Fourth Grade Journey

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

Monday, October 1, 2018

An Inside look #63 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Laura Shovan
(Author of TakeDown)

*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 TWELFTH interview of what I'm calling Season #FOUR.  

*Thank you to Laura Shovan for being the Sixty-Third author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first Sixty-Two 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)

Interview #62 with Erin Soderberg (Author of Milla in Charge)


*I have had the pleasure of meeting Laura Shovan.  She is also a member of our Twitter #bookexpedition group.  It was a thrill to get a copy of her latest novel.  It was an enjoyable read and has been fun to see what other readers have commented about the story.  We had the opportunity to hang out at #NerdCampMI in July.  Laura is kind, enjoyable, and such a pleasure to talk to.   

*Laura 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 Laura Shovan for writing this book, and more to come.  

TakeDown
by Laura Shovan (June 19, 2018)


How did you come to know Mikayla and Lev?
Lev is a character I started developing many years ago, when my son was on a youth wrestling team. Robert Lipsyte’s The Contender is my all-time favorite sports novel. Lipsyte’s boxing story resonated with me because the main character has mixed feelings about his sport, something my son was going through in real life. I knew that Lev’s character would struggle with what it means to be a wrestler.

 Mikayla’s character came later, but from the first scene I wrote in her voice, I knew she would be important to the story. Since I’ve never participated in a combat sport, I interviewed women and some parents about what it’s like when you’re a girl in a traditionally male sport. Those interviews helped me find Mickey’s toughness, but also the weaknesses that she tries to hide.

What do you think are Mikayla and Lev's most admirable qualities?
Mikayla has amazing fortitude. Whether it’s on the wrestling mat or dealing with friend drama, she’s going to show up and figure out a way be successful – even if that means owning up to a mistake.

 I admire Lev’s thoughtfulness. When he’s faced with a difficult situation, I like the way he takes a step back to think things through before acting. The one time that he jumps in and does something rash – even though it’s in defense of a friend -- it lands him in a heap of trouble.

Is there anything you wish either of them would have changed or done differently in their story?
A strange thing happens when I develop characters over several months -- getting to know their histories, their family situations, who their friends are, and what they like to do in their free time. What I wish the characters would do no longer matters. I ask myself, “If Lev and Mickey were real people, what would they do in this situation?” and that’s the story I try my best to write.

What do you think they can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?  
Lev and Mikayla have a very rocky start as training partners. They barely speak to each other at first. It takes time, some honest conversations, and a sense of trust for them to become friends. I hope their story shows readers that children can work past an initial reaction of “I don’t like you” or “You don’t belong here” when they first meet a new kid. When Lev finally accepts Mickey as his partner and as an athlete, they both benefit.

How did you research Mikayla and Lev and the circumstances they found themselves in?
When I started drafting the book, my son had been away from the sport for five years. There was a lot that I had to relearn. I read books, watched wrestling documentaries, spent hours on YouTube watching high school meets, tournaments, and coaches’ videos. I went to my state’s first ever all-girl tournament and became good friends with the former chairman of the state wrestling association. I even got to see Olympic gold medalists Helen Maroulis and Kyle Snyder running a clinic for young wrestlers. All of this research helped me make Mikayla and Lev’s story feel realistic.

Do you and these two characters share any similarities?  
Lev has some sensory integration problems. Especially when he’s tired, the loud noises, bright lights, and activity of a wrestling tournament are a lot for him to manage. I am the same way. If I get overloaded, I need quiet time at home, just like Lev.

 One quality I share with Mikayla is her single-mindedness. When she’s excited about something, it’s all she can see or think about! Being so focused and enthusiastic is a great when you’re trying to accomplish a goal – like making it to the state wrestling tournament. But that kind of intense focus also means Mikayla isn’t paying attention to how the people around her feel, especially her best, Kenna. Early in the story, when Kenna quits wrestling, Mickey is totally shocked.

What was the hardest scene to write about them?
There were scenes that were emotionally hard to write, but my biggest challenge was getting the wrestling ight. I learned a lot about writing action scenes, something I didn’t need to do for my first book. In Takedown’s match scenes, I had to choreograph the moves using descriptive language that any reader could follow. But I also had to include the wrestling lingo that Lev and Mikayla would use. I’m so grateful that several people from the wrestling community checked these scenes for me.

Who do you think was their biggest supporter and why?
Lev is Mikayla’s biggest supporter in Takedown. Although her family believes in her ability, they’re uncomfortable with her being the only girl on an all-boy’s wrestling team. Lev is the first person who recognizes that Mikayla has the skills and mental toughness to be successful on his team, the Gladiators.

 Lev’s biggest supporter is his father, who he calls “Abba” – the Hebrew word for “Dad.” This is one of my favorite relationships in the story. I like the way that Lev’s father doesn’t tell him what he should and shouldn’t do, but gives Lev the space to think through his problems and make his own decisions.

Why do you think some young people are able to step “out of the box” and do what they truly believe in and others are tied to the labels and norms that society puts on them?  
That is a huge question! There are many ways of stepping out of the box. Some young people get involved in activism or service projects as a way of doing what they truly believe in. They might be willing to challenge old beliefs, the way Mikayla does by wrestling against boys.

 Others are quieter about standing out and stepping up. They are the person who notices which kids don’t fit in at school or on the team and makes sure they have someone to sit with or talk to.

 Sometimes young people are dealing with difficult situations at home. They must live within certain labels and norms to survive. My hope is that these kids find an outlet, a place or activity or talent where they can be their authentic selves.

What do you think Mikayla and Lev are doing as the present time?  
Mikayla probably went to wrestling camp this summer. (There are some great programs offered by the Wrestle Like a Girl foundation!) But I’m sure she spent a lot of time with Kenna and their friend Lalita, practicing what they learned in their hip-hop dance class.

 I hope that Lev tried something new this summer. I can picture him going to the library for a cartooning class. Maybe he’s taking all the sketches and poems from his notebook and turning them into a graphic novel about his wrestling season.
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