Lydia Lukidis Finds Poetry in Space. ~Christy Mihaly

Welcome back to all, and best wishes for a creative and fulfilling 2025. 

Today GROG is thrilled to welcome author Lydia Lukidis to tell us about her new book, UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere, illustrated by Katie Rewse and published by Capstone Editions, a Capstone imprint.

Lydia has written more than 50 trade and educational books for children, including DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone. 2023), which you can read more about in this GROG post.

Lydia's new book explores Earth's atmosphere -- how about that for a picture book topic! Curious about where this idea came from? I asked!

GROG: What inspired you to write this book? Did you think about it when writing your earlier book about Mae Jemison? 

Lydia: It started in 2019 when I began writing DEEP, DEEP DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench. Unbeknownst to me at the time, that book would turn out to be very special. It taught me that I can write about STEM topics using lyrical language. This was a turning point for me as a writer.

DEEP, DEEP DOWN won numerous awards (my first time!!) like the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner for the Canada and North America Division and the Silver Birch Express Honor (Forest of Reading). My agent Miranda Paul suggested I write a book UP, UP HIGH that journeys up high into our universe. I knew it was a winner.

P.S.: I had written DANCING THROUGH SPACE, my book about Mae Jemison, ten years prior so they weren’t connected. But now I clearly see I love writing about the deep sea and space!

GROG: What is your favorite line from Up, Up High?

Lydia: It's here:

The text is:

Up,
up
high
you go.

Soon the entire window
begins to glow
as an aurora
dances across the horizon.

Waves of blue,
yellow,
and green
merge together like magic,
shimmering
and shifting
in a sea of color.

GROG: Nice! And which illustration do you love the most?

Lydia: Also this one--Katie did such a terrific job illustrating the aurora lights!

GROG: It really is lovely. Okay, how about your research process? Your note thanks an expert, Dr. Zhang – did you conduct many interviews?

Lydia: This is what I’m learning with nonfiction; that primary resources and interviews with experts are sometimes essential and lend more credibility and accuracy to the work. My research starts with a few trips to the library where I consult books, periodicals, and magazines. Then I scour the web for reputable sites. From there, I’m usually able to write the first drafts. BUT- there are often holes or inaccuracies in the text. For UP, UP HIGH, I consulted three different experts:

1. Dr. Zhang who works for the NOAA. He’s a whiz who was able to answer all my weather/atmosphere questions. 

2. NASA astronaut Linda Godwin, who spent time aboard the International Space Station. How amazing is that? 

3. Alan Eustace, a computer analyst who, gasp, SPACE JUMPED! Yes, you heard that right. I'm sure you've heard of skydivers. They jump from planes at about 10,000 feet up. But Eustace took a jump in space, from 26 miles up (137,280 feet). He free fell for more than 14 minutes and traveled faster than the speed of sound. Can you imagine??

GROG: All three of these people sound like amazing sources of information and insight.

Now, tell me about the “poetry” in your title. Do you consider the whole book a single poem or did you write discrete poems about different topics or themes within the book?

Lydia: The reason I chose poetry and lyrical language for DEEP, DEEP DOWN is because the Mariana Trench itself is a poem (I watched hours of footage). The same applies to our atmosphere, it’s mysterious and poetic all at once. It’s something we take for granted yet gives us life. This book honors that. I see each spread as having its own little poem that attempts to encapsulate the magic of the element it describes.

GROG: Why do you like to combine nonfiction with poetry?

Lydia: First off, it should be said that poetry is my first love, I’ve been crafting poems since I was six years old. So, if that language works, I’ll use it! But that’s not always the case, it varies from project to project. Sometimes, the content calls for a funny tone, or a more serious one. I play around with structure and tone until it feels right.

Poems penned by young Lydia

GROG: What are your thoughts about how to write nonfiction to engage young readers?

Lydia: Children are naturally curious. If you structure a nonfiction book in an engaging way and pick a topic with kid appeal, many children will likely gravitate to it. As an author, you need to think like a child. What would a child find interesting? That way, you can find your way ‘in’ to the book. Sometimes, it doesn’t happen. I have many WIPs that end up in the garbage.

GROG: I love the way the graphics in Up, Up High note the altitude above Earth for various features. How did you formulate the format for the book, with the fact boxes and altitude notations?

Lydia: Thanks! That format was perfected in DEEP, DEEP DOWN. I wanted to be as accurate as possible and really give context to all these atmospheric elements. The information on the internet is not the most accurate so consulting with the NOAA was essential.

GROG: Would you call Up, Up High trade or educational? Or both?

Lydia: It’s definitely trade as it’s published by Capstone Editions. I had been struggling for years to make the leap from work-for-hire to trade and it wasn’t easy. The good thing is, Capstone is also very much an educational publishing company and many of their clients are schools and libraries. So it flows into both worlds.

GROG: Generally, what do you take inspiration from? Where do you look for ideas?

Lydia: I don’t need to actively look for ideas, they literally come to me every day. My issue is that I need to practice the art of discernment, this is critical. Most of the ideas are just that, ideas, and they don’t necessarily translate into a strong book with a narrative arc. When an idea has potential, I’ll start my research and develop it to make sure it has what it takes.

GROG: I'm wondering how Up, Up High is related to Deep, Deep, Down? Did you have a contract for a series? And can you share what you are planning to write next? 

Lydia Lukidis

Lydia: UP, UP HIGH is definitely a companion book to DEEP, DEEP DOWN. They follow the same structure and tone, but explore our beautiful world in opposite directions. The second book wasn’t “in the bag” with Capstone right off the bat, but my agent Miranda Paul submitted it to their editor first, as an exclusive. They said yes! It was meant to be. Will there be more books in this series? Maybe! One never knows. 

I love writing nonfiction STEM. But I also like writing funny! I have a new early graphic novel series coming out in July, "Groucho the Grouchy Groundhog," which is a nod to Garfield, slapstick humor, and Seinfeld. All things I love!

I also wrote two novels in verse on very tough topics. I’m hoping they will get picked up! One is on sub and the other is with my agent.

Lastly, I’m working on three different STEM books. One of them is flowing well and the other two, not so much! Sometimes it takes time.

GROG: That's a lot! Good luck with all of the above. Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

Lydia: I wanted to tell all aspiring writers: DON’T GIVE UP! Keep writing, it takes time. It took me many years to find my footing, and I had to go through three different agents until I found my dream agent. And still, it’s hard. I get rejections all the time. But I don’t give up, and neither should you.

More about Lydia Lukidis 

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024) and DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, and Cybils Award nominee. A science enthusiast from a young age, Lydia now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. Lydia is represented by literary agent Miranda Paul from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency. 

Social Media Links: 

Website & preorder UP, UP HIGH: http://www.lydialukidis.com/

Blog: https://lydialukidis.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis

FB: https://www.facebook.com/LydiaLukidis/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lydialukidis.bsky.social

Two New Little Golden Book Biographies ~Christy Mihaly

 

Diana Murray

Happy New Year, friends! We're celebrating GROG's 10th year in 2024! (More to come.)

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Christy Mihaly

Today I (Christy Mihaly) am excited to be interviewing the prolific and talented picture book author Diana Murray. Diana and I are friends who met in an online poetry critique group, Poets' Garage. We're both clients of the amazing Erzsi Deak of Hen&ink Literary Studio. And yesterday (1/2/24) we both celebrated book birthdays of books in the Little Golden Book Biography series. Diana wrote about Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I wrote about Mel Brooks, and we thought we'd chat about them a bit today.

You may have noticed LGB has begun a series of bios of a range of artists, celebrities, political figures, and famous folks -- most notably the million-copy-selling Taylor Swift: A Little Golden Book Biography. 

For Diana and me, writing these LGB biographies was a fun change from our usual work.

We each asked one another three questions ... here goes:

Christy: So, Diana, you are known for writing wonderful poetry and rhyming books about knitting pirates, unicorns and witches ... not exactly nonfiction works. Why did you want to write a Little Golden Book biography?

Diana: This was a huge departure for me. Not only is it my first nonfiction book, but it's the first book I've written in prose! I was thrilled to be asked to write it because I love a challenge and I love writing to a prompt. The chance to explore another genre was very exciting and fun for me. Plus, I'm a huge fan of Arnold's movies. "Conan the Barbarian" was one of my favorites during high school -- I must have watched it 50 times. I'm also a first-generation immigrant so I related to him in that way. I understand what it's like to feel grateful for the opportunity to be here. 

CM: You certainly rose to the challenge, Diana. I'd say on your first prose nonfiction work, you nailed it! I also liked learning a new fact about you. What is a favorite fact that you learned about Arnold in the process of writing this book?

DM: I thought it was funny that they dubbed over all his lines in his first movie, "Hercules in New York," because of his accent. And, without his permission, they even changed his name on the movie posters to make it sound less "foreign!" That was in 1970. If only those producers knew what a huge star he would become!

CM: Oh, that is so wonderfully ironic. Talk about overcoming challenges! I know you previously wrote a very adorable fiction/colors LGB, Firehouse Rainbow. I'm sure writing about Arnold was quite different -- were there similarities in writing the two books?

DM: There were two main similarities. One was keeping in mind the audience and making the text appealing for that age group. The other was thinking about page turns and illustrations. You want to create a little tension between page turns. Something that will make readers want to flip the page to learn what happens next. And you need to vary the scenes and locations to create variety -- you can't have the action happening within a single location so it's the same illustration across several spreads.

Now it's my turn! Here are my questions for you, Christy:

DM: You have written several other fabulous nonfiction picture books, such as Hey, Hey, Hay! A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them and Free for You and Me: What Our First Amendment Means. Did that experience make this project easier? How is writing a biography different? 

CM: It's true I think of myself as primarily a nonfiction writer (and I've written many purely nonfiction, educational books), but in picture books I tend to write informational fiction, inventing a story line to convey information in a kid-friendly way. So the challenge in writing the LGB biography was to tell a compelling story for young kids in a few words without making anything up and without leaving out anything important. Honestly, that's always going to be a challenge!

DM: It's such a good question that I have to ask you, too: What's a favorite fact that you learned about Mel Brooks?

CM: I learned a great deal, but found Mel's childhood particularly fascinating. He grew up as Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, without a father and with very little money. He says that he and his three older brothers didn't just share a bedroom -- they all slept in one bed.

DM: I was impressed by how kid-friendly and fun your biography text is.  What are some strategies you use to keep nonfiction from sounding too dry?

CM: Oh, thanks, Diana. One of the first things I did was read a bunch of other LGB biographies to get a feel for how other authors were approaching these short, 24-page biographies. The whole ethos of Little Golden books is to make these stories accessible. 

As I wrote, I paid careful attention both to word choices and to which areas of Mel's life would interest kids. For each spread, I asked: What would a kid want to know? What would a kid think was funny, interesting, intriguing? What would make a young person care about Mel's story? I wrote quite a bit about his childhood, showing how his upbringing affected his life. In describing Mel's later life, I let kids know how important his best friend Carl Reiner was in his life, and also how he overcame many setbacks along the way. And as I chose words and cut excess, I tried to keep the tone light and humorous -- because, Mel Brooks.

Thanks for the great questions, Diana, and your great answers! 

GROG readers, we'd love to see your comments ... Who do you think should be the subject of the next Little Golden Books biography?

Introducing THE PALACE RAT, and author Lynne Marie ~ Christy Mihaly

I'm pleased to welcome author and picture book booster Lynne Marie to chat with GROG. She's celebrating the release of The Palace Rat, illustrated by Eva Santana, and she offered to share some insider's insights. (Also, check out the adorable book trailer at the end of this post.)

You may already know Lynne Marie's work. She has several prior books (listed below) and is the owner/director of the RATE YOUR STORY critiquing and mentoring service,  as well as the organizer of March on With Mentor Texts, among her other activities. 

But let's get to our interview!

Q: Welcome, Lynne Marie! Your latest book is about a rat in the palace of Versailles. How did you ever come up with this idea?

Lynne Marie: The inspiration came on a family trip to France in 1997. We took an excursion to Versailles. As we waited for the tour guide to pass out the tickets, a rat scurried across the courtyard. That inspired a game of "what if?" in my mind. What if that rat was related to the rats of the French Revolution? What if the (long-ago relative) rat was the pampered pet of King Louis XIV? What if others in the Palace were jealous of the King’s attention for the rat? What would they do to get rid of it? How would the rat react? The wheels started turning and never stopped. 

Q: Wow! And the result was a great fairy-tale-like story. Nicely done. The Palace Rat is published by Yeehoo Press. I know they publish in China, too. How have they been to work with?

Lynne Marie: The Palace Rat is my first book published with Yeehoo Press. I am excited that it will also be published in China! The people I worked with were very accommodating and very communicative. It has been a pleasure working with them. 

Q: You’ve published other picture books based on fairy tales or folk tales. What's the secret to making those work? 

Lynne Marie: When writing a folktale, it is important to find a way that today's children can relate to the retold tale. In the case of THE PALACE RAT, my thought was to support the message to bloom where you are planted (as many children don’t have control over where they go or who they go with, both in divorces and foster care, etc.), and doing what you love to do best (this helps with coping and discovery). I hope that my story will inspire little ones, no matter the situation, to bloom where they are planted and to make the best of their strengths. 

 In MOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE SCARES it is more about following your heart and being open to the fact that someday, when you least expect it, you will find your “place.” 

THE THREE LITTLE PIGS AND THE ROCKET PROJECT supports that sometimes the losers can be winners. It just matters that you use what you have to play the right game.

Q: Excellent points! You often discuss the importance of mentor texts. Did you have any particular texts in mind as you wrote this? 

Lynne Marie:  For this story, I used a variety of Mentor Texts, including picture books that featured rat characters, were set in France, or were about moving. I also looked at retellings of City Mouse/Country Mouse and The Prince and the Pauper. 

I wanted to make sure that my story was new and different, a fresh retelling, and could stand out among and above the rest. I also really wanted to introduce this historic period to readers, to plant a seed and grow a history lover. 

Q:  Much of what you do is supporting other picture book creators. Tell us what motivates you and what you like best about that. 

Lynne Marie: I was really fortunate to realize my dream of becoming a multi-published picture book author and it makes me feel like a fairy godmother to help others to achieve their dreams. I have worked as an editor for a few small presses and run a mentoring and critique service at www.thepicturebookmechanic.com. 

And, I am currently an Agent Mentee with the Seymour Agency and am on my way to becoming an Agent. I am very excited about this as it makes me an official Fairy Godmother. 😊 My own literary agent, Marisa Cleveland of the Seymour Agency, is my Agent Mentor. I adore her and think she is the best of the best – so enthusiastic and supportive.

Q: You and I first crossed paths when you took over the administration of Rate Your Story. What made you decide to take that on? 

Lynne Marie: I was already a big fan of the Rate Your Story Rating and Feedback Service (www.rateyourstory.org). I actually didn’t want to become a Judge as I would no longer be eligible to be a Member. But Sophia Gholz, the owner at the time, finally convinced me that I should. Then after I'd been a judge for several years, Sophia was ready to hand over the torch and convinced me that I was just the person to take it. I love Rate Your Story and being an important part of many writer’s journeys so I am grateful she did! 

Q: And in addition to your writing life, you’re a travel agent, too! What’s your favorite part of that job? 

Lynne Marie: Yes! I am a Travel Agent with Pixie Vacations (www.pixievacations.com/lynne) and I love that job. As mentioned, my travel inspired THE PALACE RAT so you can see that I am passionate about wearing both of these hats. I find travel and history very inspiring and often try to weave what I learn about the world through travel into my stories. I also love reading and collecting world folktales.

Lynne Marie

Q: Okay, now our readers want to know: How do you have time to do it all? What’s your secret? 

Lynne Marie: I love everything I do and it feeds each other. I think that the fact that all the things I do are related and feed each other, it really helps! So no matter what I am working on (writing, reading, travelling, mentoring, giving feedback, etc.), I am learning and growing and creating. 

Thanks for taking the time to chat, Lynne Marie. And good luck with all you're doing!

Thank you, dear Christy, for having me on the GROG blog. I am very happy to have you as a Judge at Rate Your Story and to be on this wonderful path together! 

Aaand, here's that trailer: 

More about Lynne Marie: She is co-host of #SeasonsofKidLit along with Heather Macht. And she is a long-time Cybils judge and feature columnist at Children's Book Insider. When she’s not traveling the world in search of story ideas, she lives in the heart of Florida with her family, a Schipperke named Anakin and a Mini Pinscher named Marlowe Charlotte. Visit her at 

 www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com. LynneMarie is represented by Marisa Cleveland and Jonathan Rosen ofwww.theseymouragency.com.

Here are Lynne Marie's earlier (and forthcoming) titles: 

Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten -- art by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic 2011)

Hedgehog's 100th Day of School -- art by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic 2017)

The Star of the Christmas Play -- art by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books 2018)

Moldilocks and the 3 Scares -- art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling / Scholastic 2019)

Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World -- art by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books 2019)

The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book -- art by Wendy Fedan (Mac and Cheese Press 2022)

The Palace Rat -- art by Eva Santana (Yeehoo Press 2023)

forthcoming: 

Broommates co-written with Brenda Reeves Sturgis – art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press 2024)

And if you're looking for Lynne Marie, here are some of the places she hangs out:

FACEBOOK: 

https://www.facebook.com/WordsandPictures.by.LynneMarie

AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE: Children's Author Lynne Marie

 https://www.facebook.com/LiterallyLynneMarie/

TWITTER: @Literally_Lynne

https://www.facebook.com/WordsandPictures.by.LynneMarie

INSTAGRAM: 

https://www.instagram.com/literally.lynne.marie/

THREADS: 

https://www.threads.net/@literally.lynne.marie

GOODREADS:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4848931.Lynne_Marie

RATE YOUR STORY ON TWITTER: @RateYourStory    

https://twitter.com/RateYourStory

RATE YOUR STORY RATINGS AND FEEDBACK:

http://www.rateyourstory.org

CRITIQUE and MENTORSHIP WEBSITE:

http://www.thepicturebookmechanic.com