The Schwa Was Here

I had to smile, too. The postmark was from Puerto Rico, but the paper clip had been to the moon.

Thə End

Neal Shusterman's

novels have been honored with awards from the International Reading Association, the American Library Association, and readers in many states. His novels span several genres, from humor to suspense thrillers to science fiction.

Of The Schwa Was Here, he says: "The idea came to me in the middle of an author visit. I was answering questions in a school library when a teacher pointed out a boy who had had his hand up the whole time, and I hadn't noticed. He was sitting in front of the library's big dictionary, and I made this odd connection: The kid was unnoticeable—like a 'schwa' in the dictionary."

Mr. Shusterman lives in Southern California with his four children. Visit his Web site at www.storyman.com.