Fourth Grade Journey

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

Monday, September 24, 2018

An Inside Look #62 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Erin Soderberg
(Author of the Daring Dreamers Club:  Milla in Charge)

*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to my blog which was called "Season #ONE".  This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.  

*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017.  It was great to get back to Season #TWO.  This season ran throughout the summer.  

*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017/2018.  


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

*This is the ELEVENTH interview of what I'm calling Season #FOUR.  

*Thank you to Erin Soderberg for being the Sixty-Second author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first Sixty-One interviews…

SEASON #ONE

























SEASON #FOUR

Interview #53 with Preston Norton (Author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe)

Interview #54 with Jonathan Auxier (Author of Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster)

Interview #55 with Sharon Creech (Author of Saving Winslow)

Interview #56 with Stacy McAnulty (Author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl)

Interview #57 with Kelly Yang (Author of Front Desk)

Interview #58 with Jennifer A. Nielsen (Author of Resistance)

Interview 59 with Christina Collins (Author of After Zero)

Interview #60 with Eric Walters (Author of Elephant Secrets)

Interview #61 with Phil Bildner (Author of The Rip and Red Series)


*If I were to have a favorite author, and I don't, it would have to be Erin Soderberg.  I have enjoyed getting to know her over the last few years.  Each year she visits my classroom.  I'm so lucky that she is a local author and willing to share her talent with my readers.  I was thrilled to learn she had a new series coming out called Disney: The Daring Dreamers Club. Not only did I love the story, but my readers were drawn to the characters and adventures they had.  This is definitely a book and series all classrooms should have.  

*Erin was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions.  It is an honor to post her responses here on the blog.  

*Here is a link to my review of the book...

*Thank you Erin Soderberg for writing this book, and more to come.  

Disney Daring Dreamers Club: Milla Takes Charge
by Erin Soderberg (June 5, 2018)


How did you come to know Milla?
When I was creating this character - as well as all the other girls in the Daring Dreamers Club series - I used each character's favorite Disney Princess to help shape their personalities. Since Milla's fave is Belle, I knew she would be a big reader and would obviously love to explore and get lost in adventures. I also used my own daughter, Milla, as inspiration for the character (and stole her name!) - my Milla also loves to tell stories and dreams of traveling the world.
What do you think is Milla's most admirable quality?
She's a *great* friend. She's very nurturing and giving, and has a special skill for sensing when someone needs a hug or kind words...and she's also good at taking care of others, like Belle does with the Beast (Milla always watches out for her friends, and takes care of her naughty and lovable pet pig, Chocolate Chip!).
Is there anything you wish Milla would have changed or done differently in her story?
I wish she would have sat down with her parents and talked out some of her worries about the fifth grade overnight sooner than she did (it's always smart to communicate!) - but because it took her a while to talk things out with her moms in the story, I'm very glad she had her advisor and friends in the Daring Dreamers Club to support her and give her some good ideas!
What do you think Milla can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I hope that Milla's story is a mirror for a lot of kids who are on the brink of independence, like Milla and her friends. Fifth grade is a big year for developing a lot of confidence to explore independently and start to venture out into the world to go after your own ideas and dreams. It's scary - and exciting! - to leave the comfort and protection of home and the safety of always having someone watching out for you, but it's also an important part of growing up. The fifth grade Adventure Camp overnight was a perfect chance for Milla to test out some of her leadership skills and prove to herself that she's capable of taking charge as a brave explorer!
How did you research Milla and the circumstances she found himself in?
As a parent, I chaperoned several overnight field trips with each of my kids. One was at an outdoor learning center in the spring, where we stayed in big log cabins and learned about canoe safety (just like they do in this book). The other was a winter overnight in Northern Minnesota, where we learned about outdoor survival skills, building fires and shelters, and orienteering (some of the other activities the Daring Dreamers Club got to participate in in Milla Takes Charge!). I learned about high-ropes courses on a family trip to Norway a few summers ago, and I've been waiting for the perfect story to include that adventure - I finally found it when I met Milla!
Do you and Milla share any similarities?
I love to read and write and explore and travel - just like Milla. My kids have always wanted a pet pig, which is why I included Chocolate Chip in this story. But after doing a whole bunch of research on pet pigs and the care they need, we all decided we're much better off as a dog family!
What was the hardest scene to write about Milla?
There is a scene where she hashes things out with her parents - she talks to them about trusting her and expresses her concerns about not being responsible enough to venture out on her own. It was hard for me to write that from the kid POV, since I have kids this age, and I struggled to not write the whole scene with a parent lens on!
Who do you think was Milla's biggest supporter and why?
Her parents are HUGE supporters of her adventures, and they obviously really believe in her - which I love. But the new friendships she forms with the Daring Dreamers Club are really special...and I've had a lot of fun exploring this bond in the other books in the series (I'm working on the fourth book - Mariana's story - right now!)
Why do you think some young people can see beyond their own world and dream bigger for themselves, while others can get a bit stuck and focus on what is right in front of them?
Every day is a huge new adventure when you're a kid, and things can shift so dramatically from day to day. It can be hard for *everyone* (not just kids!) to deal with the day-to-day ups and downs of friendship/emotions/family/confidence, which can make it really challenging to look at the big picture. We're all guilty of getting stuck in day-to-day drama - that's why it's so important to have groups like the Daring Dreamers Club. These fifth grade advisory meetings are such a wonderful chance for the five girls in this series to vent and unwind and talk things out, and Ms. Bancroft is so good about giving them the space and freedom and encouragement to think about their big dreams.
What do you think Milla is doing as the present time?
I bet she's reading or writing. (Just like me!)
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