Dear Mrs. Levine,

Hello, my name is Brenna and I'm a writer and artist looking to work in middle-grade graphic novels. I wanted to thank you for your stories and let you know how poignant your book "Writing Magic" was to me when I was a child.

I'm 25 now, but years ago your book was one of the things that helped me write more seriously. I hadn't read it in years, but I've been working on my senior Illustration BFA research paper for college and thought about it again. I pulled it back out and forgot just how much I adored this book. I reread that paperback so many times as a child and teenager that the corners are worn and curling, and the spine edges cracking into white. The inside cover I had written "Property of Brenna" in pencil, and there are still the sticky notes I placed between pages pf parts I wanted to remember.

I think the thing that stuck with me most to this day was in chapter 5 where you said that it wasn't necessary to start at the beginning of the story if it's boring you, and instead start by writing the scenes that excite you and working from there. It's a tip I've used ever since.

I'm certainly going to reread the book now while I work on my current stories! Thank you so much for the inspiration and push, and I hope I can create my own stories that bring others as much joy and excitement as yours do. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Brenna Kilpatrick

Dear Eleanor,
Thanks for writing here! I'm delighted you enjoy my books! All my good wishes for your writing!
Sincerely,
Gail

Dear Mrs. Levine,
My name is Eleanor, and I'm in 8th grade. I am American but I live in China. I have read a lot of your books, the first one I ever read was The Fairy's Mistake. Out of all of your books, my favorite one is Ella Enchanted and all the other books set in that kingdom. It was so cool when I listened to Ogre Enchanted and recognized Lady Eleanor to be Ella's mother! I just wanted to say thank you so much for writing your books, they have entertained me very much! I hope to be an author someday too. I would love it if you could answer this message.
-Eleanor

I really engoyed your childs chaper literature fantasty pieces Ella Encanted, Farest, Ever, the Bamare books, the Prencess Tales and the fairy books . Ella Encanted, Farest, Ever, the Bamare books, the Prencess Tales and the fairy books have been my favrite childs chater literature fantasty pieces. I shall really hope you keep writing. Happy Birday! Happy Birday!
Melondy

Dear Ms. Levine:
First of all, do excuse my sister. She is a bit mentally challenged. Second of all thank you! Thank you SO much for being you, for giving me something to read to my sister. It is a struggle, but Melondy tries really hard to understand your books. Thank you for giving me sometime to be close to my sister. Two weeks ago I found your website and yesterday I told my sister about the guest area, and she got so excided we had to write to you.
Thank you for being you!
Natsha

Dear Ms. Levine,

I read "Ella Enchanted" for the first time in middle school over 25 years ago. I absolutely loved it. I even refused to ever see the movie because it was evident from the trailer that they had completely botched your work. I was so excited to share it with my 10-year-old daughter this year as a read aloud. We just finished it last night and she immediately exclaimed, "I LOVED IT!"

I have to admit, however, that my heart fell at one point. Last night, while reading Chapter 28, my heart caught in my throat as I read Char's letter: "More likely she was disfigured. Maybe she has a scar, or one eyelid droops, or her nose is a mottle purple." Luckily my eyes had scanned ahead so I deftly skipped over the words, "one eyelid droops" as I read aloud to my daughter. You see, she has congenital ptosis and one of her eyelids droops. But she is and always has been beautiful. I would never want her to consider herself disfigured. I was crestfallen reading this, a line I hadn't even thought twice about as a tween, knowing that it would have deeply hurt my daughter. I was so grateful that I had read the book aloud to her and that she hadn't read it on her own.

I still loved your book, but I just wanted to point out that this one line, in a children's book, could cause real, lasting hurt, for something that isn't and shouldn't be considered "disfigured."

Still, I thank you for your work; it brought me joy to share this wonderful story with my daughter.

Yours sincerely,
Jackie