There are so many World War II stories out there. What drew you to Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s life, and why did you choose to tell his story? His story has been known to me for a long time. In my early 20’s I had read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s theology in college, and knew of his journey, so I have always wanted to …
Interview with Board Book Winner Janik Coat
What inspired you to create this series of books for the youngest readers? In 2010, I published in Europe a big book called Mon Hippopotame; Abrams books wanted to publish it in a smaller size and called it Hippoposites…They were so excited that I suggested we meet in Bologna in 2013 to imagine a book I could do exclusively for …
Interview with Elementary Non-Fiction Winners Patricia Valdez and Felicita Sala
You have a PhD in biology, correct? How did you end up writing a children’s picture book biography? PV: My PhD is in Molecular and Cell Biology with a focus on Immunology. My day job is at the National Institutes of Health. When my children were younger I would tell them stories about the tiny armies in their bodies that …
Interview with YA Speculative Fiction Winner Rachel Hartman
What was your inspiration for this book, both Tess in particular and the world her story is set in? My very first inspiration was an article I read lamenting the lack of female road-trip stories. I was feeling burned out after writing Shadow Scale, and a road trip sounded like an easy, merry jaunt. A title came to me, Tess in Boots, which …
Interview with YA Graphic Novel Winner Jarrett Krosoczka
How does your family feel about their portrayal in the book? As I was writing HEY, KIDDO, I had my family read early drafts to ensure that my memories were in line with their understanding of how events unfolded. So, nobody was surprised on publication day. Have you come to understand how your mother ended up an addict? My mother …
Interview with Beginning Chapter Winners Debbi Michiko Florence and Elizabet Vukovic
Debbi, can you tell us a little about how you came up with Jasmine Toguchi and her stories? How did you develop Jasmine as a character? Why did you choose to focus on taiko drumming? DMF: I first came up with Jasmine after I read an article about a multi-generational Japanese American family that got together every year at New Years …
Interview with YA Fiction Winner Courtney Summers
What was the inspiration for Sadie? I’m very interested in our collective engagement with and response to true crime narratives, particularly as the category has expanded (and proven deeply popular) in the podcast medium. I love that it’s a category largely committed to the search for truth and justice, but I also wonder how well we’re serving the narratives of …
Interview with Middle Grade Nonfiction Winner Kelly Milner Halls
We love the name of your website: Wonders of the Weird. How long have you been interested in the “weird” things in nature? My mother used to call me her “little alien,” because I was so “different.” I loved being outside and exploring every inch of my natural world. Things weird but wonderful were always on the top of my …
Interview with Martin Sandler
Editor’s note: This interview was conducted via phone by our Junior High/Senior High Non-Fiction Chair, Jennie Rothschild. We’d like to thank her for her time in putting this together! I was lucky enough to talk to Martin Sandler on the phone about his winning book, The Whydah. Below is a transcript of our conversation, edited for length and clarity. In …
Interview with Dori Hillestad Butler
You write a lot of mystery stories for emerging readers. What are the challenges in creating a satisfying mystery for that reading level? Creating a simple mystery isn’t really a challenge for me, but sometimes I struggle with word count. There’s a pattern to the King & Kayla books. Each one has five chapters. The first chapter sets up the …