Author Spotlight: Rosanne Parry + a GIVEAWAY
Today, I’m excited to shine the Author Spotlight on children’s author and fellow MUF member Rosanne Parry! Rosanne’s latest MG novel, A Wolf Called Fire, praised by Kirkus as “an exciting and thoughtful portrait inspired by a real animal who succeeded by being different,” was out February 4 from Greenwillow Books and is a 2025 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a #1 Indie Best Seller.
Interview with Rosanne
Welcome, Rosanne! Congratulations on the release of your beautiful new novel! It’s a pleasure to highlight the work of a fellow MUF member. A Wolf Called Fire is such a wonderful addition to the Voice of the Wilderness Series. Can you tell us a little background about what inspired these books?
Over the years I’ve gotten many letters from young readers who loved A Wolf Called Wander and were very worried about what happened to the brother he loved so much. So I was happy to return to the world of my wolf pack in the Wallowa Mountains. And there is much more research now about the dynamics of how wolf packs are lead and what kind of wolf grows up to be the alpha. So I wanted to explore how a wolf pup who starts out his life as the omega pup goes on to become a leader.
Point of View
It is so interesting that this story was inspired by a real wolf who became such an extraordinary pack leader, and I was amazed at how you were able to truly capture the point of view of an animal. I’d love to hear about your process and how you manage to write from this perspective so effectively.
The work of reading fiction is to step outside of the self for a time and live as the fictional character does. So the work of the writer of fiction is to describe that fictional life and world with accuracy and detail that is not just vivid but accessible to the reader.
I have to reach out toward the wolf and ask myself what does this environment feel like. What color is the dirt and how does it feel under my feet and what does it smell like and what does the smell of this particular patch of dirt I’m standing on tell me about the world I need to survive in.
And then I also have to reach toward that child reader and ask myself what words will make this particular wilderness come to life. Because my reader has almost certainly never been to the backcountry of the Eagle Cap Wilderness and probably has not spent any time at all in the wilderness. So how can I choose words that will make them feel a part of that wilderness experience. It takes a lot of research and a lot of time spent in the actual settings of the story.
Voice
You describe the natural world so vividly through all the senses. Your writing is beautiful and lyrical. What advice do you have to new writers as they strive to find their voices?
I would encourage new writers to think of their voice as not so much something external to quest after, as though you might, at last, arrive at the Tree of Symbolism and pluck your own voice from among its fruits. Your voice has always resided within. So it’s more an enterprise of listening deeply to yourself and asking yourself what you hope to communicate in a particular story. And then thinking what a story needs in terms of tone and structure. Your own voice is already there. It’s more a matter of being humble enough to recognize it and proud enough not to let the editing process knock off all the interesting edges.
Characters
Along with Warm, the book includes many other memorable characters. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?
I really enjoyed writing Snow and Pounce in this story. Both are female wolves with plenty of leadership qualities who find themselves is a pack they don’t like. The one gathers her courage and leaves her pack. But the other quietly forms alliances within the pack she hates and in the end forms a new pack with them.
Back Matter
With its wonderful educational content, this book is sure to be a huge hit with teachers, and the exciting, fast-paced story and beautiful illustrations throughout will be so appealing to kids. Your back matter is very interesting and an excellent supplement. Young readers are going to absolutely adore learning about the real wolf behind the story, as well as the map of Warm’s journey and the pictures of the animal tracks. I love all you say about how kids can make a difference. How did you decide what to include in the back matter?
When the first Voice of the Wilderness book was written I could not find an American publisher for it, so it was the British publisher Andersen Press who took it on. I had a meeting with them in London when we were at the beginning of the editing process. A British audience knows so little about the American wilderness that we talked at length about how to make the text accessible to them. Illustrations were my editor’s idea. I asked for the back matter to make the book work for teachers who also have to teach map reading and ecosystems and natural history and human history. They agreed that teachers need every bit of support we can offer, and so they set the standard for the books that followed. I’m grateful that Greenwillow has stuck with the format because the price of paper is rising and absolutely every page counts.
What was your biggest challenge in writing this story?
Greenwillow was very keen to have FIRE come out in 2025–their 50th anniversary year. And my approach to writing is not a speedy one. Honestly, the biggest challenge was getting the story researched and written in time to have it so beautifully illustrated and designed. It was a huge team effort. Much gratitude to the illustrator, Mónica Armiño, art director Sylvie Le Floc’h, and editor Virginia Duncan.
Writing Process
Will you tell us a little about your writing process? Where/when do you prefer to write?
I love to write outside when it’s warm enough for that. My treehouse is a favorite spot, but the truth is I can write almost anywhere and I often have to make due perching in whatever space is available. Research is probably the most defining aspect of my writing. I do a lot of it and it requires a fair amount of camping at the moment. Fortunately I love that!
Takeaways
What do you hope readers take away from this story?
Literacy is my primary objective. Because it’s a relatively short book, it’s often a 7 or 8 or 9 year olds first middle grade novel that they have read on their own, and they are a better reader by the time they get to the end of it. I want my reader to feel empowered to read ever more complex and challenging books and newspapers. I want them to care about the wilderness and believe that they have something to say in the defense of land and creatures who cannot speak for themselves.
Influences
What are some current books that have influenced you as a kidlit writer?
I really enjoy books that test the limits and try something new. Virginia Euwer Wolff is a long time friend and mentor. She’s also one of the first YA authors to write in verse. Her Make Lemonade was a game changing read for me.
I have heaps of admiration for Brian Selznick who pioneered an alternating text and sequential illustration story that stands apart from all the rest and makes me think about story in new ways every single time. If you haven’t read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, you are in for a treat.
I’m also a big fan of the graphic novel Little Monarchs by Jonathan Case. It’s a climate future story about a middle school girl and her scientist guardian who are traveling a west coast almost devoid of humans. The story alone is fabulous but the author included non-fiction touches large and small that I very much appreciated. There are pages of the main character’s homework which provide useful back story and fun facts. There are directions on how to tie knots or get into a backpacker’s hammock or navigate by stars. Every new setting has the GPS coordinates in case you wanted to find the place for yourself. A real innovation — blending traditional graphic novel panels with the finest in illustrated nonfiction.
Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?
My next Voice of the Wilderness novel will be about ravens.
And for the lightning round:
Coffee or tea? Cocoa
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset
Favorite place to travel: The homeward journey has always been my favorite.
Favorite dessert: Ice cream
Superpower: Moral Courage and Compassion are the superpowers we most need.
Favorite music: When I was writing A Wolf Called Fire I listened to a lot of classical pieces by Vivaldi and Respighi. They made me think of the forest.
Favorite book from childhood: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula LeGuin
Thanks again, Rosanne! It was so much fun to learn about you and get a behind the scenes look at your amazing novel! Learn more about Rosanne on her website and follow her on Instagram.
Bio
Rosanne grew up in Oregon loving its wild places and fabulous libraries. She’s the author of the bestselling Voice of the Wilderness novels and nonfiction picture books. Her newest is A Wolf Called Fire. Rosanne sells books at Annie Blooms, and writes in a treehouse in her backyard.
For a chance to win a signed copy of A Wolf Called Fire, comment on the blog! (Giveaway ends March 17, 2025 MIDNIGHT EST.) U.S. only, please.
Katie: Teachers often tell students to “Write what you know?” How have you been able to use “what you know” and your own life experiences to write such immersive fantasy?
Katie: If you had your own personal jellyfish assistant, what type of jellyfish would you choose and why? (My personal favorite are the Pacific Sea Nettles, pictured, for their insistence on swimming upside down.)
Coffee, tea, or bubble tea?
Biography:
Today we’re interviewing 
Sibert Honor author Suzanne Slade has written more than 150 children’s books. As a mechanical engineer who worked on rockets, many of her titles are about space and women in STEM. Some recent titles include The Universe and You, Mars Is: Stark Slopes, Silvery Snow, and Startling Surprises, June Almeida, Virus Detective!, The Woman Who Discovered the First Human Coronavirus, and A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon (NSTA Best STEM Book). Her title, Astronaut Annie, soared to the ISS and was read by astronaut Anne McClain for Story Time From Space.
