Q & A With Author Ann Brashares
March 11, 2004 -- The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares is the latest selection in Good Morning America's "Read This!" series, and it was selected by the Mother Daughter Book Club of Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
The book is about four 16-year-old girls, all best friends, who begin their summers, hoping for romance, friendship and the magic of thrift-store jeans.
You e-mailed us about the book and now author Ann Brashares has answered your questions as part of an online Q & A.
Q: My daughter read both of your books and loved them. Will there be a third? If so, when? — Diane, Monroe, NY 10950
Ann Brashares: I am so glad she enjoyed them. I am currently finishing up a third book about the sisterhood entitled, Girls in Pants, which will be published in early 2005. And I am eagerly planning a fourth book as well.
Q: A mother-daughter book club sounds like a great idea. As the mother of three daughters, we have always talked among ourselves about what we were all reading. Even if it meant mom reading a book that the third grade teacher required! It has been one of the best things we do, even if it has not been an organized event. It started out of my memory of having a mom who did not enjoy reading and being a child who loved books dearly. The second and third daughters have probably received less attention than the first one, but we will always talk about books. We will always have a library card.
I enjoyed both sisterhoods. I think I bought the first one as a gift for daughter 3/3. I think I hope and pray that the characters stay fun, interesting, and clean! It is extremely hard to find real girls, in real life situations, that I would want my daughters to be friends with. They can bring these girls home. No one is perfect, but they can come in and hang. — Laurie, Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Ann Brashares: I agree that a love of reading is a great gift for a parent to pass on to his or her child. When I turned fifteen, I remember my father gave me a credit card which I was allowed to use for two things: emergencies and books. His love of reading certainly inspired mine.
Best of all, I think, are parents and kids reading books together Not only is it a source of great pleasure, but it gives parents and children common experience and a lot of material for discussion. Sometimes it's easier to talk about characters in a book as a starting point for one's own feelings.
Q: How did you come up with this great idea to have a group of friends' friendship to be portrayed in an intelligent pair of pants? I love this book, the first one and the second one. My comment on the mother daughter book clubs is that it is a great idea! For mothers/daughters who like to read, can now read together an interesting book, and now with reading with each other, this book will give them something to talk about so they can get along and talk more often like mothers and daughters should. Thank you. You are my favorite author. — Sincerely, Melanie, Rochester, N.H.
Ann Brashares: Thank you! The idea for the Traveling Pants began in a conversation with a friend. I love writing about teenage girls and I love writing about friendship. The beauty of the Pants, for me, was finding a way to tie together a group of disparate characters and themes, to create a rich and varied world that was united by something concrete and simple.
I agree that mother/daughter book clubs are a wonderful idea. I wish I'd had one with my mother (maybe it's not too late!) and I absolutely plan on having one with my daughter when she gets older.
Q: I know you've probably heard this already, but how about movies on your two well-written books? I think it really would be a success. Hey, if you ever need someone to play a role I'm always available!! —Cristina, Little Chute, Wisc.
Ann Brashares: I am excited to report that there is a movie in the works for The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. It is set to begin filming this spring and will hopefully be out in theaters by the summer of 2005.
Q: I loved all the traveling pants books, and can't wait to see a third one! As you know, you wrote the books on the experiences that you had as a teen with your friends. If you had to say which teen you were who would it be? —Amanda, Bethesda, Md.
Ann Brashares: I wouldn't say that any of the characters is based specifically on me, though I feel that there is a lot of me in each of them. I share some of Carmen's life experience, some of Lena's shyness, and some of Tibby's caution. I don't know exactly what I share with Bee, but she is a lot of fun to write about.
I hope you'll enjoy the third book too!