Donna Jo Napoli "grew up in a poor family and we never traveled anywhere. But books took me all over the world," the award-winning children's author says.

So as a writer, "I try to make my books give kids another time and place to open up their worlds — like books did for me."

Napoli takes her young readers from ancient Egypt to Dark Ages Ireland to Renaissance Italy and the modern-day Arctic. Her books also are set in China and Louisiana, Persia, Kenya and New York and many other spots along the way and along the timeline.

In an email interview, the author — who will visit Lancaster Feb. 1-2 as part of the year-long Pennsylvania Authors in the Public Library series — says, "I love exploring other cultures."

That includes in the flesh as well as on the page.

Making up for her early homebound existence, Napoli has traveled to and lived for a time in many different places, including England, Ireland, Italy, Australia, Switzerland, China, South Africa and Iran.

If she hasn't visited a place physically — such as an ancient city that no longer exists — she visits it intellectually.

"I'll simply do lots of research and staring at photos and eating food from that place and listening to music from that place and looking at art from that place — whatever I can, to steep myself in the culture," she explains.

"I love research. It's just so much fun to find out about times and places I don't know."

Napoli often retells fairy tales and myths in her books,but she also uses the more familiar setting and characters as found in modern American suburbia. She writes everything from picture books to early, middle-grade and young-adult novels.

"Her work is both varied and excellent," says Lancaster children's author Sandy Asher, who arranged the author series.

Napoli credits her broad reading as a youngster with helping to prepare her for college, which she attended on scholarship.

And it must have prepared her well: She earned undergraduate and doctoral degrees from Harvard and is now a professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College as well as the author of 70-plus children's books.

Napoli will be at the Lancaster Public Library, 125 N. Duke St., from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Feb. 1 to meet readers and sign her books, which will be available for purchase there. From 10:30-11:30 a.m. Feb. 2, she will return for "A Q & A Visit With Donna Jo Napoli." Both Friday evening and Saturday morning programs are free and open to all ages. Register online at PAauthors-Napoli.eventbrite....
The author will also present "How to Get Your Reader on the Scene" from 1-2:30 p.m. Feb. 2, discussing how writers can invite a reader into a character's body and use that to strengthen the story. Cost is $20 for adults, $15 for Lancaster Literary Guild and Friends of the Library members; and $10 for students (fourth grade through college). Register at Napoli-SpecialSession.event....
Details can be found at lancaster.lib.pa.us/authors....

jgreene@lnpnews.com