Author Interviews – Page 7

Rats to the Rescue: An Interview with Author Scott Riley and Illustrator Huy Voun Lee

Sometimes heroes come in the smallest packages! In Rats to the Rescue: The Unlikely Heroes Making Cambodia Safe discover how how human deminers are working with specially trained HeroRATs to locate landmines and make Cambodia safe for everyone.

Today author Scott Riley and illustrator Huy Voun Lee join us to share their creative processes, their hopes for readers, and some insider info on how this nonfiction picture book came to be!

Author Interviews

Bear’s Big Idea: An Interview with Author Sandra Nickel

The creators of Big Bear and Little Fish return for another sweet story of friendship and adventure. In Bear’s Big Idea Fish always has great ideas for what to do. Now it’s Bear’s turn and she promises to have a brand new BIG idea…if only she can find out where ideas come from.

Today author Sandra Nickel joins us to share her inspiration for the story, her hopes for young readers, and more. Read on to watch the official book trailer and to download the free educator resource!

Author Interviews

The Rule of Three: An Author Interview with Heather Murphy Capps

In The Rule of Three, seventh grader Wyatt has a three-part plan: play travel baseball, letter on the varsity team, and play college ball at a Division One school. But when travel team tryouts get tense, mysterious wisps of smoke surround him. As Wyatt tries to figure out what’s causing this mysterious smoke and how to control it, he discovers it’s connected to a painful family history.

Today author Heather Murphy Capps joins us to share the important themes behind this middle grade story and her research process behind the book’s historic events. Read on to download the free teaching guide!

Author Interviews

The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Author Interview with Lee Wind

Undertake a journey to examine gender identity and representation throughout history in The Gender Binary Is a Big Lie: Infinite Identities around the World by Lee Wind. The idea that all humans fall into one of two gender categories is largely a construct created by those who benefit from that belief. Historical evidence and primary sources reveal the infinite variety and beauty of everyone’s gender.

Today author Lee Wind join’s us to reveal why he wrote this book, why it’s important, and stories yet to be told. Read on to download a free educator guide!

Author Interviews

Eyes Open: An Interview with Author Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Thoroughly researched and resonant with our own times, Eyes Open is a historical novel in verse which follows on young woman’s coming of age during the Salazar dictatorship in 1960s Portugal. Sónia’s comfortable middle-class life is upended when her boyfriend is arrested for anti-government activities and her family’s restaurant is closed for its association with “undesirable” artists. Sónia is forced to leave school and take a low-paying job at a hotel laundry to support her family. There, she bonds with her coworkers and joins efforts to improve working conditions.

Today author Lyn Miller-Lachmann shares how she first came to learn about Portugal’s history, how her translation work influenced her poetry, and more. Photos are from Lyn’s travels in Portugal during April of 2024. Read on to download a free teaching guide!

Author Interviews

Touch the Sky: An Interview with Author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic

Learning to pump on the swings is a rite of passage for many young children. In Touch the Sky Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally learns to soar. Hilarious and heartfelt, this story is for every child on the cusp of learning something new and just needs that extra push to get there.

Today author Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic joins us to discuss her own experiences learning how to pump, the song stuck in her head as she wrote this charming picture book, and more! Read on to download the free educator guide!

Author Interviews

Hotelitor: An Interview with Author and Illustrator Josh Hicks

Welcome aboard Hotelitor: Luxury-Class Defense and Hospitality Unit. This is the finest hospitality craft in its colony, equipped with jet feet, a hyperspace engine, and single, double, and adjoining rooms. When an alien attack strands the craft in deep space, 18-year-old intern Anna Greene must save its guests from chaos!

Today comics extraordinaire Josh Hicks joins us to share his inspiration for this wacky premise, his artistic process, and some work-in-progress sketches. Read on to watch the official book trailer!

Author Interviews

Wildfire: An Interview with Authors Ferin Davis Anderson and Stephanie Sammartino McPherson

Wildfire is a natural process that takes place in forests and grasslands all over the world. Although commonly seen as destructive and deadly, fire is a necessary part of ecosystems; they refresh the land and allow for new plant growth. Wildfire: The Culture, Science, and Future of Fire examines how Indigenous people, farmers, and forestry departments have used fire to manage resources and how climate change is impacting the future of fire.

Today authors Ferin David Anderson and Stephanie Sammartino McPherson join us on the Lerner blog to discuss the initial inspiration behind the book, the collaboration process, and more. Read on to find a free downloadable discussion guide!

Author Interviews

The Lost Forest: An Interview with Author Jennifer Swanson

After local fishers noticed a large swarm of fish in an unlikely area in the Gulf of Mexico, a team of divers found the remains of a forest deep beneath the waves. The ancient trees had been undisturbed for more than fifty thousand years before finally being uncovered by Hurricane Ivan in 2004. The Lost Forest: An Unexpected Discovery beneath the Waves by Jennifer Swanson takes readers on a deep dive with the scientists exploring the sunken cypress forest.

Today Jennifer Swanson joins us to discuss what drew her to this story, her hopes for young readers, and more. Read on to watch the official book trailer!