Meet #kidlit author Virginia Loh-Hagan and NIAN, THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DRAGON

Wednesday, January 15th, 2020

Virginia Loh-Hagan’s NIAN, THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DRAGON

(Sleeping Bear Press, Illus. Timothy Banks)

is the perfect picture book for celebrating–and learning about–

Chinese New Year.

It’s a girl-power retelling of the Nian legend with an original twist, which includes explanations of the origins of Chinese New Year traditions.

VERDICT: A wonderful version of a classic legend and a

welcome addition to holiday collections.

–School Library Journal

Win-win-win!

Speaking of winners (seriously!), I am thrilled to interview my friend, and author pal,

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan:

Q1. What was the most surprising fact or discovery you’ve made as your book, NIAN, THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DRAGON, went from idea to published book?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: Researching the Chinese New Year gave me so many story ideas. This is such a goldmine of content. For example, I discovered the Nian folktale while researching POPO’S LUCKY CHINESE NEW YEAR.

(Sleeping Bear Press, Illustrated by Renné Benoit)

And, of course, while researching for Nian, I discovered other story ideas as well. I’m hoping to be able to write more! There’s so much to share about the Chinese New Year.

Portrait of a young author. Isn’t this the cutest?

Q2. You won the award for Best Writer in 6^th grade. Did this inspire you to write even more or did you feel increased pressure to always write “winners” from then on?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: Given how difficult the process is, any book that gets published is a winner! I’m just thrilled that I get to write and get to see my words out there on shelves and in people’s hands. It’s so exciting to know that I created something that others enjoy. I hope to be doing this for a long time. I’d like to explore various genres and topics – there are so many options!

Q3.They say most books are a tiny bit autobiographical. Are you more like Nian or Mei?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: Mei, for sure. I like to think that I’m a woman warrior! Although in regard to my appetite and eating habits, I’m definitely more like Nian!

Q4. I’ve heard you were born on Flag Day in the Year of the Dragon. Does this strong and independent Chinese zodiac sign reflect your personality?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: I am most definitely a dragon, specifically a Fire Dragon. Fire Dragons are known to be strong, independent, intelligent, and social. They’re also known to have extreme personalities and need to work on balance. My husband says that I treat life the way I drive – all brakes or all gas. I can be pretty intense so I do need to learn how to slow down. This is why reading is so important to me – Reading is my “down time.” It’s the only time that I’m not multi-tasking. It allows me to escape into other worlds.

Q5. Since one of your greatest passions is piano, how would you compare preparing for a concert to writing a picture book?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: Okay. So thank you for assuming that I am good enough to play in concerts (I heart you!). In actuality, I’m not even good enough to play for a kid’s birthday party. But, I love piano and am a diligent adult piano student (grade 3-4). I’ve always wanted to learn how to play piano but didn’t have the opportunity when I was younger. I’m a struggling piano player – it’s not something that comes easy to me but I love it and I want to be good. I have the passion but not the skills. But that doesn’t stop me from pursuing it. Personally, I think everyone should do something that makes them struggle. Struggle is good; it’s productive and humbling. Both piano and writing require patience, practice, and perseverance. Also, both require performance in order to get better.

Q6. Congratulations on having authored over 300+ books thus far. Wow! Any advice for beginning, not-yet-published #kidlit writers?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: Grow thick skin. Learn to listen to feedback from your editors and critique partners. Be willing to make necessary changes. People think that writing the first draft is the hardest part; it’s actually writing the multiple revisions. Writing for publication is actually more about re-writing and revising. I’ve had to cut characters, cut plot lines…all kinds of stuff. The first draft is never the final draft. Also, read!!!

Q7. Do you have any #kidlit heroes? Have they changed over the years?

Dr. Virginia Loh-Hagan: In regard to characters, I love Anne Shirley, Shirley Temple Wong, Hermione Granger….I lived vicariously through these strong girl characters; they helped me through some tough times. In regard to kidlit authors, I love L.M. Montgomery, Judy Blume, and Beverly Cleary. Over my many years as a reader, I have gained more favorites in terms of characters and authors but I always go back to the stories I read as a child. I have so many fond memories of reading as a young person; children’s books are our first introduction to the big, wide world. I learned so many things and gained so many perspectives from reading. This is one of the reasons why I chose to write for children – Children’s books play such an important role in our personal narratives.

Many thanks to Virginia for joining me on the blog today. You can learn more about her and her books on her web site: virginialoh.com

or follow her on Facebook &/or Twitter @virginialoh.

Wishing all who will celebrate Chinese New Year next week (January 25th!)–

Gong hei fat choy.

Or, if you prefer, here’s the Mandarin Chinese: gong xi fa cai (恭喜发财).

PS NIAN, THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DRAGON is featured in

“Favorite New Picture Books Of 2019” on pragmaticmom.com.

Happy Reading!

Cover reveal: DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room Five

Friday, January 10th, 2020

I’m so excited to share this cover reveal of our next picture book,

DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room Five

(Harper Collins, Dec. 1, 2020),

with art by Colombian illustrator Luisa Uribe.

Pre-orders have begun: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780062915320

Endless thanks to our amazing Executive Editor, Tamar Mays,

and the fabulous team at Harper Collins!

Isn’t it beautiful?

I can’t wait for you to see the whole book, but for now, here’s the scoop:

What begins as a monthly exchange of ideas between Earth and Room 5

grows into a lasting friendship, a school club with a surprising president,

and –hopefully– lifelong Earth-smart habits.

Can you say #reduce #reuse #renew #recycle ?

More awesome news: Illustrator Luisa Uribe, who received the Dilys Evans Founder’s Award from the Society of Illustrators in 2018, is on deadline right now to finish our top secret POSTER which will also be part of DEAR EARTH.

I can already see this on your classroom walls, dear #teacher friends. Did I mention you will find it on the reverse of the book jacket? #repurpose

Meanwhile, I asked, Erica De Chavez, our book’s Senior Designer at Harper Kids, to tell us a bit about the cover creation/selection process.

Ever wonder what a Book Designer does?

Q. Which comes first–the cover or the interior art?

Erica De Chavez, Senior Designer: When we started asking Luisa to give us jacket-cover sketches, her interior artwork was well on the way. We had seen sketches and revised sketches at that point, and we were starting on some final colors. Thus, Executive Editor, Tamar Mays and I had a good sense of what art was going to be in the interior and what kind of image would be appropriate to best showcase that interior art.

Sorry–can’t show you interior sketches YET.

But–WOW.

Q. Were there any hurdles or potential problems the team discussed?

Erica De Chavez, Senior Designer: We knew the concept of Earth writing letters back and forth with a class of kids was going to be hard to convey without being too conceptual. Luisa did a really great job giving us many sketch options to look at.

I couldn’t agree more! Here are just a few of Luisa’s cover sketch options…

Erica De Chavez, Senior Designer: Ultimately though, we thought the base message of the book was most clearly conveyed in the sketch we chose (the letter above planet Earth seen from outer space). The other sketch options were so cute and beautiful, too, but we just didn’t want the reader to be confused as to what the story was actually about, which can be tough to determine sometimes. And Tamar and I were so pleased that Luisa was able to fit all of the kids from Room 5 into the postage stamp on the envelope. It is a fun, little detail and so great to see our Room 5 kids all on the cover as well as our dear Earth!

Q. I LOVE the color palette of DEAR EARTH. How were the cover’s colors finalized?

Erica De Chavez, Senior Designer: Once Luisa’s color jacket-cover art was in, we pretty much had all of the final color interior art in as well. It was just a matter of finessing the cover typography to match with the colors of the book as a whole. I knew green had to be an option we explored, since the theme is earth conscious/ awareness habits. But we ended up going with a slightly non-conventional color of orange that really popped off the darker colors on the cover and added in some of that great art/paint textures from Luisa’s final art into the title. And I still was able to fit in a little bit of blue-green onto the cover as well. ; )

Thank you, Erica, for sharing this part of the process with us. Creating a picture book definitely takes a village, and the world that Luisa and the team at @HarperKids created for DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room Five is beyond my wildest dreams.

By the way, DEAR EARTH will be in the next Harper Collins catalog on Feb. 10, 2020 –one month from TODAY.

Stay tuned for more sneak peaks in future posts.

In the meantime, please join me in trying to be a better friend to our dear Earth.

#NoPlanetB

Ernesto Cisneros’ MG Debut Efrén Divided is a Must-Read

Monday, September 30th, 2019

I’m so thrilled to interview author, Ernesto Cisneros, about his debut must-read, Efrén Divided. (Harper Collins) This own-voices novel will be released in six months (March 31, 2020) and the reviews are already buzzing:

Let’s see what Ernesto has to say…

Q1 Which of these quotes from Efrén Divided best describes your writing process?

“I always read [write] the ending first.”
“If Ama were here, she’d roll up her sleeves and wave a wooden spoon and make a milagro happen. The pressure was on.”
Reading [writing] books “was like visiting an old friend.

Ernesto Cisneros: #2 for sure. Whenever I manage to complete a scene, it always feels like a miracle. It is very difficult to find time to write so I treat every page as a true blessing. That said, I also feel a sense of magic whenever a character grows so real and lifelike that they begin to decide how they handle the challenges you create and place before them. I then simply sit back and enjoy watching the story unfold just like any reader would.

Speaking of miracles…

Q2 Without giving away any spoilers, can you tell us if, during the writing process, did you always know how the book would end?

Ernesto Cisneros: Yes and No. I knew exactly how the novel needed to end, but I was clueless on how to wrap up all the loose subplots. Making it all come to fruition in an organic, believable way was a milagro (miracle) in itself.

Q3: Which character is most like you?

Efrén
Jennifer Huerta
Mr. Garrett (or one of the other teachers)
Amá or Apá
David

Ernesto Cisneros: I’d have to say that Efrén is what I used to be like at his age. Something that never made it to the book, but I wish could have, were my experiences as a paperboy. I remember coming home with my first monthly paycheck (from 2 routes) and finding my mom in the kitchen trying to figure out how to pay the bills and how reluctant she was to accept my money.

Ernesto has also said, “He’s based on my son.”

Ernesto cont’d: However, at this point in my life, I identify most with Apá in the sense that there is nothing he won’t do for his family. Throughout the story, we see him sacrifice without ever thinking of himself—he is the father I strive to be.

Windows and mirrors

Q4: How much does Efrén’s experience mirror your own?

Ernesto Cisneros: I’ve grown up in the world depicted in the book. I have family on both sides of the border and like Efrén, I struggle to accept why I—and not other family members—was blessed with the fortune (and obvious benefits) of being born a US citizen. Everything in the book comes from either my experiences or those very close to me.

Q5: Tell us more about the qualities that make Amá a soperwoman.

Ernesto Cisneros: The character of Amá is based completely from my real-life mother. She has always been soper (super). Whether it was finding the means to provide food, clothes or a way to pay the mortgage, she always made milagros happen—even when things were especially tough.

Q6: How did it feel to show this book to your parents?

Ernesto Cisneros: To be perfectly honest, I feel like Efrén Divided belongs more to them than to myself. They are the ones who left Mexico as teenagers to make a better life for themselves and their children. Any success I have is because of their continuous sacrifices.

When each of my siblings graduated from college, we each handed our diplomas to our parents because they were responsible for our success.

Thank you Smurf cartoons!

Q7: You incorporate Spanish in the story, in a way that allows a wide range of readers to understand the content. For example, first Apá tells Efrén he’s proud of him (in Spanish) and Efrén responds with “I’m proud of you too.” This technique lets a non-Spanish speaker understand the meaning of Dad’s words. Can you tell us how this technique evolved?

Ernesto Cisneros: Using a second language is tricky. As an author, I never want to add a translation because that’s not how people naturally speak. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I honed this skill by watching old Smurf cartoons. Yes, Smurf cartoons. If you are familiar with them, you know that they routinely use the word smurf in place of everyday nouns, verbs, adjectives or adverbs—and yet, we completely understand their meaning simply by the context. For example, “We are going smurfing at the pool” means that they are going swimming.

Q8: Is there a question that others haven’t asked you yet?

Ernesto Cisneros: No one has asked me which part of the writing process I struggle with the most. The answer is: ALL OF IT.

Ernesto Cisneros: I don’t consider myself a very good writer. In fact, I feel like I’m not very good compared to most published authors. However, I am willing to rewrite as many times as it is necessary to get my stories to match the quality of my peers. When I was young and still played basketball, I was always the skinniest, least skilled and athletic player on the court. But I never hesitated to dive for loose balls and fight people for the ball. I used to will the ball into the hoop. Writing is no different.

“Writing is no different.”

Yes, I’m sneaking my new book in here…

Q9: Last but not least, since my picture book, SNOW GLOBE WISHES, has just released (Sleeping Bear Press/ Illus. Claire Shorrock): If you had a magic snow globe that could grant one wish, what would you wish for?

First of all, snow globes are amazing. They let us step out of the world and see ourselves from an entirely new perspective. If there was one that could grant me a wish, I think I’d wish that people all over the world would forget about themselves and start thinking about putting others first. The world would be completely different (for the better).

Thank you so much, Ernesto–for not only answering my questions but for writing this important book!

Ernesto is a middle school teacher and SCBWI co-ARA in southern California. If you’d like to learn more about him, go to ernestocisneros.com and follow @Author_ Cisneros on Twitter.

Blog takeover: Happy Book Birthday to SNOW GLOBE WISHES by Erin Dealey

Tuesday, September 17th, 2019

It’s a Blog Takeover by Victoria Krol, a teen writer who has questions for me—-because she’s awesome, and it’s SNOW GLOBE WISHES‘ Book Birthday!

By the way, I’m not the first author Victoria has interviewed.
Photo R was taken during her interview with Richard Peck!

Needless to say, I am honored to answer her questions.

Q1: Since the Book Birthday of Snow Globe Wishes was Sept. 15th, tell us what you were thinking about Snow Globe Wishes a year ago on September 15th.

Erin Dealey: Hmmm…let’s see…A year ago, I knew that illustrator Claire Shorrock was somewhere in the UK, working on the art for SNOW GLOBE WISHES, and I couldn’t wait to see it. I got my first tiny glimpses from her Instagram post in March–six months later!

I am beyond thrilled with the magic Claire added to our book.

It was so worth the wait!

Q2: Where and when did the idea for Snow Globe Wishes come to mind?

Erin Dealey: The story for SNOW GLOBE WISHES came to me two years ago. I was feeling more and more like the world needed a hug. About that time, my Sleeping Bear editor, Sarah Rockett, and I were talking about lovely, heartwarming books such as Winter’s Gift by Jane Monroe Donovan (Sleeping Bear/ 2004) with themes of comfort, companionship, and hope.

It made me think of the magical feeling that hits you on a morning after a huge snowstorm; a snow globe morning when it seems like anything is possible. And I got a What If idea about a child’s wish for kindness and inclusion on such a morning.

Click above image by Claire Shorrock, to view the book trailer.

This story comes straight from my heart.

Q3: They say most books are a tiny bit autobiographical. Which of the characters in Snow Globe Wishes is most like you?

Erin Dealey: The narrator is me through and through. This story comes straight from my heart. Hopefully it will touch the hearts of those who read it as well.

KIRKUS Starred review:

“The feelings of community and togetherness are palpable.”

Writer’s Block

Q4: How do you handle writers block, which I personally find to be more prevalent when writing prose?

Erin Dealey: OK, this is a long one, so buckle up–haha. First of all, I don’t experience “writer’s block,” but I know this feeling is very real to many. I taught English and creative writing to high school and mg students (for decades!) and we dug into this topic every year.

Here are six possible causes of “writer’s block” –and possible solutions:

Erin Dealey helping young writers at an Author Visit in Brazil .

You get writer’s block when: You are working on a topic, usually one you’ve been assigned, and it’s not one you care about very much, if at all. (Except for the grade.)

How to handle this: Author Bruce Coville tells writers to “throw up on the page.” Get the whole story out first–good or not-so-good. I’ll add this: if it’s an essay, write down everything you know about the topic (and everything you don’t know) and then fill in the gaps. Move the ideas around. Piece them together like a quilt until they fit the required format.

Grades….

You get writer’s block when: You are worried about the grade, even before you start writing. (No pressure there!)

How to handle this: Never worry about the end/result at the beginning. This is easier said than done, I know, but the fun should be in the WRITING. Create a world for characters to live in and then see what they do. Even if you are the only one who loves your story, give yourself permission to write it. Trust me. Not all of my rough drafts have become books…

Click image to view Max the Writer Dog’s video of Ruff (Rough) Drafts.

You get writer’s block when: You think what you write should be PERFECT the minute you write it down.

How to handle this: Rough drafts are NEVER perfect. “Sloppy copies” are supposed to be sloppy. Get the story out first.

You get writer’s block when: You’re afraid someone will LAUGH at you and/or your ideas.

How to handle this: If J.K.Rowling had worried that someone might laugh at her idea of kids riding on broomsticks and playing a made-up game called Quidditch, would she have written Harry Potter?

Who’s laughing now?

You get writer’s block when: Your life is so crazy-busy, with so many activities and obligations, that by the time you get back to the story you were passionate about, it has lost its appeal, its magic. Stories do that. Maybe your interests have changed. Maybe it’s not what you want to write anymore. Perhaps working on it isn’t fun like it once was.

How to handle this: Let the old story go. (Read Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, BIG MAGIC) Write the story that’s in your head right now. The one that won’t let go. “Marie Kondo” the ones that don’t give you joy.

If it still gives you joy (and occasional writer’s block), “listen” to the characters. Let them “tell” you what might happen next. The answer might surprise you, and/or take you in a different direction than you had planned. Sometimes sticking to the plan gets in the way of the story. Play with it.

You get writer’s block when: You believe, deep down, that other people write way better than you do. So why try?

How to handle this: Forget about those other people. You do YOU. If there are stories in your head, WRITE them down. I guarantee you they won’t be perfect. Play with them anyway. Write because it’s fun.

True story: In my 10th grade English class, we had to write an alliterative poem and after I shared mine, EVERYONE LAUGHED. I was mortified. Clearly that meant I couldn’t write. (Because 10th graders are expert judges of GOOD WRITING, right?) Senior year, I took Theater instead of the Creative Writing elective. I started university as a math major, because my math teacher made learning fun. Four years later, I graduated with a major in English and minor in Art. Now I write children’s books. If you were meant to do this, I’m betting the WRITE path will find you no matter what.

Follow your path.

Q5: Lastly, If you had a magic snow globe that could grant one wish, what would your Snow Globe Wish be?

Erin Dealey: My snow globe wish became part of the jacket copy of our book: I wish that SNOW GLOBE WISHES, might inspire many acts of kindness in our world. And a few much needed hugs.

About the Interviewer:

Victoria A. Krol is 14-year old Freshman in high school with an absolute passion for reading, writing, the arts, and horseback riding. She is working on a novel with her co-partner Charley B. Ramos, which is in the midst of its second revision and currently has a plot that resembles lasagna. She met Erin dressed in full 70’s gear at the SCBWI LA Summer Conference this year, where their instant friendship resulted in her as a guest blogger.

(I told you she was awesome.)

Thank you so much for helping me celebrate SNOW GLOBE WISHES’ Book Birthday, Victoria. Look for more of Victoria’s “takeover” interviews and reviews to come!

Happy Book Birthday to MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY–by Meeg Pincus

Wednesday, August 21st, 2019

Interior from MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY–The Woman Who Rescued Anne Frank’s Diary, by Meeg Pincus, with illustrations by Jordi Solano (Sleeping Bear).

Happy Book Birthday to Meeg Pincus’ non-fiction picture book, MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY. 75 years ago, Miep Gies rescued Anne Frank’s diary, after security police raided the Frank’s secret annex on August 4th, 1944. I am so thrilled to celebrate the August Book Birthday of this wonderful KIRKUS & SLJ starred picture book that tells Gies’s story.

First things first: Click HERE to watch the cool trailer.

And now…Welcome, Meeg!

Meeg Pincus: Thank you so much for inviting me!

I see that you use your full name, Megan Pincus Kajitani, when you write for adults, and your nickname, Meeg Pincus, when you write children’s books. Since I recently interviewed Huda Essa (COMMON THREADS/ Sleeping Bear Press 2019)https://www.erindealey.com/diversity/meet-kidlit-author-huda-essa/ , who also wrote TEACH ME YOUR NAME, I’m compelled to ask: Would you please teach us your name?

Meeg Pincus: Of course! (Huda’s work is great, by the way!) My name is pronounced “Mee-G” (like “league”) “Pink-us.”

Meeg is short for Megan (pronounced “Mee-guhn” like “vegan”). I got so tired of correcting people who called me May-gan or Meh-gan all my life, that I decided to use my longtime nickname, Meeg, when I started writing for children. In addition, I decided to use my (Jewish) maiden name, Pincus, alone, rather than my added (Japanese) married name, Kajitani (pronounced “Kah-jih-tah-nee”). I love my husband and his name and cultural background, but Pincus Kajitani makes a very long last name, especially for kids—and Kajitani is mispronounced even more than Megan!

My whole family gave the thumbs-up to Meeg Pincus, children’s author—and it feels quite liberating and just right!

Speaking of names, MIEP rhymes with “keep” and GIES sounds like “geese”– The “G” sound in Dutch is harder than in English, so it sounds more like a K, but not as hard as a “K” sound in English.

QUESTION TIME!

Q1. How wonderful that you actually got to meet Miep Gies, and interview her. (WOW!) That being said, what was the most surprising fact or discovery you’ve made while writing MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY?

Meeg Pincus: I didn’t know until researching for my own book (20 years after meeting Miep) how she actually got to Amsterdam. As a child in Vienna during World War I, she was 11 years old, starving to death with such vitamin deficiencies her teeth were crumbling. In desperation, Miep’s parents sent her on a train to Amsterdam, along with many other starving children, where they were told that kind Dutch families (strangers) would nurse the children back to health and keep them safe through the war.

**Oh my goodness. So some equally kind and wonderful Dutch people had helped Miep, long before she helped Anne and her family?**

Meeg Pincus: Yes, and the war lasted so long that Miep came of age with her kind Dutch family. By the time she could go safely back to Vienna, it wasn’t home to her anymore. So, she asked for (and received) her parents’ blessing to stay with her Dutch family and make her life in Amsterdam.

As with so many of the impossible wartime situations I read about in researching this book, I found myself often thinking of both how her parents must have felt putting their child on that train, and how her childhood was defined by kind strangers taking her in and caring for her, just because they felt it was right. Then, that’s what she grew up to do.

Wow. I can see this book being a mainstay in classrooms and libraries everywhere! Check out the reviews:

“Pincus narrates…accurately, not understating…but not allowing the horrors to overwhelm the intensely heroic accomplishment of this kind, courageous woman, employing quotes from Miep’s own writing… A beautifully realized homage.” —KIRKUS, starred
“VERDICT This book somberly and beautifully depicts what life was like for the Franks and others who fell inside the Nazi sphere of influence during World War II. A truly valuable resource.” —SLJ, starred

Congratulations, Meeg! This leads me to your path as an author. Fun fact–I read that you and your family can belt out songs from musicals on demand. (As a theater teacher, I’m with you all the way!) And it makes me wonder…

Q2 Which of these Broadway show titles might best describe your path as an author? Explain why.

a. Into the Woods

b. Wicked

c. Fiddler on the Roof

d. How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

High school senior Meeg (L) as Cinderella’s Stepmother in *Into the Woods*,
helping one of the step-sisters cut off her toe so the glass slipper will fit!

Meeg Pincus: Love this question, Erin, and a, b, and c are three of my favorite musicals! I’m going to say Into the Woods (and not just because it was my senior musical at my performing arts magnet high school—I was Cinderella’s stepmother!). I think it’s thematically quite fitting of my own author path.

Remember Blue Books?

I’ve loved writing since I was a child using my professor mom’s exam blue books to create my own books. Then, for 20 years, I worked in many writing jobs, kind of wandering through the woods of this profession. I wrote for magazines, newspapers, educational organizations, academia, companies, and many book anthologies (plus, I edited for an educational publisher, for trade nonfiction books, and more). I enjoyed these pursuits, but never quite felt “at home” as a writer until I finally arrived in children’s nonfiction a few years ago.

Looking back, I see consistent breadcrumbs on my path: creative nonfiction, research, educating and tapping into emotions through stories. Now, having traveled the winding, sometimes murky, path through the woods makes it all the sweeter to be here.

As the song says: “Into the woods/to get the thing/that makes it worth/the journeying…”

Q3 Speaking of journeys in creative non-fiction, can you tell us about your upcoming book, WINGED WONDERS (Sleeping Bear)?

Meeg Pincus: Oh yes, thank you for asking

WINGED WONDERS: Solving the Monarch Migration Mystery is a nonfiction picture book about all the people from Canada to Mexico who helped figure out the path of the Great Monarch Butterfly Migration. The story uses a questioning structure to spark kids to question how many people, decades, and environments may be behind a scientific “discovery” like this one. The back matter offers tips for kids to help monarchs today.

I’m thrilled to be working again with MIEP’s editor, Sarah Rockett, and with illustrator Yasmin Imamura on that book, coming in Spring 2020.

For those who have been reading my blog lately (thanks), and know that my Book Birthday is next month ( SNOW GLOBE WISHES /Sleeping Bear/ Illus by Claire Shorrock, Sept. 2019) just got a starred review from KIRKUS!) this last question is no surprise:

Q4 If you had a magic snow globe that could grant one wish, what would your Snow Globe Wish be?

Meeg Pincus: Oh, my wish would be an end to the “othering” that causes prejudice and violence—to have all people see that all living beings are equally deserving of love, respect, and safety. I think if everyone could magically understand that we are all truly interconnected, that could solve almost every problem facing people, animals, and the planet.

“Othering” is such a good way to put it. I love this wish. I hope it comes true very soon. And thank you so much for letting us celebrate Miep, as well as you, and your books, Meeg.

To learn more, check out Meeg’s blog and books at MeegPincus.com and wish MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY a Happy Book Birthday on Twitter @MeegPincus.

And don’t forget to order MIEP AND THE MOST FAMOUS DIARY from Run for Cover Bookstore. ; )

Meet #kidlit author Virginia Loh-Hagan and NIAN, THE CHINESE NEW YEAR DRAGON

Cover reveal: DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room Five