Posts Tagged Giveaway

STEM Tuesday — Let’s Explore Botany!– Interview with Author Sally Walker

By on October 23, 2018   /   Botany, Common Core & NGSS, 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 Sally Walker, author of this month’s featured botany book, CHAMPION: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree. Among its favorable reviews is one from Kirkus, calling it, “A compelling, inspiring true story of a species rescued from extinction through decades of determined innovation.” 

 

 

Mary Kay Carson: Why did you write Champion?

Sally Walker: I’ve known part of the American Chestnut tree’s story since I was in high school. My biology teacher assigned a leaf collection project. We could only include trees native to New Jersey, where I lived. Any tree was okay, with the exception of the American Chestnut tree, because, he said, it was extinct. My father, however, knew that wasn’t true. It turned out that American Chestnut tree was my dad’s favorite type of tree.  And he knew they were not extinct: Their roots still survived in New Jersey forests (and in other states) and gave rise to new sprouts. These saplings grew for 10 or so years, and then succumbed to the chestnut blight. Even so, the roots continued to send up more sprouts. My dad and I visited a forest not too far from our home. A half-hour trek into the woods, and we found a chestnut sapling. I was thrilled to be able to add one of its leaves to my leaf collection project.

There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good mystery, and the story of the American Chestnut tree is like a Russian Matryoshka doll: mystery within mystery within mystery. I channeled my inner Nancy Drew and hoped readers would join me as I hunted for clues. Clues that would explain why American Chestnut trees died, and clues that would lead to a solution that would restore the trees to health.  I wrote the story for people, young and old, who, like me, enjoy spending time outdoors. Who like wondering about the natural world. And who listen to the songs that trees sing.

Sally M. Walker has brought science to life in more than 20 books for young readers, including Secrets of a Civil War Submarine and Blizzard of Glass. Her research has seen her corresponding with experts in archaeology, geology, forensic anthropology, and genealogy, interviewing scientists, and touring the Warren Lasch Conservation Center in North Charleston, South Carolina, where she saw the H.L. Hunley and her artifacts. Walker lives in DeKalb, Illinois. sallymwalker.com

MKC: Could you share a memorable moment—or two—from your research for Champion?

Sally: My most thrilling chestnut experience occurred while I was visiting England. Castanea sativa, the European Chestnut, thrives there. The massive trunks of several-hundred-year-old chestnut trees are unbelievable. Seeing them—and hugging one—let me imagine how very majestic the American Chestnut trees growing in our forests had been before the blight killed them.

When I first walked into the American Chestnut Foundation’s orchards, in Virginia, I was astounded to see many hundreds of young chestnut trees. Healthy, lush with leaves. A flash of blue caught my eye—an indigo bunting landed in one of the larger trees.  I felt as though I’d entered a magic kingdom.  AND THEN I LEARNED HORRIBLE NEWS!  The team I was working with would be inoculating the young trees with the fungus that gives American Chestnut trees the blight. Some of the trees we inoculated would have some resistance to the blight, but most of them would die. But I did my job, knowing that the young trees that lived would become parent trees for new blight-resistant generations.

MKC: Did you set out to write a STEM book? 

Sally: I don’t choose to write STEM books. I write about what interests me. Finding fossils and cool rocks. Watching insects, animals, and fish. Understanding how a submarine rises and sinks. When I am gardening, using a stick and a small rock to help me shift a larger rock to a new place. I guess most people would say this is science—the “S” in STEM. But for me it’s simply the way I was raised. My parents encouraged me to ask question, exploring the world to find answers, and experiment. To use my mind and imagination.

I have a college degree in geology and archaeology, but that was from before the term STEM was invented.  I studied those areas because they are incredibly fascinating and fun, full of puzzles and mysteries. What I love about STEM is that it shows kids that science, technology, engineering, and math are interrelated. As they learn, students can draw connections among the fields and see how each part affects the other, often in a way that relates directly to some aspect of her or his life. STEM creates a network.

MKC:  Any recommendations for readers who enjoyed Champion? 

Sally: Deep Roots: How Trees Sustain Our Planet by Nikki Tate and Treecology: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring the World of Trees and Forests by Monica Russo are nonfiction, while End of the Wild by Nicole Helget and Wishtree by Katherine Applegate are fiction.

Win a FREE copy of CHAMPION: The Comeback Tale of the American Chestnut Tree!

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 fellow tree freak Mary Kay Carson, author of Mission to Pluto and other nonfiction books for kids. @marykaycarson

 

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Blast Off with Author Suzanne Slade and her new Space Book

By on October 3, 2018   /   Articles, Author Interviews, STEM  
I am so excited to be interviewing author Suzanne Slade about her new book

 

Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon (Peachtree Publishers)

 

           Powerful free verse and stunning illustrations tell the true story of the American effort to land the first man on the Moon. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced that the United States would try to land a man on the Moon by the end of the decade. During the two thousand nine hundred and seventy-nine days following his speech, eighteen astronauts climbed into spaceships; three of them died before even leaving the ground. Eight rockets soared into space. And four hundred thousand people―engineers, technicians, scientists, mathematicians, and machinists―joined Project Apollo in hopes of making the dream a reality.
Award-winning author and mechanical engineer Suzanne Slade joins up with New York Times best-selling illustrator Thomas Gonzalez to tell the powerful story of the successes, failures, triumphs, tragedies, and lessons from Apollos 1 through 10 that led to the first Moon landing.

 

Junior Library Guild Selection
Starred Review Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and School Library Journal

 

Thanks so much for joining us, Suzanne.

 

  What first drew you to this story? Why did you feel it needed to be told? 

 

The Apollo moon missions are of great personal interest to me — probably because I have a mechanical engineering degree and worked on rockets in an earlier career.
I decided to write COUNTDOWN: 2979 DAYS TO THE MOON because I wanted to convey the struggles, successes, and surprises of the early Apollo missions that led to the first moon landing. The book covers the details of 2979 incredible days: from President Kennedy’s announcement that America should land on the moon (May 25, 1961), to Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon (July 20, 1969.) 

 

COUNTDOWN shares notable events including Apollo 1’s deadly fire and Apollo 8’s first glimpse of the far side of the moon, as well as lesser-known details such as why Apollo 7 staged a mutiny and refused to wear helmets, and how Jim Lovell made chocolate pudding in space.  

 

Is there a reason why you think this story is so pertinent now?

 

The 50th anniversary of the first moon landing is approaching soon — July 2019. I hope this true story of courage, ingenuity, and perseverance inspires readers as they join in the celebration.
Although the Apollo missions were decades ago, their discoveries are still relevant today and important for our future.
These missions helped us to learn about the moon (it’s history, geography, how it was formed, etc.), and they continue to help scientists today learn about space, space travel, Earth, other planets, and much more. 
(Fyi – Check out the Air and Space Museum’s   “Top Ten” Apollo discoveries  list. #2 is my favorite.)

 

 I understand that it took you 8 years to complete all of the research for this book. Can you speak to how you felt during that time?

 

With any nonfiction project, I expect the research to be comprehensive and time-consuming. Since COUNTDOWN is a middle grade (I usually write picture books) about a technical topic, the research was particularly tedious and intense.
My engineering degree, and experiences at McDonnell Douglas Space Systems working on rockets for NASA, provided a technical background which helped me understand the basics of the Apollo spacecraft (Saturn V rocket, command module, service module, lunar module), but I still had a  lot  to learn. 

 

To your question, during my research for the book I felt inspired, discouraged, curious, frustrated, overwhelmed, exhilarated, and many other things. But the overriding emotion was excitement. It was thrilling to delve into the details of this amazing time and discover fascinating facts about the missions and astronauts that I’d never heard before. It was especially rewarding to write this amazing story for curious readers. I think they’ll be blown away by the astounding Apollo missions.

 

Can you give a few insights into how you found your sources?  

 

 
Of course, I focused on primary sources — NASA transcripts*,  Apollo photo archives, NASA websites, and astronaut biographies. 
Email inquiries to astronauts resulted in interviews with Alan Bean (4th man on the moon) and correspondence with astronaut Walt Cunningham.  I was unable to find contact info. for some astronauts, and  a few didn’t reply to my emails . But I was very grateful for the many reliable sources I found, and to the experts who enthusiastically helped with the accuracy of the project.
[*NASA Transcripts are public domain. Discussions between astronauts in flight and mission control are found in the   Apollo Flight Journal.  Dialogue after landing on the moon is in the  Apollo Lunar Surface Journal .]
 
I also visited museums where I studied Apollo spacecraft and space suits first-hand.  After the manuscript was complete, I asked several experts to vet the story. Thankfully, Dr. Dave Williams (PhD from NASA), and three others lent their expertise to the project.  My “Sources Doc,” which contains all the sources for the facts in the story, ended up 51 pages long.
 

 

This book is in verse. Do you write all of your books in verse? And if not, why did you choose to do that for this one?

 

Only a few of my books are in verse.  Actually, I didn’t choose this format for COUNTDOWN, the story did. 
Here’s how it happened. After years of research it was finally time to start writing, so I sat down to pen Chapter 1. To my surprise, the words came out in short, energetic lines. The text felt powerful, tense, and urgent, just like the events they described. So I kept writing in free verse. With some books, it seems the story knows how it wants to be told and the author has to go with it.

 

 Do you have a particular passion for writing STEAM/STEM books? 

 

 
Science and math were my favorite subjects all through school. In my free time now, I find myself reading about new science discoveries, watching science documentaries, or asking my son about his latest research projects, so science seems to be one of my favorite topics to write about.
 

 

Why do you think young readers would find this book interesting? Important?

 

It’s been nearly 50 years since the first moon landing. This incredible event is often summarized in history books  with a few lines or paragraphs   that discuss the Apollo 11 landing and Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon. 

I think readers will be fascinated to discover more about the details and determination it took to get to the moon. The accomplishment of the  Apollo team, who made countless sacrifices to put the first human on the moon,  is nothing short of a miracle!

I hope COUNTDOWN allows readers to gain a deeper understanding of the the inspiring 2979 days that led to the moon landing. Also, Thomas Gonzales’ illustrations are simply stunning!  His glorious art is detailed, powerful, and emotional — just like the missions.

 

 COUNTDOWN recently released on Sept. 1. How has the book been received?

 

 
COUNTDOWN is a 2018 Junior Library Guild Selection, and has received Starred reviews from Booklist and Publishers Weekly. I was invited to present the book at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC (which happened to be the day it released,) so that was exciting. 
​
 

 

 Any new works on the horizon that you can discuss? 

 

I have two more “space” picture books releasing March 2019, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing:   A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon  (Little, Brown) and  Daring Dozen: The Twelve Who Walked on the Moon (Charlesbridge).

 

Those books sound fabulous, too. Congratulations on all your successes!
Suzanne is generously offering to giveaway a  COUNTDOWN book mark which contains an authentic moon rock!! To take advantage of this amazing opportunity, please leave a comment below.
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Author Interview: Shea Fontana

By on September 27, 2018   /   Author Interviews  
DC Superhero Girls: Out of the Bottle Cover

DC Superhero Girls: Out of the Bottle Cover

As a proud comic book nerd, one of the coolest things about my job as a collection development librarian is  the opportunity to preview the latest in the DC Superhero Girls series, OUT OF THE BOTTLE, which was released in August, and SEARCH FOR ATLANTIS, which hits bookstores on October 2nd.

OUT OF THE BOTTLE highlights Harley Quinn as the comic book character she’s created for Ms. Moone’s art class comes to life and wreaks havoc on Superhero High. SEARCH FOR ATLANTIS introduces Raven and Mera to the team. Mera is a new student at Super Hero High, and as she and Wonder Woman becomes friends, Bumblebee becomes anxious that she’s losing her best friend. When the heroes discover that Atlantis has been stolen, the girls have to work together to get it back.

DC Superhero Girls: Search for Atlantis Cover

DC Superhero Girls: Search for Atlantis Cover

Then, I had a chance to talk to author Shea Fontana about the series.

MUF: Every book in the DC Superhero Girls series deals with an important life lesson. For example, OUT OF THE BOTTLE stresses the importance of mental health care, and SEARCH FOR ATLANTIS deals with accepting change. Do you feel that the graphic novel format makes these issues more accessible for young readers? If so, how?

The graphic novel format really gives us the space and intimacy with the reader to dive into big ideas. Plus, having these awesome, well-known characters explore these topics makes it accessible for kids. Our heroes are aspirational for kids reading the books, and we want to show kids that even heroes face hardships. When kids deal with those types of things, like mental health care or accepting change in their friendship groups, it can feel very lonely and it helps to know that superheroes are dealing with it, too! My goal with these types of stories is to always help kids feel less alone and empower them — like they have a team of superheroes that can fight and win every battle with them.

MUF: SEARCH FOR ATLANTIS has a couple of new beginnings. Both Mera and Raven are introduced, and the Teen Titans were essentially formed. Which of these new beginnings were you most excited about introducing? Was it fun brainstorming new names for the Titans? Were there any rejected names that didn’t make it into the book?

I loved integrating both Mera and Raven into this graphic novel! Both are such wonderful, and very different characters. From the beginning of the series, I knew that I wanted to build up to the Teen Titans reveal, bringing together the traditional Titans that kids know from the TV show as well as the comic book version that includes Miss Martian and Bumblebee. The misnaming thread was a fun way to build the tension toward what everyone knows is coming — of course their group name should be the Teen Titans!

MUF: Why was Brainiac chosen as the villain for this story?

We knew that Brainiac got away at the end of the DC Super Hero Girls: Intergalactic Games animated movie, so he’s been waiting in the wings for his next attack. Since in the Legends of Atlantis movie, we meet Mera and Aquaman under water on their “turf,” I wanted to do something different, but still Atlantis-oriented with this story. So, I decided to bring Atlantis out of the water. Since Brainiac is a collector of bottled cities, it seemed the perfect fit.

MUF: What was your favorite part of the story? What was the most difficult to write? What was the most fun?

My favorite part of the story is how Miss Martian steps up as a leader. She’s not the regular kind of leader that the heroes expect — she doesn’t seem as bold as Wonder Woman or as outgoing as Supergirl. But she has a quieter style of leadership that is just as valid.
The ending on this one was difficult for me to write. I really felt for and related to Bumblebee!

MUF: Who’s your favorite superhero? Who’s the most fun to write about? Why?

I loved writing Raven in this story! Her personality is a great contrast to a lot of the other characters. She has an edge and attitude that we don’t often see in kid superhero stories and it’s fun to explore that. 

MUF: Conversely, who’s your favorite villain? Who’s your favorite to write about?

We have had so many fun villains in this series, both in the graphic novels and the animation. I think my favorite is Dark Opal, because he went into villainy as a back-up career when musical theater didn’t work out. Mera’s sister, Siren, who we meet in the Legends of Atlantis animated move, is also great. She’s so controlling and manipulative.

MUF: If you could teach any class at Superhero High, which one would you want to teach?

Power Naps 101.

MUF: Right there with you! I think that would be my favorite class to take. Is there a superhero or villain that you’d like to write about that you haven’t yet? Who?

It had been Batman, as he is my childhood favorite hero, and he is not featured in DC Super Hero Girls. But now I’ve had the chance to write him in BATMAN: OVERDRIVE which will be published under the upcoming DC Zoom middle grade imprint! I can’t wait for everyone to read it — it’s some of the most fun I’ve had writing.

MUF: And finally, do you have any advice for aspiring writers and writers who would love to work on graphic novels one day?

Read a lot and do a lot! The best way to get familiar with story structure, dialogue, and how graphic novels work is by reading. But the best way to come up with stories is by doing! While the old adage of “write what you know” isn’t true (I don’t know how to fly or shoot lasers out of my eyes), the more you experience, the more you’ll have to pull from when thinking of story ideas. Whenever I need the courage to do something new, I tell myself, “Well, it could be a good experience for a story…”

Shea Fontana is a writer for film, television and graphic novels.  Her credits include developing and writing the DC Super Hero Girls animated shorts, TV specials, movies and graphic novels; Polly Pocket, Doc McStuffins, The 7D, Whisker Haven Tales with the Palace Pets, Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz , the new Muppet Babies series; two Disney on Ice shows where she wrote new material for the worlds of Mickey Mouse, Inside Out, Disney Princesses, Finding Dori, Frozen, and other Disney and Pixar properties; and the feature film, Crowning Jules. Learn more about her and her writing at http://www.sheafontana.com/.

 

 

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