I’d like to welcome one of my favorite middle grade authors and one I am happy to call my friend: DONNA GEPHART!
Donna Gephart’s first novel, AS IF BEING 12-3/4 ISN’T BAD ENOUGH,MY MOTHER IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT! won the prestigious Sid Fleischman Humor Award. Her second novel, HOW TO SURVIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL, received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal and landed on these state reading lists: Texas, New York, Louisiana and Illinois. Donna’s new book, OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN, about a girl determined to get on the TV quiz show Jeopardy!, received a starred review from Kirkus!
Donna’s books are hilariously funny. They make people laugh. They make people cry. They touch your heart. Her first three books are all fabulous:
I am thrilled to be able to share her latest book with you. It’s called
Death by Toilet Paper!
Fans of How to Survive Middle School will welcome the adventures of a contest-crazed seventh grader who uses his wits and way with words in hopes of winning a big cash prize to help his family avoid eviction.
Benjamin is about to lose a whole lot more than good toilet paper. But even with his flair for clever slogans, will he be able to win a cash prize large enough to keep a promise he made to his dad before he died?
“Gephart’s generous view of humanity’s basic goodness shines through, and she leavens her characters’ difficult situation with plenty of humor. . . Readers can’t help but enjoy this heartening book about hanging in there.”–Kirkus Reviews
“Ben is a character kids will root for, and he’s surrounded by family and friends who help him see things will be okay, a message that may comfort readers facing similar circumstances.”–Publisher’s Weekly
Here’s where we find out the genius behind the creation:
Donna, tell us about your latest book. Was it fun to write?
Locating facts about toilets and toilet paper that head each chapter was fascinating and fun. Did you know the first stall in a public bathroom is the least used, therefore, the cleanest? I got to study books like, Sarah Albee’s Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up and call it research.
Your books are hilariously funny, but they also have a thread of real-life, and you cover difficult topics at times, such as divorce, separation and even death. Why do you feel the need to do this?
I love reading books that make me care enough to cry . . . and laugh. That’s my aim when I create books – humor and heartbreak — so my work can also serve as an emotional roadmap for readers. In Death by Toilet Paper, Ben Epstein figures out how to navigate the impossible stages grief and ultimately move forward with hope.
Where do you get your ideas?
Trader Joe’s. Seriously, I LOVE that store. When Trader Joe’s is closed, though, I get my ideas from paying attention to unusual names, hobbies, jobs, conversations and stories. Podcasts, like This American Life, are great ways to get my mind thinking of story ideas. Reading the Sunday newspaper usually gets me thinking as well.
What is your writing process? Do you have a set time to write every day?
Every day . . . except when life gets in the way, which it sometimes does. Most days, I exercise outside then make a big cup of hot tea before I begin writing. I use the Pomodoro Method, which is a program of set times for work and breaks. I found a free Pomodoro timer online, and it has increased my productivity and kept me off the Internet while writing.
Why did you decide to become an author?
When I was ten and bored, I wrote a story about a horse, although I knew NOTHING about horses. My mom read my story and made a big fuss. That’s when I decided I’d be a writer.
But the drive to write probably hatched years earlier in the children’s section of the Northeast Regional Library in Philadelphia. That place was a life-changer for me in the best possible way. I was lonely and bored and found excellent company on the shelves. A Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes resonated with me back then . . . and still.
Can you name one teacher that inspired you to write or had an affect on your life?
Heck yeah! My 10th grade teacher, Myra Durlofsky, inspired me with her creativity and energy. She was a great role model. I put her in a couple of my novels, and I still keep in touch with her!
Also reconnected last year with my childhood librarian, Miss Irene. I walked into the main library in Philadelphia with my niece and there she was – Miss Irene – looking very much like I remembered her thirty-five years before. That was a happy reunion!
Donna speaks at elementary and middle schools, book festivals, libraries and conferences, including the S.C.B.W.I. National Conference, the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop, F.A.M.E., the Conference on Children’s Literature, etc. She also does Skype visits to connect with schools across the U. S. and internationally.
You do Skype visits for your books, what does that entail?
I LOVE doing Skype visits. They’re so much fun. After my interactive presentation with lots of show-and-tell, students ask questions. And I ask them questions about their favorite books and authors.
How do you interact with the students during a Skype visit?
Sometimes, I do a Jeopardy!-style quiz with the students, which gets them totally engaged. I ask questions and have them guess the outcomes as I tell stories. There’s no substitute for in person school visits, of course, but Skype visits come close and they are good for the environment – no travel involved. (Also, I may or may not wear bunny slippers during Skype visits.) http://skypeanauthor.wikifoundry.com/page/Donna+Gephart
What is your favorite part about being an author?
The creative responses to my books that I receive from both educators and young readers. I’ve gotten freshly baked lemon squares, paintings, drawings and sculptures of characters and book covers, student-created videos, etc. And I treasure the letters and emails I get telling me how my story resonated for a particular reader. The connections I make with readers are what I really value.
If I could tell the lonely, bored girl choosing books from the shelves at the Northeast Regional Library that she would someday grow up to have a literary life, filled with reading, writing and people passionate about literature, I think she’d be quite pleased.
Anything else that you’d like to add:
For funny videos, word games, trivia, reading/activity guides, writing advice, etc., check out my site: www.donnagephart.com.
Thanks for joining us Donna and giving us a peek into your creative process. 🙂
Donna has graciously donated a very special PRIZE !!
An educator/librarian prize pack — a signed book, reading/activity guide and a couple dozen bookmarks
To enter, simply leave a comment below. In the spirit of the Donna’s latest book let us know your funny encounter with toilet paper OR how you would use a bunch of money you won in contest! You have until December 10th to enter.
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Jennifer is also the creator and administrator of #STEMTuesday and #STEAMTeam2020
I cannot think of a toilet paper story, but Death by Toilet Paper is absolutely one of my favorite books ever!!!
When I was a teenager we moved to a new town. My house was toilet papered twice in a single week. When my friends and I figured out who one of the culprits was we decided on payback. Pooling our money we bought a couple of large cases of tp. Picture a large green 12 passenger van driving down the road, only to discover that the state police had set up an alcohol checkpoint right in front of the kid’s house. Picture a van load of teens trying to be nonchalant about their reasons for being out that late together while trying to surreptitiously conceal two gigantic cases of tp. The poor driver had to go through that roadblock a couple of times while dropping the rest of us at home, concealing her contraband all the while. She stashed it in her mom’s supplies. Poor family, we’d gotten the nasty cheap stuff and her mom made them use it all up.
I once left the ladies room with TP stuck to the bottom of my shoe – it’s wasn’t used, thank goodness, but I was embarrassed, nonetheless.
My students just finished reading Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen, and it coincided with kid’s week on Jeopardy. As a final discussion question, students had to answer how they would use the money if they won final jeopardy. Each one answered a little differently but all agreed they would donate a portion to the local library so they always have a place to get books. What a great bunch of students!
Some of my 6th grade classes start the school year off by reading How To Survive Middle School. They absolutely love this book and get so excited to read. We have gotten feedback from parents who are so happy that their kids are enjoying reading.
Yes! Hahah Yvonne. Love it!
I don’t have a toilet paper story. However, if I won a bunch of money in a contest, I would use lots of it on books. The only thing I ask for at Christmas and my birthday are gift cards to the bookstore. Love getting my struggling middle school readers hooked on books!
Ingrid Mayyasi I spend a week every summer at Lake Erie and on the drive down and back stop in a very small town for lunch. One time I didn’t realize that I left the restroom with toilet paper hanging out of the back of my shorts. A woman was kind enough to tell me about it so that I didn’t embarrass myself too badly.
When I was in high school, my friends and I wrapped a boy’s car in toilet paper as a joke! I remember not being able to stop laughing, the kind of laughing where you can’t catch your breath and think you may even pee your pants! Turns out his dad needed the car the next day for work and didn’t think it was so funny, especially since it had rained!
When my granddaughter was two she would run into the bathroom grab the toilet paper and run out with it streaming behind her.She empty a whole roll one time. I caught her one time starting to unroll and she ran back in the bathroom and tried to roll it back up. She was so precious.
My dog loves to chew up toilet paper and I find chewed up paper throughout the house. Trouble is…she pulls it out of the garbage. Yuck!
We just moved to temporary housing and I told hubby to buy toilet paper when he went to store. I went later that day and since it was such a crazy day.. week… month with moving I came home with toilet paper too. My husband asked me why I bought paper because he bought tp too. Guess we won’t run out! Lol
Thank you for this interesting interview. I’m reading How to Survive Middle School now and loving it, so I’m really looking forward to Death by Toilet Paper. Making a note to visit Trader Joes, or maybe a middle school bathroom.
Forgot the story. My toddler granddaughter tried to string toilet paper like Yvonne’s cat. No mental health issues. She seemed to be decorating.
My sons fight over which way the toilet paper should go so I never know which way it will be.
Would coming home to find an entire roll of toilet paper strung throughout the house by a cat with mental health issues count as a toilet paper encounter….I don’t recall feeling that it was very funny at the time.