Doll Hospital: More About the Dolls

How Tatiana Was Made

What Would Your Doll Look Like

Who's That Nibbling on the Wax Dolls

I’m Joan Holub, the author of the Doll Hospital books. Writing the Doll Hospital series is fun. I get to write about some of my favorite things: dolls, kids, and history.

Joan Holub
To write Doll Hospital #2: Goldie's Fortune: A Story of the Great Depression, I talked to doll experts and read books and doll magazines. I checked out 100 books from the library—all at one time—to help me write this book! I read about the Great Depression and doll making.

I work in an office in my house. Every morning I feed my two cats, Boo and Scout. Then I go downstairs and start writing. My cats come with me. Boo sleeps in a box on my drawing table. Scout sleeps in a file cabinet drawer next to my computer. I love cats, so that’s why I gave Far Nana four of them!

I write for most of the day. But I go back upstairs to the refrigerator for snacks a lot. In the afternoon, I walk around my neighborhood. I take a small notebook and a pen in case I think of any story ideas.

Sometimes my editor at Scholastic emails or calls to talk about the book I’m writing. In Goldie’s story, we talked about what the rag doll Eliza’s mother made would look like. Should she have hair made of yarn or cloth? Should she have embroidered eyes or button eyes?

When I finished writing Goldie’s Fortune, some of my friends read it. Two girls named Emily and Ellen read it. My editor read it, too. They all helped me think of ways to make my story better before it became a book.

Copyright © 2002 by Joan Holub