Author Interviews – Page 8

Just Another Story: An Interview with Author and Illustrator Ernesto Saade

Thousands migrate every year in search of a better life. Just Another Story: a Graphic Migration Account goes beyond headlines or statistics to provide a powerful individual account of this journey. When Carlos was nineteen, his mother decided to leave her life in El Salvador. Refusing to let her go without him, Carlos joined her journey north. Together they experienced the risks countless people face as they migrate.

Comic author and artist Ernesto Saade tells his cousin’s story with the nuance and human emotion every person deserves. Today he joins us to share how he entered the comic industry, his favorite artists, and what inspires his work. Read on to find an exclusive excerpt!

Author Interviews

Cruzita and the Mariacheros: Author Interview with Ashley Granillo

Lighthearted and honest, Cruzita and the Mariacheros explores music, family, heritage, and legacy with a touch of sweetness from delicious treats. Cruzita dreams of becoming a pop star, but for now she has to help out at her family’s struggling bakery, where nothing’s been the same since her beloved great-uncle’s death. And when she’s not rolling uneven tortillas or trying to salvage rock-hard conchas, she has to take mariachi lessons, which she dreads even more—until she and her fellow mariacheros come up with a plan to save her family’s struggling bakery and to let Cruzita shine.

Today author Ashley Granillo joins us to discuss her own musical talents, her relationship with the Spanish language, and her hopes for young readers. Keep reading to download the free discussion guide!

Author Interviews

Mami King: An Interview with Illustrator Kristin Sorra

Ma Mon Luk left China and everything he knew behind to seek his fortune in the Philippines. Desperate to earn a living—and the approval of the parents of the woman he loved—he created a chicken noddle soup he called mami—”ma” for his name and “mi” for noodles. Peddling it as a street vendor, he earned enough money to open his own restaurant and returned to China to find his true love waiting. Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri and illustrated by Kristin Sorra tells his story.

Today illustrator Kristin Sorra joins us to share how she created such rich art for this picture book. Read on to find some initial sketches and to download the free activity guide!

Author Interviews

Nature Spy Guide: An Interview with Author Shelley Rotner

With spring on the horizon, children will be exploring the outside world. Encourage close observation and foster connection with nature with Nature Spy Guide by Shelley Rotner. With simple text and photos featuring kids in nature, this book invites children to search for colors, shapes, and more in the world around them.

Today author and photographer Shelley Rotner shares what inspired her to write this book, how she incorporated all five senses, and more! Read on to download the free activity guide.

Author Interviews

The Color of Sound: An Interview with Author Emily Barth Isler

In The Color of Sound violin prodigy Rosie desperately wants the chance to experience a “normal” life and refuses to play her instrument for a summer. Upset, her mother sends her to her grandparents’ house where she meets another girl her age hanging out on the property. The girl is familiar, and Rosie quickly pieces it together: somehow, this girl is her mother, when her mother was twelve. Rosie begins to understand her mother, herself, and her love of music in new ways.

Today author Emily Barth Isler joins us to talk about her inspiration for this middle grade novel, her experience with synesthesia, and more! Read on to download the free discussion guide and watch the official book trailer.

Author Interviews

If I Were a Fungus: An Interview with Author and Illustrator Gaia Stella

Fungus is everywhere: cities, mountains, on food, and in deserts. Fungi are found around the globe, yet we know very little about them. Scientists even have a hard time defining what they are because they’re so contradictory.

If I Were a Fungus by Gaia Stella is a playful and informative introduction to the fantastic world of fungi for the youngest of readers. Today Gaia joins us to describe her fascination with fungi and how they continue to surprise her. Read on to see initial sketches and illustrations!

Author Interviews

The Rock in My Throat: An Interview with Author Kao Kalia Yang

Quiet, lyrical, and profound, The Rock in My Throat tells the true story of author Kao Kalia Yang’s experience as a young Hmong refugee navigating life at home and at school. Having seen the poor treatment her parents received when making their best efforts at speaking English, she no longer speaks at school. Kalia feels as though a rock has become lodged in her throat, and it grows heavier each day.

An author’s note at the end of the book reflects on how and why Kalia became a selective mute and how she eventually found her voice. Today, Kalia joins us to share her experience writing this story. Read on to download a free teaching guide and listen to an original composition, created specifically for this picture book.

Author Interviews

Pigeons at War: An Interview with Author Connie Goldsmith

Pigeons were the unsung heroes of both world wars. In Pigeons at War: How Avian Heroes Changed History by Connie Goldsmith, readers discover how these unassuming birds were crucial to communications between Allied troops. When phone, radio, and telegraph lines were cut or officers needed to send top secret messages, pigeons delivered information from the front.

Today author Connie Goldsmith joins us to describe her writing process, hopes for young readers, her favorite pigeon from history, and more!

Author Interviews

Pangu’s Shadow: An Interview with Author Karen Bao

A lab, a murder, and two young scientists that risk it all. Pangu’s Shadow follows rival apprentices Ver and Aryl who work in the most prestigious biology lab in the Pangu Star System. One night they’re working late and find their brilliant but egotistical teacher, Cal, sprawled on the floor, dead. Murdered. And they immediately become the prime suspects. To clear their names, the girls must put aside their mutual suspicion and team up to investigate Cal’s death.

Today author and neuroscientist Karen Bao joins us to share how her career in research inspires her science fiction, her writing process, and more! Don’t forget to download the free discussion guide and share a video from Karen on life as a scientist with your readers!