A Good Little Girl Like You (A Sample)

This book was influenced in many ways by Amy Lansky,

my publisher, my critic, my best friend, my Glinda. Amy has

inspired me to be my most romantic and has encouraged

me to write these books.

My editor, Jena Roach, continues to wade through my

rough drafts, holds me to a higher standard, and forces me

to rewrite more than I sometimes would like.

I also want to thank the people who helped me write

about those subjects I know nothing about. Maddy Schwarz

gave me an understanding of gymnastics, Dmitry Nadezhin

helped me with the Russian language, and Robert W. Hon

taught me about surfing.

Diogo Landô did a great job on the cover art.

Quick! Name a popular book that deals with a young

person thrust into a world of magic-a book that was

instantly popular and translated into dozens of languages.

Beyond being a publishing sensation, it inspired many

other books and movies. No, I'm not talking about Harry

Potter. I'm referring to a different book that appeared one

hundred years earlier: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. L.

Frank Baum wrote the book and really deserves most of the

credit for what followed. But the movie screenplay which

inspired most of us was written by Noel Langley, Florence

Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf. The songs were by Herbert

Stothart and Yip Harburg. To everyone who had a hand in

creating The Wizard of Oz, thanks.

Finally, I must give a shout-out to Stanley Ardman, who

is there for me every minute of the day.