Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, August 28, 2017

An Inside Look #32 - Season #TWO (AUTHOR Interview)


An Inside Look With Jordan Sonnenblick

(Author of The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade)


*This was a new feature I added to the blog during the summer of 2016.  It was a shot in the dark that it would work, but much to my surprise; it took off and over the last year I conducted 22 interviews with a variety of authors.  

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.



*I didn't have time for interviews during the school year, but I'm excited to be back for "season #TWO".  

*I'm hoping to run this feature at least once a week.  There is nothing more satisfying than sharing and promoting a book/author/character that I have fallen in love with.  

*Thank you to Jordan Sonnenblick for being the TENTH author of the second season.  I truly appreciate it.  


*Here are links to the first THIRTY-ONE interviews…








*Jordan Sonnenblick's novels are some of my favorites.  I love his stories.  I love his characters.  I love the messages he includes in the novels.

*I picked this one up at ALA in Chicago and when I started, I just couldn't stop reading.  This may be one of his best books to date.  As soon as I finished, I texted two sixth grade teachers and told them about it.  I for sure want to share it with my fourth grade readers.

*As I reach out to authors to ask if they would be willing to do an interview, I'm always a bit nervous.  I don't want to intrude on their lives and I'm wondering if they will say yes or no.  I'm not sure why I question this because everyone has always said YES.  Jordan was another example of a gracious author that agreed to answer some questions for me.  

*Here is a link to my review of The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade...



*Thank you Jordan Sonnenblick for writing this novel for middle-grade readers and taking the time to share your thoughts with us here on the blog...

The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade 
by Jordan Sonnenblick (Released August 29, 2017)


How did you come to know Maverick?  
Maverick was inspired by a young man named Jack Kunkle, who died of cancer at age 18 in September 2014.  I had first met Jack when he was a tiny sixth grader, and what I wanted to capture was Jack’s good humor, courage, and unflinching optimism in the face of a devastatingly uphill fight.  While Maverick’s battle isn’t with a disease, the inner resources he brings to bear all come from Jack Kunkle.
What do you think is Maverick's most admirable quality?
His never-ending desire to do good.  Even though his tendency to leap into the breach sometimes has disastrous consequences in the short term, Maverick rolls up his sleeves again and again to do what he thinks is right.
Is there anything you wish Maverick would have changed or done differently in his story?
No way.  Maverick is a force of nature.  His path can’t be changed or diverted by mere human wishes.  :)
What do you think Maverick can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I think that Maverick, like Jack, offers hope.  Even when he is losing a battle, Maverick never caves.  Ernest Hemingway wrote in The Old Man and the Sea that “Man is not made for defeat … A man can be destroyed but not defeated.”  I want Maverick to be the kind of beacon to other kids that Jack Kunkle was to me.
How did you research Maverick and the circumstances he found himself in?
Well, I was a public school teacher for 14 years, mostly in high-poverty areas.  My wife is a school counselor, and has spent most of her career working in impoverished communities.  Our last 25 years of dinner-table conversation have been research for this novel.


Do you and Maverick share any similarities?  
Absolutely.  I went through an extremely rough patch from 4th-7th grades.  I switched schools twice, and got into a ton of fights after each move.  Maverick’s tendency to go in swinging was something that resonated pretty deeply with me.  By contrast, Jack Kunkle was quite a peaceful young man.  So I guess the nobler parts of Maverick are mostly Jack, while the parts that get him into trouble are mostly me!
What was the hardest scene to write about Maverick?
Whenever his mother disappointed him.  I loved that little guy, and crushing his spirit felt like kicking a puppy or something.  And of course, few experiences are as soul-stompingly awful as having a parent who fails you when the chips are down.
Who do you think was Maverick's biggest supporter and why?
Mr. Overbye, who is based on my real-life assistant principal from middle school.  I spent a ton of time in that man’s office, for a wide array of colorful offenses, and while he may have lost his temper with me on numerous occasions, he never, ever gave up on me.
Why do you think some of our young children decide to be heroes, like Maverick, and others decide to take the bullying route, like Bowen?  
I truly don’t know.  But I wish I could bottle up that spark of goodness and resilience, and then find a way to spread it around like some kind of happy virus.  This country is in desperate need of more Mavericks right now.
What do you think Maverick is doing as this present time? 
He’s trapped in limbo on the hard drive of my Macbook, wishing I would hurry up and write him into a sequel!  Sorry, Mav — I promise I am brainstorming extremely hard ...

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