2. NANCY FARMER

3.  Born in, 1949, in Phoenix.  Lived in the hotel that her parents owned in Yuma.  By the time she was in first grade she could read at an eighth grade level.  Severely dyslexic, but no one knew what dyslexia was.  Got her BA from Reed College. Basic Biographical Information

4. Writing Career  Didn’t start writing until she was 40.  After she graduated from Reed College she went into the Peace Corps in Zimbabwe.  After she had her son, Daniel, she was no longer allowed to go back to the fighting and active duty.  Ms. Farmer suffered from postpartum depression.  4 years after Daniel’s birth, she wrote her first short story after reading one of Daniel’s children’s books.  Submitted one of her earliest stories to the Writers of the Future Contest, while still in Africa. The story won, and she was flown back to the U.S. where she became a big time author

5. Africa VS. America  Her tales about America sold the best in Africa.  She had not been home to America since 1963. She wrote of the 60s’ hippies.  When she came home those stories were obsolete.  “It was dead easy to sell things in Africa. They were desperate, so I was spoiled rotten. I could write anything and they would publish it, pay me immediately, and give me royalties. It was lovely.” ~Nancy Farmer  Her early tales of Africa sold better than her early tales of the USA.  She found that she could no longer write about the USA, since she had been gone for 17 years.  Her stories of the far off, distant land of Zimbabwe were interesting and exotic to her readers in her homeland.  Getting published wasn’t nearly as easy Sales

6. Works of Literature Nancy Farmer has written 10 novels, 3 picture books, and 8 short stories  The Mirror  Lorelei: The Story of a Bad Cat  Do You Know Me?  A Warm Place  The Land of Silver Apples  The Islands of the Blessed  “Tapiwa’s Uncle”  “Origami Mountain”  “Falada: the Goose Girl's Horse”  “Remember Me”  “Bella’s Birthday Present”  “The Mole Cure”  “Ticket to Ride”  “Castle Othello”  Casey Jones's Fireman  Clever Ali

7. The House of the Scorpion This was Nancy Farmer’s inspiration for El Patrón’s mansion. The Sanguinetti House A thrilling sci-fi novel for all ages. A sequel coming soon.

8. Works Cited Nancy Farmer’s official home page. Weebly. 7/14/2010