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STEM Tuesday– Getting Your Comic-on with Great Science Graphic Novels– Interview with Author Illustrator Don Brown

By on December 25, 2018   /   Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, Graphic Novels, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview & Book Giveaway, a repeating feature for the fourth Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re interviewing Don Brown, the author and illustrator of OLDER THAN DIRT: A Wild but True History of Earth. This fun, graphics illustrated whirlwind tour of the origin and workings of our home planet is guided by a geology-savvy groundhog. School Library Journal has called Brown “a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies.”

 

Mary Kay Carson: Do the words or illustrated characters come first in a book like this? 

Don Brown: The words always come first…otherwise it’s like the tail wagging the dog!

We wanted the book to accessible and funny while still offering solid information. I can’t remember exactly how we hit upon the ground hog and earthworm dynamic…perhaps it’s an exaggerated reflection of my and Perf’s relationship in which I ask (clueless) questions and he (patiently) answers them. (Also: the Groundhog was originally an Aardvark until we realized Ground-hog had the more appropriate name.)

We had a lot of fun with the characters and came to see them as Abbot and Costello meets the Socratic Method.

MKC: How did you end up collaborating with Dr. Mike Perfit?

Don: Dr. Perfit – “Perf” – and I have been friends since the world was young. We met in college where he dragged me over the finish line in freshman calculus. (Of which, I remember nearly nothing.) His passion for geology is infectious and I had for a long time noodled around with collaborative ideas. Finally, we struck on Older Than Dirt and went to work. Partnering with Perf is a joy; he is generous, smart, and funny. I’m trying to figure out how we might collaborate again.

Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. He lives in New York with his family. www.booksbybrown.com Instagram: @donsart

MKC: Do you have a STEM background? Are STEM subjects difficult to illustrate?

Don: Illustrating a book about geology was not difficult. Many geologic processes are wildly dramatic: Earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, cosmic collisions, lava floods…they’re great fun to illustrate!

Older Than Dirt is my only STEM book to date. I had a brief connection to STEM in college when I studied engineering. After one semester of physics and calculus, I discovered I had no aptitude for math or science and became a history major.

A scientist I am not, yet I’m still drawn to science history, especially the human stories connected to it. And I’ve learned that if I bear down, I can understand the STEM details within science history. For example, I have finished making a book about the 1918 Spanish Influenza and along the way explored the ins and out of infectious disease, RNA, and microbiology…it was fascinating!

MKC: What’s next for you?

Don: My Spanish Flu book – Fever Year – will be published next Fall. Also publishing next year is my Rocket to the Moon, a history of rockets and the first manned moon-landing in 1969. Both books touch on STEM subjects.

Win a FREE copy of Older Than Dirt!

Enter the giveaway by leaving a comment below. The randomly-chosen winner will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (within the U.S. only) to receive the book.

Good luck!

Your host this week is woodchuck fan Mary Kay Carson, author of Mission to Pluto and other nonfiction books for kids. @marykaycarson

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MG Authors Share Their Secret Holiday Wishes

By on December 24, 2018   /   Articles, Author Interviews, Fiction, MUF Contributor Books  

In celebration of the holiday season, and in eager anticipation of 2019, we asked a merry band of MG authors to share their holiday wishes, big and small. Here’s what they had to say:

Beth McMullen, author of the MRS. SMITH’S SPY SCHOOL FOR GIRLS series.

“I wish for the world full stomachs, sturdy roofs, good books, good friends, joy, laughter and possibly some chocolate. For my author friends, I wish for words that flow like a river, a fully charged laptop, a great answer to the question ‘what happens next?’ and a sense of humor for when it all goes sideways. Happy Holidays and best wishes for a spectacular 2019!

 

Jonathan Rosen, author of NIGHT OF THE LIVING CUDDLE BUNNIES and FROM SUNSET TILL SUNRISE.
“For everyone who has persevered and worked hard toward a goal to accomplish it this year.”
Wendy McLeod MacKnight, author of  IT’S A MYSTERY, PIG FACE! and THE FRAME-UP.
“That every child finds the book that lifts them up, inspires them, and brings them peace.”
Hayley Chewins, author of THE TURNAWAY GIRLS.
“For every young girl in the world to find her true voice–and to have the courage to use it.”
Kim Ventrella, author of SKELETON TREE and BONE HOLLOW.
“That ghost stories return as a popular winter pastime. After all, there’s no better time to get spooky than the deep, dark of winter.”
Darcey Rosenblatt, author of LOST BOYS.
“That everyone finds time next to a fireplace with a good book. “
Kristin L. Gray, author of VILLONIA TAKES CHARGE and the upcoming picture book,
KOALA IS NOT A BEAR.
“I’d love a magical snow day where the world pauses, and everyone in it sips hot cocoa with marshmallows, reads their pile of wondrous books, and watches  movies by the fire with loved ones.
Amanda Hosch, author of MABEL OPAL PEAR AND THE RULES FOR SPYING.
“To give everyone that lovely moment when they feel safe and cared for. And then have that moment last! (Of course, if they’re characters in a book—it won’t.)”
Susan Tan, author of CILLA LEE-JENKINS: FUTURE AUTHOR EXTRAORDINAIRE and CILLA LEE-JENKINS: THIS BOOK IS A CLASSIC and CILLA LEE-JENKINS: THE EPIC STORY.
“Peace on earth, a good book for all.”
Melissa Sarno, author of JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS and the upcoming A SWIRL OF OCEAN.
“For all women to have confidence in their voices, and for their words to be lifted and heard.”

Jarret Lerner, author of ENGINERDS and REVENGE OF THE ENGINERDS.

“That everyone have a nice, long, uninterrupted chunk of time to a read a book that they’ve been wanting to read all year long.”

 

Jake Burt, author of  GREETINGS FROM WITNESS PROTECTION and THE RIGHT HOOK OF DEVIN VELMA.
“For every kid to find a book that, while reading, they can experience with as much joy, wonder, and excitement as I did when I first discovered the magic of stories (thank you, James and the Giant Peach!).”
Sally J. Pla, author of THE SOMEDAY BIRDS and STANLEY WILL PROBABLY BE FINE, and picture book BENJI, THE BAD DAY, AND ME.
“That this impossible world gets way better at cherishing life in all its forms, but especially the lives of children. And that our own special kidlit community continues its excellent work caring about both kids and each other.”
Alyson Gerber, author of BRACED and FOCUSED.
“That every kid can find at least one book that makes them feel heard and understood and accepted.”
Rob Vlock, author of SVEN CARTER & THE TRASHMOUTH EFFECT and SVEN CARTER & THE ANDROID ARMY.
“I actually have two wishes. First, I wish everyone on earth could learn to love each other and live in peace and harmony forever. Second, I wish for a large cheese pizza. Actually, I’m starving. Let’s go with the pizza first and that whole love, peace and harmony thing second. Have a wonderful New Year everyone!”

Bridget Hodder, author of THE RAT PRINCE.

“This year, I wish you all the courageous persistence represented by the light of the Hanukkah candles, which kept burning even when common sense said there was no hope left. And I wish you the loving unity represented by the angels of Christmas, who proclaimed at Jesus’s birth: ‘Joy to the World’– the entire world, without boundary or limit. Happy Holidays, everyone!”

Katie Slivensky, author of THE COUNTDOWN CONSPIRACY and THE SEISMIC SEVEN.
“My greatest wish for the new year is for everyone to have something to look forward to in 2019. Never underestimate the power of an ambition, dream, or hope!”
Allison K. Hymas, author of UNDER LOCKER AND KEY and ARTS AND THEFTS.
“My greatest wish for the holidays is that I’ll be able to spend some good, quality time with my family and that no one will ‘retrieve’ something (i.e., my Christmas candy) that does not belong to them.”
Natalie Rompella, author of COOKIE CUTTERS & SLED RUNNERS and the picture book,
THE WORLD NEVER SLEEPS.
“I am very excited about a book I have out on submission. I would love for this book to come into the world!”

And finally, my wish…? For anyone facing rejection to say, “Today, I will NOT give up.”

Melissa Roske, author of KAT GREENE COMES CLEAN.

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Do’s and (one) Don’t for Emotionally Deeper MG Writing

By on December 21, 2018   /   Articles, Book Lists, Fiction, For Writers  

How do master storytellers develop empathy, resilience, and emotional maturity in their middle grade readers? Sometimes it’s by being tough. These authors aren’t afraid to go emotionally deep in their writing.  They tell stories outside what’s considered age-appropriate, write against type, or make readers laugh in the darkest of times. The five Do’s and one Don’t below represent the wisdom of writers who have touched the hearts of young readers. Each is paired with a book that is a both a great story and a master class in how to go deeper into your writing. Dare to be profound!

  1. Don’t Limit Subject Matter Orbiting Jupiter by Gary Schmidt

A thirteen-year-old boy becomes a father, showing us that subject matter, if handled with honesty and sensitivity, shouldn’t have borders. This gorgeously written story of love and loss leaves readers wiser and more compassionate.

 

  1. Do Break Hearts! Louisiana’s Way Home by Kate DiCamillo            

Part angel, part grifter-in-training, twelve-year-old Louisiana is forced by her inscrutable ‘granny’ to move away from the town she’s come to love and the only friends she’s ever had. They quickly run out of gas, food, and shelter. Readers share Louisiana’s heartbreak, but they also share her resilience, goodness, and ability to love and forgive.  We could all learn something from Louisiana.

 

 

  1. Do Let Humor Lighten Up the Dark One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams Garcia                           

Three girls, ages eleven, nine, and seven, who’ve never been out of Brooklyn, fly to Oakland, California to meet the mother who abandoned them. It’s 1968 and instead of seeing Disneyland, they end up in a day camp run by the Blank Panthers. The novel is moving, eye-opening—and funny. Williams’s masterful use of humor makes the sadness bearable while showing readers the girls’ growing awareness of injustice.

 

  1. Do Create an Unexpected Hero The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

Mason Buttle is an oversized boy who has difficulty reading or writing. In other words, he’s a perfect target for bullying. Yet he’s the kind of guy who’d make a perfect friend, if only kids could look past his disabilities and see his kind heart and brave spirit. As author Leslie Connor says, “I aim to present academic underdogs as multifaceted humans,” and in this book, she lights the way for us all.

 

       5.   Do Dare to Face the Worst! Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson; See You at Harry’s by Jo Knowles; Mrs. Bixby’s Last Day by John David Anderson; The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin; The Land of Forgotten Girls by Erin Entrada Kelly; Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

Sometimes the ones we love die.  These books handle death with love, sensitivity, and great respect for young readers. Enough said.

If you’d like to add a Do or Don’t to this list, I’d love to read it! Please write it in the comment section below, along with the title and author of a book that illustrates how it’s done.

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