Posts Tagged children’s books

STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Writing Tips & Resources

By STEM Tuesday on June 16, 2026 / Bridges, STEM Tuesday

It’s summer! I know everyone is busy, so here’s a short and sweet STEM Tuesday Writing Tips & Resources post in place of my normal rambling dissertation on the beauty and significance of STEM in a literary world.

I am the son of an engineer, a civil engineer. My dad was an engineer to his very core. He thought like an engineer. He fixed things, like our bikes, broken baseball bats, toys, etc., with an engineer’s approach. He packed the trash and the garbage cans every week with an engineer’s efficiency. He wrote everything in that classic engineer’s script—an engineer to the core.

Me? I am not an engineer. I am a microbiologist. My approach to life is messier than my father’s, and my handwriting is nowhere near the neat and precise handwriting of an engineer. However, that is not to say I did not learn a thing or two from him. In fact, I gleaned many things about how he worked and went about his business that still stick with me in my creative life. One of those is his particular area of civil engineering expertise, bridge construction.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, 2011 (Almonroth, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)

The main function of a bridge is to connect. A functional bridge is built through solid design and execution of its structural parts. The pilings and the caps support the deck and create the stability necessary to establish the desired connections.

For example, an island in the middle of a large lake or sea is not easily accessible until a bridge is built that connects one place to the next. As writers and creators, we can bring this concept of bridge building into building stories,

Outlining or developing the plot points of the story provides the structural plan to assist in the execution of the story. The plot points are the islands sitting isolated in the open water. Once we get our plot points envisioned, the next step is to work to build the structural parts through design and execution.

The storytelling magic happens with the type and style of the bridges we build to connect the plot points. The stories that grab readers contain bridges with interesting features, bridges that are fun to traverse. The successful story bridges make the journey a more enjoyable experience beyond simply getting from one plot point island to another.

One tool I use to create the plot islands for outlining my stories is the Brooks Model from Larry Brooks’ excellent book, Story Engineering.

Opening Scene/First Page
1. 3 Essentials
  1. Whose story is it? Protagonist
  2. What’s happening here? There’s a world & there’s something off in it.
  3. What’s at stake? The specific conflict for the protagonist.
Hooking Moment (In first 20 pages)
Exposition/A setup of inciting incident(optional)
First Plot Point (@ 20-25%)
First Pinch Point
Context Shifting Midpoint (reactionary to action @~50%)
Second Pinch Point (~60%)
Second Plot Point (75%)
Ending/Resolution – New Normal

These nine points give me destinations to target. Once these are loosely set in stone, the drafting begins, and my creative brain switches from planning mode to bridge-building mode. The job becomes creating and building effective bridges to transport the reader to the next destination in an entertaining and engaging manner. The goal is to engage the reader in such a way to keep them traveling along the bridge instead of wanting to stop halfway across, racing for the railing, and jumping off the bridge deck into the water below.

As you ponder your stories, don’t forget the power of building bridges to get your story to its target destination. Adopt a bit of a civil engineer’s mindset into your creative work, but feel free to leave the perfectly formed engineer’s writing script behind if you so choose.

Tower Bridge, London (© User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons)

Mike Hays has worked hard from a young age to be a well-rounded individual. A well-rounded, equal-opportunity sports enthusiast, that is. If they keep a score, he’ll either watch it, play it, or coach it. A molecular microbiologist by day, middle-grade author, sports coach, and general good citizen by night, he blogs about sports/life/training-related topics at www.coachhays.com and writer stuff at www.mikehaysbooks.com. Two of his science essays, The Science of Jurassic Park and Zombie Microbiology 101, are included in the P utt ing the Science in Fiction collection from Writer’s Digest Books. He can be found roaming Bluesky under the guise of @mikehays64.bsky.social and @MikeHays64 on Instagram.

The O.O.L.F Files

This month on the Out Of Left Field (O.O.L.F.) Files, we cross the bridge and explore bridges!

The Randolph Bridge on Tuttle Creek Lake in Riley County, Kansas

This was the first big bridge project my civil engineer dad worked on in the early 1960s for the Kansas Department of Transportation. After it was completed, he transferred back to Kansas City in 1964. I now live and work within 30 minutes of the bridge and still get a great deal of joy visiting and driving across the mile-long bridge.

Here’s a YouTube drone video that uses the Randolph Bridge as a backdrop to show the drone’s features.

Story Engineering by Larry Brooks

I highly recommend Story Engineering and its companion Story Physics. It’s one of those craft books I reread every few years to not only refresh my creative skills, but to revitalize them. It’s a reminder that discipline and structure actually help me be creative rather than stifle my creativity.

The Mike Hays Best Bridge in Fiction Award goes to…

An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge by Ambrose Bierce

Robert Enrico’s 1961 short film adaptation of the story is a must-watch.. I remember watching this in school and being completely mesmerized. Of course, we’d already read, or supposed to have read, the story, so the infamous Ambrose Bierce “Gotcha” moment was already played out. Nevertheless, it is a fantastic short film. Below is the Vimeo link to the movie.

https://vimeo.com/91150431

Alcántara Bridge, Spain (Dantla from de.wikipedia)

STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– In the Classroom

By STEM Tuesday on June 9, 2026 / Bridges, STEM Tuesday

For this month’s theme, I read two books about bridges and read/wrote two books about skyscrapers. Two of these books were on this months book list and two were “bonus” books. Here’s what I read/wrote.

Skyscraper

by Lynn Curlee

Skyscraper is presented in picture book format and includes beautiful illustrations. It follows the history of skyscrapers in general and then focuses on specific, noteworthy skyscrapers. Through this history, Skyscraper explores advances in design, construction, and materials that facilitated the building of the world’s tallest structures. This book is a bit older, so some of the later information is a bit outdated.

The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York

by Peter J. Tomasi, illustrated by Teo Duvall

If you like graphic novels and want to fully immerse yourself in Washington and Emily Roebling’s story, read The Bridge. This book follows the design and construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, including the politics and intrigue surrounding it. The book includes details about the ground-breaking processes used to construct the bridge, as well as the health and safety issues these new techniques raised. As Washington struggled with his health, his wife Emily took over the on-site oversite of the bridge, raising additional issues to be overcome.

Bonus Books:

Engineering the Eiffel Tower

by Janet Slingerland

This book covers the design and construction of the Eiffel Tower, including the controversy surrounding the tower when it was built. It includes a look at Gustav Eiffel, the tower’s creator, including important life events that led up to his building of the Eiffel Tower. At the end are a list of fast facts, as well as a set of questions to answer based on the book.

Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge

by Elizabeth Partridge, illustrated by Ellen Heck

Golden Gate: Building the Mighty Bridge is a picture book that follows a lighthouse keeper’s family as the Golden Gate Bridge is constructed right in front of them. Each two-page spread includes an illustration that follows the bridge from its concept through its construction.

As always, there are lots of different things that can be done with these books.

There are lots of great museums/sites to visit. Here are a few:

Roebling Museum in Roebling, New Jersey: https://www.roeblingmuseum.org
The Skyscraper Museum in New York City: https://skyscraper.org – This museum also has lots of things to explore from home: https://skyscraper.org/topics/museum-from-home
McCormick Bridgehouse & Chicago River Museum in Chicago: https://www.bridgehousemuseum.org
Walk the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City: https://newyorkdearest.com/walking-across-brooklyn-bridge-tips
Visit the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco: https://www.goldengate.org/bridge/visiting-the-bridge – more information on the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center is here: https://presidio.gov/explore/attractions/golden-gate-bridge-welcome-center
Visit the Skydeck at the Willis Tower in Chicago: https://theskydeck.com/for-kids
Here is a list of skyscrapers around the U.S. you can visit (this post is older, so some info could be outdated): https://parade.com/332421/minitime/7-spectacular-us-skyscrapers-to-spark-kids-imagination

Here are some websites and activities to explore:

When I wrote Engineering the Eiffel Tower, I collected some activities and websites worth exploring. You can find those links here: http://janetsbooks.com/eiffel-tower
Building BIG from PBS – includes information on both bridges and skyscrapers, including activities to try: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig
Skyscraper Day (September 3): https://www.skyscraperday.com
Paper skyscraper challenge: https://www.thetech.org/education/education-resources/lessons/paper-skyscraper
Create a skyscraper using toothpicks and marshmallows: https://www.centerforarchitecture.org/k-12/resources/build-your-own-skyscraper-using-toothpicks-marshmallows-and-spaghetti
Famous building art lesson: https://leahnewtonart.com/2019/07/30/middle-school-famous-buildings-art-lesson-projects-for-kids
Draw a skyscraper: https://helloartsy.com/how-to-draw-a-skyscraper
Science Buddies activity – Build the Best Paper Bridge: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/build-best-bridge
Bridge Design Challenge from Discover Engineering: https://discovere.org/engineering-activities/bridge-design-challenge
Designing Bridges Lesson from Teach Engineering: https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/cub_brid_lesson02
Draw a bridge: https://www.drawyourworld.com/blog/bridge-lesson-draw-your-world.html
Draw the Golden Gate Bridge: https://artprojectsforkids.org/how-to-draw-the-golden-gate-bridge

Here are a few other ideas for exploring bridges and skyscrapers.

Create a Timeline

Skyscraper follows the design and construction of key skyscrapers through history. Put together your own skyscraper timeline. This is great as a group activity.

For each skyscraper, illustrate or print a picture to show on the timeline. Make sure the scale is the same for each skyscraper so everyone can see how their heights compare to one another.

Do some research on the architect, building materials, construction processes, cost, and other interesting facts about the building. Consider including breakthroughs in materials, understanding, or other critical events on the timeline.

Explore a Local Marvel

Pick an interesting local bridge or skyscraper. Think about how to search for information about its design and construction. Do some online searching, using keywords like “design” and “construction” along with the name of the structure. Visit a local library to see if there is information there about it. Meet the research librarian there to get some help with the research. If possible, visit the structure in person. Some structures provide informational tours.

Think about how to present the information found about the structure:

Write a “biography” of the structure. Think about how to tell its story, using inspiration from this month’s books. Include photos found during the research.
Put together a “Get to Know Me” poster for the structure. Include basic information and fun facts. Think of fun ways to describe the height/length and weight of the structure – for instance, how many giraffes tall is it and how many school buses does it weigh?
Make a graphic novel or assemble a photo essay about the construction of the structure.

Janet Slingerland has written over 2 dozen books for young readers. To find out more about Janet and her books, check out her website: http://janetsbooks.com

Interview with Author/Illustrator Maddie Frost

By Melissa Roske on June 3, 2026 / Articles, Author Interviews

Today, let’s give a hearty Mixed-Up Files welcome to Maddie Frost. An award-winning author and illustrator, Maddie has been praised as a “powerhouse creator,” making over a dozen books for kids. Her first middle-grade novel, Really Rubie, which Kirkus hailed as: “Humorous, frank, and guaranteed to reassure,” is out now from Aladdin.

Really Rubie: A Summary

Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the first time with her best friend, Riley. She and Riley will be at Camp Pineview for an entire month, and Riley’s crush, Owen Griffon, will be across the lake at the boys’ camp. But when Riley can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle, Rubie has to go by herself. How can she survive without Riley? But camp might be more eventful, and more exciting, than Rubie ever thought, including her first-ever crush on a boy.

Q&A with Maddie Frost

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Maddie. Huge congrats on the publication of Really Rubie. I went to sleepaway camp as a kid, so of course I loved your book. I gobbled it up in two sittings!

MF: That’s amazing. I hope it didn’t give you any gas.

MR: Um… 🙂

Getting Campy with Rubie

MR: Your book is based on your own experience at sleepaway camp. How is Rubie’s experience similar to yours? How is it different? Also, what are the similarities and differences between you and Rubie?

MF: The biggest difference between me and Rubie’s camp experience is that my best friend came with me. Looking back, I always sort of wondered what kind of experience I would have had if I went alone. Rubie was the product of that curiosity.

All the fears, insecurities, and discomfort Rubie goes through at camp, I felt too. It was the first time I had left home for that long, and same for Rubie. It was like being flung onto another planet (with tons of woodchips). We both realized that a whole other world exists beyond the bubble of home. Amazing, and terrifying.

Rubie and I are both emotional and anxious, and we both try to find the humor in life’s struggles. Humor has always been a coping mechanism for me, especially in art. Rubie’s diary entries and doodles reflect that too. But we’re also super aware, and we take in everything all at once. Our feelings, our friends feelings, vibes and moods, exciting moments, awkward moments, people’s energy. I think all great writing comes from being hyper-aware to life.

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to 11-year-old Maddie?

MF: “Hey Maddie, it’s Maddie from the future. Listen, I know it’s rough seas out there in middle school. You’re probably feeling A LOT of things right now and it’s okay. What doesn’t make sense now will later. I promise. Oh, BTW, you turn it all into a book series. I know, right?! Keep going, you got this.

Dear Diary

MR: Really Rubie is written in diary form. What informed this stylistic decision? Did you keep diaries as a tween?

MF: Um, of course I did! I don’t know how you didn’t as a tween girl. There’s so much going on internally and you CAN’T talk to your parents about it. No way! A diary was the safest place to let my thoughts and feelings out. I’ve always wanted to try and make a middle-grade diary. My drawing style and personality lends itself well to this age group. I’m forever a tween at heart. I wrote in a diary at camp, so there was some “research” to be done before I started outlining this book.

I have always considered myself an artist first, author second. I came to writing books by illustrating them. The two art forms have operated like best friends throughout my career. They riff off of each other. What one lacks, the other makes up for. So I knew that if I wrote a middle grade novel, there 100% would be art. Ergo, a diary was the perfect format for me. Also it’s just so fun to write a stream of chaotic conscious and time travel back into my eleven-year-old brain.

Tween Friendships

MR: After Rubie’s BFF, Riley, breaks her ankle and has to withdraw from camp, Rubie is forced to navigate the experience on her own. Did something similar happen to you at Rubie’s age? Also, what were you trying to say about the nature of tween friendships?

MF: Often times, we stay “close to the pack” because we feel safe. But there isn’t much personal growth that happens when we are afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone. If I look back, my biggest personal growth happened when I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable; aka, trying anything new alone. There’s a big world out there, and when you’re a kid, it’s sooo hard to grasp that. Friendships will grow and change because you grow and change. It’s all part of your process and progress as a human. I wish what happened to Rubie happened to me much earlier in my life. I wish I had made a friend like Eliza back then, who proved that the Universe will always meet you halfway.

The Art of Creating a Graphic Novel

MR: In addition to writing the novel, you created the illustrations. What was the process like for you? Did you do both at the same time or add the illustrations later? Also, how does being an artist influence your writing—and vice-versa?

MF: I write the manuscripts for all my books before I do any art. This goes for picture books and graphic novels too. If the story stinks, it doesn’t matter how good the art is. Kind of like if the plot of a movie is horrible but the actors are award-worthy. Does not matter. The writer in me always trusts the artist in me. I never try to avoid writing something for the sake of having to draw it. Unless of course it’s something I don’t like drawing. Like large crowds, or realistic horses.

Jane of All Trades

MR: In addition to Rubie, you have written and illustrated a slew of popular picture books. What prompted your decision to write for a middle-grade audience? Did the creative process differ from your experience as a picture-book author/illustrator?

MF: I’m always craving the next challenge. The same thing happened when I went from picture books to graphic novels. I asked myself if I could do it, and then I tried. I’m not afraid of failing, so it makes the attempt super relaxed. Rubie came from a combination of that, plus being bored with the genre I had been working in for almost a decade. As artists, sometimes it feels like we need to put ourselves in a box to get more “recognized.” Like, oh this girl is a mystery writer, that guy only does THIS type of graphic novel. Ugh, it’s so suffocating as a creator to limit yourself. I don’t want to be type-casted! I want to be a Jane of all Trades, Master of all. I mean, all women are, right? Wink, wink.

Sharing the (School Visit) Love

MR: Rumor has it you enjoy doing school visits. Can you tell MUF readers more about this?

MF: The rumor is true. I love making it to the other side and sharing my work with readers. Authors work in a hole, we need the reward of humans engaging with us and our stories. We also have sensitive egos. It’s the best feeling when you connect with an audience.

Maddie’s “Aha!” Moment

MR: What has your path to publication been like? Smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

MF: My road to publication was an unexpected one, let’s say that. I really never thought about it when I was younger. I knew there we authors and illustrators that made books, but had no idea that it could be a career choice. I went to college for Animation because I loved cartoons. I’m a 90’s kid and grew up watching Nickelodeon in it’s prime. While I was there, I won a freelance contest to illustrate a picture book for a local hotel. It paid nothing but it was an aha moment for an alternate job path. It was everything I loved about cartoons, just in book format. After I graduated, I wanted to work at Disney. But being a New Englander, I had no idea how one does that. Do you just call up Mickey Mouse? “Yo, Mickey, you got a job for me?” (Said in Boston accent.)

So I started teaching elementary art until I couldn’t ignore the itch to make my own art any longer. I followed a few book illustrators on social media and reached out to find out how to get an agent. Long story long, I got an agent and took on small, boring book projects for babies (literally) while honing my craft, and my voice. I worked my way from the bottom up with zero training or direction. The only thing I knew I had to do was work hard. And I haven’t stopped working hard.

The Magic of Writing

MR: What is your writing and illustrating process like, Maddie? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MF: Writing process for Rubie always takes place somewhere in the morning after my daughter goes to school. I can’t write Rubie on anything else but my tablet (I have a laptop and computer) but it MUST be on the tablet or the magic isn’t there. So weird, I know. I think I just like the sound of my keyboard, it must make me write better. Tap, tap, tap.

For illustrating, I work in my office at all/any times of the day on my computer. I make my art in Photoshop with a Wacom and stylus pen. No specific routine, since I have a three year old. What is a routine again? And when I’m cleaning it means I’m procrastinating.

What’s Next for Maddie

MR: Really Rubie is the first in a series. Would you mind sharing a bit about what readers can expect in the books that follow?

MF: In Really Rubie book two, she turns twelve and starts sixth grade. There’s a new girl in town and also the person Riley has spent half the summer with in secret. She also happens to be super annoying. Meanwhile, Mom is acting a little *sus* and Rubie is convinced she’s dating. I don’t want to say too much, but there’s a big art scandal, a new crush, breaking and entering a classroom, more sneaking out at night, and a whole lot more awkward drama.

Lightning Round!

MR: Last thing: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Is coffee a snack?

Coffee or tea? Coffee because it’s a snack?

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Live it? Nay. Write it? Yea.

Favorite camp activity? Making friendship bracelets.

Most embarrassing moment at camp? Oh no not an MEM! Okay, this is true. I took sailing at the camp Rubie is based on, and one time I capsized the boat and it completely turtled over. Like it went upside down in the water. The “Hot Ben” in my situation had to come out on a motor boat and rescue me. Mega embarrassment viiiiibes.

Superpower? Flying

Favorite place on earth? My home. And maybe Disney World I guesssss.

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? A sketchbook, pencil, and water. What more do you need?

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Maddie—and congratulations on the publication of Really Rubie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

MF: Thanks for having me! Happy Reading! <3 Maddie