'The Green Hand was a super-secret club'. Susan van 't Hullenaar on her children's book series

Later, when I grow up... Lawyer Susan van 't Hullenaar (1970) always dreamed of becoming a writer. As her 12.5-year work anniversary approached, she realised: I have to take the plunge now, otherwise it won't happen. She quit her job, became her own boss as a copywriter and picked up her pen - well, the computer. 'I gave up all my certainties. But if you never try anything, you will regret it later.'

By Afke Bohle

Riddles and mysteries

Two volumes are already showing off in the cupboard, and the third - The Blue Spark Mystery - will be published at the end of June. The children's book series The Green Hand is an exciting series about a few children who form a club together and solve mysteries. Writer Susan van 't Hullenaar also used to be in all kinds of clubs, she says. Because De Groene Hand really did exist.

Tell us. How many members did your club have? A which mystery did you investigate?

'Our clubs usually consisted of four or five people. We would keep an eye on people in the neighbourhood who we thought were suspicious, write down number plates of suspicious cars, invent a secret language or we would try to find the hideout of another club, things like that. Unfortunately, we never solved a serious mystery. The Green Hand is a case apart, that club was only really active for a short time. My best friend suddenly got typed letters in her drawer and her bag, she had to make a passport, go to the graveyard, to a dead-end street to accept a box from a mysterious form, and a few more such things. She was not allowed to talk to anyone about it. Of course she did anyway - with me! At one point, an assignment failed - with the original Green Hand, there were seven assignments instead of five! - and after that it remained silent.'

Five assignments

In part 1, Flora is given five tasks, with which she has to prove that she is brave, clever, handy, decisive and kind. Which of these traits suit you the most?

'Poe, that depends! I am quite brave and decisive, I do dare to stick my neck out. Such a graveyard task, which seems the scariest to most children, I do just fine. And those mammoth teeth I'd go looking for, too.

But I am less brave when it comes to things like skydiving, then suddenly I am a fear monger, I really don't do that. I already find a red slope with skiing scary. So yes ... I'm not very handy either. Quite handy, I think. But when I think about it, I think the last task, where you have to prove that you are nice, might be the most difficult. Because in that assignment, you have no idea what is expected of you. It's an open-ended question. And then go and choose. I could lie awake for nights over that.'

Which member of The Green Hand do you personally most resemble?

'I actually recognise something in all the children, but Anniek, the creator of the club, is a bit based on me. Although I also have quite a few traits of Flora.'

Super secret

Of course, one of the most important things is that the club remains a secret. Did your parents used to know about the existence of your club?

'No, my parents didn't know anything about De Groene Hand, that club was really super secret. They did have an inkling of those other clubs, we told them something about a password or something, but they didn't know exactly what we did. You have to remember that this was all in the early 1980s, and back then children, especially in such a village, had a bit more freedom and space I think. My parents also read The Green Hand, of course, and were quite surprised at what we were doing back then, ha ha! Of course, had they known, they wouldn't have liked all that.'

Fantasy

Now that you are an adult yourself, do you notice the fantasy disappearing?                                                                                                                      

'The fantasy does remain, but you can't always use it the way you actually want to. In my legal work, for example, I often had to present a case to the judge. Your story then has to be completely true, of course, but I then tried to make it as exciting and compelling as possible, without really fantasising or filling in things myself. Quite difficult sometimes! Nowadays, fortunately, I can also share my fantasy with my children.'

Have they read your books?

'Yes, they are the only ones who read along during the writing process when I have a few chapters. Actually as guinea pigs, because I can see right away if they are curious to see how it goes on, they are very honest. My husband joins a little later. And only when the story is finished do I let my parents and sister read everything. And only then the editor.'

Also read the review of the first two volumes of The Green Hand by our pop-up reviewer Afke Bohle:

'We were still going to read The Green Hand!' How an 8-year-old suddenly cured of gaming

Or her witty observations on her blog: www.jezelfzijnenzo.blogspot.nl