Big Time

by Cynthia D. Grant

Sixteen-year-old Dory loves and hates her baton-twirling, musical, tap-dancing, contest-winning younger sister, accompanies her and a would-be agent to Hollywood, and ends up as the recipient of a big surprise

158 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1982

About the author

Cynthia D. Grant is the award-winning author of "Mary Wolf" and "The White Horse." She is a popular American author who writes novels about growing up. Her books appeal to young adults who want to read stories about life in the real world. As Grant commented in an interview with Authors and Artists for Young Adults, "Since 1980 I have published ten books for children and young adults, primarily for the young adult category, which is considered age twelve and up. I don't ever sit down and write 'for' children. I'm an adult; I write what sounds good to me." In her novels, Grant tackles difficult social problems such as alcoholism, child abuse, and homelessness. Grant is not afraid to portray violence and other graphic situations. However, the overall message she conveys is that, no matter what the problem, young adults can survive adolescence. After all, Grant said, "Most of us who write for children or young adults know that they read books not only to be entertained, but to be enlightened and encouraged." Her characters are heroes who triumph over tragedy. They are realistic young people who overcome a variety of obstacles, and stand for the winning qualities of righteousness, maturity, humor, and independence. Grant has received important awards for....for her work, including the PEN/Norma Klein Award in 1991.She lives in the mountains outside Cloverdale, California.