Mary Downing Hahn has taken the old dictum of writing what you know and has turned it into a body of work that encompasses some twenty novels for young teens and young adults. Mining her own childhood as well as that of her parents and children, Hahn writes closely detailed stories that explore family issues such as loss of a parent or loved one, the struggle for identity and acceptance, and the blending of families. Many of her novels are set in rural and suburban Maryland where Hahn herself grew up and still resides. Critics often note that Hahn mixes such stories with a subtle and compassionate humor and with insightful character sketches. The results have proved successful, winning not only awards for novels such as Daphne's Book, Wait Till Helen Comes: A Ghost Story, The Jellyfish Season, December Stillness, Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story, Stepping on...