Wild Wonderings & Craft Chat with Jessica Fries-Gaither, Author & Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow by Kathy Halsey

It’s always exciting to share a new book by an author I know personally. Jessica Fries-Gaither is not only an Ohio author and friend, she’s a great resource as both science teacher and now Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow for 2024-2025. 

Through her Fellowship, she’s learning about the Library of Congress collections that relate to science, and about the science being done at the Library in order to develop classroom materials, write for publications, participate in social media efforts, participate in professional development of educators, visit classrooms, and give presentations. 

Wild Wonderings Book Review

Her newest book, Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions, illustrated by Linda Olliver, is the perfect picture book to share with budding scientists to engage them in the steps before the scientific method. It all begins with curiosity and questions!  

Author Fries-Gaither explains that even though some questions can’t be answered by using the scientific method and acquiring data, it’s still important to ask them. From Thales of Greece through current day Columbian planetary geologist, Adriana Ocampo, readers discover  the questions that intrigued scientists over time, and how they went about finding answers through observation and even by accident. The author chose a group of nine diverse scientists, some well known and some not, to highlight. Kids will see themselves in the variety of topics and interests these scientists represent, too.

Educators and librarians will appreciate the strong back matter that includes the scientists profiled along with a short, interactive lesson that instructs readers to turn observations into questions, how to sort questions as research questions, observational, and testable questions. 

The engaging art, rhyming text, and extensive science and educational background of Fries-Gaither make this a must-purchase for teachers and school librarians alike.  While the publisher NSTA Kids recommends this picture book for grades: 3-5, as a former K-12 librarian, I know middle school teachers and students can also benefit from this book as a jumping off point for research and formulating questions.  

Craft Chat with Jessica Fries-Gaither 

Kathy: I notice you wrote the book in quatrains. Are these formal quatrains with strict meter and rhyme? The last stanza for each scientist is a rhyming couplet, which also acts as a refrain to emphasize why questions are important, correct? Did you experiment with prose first? Why poetry?

 

Jessica: First, the ten-million-dollar question: why poetry? The answer to that comes way back in 2013, when I started to work on the first book in this series, NOTABLE NOTEBOOKS: SCIENTISTS AND THEIR WRITINGS. I tried and tried, but the only way I could write it was in rhyme. For whatever reason, the manuscript just demanded poetry. And that wasn’t easy, given the technical vocabulary and scientist names. But I persevered and once NOTABLE NOTEBOOKS was published, the next two (EXEMPLARY EVIDENCE and now WILD WONDERINGS) had to follow the format.

 

As for the nitty-gritty details, no, these are not formal quatrains with strict meter and rhyme. I have a really hard time with meter—always have, since my high school studies of Shakespeare. Instead, the text is the product of me reading out loud and revising over and over. Maybe someday I’ll take a class and finally get the hang of it. Or maybe I’ll just never write in rhyme again! (Certain books require prose while others require the poetic treatment. I feel the quatrains make this a fun read! -Kathy)

And yes, the couplet is supposed to serve as conclusion/transition/reinforcement of the importance of questions.

 

Kathy: There are so many scientists throughout time, how did you decide which ones to include? Who would you have liked to include, but couldn't?

 

Jessica: Selecting scientists for all three of the books took some time, research, and reflection. Most importantly, I wanted to reflect the true diversity of science, including men and women from different cultures and different time periods. Representation is so critical in STEM, and so I was committed to doing that from the start. Also, I needed to find individuals whose work could be fairly easily summarized and accessible to elementary-aged students. And in the case of WILD WONDERINGS, I wanted to feature scientists who asked really compelling questions for kids. That led me to rule out some interesting people, but I don’t regret any of those choices.

Kathy: How did you begin your connection to NSTA? What suggestions would you give NF writers in writing for institutions and associations like NSTA?

 Jessica: While I’ve been a member of NSTA for my entire career as a science educator, my writing connection began in 2010 while I was working at Ohio State. Terry Shiverdecker, science specialist at the Ohio Resource Center, and I had created an inquiry-based, integrated science and literacy unit for a professional development workshop. We received really positive feedback from teachers and decided that we wanted to try and write a book full of such units. So we reached out to NSTA and proposed the concept. They were on board and we published INQUIRING SCIENTISTS, INQUIRING READERS in 2012. That success gave me the confidence to pitch NOTABLE NOTEBOOKS for their kids' imprint.

 

My advice to anyone wanting to write, for NSTA Press or any other publisher, is to do your homework and learn about the field. If you want to write for teachers, make sure you’re up-to-date on current research and pedagogical approaches. If you want to write for kids, make sure you’ve read a lot of current children’s nonfiction. Learn about the craft and ask when you have questions. The kid lit community is very welcoming and encouraging. And most importantly, don’t be afraid to pitch your idea!

Kathy:  Please share some of the highlights of your year-long residency as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress. I know this could, and may be a book one day!

 

Jessica: I’m five months into an eleven-month fellowship, and I could fill several volumes with the highlights already. I’ve gotten to see some incredible scientific documents up close and personal, like Marie Tharp and Bruce Hezeen’s map of the ocean floor. I’ve been collaborating on a project with the Library’s Rare Books and Preservation departments--we’ve been scientifically analyzing the pigments in Maria Merian’s 1705 book, Metamorphosis of the Insects of Suriname. We have an entire Library blog post on the project coming out soon, so I don’t want to give too much away there. And I’ve been working with the Library’s Informal Learning office on content and children’s programming for The Source, a creative research experience for kids expected to open late 2025. It will be a great addition for our budding researchers!

 

Kathy:  What are some of your favorite resources that educators, authors, and school librarians may not know about from the LOC?

 

Jessica: First, I don’t know that people realize the breadth of the Library’s collection. It’s not just books--there are maps, prints & photographs, comic books, newspapers, and so much more. And the collection is not solely made up of items from the United States—there are extensive international collections as well. After all, the LOC is the world’s largest library!

Every department in the Library has its own blog, which is a great way to get a feel for the incredible diversity of collections housed here.

The Library offers a terrific three-day, in-person professional development workshop for educators each summer. I participated before becoming an Albert Einstein fellow, and it is truly some of the best professional development of my career. There are also a number of online resources available as well.

 

People may also not know that anyone 16 years or older can register for a free readers card, which allows access to the Library’s reading rooms and collections. And for those not in the DMV area, the “Ask a Librarian” feature is unmatched. The librarians here are some of the most curious, interesting, and helpful people I’ve ever encountered. They will happily help you conduct whatever type of research you are interested in. The Library truly belongs to each and every one of us—take advantage of it!

 

Kathy: What other exciting upcoming events are you especially looking forward to during this year in Washington DC? 

 

Jessica: Some of the events I’ve enjoyed the most have been unexpected, so it’s hard to answer this question. I am looking forward to the cherry blossom festival, although I’ve been warned about the massive crowds. I’m really just excited to take advantage of as many opportunities as I can—both big and small—for the rest of my time here!

 

About Jessica Frie-Gaither

Jessica is an experienced science educator and an award-winning author of books for students and teachers. Her titles include Nature's Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don't Fit In, Notable Notebooks: Scientists and Their Writings, Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and Their Data, Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions, and Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms. She is currently a 2024-2025 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress.

 

Jessica's Social Media Contacts

 

www.jessicafriesgaither.com

https://www.facebook.com/jfriesgaither

Instagram @JessicaFGWrites

BlueSky: @jessicafgwrites.bsky.social

 https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessica-fries-gaither-14407233/

 

Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story: Making a Science Topic Accessible for Kids By Jody Jensen Shaffer

Today I welcome author Jody Jensen Shaffer to the Grog Blog. We've been online writing friends for a while, and it's been neat to see Jody's body of published books grow!

 

I, Tina Cho, recently read her nonfiction picture book, CREEP, LEAP, CRUNCH! A Food Chain Story to my kindergartners, and they loved guessing the next predator in the food chain, the suspense of the story, and the "scary" snake. 

Today, Jody shares her expertise with us in writing nonfiction. 

Thanks for having me on the Grog Blog, Tina! I’m excited to share my experience making a science topic, like the food chain, accessible (read fun and interesting) for kids.

I’ll give you the short version right up front: I think like a kid, so I write to entertain…myself! If I run across cool facts about how things work in nature, strange creatures with little-known talents, fascinating processes within the human body, or amazing ways of sharing that information, I’m hooked.

My job as a writer then is to share my excitement with (chronological) kids. Here’s how I did that for Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story, gorgeously illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal and published by Knopf Books for Young Readers in December 2023. I hope my process will be helpful for your readers!

Choose a Subject You’re Interested in

If you like what you’re writing about and researching, it’ll show in your manuscript. I knew when my journey began in 2013 with Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story that I wanted to write about the food chain. I researched my state’s science curriculum to see what grades studied food chains, and I read current picture books about the food chain to see what was already out there. Then I began researching kinds of food chains—where they take place, what animals live there, what those animals eat and what eats them.

Structure

I needed my food chain book to be different than what I saw in the market, so I began brainstorming picture book structures—traditional 3-act, cumulative, concept, mirror, parallel, reversal, list, how to, dialogue-driven, lyrical, variety of viewpoints, day in the life, morning to evening, etc. I wanted my structure to be exciting.

Then suddenly—okay, after lots of staring at my computer—“There Was an Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly” popped into my head. (For those unfamiliar, the old woman swallows a fly, then she swallows a spider to catch the fly, then she swallows a bird to catch the spider. You get the idea.)

Hey, wait! I thought. That’s a food chain! A fictional, rather strange food chain, but a food chain nonetheless! And it was told in a cumulative way—new information was introduced with each page turn, while old information was repeated. I thought using a cumulative structure to discuss the food chain would be really fun! What’s more, I knew kids would be familiar with both the “Old Woman” story and cumulative structure. By building on kids’ past knowledge, I could build interest in my subject.

Voice

So, I had my food chain facts, and I had my story structure. I knew that for kids to recognize my story’s cumulative structure, I would have to be true to the voice of the “Old Woman.” That is, I would have to mimic the rhyme, meter, and cadence of the words of that story. If those lines rhymed, I needed mine to, too, in the exact way and at the exact time. No slant rhymes. No reversed-sentence rhymes. No fudging. This is trickier than one might think! Especially when you’re writing nonfiction, because it all has to be true with actual words! 😊

So I rhymed where I was supposed to, matched my beats to the “Old Woman’s,” followed a cumulative structure, and got all my facts in there. Oh, and I also decided to make it a morning-to-night story (kids are familiar with those) and to write it using lyrical language. Can you tell this project was like putting a puzzle together? I love puzzles, by the way.

Then I went through my text and concentrated on additional literary devices—alliteration, internal rhyme, simile, metaphor, and a fun narrative voice—until it sang.

And guess what? Kids love rhyme that’s well done. They love alliteration. They love repetition. They love a fun narrative voice. All things that make a science topic accessible.

Give it a twist

So, finally, my cumulative, rhyming, nonfiction food chain book began in the morning with the sun and proceeded through a series of ever-larger animals until it ended, rather predictably, at the apex predator, a black bear.

And it felt…incomplete. Even with all the beautiful language and cool structure. Whoop-de-doo, the big guy wins. So what’s new? Yikes for the mouse, I guess.

But I’m an animal-lover and a cheerleader for the underdog (as are kids), so I worried about the cricket and the red-tailed hawk and the fox (even though I’m big enough to know what happens in the real world), and the story sat on my hard drive for three years, unfulfilled and unfulfilling until…

2016!

…when my story twist came to me—“But some days—,” wherein all the critters escape their predators, and the black bear munches flowers and seeds and is perfectly satisfied! Because that happens, too, in the real world! I knew kids (and their adults) would love that alternate ending as much as I did.

From there, it only took me another five years of tinkering—and working on other projects—before I sent it into the world, received two offers, and ultimately accepted Knopf’s.

One more tip: choose a fun, active title. My original, There Was a Blue Sky, was a bit too lyrical.

So, how do you make a science topic accessible for kids? You write it to delight the child inside you.

Thanks for sharing your process, Jody! I, especially, loved how you gave this food chain story a twist! 

 Jody Jensen Shaffer is the author of more than 80 books for children, including Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story (2024 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book, Oklahoma's 2025 Donna Norvell masterlist, SLJ starred review), Prudence the Part-Time Cow (Missouri Show Me Award finalist), A Chip Off the Old Block (Iowa Goldfinch Award nominee, Amazon Teachers' Pick), It's Your First Day of School, Busy Bus! (Amazon best seller and Book Box pick), EMERGENCY KITTENS, Sometimes I am Hot Lava, and more! Jody is a frequent school, library, festival, and conference presenter. She lives with her family in Missouri. You can find Jody at jodyjensenshaffer.com and on Twitter at jodywrites4kids.

See all her books at JodyJensenShaffer.com

Twitter @JodyWrites4Kids