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About Mike Peterson
- Author and editor Mike Peterson has worked with students and teachers since 1993, creating educational materials that are both engaging and educationally sound. He has given workshops for educators on local, regional, state and national levels, has had articles on educational topics published in a variety of publications, and has won international awards for his youth and community programs. His serial stories have appeared in newspapers throughout the United States as well as in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Bermuda. He has also been a newspaper reporter and editor, radio talk show host, magazine writer and advertising professional.
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Why did you pick these boys Kenny and Frank to fight and no one else?
Posted by: dheise lacs | 01/26/2011 at 09:27 AM
Most groups of kids have a ringleader, and Frank is the bully in this group. And you can kind of tell why he picks on Kenny. The other boys join in the laughter and giving him a hard time, but Frank is the one who stirs it up. Why do the other boys go along with Frank? Well, if you look around, I'll bet you'd find examples in your own school of the same thing.
Posted by: Mike Peterson | 01/26/2011 at 10:02 AM
Why is Kenny the only kid with dead parents?
Posted by: kzehr lacs | 01/26/2011 at 10:10 AM
Well, first of all, you don't KNOW that he is. He's the only one whose parents are mentioned, that's all, and that's because he's the main character.
But a lot of characters in fiction have dead parents -- Harry Potter, for instance -- because otherwise, they would probably not have interesting problems to solve. They'd just ask their parents for help! It's more complicated when you are kind of on your own, that makes for more interesting stories. As you'll see, Kenny has people who care about him, but, as you'll also see, he gets a little mixed up about who he ought to listen to.
Posted by: Mike Peterson | 01/26/2011 at 10:24 AM
Why did you pick this time period?
Posted by: hwest lacs | 01/26/2011 at 10:51 AM
From Michaela~Is "Hooch" a type of liquor?
From Pheobe~Why did you decide to write this story?
Posted by: Mrs. Dermady's Class | 01/26/2011 at 10:54 AM
Why did you make it so Kenny's Uncle Raymond does all the disciplining in the family instead of Pepe or Meme?
Posted by: hrockwood lacs | 01/26/2011 at 11:46 AM
Why do you have kenny's grandparents live on a farm?
Posted by: Akogut LACS | 01/26/2011 at 03:49 PM
why did you choose kenny as the main character in the story you wrote
Posted by: dpeebleslacs | 01/26/2011 at 04:26 PM
When did you write Hooch?
Posted by: Gmetzler LACS | 01/26/2011 at 07:15 PM
The answer to most of these questions is "Wait and find out!" For instance, when you find out what the story is about, you'll realize it had to happen in this time period.
(But here are two answers: "Hooch" is illegal liquor of any kind, and this is a brand-new story.)
Posted by: Mike Peterson | 01/26/2011 at 07:49 PM
Kenny's uncle Raymond is a customs officer, how strict was the border at that time?
Posted by: AnYoung | 01/27/2011 at 03:08 PM
What inspired you to write the book "hooch"
Posted by: Co'connor LACS | 01/27/2011 at 03:10 PM
Why did you pick the title hooch, because I looked up the definition of hooch. It said it is a low quality slang term for a type of liquor.Is this serial story mostly about the illegal use of alcohol, because one of the other vocabulary words for this first chapter are rumrunner.
Posted by: Iberl LACS | 01/27/2011 at 04:31 PM
Hi Mr.Peterson, i just wanted to know why you made kenny's parents die in the story.
Posted by: m french | 01/27/2011 at 05:34 PM
Hi Mr.Peterson, I just wanted to know why you chose Kenney to be a farm boy instead of one of the town boys?
Posted by: mfrench lacs | 01/27/2011 at 05:43 PM
I hope you guys are reading all the other comments, because a couple of your questions are answered there. And the answer to some others is "wait and see!"
For instance, "How strict was the border?" is a very good question -- and it's a big part of the story!
Posted by: Mike | 01/27/2011 at 08:57 PM
That was an amazing story, but will the end of all the chapters lead to the next chapter, or will you need to read the next chapter to find out a new conflict that has, is,or will happen?
Posted by: C.Case L.A.C.S. | 01/28/2011 at 08:14 AM
Why did you name the book or the serial story Hooch?
Posted by: o.moyer LACS | 01/30/2011 at 03:10 PM
why dose the quote "a boy who spends his time piching pennies should think twice befpr picking on a boy who spend his time piching hay"
Posted by: lchristman lacs | 01/30/2011 at 10:38 PM
Why did you make Kenny a country boy instead of a city boy?
Posted by: jlarkins LACS | 01/31/2011 at 12:07 PM
Why did you choose there to be bullying in this story?
Posted by: hmoshier LACS | 01/31/2011 at 02:27 PM
Hello Mr. Peterson, i just wanted to know where you thought of the characters in the story, such as Kenny and Frank?
Posted by: J. West LACS | 01/31/2011 at 07:54 PM
What made want to write this story and not somthing else?
Posted by: lchristman lacs | 01/31/2011 at 08:37 PM
Why is Kenny the only person Frank picks on?
Posted by: cmayer lacs | 02/01/2011 at 02:37 PM
How did you come up with the story and the characters in Hooch?
Posted by: crapave lacs | 02/01/2011 at 02:39 PM
Why did you choose this setting for the story?
Posted by: crapave lacs | 02/01/2011 at 02:41 PM
Why did you writer this stroy. Did this happen to you at school.
Posted by: mdelaney LACS | 02/01/2011 at 03:02 PM
I liked that you wrote that the main character is bullied. It is good for use kids to know how one feels and what they go through.
Posted by: Alyndaker LACS | 02/01/2011 at 05:25 PM
I like how some kids can relate to it by how they may live on a farm and sometimes smell like barn and maybe get bullied.
Posted by: alyoung | 02/01/2011 at 08:17 PM
Why did you name the book Hooch instead of Townboys or Kenny's life
Posted by: Chaddad | 02/03/2011 at 08:03 AM
What did gansters do in that time period?
Posted by: sdenneylacs | 02/03/2011 at 02:51 PM
Why did you choes Uncle George to be the roadster/rummruner.
Posted by: jmalone lacs | 02/03/2011 at 02:51 PM
Why did you choose Kenny to be a farmboy?
Posted by: vanessa f. | 02/03/2011 at 03:10 PM
What kind of school does Kenny go to
Posted by: chelsea munger | 02/03/2011 at 03:11 PM
What is the school's name that Kenney attends ?
Posted by: e malone lacs | 02/03/2011 at 09:01 PM
There are many more "wait and see" kinds of questions here. But a couple of people have asked why I called the story "Hooch," and that could be a good discussion. Think of a book you liked, and then think what the title would be if you only read the first chapter. For instance, in "The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe," the only one you meet at first is the wardrobe -- the witch comes a little later and the lion much later. But which is most important? And there was no "Little House on the Prairie" in the first chapter of that book -- so you might have called it "A Family in a Wagon." Would that be a good title?
I think you'll see why this story is called "Hooch," after you read more of it.
As for Kenny's school, there were three schools in Plattsburgh at the time, two Catholic schools (one for French speaking kids, one for English, but the classes were in English at both schools) and a public school. But you'll find out later that Kenny is going to the public school, so that's Plattsburgh Junior High.
Posted by: Mike | 02/03/2011 at 10:21 PM
What made you think of this story? What was your inspiration?
Posted by: Cory Mellnitz | 02/04/2011 at 11:04 AM
Why do Kenny and his family speak French and not a different language?
Posted by: bwoolschlager | 02/09/2011 at 08:20 PM
Because they are French Canadian. If they were Norwegians, they'd speak Norwegian, of course. But Northern New York has a lot of French Canadians ... and not all that many Norwegians, though my next door neighbors when I was growing up were from Norway!
Posted by: Mike Peterson | 02/09/2011 at 08:34 PM
Hey Mike I have one question why did you write about this hooch story you could have anything else , but you choose this one
Posted by: hcooley | 02/16/2011 at 10:49 AM
Did you know that my father used to pitch pennys.
Posted by: noah dennee | 02/17/2011 at 02:51 PM
what inspired you to make a story about hooch
Posted by: itanisLACS | 02/17/2011 at 03:13 PM
I read these stories in school with my social studies teacher and everyone absolutly loved them! can u make more?
Posted by: softballmaniac | 03/11/2011 at 05:22 PM
I've made several and hope to make another one next year -- I hope you'll read it in your paper, even if you don't see it in class!
Posted by: Mike Peterson | 03/11/2011 at 05:31 PM
my favortite part of the seventh chapter is when eddie threw the money into the fireplace
Posted by: issac tanis | 03/17/2011 at 02:36 PM