Interview with Children's #Book #Author Galia Oz #dogtrouble

Galia Oz was born in Kibbutz Hulda, Israel, in 1964. She studied film and Television in Tel Aviv University 1984-87.

Her award winning series of 5 books titled DOG TROUBLE was published in France, Spain and Brazil – and recently in the US by CROWN BOOKS Random House. The series is a steady seller in Israel for over 10 years (selling over 150,000 copies). 

Oz has directed several documentaries, all screened in international film festivals, and in Israeli leading television channels.

Over the years, Galia Oz has been meeting thousands of readers in Israeli elementary schools, and taught creative writing and classic children's literature to kids in public libraries.

Galia Oz is married and has two kids, a dog and a cat, and they all live in Ramat Hasharon, just outside Tel-Aviv.

Visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009378865434.

Thanks for this interview, Galia.  I’ve always admired children book authors (why I started this blog).  When did you determine that writing for children was for you?

Galia: Thank you for hosting me.

I never made an informed decision to write for children. I believe that writing is not something a person decides to do but something that happens to him, sort of like falling in love. If you have no choice and the story is boiling inside of you, waiting to escape, you will inevitably be a writer. You can perfect the technique, you can learn how to polish it, but underneath it all lays a rather irrational impulse.

Like the most of us, I probably have some unresolved issues with my childhood. Writing is my way to fix it, I guess. I've invented this world where I become an assertive and happy girl like Julie, the protagonist of the series.

What was the inspiration behind your children’s book for young readers, Dog Trouble!?

Galia: I wanted to write for children in the tradition of the books I grew up on, which had strong characters like Huckleberry Finn or Anne Shirley. I was looking for a voice that challenged the reader, that addressed the child's soul without preaching morality. Oh, and I wanted to be funny!

Part of it was to allow the protagonists to be imperfect, to fearlessly give up the fairy-tale ending and make place for a more true to life ending, and not to have the adults be the ones to put all the pieces together. And to show that they, too, have their weaknesses.

I cannot imagine my life without good realistic literature. Children deserve to read such literature, too, and contrary to our fears, it will only build their confidence. They get the opportunity to open a book and say to themselves: "Hey, I'm not the only one in trouble. The whole human race is.”

How do you get into the mind of a child to create a fun reading experience?  Are you around kids?  Are you a kid at heart?

Galia: In Israel, my books are quite well known, and in the last ten years I have been trekking across the country to meet with my readers in public schools and libraries. My two children are grown up now, but we still hang out and have laughs together. And I have six little nieces and nephews who come to visit and I read them piles of Dr. Seuss.

So I'm surrounded by children, but I never try to become a child when I write. I listen only to my strict inner judge. I do not know how to placate or even imagine an audience when I write. But yes, I'm probably a kid at heart. So I don’t have to make an effort to keep up with my readers.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Galia: Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren. A feminist hero, a fighter for justice, independent and strong and so funny! To this day, this book has a spell on me.

What kind of advice would you give writers who would like to write children’s books?

Galia: Put the best of yourself into the book, and don’t fake it. Your readers are sharp and perceptive.

What are your goals for the future?  More children’s books?

Galia: At the moment I'm working on a picture book, the central character of which is a cat. The book revolves around the philosophical question of how we can love and be so enamored by our cats, despite their indifference toward us. Unrequited love is always a good subject, right?

About the Book:

Title: DOG TROUBLE!
Author: Galia Oz
Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 144
Genre: Children's book for young readers, ages 8-12

BOOK BLURB:

Readers who have graduated from Junie B. Jones and Ivy & Bean will fall head over heels for feisty Julie and her troublesome new dog.
 
Julie has only had her dog for two weeks, but she is already causing all sorts of problems. For starters, she is missing! Julie suspects the school bully Danny must be behind it. But it will take some detective work, the help of Julie’s friends, and maybe even her munchkin twin brothers to bring her new pet home.

Wonderfully sassy and endlessly entertaining, the escapades of Julie and her dog are just beginning!

Julie’s adventures have sold across the globe and been translated into five languages. Popular filmmaker and children’s author Galia Oz effortlessly captures the love of a girl and her dog.

"A funny exploration of schoolyard controversy and resolution.” –Kirkus Reviews 

"Will resonate with readers and have them waiting for more installments.” –Booklist  

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