Individual Characters

As a writer, I've always struggled with making my characters unique with their own dialects and mannerisms. Many kids books are successful at this difficult skill, such as Lynn Reid Banks', "Indian in The Cupboard," Ingrid Law's "Savvy," and the sixteen different characters from Paul Fleishman's "Bull Run." But the author who's done this most recently is Kathryn Stockett with her best selling novel, "The Help."

This story is told from three different view points. Although she only labels the first chapter of a few when she changes the point of view, it's easy to pick up the book and know whose head you're in because each character is so unique. Sometimes when authors make the best seller list, I question the writer's talents, but not with Stockett. Her prominent place on the book shelves is well deserved.