Hope: Courtney Sheinmel

Thank you, Little Willow, for asking me to describe what "hope" means to me.

I've been struggling to put it into words. Life is such a strange, unpredictable, and often difficult thing – there's a lot to be scared of and of course there's great sadness. It seems like a natural response to just be depressed and want to give up. But hope is the antidote to that. It's the reason to live, the ability to look forward, to expect a lot and believe things will work out. I have always had an elaborate fantasy life. My friends have made fun of me when I've described, often in great detail, my winning the lottery, accepting the Newbery Award, or being invited backstage at a Madonna concert. When you hope, you are setting yourself up for disappointment; but hope is continuing to have faith in your wildest dreams.

My book, Positively, is about a thirteen-year-old girl named Emmy who is HIV-positive and who lost her mother to AIDS. I know it's a really sad story, but I think it's mainly about hope – losing hope, and finding it again.

- Courtney Sheinmel

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