Saturday, November 03, 2007

Interview with Janice Greene, author of Read My Lips

Read My Lips (2005) by Janice Greene
READING LEVEL 4.0
INTEREST LEVEL 6 to 12, Adult, ESL
ISBN-10: 1562547429
pages 32

Saddleback Educational Publishing, Inc., established in 1985, is a distributor of educational books that offers High Interest curriculum materials for grades K-12, adult, ESL and at-risk students. Janice Greene's book Read My Lips includes main Deaf character Lupe Herrera who has been sent to this particular police department as part of a job efficiency task force. The male detectives and officers are less than thrilled. They are rude, disrespectful and unfriendly. Lupe encounters sexism while working on assignment with the police department. She's almost ready to give up when she realizes that the cops could use her talents as a lip-reader to solve a crime. After demonstrating her talents to read lips, she is able to earn their respect and possibly find a little romance.

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Recently I had the opportunity to interview author Janice Greene about her book Read My Lips. Read the interview below.
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SPW: How did you decide to include a deaf character ? Have you met/ worked with any deaf individuals before?

JG: I've never spent much time with a deaf person, but my son is hard of hearing, and wears hearing aids.

SPW: Will you describe how you develop story ideas? What was your inspiration for Lupe?

JG: My inspiration for Lupe and "Read My Lips" was a 2001 film "Sur Mes Levres" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0274117/). In "Sur Mes Levres" the main character is a young woman who's able to read lips. She can understand what people say about her at a distance, and she can spy on them. I was very intrigued with that, and built the story around her capabilities.

SPW: How did you become an adolescent literature author?

JG: I'd been interested in writing and in 1982, a friend gave me the name of a helpful editor. I've been writing freelance ever since. I like writing for adolescents because they are so vulnerable, so wise and crazy and so alive.

SPW: What advice would you give to young people who are reading your books for the first time?

JG: No advice to anyone reading my stories. Just hope they like them.
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For more information about the book or to purchase Read My Lips, visit: http://www.sdlback.com/

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