Author Interviews – Page 14

The Lady and the Octopus: An Interview with Author Danna Staaf

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. In the early 1800s she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell. Follow her story in the new nonfiction The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology.

Today author and marine biologist Danna Staaf joins us to share her journey writing this inspiring title. Read on to hear about her research and to watch an introductory video!

Author Interviews

Funeral Girl: An Interview with Author Emma K. Ohland

Sixteen-year-old Georgia Richter feels conflicted about the funeral home her parents run—especially because she has the ability to summon ghosts. Funeral Girl follows Georgia as she reckons with her relationship to grief and mortality.

Today author Emma K. Ohland joins us on the blog to answer some questions about her writing process and her hopes for the book. Don’t forget to download the free discussion guide!

Author Interviews

Hear Me: An Interview with Author Kerry O’Malley Cerra

The new middle-grade novel Hear Me is a sensitive and authentic portrayal of a girl experiencing progressive hearing loss written by Kerry O’Malley Cerra who has also experienced progressive hearing loss. The story follows Rayne, who resists her parents’ efforts to “fix” her and rethinks her own assumptions about what her condition means for her.

Today Kerry joins us to share some of her inspiration for the book and her personal connections to the story. Don’t forget to download the free discussion guide and watch the official book trailer!

Author Interviews

A River’s Gifts: An Interview with Author Patricia Newman

The story of the Elwha River in Washington State is one of both environmental harm and restoration involving advocacy, persistence, cooperation, and hope. Author Patricia Newman and illustrator Natasha Donovan tell this story in the new nonfiction picture book A River’s Gifts: The Mighty Elwha River Reborn.

Patricia Newman joins us today to share how she discovered the Elwha River Restoration Project, her research process, and her hopes for young readers. Read on to download the free teaching guide.

Author Interviews

Unretouchable: An Interview with Author Sofia Szamosi

In the new YA graphic novel by debut author Sofia Szamosi, readers follow Olive as she spends the summer before art school at a coveted internship helping one of the fashion industry’s elite digital-imaging specialists. After a glamourous New York photoshoot, she learns that taking pictures is only the first step andis thrown into the world of image retouching software. Soon she is fixating on her own appearance and pondering the ethics of her work behind the scenes. Unretouchable is a window into a hugely influential world of fashion photography and a tribute to self-acceptance.

Today we welcome author and illustrator Sofia Szamosi as she shares her greatest influences, the themes of the book, and what she thinks of the current fashion industry.

Author Interviews

Big Bear and Little Fish: An Interview with Author Sandra Nickel

Big Bear and Little Fish is a sweet story of unexpected friendship between Bear (who is very big!) and Fish (who is very little!), told in accessible prose that’s just right for beginning readers.

Today on the Lerner blog, author Sandra Nickel joins us to discuss influential books, the emotive illustrations, and who she relates to the most: Bear or Fish! Read on to find the official book trailer, a free discussion guide, and more.

Author Interviews

Be a Bridge: An Interview with Authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters

Inclusivity, respect, and connection: these are the keys to a positive environment and healthy relationships. The brand new picture book Be a Bridge uses upbeat rhyming verse and colorful illustrations of a diverse group of students to help bring young readers together.

Acclaimed authors Irene Latham and Charles Waters use this book to bring key themes from their earlier collaborations (Can I Touch Your Hair? and Dictionary for a Better World) to a young audience. Today they join us on the Lerner blog to reveal their inspiration and experiences working together. Read on to find out more!

Author Interviews

Attention Hijacked: An Interview with Author Erica B. Marcus

Technology is constantly at our fingertips, and sometimes we don’t realize how too much screen time negatively impacts our health. Attention Hijacked: Using Mindfulness to Reclaim Your Brain from Tech explores exactly how technology affects consumers, dispels misinformation, and helps readers make personal usage decisions.

Today author Erica B. Marcus joins us to discuss what sparked her interest mindful technology use, her own struggles with tech use, and the biggest surprise in her research. Read on to download a free technology survey for young readers.

Author Interviews

The Art of Magic: An Interview with Author Hannah Voskuil

When ZuZu and Andrew discover a set of enchanted art supplies that allow them to create magical creatures, they find themselves drawn into a supernatural struggle for control of their town. Perfect for imaginative young readers, The Art of Magic: A Novel features a unique magic system set in the real world, with powers explicitly rooted in creativity.

Today author Hanna Voskuil joins us to discuss her favorite moments writing the book, her ideas for the book’s art, and a new scribble project to share with the classroom!