Author Jenny Han Visits Nightingale

by Nora Lidell, Middle School Librarian

Jenny Han, New York Times best-selling author, spoke at the Nightingale Middle School assembly on Tuesday, January 24. Ms. Han is the author of four popular books for young people, and her fifth book, Burn for Burn, is scheduled to be released in September. Burn for Burn will be the first book in a new trilogy that promises to be darker than “The Summer Series,” although it takes place in a similar beach setting. Ms. Han was kind enough to read an excerpt from an advance copy, which undoubtedly thrilled the audience of girls.

In my introduction of our visitor, I talked about her first book, Shug, and explained its pronunciation as "hug with an 's.'" When Ms. Han then took the stage, however, she began her talk by telling us how most people mispronounced the name of that very book! As it turns out, Shug is short for sugar. “It’s a southern thing,” she graciously told me afterward as I was apologizing. “Not to worry, no New Yorker has ever gotten it right.”

When not writing, Ms. Han works in the library at Calhoun on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. She told the girls that she cannot write on those days because she arrives home exhausted and in need of a long rest. However, working in the library allows her to keep her finger on the pulse of her audience and gives her access to all the newest books.

After the assembly, Ms. Han led the combined Class VI in a writing exercise based on the “show, don’t tell” principle; she certainly proved herself to be a good teacher as well as an excellent writer. Ms. Han answered questions about her life as a writer and stayed to sign autographs for the girls—it was a great visit.