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STEM Tuesday — Pair Up! Comparing Nonfiction Titles — Interview with Author Kay Frydenborg

By on September 25, 2018   /   Common Core & NGSS, Nonfiction Titles, 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 Kay Frydenborg, author of CHOCOLATE: Sweet Science & Dark Secrets of the World’s Favorite Treat, a title in this month’s featured book pairs. School Library Journal gave it a starred review, saying, “This fascinating book presents a deep, multifaceted glimpse at a delectable dessert: chocolate. Engaging—even witty in places—and enlightening.”

Mary Kay Carson: How did Chocolate come about?

Kay Frydenborg: Chocolate was my second book for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH), following Wild Horse Scientists—a project that I’d loved researching and writing both for the subject matter (a long-time interest of mine that I’d tried to write about in different ways for years), and for the opportunity to join the ranks of Scientists in the Field (SITF) books, authors, and editors I so admired. When I started thinking about my next book, I was drawn to other subjects that might lend themselves to the series. So when I came across an article in the New York Times about scientists searching in the jungles of Peru for ancient cacao trees previously thought to have been extinct, I felt that little zing of recognition. I immediately pictured the scientists hiking along a tangled jungle path, and imagined the oppressive heat and the buzzing insects, the sweat and physical exertion along with the anticipation and sense of discovery that must have propelled them.

I learned that one of the principal researchers introduced in that NYT article was a USDA plant scientist headquartered in Beltsville, Maryland, within an easy drive of my home. I found his phone number and made sure he was actually there and would be willing to talk with me about his work, and I began to see a new SITF book take shape in my mind’s eye. But when I pitched the idea to my editor at HMH, I got a response I wasn’t expecting: she and her managing editor didn’t want the SITF book about chocolate scientists, but they did want a “big” stand-alone book about chocolate, for a slightly older (YA) audience. It would be longer, more complex, and broader in scope than what I’d originally proposed. Unlike wild horses, chocolate was a subject I knew little about except that I liked to eat it, so it would require a lot of research. I barely knew what a cacao tree looked like, or where it grew, or whether it was large or small. I thought about it for a bit, and then took a deep breath and accepted the challenge. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up, and luckily, I do love research.

MKC: Care to share a fun research moment or two?

Kay: The first was when I met and interviewed Lyndel Meinhardt, the United States Department of Agriculture plant scientist with the unusual name. He was so knowledgeable and generous in sharing his knowledge of all things cacao, and he introduced me to my first in-person cacao tree, which was actually living in a big pot on the floor of his office. Photos almost don’t do justice to this tree and its fruit, which seems about as different from chocolate as a spare tire is from a rubber tree. After introducing me to “his” cacao tree and showing me slides and maps from a couple of chocolate expeditions to the Amazon jungle, Lyndel led me to a climate-controlled greenhouse on the sprawling USDA campus, where rows of carefully-tended young trees of varying heights were thriving more than 3,000 miles from their natural habitat near the equator. Lyndel told me about the many diseases to which cacao trees in the wild are susecptible, about the closely guarded storage vaults where precious plants are stored in a few places in the world, and about how advances in genomic testing have opened a whole new world of chocolate science.

Another favorite moment? The day I received a surprise package in the mail from Dan Pearson, a California-based chocolate entrepreneur who was a major character in the book. He’d sent me a stash of his own fine Peruvian dark chocolate, in several forms, and even included some raw cacao beans. I didn’t eat the beans (although Dan told me you can), but I sure did enjoy the chocolate bars and nibs! A little went a long way, so they lasted forever, and knowing about where they came from and how they were created made them even more delicious. I could almost close my eyes and see that little tree in a steamy Amazon forest when I tasted that amazing chocolate.

MKC: What approach did you take for Chocolate and why did you choose it?

Kay: I wanted to approach this very big subject from the dual perspective of history and science—the approach I’ve followed for all of my nonfiction books. I’m equally fascinated by both ways of looking at just about everything, and find that starting by tracing the history of a given thing or event naturally leads into exploring the science around it. In the case of chocolate, the history is ancient and complex, and I was soon enthralled by stories of the ancient Mesoamerican peoples who first figured out how to transform cacao pods into chocolate, and then about the dramatic impact that European conquerers had on those ancient, rich civilizations.

Following the trail of chocolate opened a whole, fascinating world to me. This is why I love writing narrative nonfiction! I guess I write for myself, first—to satisfy my own curiosity, and I hope others—both young people and not-so-young readers—will be just as curious as I am. I read many books and articles over the course of my research, but fairly early on I also identified and began interviewing original sources, like Lyndel Meinhardt and Dan Pearson, as well as many others. Personal interviews make the story come alive for me.

Kay Frydenborg is the author of several books, including They Dreamed of Horses, Animal Therapist, Wild Horse Scientists, Chocolate: Sweet Science and Dark Secrets of the World’s Favorite Treat, and A Dog in the Cave. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two dogs, who are always hungry but are definitely not allowed to eat chocolate. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with them and riding her horse as often as she can. Learn more about her and her books at www.kayfrydenborg.com.

MKC: How is your book different from other books about chocolate for older kids?

Kay: There actually aren’t a lot of other nonfiction books about chocolate for young adult readers (although H.P. Newquist’s is a good one), while there are quite a few books on the topic for younger kids and for adults. I think one thing that sets my book apart is its narrative approach. Once I started writing, the cacao tree itself assumed a prominent place in the narrative. It became a “character” in my mind—the central character in the long story of chocolate. It provided a specific image and focus that I thought made a vast, multifaceted subject more accessible—at least, it did for me! So I started by picturing one individual tree growing in a particular place, just as one might choose one particular person to be the central character of a novel. I spent a lot of time visualizing that tree and its surroundings and then describing the particulars of its fascinating features, and I often came back to that original image as I wrote. I imagined the forest animals breaking open and feasting on the cacao pods, and then the first humans to discover the tree and its remarkable fruit. Later in the book, when I introduced a larger cast of human characters past and present, I tried to ensure that the connection to that wonderful, fragile cacao tree was a consistent thread to pull the reader through the layers of history and intricacies of the science, the technology, and the business of chocolate. The little tree that opened the narrative reappeared in the form of the cacao tree in a remote Peruvian canyon that began a kind of odyssey for one of my central human characters, Dan Pearson, as well as Lyndel Meinhardt, the USDA scientist. I enjoyed tracing all of these connections through time and place.

MKC: Do you have a favorite chocolate treat?

Kay: I guess I most love a really dark fudgy treat like, um, fudge! The old-fashioned kind that is hard to find and tricky to make. Or a good, fudgy brownie or my grandmother’s recipe for fudge pie (which appears in my book!)

 

Win a FREE copy of CHOCOLATE: Sweet Science & Dark Secrets of the World’s Favorite Treat!

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 Mary Kay Carson, unapologetic chocoholic and author of Mission to Pluto and other nonfiction books for kids. @marykaycarson

 

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We’re talking nonfiction with a librarian!

By on September 24, 2018   /   Articles, Curriculum Tie-in, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, Nonfiction, STEM  

As an author of primarily nonfiction, I thought it would be interesting to interview a librarian about all-things nonfiction for middle grade readers.

Rachel Stewart, the children’s services librarian for the Maumee (Ohio) Branch of the Toledo Lucas County Library was kind enough to answer questions I had about the topic from her perspective. Rachel has been with the TLCPL for five years. Her background is in elementary education, taught in traditional as well as a Montessori school, where she also served as an administrator. As you would expect, she is an active reader, enjoying various genres and subjects

As a children’s librarian, what nonfiction titles/subjects do you find appeal to middle grade readers the most? Middle grade readers are drawn to books about making and doing. When filling our new nonfiction displays, I notice that books related to STEAM subjects go fast, especially those that involve LEGO building or crafts. The DK book series is a constantly popular one. It is so popular that we have a designated, ongoing display of those books for customers to browse. This tells me that kids have a natural curiosity about a wide variety of topics and enjoy the graphic layout and photographs within these books.

I know that in our library system, the biographies for children, from PB to YA are shelved with biographies for adult readers. Does this lessen the exposure to young readers? (As opposed to shelving them in with children’s books?) We keep a constant display of the “Who Was/is…?” series, which has been very useful to parents and children alike. We often do temporary displays of PB bios and are currently doing a long-term display of YA/adult bios. Most often, when a child asks about bios, it is about a specific person and we can point them in the right direction (if such a book exists). We frequently do juvenile nonfiction displays on a wide variety of topics and usually include bios. There are pros and cons to interfiling, however, a major positive is that interfiling encourages young readers to choose books that they may not be exposed to in the juvenile section. Interfiling also allows adults with a lower reading level to feel comfortable browsing for books on a topic of interest.

Do you find that MG readers are borrowing nonfiction titles simply out of curiosity or because of school assignments? I believe that MGs are borrowing for both reasons. The NF displays that we keep up are heavily trafficked and browsed. I will often recommend narrative NF to reluctant NF readers just to open that door.

Does the library do much programming in nonfiction for middle grade readers? Nonfiction programming is a priority within the Toledo Lucas County Public Library system. At Maumee we have a popular programming series for grades 1-8 called “No School? No Problem!” that is focused on STEAM activities and scheduled when the local schools are off. When presenting those programs, we always include a large selection of related books for attendees to browse.

Do you have any amusing experiences with middle grade readers relating to nonfiction topics you care to share? I enjoy loading a child up with books on a favorite topic. I witness visible excitement and anticipation as if taking that stack home will be like opening a gift. 

 I also happen to have an 11-year-old that is a voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction. He is spoiled by new books almost daily and I love when he asks what I brought for him. He is a fan of the Nat Geo and Guinness Books about world records and amazing facts. I am amused when he feels the need to share (at rapid-fire pace) interesting trivia from those books while I am driving or getting ready for work in the morning.

What are some of your favorite middle grade nonfiction titles? I have a love of cookbooks and am thrilled whenever we get new juvenile titles. Cooking encompasses so many practical life skills and supports emotional well-being. I believe learning to cook and bake should be a core part of childhood.

Thank you Rachel for your time and input!

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Teaching Poetry to Middle Graders

By on September 21, 2018   /   Articles, Curriculum Tie-in, For Teachers  

This past summer, I took a poetry class for children’s writers. I was never a big reader of poetry or someone who wrote poems to express myself. However, I was quite inspired to both read and write poetry afterward. Attempting to write my own poetry helped me understand how to read and analyze its structure.

Photo by Steve Johnson

As a former teacher, I was curious what I should have done to teach poetry to my middle graders. I thought I’d ask an expert.

Heidi Roemer is the author of many poetry picture books and over 400 poems published in various children’s magazines. (See the end of the interview for titles of her books.) She was also the instructor for the poetry class I took. I wanted to get her opinion on teaching poetry to middle graders.

Why is teaching poetry to children important?

It’s important to share poetry with children because it lays the foundation for language and literacy skills. Poetry introduces readers to rich vocabulary and figurative language, creates phonological awareness, and advances the ability to read. Author Mem Fox said it best: “Rhymers will be readers. Experts have discovered that if children know eight nursery rhymes by heart by the time they’re four years old, they’re usually among the best readers by the time they’re eight.”

What do students get out of poetry vs. prose?

Prose is like viewing a movie on an Omni-Max screen. Fictional prose, or “story”, has its basic foundation in setting, character, plot, rising tension, climax and resolution. Poetry is like looking through a magnifying glass. Most poems offer a close-up look at a single subject and note its nuances through a variety of ways: similes, metaphors, irony, imagery, alliteration, assonance, and sometimes rhythm and rhyme.

Reluctant readers may prefer poetry over prose because of the brevity of the text. There’s usually a lot of white space on the page! This quote says it best: “Poetry is a can of frozen orange juice. Add three cans water and you get prose.” (Anon.)  Perhaps more so than prose, poetry is meant to be read out loud. Not only does this provide an opportunity to improve listening skills, it also can create a life-long love for language and reading. A good poem is a delight to read because it sparks the imagination and elicits a response from the reader–a chuckle, a groan, a sigh, an epiphany. The conciseness of poetry, especially when combined with an engaging rhyme and meter, can make just about any topic memorable.

How should teachers teach poetry?

Teach poetry, first, by providing a poetry-friendly environment. Have poetry books and audio poetry accessible to students during their free time. Post poems that reflect a variety of poetry forms and topics on the walls. Begin each morning with a poem. Read a science, math or geography poem that coincides with the subject you will be teaching on that day.  Choose poems that are active and engaging. Be familiar with the poem yourself before sharing. When reading to students, remember the “Three E’s”: energy, expression and enthusiasm. Keep it brief; don’t over-explain. To encourage participation, have students read in unison, or read a line and have them repeat it back to you. Divide the class into two groups and have them take turns reading alternating lines or stanzas. Incorporate movement. Let students perform the poem. A turkey baster makes a great pretend microphone for those who really enjoy hamming it up! Use appropriate props for visual stimulation and variety. Make poetry a fun experience and they will beg for more!

At what age should students write their own poems?

Children can be encouraged to write poetry, even at a very young age. Small children can dictate their poem to an adult. It isn’t necessary to know all the rules and terminology to write a poem. Encourage students to let words and feelings flow. Allow them to draw a picture to go with their poems and then display them in a prominent place. Coax and encourage students to read poetry and to write more poems!

What is the focus for middle graders when WRITING poetry?

Writing poetry begins with the selection of a topic. Have students think of a topic they find interesting. Let’s say the topic is coconuts. To gain sensory details, let students hold a coconut. Have them rub, shake, and even roll the coconut on the ground. Let them tap its hard shell and feel its tough fiber. Crack open the coconut and let students taste the watery “milk.” Next, ask students to gather more information. Ask then to research. What does a coconut tree look like? Where does it grow? How is it harvested? You might ask them to google “Ten Fascinating Facts about Coconuts”. Once the data is collected, students can decide what “one thing” they found most fascinating about their subject and write about it. Encourage them to use their poetry tools (alliteration, assonance, figurative language, etc.) to create their poems. Remind them to use concrete nouns and action verbs as best they can. Encourage each student to write a closing line that contains a little “zing!” or is meaningful or insightful in a special way.

Share five wonderful mentor texts for teachers to use with middle schoolers.

A New School Yearby Sally Derby
Six children share their worries, hopes, and successes on the first day of school.

Friends and Foes: Poems About Us All by Douglas Florian
A touching, often humorous, collection of twenty-three poems about relationships—both good and bad!

GuyKu by  Bob Raczka
This playful haiku collection will resonate with children. “Non-rhyming poetry can be a tough sell for kids. For some, though, haiku is less intimidating, thanks to its brevity…” —Publishers Weekly

Read! Read! Read! by Amy Ludwig VanDerwater.
Twenty-three poems about the joy of reading everything from maps to sports news.

Imperfect: Poems About Mistakes: An Anthology for Middle Schoolers by Tabatha Yeatts
This anthology contains a variety of poems that focus on mistakes. Some poems are funny, some are serious, and others show how mistakes can sometimes lead to amazing discoveries.

Author’s Note: I want to add one of my personal favorites:
Poetry Matters: Writing a Poem from the Inside Out by Ralph Fletcher.
Although intended for children, it’s a great read for adults, with the focus on writing poetry (which I encourage teachers to do. I learned so much about reading poetry from attempting to write it!). This book is a quick read offering all the basics of writing poetry as well as ways to be inspired.

And, of course, Heidi Roemer’s poetry books need to be included in this list.

The ABC’s of Kindness (Highlights Press, 2020)
Peekity Boo! What  YOU Can Do! (Henry Holt, 2019)
Who Says Peek-a-Boo? (Highlights Press, 2019)
Who Says Uh-Oh? (Highlights Press, 2019)
Hide-and-Seek at the Construction Site (Highlights Press, 2019)
Hide-and-Seek on the Farm (Highlights Press, 2018)
And the Crowd Goes Wild!: A Global Gathering of Sports Poems, co-editor (FriesenPress, 2012)
Whose Nest is This? (NorthWord, 2009)
What Kinds of Seeds are These? (NorthWord, 2006)
Come to My Party and Other Shape Poems, (Henry Holt, 2004)
All Aboard for Zippity Zoo! (ZooLoose, 2003)

Any resources for teachers that you would recommend?

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School by Georgia Heard
This poetry handbook explores how to cultivate the poet in every elementary and middle school student through examples, exercises, creative projects and classroom teachings.

Maybe You!by Brod Bagert
Young minds will shift into overdrive as they encounter the history, philosophy, and principles of scientific inquiry packed in this collection of dramatic poems, monologues, and short plays.

Poems Are Teachers by Amy Ludwig VanDerwate
Classroom teachers, grades 2 – 8, will love this book! Lessons help students learn how to replicate the craft techniques found in poetry samples.

The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science (a series) edited by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
Each lively and accessible science poem is paired with a “Take 5” list of teaching tips. Teacher Edition is available in paperback and ebook versions. Student version is available in paperback. For more information about The Poetry Friday Anthology series, see www.PomeloBooks.com.

The Poetry of Us: More Than 200 Poems about the People, Places and Passions of the United States by L Patrick Lewis
An anthology of delightful poems and stunning photos that focus on a broad spectrum of subjects– people, places, landmarks, monuments, nature, and celebrations–that are all part of the  U.S.

Wow! Anyone else want to teach poetry right now after reading that? There are so many benefits to teaching poetry to middle graders. I must recommend attempting your own poetry as well. It really is eye-opening as to what writing poetry entails.

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