An Inside Look with Jennifer Swender
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
How did you come to know Austin?
During one of my early years as a teacher, I had a new student join the class toward the end of the year. As a new teacher, I was pretty much in survival mode from one day to the next. It wasn't until a colleague made a comment that it dawned on me that this very kind and quiet fourth-grade student didn't really read. How had I missed it? How had my perception been so different from what was going on inside the student's head?
What do you think is his most admirable quality?
Austin is extremely smart. He's insightful about the people and situations around him. In fact, his mind is often doing "double-duty"—thinking about what he's doing and at the same time, thinking about how others perceive what he is doing or how they will most likely react to what he's doing. But I think his most admirable quality is his kindness—he wants to help and he wants to be seen as helping. I think STUCK is the story of a certain fork in the road—will he be accepted and embraced for the best of him (i.e., get the chance to be a Safety) or will he be rejected, disheartened, and see confirmation of his negative feelings about himself?
Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
I can't think of anything I wish Austin had done differently. Readers might ask: Why didn't he ask for help sooner? Why didn't he tell his mom what was going on? etc. But if he were a louder or more demanding person, he wouldn't be who he is. He does get there eventually. It's similar to when his mom finally brings in the permission slip, and Ms. B says: "No worries. It's here now."
What do you think Austin can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I think books are an incredible way to see into someone else's head. I hope kids realize that everyone has doubts and weaknesses, everyone has moments of "if other people only knew [blank], they wouldn't like me, etc." But at the same time, I hope Austin's story helps kids see themselves as likewise brave, strong, and smart. As Christopher Robin says to Winnie the Pooh: "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
How did you research Austin and the circumstances he found himself in?
I read about reading challenges, specifically dyslexia—how it can manifest, how it is assessed, and how technology can serve as a support. One of the most helpful resources was an article about successful adults who experienced reading challenges when they were in school. They talked about some of the "tricks of the trade" to make it through certain situations, like asking to go to the restroom at just the right moment.
Do you and Austin share any similarities?
Yes, I would say we are both observers. We also both like audio books and cried reading the novel Bridge to Terabithia. I was also a Safety in fifth grade, although my job was "milk seller." (Chocolate $0.06; Regular $0.05; Skim $0.04.)
What was the hardest scene to write about him?
As a writer, I would say the scenes with Austin and his mom were the hardest. I was trying to walk a fine line, showing how much his mom really loves him and yet the limits of her ability to provide the kind of support he needs. Emotionally, I found the scene with the lock-down drill difficult to think about. In the story, it turns out to be just a drill, but the knife-edge of anxiety that Austin balances on is not solely because of what's going on in his own life. He has real reason to feel like something bad could happen at any moment. However, this is also the moment when his perspective broadens and he can see that he and Dee are not adversaries; they're on the same side.
Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
It might surprise some to say I think one of them is his mom. In an early draft, a reader commented: "Why is the mom so mean?" That was not my intention—revision! I see Austin's mom as truly doing the best she can. But just like a chair can't stand on two legs, it's when Austin broadens his support and accepts help from Bertie, Ms. G., and Ms. B that things start to feel more solid. I would say his other biggest supporter is Bertie. She is the best of unconditional friendship, openness, and acceptance, even if it does come with a lot of words.
Why do you think some young people end up with a low self-esteem because of their appearance or their ability? Is it because of their peers, their family, society?
That's a tough one. I think for some kids it's probably all three, starting with the family at the center, then expanding outward in concentric circles, and then for other kids it might be none of those things. Maybe it's a comment they hear or an image they see that sticks with them. I do think we all get some pretty strong messages (intentional or not) about what it means to be smart and good and attractive. And at the start of the story, Austin lumps all of these positive attributes together—in his mind smart = good, so if he's not smart in the traditional sense, what does that say about his "goodness" as a student? As a person? His large size also makes it hard for him to "fit in" and go unnoticed, which is all he really wants at the start.
What do you think Austin is doing at the present time?
I think he is listening to an audio book while looking at the posters in his room. He is in Mr. J.'s fifth grade class and enjoying his role on the Safety Squad. I picture him helping the little kids on the bus and off the bus, feeling a sense of purpose and belonging.
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)
Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)
Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)
Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)
Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)
Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)
Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)
Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)
Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)
Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)
Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)
Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)
Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)
Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)
Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)
Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)
Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)
Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)
Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)
Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)
Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow)
Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)
Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)
Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)
Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)
Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy)
Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)
Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)
Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)
Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)
Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)
Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)
Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)
Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)
Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)
Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)
Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)
Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl)
Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)
Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me)
SEASON #TWELVE (Winter 2022)
Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)
Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe)
Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)
Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin)
Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)
Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)
Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down)
Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)
Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)
Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)
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