Author Interviews – Page 10

Rise to the Sky: An Interview with Author Rebecca E. Hirsch and Illustrator Mia Posada

Trees are the tallest living things on Earth. But how do they grow to be so tall? Science writer Rebecca E. Hirsch presents a poetic introduction to the tree life cycle in Rise to the Sky: How the World’s Tallest Trees Grow Up. Accompanied by Mia Posada’s detailed collage illustrations, this book features the tallest tree species from around the world, including the coast redwood, the Sitka spruce, and the giant sequoia.

Today Rebecca and Mia join us to talk about how they wrote and illustrated this masterful picture book. Read on to discover their hopes for young readers and download the free activity guide!

Author Interviews

Nearer My Freedom: An Interview with Co-Author Lesley Younge

Nearer My Freedom: The Interesting Life of Olaudah Equiano by Himself by Monica Edinger and Lesley Younge has earned recognition with five starred reviews and praise from industry professionals. This new release explores Olaudah Equiano’s life story—his childhood in Africa, enslavement, liberation, and life as a free man—through “found verse,” a creative approach to primary source analysis. The authors selected excerpts from Equiano’s autobiography to create the poetic retelling, adding annotations to deepen understanding.

Today co-author Lesley Younge joins us to discuss the process of co-authoring such a unique nonfiction title and why it is perfect for 6^th and 7^th grade readers.

Author Interviews

NEVER GIVE UP: AN INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR DEBBIE DADEY AND ILLUSTRATOR JULIANA OAKLEY

Meet Hungarian American biochemist Katalin “Kati” Karikó. She became fascinated by science as a child and grew up determined to find a way to use messenger RNA—a copy of a part of DNA that provides cells with instructions to make proteins—to help fight illness. Never Give Up: Dr. Kati Karikó and the Race for the Future of Vaccines follows her journey from her childhood in rural Hungary to leading the way in the creation of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine.

Today author Debbie Dadey and illustrator Juliana Oakley join us to discuss the inspiration behind their work and their hopes for young readers as they discover Dr. Karikó for the first time.

Author Interviews

The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent: An Interview with Author Ann Jacobus

Hopeful and compassionate, The Coldest Winter I Ever Spent follows eighteen-year-old Del as she discovers she cannot fully value life without accepting the realities of death. She’s in a healthier place more than a year after a suicide attempt. She’s sober, getting treatment for her depression and anxiety, and volunteering at a suicide-prevention hotline. But when her aunt receives a terminal cancer diagnosis, Del is forced to confront the demons she’s been keeping at bay.

Today author Ann Jacobus shares her inspiration for the book, her research, and her writing routines. Read on to download the free discussion guide!

Content warning: This book does involve discussions of suicidal ideation and references to suicide.

Author Interviews

Enly and the Buskin’ Blues: An Interview with Author Jennie Liu

Meet Enly Wu Lewis, aspiring musician. He’s determined to go to band camp, but with his mother working two jobs and saving every penny for his older brother’s college tuition, he’s going to have to earn enough money himself. Enly decides to earn money busking on the streets of Altamont, but a series of misadventures upend his plans.

Author Jennie Liu joins us today to discuss writing Enly and the Buskin’ Blues. Read on to find the free downloadable discussion guide!

Author Interviews

Stars of the Night: An Interview with Author Caren Stelson

On the eve of World War II, the Czech Kindertransport rescued 669 children from Nazi persecution. The new nonfiction picture book Stars of the Night: The Courageous Children of the Czech Kindertransport by Caren Stelson and illustrated by Selina Alko sensitively tells the powerful true story of the children’s journey to safety from their collective perspective.

Read on to learn about author Caren Stelson’s research, creative decisions for the voice of the book, and her special trip to meet Nick Winton, son of Nicholas Winton.

Author Interviews

Finding Family: An Interview with Author Laura Purdie Salas and Illustrator Alexandria Neonakis

In May 2019, researchers on a lake in northern Wisconsin made a strange discovery: a pair of loons seemed to be raising a mallard duckling! Normally loons and mallards are rival species, but somehow these three—two childless parents and an orphaned chick—found each other. Finding Family: The Duckling Raised by Loons, by author Laura Purdie Salas and illustrator Alexandria Neonakis, tells the true story of this unlikely family through intriguing verse and striking illustrations. To learn more about how this heartwarming picture book about animal cooperation came together, read on.

Author Interviews

Timothy Dinoman Saves the Cat: An Interview with Author and Artist Steve Thueson

Timothy Dinoman Saves the Cat is a colorful middle-grade graphic novel which drops a talking dinosaur into an outrageously funny spy adventure. Some suspected supervillains have stolen a satellite! To learn why, Timothy Dinoman will visit a mountain fortress, a giant blimp, and diner with excellent pancakes—and run into a really cute cat along the way.

Today the author and illustrator Steve Thueson joins us to discuss their inspiration for the book, their favorite spy gadget and more! Read on to find some sketches from Steve’s creative process.

Author Interviews

Notes from a Sickbed: An Interview with Author Tessa Brunton

In 2009, Tessa Brunton experienced the first symptoms of myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome). Notes from a Sickbed recalls the next eight years of her life—largely housebound—with honesty, a pointed wit, and a lively visual imagination.

Today Tessa joins us to reveal her inspiration for the book, why she doesn’t shy away from dark humor, her favorite comic collection, and more! And read on to watch a video introduction from our YouTube channel.