The Spark Book Club’s selection for October is Treasure Island: Runaway Gold. An imaginative retelling of the classic Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, this adventure is set in modern-day Manhattan in which three kids go on a treasure hunt. I had a blast reading this, and I learned so much about the history of New York City. Jewell Parker Rhodes was kind enough to answer some questions about her latest work!
— Chelsea Stringfield, Parnassus bookseller
Chelsea Stringfield: I loved the idea of setting Treasure Island in Manhattan! How did this idea come about? Why did you choose Treasure Island to adapt into a modern-day adventure?
Jewell Parker Rhodes: As a professor at Arizona State University, I’ve taught Robert Louis Stevenson’s work numerous times. His psychological depictions and, at times, ambiguous morality was ground-breaking. In the original story, Long John Silver’s betrayal of Jim Hawkins was a rare literary instance when an adult betrayed a child! Unheard of in1883!
Emotionally, I was drawn to the orphaned Jim, who became my main character, Zane. Like Jim, Zane, grieving for his dead father, longs for a substitute father-figure. During his adventure, he matures, learning about loyalty, morality, and his capacity to survive physical and mental challenges.
A trio of contemporary friends: Zane, Black; Kiko, African and Japanese-American; and Jack, white, upend the singular, white-child-centered Western classic. Showing love and friendships between diverse characters is important to me. As a historical novelist, I’m able to demonstrate that despite changing times, core humanity remains valuable and vulnerable and always capable of goodness and hope.
I also love the N.C. Wyeth illustrations in the original book. In my children’s bedrooms, we framed his images of King Arthur, Long John Silver and his pirates, and so much more! Raymond Sebastien did the wonderful illustrations in Treasure Island: Runaway Gold.
This is my celebration of classic literature, an honoring of celebrated artists (Stevenson and Wyeth), as well as a praise-song to today’s kids, reminding them that they, too, are heroes.
CS: The story takes Zane, Kiko, and Jack to several important historical places in New York. What research did you do for this book? Why did you feel that it was important to include the history of these places?
JPR: Riches are not just tangible gold but also a spiritual awareness of one’s heritage. The historical past reverberates today. Decades ago, I learned that Wall Street began as a municipal slave market in the 1700s. Slaves built the wall from which they were sold. They also contributed to the economic engine of New York—clearing land, laying foundations, building prisons, hospitals, and premier buildings such as Trinity Church, Fraunces Tavern, and much of Wall Street itself. The history of how over a million enslaved people between 1700 to 1800 helped transform New York into the world’s economic heart has been repressed. This history ignites Zane’s awareness and empathy and causes him to question whether any pirated treasure should just be “finders-keepers.”
Research is wonderful. I visited New York multiple times, read tons of books and articles, visited historical museums, such as the African American Burial Ground (of the U.S. Park Service), and interviewed people. I love writing stories that combine facts, compelling characters, and action!
CS: We are big fans of dogs here at Parnassus Books, and Hip-Hop was my favorite character. I also noticed that your author photo has dogs! Tell us about your dogs! Do you think they would make good shop dogs?
JPR: Ripley and Gurgi are nine-year-old sisters! Same father, different mothers. In my author photo, Ripley is the dog looking at me. I named her after the Sigourney Weaver character in the Alien movie. Ha! Ripley is more likely to defend with kisses rather than bites! She’s super chill and loves sleeping on her back. Her sister, Gurgi, is a week older and super anxious. My husband, Brad, named her Gurgi after the furry character in Lloyd Alexander’s The Chronicles of Prydain (his favorite series as a boy). Ripley likes to explore the world. Gurgi wants to keep track of me and her sister. Ripley would be the perfect shop dog. She’d want to meet everyone and make friends. Gurgi would bark-bark-bark. But, occasionally, for a very special person, she’d sniff and lick their hand.
Hip-Hop, the dog in the book, is based upon a beloved Jack Russell terrier named Leia (as in Princess Leia). When my daughter went away to school, Leia became my dog. I loved how Leia slept with me, her fur against my legs. She was so warm and snuggly, yet feisty. Like all terriers, she loved to dig holes and chase after small animals– squirrels, mice, and, yes, sometimes our cats!
CS: Do you have any advice for young readers who want to write their own stories?
JPR: Read, read, read, and read some more. Consciously and unconsciously, you’re learning what makes a story and developing your own taste and style. Study people. And when you write, start first with characterization—not just the outside appearance and actions but also the inside desires and motivations.
CS: Finally, we always ask, what is your favorite thing about independent bookstores?
JPR: My summer jobs and part-time jobs were in independent bookstores. As a fourteen-year- old, I worked in a Half Price Bookstore. I developed so much self-confidence and was exposed to an amazing range of stories and people’s favorites. I loved opening new boxes and inhaling book scents. I even loved stocking and rearranging the shelves. The bookstore was a sacred place that informed my desire to become a writer. Words are powerful for enlightening the mind and opening the heart.
Several members of my family were illiterate. My grandmother who raised me never finished third grade; my parents didn’t graduate high school. Today, I’m amazed I’m a writer and the Virginia G. Piper Endowed Chair Professor at Arizona State University. Every time I enter an independent bookstore, I know I am safe in a world of books with people who care and who connect readers to their magic. Booksellers who nurtured me and exposed me to new ideas are my heroes. Especially the booksellers who welcomed the little girl, me, browsing among the shelves (even though I hadn’t any money) and finding safety and care surrounded by words.
Spark Book Club is the first editions club for middle grade readers. Every month members will receive a first edition middle grade novel — plus a letter written by the author especially for club members. Makes a great gift for the independent reader! Sign ups are available for 3, 6, or 12 months. Sign up today, and grab a copy of Treasure Island: Runaway Gold!
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