Becky Scharnhorst and Best Buds: A Cool Summer Read by Kathy Halsey

As we move forward into summer, the GROGers are going on a summer break until mid-August. We hope you take time to rest, refresh, and find new leafy friends like author Becky Scharnhorst did in her book BEST BUDS. Keep growing with new reads.

Best Buds Book Review

In our last post before summer break, I’m excited to share Becky Scharnhorst and illustrator Jiarui Jiang’s upbeat, delightful book about moving, making friends, and growing new ones.

Lucky me,I discovered this book when Becky and I worked together to enhance her school visit presentations for the 2025-2026 school year. (Yes, it’s summer, but as a former school librarian, I used part of my summer breaks investigating authors for the upcoming year.) School librarians, this would be the perfect book and author for a fall or spring visit! 

Friendship stories are “evergreen” topics in children's literature. So how do you take this time-honored trope and make it new? Author Becky Scharnhorst and illustrator Jiarui Jiang’s combined skills create a story that cultivates a different POV when examining friendship.

While Spencer’s mom is worried about him making friends when they move, Spencer’s happily making friends with an array of plants: Fred's an excellent listener, Dottie’s a bit wild, and Eugene’s a jokester. Spencer has chosen excellent friends for all the right reasons. He takes his friends to lunch, storytime, and the playground, adding new friends along the way.

Can you find a friend in a box? What if your friend is another species? What if your family doesn’t understand? BEST BUDS answers all these questions and lays ground for rich conversations about friends that teachers, librarians, and family will enjoy reading and discussing with young readers. Spencer may be  “late bloomer,” as his mom says, but Spencer’s open-minded attitude reveals friends come in all shapes and sizes! Whimsical art, and plethora of plants with personality make this a great read-aloud. This picture book encourages readers to find their own plant companions and see nature as a loving entity that needs care, like best buds do! The last few spreads at the end make for a sweet, surprising ending! (Still time to preorder this book!)

Craft Chat with Becky Scharnhorst

Kathy: I’ve read your first three books: My School Stinks (2021), This Field Trip Stinks (2022), and How to Get Your Octopus to School (2023).  How do you see Best Buds  similar to your other books?  How is it different? 

Becky Scharnhorst: I love books that make me laugh, so I always try to incorporate at least a little humor into my writing. I think that is one way in which all of my books are similar. However, I would say the humor in Best Buds is more subtle than the humor in my other books. Also, all three of my first books feature a character who is feeling a bit nervous and unsure about something. In my first two books, Stuart is nervous about going to school with wild animals and then he’s nervous about taking a field trip IN THE WILD! In my third book, the octopus is anxious about going to school. In contrast, the main character in Best Buds is quite confident. Even when the adults in Spencer’s life question him, he remains true to himself and his choice of friends. That’s one of the things I love most about him!

Kathy: This is a book about plants and friends. How did you begin putting these two concepts together?  What were your inspirations in sparks?  Do you have any favorite plants?

Becky Scharnhorst: About a year before the pandemic, my family and I moved across the country. Making friends can be difficult in the best circumstances, but trying to connect after a move and during a pandemic was nearly impossible! A couple years later, I realized I still didn’t have a strong community around me. It was about this time that I decided to buy a gorgeous Aloe Vera plant I spotted in a local store. I did this despite my dismal record for keeping green things alive. To my amazement, Dottie thrived! And so did our friendship. My family thought it was ridiculous how much I talked to her, but I didn’t have any other friends to talk to, and it felt odd NOT talking to this beautiful, living, growing thing sitting right next to me. Soon, my whole house was filled with plants and taking care of them brought me so much joy! I eventually found human friends in my new town as well, but my plants kept me company in the meantime. So this story is very much inspired by my own move and my new best buds. Dottie, in particular, holds a special place in my heart, and while I don’t ever say this around the others, she is my favorite. 

Becky w/her Best Bud "Dottie #1

Kathy: I love how you explore the POV of friendship through adult and children’s lenses. Parents sometimes want their children’s friends to be “a certain way“. You brought this out in a subtle way. Was this comparison of adults vs. children’s views always in the story?  

Becky Scharnhorst: I’m so glad you picked up on that because this was something that was there from the beginning, and it was something I felt passionate about including. I wanted Spencer to be confident in who he was and in his choice of friends regardless of what the adults around him were saying. It’s clear from page one that his mom is worried about Spencer’s ability to make friends. But he’s not worried at all! It’s easy! And he’s not concerned about his ability to make more friends either. Spencer knows what he is looking for in a friend and he gently challenges anyone who questions his choices. He knows more about friendship than the adults give him credit for, which I think happens a lot. Often, adults think we know what’s best for the children in our lives, but kids have much to teach us if we are willing to listen. That was one of the things I wanted to explore in this story. 

Kathy: The ending was a twist for me. Did you envision this ending early on or did it change over time?

Becky Scharnhorst: Oh my goodness. I wrote so many different endings! I had an ending where Spencer doesn’t make any human friends, he just sticks with his plants and is perfectly happy. I had another ending where it looks like he and Daisy are going to become friends, but instead they both end up hugging Eugene (the tree). I had an ending where Daisy and Spencer bond over their mutual love of plants, not plants and insects. And I had many variations of this ending. So. Many. Endings. But I landed on this one because I wanted to show that Spencer wasn’t against having a human friend. On the contrary, Spencer is open to all kinds of friendships and he recognizes the value of each unique friend. He even refers to Daisy’s caterpillar as “your friend” because he knows right away that’s what Raymond is to Daisy. The reason Spencer and Daisy are a perfect match is because they both know love and friendship can bloom in unexpected places.

Kathy: Tell us about the way Jiarui Jiang’s illustrations add to and expand the story. Did you have any input on that?  It's such a beautiful book – words and pictures together! 

Becky Scharnhorst: I don't think I can overstate how much depth and beauty Jiarui's illustrations brought to this story. One of my favorite examples of this is how we see Spencer's room change throughout the book. Right after the move, Spencer's room is empty and lifeless. But as the story progresses, and Spencer makes more and more friends, we see how full and colorful his life is becoming. I don't know if this was Jiarui's vision or Lauren’s (the Art Director), but it was absolute genius! Originally, I imagined Spencer and Fred sharing a drink outside after they met. However, placing them inside gives the reader a chance to revisit his room and see the dramatic growth (both literal and figurative) that is happening in Spencer's life. 

Another small detail I love is how many straws there are in the glasses of water his mom brings in at the end. In the beginning, she is questioning whether he might want a friend who could talk. But by the end, she has come to see the value of all his friendships. That one small detail shows how Spencer is changing the world around him and influencing others in a positive way. And that’s just one of the many ways Jiariu’s detailed illustrations bring richness and depth to this story. I am so grateful to have partnered with her on this book because I feel like she really understood the story right from the beginning and she brought so much more to it. I only added art notes where they were necessary for clarity. 

Kathy: What are you working on next? 

Becky Scharnhorst:I have three upcoming picture book projects in the works, but unfortunately, I can’t share any specific details yet. I will say that one is a rhyming manuscript (my first, and perhaps only, one) and the other two include some fun nonfiction elements even though they are both fiction picture books. I hope I can share more news soon! If you’d like to stay informed, you can follow me on Instagram or subscribe to my newsletter. Thank you so much for having me on the GROG blog, Kathy! I appreciate your support and kind words about BEST BUDS!

Get your new friends here!

Still time to PREORDER your own BEST BUD! Check out these stickers!!!!

Anyone who preorders Best Buds through Bound to Happen Books in Stevens Point will receive two sticker sheets with plants from the book. Please include a note at checkout if you'd like your book signed and personalized. Here's the link! 

https://www.boundtohappenbooks.com/item/uhkEB3h562vFH3VtdGNtEA

"Dottie #2 . . .look how she GREW!

BIO

Becky grew up in Northeast Wisconsin and spent most of her childhood playing in lakes and reading books. Shortly after graduating from Luther College, Becky spent a year working as a children’s bookseller at Barnes & Noble and soon discovered she enjoyed reading picture books more than anything else. Much, much more! Now Becky spends her days writing children’s books and working at her local library. She is the author of My School Stinks (2021), This Field Trip Stinks (2022), How to Get Your Octopus to School (2023), and Best Buds (2025). When she’s not reading or writing, Becky can be found hiking through the woods or baking something sweet. She currently lives in central Wisconsin with her husband and two children.

SOCIALS

Instagram: @beckyscharn (https://www.instagram.com/beckyscharn/)

Bluesky: @beckyscharn (https://bsky.app/profile/beckyscharn.bsky.social)

See you mid-August. Hang out with your best buds for now!

Behind the Scenes of a Picture Book & a Giveaway by Tina Cho

 Yesterday, my 6th picture book swam into the world.

illustrated by Marta Álvarez Miguéns, published by PRH Waterbrook

Before a book publishes, authors are busy behind the scenes along with the publishing team. Today I'll share some of the many things I have done. If you have a book, you can relate. Or perhaps you'll pick up an idea or two. I love reading how other authors prep! Here we go and not in any sort of order~

1. Work on finishing touches with your editor: You might have to do some last minute copyedits, especially when you see how text works with illustrations. Some words might be deleted.

2. Proof jacket copy & sales copy: You might be asked to proofread the sales text for the jacket cover of your book and text that would be on the book's page at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, the publisher's page, etc. Check out the sales copy text on this Amazon link. 

3. Write a teacher's guide: You might be asked for ideas for a teacher's guide. I helped write the teacher's guide for this book. It will be available real soon!

4. List influencers: You might be asked for a list of people who can help spread the word for your book. 

5. Write an influencer letter: You might write a letter that is put on nice stationery to be included with the book they receive from the publisher.

6. Update your business card: You'll want to update your business card to include your newest book!

7. Update your website: Include your new book cover, description, any awards & reviews, teacher's guide

8. Update your bio with your new book: Places like  your SCBWI member page and Amazon Author page should be updated. I once landed a book contract from my bio at SCBWI! (Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators)

9. Schedule blog posts: People want to know nitty-gritty about your book. Writing blogs such as this one are good to schedule ahead of time. 

10. Schedule podcasts: This is something your publicist might do for you. If not, you might inquire with your publisher or podcasters. I spoke on two podcasts: CHRI Radio Ontario and Reading with Your Kids (my part is at 37:44). 

11. Fill out interview questions: Some bloggers will send you questions to answer. 

12. Do photo shoots of your book: You want some fun photos and videos of your book. Where would be some great settings? Or use Canva or photo apps to put your book in creative backgrounds.

at my sister's swimming pool

13. Buy props & swag: If you're having a book event, you might want to order fun things ahead of time like stickers, bookmarks, a stuffed animal that goes with your book to use at story time, a puppet, items to giveaway with your book, food for events. For example, I found a cute beach bag at Target to go with my book and a $5 shark stuffy at Kohls. 

Beach bag from Target dollar bins. Here I used an app called Photoroom to remove my ugly background and put this cute bag on the beach

14. Create reels: If you're into this sort of thing, you might create fun, short videos of your book. I made this fun reel on Instagram, using my book as a baby gift.

15. Post to social media: Once you've created photos and videos of your book, posting to various platforms takes time, at least for me! Here's an adorable IG post of my friend's grandson with the shark from Kohls and my book. I also like to make a list of creative posts. Follow me on IG to see what I do with Oceanographer.

16. Unbox: Once you get YOUR box of books from your publisher, you can make an unboxing video.

17. Plan giveaways: What blogs or social media contests will you hold?

18. Set aside money (perhaps from your advance) to mail those giveaway books. Keep all receipts!

19. Come up with a signature line. For each of my books, I like to not just autograph my name, but I like to write something thematic or heartfelt that goes with each book. My husband came up with the line for God's Little Oceanographer. If you want to know what it is, you'll have to have me sign your book! :)

20. Be flexible for whatever is thrown/given to you to spread the word of your book. Something special about this Big Adventures for Growing Minds series is that I have been privileged to write a 5-day devotion plan for the You Version Bible app. The plan for God's Little Oceanographer is coming! I've already written it. Here's the plan from God's Little Astronomer if you are curious. 

So there you have it. A list of 20 things that authors might do to prepare for their book launch. I'm still learning. And if you have other ideas, please list them in the comments! 

What's next for me? 

God's Little Zoologist 2027

God's Little Botanist 2029 I think

The Princess & the Grain of Rice Feb. 10, 2026

An unannounced picture book

Would you like to win a copy? Be sure to follow this blog and leave a comment. Contest ends Sunday, June 29th, 8:00pm CST. 

my friend's grandson

Tina Cho is the award-winning author of six picture book--RICE FROM HEAVEN: THE SECRET MISSION TO FEED NORTH KOREANS, KOREAN CELEBRATIONS, MY BREAKFAST WITH JESUS, THE OCEAN CALLS: A HAENYEO MERMAID STORY (4 starred reviews, JLG, Freeman Honor Award), GOD’S LITTLE ASTRONOMER, GOD’S LITTLE OCEANOGRAPHER, and the forthcoming THE PRINCESS AND THE GRAIN OF RICE (Feb. 2026) and GOD’S LITTLE ZOOLOGIST (2027). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW received five starred reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal, The Horn Book), an SCBWI Golden Kite Award, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, & Booklist Editors’ Choice 2024 & the Freeman Book Honor Award/NCTAsia). She’s a kindergarten teacher by day and an author by night. You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com. 

Instagram: @tinamcho

X: @tinamcho

Facebook: @tinamcho

To order God's Little Oceanographer click here

Gone Fishin' ~ a bucket of fishy tales

 by Sue Heavenrich

A couple months ago, Kathy Halsey interviewed Pam Courtney about her new book, A Season For Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition. And that got me thinking of all the fish stories my uncles and cousins used to tell – about the ones they caught, the ones that were “this big” (imagine arms spread as wide as they can go), and mostly about the ones that got away. And THAT got me wondering … 

how many ways could we tell a fish story?

We could stick with the facts, like Debra Kempf Shumaker does in her book, Freaky, Funky Fish: Odd Facts about Fascinating Fish. To be a fish, she writes, you have to have certain characteristics: scales, gills, maybe fins. But not all fish are alike. Debra shows, in rhyming text, the different ways fish are adapted to survive in their world. Some fish zap, some sing, some produce copious amounts of slime – and one even has a see-through head! What I love about this book is how she rates each fish on a funkiness scale of 1-5. 

We could profile a specific fish, like Elaine M. Alexander does in Anglerfish: The Seadevil of the Deep. The anglerfish looks like a very scary monster, what with that big mouth and sharp teeth. But she wasn’t always so big, or so toothy. In this book, we follow the anglerfish from fry to fierce predator to releasing eggs for the next generation. What I particularly like about this book is how the dark, mysterious illustrations bring us right into anglerfish’s deep, dark world.. I also like the comparison of the different species of angler fish. I didn’t know there were so many!

We could tell stories about the people who study fish. Like the students in Emmy’s class that Mary Boone follows in School of Fish. They watch salmon eggs from the day they’re dropped into the fish tank to the day they release the fry into a river. Along the way, the students learn about more than fish; they learn about ecosystem connections. And they learn how to work together for the good of the fish.

Or like fish scientists, such as Cristina Zenato, profiled in Sharks Unhooked, The Adventures of Cristina Zenato, Underwater Ranger, by Patricia Newman and Else Bostelmann, the underwater artist profiled in Else B. in the sea : the woman who painted the wonders of the deep, by Jeanne Walker Harvey. Not only are these fish stories, but they are about amazing women in science!

We could write about the important work fish do, like the cleaner fish in Susan Stockdale’s book, Don't Eat the Cleaners! Tiny Fish with a Big Job. When fish get dirty (like … how does that even happen? They live in water!) they head to a cleaning station. Cleaner wrasse and cleaner shrimp hang out there, ready to nibble dead skin and parasites of their fishy customers. These cleaner fish also slip between sharp teeth, pulling out bits of food, and nibble algae from sea turtle shells.

Or how tiny fish no longer than your finger are helping to save an important biome, in Sy Montgomery’s Amazon adventure : how tiny fish are saving the world's largest rainforest. They save not only the rainforest but the culture and economy that depend on them.

And of course, we could tell stories in the tradition of  an authentic “fish story” – absurd tall tales that get taller with each telling. Here are two that had me chuckling:

Don’t Trust Fish, by Neil Sharpson which begins with some matter of fact explanations of how to tell a mammal from a bird but quickly goes off the rails when it comes to fish. Why? Because you can’t trust fish! They spend all their time in the water, some are as big as a bus, and what are they teaching in those “schools” anyways?

I Need Pants! by Susan Sweet in which Fish desperately wants a pair of pants. Octopus points out that Fish can’t wear pants because fish don’t have legs. But once Fish finds a pair of pants and struts around the ocean in style, Octopus decides to try a few pairs on for size … 

So grab your tackle box – or your pencil and notebook, paints and sketchpad – and head to the river. What sort of Fish Story will you come back with?

Vicky Fang and more Ava Lin

Welcome back to author-illustrator Vicky Fang! Vicky is the talented creator of the funny and relatable "Ava Lin" early chapter book series. The first installment, Ava Lin, Best Friend, was published last year and the subject of an earlier GROG post.

Book #2 (Ava Lin, One of a Kind) came out in January, and book #3 (Ava Lin, Super-Duper Happy) is out June 10.

In Book 2, first-grader Ava's quest to do more kind deeds than anyone else in her class (in order to win a cool prize) leads to unexpected consequences. And Book 3 brings a school walkathon and a visit from Ava's popo (Chinese for grandmother). The Ava Lin books are bursting with humor and heart as Ava makes mistakes and learns from them. Throughout, Vicky's lively art keeps young readers engaged.

I asked Vicky about her latest book and future plans.

GROG: Your third Ava Lin book is now out. How is it different from the earlier two?

Vicky: While Best Friend! and One of a Kind focused on Ava navigating school and friendships, Super-Duper Happy centers on Ava’s relationship with her grandmother. There are still school themes involved (like the big school walkathon) but this book really explores how Ava tries to find a connection with her grandmother. It’s inspired by my own kids’ relationship with their grandmother (popo), and the hilarity found between what Ava thinks is awesome (treasures she finds on the ground or creepy crawly critters) and what her popo thinks is awesome (NOT the same things.)

from Book 3

How has Ava surprised you as the series progressed?

As I get to know Ava more, I love her for her optimism, her intensity, and her enthusiasm. I feel like writing Ava Lin helps me identify the social anxieties or confusions that are familiar to us all—and her character gives me a chance to dive headlong into those social missteps and find a way to bounce back or move forward from them. Writing these books is both cathartic and delightful, because I have so much fun writing and illustrating Ava’s hilarious shenanigans.

Why did you want Ava Lin to be Chinese American?

I wanted to write a Chinese American character because of my own upbringing and because I wanted my boys to see a truly funny, relatable character that was Chinese American, like them.

I also knew that the specificity would make the stories more funny and relatable. Little details, like the special tea Popo brings, or the slippers she wears around the house, give the characters and the situations depth and reality. I hope that Chinese American kids delight at seeing their culture represented in these books and that all kids recognize and relate to Ava’s experiences.

When you do classroom visits, what do first graders say about your Ava Lin books?

School visits are so much fun! I love getting messages afterwards from kids who love the books. There’s often something specific that they’ve fallen in love with—much like Ava Lin does! “I love the turtle” or “I love how she was kind to her friend” or “I like bubble tea too.” Ava Lin is all about full enthusiastic love for all kinds of wonderful things, so I love that kids react to the books in the same way! I’ve also seen and heard that kids don’t want to put the book down and want to keep on reading, which of course, makes me so happy as an author who wants to encourage young readers!

 

The word is you're working on an early graphic novel series, can you tell us more about that?

Yes! I am very excited about my upcoming early graphic novel series, One Mad Cat. It’s releasing next summer (2026) and I’m just working on the final cover for the first book now. It’s about a very cute but easily annoyed cat who steps out of her comfort zone to help solve mysteries for her friends.

I can't wait to see that one! It's been great chatting, Vicky. Anything else you'd like to share with GROG readers? 

Yes -- for updates on my upcoming books, you can sign up for my newsletter at https://vickyfang.substack.com/.

Vicky Fang is the author-illustrator of the Friendbots books and the Ava Lin books. She wrote the I Can Code board book series, as well as the Layla and the Bots series. She lives in California AND -- she runs a craft and business substack for kidlit writers and illustrators with Christine Evans called Kidlit Survival Guide at https://kidlitsurvivalguide.substack.com/. Check it out!