An Inside Look with Shelley Johannes
(Author of Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker)
*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 first season 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 ran a series of interviews for Season #TWO over the summer of 2017. It was great to get back to these conversations, that I decided to run Season #THREE during the 2017/2018 school year.
*Thank you to Shelley Johannes for being the FOURTH author of the third season. I truly appreciate it.
*Here are links to the first THIRTY-SIX interviews…
SEASON #ONE
SEASON #ONE
SEASON #TWO
*I read this novel over the summer of 2017. I met the author at #NerdCampMI and had heard such incredible things about her first novel.
*Shelley Johannes was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions. It is an honor to post her responses with my "Inside Look" feature.
*Here is a link to my review of Beatrice Zinker, Upside Down Thinker
*Thank you Shelley for writing this novel for young readers and taking the time to share your thoughts with us here on the blog...
by Shelley Johannes (Released September 19, 2017)
It all started at the library. Beatrice first appeared while I was standing in front of the new books display, contemplating how many I could take home without being a jerk. (Two, five, hopefully all fifty?) Just then, Beatrice descended from the ceiling in her ninja suit, ready to abscond all the books before being tackled by library secret service.
Beatrice began as an amusing manifestation of my love of books and my guilty conscience. Fortunately she hung around long enough to become her own person, with her own story—and I’m always excited to find out what she’s up to next.
I think it’s her optimism—the way she continues to see the upside in every circumstance, and refuses to give up until she’s turned things sunny-side up.
Is there anything you wish Beatrice would have changed or done differently in her story?
I’m reluctant to second-guess her too much. One of things I admire about Beatrice, in addition to her cheery attitude, is the way she plows forward with complete confidence. That said—if she were my kid, I’d give her a lecture or two about a certain place she sneaks into…
What do you think Beatrice can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I hope Beatrice gives kids confidence to be themselves, and to fully embrace the things they love—even if no one else shares their enthusiasm. I also hope Beatrice inspires kids to offer their friends that same freedom.
How did you research Beatrice and the circumstances she found himself in?
Beatrice provided a good excuse to research things like ambigrams, a-million-and-one ways to hang upside down, and how to say “cake” in Icelandic.
Having two kids in the target age group provided lots of observational research, as did being a former upside-down-third-grader myself. Other research was the result of serendipity. In the middle of the first draft process, my son got a bloody nose on the playground at lunchtime. Policy mandated that he wasn’t allowed back to class without a change of clothes, so he was stuck in the nurse’s office for over an hour before my husband came to the rescue. Later that night, after enthusiastically researching health-code policies for contaminated clothing, I said, “On the bright side, I think you solved all my plot problems for Beatrice!”
Do you and Beatrice share any similarities?
We’re alike in more ways than I should admit. I loved being upside down as a kid and spent many hours planning where I’d put the furniture if I could live on the ceiling.
The beginning! Beatrice started as a picture book, so there was a huge learning curve as I tried to figure out how to write her story as a chapter book instead. I had so much to learn about writing for this age group, and about Beatrice herself. The process involved a lot of trial and error, and patient guidance from my agent. That rollercoaster of fun and fear and almost-there will always be a favorite memory.
Who do you think was Beatrice's biggest supporter and why?
I think Beatrice has more supporters than she realizes—including her own parents. But I’d say the award for Biggest Beatrice Supporter is a tie. I’d split the award between her neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, and the school nurse, Ms. Cindy—with a shout-out to her second-grade teacher, Mrs. Walker.
Why do you think children and/or adults have an “issue” with individuals that are “upside down thinkers” and a bit different from everyone else?
Rule-followers tend to value certain qualities. Upside down thinkers usually don’t possess those qualities. They bring an entirely different set of strengths to the table. Many times, instead of being viewed as strengths—their beautiful qualities are treated as character flaws. Writing Beatrice is a way to celebrate upside down thinkers and all they have to offer the world.
What do you think Beatrice is doing as this present time?
No doubt she’s in her ninja suit, hanging upside down somewhere, making big plans.
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