As a child, Lawrence Schulenberg was no stranger to the pediatrics ward in a hospital, which he used as the setting for Willie McGuire and the Land of the People. Polio took away his ability to walk, much like the characters in his novel. That time encouraged a belief that there is magic in the world and anything is possible.
“Kids who use crutches hear, ?Wouldn’t it be neat if you could turn your crutch into a sword?’” I decided Willie and his friends could go even better. I created the Land of the People. When I was young, the mother of our family’s best friends was the princess of an Indian tribe. I was fascinated by her beliefs. She was a nice person. My siblings and I thought she was special. I wrote this book out of respect for her and all Native Americans. They have so much to teach us.”
