Cindy Copeland's Graphic-Novel Memoir 'Cub' Celebrates Journalism

I grew up reading newspapers at the breakfast table each morning, starting on the funny pages and gradually working my way into the news sections. When I reached high school, I knew that my natural nosiness about other people, knack for eavesdropping, and love of language and wordplay were a good combination for working on the school newspaper. On to college to study journalism formally, and then work at national newspapers. I absolutely loved walking into the newsroom every day, and I can't read enough about Nellie Bly, Martha Gellhorn, Lee Miller, Margaret Bourke-White, and other female journalists.

When I stumbled onto Cub (Algonquin, 2020) by Cynthia L. Copeland, I fell hard! Race to the bookstore and pick this book up for the budding journalist in your life! Both funny and smart, Cub is Cindy's memoir in which she recalls being a 12-year-old reporter shadowing a local news reporter. Set in 1972-73, there’s so much here: Watergate, Vietnam, ERA, groovy fashions like bell bottoms. John Denver. How girls and women were treated at the dinner table and in the newsroom. As well as the shifting sands of friendships and the agony of first crushes.

A complete joy and a good prompt for discussing how far we've come and how far we still need to go.

Mother Jones and Workers' Rights in Monica Kulling's 'On Our Way'

There aren't too many authors who get to share billing with literary heavyweights like Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. But versatile and prolific children's author Monica Kulling has done just that, and more. With her Stepping Stones series for Random House, as well as the Great Ideas series with Tundra Books, Monica writes with an eye toward making the complicated more accessible and the adventures real.

Her latest great adventure looks at Mother Jones and her famous march to emancipate children from hard labor. Titled On Our Way to Oyster Bay: Mother Jones and Her March for Children's Rights and illustrated by Felicita Sala, it is a lively look at an inspirational heroine and champion of the working class. It is sure to prompt great discussions around the kitchen table or in the classroom.

Question: What made you want to write about Mother Jones?

Monica Kulling: An astute editor at Kids Can Press came to me with the project. I’m not often asked to put words to someone else’s idea, but when I am, I always find it a fun challenge. The editor thought a book about Mother Jones, specifically her march against child labor in 1903, would fit the publishing house’s Citizen Kid series. As it states on the website:

“The collection aims to make complex global issues accessible for children ages 8 to 12.”

My book illustrates the complex issue of child labor both in the story and in the further discussion in the book’s back pages.

Q: You've clearly been bitten by the research bug. What makes you want to write non-fiction for children?

MK: Research is definitely the fun part. I think I write non-fiction for children so I can learn new and interesting things. It certainly is a beneficial side product. I didn’t know a thing about Mother Jones before beginning the project and now here I am … almost an expert!

As a subject for biography, Mother Jones was a good find. She was a courageous woman who triumphantly rose from the ashes of several disastrous events: the Irish potato famine, the yellow fever epidemic in 1867, and the Chicago fire in 1871. After teaching in Michigan and Tennessee, Mary married George Jones in 1861.

Mr. Jones was an ironworker and union supporter. When the yellow fever epidemic struck in 1867, Mary lost her husband and all four of her children, all under age five.

One has to imagine the torment she must have endured because there isn’t much written about this event, even in her autobiography.

Mary returned to Chicago and opened a dressmaking business. Once more, disaster struck, in the form of fire. Mary lost her home and business to the Chicago fire of 1871. She sought community and comfort in the Knights of Labor, and soon emerged as a labor organizer, fighting tirelessly for better working conditions and more humane wages for coal miners and railroad workers. Her caring manner inspired the coal miners to call her “Mother.”

Mother Jones was only 5-foot tall but what a firecracker! I hope kids will find her an inspiration, as the coal miners did, and as my two fictional characters, Aidan and Gussie, certainly do.

Q: Can you describe your creative process — sometimes it's challenging to make history feel relevant for young readers. How do you decide when to bring in fictional characters to your narrative?

MK: I guess the simplest answer is imagination. I try to imagine what it would have been like to be a particular person living under certain constraints with a personality entirely different from my own. It’s a bit like acting, I guess, since the character must come alive for me as I write or I won’t get the words right. If the person comes alive in my imagination then I can, hopefully, translate that to the page.

As for bringing in fictional characters, I don’t always do that. In my Great Idea series, stories of inventors and their a-ha moments, I stick to the facts, with dollops of imagined dialogue to keep interest high. In the case of On Our Way To Oyster Bay! I introduced the two children, at the suggestion of the editor. That’s why I like working with editors so much. They often hold the key to unlocking the kid friendly in a history.

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from your book?

MK: I’d be gratified if young readers took away similar thoughts and feelings to those I take away when I read biography or historical fiction — that is, to see the world through eyes other than your own and to come to a deeper understanding of the people who live in it. I’m often amazed by how much we are like people who lived hundreds of years ago even though we have amazing technological and scientific developments at our disposal; we are, at base, similar in the hopes, fears and desires we have.

Q: What are you working on next?

MK: I have so many people, places, and events that I’d like to explore, my head is fairly spinning! That said, lately I’ve been researching the Dust Bowl migration with the idea of writing the story of one family’s struggle as they migrate from Oklahoma to the greener fields of California. I’m particularly interested in how the 10 long years of dust, drought, and despair affected the children in the family.

Remarkable Pioneers in Anna Lewis's 'Women of Steel and Stone'

In celebrating Women's History Month, I thought it fitting to feature a non-fiction title about some seriously smart, capable, amazing women. Anna M. Lewis's Women of Steel and Stone: 22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Designers (Chicago Review Press, 2014) spotlights 22 women who were pioneers in their chosen, male-dominated fields. Spanning from the 1800s to current times, these stories explore the childhood passions, perseverance, and creativity that carried these remarkable women through daunting challenges all the way to the top of their professions.

A few favorites of mine were profiles of Julia Morgan, who built "America's Castle" in San Simeon, California, for William Randolph Hearst; Emily Warren Roebling, who took over the role as chief engineer on the Brooklyn Bridge after her husband's illness; and Marion Mahony Griffin, known as Frank Lloyd Wright's "right-hand man."

Question: What made you want to write a book devoted to women architects and engineers? Do you have a background in math and science, or do you just like research and a good story?

Anna M. Lewis: My father ran his own consulting engineering firm in Cincinnati, Ohio, for over 50 years. During the summers, I would work in his office—helping with drafting on drawings and field inspections of sites.

Actually, my degree is in Product/Industrial Design. In college, there were definitely more male than female students. Also, I took several design and architectural history classes in college for fun. Working with my editor, I set out to write a proposal for a book in their Women Of Action series. While looking for topics, I found one website that listed the top 100 architects—with only two women on the entire list. That didn’t sound right to me. I started researching women architects and found some amazing women whose stories hadn’t been told. From there, I also discovered several women engineers and landscape architects, and the book grew from there.

Q: Was it hard to decide on which women to include in the book? Can you talk about your process and how you found these amazing women? How you decided which stories to tell?

AML: My daughter’s favorite number is 22, so I felt that I had to appease her and the karma gods and write about 22 women. Luckily, I found 22 fabulous women with stories that would be interesting to young readers. Also, my book contract stated that I had to have at least one good publishable photo of each woman and that became harder than you may think.

I found that almost all the women didn’t boast about their accomplishments, and I had to dive deep into research to find their stories, much less a photo. Maybe that’s why we haven’t heard of them before now. They were working in their fields because they truly loved the profession, not because they wanted the fame and notoriety.

Q: Do you have a favorite story among them? Is there one woman with whom you really connected as you learned about her life and her accomplishments? And why?

AML: Great question. Truly, I fell in love with all the women in the book. Their stories were all so different—yet woven together with common threads. They all liked art and math. They all had a strong passion to want to work in their chosen fields. And, they all had supportive parents.

The story that bothered me the most was the story of why Natalie de Blois was fired (in the 1940s) at age 23 by an architecture firm. A male architect asked that Natalie be fired because she hadn’t responded to his “advances.” I still get mad thinking about that! I was honored to connect with Natalie while I was writing the book. At age 92, she was still handling her affairs and sent to me a never-before published picture of herself for my book. I sent her a final draft of her chapter a few months before she passed in 2013.

I spoke to several women or their descendants while researching the book. Denise Scott Brown even called one day to talk about the book. Her eloquent message in her beautiful accent is still on my answering machine. I can’t bear to erase it.

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from your book? What do you hope to accomplish by sharing these women's stories?

AML: It is my greatest wish that someday a young reader will come up to me and tell me that she or he was inspired to become an architect, engineer, or landscape architect while reading my book. My quest is to get these stories into the hands of as many readers as I can to inspire them. One day, a male adult fan came up to me at a signing and said that he thought Women of Steel and Stone should be made into a Ken Burns documentary. I totally agreed.

Q: What will we see from you next?

AML: Right now, I’m working with several editors on a wide range of projects from picture books to YA non-fiction. My goal is to promote creative thinking in my writing. And, I’m finally writing a young adult historical mystery that’s been running around my head for years. Rather fastidious about research, I even found one error on the British Monarchy’s website… so far.

Ghost Dogs, Magic Behind Edith Cohn's 'Spirit's Key'

Edith Cohn’s delightful debut novel Spirit’s Key (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014) weaves magic into an appealing girl-and-her-dog story. It tells of 12-year-old Spirit Holden, who lives among the islanders on tiny Bald Island. When dogs begin dying and the islanders become ill, Spirit's family is blamed. With the help of her ghost dog, Sky, guiding her, Spirit taps into her own power and finds a way to help.

Kirkus Reviews calls Spirit’s Key "an inventive story with a fresh setting and an upstanding moral compass." And Booklist, in a starred review, says, "Themes of belonging, standing up for what is right, and wildlife conservation pervade this strong debut." 

Question: What inspired you to write your book?

Edith Cohn: Spirit’s Key had several inspirations. The first was a dog named Marisol who went missing. She belonged to a friend of mine, and we searched the city for Marisol for months. I kept seeing her everywhere–even though it was never really her, and I got the idea about a ghost dog–about my friend never having closure. Later I decided I wanted the setting of the book to be an island, and I was deeply inspired by Ocracoke and the Outer Banks of North Carolina, which is a truly magical place. 

I was also inspired by my niece who went through a vegetarian phase, and I got to thinking about how kids that age are still figuring out what they think and still forming their beliefs. And then the idea that people's house keys can tell the future? That came from a handmade key ring I was wearing at the time.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

EC: This is terribly ambitious, but I hope to write books that inspire people to see the world in a slightly different way. I hope people might see how fear is the root of hatred and injustice. I hope they might be a little kinder to each other and to animals. 

Q: What are you working on next?

EC: I am working on two books. One is a middle-grade fantasy and the other is a slightly futuristic middle-grade. I'm in the early stages of both, so I can't say anymore about them. There's magic in keeping the writing secret for a little while.

First Families Inspire Behrens' 'When Audrey Met Alice'

Rebecca Behrens' When Audrey Met Alice (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, 2014) makes a great read for anyone with an interest in the First Family or the agonies of being a First Daughter (see Turkey Pardon). Rebecca has great fun with the juxtaposition of her character Audrey Rhodes, who finds life in the White House to be confusing and confining, with Teddy Roosevelt's wild-eyed daughter Alice. Only when Audrey discovers Alice Roosevelt's old diary does she begin to feel better about her arrangement at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. A story of holding on to your sense of self despite the chaos around you, this story hits with readers young and old.

Question: What inspired you to write your book?

Rebecca Behrens: I was a tween during the Clinton administration, and I always wondered what Chelsea Clinton's life was like in the White House: making the Yellow Bedroom her own, dealing with Secret Service agents chaperoning her dates, and having the media report on her grades, hobbies, and appearance. I wanted to explore the awesome and awkward aspects of life at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for an ordinary girl, in a very extraordinary situation. That inspired Audrey's character.

And I've always been fascinated by Alice Roosevelt, the spirited and sometimes shocking daughter of Teddy Roosevelt. I thought it would be cool to have a contemporary First Daughter interact with Alice through a fictionalized diary–and interesting for readers to see how a First Kid's life in the White House once was, and might be today.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

RB: First and most of all, I want to tell a good story! I'm always hoping that the book I write will be one that engages and entertains young readers. With When Audrey Met Alice, I also hoped that readers might be inspired to "meet" Alice Roosevelt and other First Daughters themselves by reading and researching after finishing the book. I like blending contemporary and historical fiction because I think it offers a window into the past–especially to readers who might be hesitant to try historical fiction. And, finally and hopefully without making it seem like my writing is didactic(!), I try to write about girls who are curious, smart, and resourceful–because those are the sharp-cookie heroines I loved to read about as a kid, and also because I think that's important for young readers.

Q: What are you working on next?

RB: My next book is Summer of Lost and Found, another middle-grade novel that blends contemporary and historical fiction. It will be released in early 2016 by Egmont USA. In it, a girl’s father mysteriously disappears and her botanist mother drags her to Roanoke Island for a research trip, where the girl decides to solve the mystery of the Lost Colony with the help of a peculiar local boy. I also have two historical short stories that will be published soon: Thatagirl! will appear in Scholastic classroom magazines in Fall 2014/Spring 2015, and A Piece of Cake will appear in Cricket magazine, in 2015 or early 2016 (date to be determined).

Gayle Rosengren Taps Family Lore for 'What the Moon Said'

Gayle Rosengren knows her way around books. A former children's and young adult librarian, a reference librarian, as well as copyeditor – for the American Girl books, no less – she's got storytelling down. 

Her lovely debut middle-grade novel What the Moon Said (Putnam, February 2014) tells the story of 10-year-old Esther, who knows how to avoid bad luck: toss salt over your left shoulder, never button your shirt crooked, and avoid black cats. But none of those tricks can stave off the hardships that come with the Great Depression. Esther's father is out of work, and her family is forced to leave their home in Chicago and resettle to a Wisconsin farm. Think outhouses, no electricity, hard-scrabble living. But as Booklist writes, "Esther’s positive attitude offers a fine model for readers of this engaging historical fiction."

Question: What inspired you to write your book? 

Gayle Rosengren: I was inspired by stories my mother told me about her childhood, especially because many of them took place on a farm. I was a horse-crazy city kid who always dreamed of living in the country with my own horse, dogs, cats, cows, etc., not to mention babbling brooks, woods, and big green spaces to run wild in. This made my mom's stories especially wonderful to me, even though many of them included things like outhouses and extreme temperatures and lo-o-o-ng walks to school. But even more inspirational was the fact that my mom and I were very close, and my grandmother lived with us for most of my childhood, so it often felt like I had two mothers – one very soft, and the other rather prickly but both very protective of me. What the Moon Said was my way of celebrating both of them for teaching me most – if not all – of what I know about love.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?  

GR: We didn't have much in the way of money when I was a girl, so school and public libraries were godsends. I could check out a stack of novels – reading material for a week or 
two – and not pay a penny. I read horse books and dog books, mysteries and survival stories, historical and contemporary fiction, never realizing that I wasn't just being entertained, I was being informed. I learned about families and places much different from my own. I learned things I probably never would have learned otherwise (I still know what to do for a poisonous snake bite, thanks to a Trixie Belden mystery). And identifying with the characters in fiction helped to make me a more empathetic person.
Books made me more aware of the differences between people but even more importantly of the things we all have in common, no matter where we live or what our circumstances. We all have people and things in our lives that are dear to us, and we all are confronted with problems large and small on a regular basis. We have to make choices. And we have to live with the results of those choices.

Reading fiction gave me vicarious life experience to add to my far more limited personal experience. And I loved reading so much – having all those great adventures, making all those fictional friends – that it seemed the most natural thing in the world to want to create stories for future young readers.   Finally, by turning new readers into book lovers at this age, they will almost certainly be life-long readers. What book-lover can resist the temptation to be a part of this chain?  Not I.

Q: What are you working on next? 

GR: My next book is coming out in August of 2015, also from G.P. Putnam's Sons/Penguin Young Readers. It's called Cold War on Maplewood Street, and it takes place during the week of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. While my first book grew out of my mother's experiences, this one came purely from my own.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a terrifying week for people all around the world. Yet many people under the age of 50 know little if anything about it. They have no idea how close the world came to nuclear war in that showdown between Russia and the United States. But this was an important time in our history, and I think it needs to be remembered. My book tells the story through the eyes of a young girl whose beloved brother Sam has recently joined the Navy, and she is afraid that his battleship is among those standing between Cuba and the Russian ships. It's a story about family and fear and friendship, but most of all about one girl's coming of age while confronting an uncertain future.

Loss, Redemption in Tracy Holczer's 'Secret Hum of a Daisy'

Tracy Holczer 's delicate and beautiful The Secret Hum of a Daisy (Putnam Juvenile, May 1, 2014) is her debut novel, but the way she handles themes of family and reconciliation is with the touch of a pro.

It is the story of Grace, age 12, who desperately wants a home all her own while her mother has the urge to keep moving. Just when Grace finds the courage to tell her mother how she really feels about always moving around and her desire for roots, her mother tragically drowns. Grace is forced to live with a grandmother she's doesn't even know. But when Grace discovers clues in a mysterious treasure hunt, just like the ones her mother used to send her on, she feels her mom might be showing her how finally to find her way home.

Question: Your book is about grieving and loss, but it's also about finding joy and love and our place in the world. Where did the idea for Grace and her grandmother and the bird art come from? What was your "ah-ha" moment when you decided to start writing your story?

Tracy Holczer: There really wasn’t one aha-moment, but more like a series of them. Grace came to me first. I had such a clear image of her sitting on the top step of a farmhouse porch that needed some repair. I had actually written a short story some time before with a child very similar to Grace, so when I saw this girl, the original short came into play.

That’s where Grandma was, and the idea that this girl had just lost her mom. The bird art evolved from an angel collection. Originally, Grace and Mama liked to pour over garage and yard sales looking for imperfect angels. Only the broken and misshapen would do. But then I wanted Mama to be more proactive and create, plus I had the origami in the story and so I needed the images to align a little better. Since they were already crazy about garage sales, the junk art just seemed like the right choice.

Q: What drew you into writing for children? Have you always been a writer? And have you always known middle-grade would be your home? Can you talk about your journey to publication?

TH: When I was a young child, I thought I wanted to be a writer. But in that same way you want to be an astronaut or a ballerina. It’s not a real job choice, it’s a dream. I loved writing and I loved books but when I was young, it took me awhile to figure out I was in charge of my own destiny and that if I really wanted it, I should work as hard as I could and hope for the best. When I had my third daughter and was able to quit my job, it was a wonderful, enriching hobby where I could attend conferences and workshops and do something that was all mine. When a writing teacher suggested I might try writing for kids, it was a natural fit.

Publication took a long time. I started writing for kids in 2002, and had been dabbling in other forms before that. I wrote a drawer book and then started working on Secret Hum around 2006. But family was my first priority so writing took a very long time. It also wasn’t the right time in my life to take on a career. But eventually, when my youngest was ten, I felt that might be a good time to dip my toe in the water and see if there was any interest. Figuring publication would be at least two years away from a deal, and who knows when/if a deal might happen, I felt that would be a good time to be working. And I was right.

Q: Your book is pasted with praise from some of the biggest stars of children's literature, with Richard Peck calling it "a lyric about love and loss," Patricia Reilly Giff saying it "will steal your heart," and Margarita Engle pronouncing it "poetic and tender." That's heady company! Do you just happen to hang around with Newbery medalists?

TH: Hahahaha! No! I wish. My fabulous editor, Stacey Barney, did that. She sent the book out and came back with this amazing praise. She surprised me with each one, and it was, and still is, very surreal.

Q: Grace is defiant yet so vulnerable, and she's trying to deal with weighty issues for a girl so young. What sort of reader are you hoping to reach with Secret Hum? What do you hope young readers take away from your story?

TH: I’m hoping to reach all readers, from 10 to 110. I think there is something in the story for everyone. Loss and redemption, hope and grief are so universal, that I wanted this book to be a salve for those who might have experienced these emotions. I have always loved a good cry and I cried all the way through writing about Grace. So although I never sat down to write a tear-jerker, I did sit down to write the kind of story I like to read, and I hope there are others out there, lots of others!, who have the same taste in books that I do.

Q: What will we see from you next?

TH: Another feisty girl named Samantha Rossi. The Natural History of Samantha Rossi is a story about 12-year old Sam who wants to be a scientist during a time when the door is just starting to open for girls with this sort of dream. Set during the Vietnam War, when Sam’s father comes home changed, she’s hopeful she can turn to her science books for the answer in how to turn him back. She comes from a great big Italian family, who, of course, have their own ideas about how to fix things. There are once in a lifetime friendships, daring expeditions, and lots and lots of meatballs. Sam will hit shelves in Summer 2016.

Tracey Fern Sails for Adventure With 'Dare the Wind'

Who doesn't love a daring adventure story when she sees it? And when it's a non-fiction picture book? All the better. When it features a brave lass at the helm? Unbeatable. And there we have Dare the Wind: The Record-breaking Voyage of Eleanor Prentiss and the Flying Cloud

by Tracey Fern and illustrated by Emily Arnold McCully, published only last month by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Dare the Wind tells the story of young Ellen Prentiss, who was born "with saltwater in her veins." Her father nurtured her interest in the sea, and Ellen learned navigate and sail on her own. When Ellen grew up, her love for adventure never waned, and her husband was given command of a clipper ship built for speed. With the Gold Rush on, Ellen raced from New York, around the tip of Cape Horn, and into San Francisco to stake her fortune. She not only navigated the clipper safely, but she set the world record for speed along the way.

Question: You're a Massachusetts gal, and so was Ellen Prentiss. Is that what drew you to her story? Could you talk about the "ah-ha" moment when you decided to write a book about this daring seafarer?

Tracey Fern: I'm always on the lookout for great real-life stories that feature a unique person mixed with a dash of adventure or discovery.  My "ah-ha" moment came when I picked up David Shaw's book, Flying Cloud, on a whim.  I knew instantly that I had to write about Ellen. Ellen's story – a young woman performing a traditionally male role, clipper ships, a race, storms – had it all! It was an added bonus that she was from Marblehead, Massachusetts, which is one of my favorite towns.  I love walking the narrow, cobbled streets, imagining Ellen learning to navigate ships in the harbor.

Q: All of your books are about lesser-known characters in history. Where do you get your ideas? And how do you know whether to run with an idea or not? Can you talk about your creative process?

TF: I find ideas from all types of sources.  I've always been an avid reader and many of my ideas come from books, magazines, newspapers, and websites. But I've also gotten ideas from things I've heard on National Public Radio or TV. I have a huge "idea" file that I constantly add to whenever I run across an interesting story. Many of these ideas go absolutely nowhere, but I find that if I return to an idea a few times, then it's time to do a bit of research to see if I think the character is unique enough or interesting enough to support a picture book. I usually work on multiple projects simultaneously, so that if I get stuck on one, I can set it aside to percolate while I work on something else. A picture book can take me several years to write, with multiple revisions and lots of input from my writer's group until I think it is ready to submit to an editor.

Q: You seem to mine history for your books and magazine articles. What draws you to narrative non-fiction? 

TF: I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to history. I've always just been a bit of a history nerd. Something about real people and their stories is very inspiring to me.  I love to figure out what motivated them!

Q: Both Ellen Prentiss and Barnum Brown of Barnum's Bones – as well as the subjects of Buffalo Music (Clarion, 2008) and Pippo the Fool (Charlesbridge, 2009) – have wonderful things in common: They pay attention to details. For Ellen, it's reading the sea. And for Barnum, it's finding fossils amid the everyday landscape. What is it about paying close attention to the little things that made for success for these two characters? What are you trying to show young readers?

TF: It's interesting that you ask! I've never thought about this similarity and wasn't consciously trying to show this to young readers. But I do know that as a writer, I try hard to pay attention to the "telling details" that help me show character traits! I seem to be drawn to somewhat obsessive characters – people who are passionate about what they do. I think I try to show young readers that following a passion can result in some amazing things!

Q: What do you hope to accomplish with your books and writing?

TF: I hope to write books that young readers will enjoy and will want to read again and again. I hope my books are rich enough with character and detail and significance and fun that readers will not only enjoy the story, but will also be intrigued enough to explore the subject further. Creating more history nerds would be awesome!

Q: What will we see from you next?

TF: I'm very excited about my next book!  It will be a picture book about Noah Webster entitled, W is for Webster, to be illustrated by Boris Kulikov, who also illustrated Barnum's Bones. It will be published by Margaret Ferguson Books at Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Kicking Off Women's History Month With Tanya Lee Stone

Once upon a time, when my husband was just a little guy, he believed that all doctors were women. That's because his own mom was an MD. So it made perfect sense to him that this was how the world worked. But as we know, that's not the way it was. Medical schools today are graduating women at roughly equal numbers as men. But there was time when simply the idea of a woman aspiring to be a doctor was laughable.

With the picture book Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell (Henry Holt, 2013), Tanya Lee Stone takes readers back in time to see what it was like through a young girl's eyes. Named a 2014 Amelia Bloomer Project book, Who Says shows what Elizabeth was like as a young, curious girl. And how she got the idea to become a doctor from a sick friend, who confided that she would rather be examined by a woman than a man. It lays out the challenges and frustrations Elizabeth encountered as she pursued her dream and opened the door for countless other women to pursue theirs. It's a great book to celebrate Women's History Month.

Question: While you have written teen fiction, your specialty seems to be non-fiction. You are the author of at least 15 non-fiction books for young readers – including Courage Has No Color, The True Story of the Triple Nickles America's First Black Paratroopers (Candlewick, 2013) – and 10 non-fiction picture books. What draws you to this genre? Were you been bitten by the research bug early in life?

Tanya Lee Stone: I was an outdoor, tomboyish kid who loved to read and grew up on the rocky coastline of Connecticut, so I feel as though my entire childhood was based in field research! If you pair that with the fact that I am continually amazed by the extraordinary things that "ordinary" people do (there is really no such thing as an ordinary person), it's easy to understand my attraction to non-fiction.

Q: Many of your books focus on pioneering women – Elizabeth Blackwell, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, as well as Amelia Earhart, Ella Fitzgerald, and early female astronauts. Why write about these women?

TLS: The fabric of our history is so riddled with holes that I've been compelled to do my part and fill in as many as I can. This comes down, for me, to stories about women and people of color who have been largely left out of the record.

Q: With Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? you lay out the challenges Elizabeth Blackwell faced in stark terms for the youngest readers to understand. Who do you hope to reach with your picture books? And what do you hope to accomplish?

TLS: My picture books are both for the standard picture book age range (4-8) as well as for older readers because of the topics I tend to choose. There are two things I'm generally interested in accomplishing with my picture books – capturing the essence of someone incredibly cool who we as readers are not particularly familiar with, and inspiring readers to dream big and not let anything stand in their way.

Q: Parents Magazine named Who Says Women Can't Be Doctors? the Best Non-Fiction Picture Book of 2013. And Booklist listed it a Top 10 Youth Biography. What do awards like these mean to you? Do they help you connect history and non-fiction to even more young readers? 

TLS: There are so many wonderful books that come out every year that don't get the attention they deserve, and it is always a huge honor to be highlighted with these kinds of accolades. Honors like these are also important in terms of elongating the life of a book and helping to keep it in print (and with nonfiction this can be even trickier than with fiction), as well as calling attention to it for readers who might otherwise miss it. For example, the Parents' Magazine press likely alerted a lot more parents than might have known about it. I am extremely grateful.

Q: Do you feel that the publishing world is more interested in non-fiction books these days than in the past? Was there a time when it was hard to sell your non-fiction work?

TLS: That's a bit of a tricky question, depending upon your perspective. While it is true that things like the Common Core have brought more mainstream, trade/bookstore-type attention to non-fiction, it has also been an area that has been strong for a long time because of the need for good non-fiction for kids in the school and library market.

Q: Where do you get your ideas for the next project? What will we see from you next?

TLS: I am always doing research, and always coming across things that elicit emotional responses from within, which can be negative or positive. Things I come across in the news or doing research that make me say, "Wow, how cool, I didn't know that!" are equally compelling to me as when I find something that makes me outraged or confused. I have several books in the pipeline, and the next one up (in 2015) is a picture book about Jane Addams called The House that Jane Built. After that, be on the lookout for more long-form narrative non-fiction from me, as well as new picture books. Thank you so much for getting in touch and Happy Women's History Month!

Beth Finke's 'Safe and Sound' Makes an Inspiring Holiday Gift

Christmastime for me growing up meant one thing: my annual plea for a dog. I was obsessed with them, begged Santa to slip one under the tree, read all sorts of books about them, memorized every breed. For kids and families with an interest in dogs, Chicago author Beth Finke's beautiful story of her relationship with her Seeing Eye dog, Hanni, makes a fascinating, uplifting holiday gift.

Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound (Blue Marlin, 2007), illustrations by Anthony Alex LeTourneau, received the ASPCA Henry Berg Award for children's literature, and it was featured on the Martha Speaks ReadAloud Book Club on PBS. Booklist says, "The pairing of Finke’s clear and animated writing with LeTourneau’s precise and expressive illustrations perfectly reflects the lively relationship between proud and responsible Hanni and proud and intrepid Beth. . ."

Hanni and Beth tells the story of how Beth, who is blind, travels safely around the city – to work, shopping, even to baseball games – with the help of Hanni, a specially-trained Golden/Labrador Retriever. It also includes factual information about how Hanni was raised and trained, how Beth and Hanni learned to work together as a team, and what it's like to be blind.

Beth's memoir for grown-up readers, Long Time, No See, was published by University of Illinois Press in 2003 and is required reading in disability studies programs at universities across the country. And her essays air on National Public Radio's Morning Edition.

And readers can keep up with Beth's latest adventures around Chicago and beyond with her current Seeing Eye dog, Whitney, over at her Safe & Sound blog.

Question: You are a print journalist, you have contributed essays to Chicago Public Radio and National Public Radio's Morning Edition, and you teach memoir classes for the City of Chicago's Department on Aging. What made you decide to write a children's book?

Beth Finke: My first book was a memoir. I lost my sight when I was 26 years old,  and Long Time, No See was about my marriage, raising our son, and the adaptations my husband Mike Knezovich and I have made to survive – and thrive – after losing my sight. After Long Time, No See was published I started doing book signings and presentations at book fairs, conferences, schools, libraries, and bookstores all over the country. One chapter of Long Time, No See focuses on training with my first Seeing Eye dog, a Black Lab named Dora. Over and over again, the questions most people asked during the Q & A sessions after my presentations dealt with that particular subject: my Seeing Eye dog.

People – especially children – are fascinated with Seeing Eye dogs. They may have seen Animal Planet shows about guide dogs, but the people I met didn't know much about how the dogs were trained, or what the rules are when they see a guide dog at work leading a person who is blind. I thought a children’s book might be a fun way for children and the adults in their lives to learn more.

Q: You are clearly a communicator and comfortable in any medium. And your school visits with Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound are enthusiastically received. Is there one medium you prefer best?

BF: I am old school. I prefer face-to-face communication.

Q: Your book can be appreciated by a wide audience – adult and child, teacher and student, blind and sighted, dog lovers and cat people. What kind of feedback do you get from audiences when you talk about Safe & Sound?

BF: Audiences seem to be taken by my honesty. Children like the way I treat them as adults during school presentations. Sometimes I wonder if that's because I can't see them – I picture them as peers, and talk to them that way.

Q: What about from the Seeing Eye school and other guide dog organizations – do they know about the book and your work?

BF: They sure do – my publisher, Blue Marlin Publications, put together a special edition with information about the Seeing Eye on the cover, and the Seeing Eye sold the book on its website and gave the book away to puppy raisers, the wonderful volunteers who raise our dogs to become Seeing Eye dogs and help people like me, who are blind, to keep safe. I work part-time for Easter Seals, too, and Blue Marlin Publications published special copies of the book for Easter Seals to give away to contributors as well.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your book?

BF: I hope Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound helps children understand that while having a disability presents challenges, that doesn't necessarily stop people like me from having a rich and active life. I hope that kids who read Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound might develop traits of empathy, not sympathy, as they relate to people with disabilities. And, for that matter, as they relate to all people.

Q: What do you hope to accomplish as a writer?

BF: You want an honest answer? I'd like to make enough money as a writer to support my husband, a man I love, rather than vice-versa!

Q: What are you working on now?

BF: I lead three memoir-writing classes a week for senior citizens in Chicago and am working on a book about what I am learning from those classes.

Q: Will there be another children's book from you hitting shelves anytime soon?

BF: I had no plans to write another children's book until last month. The mother of a 5-year-old who is blind contacted me to thank me for a Braille copy of Hanni and Beth: Safe & Sound and lamented that there are  not many books for children about Braille. It has me thinking. . .

Dahl, Nesbit Inspire 'Art of Flying' Author Judy Hoffman

Chicago-area author Judy Hoffman's new contemporary fantasy, The Art of Flying (Disney-Hyperion, October 2013), may be her debut, but her writing style makes it clear she's no novice.

A fun and engaging middle-grade novel, The Art of Flying features 11-year-old Fortuna Dalliance, who is typically a down-to-earth kind of kid. When her eclectic neighbors turn out to be witches, and they desperately need Fortuna's help, she's ready for adventure. The Baldwin sisters have gotten themselves into a pickle by turning three birds – an owl and two sparrows – into a bullying man and two boys. And they want Fortuna to talk some sense into one of them, Martin, to let the witches turn him back into a bird.


Fortuna isn't so sure she believes in magic. But once she gets to know Martin, she's certain she doesn't want to lose his friendship. The pressure is on, since the witchy Baldwin sisters face stiff penalties for their magic if they don't get those humans turned back into their feathery old selves within five days.

"Silly witches, transformed birds and a plucky heroine equal 'real, live adventure,' writes Kirkus Reviews. The Art of Flying makes a great holiday gift for middle-grade readers who like uplifting, spirited fantasy.

Question: Witches, birds transformed into children, talking animals. What made you want to write The Art of Flying? And why a fantasy?

Judy Hoffman: I've always been a big fan of fantasy, especially stories about magic coming into regular kids' lives. I think there are many things happening around us that we just don't pay attention to. The Art of Flying came from a story I carried inside me for a long time about children and birds and flying and merging those worlds together. I had ideas for the overall plot and the main characters, but much of it evolved as I went along.

Q: This is your debut novel, but your don't write like a rookie. Where did you develop your craft and how long have you been at it?

JH: I've written quietly for a number of years and taken writing courses along the way. My educations is really from the reading I've done all my life. I have always leaned toward books that are considered classics. I think I draw from some of the older styles of writing. I write and write and revise incessantly until the words feel and look right on paper and sound right when read aloud.

Q: A Kirkus review likened your haphazard witches, the Baldwin sisters, to those in Roald Dahl's The Witches. What authors and books influence your writing? What or who inspires you?

JH: The Wizard of Oz books started me on the magical journey when I was very young. E. Nesbit is a huge influence. The Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows, E.B. White (Charlotte's Web). Roald Dahl (but I never read The Witches). The list goes on and on.

J.K. Rowling is my hero. She brought magic and reading back into the world. Her background without a formal education in writing gave me the courage to submit my own book for publication.

Q: What do you hope children take away from your books? 

JH: So far, I've never had a big seated theme or message I want to impart when I write. I mostly want to entertain and captivate the reader so that they want to keep reading. At the end of the book, I'd like them to reluctantly close it and say, "That was fun. I want to read this again." That, to me, is the ultimate.

Q: What will we see from you next?

JH: I'm finishing up a book about a meerkat endowed with special powers who is discovered by three children and their grandma in their backyard in Texas. I also am working on a story about a girl named Clarissa who is the niece of Selena and Ellie - the witches from The Art of Flying.

I hope to finish both these books up soon and see what happens!

Kristen Kittscher's Thrilling Mystery 'Wig in the Window'

 Kristen Kittscher's The Wig in the Window (HarperCollins, 2013) is one of those books that hooks you in from the first page. And it shows the power of a fantastic title: I recall stumbling across this book for the first time in spring, and the title stayed with me. Later when I read a review, I thought the premise sounded fantastic. And finally, when I popped into the bookstore over the summer, the title was easy for my addled mind to recall as I wandered the stacks.

The Wig in the Window tells the story of seventh-grade BFFs Sophie Young and Grace Yang, budding spies who have made a game of snooping on their neighbors. When they witness what they think is a murder, things begin to spin out of control. The suspect: their middle-school counselor, who was wielding a red-stained cleaver. There are enough red herrings to throw off even the most discerning young readers and keep the pages turning. Kirkus describes Wig as "Reminiscent of the ever-compelling film Rear Window, this appealing and often spine-tingling tale will leave its audience wishing for more."

Question: This book is fast-paced and full of thrills from the word go. Where did you get the idea for The Wig in the Window? And did you know the title from the moment you sat down to write the story? 

Kristen Kittscher: When I was in sixth grade, my best friend and I had lots of far-fetched theories about our neighbors and pretended we were spies. We even had a “spy headquarters” in a loft above her garage where we made fake “Most Wanted” posters and spy badges. The Wig in the Window was inspired by those memories of childhood spy games. I wondered: what if there had been a fugitive in our neighborhood? Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is one of my favorite movies – I thought a Rear Window for kids had some fun possibilities.

As for the title, the book actually sold to HarperCollins as “Untitled Middle Grade Mystery.” As I was drafting, I always referred to it as “Young and Yang” because Sophie Young and Grace Yang’s friendship is at its heart. The process of coming up with a new title was pretty funny. I talk about it and share some of the editorial correspondence here.

Q: I loved how these characters were not just "strong girls," one of them was quoting Sun Tzu, philosopher and author of The Art of War, throughout the book. Are you schooled in the art of war yourself? What made you incorporate strategies for defeating enemies into your mystery novel? What made you write such strong, capable girls?

KK: I wasn’t schooled in The Art of War before writing Wig, but I can certainly hold my own now. I joke that the book is a psychological thriller for tweens, so Sun Tzu’s battle advice was perfect for Young & Yang’s cat-and-mouse game with their school counselor.

 I also incorporated Sophie’s interests because I wanted to explore a common theme I’d seen while teaching middle school: kids often take on other cultures and identities while trying to figure out their own place in the world. They look for things outside themselves to give them a little boldness. It can be very problematic and lead to tensions in friendship, as Sophie Young discovers. What is the line between appreciation of a culture and appropriation? I’d wondered it myself as I watched my students get really into manga, for example.

I'm glad my characters' strengths comes across! I taught at an all-girls’ school for many years; I don’t know any girls who aren’t strong and capable, so they just came out that way as I wrote! I’m so pleased that kids are finding them empowering. Confident Trista Bottoms is definitely a favorite of mine – and I find myself channeling her when I’m feeling unsure about myself, too.

Q: Mysteries have lots of loose ends that need tying up, and they have to maintain a certain tension throughout. How hard is it to write a mystery? And why did you choose this genre?

KK: The Wig in the Window is the first thing I’ve written, so I have difficulty comparing the difficulty of writing a mystery over any other kind of writing. It’s all hard! I do know that it seems to take me longer than others to write. Whether that’s because of the intricacies of plot construction, the number of revisions it takes to get the humor timing right, or because it’s tricky to keep things moving while still exploring the friendship, I’m not sure.

I love page-turners and being surprised, so the idea of creating that experience for kids delights me to no end! I also think it complements thematic obsessions of mine. Doubt (and self-doubt) are the twin engines that propel a mystery plot, so mysteries are perfect for traveling with a character on a journey from insecurity to greater confidence. (Which, in turn, is perfect for tweens trying to shed their own self-consciousness and figure out where they fit in.)

Q: Will we see Agents Young & Yang again for another adventure? What is your next project?

KK: You will! I am working on the sequel, The Tiara on the Terrace. Young & Yang (and their new friend Trista Bottoms) go undercover in their town parade’s beauty pageant to stop a murderer. I think of it as a sort of Miss Congeniality set in middle school.

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from your stories? What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

I hope to make kids laugh out loud and entertain them while inspiring them to be confident and take themselves seriously. I hope, too, my stories help them through a few tough moments in their friendships!

Bridget Zinn's Exciting Fantasy 'Poison' Fulfills a Dream

While Bridget Zinn's fast-paced fantasy Poison (Hyperion/Disney, 2013) should technically be shelved as a young adult book, it makes a fine read for the mature middle-grade set. It tells the story of Kyra, a Master Potioner who has seen a vision that the kingdom is about to be destroyed. The only way to prevent it is to kill the ruler who will ascend to the throne. But there's a hitch in Kyra's plans, since the soon-to-reign princess is Kyra's best friend – or rather, her former best friend.

Armed with her bag of potions and an adorable little pig with tracking skills for a sidekick, Kyra ventures across the kingdom in search of the princess. Amid some fun plot twists and a good dose of humor, she meets a handsome traveler along the way. But the adventure tale of brave and resourceful Kyra takes precedence over the love story. It's a delightful read.

Bridget was working as a librarian in 2007 when she began writing Poison. According to her website, she loved books that featured "strong young women with aspirations." And she set out to tell a story "with pockets of warmth and happiness and hoped that her readers' copies would show the watermarks of many bath time reads."

Bridget passed away in 2011, while Poison was still in production.

With its recent publication, Bridget accomplished what she set out to do – creating the joyful yet thrilling book that she wanted to read. It has met with good reviews: even the tough-to-please Kirkus pronounced it "a refreshing antidote to a genre overflowing with grit and gloom."

Publisher's Weekly, in a review by her literary agent Michael Stearns, called it ". . . a romping, fairy-tale quest with more than one twist up its sleeve. The story is vivid, headlong, and occasionally tongue in cheek, and the narrative’s dark moments never get too scary because everything else is so much fun."

Pick up a copy of Bridget's book and see for yourself.

Brave, Spirited Kat Guides Stephanie Burgis' Magical Series

 I have yet to master the art of the golden opening sentence. So when I come across a memorable one, I take note. Stephanie Burgis, with her three magical Kat stories, has got it down to a science:

"I was twelve years of age when I chopped off my hair, dressed as a boy and set off to save my family from impending ruin."

So opens Kat, Incorrigible (Atheneum 2011), the first in her series of middle-grade novels that are a lively mix of Jane Austen and Harry Potter. Recognized for its fiesty heroine and sharp writing, Kat, Incorrigible was a 2012 ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book in Fiction and made many lists, such as a Best of 2012 from Bank Street College.

Next up from Stephanie, Renegade Magic (Atheneum 2012) shared the further adventures of Kat. Kirkus Reviews recommended, "For readers who like their fantasy seasoned with feisty characters and nonstop action," and named it one of their New and Notable Books for 2012. And finally, this year's Stolen Magic (Atheneum 2013), which Stephanie opens with another golden line:

"Despite what either of my sisters may say, I actually possess a great deal of common sense. That was why I waited until nearly midnight on the last night of our journey into Devon before I climbed out of my bedroom window."

Part history, part fantasy, Stephanie's Kat books are set in 19th-century England. Kat is 12 years old and the fearless youngest sister of saintly (Kat would prefer "prissy") Elissa, brooding Angeline, and feckless Charles. Her mother was a witch, and Kat learns that not only does she have magical powers, but even more, she's a magical Guardian. However, she can only step up to the task if the secret order that ousted her mother comes to accept her. Sly Kat relies on her own wiles to boldly buck the system and help her siblings find love.


Question: Can you talk about your creative process and where the idea for your series came from? Did you have the three books visualized in your mind when you began? Or did one grow into two into three?

Stephanie Burgis: I don't outline my novels before I write, so I find out most plot developments as I go, traveling right along with my heroine. By partway through Kat, Incorrigible, though, I knew that one book would never be enough! Honestly, when I finished that first book, I felt that I could happily write another eight or nine standalone books in the series! Because I know Kat's adventures will never stop. However, my very smart agent suggested that I focus on just three books for the series, at least to begin with, so that was what I did – and I made sure to provide closure by the end of the third book for all the most important, overarching themes and storylines from all three books.

Q: It's hard enough writing one novel. How did you produce three titles that are strong enough to stand on their own and do it in just three years? Did you ever sleep? Was your office plastered with post-it notes?

SB: Ha! Well, luckily, although the books were published over the course of three years, I actually had four years to write them . . . but even so, the process involved a lot of scribbled notes in various notebooks (I have two different Moleskines that were JUST devoted to Kat and her family!), a whole bookcase full of Regency historical research, a ton of visits to various Regency museums around the UK . . . and a lot of love for the characters I was writing about.

Book Giveaway Alert!
Comment below on Stephanie's interview, and you will be entered to win a copy of Kat, Incorrigible!

Q: So often it's the boys who get to have all the fun, setting off on wild adventures and wielding powerful weapons. Kat is a special kind of heroine. She's bold and brave if not a bit outspoken but still very much a class act. What inspired the traits you gave her? What or whom did you tap for inspiration in the writing of Kat?

SB: Kat is, in many ways, the girl I would have loved to be! (And still would love to be, even now.) When I was 12, I was shy, quiet, and the oldest in my family. (Er, actually, I still am the oldest in my family. That part hasn't changed!) I've always been an anxious rule-follower, I still hate conflict, and as the oldest child, I grew up with the understanding that I was supposed to be "the responsible one."

Kat, on the other hand, is the youngest in her family, and she's NEVER afraid to speak her mind! She's not afraid of conflict, she throws herself into adventure, she never lets herself be stopped by the fear of social disapproval. She was sooo liberating to write! I can only hope that I absorbed a little bit of her courage and energy by writing in her voice for so long.

(And one quality that we absolutely share is a devotion to family. Like Kat, I grew up in a big, noisy, loving family, and the rule was always, definitely: family comes first!)

Q: You've clearly connected with young readers. My own daughter, for example, produced an elaborate book report on Kat, Incorrigible, complete with magic mirror (purchased from Walgreens' makeup department) and highwayman mask. What do you hope to accomplish with your writing?

SB: Oh, wow. I love hearing that! What I really see as my writing "mission" is to write fun, empowering, and exciting novels that feature girls who win their adventures through their courage and intelligence. There is SO MUCH pressure beamed at girls from all angles in our society, telling them that their overriding goal should be to look pretty/sexy, to appeal to boys, and to never offend anybody. I want my books to offer an opposing view!

Q: What do you hope readers take away from your books?

SB: Most of all, I want readers to have fun when they read my books. I want to transport them to a different world and, especially if their own world is not a happy place at the moment (as mine certainly wasn't when I first started writing the Kat books), I want to offer them a joyful escape. But, tied into that, I'd also love to leave them feeling charged up and empowered when they finish reading one of my novels.

Over and over again in the Kat books, Kat is told by powerful people that she ought to sit down and be quiet, that she's too unimportant to be taken seriously. But guess what? She ALWAYS wins in the end by speaking her truth, listening to her gut, caring for the people she loves, and following her own moral compass, even when it takes her to scary places. That, to me, is a really important message.

Q: What is your next project? How hard will it be to step away from Kat and her family and start something new? Or will you stay with Regency England?

SB: I would absolutely love to go back to Regency England again one day! I adore that period – and ohhhh, did it hurt to say goodbye to Kat and her family. Right now, though, I'm playing with two different projects – one novel set in 1930s America and one novel set in contemporary Wales. Of course, they both feature strong, adventurous girls, and they're both chock-full of magic. We'll just have to see which one strikes publishing gold first! Please wish me luck.

Kimberley Griffiths Little Works Magic With 'Butterflies'

Summer is a great time for kicking back poolside or on the beach with a juicy mystery to solve. And Kimberley Griffiths Little's latest middle-grade novel, When the Butterflies Came (Scholastic, April 2013), is just the book for young sleuths. The cover alone is enticing, featuring a young girl on the sand surrounded by dazzling butterflies. And that the author is Kimberley, whose honors include the Southwest Book Award, the Whitney Award for Best Youth Novel of 2010, Bank Street College Best Books of 2011, Crystal Kite Finalist, and New Mexico Book Award Finalist, rest assured that readers are in good hands.

When the Butterflies Came tells the story of 12-year-old Tara, whose Grammy Claire has recently died. Tara's mother has sunken into a deep depression and is essentially unreachable, and Tara feels little to no connection to her rebellious sister, Riley. Soon after her grandmother's passing, mysterious butterflies begin to follow her around. Tara believes her grandmother has left her a great mystery to solve.

Question: The mysterious and magical elements to your story pull readers in. Where did you get the idea for Tara and Grammy Claire and those keys? Have you written a mystery before? What was your creative process like? 

Kimberley Griffiths Little: This is my first true mystery, although I adored reading mysteries when I was growing up and attempted to write mysteries years ago, but they are really hard!

When the Butterflies Came sort of grew organically. My characters and setting came first, and I wanted to do something with a really cool, smart grandmother. So I made her a research scientist on an island in Micronesia who has a tree-house laboratory and is fiercely trying to protect her special butterflies.

The first chapter always gets rewritten about 10 times or more, but Grammy Claire’s letters to Tara seemed to write themselves. They are the only part of the book that didn’t go through major revision – just a few tweaks, which almost never happens.

I included many elements I love, like secret letters and old-fashioned keys. And then, of course, butterflies are just awesome. So after a lot of brainstorming the story started coming together – and turned into a mystery of all things, which I never expected!

Q: The butterflies make delightful characters. Was it hard to write elements of magic realism? While it is so easy to devour as a reader, I think writing fantasy and magic realism is challenging. What was it like?

KGL: We have a cultural fascination with butterflies because they’re such gorgeous and extraordinary creatures. Butterflies have this magical ability to “sleep/die” when a caterpillar becomes a chrysalis and then “resurrect” into a flying flower.

The realism angle: I wanted to know more about one of the minor characters, Tara Doucet, from my previous novel, Circle of Secrets. She’s a modern day Scarlett O’Hara whose family still lives in their crumbling Doucet Mansion in the South along the bayou – and who hasn’t dreamed of being Scarlett O’Hara? But she’s Scarlett with a touch of OCD and a bratty older sister!

I love magical realism: a story set in the real world with real characters and problems and then turning one element upside down/inside out that gives the story a magical, otherworldly feel. I grew up reading lots of magical realism books – although that term had not been coined 30 years ago!

Book giveaway! Kimberley will send a copy of When the Butterflies Came to one lucky person who comments on this interview!

Q: There is a lot of adventure going on in When the Butterflies Came, but ultimately it is a book about coping with loss. What do you hope readers take away from your story?

KGL: No matter what we write, our personal beliefs often creep through. I hope readers will feel the importance of unconditional, family love; that we can get through anything with love and faith and forgiveness. I want readers and kids to know that families can be strong and that they are the most important relationships we have. I’ve personally gone through a lot of loss in my own life, losing all of my grandparents and my father and a few friends by the time I was 16 years old. Several months ago we lost my baby brother (out of six of us) to sudden, out-of-the-blue brain cancer, and it has left me reeling and unbearably sad. The only way I get through it is to rely on my sisters and my other brothers, and I’m so very grateful for them.


Q: You're a prolific writer for middle-grade (The Healing Spell, The Last Snake Runner). What do you hope to achieve with your books? And why did you choose middle-grade as your niche?


KGL: Middle-grade books are special and marvelous in so many ways. Seven- to 14-years-old is the age where books are more powerful than any other. Ask any adult reader their favorite children’s books and they can name several right off the top of their head. Our favorite children’s books impact us and stay with us throughout our lives, influencing our reading and education forever more.

Middle-grade books are so important, I also helped found this terrific site, which has turned out to be the biggest middle-grade blog/website on the internet. From the Mixed-Up Files . . . of Middle-Grade Authors. One of the quotes on the site is from me:

"Middle-grade books = Magic. Kids devour their favorite books, laugh and giggle, shiver with goose bumps, and sometimes sob on their pillows with strong emotions. When I was young, books were my lifeline, my best friends, and books were usually better than real life. That’s why I now write middle-grade books—to recreate the magic and discover new best friends, and sometimes sob into my pillow."

Q: You're the founder of Spellbinders and have a commitment to growing lifelong readers. With so much competition for young readers' time from other realms (social media, video gaming, computer gaming), what is your take on the state of children's literature and literacy?

KGL: That is such a huge question and one that sometimes frightens me but usually ends up comforting me because no matter how big we get for our britches there will always be a place for story. Stories are part of our DNA. Social media, video/computer games are inherently all about story, too. And the past 10 years, due to books like Harry Potter and the surge of paranormal YA novels, children’s literature has become very popular reading for adults, too. Kid’s books are booming bigger than adult literature. Which is exciting!

Q: What can we expect to see from you next?

KGL: I just turned in my next middle-grade novel to my editor at Scholastic for Summer 2014. It’s called The Time of the Fireflies and is about a girl who lives in an antique store with a cursed doll.

I’m also doing final revisions for my YA debut novel with HarperCollins, which will publish Fall 2014. It’s a trilogy pitched as the Young Adult version of The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I’ve been working on this project for 10 years, and I’m thrilled that it sold in a huge deal to Harper. It’s about the roots of belly dance in the women’s world of the ancient Middle East, goddess temples, tribal warfare, and a delicious romance.

A firm title is still forthcoming but keep checking my website for details and keep up with me on Facebook and Twitter where I’m pretty active.

Thank you so much for having me here, Kate! I enjoyed the questions very much, and your readers are always welcome to email me at: kglittle@msn.com.