HONORS: Texas Bluebonnet Award, 1991, for Aliens for Breakfast.

WRITINGS:

JUVENILE

Water Skiing and Surfboarding, illustrated by Irwin Greenberg, Golden Press (New York, NY), 1968.

First Aid, illustrated by Harry McNaught, Golden Press (New York, NY), 1968.

(Adaptor) Popeye: The Storybook Based on the Movie, Random House (New York, NY), 1980.

(Adaptor) Dracula, illustrated by Jim Spence, Random House (New York, NY), 1982, 2005.

Raggedy Ann and Andy and How Raggedy Ann Was Born, illustrated by Carol Nicklaus, Bobbs-Merrill (Indianapolis, IN), 1982.

(Adaptor) Carlo Lorenzini, The Adventures of Pinocchio, illustrated by Diane Goode, Random House (New York, NY), 1983.

The Mummy's Tomb, Bantam (New York, NY), 1985.

(With Jonathan Etra) Aliens for Breakfast, illustrated by Steve Björkman, Random House (New York, NY), 1988.

(With Jonathan Etra) Aliens for Lunch, illustrated by Steve Björkman, Random House (New York, NY), 1991.

Little Sure Shot: The Story of Annie Oakley, illustrated by Jose Miralles, Random House (New York, NY), 1993.

Aliens for Dinner, illustrated by Steve Björkman, Random House (New York, NY), 1994.

(With Ellen Weiss) Gerbilitis, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Ellen Weiss) Sing, Elvis, Sing!, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1996.

(With Ellen Weiss) Born to Be Wild, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Ellen Weiss) Bright Lights, Little Gerbil, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Ellen Weiss) The Bird Is the Word, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1997.

(With Ellen Weiss) We're Off to See the Lizard, illustrated by Steve Björkman, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 1998.

Snake Hair: The Story of Medusa, illustrated by Susan Swan, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 1999.

The Magic of Merlin, illustrated by Valerie Sokolova, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Terry Bisson) Be First in the Universe, Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2000.

Monster in the Maze: The Story of the Minotaur, illustrated by Susan Swan, Grosset & Dunlap, 2000.

(Adaptor) Anna and the King, illustrated by Margaret Ayer, HarperTrophy (New York, NY), 2000.

(With Terry Bisson) Expiration Date: Never (sequel to Be First in the Universe) Delacorte Press (New York, NY), 2001.

Who Was Annie Oakley?, illustrated by Larry Day, Grosset & Dunlap (New York, NY), 2002.

Quiver, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2002.

King Arthur's Courage, illustrated by Valerie Sokolova, Golden Books (New York, NY), 2002.

It's a Miracle!: A Hanukkah Storybook, illustrated by Jill McElmurry, Atheneum Books for Young Readers (New York, NY), 2003.

My Side of the Story: Snow White, Disney Press (New York, NY), 2003.

Quicksilver, Alfred A. Knopf (New York, NY), 2005.

EDITOR

Rock Is Beautiful: An Anthology of American Lyrics, 1953–1968, Dell (New York, NY), 1969.

Feminine Plural: Stories by Women about Growing Up, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1972.

Live and Learn: Stories about Students and Their Teachers, Macmillan (New York, NY), 1973.

Motherlove: Stories by Women about Motherhood, Dell (New York, NY), 1978.

SIDELIGHTS: Stephanie Spinner has written and edited a wide variety of works for both children and young adults. Her books include collections of essays on feminist topics, retellings of classic stories, and humorous original chapter books. She has also edited the works of several prominent children's authors.

Spinner collaborated with Jonathan Etra on a series of three books about Richard Bickerstaff, a young science fiction fan, and Aric, a tiny alien secret agent. The two characters meet for the first time in Aliens for Breakfast. In this story, Richard tries the new Alien Crisp cereal and finds Aric in his bowl. The alien soon informs his friend that they must work together to rid the world of a common enemy—a bad alien disguised as the cool new kid at Richard's school. The heroes soon embark on a frantic search to find the one earthling household object that will prevent the evil alien from replicating himself and taking over the world. A Booklist reviewer praised the book for its "clever plotting, right-on characterization, and … jet-propelled pace."

In the first sequel, Aliens for Lunch, the greedy occupants of a distant planet have used up their resources of XTC-1000, the mysterious substance which makes desserts taste delicious. They threaten to steal the Earth's supply and doom the planet to eating bland desserts unless Richard and Aric can stop them. By chance, Richard stumbles upon the secret weapon that can repel the evil invaders: the celery sticks he always carries in his pocket. A writer for Kirkus Reviews appreciated the book's "brisk, imaginatively conceived action" and "rib-tickling dialogue," while Hazel Rochman noted in Booklist that "this is a story that will show smart new readers that books are fun." The intergalactic adventures of Richard and Aric continue in Aliens for Dinner, when they must save the Earth from being turned into a toxic amusement park by aliens that thrive on pollution.

Spinner's first book for older children is Quiver. Pop Matters reviewer Valerie MacEwan commented that the Web site had never reviewed books for children, but were changing that because "literature consumed by young readers can set the pace for a lifetime of preferences…. One good book should lead to another and spark some small curiosity flame in younger readers. Stephanie Spinner's Quiver is not just an excellent book, it's a stepping stone to Greek mythology."

Quiver is the story of Atalanta, whose father, King Iasus, was so disappointed that she was born a girl, he gave orders to leave her on a hillside to die. But the baby was rescued by the goddess Artemis, the Hunter, who sent a she bear to nurse the newborn. The girl grows up among peasants who are famous for their bows and arrows. She becomes a swift archer and hunter and, to repay Artemis, she has made a vow of chastity. As the story opens, she is sixteen and is the winner in the hunt of the Calydonian boar, and the only female competing. Her father, who is dying, sends for her, ordering that she wed and bear him an heir. Atalanta agrees to race each young man who would marry her, promising that she will wed the one who beats her, while any man who loses must die. Various gods turn up during the story, commenting on events as they unfold and making bets on the mortals. Ultimately Atalanta allows Hippomenes to win. Kliatt reviewer Claire Rosser said that Spinner "comes to this ancient story with respect for the traditional tales and with a somber language that seems fitting." Booklist's Gillian Engberg, who felt that this is a story with which teens will easily connect, wrote that Quiver "is a satisfying page-turner that retells history and myth with a feminist slant."

Another of Spinner's books for younger children, It's a Miracle!: A Hanukkah Storybook, is one in which Owen Block's grandmother tells him a story each night of Hanukkah. The six-year-old, who is now the family's official candle lighter, listens to his grandmother's zany tales about various people, including a dentist who trains a parrot named Dreidel, a girl who wants to become a rabbi, and a soldier who finds the five other Jewish families who live in his town in the phone book and calls them and asks them to pray for his sick wife. Along the way, hints are dropped that these people might actually be members of Owen's family, except perhaps not the alien in one of the stories. A Publishers Weekly contributor wrote that Spinner's "light touch virtually promises that readers of many faiths will be glad of a seat at Owen's table."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, May 15, 1978, p. 1478; February 15, 1984, p. 856; January 15, 1989; June 1, 1991, Hazel Rochman, review of Aliens for Lunch; February 1, 1994, p. 98; January 1, 1997, Shelley Towsend-Hudson, reviews of Gerbilitis and Sing, Elvis, Sing!, p. 862; December 1, 1999, Ilene Cooper, review of Snake Hair: The Story of Medusa, p. 716; August, 2001, GraceAnne DeCandido, review of Expiration Date: Never, p. 2122; January 1, 2003, Gillian Engberg, review of Quiver, p. 870; September 1, 2003, Ilene Cooper, review of It's a Miracle!: A Hanukkah Storybook, p. 136.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, May, 1973, p. 145; April, 1984.

Horn Book Magazine, March-April, 2005, Deirdre F. Baker, review of Quicksilver, p. 207.

Kirkus Reviews, September 15, 1972, p. 1106; May 1, 1991, review of Aliens for Lunch; September 1, 2002, review of Quiver, p. 1320; November 1, 2003, review of It's a Miracle!, p. 1320; April 1, 2005, review of Quicksilver, p. 426.

Kliatt, November, 2002, Claire Rosser, review of Quiver, p. 16; March, 2005, Claire Rosser, review of Quicksilver, p. 16.

Publishers Weekly, January 1, 1973, p. 57; July 29, 1996, review of Gerbilitis, p. 89; January 31, 2000, review of Be First in the Universe, p. 107; November 4, 2002, review of Quiver, p. 86; September 22, 2003, review of It's a Miracle, p. 66.

School Library Journal, August, 1982, p. 112; March, 1989; February, 1994, p. 98; July, 2001, Kay Bowes, review of Expiration Date, p. 89; May, 2002, Anne Chapman Callaghan, review of Who Was Annie Oakley?, p. 144; October, 2002, Angela J. Reynolds, review of Quiver, p. 173; October, 2003, Mara Alpert, review of It's a Miracle!, p. 68.

Voice of Youth Advocates, April, 2005, Timothy Capehart, review of Quicksilver, p. 62.