Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!
Today, we’re delighted to welcome Maxwell Eaton, author of Survival Scout: Lost in the Mountains⛰️(May 2023, Roaring Brook Press). This hilarious graphic novel features a strong female main character who has what it takes to survive. The book is a great choice for scouting groups, wilderness lovers, and readers who like a good laugh.
About the book:
Scout’s woe is your gain in the first of the SURVIVAL SCOUT graphic novel series, where Scout endures natural disasters so we don’t have to.
Stay calm, and Scout it out
1) Take inventory of what you have 🔦🧭🧥🧦📿🧻🍪
2) Find shelter⛺️
3) Make a fire🔥
4) Signal for help 🆘
5) Secure water and food 💦🐟
Follow Scout’s trial through the mountains, as she explains how to survive if you ever find yourself lost in the wilderness. A perfect travel companion for those with a knack for adventure, or prone to getting disoriented in the forest.
This humorous and informative comic-format guide showcases all things survival in the great outdoors. ~ The Horn Book
An enlightening guide for aspiring adventurers. ~ Kirkus
Linda: Survival Scout: Lost in the Mountains is a fun way to convey
information about survival skills. The animals that keep chiming in are hysterical. Where did you get the idea for this book?
Max: The idea came from a chat with my editor. We were brainstorming and discussing some of my interests, which include a lot of outdoor adventure activities, and we thought maybe a book that spells out what to do when things go wrong might be fun. It started as a picture book, but it was so dense that it made perfect sense to open it up, add more humor and depth, and turn it into a graphic novel.
Linda: What was your research process like?
Max: I’ve spent most of my life outside having fun in the mountains and on the water in all kinds of seasons and settings, so I have a decent feel for the reality of being in trouble in the mountains. But I really needed to back things up with a cohesive philosophy and structure for survival. Kind of a flow chart of what to do when things go wrong. And that meant hitting the books! Tons of reading. Everything from first hand survival accounts to wilderness first response manuals. From the mountain of reading I was able to distill a rough framework for what Scout, and possibly a young reader, should do if they’re lost.
Linda: What do you hope readers take away from this graphic novel?
Max: I want readers to know that sometimes the best thing they can do in a stressful situation is pause, breathe, and collect themselves. Too much thinking has rarely made a survival situation worse…
Linda: How can teachers and librarians use this book?
Max: Any element of Scout’s story is useful, fascinating, and possibly lifesaving. Activities in the book like building or seeking a shelter, starting a campfire, or using a map and compass (my favorite) are practical and fun, a chance to get hands dirty, and can all be tied to science, physics, and math.
Linda:You have a few other Survival Scout Books. Tell us how the other books in the series evolved and if there are more books planned.
Max: Survival Scout: Tsunami is the follow-up to Lost in the Mountains. We decided to go big for this one! And again, beyond the scares and action, it’s overflowing with earth science, physics, and skunk jokes. Survival Scout: Lost at Sea is the same but with the addition of some information about weather systems. It was a ton of fun to research each of them and heartening to have heard from scientists, museums, and professionals in related fields who have written to tell me how blown away they were by the depth and accuracy of these silly little graphic novels! There aren’t any other books in the works, but I hope that kids find and enjoy these three.
Linda: In my college years, I once ran into trouble while hiking Mount Washington. I was on an exposed ridge with the sun setting and the temperature plunging. As the stars came into view, I spotted a ramshackle building. It turned out to be a bustling high-mountain hut. What’s your mountain survival story?
Max: I can’t tell or my family will worry! But, again, I can tell readers from lots of experience that it pays to keep a level head and some perspective in the mountains. And always watch out for skunks!
Linda: Max, thanks so much for being our guest today on STEM Tuesday. I can’t wait to read your next book!
Maxwell Eaton III is the critically acclaimed author and illustrator of dozens of outdoor adventure-based picture books and comics for young readers. All of Maxwell’s books are informed by a life led outdoors in the mountains and on the water. He is passionate about sharing his love for the natural world with young people and empowers them to get outside; make and do with their own hands; to think and act with calm and collected minds; and to maintain perspective and humor. He skis, paddles, and writes in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State.
Linda Zajac is the author of Robo-Motion: Robots That Move Like Animals and eight Minecraft books for kids. She’s an award-winning science writer who sometimes trades her writing cap for a biking helmet, a hiking visor, or a kitty named Twinky. Find her at www.lindarosezajac.com
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