Meet Young Adult Author Tammar Stein
Tammar Stein is an author of five young adult novels. She grew up in Charlottesville, graduated from Charlottesville High School and has a degree in English Literature from the University of Virginia. On her website, she said, “I am addicted to books…I didn’t see a way to make money reading books, so I decided the next best thing would be to write them.”
Stein has presented her books at the Festival of the Book in Charlottesville in 2014 and 2011. Of course, this year’s festival was cancelled because of the coronavirus. Many of her books have won awards and some of her books are required reading for students.
Stein published her first book in 2005. She said, “Light Years, my first novel, will always have a special place in my heart. I worked for five years on it never knowing if it would ever see the light of day.” Eventually, Stein won the Sydney Taylor Notable Book of Jewish Content Award and an American Library Association Best Book for Young Adults Award for Light Years.
Stein said that inspiration for each novel comes from a variety of places, from personal experience to listening to a song on the radio. Each story needs to be planned, from keeping a good pace to creating characters that readers will care about. In terms of the creative process, Stein said that her favorite part is the editing.
Stein said, “Seeing it improve and evolve from that first glimmer of an idea to a full-blown reality… is a thrill.” Each of her novels has been rewritten multiple times and can take from 2 to 5 years before publication.
Her next book, Beni’s War, is due to come out November 2020. This book follows Beni, a seventh grader, as Israel is entrenched in the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Beni is convinced his older brother who is fighting on the front lines needs his help. The story follows not only Beni but Israel itself as the war intensifies. Stein is not only a great author, she is also my sister in law. She has lived in five different states, three different countries, and three continents. We have enjoyed not only her books but also visiting her and her family in each location. Find out more by visiting her website.
