TOUR CAPITOL HILL

Q: Why did you make Lucy Rose and Melonhead live in Washington, D.C.?

I grew up five blocks from the U.S.Capitol and three blocks from the Supreme Court. My brother and sisters and I played pick-up soccer on the Library of Congress lawn, rode our bikes to the Smithsonian museums and had a hilarious, unsupervised time. I wanted kids to know that Capitol Hill is more than government. It’s also a neighborhood, with families, dogs, row houses, a farmer’s market, coffee shops and schools. Everything is close so you can walk, skate board or bike ride to most places. If you want to go further, you can take a Metro or the bus. If you are like most kids and don’t have a driver’s license, this is handy. Captiol Hill kids have to be careful because the adults know each other so if you do something Melonheaded, your parents find out fast.

Q: Are the places in your book real?

Lots of places are real.