Welcome
Welcome
to my website. I write books and plays, many of which fall into the general
category of “for and about kids." I’m drawn to strong narratives like
myths and fairy tales, because those are the best kind of stories to express
what I want to say. I think that kids today are hungry for big stories – not
just the kind that teach them lessons or reflect their own lives back to them,
but stories that allow them to experience danger, exhilaration and terror
– the full range of human possibility. I have a particular interest in what
I call girl-hero stories, because I think there still aren’t enough opportunities
for girls to see themselves as the central character. I find that much of
what I write appeals to adults as well as kids, so I describe my audience
as age nine and up.
What's new
I'll be reading from and talking about my books at the Runnymede Library in Toronto as part of the Luminato Festival on June 9, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.
The script of my The New Mother is now available on my website. This adaptation of a Victorian literary tale has echoes of Hansel and Gretel, and Neil Gaiman cites the original story by Lucy Lane Clifford as an inspiration for his wonderful novel Coraline. Click here to download a copy of the script of The New Mother..
My novel The Songweavers has been garnering praise from reviewers ("magical and beautiful", "a must-read") and interest in the earlier volumes in The Notherland Journeys trilogy continues to grow. This new novel tells a very unusual story and touches on many things that interest me – music, textiles, the origins of the universe (yes, really).
"The Songweavers, which is the third book in the Notherland journey series by Kathleen McDonnell, is a fantasy based in many interesting and imaginative worlds which the author describes as parocosms. McDonnell manages to develop these several strands of her story through skillful writing. Each character is well developed, and the reader develops sympathy for each of their stories... This is a challenging novel for those children who appreciate different forms of literature and the interplay of symbols and imagery."
Click here to read the rest of CM Magazine's review. For more reviews of The Songweavers and other books in the trilogy, check out Goodreads.com.
Click here for ordering information and to learn more about the trilogy.
Become a fan of The Songweavers on Facebook.
Kathleen McDonnell
Web design by Baye Hunter www.bayehunter.com
