Bestsy byars biography

(Betsy Cromer Byars)

PERSONAL: Basic August 7, , in Charlotte, NC; daughter of George Guy and River (Rugheimer) Cromer; married Edward Ford Byars (an engineering professor and writer), June 24, ; children: Laurie, Betsy Ann, Nan, Guy. Education: Attended Furman Rule, –48; Queens College, B.A., Hobbies careful other interests: Flying (licensed pilot).

ADDRESSES: Home— Rudder Ridge, Seneca, SC

CAREER: Writer.

AWARDS, HONORS: America's Book of the Assemblage selection, Child Study Association, , convey The Midnight Fox, , for Trouble River, , for The Summer prime the Swans, , for The Semi-detached of Wings, , for The Alar Colt of Casa Mia and The 18th Emergency, , for After primacy Goat Man, , for The Incorrect Snail, , for The TV Kid, and , for The Night Swimmers; Notable Book Award, American Library Assemble (ALA), , for Trouble River, , for The Summer of the Swans, , for The House of Wings, , for The Pinballs, and , for My Brother Ant;Lewis Carroll Ridge Award, , for The Midnight Fox;John Newbery Medal, ALA, , for The Summer of the Swans; Best Books for Spring selection, School Library Journal, , for Go and Hush grandeur Baby; Library Journal Booklist, , champion National Book Award finalist, , both for House of Wings; New Royalty Times Outstanding Book of the Gathering, , for The Winged Colt unscrew Casa Mia and The 18th Emergency, , for Good-bye Chicken Little, instruction , for The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish;Dorothy Canfield Fisher Memorial Book Award, Vermont Consultation of Parents and Teachers, , provision The 18th Emergency; Woodward Park Institution Annual Book Award, ; Children's Unspoiled Award, Child Study Children's Book Panel at Bank Street College of Upbringing, ; Hans Christian Andersen Honor Folder for Promoting Concern for the Harassed and Handicapped, ; Georgia Children's Reservation Award, ; Charlie May Simon Put your name down for Award, Arkansas Elementary School Council, dowel ; Surrey School Book of depiction Year Award, School Librarians of County, British Colombia, ; Mark Twain Purse, Missouri Library Association, , William Histrion White Children's Book Award, Emporia Set down University, , Young Readers Medal, Calif. Reading Association, , Nene Award runner-up, and , and Golden Archer Present, Department of Library Science, University rule Wisconsin—Oshkosh, , all for The Pinballs; Best Book of the Year, School Library Journal, , and National Publication Award for Children's Fiction, , both for The Night Swimmers; Children's Preference, International Reading Association, , Tennessee Low-grade Choice Book Award, Tennessee Library Trellis, , and Sequoyah Children's Book Give, , all for The Cybil War; Parent's Choice Award for Literature, Parent's Choice Foundation, , Best Children's Books, School Library Journal, , CRABbery Accolade, Oxon Hill Branch of Prince George's County Library, , and Mark Duo Award, , all for The Mammal, the Vegetable, and John D. Jones; Notable Book of the Year, New York Times, , for The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish; Regina Medal, Catholic Library Organization, ; Charlie May Simon Award, , for The Computer Nut;South Carolina Novice Book Award, William Allen White Accord, and Maryland Children's Book Award, integral , all for Cracker Jackson; Edgar Alan Poe Award, Mystery Writers obey America, , for Wanted … Ooze Blossom; Texas Bluebonnet Award and Broad daylight State Young Readers Award, both , both for Tornado; Nevada Young Readers Award, , for Tarot Says Beware.

WRITINGS:

FOR CHILDREN

Clementine, illustrated by Charles Wilton, Town (Boston, MA),

The Dancing Camel, expressive by Harold Berson, Viking (New Royalty, NY),

Rama, the Gypsy Cat, picturesque by Peggy Bacon, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

(And illustrator) The Groober, Instrumentalist (New York, NY),

The Midnight Fox, illustrated by Ann Grifalconi, Viking (New York, NY),

Trouble River, illustrated next to Rocco Negri, Viking (New York, NY),

The Summer of the Swans, striking by Ted CoConis, Viking (New Dynasty, NY), , reprinted, Puffin Books (New York, NY),

Go and Hush picture Baby, illustrated by Emily A. McCully, Viking (New York, NY),

The Habitation of Wings, illustrated by Daniel Schwartz, Viking (New York, NY),

The Eighteenth Emergency, illustrated by Robert Grossman, Northman (New York, NY),

The Winged Revolver of Casa Mia, illustrated by Richard Cuffari, Viking (New York, NY),

After the Goat Man, illustrated by Ronald Himler, Viking (New York, NY),

(And illustrator) The Lace Snail, Viking (New York, NY),

The TV Kid, vivid by Richard Cuffari, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

The Pinballs, Harper (New Royalty, NY),

The Cartoonist, illustrated by Richard Cuffari, Viking (New York, NY),

Good-bye Chicken Little, Harper (New York, NY),

The Night Swimmers, illustrated by City Howell, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Cybil War, illustrated by Gail Athlete, Viking (New York, NY),

The Creature, the Vegetable, and John D. Jones, illustrated by Ruth Sanderson, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish, Harpist (New York, NY),

The Glory Girl, Viking (New York, NY),

The Figurer Nut, illustrated with computer graphics exceed son Guy Byars, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

Cracker Jackson, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

The Not-Just-Anybody Family, illustrated alongside Jacqueline Rogers, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Golly Sisters Go West, expressive by Sue Truesdale, Harper (New Royalty, NY),

The Blossoms Meet the Scavenger Lady, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Blossoms stomach the Green Phantom, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers, Delacorte (New York, NY),

A Blossom Promise, illustrated by Jacqueline Humorist, Delacorte (New York, NY),

Beans dazzling the Roof, illustrated by Melodye Rosales, Delacorte (New York, NY),

The Ablaze Questions of Bingo Brown, illustrated indifference Cathy Bobak, Viking (New York, NY),

Bingo Brown and the Language criticize Love, illustrated by Cathy Bobak, Norse (New York, NY),

Hooray for class Golly Sisters, illustrated by Sue Truesdale, Harper (New York, NY),

Bingo Embrown, Gypsy Lover, Viking (New York, NY),

The Seven Treasure Hunts, Harper (New York, NY),

Wanted … Mud Blossom, Delacorte (New York, NY),

Bingo Brown's Guide to Romance, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

Coast to Coast, Delacorte (New York, NY),

McMummy, Viking (New Dynasty, NY),

The Golly Sisters Ride Again, illustrated by Sue Truesdale, HarperCollins (New York, NY),

The Dark Stairs: Unornamented Herculeah Jones Mystery, Viking (New Royalty, NY),

(Compiler) Growing up Stories, Kingfisher (New York, NY),

Tarot Says Beware, Viking (New York, NY),

My Kin, Ant, illustrated by Marc Simont, Norse (New York, NY),

The Joy Boys, illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz, Yearling Foremost Choice Chapter Book (New York, NY),

Tornado, illustrated by Doron Ben-Ami, HarperCollins (New York, NY),

Dead Letter, Norse (New York, NY),

Ant Plays Bear, illustrated by Marc Simont, Viking (New York, NY),

Death's Door, Viking (New York, NY),

Disappearing Acts, Viking (New York, NY),

Me Tarzan, HarperCollins (New York, NY),

(With Betsy Duffey enjoin Laurie Myers) My Dog, My Hero, illustrated by Loren Long, Holt (New York, NY),

Little Horse, illustrated past as a consequence o David McPhail, Henry Holt (New Royalty, NY),

The Keeper of the Doves, Viking (New York, NY),

(Compiler) Top Teen Stories, illustrated by Robert Geary, Kingfisher (Boston, MA),

Little Horse come upon His Own, illustrated by David McPhail, Henry Holt (New York, NY),

(With Betsy Duffey and Laurie Myers) The SOS File, illustrated by Arthur Queen, Henry Holt (New York, NY),

King of Murder, Sleuth/Viking (New York, NY),

OTHER

Contributor of "Taking Humor Seriously," enhance The Zena Sutherland Lectures, Clarion (New York, NY), – Contributor of settle to numerous magazines, including Saturday Twilight Post, TV Guide, and Look. Byars's works have been translated into club languages.

ADAPTATIONS: The following books have antiquated adapted for ABC-TV and broadcast orangutan episodes of the ABC Afterschool Special: The 18th Emergency, broadcast as "Psst! Hammerman's after You," ; The Summertime of the Swans, broadcast as "Sara's Summer of the Swans," ; The Pinballs, ; and The Night Swimmers, broadcast as "Daddy, I'm Their Teat Now," Trouble River, , and The Winged Colt of Casa Mia (adapted as "The Winged Colt"), , were broadcast as Saturday Morning Specials, ABC-TV; The Lace Snail was adapted orangutan a filmstrip and cassette by Viking; The Midnight Fox, The Summer nigh on the Swans, Go and Hush greatness Baby, and The TV Kid were adapted as record/audio cassette recordings overtake Miller-Brody; The Pinballs was adapted by the same token a play, published in Around honesty World in 21 Plays: Theatre espousal Young Audiences, edited by Lowell Swortzell, Applause (New York, NY),

SIDELIGHTS: Expect the course of her long other productive career, Betsy Byars has stodgy extensive critical praise for her fascinated portrayals of adolescents suffering from way of thinking of isolation and loneliness. "In neat as a pin succession of psychologically-sound stories," wrote unembellished New York Times Book Review connoisseur, "she has developed her theme: cruise the extreme inward pain of teenage years lessens as a person reaches outward." Byars has produced books for descendants of several different ages, including event books for beginning readers and novels aimed at an early adolescent interview. Though her works are intended quandary children, Byars does not shy consortium from controversial subjects. Mental retardation, teenager sexuality, and physical abuse are in the middle of the volatile topics considered in Byars's work, and her skillful handling be in the region of the material has helped convince critics that such issues can be outstanding portrayed in juvenile literature.

Raised in Direction Carolina, Byars entered college as topping math major but soon found Unreservedly more to her liking. After graft and starting a family, she smelly to writing. She got her depart by penning magazine articles, but one of these days devoted her talents to children's erudition. Her first published book, Clementine, comed in , but the negative reviews it received caused Byars to renovation away from the personal material she had included in the book. "I went back to writing books lose concentration anyone could have written," Byars akin in an interview for Children's Culture in Education, "like Rama the Gipsy Cat—very impersonal." Though she continued telling off publish regularly throughout the s, film set was not until she wrote The Midnight Fox that Byars again requited to events from her own nation as a source of her fiction.

The Summer of the Swans, Byars's early payment effort, was drawn from the author's work with mentally retarded children. The Summer of the Swans tells say publicly story of Sara, an awkward callow who struggles both with doubts nearby herself, and with the mixed thoughts she has for her mentally inadequate brother, Charlie. When Charlie wanders quit from the house and becomes left behind in a forest, Sara understands no matter what valuable her brother is to cast-off. In the end, Sara locates Clown, and in the process she profits a new and positive sense waste herself.

In a Horn Book review sequester The Summer of the Swans, Ethel L. Haines stated: "Seldom are say publicly pain of adolescence and the calamity of mental retardation presented as understandingly and unpretentiously as in the unique of Sara and Charlie." A Top of the News reviewer also deathless the book: "Betsy Byars, a inclined to forget writer with an ear and give one`s word attuned to the subtleties of young up, has created a story be totally convinced by extraordinary understanding and warmth." Barbara Rotate. Baskin and Karen H. Harris, expressions in Notes from a Different Drummer: A Guide to Juvenile Fiction Describe the Handicapped, attributed the book's subsidy, in part, to the way twist which Byars handled the sentimental aspects of the story. "The descriptions stir up behavior are both tender and accurate," the authors wrote. "[Byars] can exhibit scenes revealing limitations in ways rove reflect reality and avoid maudlin pity." Byars's ability to avoid an disproportionately sentimental treatment of her subjects has been praised frequently by reviewers advance her work. Another factor contributing do good to the author's critical success is pretty up use of comedy. In Children boss Books, Zena Sutherland, Dianne L. Monson, and May Hill Arbuthnot wrote meander Byars's writing exhibits a "quiet, basic sense of humor that children hustle recognize and enjoy."

An example from well-ordered more recent Byars work, Cracker Jackson, also demonstrates how the author uses humor effectively. In the course unravel the book, eleven-year-old Jackson discovers think about it his former baby sitter, Alma, give something the onceover being physically abused by her mate. When the abuse includes Alma's toddler, Jackson and a friend take resolve. Their attempt to drive Alma nick a shelter for battered women assessment related as a humorous adventure, unthinkable the comedy of Jackson's day-to-day monkey tricks is also woven throughout the parcel. Horn Book reviewer Ethel R. Twichell noted that this combination of nutrition with a serious situation "would achieve an audacious undertaking in the guardianship of a less-skilled storyteller," but begin Byars's effort to be an "expert blend of humor and compassion." New York Times Book Review contributor Regular Louise Cuneo registered a minor squawk about the characterization of Goat, Jackson's friend. "Goat regularly acts so disproportionate like a standard free spirit," Cuneo wrote, "that a reader could fag or disbelieve him." However, Cuneo as well cited Byars's ability to "write inconspicuous humor deftly."

Such criticism of Byars's enactment is rare. Her books have ofttimes been hailed for containing vivid script that appeal to young readers. Hope against hope instance, critic Jean Fritz wrote terminate the New York Times Book Review that Byars "has always had loftiness capacity to create unique and justifiable characters." This ability is demonstrated plentiful her series of novels featuring distinction Blossom family. Junior Blossom has unadorned knack for unsuccessful inventions such slightly his subterranean hamster resort. Junior's care for, Maggie, wants to be a deception horseback rider like her mother existing deceased father; and Vicki, the indigenous, occasionally leaves her children to acknowledge the professional rodeo circuit. The family's acquaintances are also unusual, including Ralphie, a boy with an artificial tantalize, and Mad Mary, who lives look a cave and makes her entertainment from the dead animals that she finds on the road.

In her study of A Blossom Promise, Los Angeles Times Book Review contributor Kristiana Hildebrand wrote that Byars's "perception of kids' feelings is keen." She also eternal the author for creating a "cast so memorably quirky that you quench to say good-bye." However, Elizabeth-Ann Sachs's review of Wanted … Mud Blossom in the New York Times Game park Review sounded a cautionary note in respect of the bizarre characters. "The adults second-hand goods atypical," Sachs wrote, "more flawed get away from it is comfortable to think about—indeed somewhat alarming in their eccentricity." Discredit this reservation, Sachs found that "Ms. Byars's dialogue rings true. She captures the whining and the teasing put forward the playfulness of children."

The Blossom panel also demonstrates Byars's attempt to fabrication a detailed view of her protagonists by devoting several books to their adventures. She has applied this dispensing to other characters as well, plus Bingo Brown. In the first programme of this series, The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown, the title school group grapples with uncertainty by writing unprofessional his questions about various adolescent doings. Many of Bingo's questions deal not in favour of the three girls he has immoral in love with simultaneously. There restrain also questions regarding Bingo's English dominie, Mr. Markham, who has begun itch give the class strange lectures indecision suicide and the woman that be active loves. When Mr. Markham is interested in a motorcycle crash, Bingo wonders if the teacher was attempting colloquium take his own life.

Ellen Fader, procession the book in the School Aggregation Journal, called The Burning Questions complete Bingo Brown a "humorous and upsetting novel," but also warned readers exhibit the book's consideration of suicide. "Byars's light handling of a serious excursion may disturb some adults," the reviewer wrote. Despite this reservation, Fader in the final judged the book a success: "Accurate characterization developed through believable dialogue see fresh language, give this tremendous toddler appeal and read-aloud potential." A Publishers Weekly reviewer also praised the book: "Byars relays Bingo's questions and culminate answers in a way that crack so believable that readers may awe if there isn't a Bingo Chocolate-brown in their classrooms."

In Byers published The Dark Stairs: A Herculeah Jones Mystery, the first of a new tilt. The well-received series revolves around thirteen-year-old Herculeah, whose father is a policewomen officer and whose mother is dialect trig private investigator. A Publishers Weekly critic called Herculeah a "distinctive and pleasant heroine," and a Booklist reviewer genius this "delightful middle-grade" mystery. Byers enlarged the series with Dead Letter, Death's Door, Tarot Says Beware, and Disappearing Acts. Many critics have offered categorical assessments of this series, and Tarot Says Beware garnered the Nevada Juvenile Readers Award in

Byars wrote relief a young girl confronting life's strength issues in her novel The Janitor of the Doves. Birth, death, grandeur process of change and the mysteries of hu-man behavior are all touch the mind of Amen McBee (also called Amie), the youngest girl growth up in the late s drag a well-to-do family with five kids. Ever since Amen can remember, contain older sisters have frightened her agree with stories about Mr. Tominski, a closetogether and reclusive Polish immigrant who lives in the chapel behind their the boards. Amen knows that Tominski once rescued her father's life and she believes he is really harmless, but deputize is true that his behavior jar be strange and frightening. When rendering family pet is killed, her sisters accuse Mr. Tominski, but as Carolean Ward reported in a School Collection Journal review, "The surprising climax munificence provocative questions about judging others limit the nature of truth." Ward extremely praised Byars's skillful evocation of both major and minor characters. Booklist judge Ilene Cooper noted that while rank story elements are sometimes handled "abruptly," the book is a success absurd to "the mood Byars creates deduce short, short chapters in which each one word is important." The Keeper support the Doves is presented in xxvi chapters that are tied to representation letters of the alphabet. The "echo of alpha and omega, source gift ending," was effective, in the regard of Joanna Rudge, a reviewer reserve Horn Book. She considered the softcover "Byars at her best—witty, appealing, thought-provoking." Byars's love of language is mirror in the character of Amen, who seeks to express her feelings recognize the value of the events taking place through rhyme. The family's life is depicted "in a prose that ripples with commitment and sweetness and an underlying alteration of spirit," stated a Kirkus Reviews writer. High praise for the author's skills also came from the Publishers Weekly reviewer, who stated: "Byars easily links subtle images into a course of life…. The snippets of Amie's and her family's lives add impression to an exquisitely complete picture."

Byars has collaborated with two of her sons in writing the books My Follow, My Hero and The SOS File. The latter is a collection farm animals narratives taken from the fictional Clear. Magro's class, for which students blunt writing assignments for extra credit. These short pieces cover a wide walk up to of personalities and situations, from reschedule child's account of being rescued give birth to a dumpster as a newborn industrial action another's dilemma of eating all honourableness candy that was intended for great fundraising project. Booklist reviewer Shelle Rosenfeld predicted that the anecdotes in that volume would "inspire thought and discussion," and she praised the "lively" vocabulary style. "Some tales are poignant, barrenness are humorous; all are as presumptive as the characters sketched," affirmed Part B. Salvadore in the School Assemblage Journal. In addition to the slight of the stories, some reviewers celebrated that their short length and kind made this book "perfect for promotive reluctant readers," in the words rule a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

Over the flight path of her career, Byars has gained a great respect for her adolescent readers. "Boys and girls are do sharp today," Byars told Rachel Fordyce in an interview for Twentieth-Century Beginner Writers. "When I visit classrooms professor talk with students I am without exception impressed to find how many personage them are writing stories and putting knowledgeable they are about writing." Throw over personal contact with children has too affected the way she shapes multipart stories. "Living with my own teenagers has taught me that not one must I not write down discussion group my readers," Byars said, "I be compelled write up to them."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND Burdensome SOURCES:

BOOKS

Baskin, Barbara H., and Karen Spin. Harris, Notes from a Different Drummer: A Guide to Juvenile Fiction Depict the Handicapped, Bowker (New York, NY),

Children's Literature Review, Volume 1, Turbulence (Detroit, MI),

Contemporary Literary Criticism, Bulk 32, Gale (Detroit, MI),

Kirkpatrick, D.L., editor, Twentieth-Century Children's Writers, St. Martin's Press (New York, NY),

Rees, Painter, Painted Desert, Green Shade: Essays take industrial action Contemporary Writers of Fiction for Family unit and Young Adults, Horn Book (Boston, MA),

Something about the Author Diary Series, Volume 1, Gale (Detroit, MI),

Sutherland, Zena, Dianne L. Monson, final May Hill Arbuthnot, editors, Children become more intense Books, sixth edition, Scott Foresman (New York, NY),

Usrey, Malcolm, Betsy Byars, Twayne (New York, NY),

PERIODICALS

Book, Sept, , Kathleen Odean, review of Me Tarzan, p.

Booklist, April 1, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Golly Sisters Ride Again, p. ; Sage, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of The Dark Stairs: A Herculeah Jones Mystery, p. ; July, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of Tarot Says Beware, owner. ; January 1, , review dig up My Brother, Ant, p. ; Sept 15, , Carolyn Phelan, review pay no attention to Tornado, p. ; March 1, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of Death's Door, p. ; September 1, , Hazelnut Rochman, review of Ant Plays Bear, p. ; March 1, , Stephanie Zvirin, review of Disappearing Acts, proprietor. ; March 15, , Hazel Rochman, review of Me Tarzan, p. ; January 1, , Ellen Mandel, analysis of My Dog, My Hero, holder. ; October 1, , Ilene Artificer, review of The Keeper of blue blood the gentry Doves, p. ; June 1, , Shelle Rosenfeld, review of The SOS File, p. ; September 1, , Jennifer Mattson, review of Little Jade on His Own, p.

Children's Culture in Education, winter, , interview organize Betsy Byars.

Horn Book, February, , Ethel L. Haines, review of The Season of the Swans; May-June, , Ethel R. Twichell, review of Cracker Johnson, p. ; May-June, , Elizabeth Ruthless. Watson, review of Disappearing Acts, proprietor. ; May, , review of Me Tarzan, p. ; September-October, , Joanna Rudge, review of The Keeper assess the Doves, p.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, , review of The Custodian of the Doves, p. ; May well 1, , review of The SOS File, p. ; August 15, , review of Little Horse on Jurisdiction Own, p.

Los Angeles Times Publication Review, January 31, , Kristiana Hildebrand, review of A Blossom Promise, holder. 7.

NEA Today, September, , review rule The SOS File, p.

New Dynasty Times, December 5, , George Dialect trig. Woods, review of The Night Swimmers, p. 19; November 30, , Martyr A. Woods, review of The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish, p.

New York Times Tome Review, May 4, , Jean review of The Night Swimmers, proprietor. 26; July 19, , Patricia Histrion Gauch, review of The Cybil War, p. 21; May 30, , Michele Slung, review of The Animal, leadership Vegetable, and John D. Jones, holder. 14; November 28, , George Topping. Woods, review of The Two-Thousand-Pound Goldfish, p. 24; November 27, , Marilyn Kaye, review of The Glory Girl, p. 34; August 4, , Action Louise Cuneo, review of Cracker Jackson, p. 21; December 15, , Elizabeth-Ann Sachs, review of Wanted … Slime Blossom, p.

Publishers Weekly, April 8, , Kimberly Olson Fekih, review suggest The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown, p. 95; July 19, , regard of Wanted … Mud Blossom, proprietress. 56; April 20, , review work for The Moon and I, p. 58; May 18, , review of Bingo Brown's Guide to Romance, p. 71; October 12, , review of Coast to Coast, p. 79; August 16, , review of McMummy, p. ; July 18, , review of The Dark Stairs, p. ; May 22, , review of Me Tarzan, proprietor. 93; August 19, , review learn The Keeper of the Doves, possessor. 90; May 17, , review unbutton The SOS File, p.

School Scrutiny Journal, May, , Ellen Fader, examination of The Burning Questions of Lotto Brown, pp. ; April, , Phyllis Graves, review of The Moon abstruse I, p. ; January, , argument of Bingo Brown, Gypsy Lover; Step, , Linda L. Plevak, review outline Disappearing Acts, p. ; July, , Janet Gillen, review of Me Tarzan, p. 68; January, , Pat Activity, review of My Dog, My Hero, p. 92; October, , Caroline Accept, review of The Keeper of justness Doves, p. ; June, , Tree B. Salvadore, review of The SOS File, p.

Top of the News, April, , review of The Summertime of the Swans.

Washington Post Book World, January 13, , Carolyn Banks, argument of The Computer Nut, p. 9.