Thursday, January 12, 2017

SIOUX CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II by Andrea M. Page


















By Janie Reinart
 
We thank the Sioux Native American veterans known as "Code Talkers" for their service. These veterans used their tribal language as an unbreakable secret code to transmit messages and help defeat the Japanese in WWII.

Give a warm welcome to the charming Andrea Page. Her new book Sioux Code Talkers of World War II (Nonfiction, ages 8-14) will be released on March 1, 2017 and tells the story of her great-uncle,John Bear King. 

There is a raffle (Rafflecopter will pick the winner) to win one hard copy of Sioux Code Talkers of World War II.








Andrea has graciously answered some interview questions.  

Who is your agent?  
 
Currently, I don’t have an agent.


How did you get the idea for your story?


Back in 1994, my mother received a newspaper article about an interview with an aging veteran.  He talked about his service as a Lakota (Sioux) Code Talker.   

At the time, I didn’t know what a code talker was, but my mom was excited to see her uncle John Bear King in the photo that accompanied the article.  She had no idea her uncle was a code talker in WWII.  Great-uncle John had died many years before, so we couldn’t ask questions.



I am the “family tree person” who collects the family history.  I set out to get a copy of a page or paragraph that could be placed in the family file.  I went to the library and found…nothing. I decide to search for something, anything…and my journey began.

How long did it take to write? Get to a publisher?

When we received the newspaper article and photo of my great-uncle John Bear King, I was pregnant with my youngest child. She’s 21 years old now. 
I started to think about writing a book, since there was virtually no information about my great-uncle’s unit. 

I signed up for some classes at Writers and Books, and joined a local writer’s group.  (RACWI- Rochester Area Children’s Writers and Illustrators)  I continued to read, take classes, go to conferences, and research.  I sent out my first round of submissions in 2005, and Pelican Publishing responded, asking me if I could double my word count. 

I wasn’t going to give up.  Unfortunately, shortly after that, I had a devastating loss.  My father became sick and passed away in months.  At that point, it was really hard to think, read, or write.  I bounced back and worked hard to double my word count. I resubmitted in 2013.  After several tasks and revisions, I received my contract in 2015!
 
What is your favorite part of the story?

 
My favorite part of the story gives me goosebumps when I think of it.  I found out that my uncle’s unit 
(302nd Reconnaissance Troop) broke through a stone wall at Santo Tomas University to rescue the prisoners of war held there by the Japanese.  

It was, and is, the most emotional part of my journey.  I remember the day when I received the evidence in the mail. I had suspected that my uncle was part of that event, but when I found out for sure, I cried.


 
What is your writing routine?
 
In the summer, I like to write in the morning.   




During the school year, I have to write at night.  





I like to use a very large, blank sketchbook to write in.(11 X14, 100 pages)  

I’ve been filling at least one a year. I carry a few smaller ones around with me in case thoughts come at other times.  Those are also blank sketchbooks (9X12, 30 pages) (11X14, 24 pages).   

The right pen is important too. I love paper-mate Ink Joy 700 RT white barrel or Signo uniball.


What is your favorite book on the craft of writing?


Picture book

How to Write a Children’s Picture Book Vol I, II, III by Eve Heidi Bine-Stock

Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul

Getting ideas on paper:        

Call of the Writer’s Craft by Tom Bird


Resource:                                  

Emotions Thesaurus by Angel Ackerman and Becca Puglisi


What inspires you to write?  

I’m inspired by inspiring people.  When I read about a special person and how they overcame the challenges in their life…it’s motivating.  I share these stories with my students.  Hopefully, these stories motivate them to do great things in our world.
 
What are you working on now?

I’m currently revising two picture books- one on a historical event having to do with veterans and the other one is about an important Native American hero.



Words of advice for writers:  

These are not my words, but I've used the quote in school and I think it is very appropriate here.

Trust yourself fully. Imagine wildly. Craft carefully. 
                      ~ Terry Black Hawk

(From Open the Door: How to Excite Young People about Poetry, Poetry Foundation, page 247)

Thank you, Andrea for an inspiring interview. Best wishes on your book launch. Pre-order Sioux Code Talkers of World War II  here.

Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway (US only). 



Andrea M. Page is a 6th grade ELA teacher and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. Andrea  has been an elementary teacher (science, math and/or ELA) for over 30 years in a public school in upstate New York. She reads books that inspire the important values of bravery, fortitude, generosity and shares stories with her students, inspiring curiosity and wisdom. Researching and writing her first book, and then achieving publication was a dream come true. Being an author helps her to motivate her students, to push them out of their comfort zone and reach for their own dreams.

41 comments:

  1. Great interview, Janie, and so instructive and inspiring to see Andrea's process and the book come to fruition! CODE TALKERS sounds like a great mentor text form.

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    1. Kathy, I already pre-ordered my copy. So excited to read it!

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    2. Thanks Kathy for the nice comment. My hope is to have the code talker's story inspire others. If you use it as a mentor text, let me know. I'd love to see how it works out :)

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  2. I am so excited about this book! There are several books about Navajo Code Talkers, and the Lakota people should be recognized for their Code Talking heroism, too. Thank you, thank you, Andrea!

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    1. Jane how amazing that Andrea's great uncle was one of the code talkers and her book will honor them.

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    2. It took a long time to have all the code talkers from 33 different tribes receive recognition along with the Navajo. All of the code talkers deserve this honor. In fact, our local news just ran a story about an Akwesasne Mohawk code talker being honored a lacrosse game. His grandchildren walked him out for the ceremony. So cool! I think I posted the link on my website...

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    3. Jane you are the lucky winner of the raffle. Andrea will be in touch through email. Congratulations.

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  3. Janie, you hit it out of the ball park on this one. What a great interview, and what a worthy subject. I predict this book will garner a lot of attention.

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    1. Thank you, Sherri. I met Andrea this summer. She is delightful. Can hardly wait to read her book.

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    2. Janie asked great questions! And, she made the process go so smoothly- it was great to connect this summer with you both :)

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  4. Congrats Andrea!! It's so wonderful to see the cover and know your book is almost here.

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    1. Mary, thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Mary, thanks for noticing the cover. My cousin designed it and I think it's beautiful! I can't wait to hold an actual book in my hands....soon!

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  5. Thank you, Janie and Andrea, for this informative and inspiring interview. Congratulations, Andrea! I look forward to reading your book.

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    1. Charlotte, you are welcome. Good look on the raffle.

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    2. Charlotte, Thanks for the kind words. I hope you enjoy reading it :)

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  6. Great interview! Great topic. Thanks for sharing this book.

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    1. Sue, I appreciate you taking the time to read the interview. This is my first official interview and I've enjoyed the process. Thanks for connecting with us!

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  7. Hi everyone! First, I want to say THANK YOU to Janie for reaching out to me! I'm so glad we met last year and always enjoy catching up. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about these honorable men. Thank you for letting me share a little bit of their story today <3

    I'll come back in a little while to comment personally to everyone. I'm just getting home from work- need to do a few things, grab some dinner and then I'll be back!

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  8. Thank you Janie, for introducing us to Andrea.

    Andrea, I enjoyed reading about your writing journey and seeing your writing desk. How amazing that a newspaper article about a family member, Great Uncle John Bear King became the inspiration for the story, SIOUX CODE TALKERS OF WORLD WAR II.

    I enjoy reading & writing about WWII and am currently working on a manuscript about Victory Gardens.

    The title looks like a must read book.

    ~Suzy Leopold

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    1. Hi Suzy, Glad you enjoyed the interview. Good luck with your manuscript.

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  9. What a great interview! Andrea, your book sounds amazing and I can't wait to read it! And the picture of you is gorgeous.

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    1. Jenna, I agree that Andrea's picture is beautiful. Thanks for stopping by.

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    2. Thanks Jenna- you're so kind. I'm looking forward to reading yours soon! Make sure you let us know the date.

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  10. I first heard of the code talkers a year ago and thought it would make a great NF book for kids! I'm glad you researched and wrote it. And how cool your great-uncle was one!

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    1. I'm hoping kids will like it. Thanks for stopping by Tina- and it is awesome my great uncle was a SCT. I've grown so much learning about they're struggles and values. Nice to chat with you.

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    2. Tina it is such an interesting topic. So happy Andrea wrote about her great-uncle.

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  11. Thanks Suzy for the nice comment. I found out about victory gardens while doing the research and thought that topic is important too. I'm so glad you're writing about that! I look forward to seeing it in the future. ��

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    1. I'm trying to use my phone to type- not sure why comment ended up down here. And smileys turn out weird I guess...sorry.

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  12. Thanks for sharing your work. My husband interviewed the last living Code Talker a few days before he died.

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    1. Manju what an honor for your husband. Thank you for stopping by.

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    2. Hi Manju,
      What tribe was he from? My friend Dr. Meadows is still collecting information on all code talking groups. How did your husband find out about the code talker? Thanks for sharing!

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  13. Wonderful interview, Andrea. I knew a lot about you and the book, but now I know so much more. I can't wait to read it.
    Barbara

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    1. Hi Barbara, It was fun to read about Andrea :) So glad you stopped by.

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    2. Hi Barb!
      Thanks for popping in while you're away...Hope you signed up for the contest! See you soon :)

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  14. The Code Talkers fascinate me! So wonderful to hear the stories behind the book and to have some great references. Thanks!

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    1. Thanks Patricia. Did you try the rafflecopter?

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    2. Hi Patricia,
      Thanks for the kind note. I'll be posting more "behind the scenes stories" on my blog. A little over 6 weeks to launch! Check back when you can. :)

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  15. Hello Andrea,
    I appreciate hearing about your path with your family history & this potent story. Congratulations.
    This interview (thank you Janie, too) reminds me of a Rilke quotation -
    "To an artist ten years is nothing."
    Although nonfiction writers sometimes don't consider themselves literary artists,
    they truly are.

    I have known about this topic for some time & was thinking it would be perfect if a writer with authentic connection to it, brings it to young readers. I'm glad you preserved.

    Jan Annino

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  16. Jan thank you for the beautiful quote. Love stories about family history too.

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  17. Hi Jan,
    Sorry for the delay in responding. Thank you for the wonderful reflection and encouragement. It's interesting to me that people either know about the Code Talkers or haven't heard about them at all. There were many times where I questioned myself and wondered if it was meant to be. I appreciate your encouragement and kinds words. I love the quote and will cherish it. Thank you! Andrea

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