Frances Foster–June 3, 1931-June 9, 2014

I have been so lucky to work with one of the best editors in children’s books for more than ten years. Frances Foster edited seven of my books and taught me, in a completely respectful and gentle way, how to take a book from the seed of an idea to a pull-it-off-the-shelf actual book.

She would ask questions in such a way that I would step back and realize I was on the wrong track (“Helen, do you think you are making this harder than it needs to be, by having a dog musher in a wheelchair for most of the book?” she asked about an early version of Diamond Willow, and I saw that the accident should happen to Roxy, not Willow.) She rarely suggested a way to fix things, just said “I know you can do this.” And even when things were very hard, I always found, eventually, that she was right, I could.

I will be forever grateful that Frances and I had an opportunity to work together and become friends. She is a treasure in my life.