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STEM Tuesday– Fossils– Author Interview

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

Today we’re interviewing Alison Pearce Stevens, author of Rhinos in Nebraska. Rhinos is the tale of a supervolcano, its aftermath, and the intrepid scientist who discovered one of the world’s greatest paleontology sites–an ancient Nebraska waterhole filled with the fossilized skeletons of hundreds of animals that look like they came straight out of Africa.

This book is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection that’s won three Nebraska Book Awards!

Andi Diehn: Time as a character – there’s a lot of discussion of time in your book – the time that’s passed since ancient animals lived in Nebraska, the time it takes to turn bones into fossils, how time can change a landscape and make it hard to find the exact location where a fossil was found. Why is geological time an important concept for kids (and adults) to understand?

Alison Pearce Stevens: How often do we say we’re “running out of time” or “don’t have time” for something? I know I say it a lot. Time is this commodity that always seems to be in short supply, but our concept of time is limited by our (rather limited) experience. I think taking a step back to get some big-picture perspective can be really helpful. On a geologic time scale, we humans exist for the blink of an eye. Given that, maybe some of the issues we feel pressured about aren’t actually so pressing. I think temporal perspective-taking can help us prioritize what’s really important in our lives, so we can be more content with what we have and put our energy into bigger, truly pressing issues.

As a side note, time played a big role in how this book came to be. I was working at University of Nebraska State Museum on a series of exhibits about Nebraska’s past, present, and future, and one section focused on the Ashfall Fossil Beds. Now a state park, it’s the site of an ancient water hole filled with hundreds of skeletons of ancient animals, from camels and rhinos to crowned cranes and turtles. There were elephants around then, too. It looks like something you would find in modern-day Africa—but it’s in the middle of North America. One day, it hit me—twelve million years ago, those animals were running around in what’s now my backyard. It was kind of mind-blowing. That’s the moment I knew I had to write Rhinos in Nebraska.

Andi: I love the descriptions and discussions of tools – field notes, GPS, topographic map, scanning electron microscope. 

Alison: Field notes tie to any kind of journaling or record-keeping. Writing down what we see, feel, and experience gives us a way to track what’s happening in our lives, so we can gain some perspective on things as they play out—or simply have a record of them that we can refer back to. I track things like rainfall and bloom time and when I see migratory birds in my yard, and I regularly go back to see how those things have changed (a lot, it turns out).

If you’ve ever tried to catch them all in Pokémon Go, you’ve used GPS. It’s also essential for geocaching, if families have done that. GPS is how the map app in a phone or car knows where you are and tells you where to turn next.

Topographic maps are commonly used by hikers. They’re super useful when there are multiples trails, so you can tell which ones are steep or have lots of hills, and which ones provide a gentler hike.

If you look up SEM images, they are super cool—the detail on tiny things like pollen grains are beyond anything you’ve imagined.

Andi: I love this line about Mike Voorhies: “It was the best he could do at the time with the information he had available.” How does this quote reflect the scientific process?

Alison: To me, that line summarizes the scientific process. One of the main things I wanted readers to take away from the book was how we know about things that happened millions of years ago. I think people tend to think of science as a bunch of facts. We do have facts that are the outcome of scientific investigation. Barrel-bodied rhinos used to live in Nebraska, for example. We can say that with certainty after discovering their fossils, but answering other questions—like when the volcano that buried the Ashfall animals erupted—takes time and patience. Science is a process, and our ability to figure something out is limited by the available equipment and technology.

I like to think there are similarities between scientific investigation and the justice system. Both collect and analyze evidence and use it to reach a conclusion. I would certainly hope that if new evidence comes to light during (or after) a trial, the jurors or judge would be willing to reconsider the conclusions they had reached up to that point, and science is no different.

Andi: Convergent evolution – I love the idea that similar traits can evolve in organisms from different parts of the world. How might kids think about convergent evolution as it applies to organisms they’re familiar with?

Alison: Convergent evolution happens when different organisms living in different places come to share specific characteristics. It happens over time as certain traits help individuals survive and reproduce. The example I use in the book is hummingbirds and sunbirds, which live in Africa. Both have long, curved bills to drink nectar from trumpet-shaped flowers. Birds with longer bills would have been able to drink from tall flowers more easily, so they would have gotten more food. That means they can have more babies, all of which would also have long bills.

The appearance of falcons, hawks, and other birds of prey is actually an example of convergent evolution, as well. DNA evidence tells us that peregrine falcons are more closely related to parrots than hawks or eagles—but those sharp talons, forward-facing eyes, and curved beak help them hunt, so they’ve come to look more like hawks and eagles than their parrot cousins. Another example is eyesight, which evolved separately in vertebrates (animals with backbones) and squid and octopus. Even though we all have eyes, an octopus’s eye is structured differently than ours.

Andi: Details like fossilized seeds stuck in rhinos’ teeth are great! Also great that when the paleobotanists got involved, this was more evidence of a growing team. How does teamwork improve science?

Alison: Teamwork is essential for science, and that’s especially true when you’re studying something as vast as the Ashfall Fossil Beds. Scientists develop expertise in specific areas, so when they encounter something outside their area, they need to find another expert to weigh in. Mike Voorhies studied extinct mammals, so he needed other experts to help with plants, birds, and even dating the age of the volcanic ash. I think some of the best science comes from coordinated team efforts—when lots of people collaborate, you get more creative ideas about how to answer a question and a variety of approaches to call upon to collect the data you need. And collaboration is fun! If you’re part of a good team, you enjoy the work more than you would toiling away on your own.

Andi: There are many times when it seems like the team fails – why is that an important part of the story?

Alison: Every success comes on the heels of a series of failures. That’s a pretty standard story in science—and in life! The process of figuring something out isn’t always easy and usually requires some serious creativity (scientists have to be creative—they don’t get much credit for that!), so there are failures and false-starts and partial successes until they finally get an answer. And then the answer might not be what they expected—so they have to re-evaluate, ask new questions, and start the process of investigation all over again.

Andi: I love Matt Huynh’s illustrations – how do they help make the story accessible?

Alison: Matt’s illustrations are perfect for the book. His woodcuts bring these ancient animals to life in such an unusual way, and they help readers envision what North America might have looked like twelve million years ago. Although the animals were similar to modern African species, there were some key differences, and Matt’s illustrations show our ancient animals as they might have looked. Plus, they’re just fun.

 

 

Alison Pearce Stevens has an M.S. in zoology and Ph.D. in ecology, evolution, and behavior. She has researched and written hundreds of articles for Science News Explores, Highlights for Children, and ASK magazine, among others. Her book Rhinos in Nebraska (Henry Holt BYR) details the discovery and excavation of one of the world’s premier paleontology sites, and Animal Climate Heroes (Henry Holt BYR) showcases four incredible animals working to protect their ecosystems—and us. Both were Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. She and her husband have three dogs, one of which would make a great detective dog.

 

 

Andi Diehn works as an editor for Nomad Press and has written many STEM books for kids!

Educators! Make the Most of Your Bookstore Visit

Walk through the door of any bookstore, inhale deeply, and you’ll smell it. It’s the unmistakable scent of paper and ink, inspiration and action, humor and heart. Bookstores are one of my favorite

This display is from Storyline Bookshop in Upper Arlington, OH. Photo used with permission.

places on the planet. Anytime I travel, I look up a local book store to explore and support with a purchase, and I encourage you to do the same.

Everyone can benefit from the soul-filling experience of holding a brand-new book in their hands; however, if you are an educator, there are many other ways you can make the most of a local bookstore visit.

As an educator myself, I have a couple of ideas to get you started thinking beyond just buying a book.

  • Ask for Recommendations – You are a teacher. The fact that you are out of your mind busy during the school year is a given. You can’t possibly keep up with all of the new books coming out every month. It is part of my job to keep track, and I still struggle! Book store owners are typically dialed in to new books, best-selling books, and books that aren’t as well-known but are oh so amazing (my favorite). So while you are absolutely welcome to browse to your heart’s content, if you have a tighter schedule, don’t be afraid to ask for a recommendation.

 

  • Ask About Educator Discounts – As teachers we have to make our pennies stretch as far as they possibly can, and a great way to do that is to ask about discounts. Some stores might provide discounts to educators who can show a work badge or other proof of employment. Others might offer teacher deals at certain times of the year. If no educator discount is available, ask about a rewards program – because you know you’re going to be a frequent customer. It’s OK. I have the same addiction.

 

  • Communicate Curriculum Topics – You know what you and the bookstore owner have in common? A love of books and a desire to share that love with young readers. By communicating to your local bookstore that next month you will be investigating natural selection, you enable the bookstore owner to have titles on hand to support your students, to display them in a prominent area, and to recommend them to parents. Maybe you can work together to set up a special display that rotates monthly and features books that support school curriculum topics. Be sure to communicate this partnership to parents and the wider school community! The bookstore owner will benefit from new and repeating customers, you will benefit from students extending their learning outside of class, and families will benefit from engaged, eager readers.

  • Request a Classroom Visit – Here’s an outside-of-the-box idea: ask the bookstore owner to visit your classroom to do a read aloud and make book recommendations. Not only does it introduce your students to new titles, it connects your classroom to the community, and it provides a point of contact so young students feel comfortable browsing in the local bookstore. Though most students won’t be able to buy books on their own, they can start dreaming about the personal libraries they would like to build in the future. (And maybe a few of those books will make it onto gift lists they share with adults in their lives.)

I wish I had a local bookstore near me. I live in a small, Iowa town, and my closest indie is an hour and a half drive from my home. So, if you have a local bookstore, please support it with your patronage, and while you are there, use some of the above suggestions to make an even closer connection.

Don’t Pigeon-Hole Middle Grade Readers

Book stack including Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar, Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee, Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar, Witchlings book 1 by Clairbel Ortega, and Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

Middle grade readers span a wide range of ages and grade levels. The interests, obsessions, and reading level of your average 8-year-old can be wildly different than that of your average 12-year-old.

But as you zoom in, that same wide range can also be seen within a single class of middle grade readers—and within a single reader themselves. Sometimes as teachers, librarians, parents, and authors, we get tunnel-vision when trying to recommend books to readers. “Oh, you loved a dragon book? Here’s another dragon book.” or “You liked this author, here’s another by that same author.”

Rather than a simple this-book-is-just-like-that-book mindset, I’d encourage all of us to look more deeply at books and readers and think about how to find matches in a multiplicity of ways.

What are we reading in 5th grade?

To illustrate the point, I’ve assembled a few locker snapshots—a quick look at some of the middle grade books my fifth graders are reading and loving at the moment. In addition to the breadth and diversity of books represented, I hope you will also notice some of the more unlikely pairings and juxtapositions within the locker of an individual reader.

Book stack including Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar, Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee, Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar, Witchlings book 1 by Clairbel Ortega, and Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

This reader has Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar, Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee, Ahimsa by Supriya Kelkar, Witchlings book 1 by Claribel Ortega, and Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga. They’ve chosen three different genres (historical fiction, contemporary realistic fiction, and fantasy) across two different formats (prose novels and novels-in-verse). Some are in series; some are standalone books; some are by the same author but not in a series. While all the books feature strong female characters, some of them are more isolated, some are in an ensemble cast, and some are in a storyline that embraces LGBTQIA+ themes.

Book covers The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff, Sidekicks by Dan Santat, Breakout by Kate Messner, The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie, a Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel by Ann M. Martin, Four Eyes by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and House Arrest but K.A. Holt
This reader has The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff, Sidekicks by Dan Santat, Breakout by Kate Messner, The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie, a Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel by Ann M. Martin, Four Eyes by Rex Ogle and Dave Valeza, and House Arrest but K.A. Holt. This reader is exploring genres from horror to adventure to contemporary realistic fiction. They love graphic novels but also prose novels and combinations. (Breakout is a clever medley of prose, images, newspaper articles, etc.) They are reading a wide variety of authors and stories featuring both solitary characters and those in big groups.

Book covers including
This reader has Crushing It by Erin Becker, Momo Arashima Steals the Sword of the Wind by Misa Sugiura, Pax Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker and Jon Klassen, and three Warriors books by Erin Hunter (in two different series). For genres, there is realistic fiction and several varieties of fantasy including high fantasy, low fantasy, and talking-animal fantasy (which should be an official genre in my mind). There are novels in alternate voices and regular prose, and there are old standby series plus brand-new debut books.

Broadening Horizons

One way to broaden students’ reading horizons is to share a wide-range of books with them. As a teacher, I do a weekly First Chapter Friday book share, and I try to consciously include a variety of books by many different authors and in many different formats and genres. Librarians are another great resource, as they often curate book lists and displays around themes. The book list section on our website is another treasure-trove of a resource for finding new books.

For middle grade authors, I encourage you to also think broadly about the readers who might be interested in your book. Your book is never just one thing. It’s not “only” a grief book or “only” a sports book. You might entice readers by the genre of your book or by the setting. Readers might be looking for a big laugh or a solid cry. Someone may be drawn to your book for the range of characters represented or for the family-issues at home or for the musical instrument that keeps your main character grounded.

Every reader is a multiplicity of interests, experiences, and backgrounds. Rather than pigeon-holing middle grade readers, let’s embrace all their wide-ranging quirky quirks and help them fall in love with all kinds of books, stories, formats, and genres.