Maria Gianferrari Finds an Ecosystem in Just One Oak!

Maria Gianferrari’s marvelous new book, Just One Oak released back in April. So Happy 6-Month Book Birthday, Maria! I had such a fun time reading her book, and wanted to know more about how she brought it into the world. What better time to talk about oaks than now, during peak leaf-color season?

Welcome to the GROG, Maria. As a fellow tree-hugger, I wanted to know what inspired you to write Just One Oak? And when did you realize you wanted it to be about the entire ecosystem of the tree - not just "a story about a tree"?

Maria: I have always been a lover of oak trees, but I gained a deeper appreciation for their role as a native keystone species after reading Dr. Doug Tallamy’s The Nature of Oaks. 

Sue: I loved that book.

Maria: Yes. It was truly eye-opening to discover just how much oak trees anchor and support biodiversity in a variety of ecosystems and habitats, and how they sustain a multitude of creatures from tiny organisms to mammals as large as black bears. So, from the get-go, I knew the book would focus on an oak’s role as a keystone. 

As for the red oak outside my kitchen window, check out these two recent Barred owl visitors. 

Sue: They are handsome owls! So, tell us about your research. Did it involve sprouting acorns? Climbing a tree? What did you do to learn all this cool stuff?

Maria: Research is always the fun part! Though I didn’t sprout any acorns as I researched the book, I have done so in the past.

As I mentioned, Dr. Tallamy’s book was both an inspiration and a main source of the specific details for the book in addition to his website, Homegrown National Park. Dr. Andrew Hipp’s Oak Origins was also highly informative. He’s the Director of the Herbarium and a Plant Systematics scientist at The Morton Arboretum in Chicago.  Their website is also full of helpful information and resources. 

Maria Gianferrari

I did the traditional kinds of research: read scientific articles, watched videos/documentaries, perused websites, etc.  I also keep a nature journal and write about my observations while exploring the woods in my backyard and community observing oaks and other trees. I actually first learned about marcescence, when oaks don’t lose their leaves in winter, back when I was living in Virginia long before writing the book, so it was fun to re-discover this and add it to Just One Oak. 

Sue: As you wrote the manuscript, did you have the birds, insects, and other animals for each spread in mind? And if so, how did you communicate what should go on the page to the editor and/or illustrator? Did you have art notes? 

Maria: I did! I first made lists of various animals, and the kinds of habitats/ecosystems that they’d live in to try to be as scientifically accurate as possible since I didn’t want to focus on just one type of oak tree, but the ways that oak trees support biodiversity. 

Then I thought of various aspects of the ways “just one oak” sustained creatures in a specific environment. Some were relatively straightforward, like the Acorn woodpecker spread. 

I first discovered Acorn woodpeckers back in 2012. We were living in San Diego at the time, and took a trip east to Mount Laguna. We were exploring the area around our cabin when I noticed that the trees were filled with acorns! I was amazed, and then I spotted one peeking out of a cavity! 

After writing the book, I came across this NPR article about acorn woodpeckers storing their treasures in a house!

For other spreads, such as the two leaf litter spreads, I began with an art note that included an initial list of suggestions for the prospective critters to be featured both above ground and below ground. Then Diana brought her own observation and knowledge and research into play as she’s created the sketches.

After the sketches are done and we’re working with a PDF, I may have additional comments or suggestions about which animals to make adjustments to, to change, or to add, again, to try to be as scientifically accurate as possible to the best of my ability. For example, I added some reference links on duskywing skippers to help as Diana as she finalized the art for this spread.

We also did another round of adjustments to text and art after Dr. Tallamy kindly took a look and offered his expertise. My goal is always collaborative in nature. I make suggestions for scientific accuracy, but I also want to leave space for Diana to work her magic.

Sue: Did you include the layered text/sidebars from the beginning? Or did that info begin as back matter and "migrate" to the spreads? 

Maria: The layered text was in the manuscript from the beginning. I love having a main text that is more spare and poetic, so that it can be read aloud to the youngest of listeners to keep their attention. I did a reading at my local indie, TidePool Bookshop, this spring, and there was a small turn out of three years olds! There was no way they were going to sit still while I read those sidebars! So instead of reading them, I did a type of “Where’s Waldo/I, Spy” approach and asked them what they noticed to keep them as engaged as possible. 

Having scientific sidebars with lots of information also appeals to older STEM lovers who gravitate towards those facts. But having both makes for a more versatile read aloud experience, and gives the book wider appeal for both younger and older readers. My sidebars usually start out being way too long, so some of that information migrated to the back matter.

Sue:  I always admire your language! I particularly liked the repetition of "Just one oak" (up to "Just one blue jay”) - how did you land on that refrain to structure the book?

Maria: Thanks, Sue! Many books about oak trees follow a life cycle pattern, from acorn to seedling, to sapling to tree, but I wanted this book to be about the major impact oak trees can have as cornerstones of their communities, wherever they happen to be. Finding a structure for informational books is the most challenging part. Once I’m ready to begin writing, I usually do some exploratory freewriting to try to find a way to tie everything together. Once I came up with the “just one oak” refrain, then it was easy to put the various sections together, one by one. Each focal piece naturally evolved into a two-page spread about that particular aspect, whether it was an acorn masting with a panoramic spread, or more of a close-up, such as with the acorn weevil spread, for example. Diana is masterful and created so much visual variety.

Sue: Thanks so much for joining us at the GROG today! Folks can find out more about Maria and her awesome books at her website, mariagianferrari.com

A Strong Beginning by Alayne K. Christian

Congratulations to author Alayne K. Christian (and one of my critique partners) on the publication of her picture book, Turkey on the Run, illustrated by Neha Rewat, published by PRH Flamingo Books, Sept.29th. I, Tina Cho, invited Alayne to our blog to teach us more about the writing craft. 

Thank you, Tina and the GROG group for inviting me to be a guest on your blog. I’ve been thinking about the various things that made my manuscript for Turkey On the Run! successful. And there is a long list, so I thought I would start at the beginning and share some thoughts about what I believe makes a good beginning along with some mentor text examples with analysis.

A strong effective beginning will improve your chances of having your whole manuscript read by agents and editors. And if it is acquired, the strong beginning will make your book more appealing to readers.

 

The whole objective of first lines is to capture readers’ attention and make them want more. We want to entice and incite them to step into the story, buy into the experience, and commit to taking the journey with our protagonist. This is often referred to as the hook. A good hook creates questions and curiosity. It makes a promise that says, “This is what the story is about.” It also sets expectations and maybe even evokes emotions. Wow! That’s a lot to accomplish in a picture book page or two. This is true, but writers do it all the time, proving that it can be done.

 

In picture books, we often incite the reader’s interest with words such as the following, “but,” “until,” “one day,” and we often use the three little dots . . . called the ellipsis. Interestingly enough, these words and punctuation that incite the reader to turn the page usually lead to the inciting incident—the event that energizes the story’s progression. This event moves your protagonists into the action of the story. It also pulls them out of their ordinary world into a new world where change can occur. First lines open the door to the story and lead us over the threshold into the story journey.

In the beginning of a picture book story, it is important to quickly establish the following for the reader: Who, what, where, when, and why. For today, I am going to focus on who, what, and why.

• Who is the story is about?
• What is the story about?
• Why? In order for readers to relate to the main character from the beginning, they need to understand the character’s motivation. They need to know why the character is taking action. Why is he setting off on the journey that will become the story? Just as the why motivates the main character to move forward, it motivates the reader to move forward. The why of the story is the energy of the story. 

There is another kind of “why” our stories create. By giving the reader who, what, and why, we create curiosity. Generally, there will be something in this information that will prompt the reader to ask “why” it is happening and what will come next. And this makes the reader want to turn the page. Following are some great examples.

 

TURKEY ON THE RUN! by Alayne Kay Christian, illustrated by Neha Rawat (Flamingo Books 2026)

Spread 1

Turkey was out for his morning run when—

BAM!

He trotted right into a trap.

“You’re just what my wife ordered,” the old man said.

This creates curiosity. Sets up a problem. It may even plant a few expectations. It might establish an emotional connection to the main character.

“What a perfectly perky turkey,” the wife said. “We would like to invite you to—”

This creates more curiosity because the reader will question, “Invite him to what?”

Before she could finish, Turkey zoomed away faster than a lightning bolt.

Spread 2

“Run, run, run as fast as you can.

You won't catch me

for your roasting pan!”

Who? Turkey. What? A turkey who is trapped on Thanksgiving morning.

Why? Turkey has made an assumption and fears for his life, so the chase begins. His motivation? To see the dawn of another Thanksgiving day. Inciting incident? Turkey getting trapped when he is out on his morning run.

THE QUACKEN by Justin Colón, illustrated by Pablo Pino Simon & Schuster 2024

SPREAD 1

Something strange was happening at Cucamonga Campground.

Great first line. Readers will want to know what is happening and turn the page.

SPREAD 2

This further informs the reader and builds tension.

Legend had it that a creature lurked in the lake.

            A fearsome, ferocious, frightening creature.

Some said it swallowed canoes. Campers. Even whales. WHOLE!

But Hector didn’t believe the legend

All he saw on the lake were cute, cuddly, quacking ducks.

Readers will want to turn the page because they suspect something is going to happen to Hector.

SPREAD 3

Hector was warned: “Don’t go near the ducks!”

“Don’t look at the ducks!”

Don’t even think about the ducks!

And whatever you do. DO NOT FEED THE DUCKS!

But the ducks looked hungry. With the help of illustrations, at this point readers most likely expect that Hector is going to feed the ducks and will be anxious to turn the page and find out what will happen when he does.

Who? Hector. What? A scary legend. Why? Hector doesn’t believe the legend. His motivation? Maybe to prove that the legend is nonsense by feeding the cute ducks. Inciting incident? Hector’s arrival to camp and his doubt that leads to the action he takes.

 

IT STARTED WITH A P by Brittany Pomales, illustrated by Andrew Joyner Flamingo Books 2025

SPREAD 1

The night before his birthday, King Liam had a peculiar dream.

He pondered its meaning over pancakes.

 

“I had a terrible nightmare! I dreamed my birthday was ruined!”

“What ruined it, Your Majesty? asked Cedric, King Liam’s royal advisor.

“Well, I don’t remember. BUT it started with the letter P.”

“Perhaps a pigeon? A popcorn kernel? A piranha?”

“I don’t know!” the king said with a sigh.

So he made a drastic decision.

 

“Everything that starts with the letter P must go.”

Readers will want to know what happens when all the things that start with “P” go.

Who? King Liam What? Eliminate everything in the kingdom that starts with the letter P. Why? King Liam dreamed that his part was ruined by something that starts with the letter P. His motivation? To have a perfect birthday party. Inciting incident? The dream.

TOO MUCH SLIME! by Frances Gilbert, illustrated by Vin Vogel Random House New York 2021

Spread 1

It wasn’t really a knock on the door. More of a squelch. Or a thwack. Or a blerb.

We shouldn’t have opened it.

Great opening lines! Leaving the reader with the line, “We shouldn’t have opened it.” is an excellent page-turner. As a reader, I must know why. And I also wonder what in the world goes squelch, thwack, or blerb?

Spread 2

But we did.

Which was not the smartest move. As a reader, the suspense is building. Why wasn’t it the smartest move?

Spread 3

We were going to be in so much trouble. Even more tension. How much trouble are they going to be in?

It was icky and sticky

and sloppy and messy.

It was stringy and

stretchy and gloppy

and gunky.

 

It was SLIME!

TOO MUCH SLIME!

Where could we hide it?

Leaving the reader with an unanswered question is a good page-turner tool. What happens when there is too much slime? And where in the world will the kids hide that much slime?

Who? (illustrations show) Two kids, a dog, and a cat. What? Too much slime. Why? They are going to be in trouble and must find a place to hide the slime. Their motivation? To stay out of trouble. Inciting incident? The knock on the door/opening the door.

 

IMPOSSIBLE POSSUMS by Justin Colón, illustrated by James Rey Sanchez Disney Hyperion 2024

 

Spread 1

Carl is bad.

Bad to the bone.

These are great opening lines just because they are fun. But they also make readers want to know why or how he is bad to the bone?

Spread 2

He enjoys popping kids’ balloons.

Licking their ice cream

Replacing their ice cream—so he can lick it again.

Now we see “how” he is bad. But what happens when a possum is bad? We must turn the page to find out. Plus, we want more crazy fun.

Spread 3

And, in his free time, plotting to take over the world with his villainous devices.

See? Bad to the bone.

The thing is, being a bad possum can get a little . . .

The ellipsis is another good page-turner tool. Leaving the reader questioning, “Being bad to the bone can be a little what?” Of course, this drives the reader to turn the page.

Spread 4

. . . lonely.

We get our answer. We start building an emotional connection to the character and story. Who doesn’t feel sad for someone who is lonely? And we want to know what he is going to do about his loneliness. So, we are driven to turn the page.

Who? Carl What? He is bad to the bone, which creates the “why” of the story. He is lonely, and that loneliness is his motivation (to make friends) to take the next actions. Inciting incident? Driving everyone away by being bad.

Alayne Kay Christian is an award-winning author, a former acquisitions editor, and a writing teacher. Her picture books include An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim Made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin; The Weed That Woke Christmas: The Mostly True Story of the Toledo Christmas Weed; and Turkey On the Run!  Born in the Rockies, raised in Chicago, and now a true-blue Texan, Alayne’s writing conveys her creative spirit, a bit of her funny bone, and the kinship to nature and humanity that lives within her heart.

To learn more about Alayne visit her websites and blog at . . .

https://alaynekaychristianauthor.com

Blog: https://alaynekaychristian.wordpress.com/

 

You can find Alayne on social media at . . .

X @alayne_kay

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alaynekay.christian

Blue Sky @alaynekaychristian.bsky.social

Facebook Author’s Page: https://www.facebook.com/AlayneKayChristianAuthor/

Amazon Author’s Page: https://amazon.com/author/alayne_kay_christian

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCY6yndWtpXwX6CIRoFi7X4g

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alaynekay/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/alayne-kay-christian/12/168/525/

 

 

Scaffolding Understanding Along with the Arc by guest author Beth Anderson

Welcome back to author Beth Anderson! Today we celebrate her newest picture book, The Patriots and the Pox: George Washington's Battle to Save the Continental Army, illustrated by Ashley Yazdani, publishes with Calkins Creek, Sept. 29, 2026. 

Beth amazes me with all the neat facts she uncovers and packs it all into a captivating picture book biography.

Here's my (Tina Cho's) review of the book:

Anderson delivers another fascinating picture book biography about a lesser-known feat of George Washington—saving his troops from the deadly enemy of smallpox. So many decisions went through his mind as he contemplated inoculating his troops. Yazdani’s gorgeous illustrations uplift the text and show the urgency of Washington’s dilemma. Kids can contemplate and contrast inoculation back then and in today’s society. A good book about leadership, choosing bravery, and problem solving.   

Take it away, Beth...

Research for THE PATRIOTS AND THE POX involved many categories of information: Continental Army, George Washington, smallpox, battles, strategies, medicine, inoculation, camps, supplies, logistics, and more. And everything was interconnected. One of the challenges was how to sequence the important, complex concepts and context to keep the narrative flowing and pushing forward without diversions, confusion, repeated ideas, or too many words.

Here are a few of the issues I was dealing with:

·       Quarantine requires understanding contagion.

·       Smallpox as a weapon is tied to why the British weren’t as vulnerable to the disease as the patriots…

·       which is tied to contagion

·       and immunity.

·       The inoculation process requires understanding contagion, quarantine, and immunity.  

 I needed to weave these science concepts plus context about soldiers’ behavior, army camps, the times, and logistics into the plot so readers could understand the spread of disease and how it impacted troops. The entire arc of the story, the motivation, risk, and stakes, depended on understanding the medical terms. How could I deliver complex information efficiently and economically without losing the momentum, the emotional core of the story, and the reader?

 The juggling began…

While the ability to cut and paste on a computer is miraculous for anyone who grew up using a typewriter, I depend on the good ole “cut it up” strategy that allows me to experiment with reckless abandon for tough sections.

Along with the question that kept me focused [“Why does this matter to Washington and his goal to defeat smallpox?”], questions helped me determine the best sequence of concepts and information pieces. Chronology alone didn’t provide an easy path. Neither did logic. I had two background pieces not tied to chronology. Washington’s experience with smallpox was an easy reflection. But the reason the British weren’t as vulnerable as the colonists was complicated. How could I use these to help build the arc?

These questions helped me find the sequence for the science concepts.

·       What is essential for the reader to understand __x__?

·       What must come before __x__?

So…bring on the scissors! When I work on a challenging section, I cut it into paragraphs. And when I get down to the nitty gritty, I work with sentences. Here are a few examples working with the concepts and events I mentioned above.

The sequence you see is what I started with. The numbers on the right show their eventual sequence. Some pieces were cut. Some of the sentences within one piece here ended up in different spots. The toughest chunk to place [*] dogged me for a while as I tried to get it to the bare essentials so as not to bog down the action.

Here’s an example of taking it to the sentence level. I could move lines more freely. Some were cut, some moved, some changed. If you compare this sequence to the book, you’ll see there are many differences, not only in the sequence, but also wording. This was a revision in which I was setting up the beginning with advantages and disadvantages of each side. While I liked the back and forth it provided for comparison of the two sides, the transitions weren’t working.

There’s something special about being able to physically move pieces and experiment without a computer monitor. While it might be because I remember cutting up term papers in high school and it’s in my history as a writer, more likely it’s the kinesthetic aspect that works differently with my brain.

Eventually, finally, through many revisions, I found a sequence in which each concept supported the next, transitions flowed effectively, and the scaffolding that was created not only served the arc, but also allowed me to cut words.

So by all means…play with scissors…[but no running!].

Beth visiting the Pepperell, Massachusetts DAR chapter, holding Prudence Wright’s lantern. There’s George in the background wondering when she would get around to a story about him….finally, here it is—THE PATRTIOTS AND THE POX! 

Beth Anderson is the award-winning author of more than ten illustrated books, including HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT, THOMAS JEFFERSON’S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE, and LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT. A former educator, she strives for accidental learning in the midst of a great story and hopes to inspire kids to laugh, ponder, and question. Born and raised in Illinois, Beth now lives in Colorado. Visit https://bethandersonwriter.com

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World-Building in Your Own Backyard: Introversion, Exploration, and Why Wandering is Writing by Todd Burleson

Since The Secret War launched back in April, taking readers to 1944 Dayton, Ohio, the months have been a blur. If you had told me then what this summer had in store, I might not have believed you.

In June, I officially wrapped up my 34-year career as an educator. I spent the last 14 of those years exactly where I belonged, serving as the school librarian at Skokie School in Winnetka. Retirement was just the first domino. Erica and I decided to lean fully into our favorite mantra: Carpe Diem! We sold our house, parted with roughly two-thirds of our belongings, and moved into a lovely apartment in downtown Kenosha.

I am naturally an introverted guy. When I retired, I thought I was fully prepared (even eager) for a sudden lack of human contact. Without a school bell schedule to anchor my day, I started walking my new neighborhood. I was not looking for a grand community connection. I just wanted to get some exercise and learn the grid of my new downtown home.

The Art of Looking Closely (and Speaking Up)

I began wandering my new backyard armed with just my iPhone. I was not walking for speed. I was trying to get to know the place better.

As I walked, I started taking detailed photos of heavy cornices, thick wooden doors, and rusted fire escapes. That is when I stumbled onto something that truly spoke to me. I have always been enchanted by the beauty of 1930s WPA National Park screen prints. I admire the way they encapsulate a massive landscape using just a few key colors. There is a calm brutalism to them. They distill a subject down to its absolute bones.

I have longed to find a way to channel that calm feeling into my own work. Applying that limited, earthy color palette and vintage screen-print texture to a historic city like Kenosha felt like a natural connection.

What started as an unpremeditated excuse to get outside quickly blossomed into the Greetings from Kenosha project. I realized I wanted to know the stories behind the cream city brick and the mortar. More importantly, I wanted to know the stories of the people who walked through those spaces.

To uncover those stories, I had to risk my introversion. I had to pull open heavy doors and actually talk to the people keeping these local landmarks alive.

I cannot overstate how delightful these conversations have been. Every time I stepped out of my comfort zone, I was met with an incredible reception. Business owners have shared their grand visions for their spaces. They have pulled out hundred-year-old, silver-gelatin photographs of their storefronts for me to study. Some have taken me on behind-the-scenes tours of hidden rooms and spaces the public never gets to witness.

Wandering Is Writing

Recently, a reader left a comment on my latest Substack dispatch that brought all of this into focus. They wrote, "Any one of these stories would make a great next book for you."

That comment hit me like a ton of bricks. As writers, we often trap ourselves into thinking that writing only happens when we are isolated at a keyboard. We believe it only counts when we are actively increasing our word count. The truth is much broader. Wandering, observing, photographing, and listening to people's stories are the very foundation of the writing process.

When I trace the history of a forgotten harbor basement or run my hand along a century-old brick wall, I am not taking a break from writing. I am gathering the raw clay. I am world-building in my own backyard.

If you are feeling stuck in your current manuscript, close the laptop and go for a walk. Take a camera. Even the one on your phone will do the trick. Look closely at the way the light hits the buildings you pass every day. Push past your comfort zone and talk to the people inside them. You might be surprised at how quickly the narrative threads begin to weave themselves together.

Next time, I will take you behind the scenes of the technical side of this project. Building an interactive map and visual table of contents for Greetings from Kenosha using the Antigravity IDE required the same trial-and-error mindset as plotting a novel. Stay tuned.

How does the idea of ‘Wandering is Writing’ appeal to you? Is there something you do that gets you unstuck and opens up your mind around your writing?

Karen Latchana Kenney is Fascinated by Fungi

 by Sue Heavenrich

September is National Mushroom month and I am so happy to welcome Karen Latchana Kenney to the GROG this week so we can talk about Fascinating Fungi! Karen delves deep into this funky kingdom, writing about how fungi evolved and how we use them. And her book is filled with lovely photos of the beautiful, the odd, the delectable, even the killers that inhabit the world of fungi.

Welcome to the GROG, Karen. As a fellow fungus fancier, I wanted to know what inspired you to write this book, and how did writing for YA readers (11 and older) inform your structure and the topics you chose to focus on?

Karen: I always wondered how mushrooms seem to pop up overnight after it rained. How did they grow so fast? It was so strange! And then one day, after we moved from the city out to our home with a big, forested yard, I saw the weirdest thing. It looked like an abandoned volleyball, but then I found out it was a giant puffball mushroom. I watched it grow bigger and saw the spores it puffed out like wisps of smoke. It was so strange! And interesting. I wanted to know more, so I proposed the topic to Lerner and they loved it. And I think YA readers like to read about the unusual and strange too, so I structured my book to highlight those especially unusual aspects of fungi: ancient mushrooms that towered like trees, fungi that smell like corpses, and mushrooms that glow in the dark.

photo by Serah Sauser

Me: One year a stinky squid fungus came up in my tomato bed. It looked like a chicken’s foot poking up out of the dirt. So I was particularly drawn to your two chapters about beautiful and strange fungi. Talk about why you chose these particular mushrooms to feature.

Karen: I love those kinds of mushrooms, too! Last summer a bunch of golden stinkhorns grew in my garden – they’re called the Devil’s Dipstick. The colors, forms, and varieties of mushrooms that grow are dazzling. I chose to highlight as many different forms and colors that I could to show the immense biodiversity of fungi. And that way I could also explain some of the science behind their function. Some mushrooms have gills that rain spores, some shoot spores from prongs (like the violet coral), and some lure insects and animals with light and smell so that the animals can spread spores for them.

I take photos of the weird mushrooms I find! This is the Devil’s Dipstick that was growing in my garden!

Me: There’s a lot of talk about using psychedelics in mental health treatment. What makes these important to young readers?

Karen: I think there’s a lot we don’t know about fungi and how they can help humans medically. There is some fascinating research happening now, and findings that show how psychedelics can be safely used in the medical setting to help people with addiction and mental health issues. Staying open to these options and learning more about them could help someone heal, and so I think it’s important to understand the different kinds of treatment out there. I interviewed Dr. Jessie Uehling who is a mycologist and served on an advisory board in Oregon as they developed guidelines for using psychedelics in clinical treatment of mental health issues and addiction. Her reason for doing that work was inspiring—she lost a sister to suicide in a place where few mental health options were available. So, I think it is critically important to understand that there are different options for help and learning about whether or not they are right for you is an important first step in getting help when you need it.

Fascinating fungi throughout the book!

Me: I often hear folks refer to the underground mycelium network as the “wood-wide web”. Reading about Suzanne Simard’s research strengthens the ecological argument that everything is connected. What can we do to nurture and protect these connections – and how do they affect us?

Karen: Knowing that everything is connected somehow in nature can help us treat every part of the Earth with respect. Personally, I would never use harmful chemicals in my garden to kill one kind of plant or insect, knowing about the interconnectedness of organisms in the soil. I think we don’t even know how these connections affect us, but just because we can’t see fungal webs doesn’t mean we shouldn’t care about them. Learning more about fungi certainly helps too. The more we know about their fascinating abilities and uses, the more we will want to protect their habitats. And it can all start in your garden, in your community. What fungi live near you? 

Me: Last summer there were brain-like fungal growths on some mushrooms near my garden. The parasitic fungus has the delightful name of Collybia Clouds. And a couple years ago there were some mushrooms that folded up like tacos! That’s here, on Earth. But you mention mushrooms on Mars! 

Karen: Yeah, isn’t that so cool?! Mushrooms in space . . . such an interesting and smart use of fungi. Their spores are light enough to travel all that way in the limited confines of a spacecraft. They can also grow easily and have a wide variety of uses (glow-in-the-dark mushrooms for light!). I’m excited to see what scientists will continue to discover about these incredible organisms.

Thank you, Karen, for dropping by. You can find out more about Karen and her award-winning books at her website, www.karenlatchanakenney.com

SNEAKS-A Twisty Middle Grade Mystery: Interview with Author Amy Tern--By Julie Phend

Sneaks is a twisty middle grade mystery by debut author Amy Tern released by Holiday House this summer. I’m excited to interview Amy for the GROG blog.

Author Amy Tern

First, a little about the book:

Rook, a sheltered musical prodigy, couldn’t be more different from Valorie, the troublemaking daughter of his family’s cleaning woman. But their strengths complement each other when they team up to solve the mystery of a piano-playing child hidden in an apartment across the street. Spying from the balcony, Rook and Valorie are alarmed by the strange woman who goes out to buy pizza at the exact same time each day, a child’s simple piano tunes played only when the woman is gone, and a discarded doll whose head has been ripped off. Sensing danger, Rook and Valory try to alert their elders, but no one takes them seriously. As they investigate on their own, they discover important things about themselves, their families, and the assumptions they’ve made. 

This tightly plotted mystery keeps the reader guessing to the very end. Amy’s memorable characters and quirky humor make Sneaks a very fun, enjoyable read! 

We’re so glad to have you as a guest on the GROG Blog, Amy. Tell us a little about yourself and your writing career. 

Amy: I grew up in Colorado, taking the mountains for granted. My heart was in other magical places, such as Narnia, snowbound Canada, Britain with its moors and tea, and that most wondrous place of all, the Past. Little did I know I was living in the old days myself—and deprived of computers and video games, I wrote and illustrated my own books, mostly featuring animal characters because I could draw them better. I continued to write fiction until college. There, I took a creative writing workshop where I was convinced by a bunch of creatively dressed classmates that my writing wasn’t very sophisticated. Experimental fiction was in style, and I didn’t fit in very well. After college, I mostly quit creative writing because I was distracted by having to earn a living. Much later, when I had my own family, I reconnected with my childhood dream of writing kidlit, but getting published was harder than I expected. 

How did you get the idea for Sneaks? 

Amy: When I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window with my two sons, I thought the premise might be good for middle grade. In Sneaks, twelve-year-old Valory and Rook sit on the balcony spying on the neighbors and notice clues that something fishy is going on in the apartment building across the alley. In Rear Window, the police don’t take Jimmy Stewart’s suspicions seriously. In my book, it’s the grown-ups who underestimate the sleuths and accuse them of having overactive imaginations. When Valory and Rook set out to solve the mystery on their own, they break a few rules and make a few bad choices, but they also learn about being brave and following their own consciences. 

Of course, Rear Window has been adapted many times. Hitchcock himself adapted it from a short story by Cornell Woolrich. My book isn’t even the first kids’ version—The Secret Apartment, by Natalie Fast, particularly influenced me. I made the story my own by recalling how my brothers and I used to love sneaking around as kids. When I was eight, my family went to Belgium for three months and lived in a five-story apartment building. My brothers and I explored that place from top to bottom. We couldn’t even watch TV or get our hands on many English-language books, so we spent our time spying on people and having adventures. I tried to capture that sense of exhilaration in the story.

The two main characters in Sneaks are very different. Rook is an introvert and a gifted pianist. Valory is a daring rule-breaker. You tell the story in both their voices. Was that hard to do? Was one character easier to write than the other? 

Amy: This was my first experience writing in dual perspective. It seemed to fit this book, which has two protagonists of equal importance. To me, the hard part was differentiating the voices, but it helps that the characters are such different personalities. Valory is mouthy (to use one of my mother’s favorite words), brash, confident, shrewd, and judgmental. Rook is thoughtful, musically gifted, proud, somewhat timid, and secretive. Valory has to learn to be less self-centered, and Rook to speak up for himself. 

One useful hack I discovered quite by accident. I started out writing Valory’s chapters in first person and Rook’s in third. But I changed my mind and decided that would be too confusing for young readers. After converting Valory’s perspective to third, I was surprised to find that the language had a certain tone—a sort of slangy bounce—that was different than if I’d written it in third person in the first place. The tone served to further distinguish the voices, very subtly. 

There were other devices I used: for example, Valory uses more hyperbole and gives everyone nicknames. Valory is into clothes—what Rook calls a hat, she calls a fedora. Meanwhile, Rook uses a lot of music metaphors and tends to reference science fiction and superhero movies. At an even more granular level, Valory says “anybody” and “somebody,” while Rook says “anyone” and “someone.” More importantly, they notice different things—Valory is visual, while Rook takes in the world through his ears. Valory is highly attuned to hypocrisy in adults, which she calls out and condemns. Rook, who is in awe of his successful parents, struggles to please and is sensitive to any sign of adult displeasure. 

While Sneaks is a story about growing up and speaks to problems common to middle graders—dealing with parents, speaking up, making and keeping friends—it’s also a mystery. Which came first: plot or characters? 

Amy: I guess I would say the plot came first, since I got the idea after watching Rear Window. But I always struggle to write until I have a good sense of the characters. The first clue to the mystery is piano music, emanating from a supposedly empty apartment. I wanted Rook to have a special connection to this music, so I made him a musician. As soon as I did that, his personality and family life all fell into place. As for Valory, I realize now she was partly inspired by The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. I was very much a good kid (an “asparagus-eater,” as Valory would say) but Gilly’s rebelliousness thrilled me to my core. When I read about her blowing an enormous bubble in a social worker’s face, I think that’s when my own character of Valory started germinating in my mind. Valory is different from Gilly in many ways, but there’s definitely a family resemblance. 

What was the most difficult part of this story to write? 

Amy: The beginning is always hard because you need to hook the reader fast. Then again, the middle is where you have to keep raising the stakes, and that’s tough, too. Then again, the end is when the real pressure sets in. You know, it’s all pretty hard! 

That’s the truth! 

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Amy: But seriously . . . writing this book, I struggled most with the character of the villain—the Goblin Woman, as Valory calls her. At first, I set out to make her zany and completely evil, like Cruella DeVille in Dodie Smith’s marvelous 1956 novel, The Hundred and One Dalmatians. Maybe someday I’ll succeed in making that kind of dastardly villain, but I’ve noticed I tend to humanize my antagonists more with every subsequent draft. I start digging into why they’re so dastardly, and then I end up sympathizing with their motives. Which is no bad thing, but it’s tricky to get the balance right. Even if villains come off as realistic, even if they have a proper character arc, even if they make the reader laugh, they must also be dangerous enough to challenge the hero or heroes to the utmost. 

I think you got that just right, Amy. Ms. Smith, the Goblin Woman, is very creepy and sinister until we get a glimpse under that protective armor to the vulnerable woman inside. 

Tell us about your writing process. Are you a pantser or a plotter? 

Amy: I guess I tend more toward the pantsy end of the spectrum. But oh, I wish I could be a plotter so much! Plotters tend to write their books much faster than pantsers. Sometimes I try to construct a proper outline, but it tends to spin out of control until I realize I’m outlining a 700-page book instead of a 200-page book. In the case of Sneaks, I was (very loosely) basing it on Rear Window, so that gave me some structure going in. Near the end of the film, there’s a great scene in which Jeff (Jimmy Stewart) watches helplessly from his window as Lisa (Grace Kelly) goes into danger. He wants to run and save her, but he can’t because he has the world’s most enormous cast on his leg. In my story, Rook doesn’t have a cast, but he’s trapped at home for reasons I won’t go into here. But I was always writing toward my own version of that scene—the going into danger scene—and that helped me keep my direction. 

About your road to publication: How did you find your agent and your editor? Any comments on the publication process? Surprises? 

Amy: It’s been a long road to publication for me: about twelve years of considerable effort. I wrote and queried several manuscripts before Sneaks, including two picture books, two chapter books, and two middle grade novels. I also read craft books and learned a lot about plot (the “p word” was never mentioned in those long-ago creative writing workshops). In the end, I think what kept me going through all the rejection was the support of my critique group. It was just really fun having people read my stuff every week. I learned a lot from their comments and from critiquing their work. After racking up about 200 rejections for my various manuscripts, I finally got a “yes” from an agent, who sold Sneaks within nine months. Unfortunately, my agent left the business not long after. So I’m back to querying again. 

Full disclosure here. Amy and I have been in the same critique group for years, and she’s right. Our wonderful group has been so encouraging. At the same time, the thoughtful, and often tough, feedback has helped us all to grow. 

Amy, though you’ve been writing for many years, this is your first published book. How does it feel to be a debut author receiving a lot of positive attention? How has your life changed since publication? Any hints about what’s next? 

Amy: Being a debut author is exciting. As an introvert, it’s a little nerve-wracking to be out promoting my book and connecting with potential readers. But it’s wonderful, too. I try not to get so distracted by book promotion that I neglect my writing. Ultimately, blowing your horn on social media doesn’t build your career nearly as much as working on your next book. I’m currently revising a previous manuscript, as well as embarking on a new project. Someday I would love to publish those picture books I wrote back in 2011! And maybe I’ll write a mystery for adults one day—who knows? 

The best thing about writing is that no one tells you what to do next. And the worst thing? No one tells you what to do next! But maybe that’s why we love it so much. 

Thank you, Amy! It’s been wonderful talking to you about your marvelous book Sneaks. 

Find it wherever books are sold. 

For more about Amy, visit her website at https://amytern.com/