With With “Don’t Wear Polka-Dot Underwear with White Pants (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned)” slated to hit stores on Nov. 12, Voorhees native and resident Allison Gutknecht will soon be offering her nuggets of wisdom to kids all over.
“This is just the ultimate dream come true,” Gutknecht said as she looks forward to the release of her debut novel.
Graduating from Eastern Regional High School in 2001, Gutknecht attended the University of Pennsylvania where she doubled majored in English with a focus on creative writing and elementary education.
After graduating in 2005, she went on to work for Sesame Street as an executive assistant in education, research and outreach. In 2010, Gutknecht also received her master’s from NYU for children’s media and literature.
It was during this time she wrote a children’s book for her thesis project and subsequently made a pilot episode from it.
After graduation, she began making cold queries, and three months later received two offers from agents.
Her agent began to send the first book out after Gutknecht signed with her in 2011.
“I really wanted to be a writer, so I just kept continuing to write,” Gutknecht said.
With her agent unable to sign a deal on her first book, Gutknecht then produced “Don’t Wear Polka-Dot Underwear with White Pants (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned).”
The namesake of the book was based on Gutknecht’s own experience while in high school, as a senior in the marching band. As a drum major, both her and her friend regularly were on the receiving end of many laughs from their parents who watched in the stands.
“They were very supportive and always making fun of us,” Gutknecht said.
She explained that it wasn’t later until her fellow drum major’s mother sat in the stands with her, following her graduation, and proceeded to recall the time she wore polka-dot underwear under her white pants — an essential part of her all-white uniform while a part of the marching band.
“It really wasn’t a good look for anybody, and it wasn’t a good look for us,” she said.
Her friend’s mother proceeded to explain that her polka-dot underwear could be seen as clear as day while she stood with her back turned to the audience.
In 2013, Gutknecht struck a deal with Aladdin/Simon and Schuster for “Don’t Wear Polka-Dot Underwear with White Pants (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned).”
While Gutknecht wrote the first draft in just four days, she said she made a least 10 revisions before submitting the work to her agent, who also revised it along with the publisher.
“The first draft took four days, but the ultimate project took over a year,” she said.
While the first chapter of the book surrounds Gutknecht’s experience as a senior in the marching band, the main character Amanda “Mandy” Berr is much younger, at the precocious age of 8.
While playing on the seesaw during school recess, Mandy’s arch-nemesis Dennis spots Mandy’s polka-dot skivvies through her white pants and proceeds to make fun of her.
Gutknecht explained that each chapter surrounds a life lesson, such as “Teacher’s don’t like to be called old” and “Always have gummy bears.”
“They’re more like lessons kids learn on their own good will,” Gutknecht said. “They’re more silly than anything.”
Growing up, Gutknecht said she greatly admired “The Babysitters Club” series and found inspiration in author Ann M. Martin. So much so, she was even able to meet the author in her later years after learning that Martin was fostering kittens and she just happened to be in the market for a kitten at the time.
In addition, Gutknecht will also release a sequel to her debut novel on March 2, called “A Cast is the Perfect Accessory (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned)” and explained that she sees no end to her career in children’s literature anytime in the near future.
“I am very focused in the arena of child entertainment, so that’s where I’m staying for now,” Gutknecht said.
Going through the Voorhees school district as a self-proclaimed “huge nerd,” Gutknecht said she is very grateful for the teachers who helped her along the way.
“I love the Voorhees school system so much. I think the teachers are so great,” she said.
Gutknecht said that during her book signing in NYU, which will take place on the book’s release date, teachers from the elementary school, middle school and high school plan to make the journey in support of her success.
For those aspiring to become published authors, Gutknecht advises persistence.
“No matter where you are in your career, you will always get rejected no matter what,” she said. “Just always have something in the works that you can focus on.”
As far as the best advice she ever got, Gutknecht attributes that to her parents for always telling her that school was her job and to “try your best.”
“I think that’s a good philosophy for life,” she said.
Going along the same lines, she reminisced about her sixth-grade teacher, who constantly preached “quality work.”
“Do the best you can and make it the best you can,” Gutknecht said. “You can’t control everything, but you can control that.”
“Don’t Wear Polka-Dot Underwear with White Pants (and Other Lessons I’ve Learned)” will be available through all major book retailers and online. For more information, visit www.allisongutknecht.com.
