Fourth Grade Journey

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

Monday, November 30, 2020

An Inside Look #155 (Author INTERVIEW)


An Inside Look with Mae Respicio
(Author of Any Day with You)

*Welcome to my favorite feature of my blog.  

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)






*
Season #FOUR
 (S
ummer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019) 

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019) 

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*I'm excited to be back for season #NINE with brand new interviews/authors.  


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

*This is the THIRTEENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #NINE.  

*Thank you to Mae Respicio for being the One-Hundred Fifty-Fifth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.


*Here is my Review of the Novel..




Any Day with You

by Mae Respicio

(May 5, 2020)

How did you come to know Kaia?
I think all of my main characters are a combination of the kid I wanted to be, the qualities that inspire me in young readers I meet, and from the kids in my own life. I have two sons, one in elementary school and the other in middle school. I love observing how they explore the world and when I’m developing characters, I tend to keep them in mind! But mainly I try to put my characters into different situations, noodle around, and see what comes out of it. Often I won’t end up using what I write, but it’s how I get to know my characters.


What do you think is her most admirable quality?

I love Kaia’s creativity! She’s a kid who’s ready and willing to jump into any situation, brainstorm, and come up with ideas for solutions. She’s a big dreamer, for sure.


Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?

The thing I’m glad I did early on in my writing process was to give Kaia siblings. Kaia started off as an only child, which felt a little too much like Lou from The House That Lou Built, so I then gave her a toddler brother. He didn’t didn’t come into the story much so I finally added Kaia’s teenage sister, and it brought much more nuance, fun, and tenderness into their family’s story.


What do you think Kaia can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?

I think any transition, big or small, is tough for children. I try to give a growth mindset to my stories, so I hope that after kids read this one, they’ll understand that change is natural—but that we still have the ability to create joy and to grow from it. Kaia leaned on her friends, family, and community to come to that realization.


How did you research Kaia and the circumstances she found herself in?

I actually grew up very close to both sets of my grandparents, and my maternal grandparents lived with my family for a short while when I was growing up. They later returned home to the Philippines after many decades of living and working in the United States as American citizens. Though I was an adult by that point with children of my own, it was still very emotional to say goodbye. It was interesting for me to try and interpret this experience from a kid’s POV.


Do you and Kaia share any similarities?

The more I write middle grade the more I realize I identify with the moms in my stories (ha!). That definitely comes from having a middler schooler at home. However, as a girl, I loved art and creating things as much as Kaia does. She and I also share a n immense love of cupcakes and snacks.


What was the hardest scene to write about her?

The hardest scene for me to write in this book was surprisingly not one of the more tender or emotional scenes, it was the (spoiler) cake fight scene! I wanted it realistic but not too cartoony, so my boys were happy to throw things at each other in our backyard to help Mom figure out the logistics.


Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?

Kaia is lucky in that all of her family is so supportive, but definitely Tatang, her great-grandfather, was the one who was most actively helping her get through their changing family dynamic. I never spelled it out, but he had a plan to help her through.


Why do you think some young people, like Kaia, form such meaningful and deep relationships with extended members of their family?

My guess is we all seek meaningful connection from extended family because there’s already an automatic bond there. I have a couple cousins I didn’t know growing up because we lived so far away, but we’ve gotten to know each other now that we’re older. And while we didn’t have years to build on, we picked up right away! There’s something quite special to that, knowing you all come from the same place—the same story—that I think brings extended family together.


What do you think Kaia is doing as the present time?

Kaia is probably remote schooling while complaining to her mom that she misses her friends! I don’t blame her. In her spare time she’s making a new movie (solo—she wrote, directed, and starred in it!), and I’m sure she’s growing stronger from all the changes in our world right now.



*Here are links to the One Hundred Fifty-Four interviews...

SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)













SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)







SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)




















SEASON #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

Interview #121 with Melissa Savage (Author of Nessie Quest)

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)




SEASON #NINE (Fall 2020)










It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (11/30/20)

    


      


Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to the site...
                


Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week...


Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

*My Novel Published for Adults

The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed

*My Young-Adult Novel









The Wild Path by Sarah R. Baughman

*My Middle-Grade Novel









Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart

*My Novel Published for Adults (Audio)

The Elephant in the Room by Holly Goldberg Sloan

*My Middle-Grade Novel

In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner

*My Young-Adult Novel









Books I Read this Past Week...


The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman

*Middle-Grade Novel (4 STARS out of 5 Stars)

Monday, November 23, 2020

An Inside Look #154 (Author INTERVIEW)


An Inside Look with Lauren Wolk
(Author of Echo Mountain)

*Welcome to my favorite feature of my blog.  

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)






*
Season #FOUR
 (S
ummer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019) 

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019) 

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*I'm excited to be back for season #NINE with brand new interviews/authors.  


*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 in which I'm calling Season #NINE.  

*Thank you to Lauren Wolk for being the One-Hundred Fifty-Fourth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.


*Here is my Review of the Novel..




Echo Mountain

by Lauren Wolk

(April 21, 2020)


How did you come to know Ellie?
Like all my protagonists, Ellie is a combination of people I’ve known, myself, and my imagination. But she, among them, is the most like me for two reasons. One, I am a fairly empathetic person. I am incredibly sensitive, which is both a blessing and a curse. I often wish I had more control over my emotions and how I react to the emotions of others, but empathy may be the single most important way for human beings to help one another, in ways both big and small, and live in peace, and I wanted to honor that. So I created, in Ellie, a girl who is closely connected to her world and those living in it. Related to that empathy is her desire to heal those who are sick or hurt. I share that quality with Ellie. I’ve always been interested in cures, solutions, answers. Finding what’s lost. Fixing what’s broken. Some of that comes from a genuine desire to help others, but some of it comes from a deep longing to be useful, valuable, respected. In short, I came to know Ellie by knowing myself.


What do you think is Ellie’s most admirable quality?
Her bravery. It takes a lot of courage to be who she is, especially when others disapprove. She takes a lot of risks – and risks making mistakes – but always for a cause. I admire that greatly and wish I had as much courage as she does.


Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
No, I respect all of her decisions. Even when she makes mistakes or has regrets, she’s learning. Growing. Becoming stronger.


What do you think Ellie can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through? 
I remember so clearly how it felt to be Ellie’s age. Of course not all children are the same. Their lives are very different. And the world today is very different from the one in which I came of age. But some things are universal. Emotions, for instance. So I believe that the confusion I felt at that age is the same confusion felt by so many young people today. Fear. Frustration. But hope, too. And the desire to make a difference. I hope Ellie can show young readers that making positive change in their own lives can lead to positive change in the lives of others and in the broader world. Doing the right thing is rarely easy, but it’s always worth the effort.


How did you research Ellie and the circumstances she found herself in?
I tend to do very little research, especially before I begin to write. I always start with setting. A place I know well. And I read about the time: in this case, the Great Depression. But only enough to make sure the details are accurate. Only enough to answer my own questions. That way, the story drives the research instead of the other way around. For Echo Mountain, most of my “research” consisted of camping on a mountainside in Maine where my mother has some land. Years of camping there inspired the book and gave me most of what I needed to begin. When Ellie revealed that she was a healer – and when Cate entered the picture – I did a fair bit of research to learn what people in those days knew about medicine and healing, especially while living in the wilderness. Otherwise, I relied on what I know about human nature and mother nature.


What was the hardest scene to write about her?
I often find endings difficult, partly because I want to get them just right but also because I become very emotional as I write them. I love my characters, so it’s terribly hard to say goodbye to them. But I also struggled a bit with the scenes in which Ellie dreams of her father’s accident and wrestles with both her remorse and the bitterness she feels when she’s unfairly blamed. She’s a complicated girl, so writing about her feelings was tricky. I always want to show the reader more than I tell. I never want to be sentimental. Achieving a balance of many things is challenging, but it’s very fulfilling.


Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Ellie has several supporters. Her little brother Samuel, for one, though his obvious love and loyalty rank lower than the understanding she craves. Cate, of course: a kindred spirit who both teaches Ellie and learns from her. Larkin, the boy who respects her strength and courage. They all support her in different ways. And of course her father, Ellie’s partner as they forge a new life in the wilderness and embrace a chance to reinvent themselves. But it’s Ellie’s mother who supports her the most by coming to trust Ellie’s instincts, following her lead, putting aside her own bitterness and regret, and opening her heart to hope and possibility.


Why do you think young people, like Ellie, are able to find the strength to accomplish adult “tasks” when some adults can’t seem to manage those things? 
Ironically, though many young people feel powerless, they are also more hopeful and resilient than a lot of adults who’ve been defeated too often, become cynical, or are just worn out with responsibility and worry and work. Even empathetic kids who worry about their families and friends and carry considerable burdens have the gifts of youth: high energy, creativity, the desire to explore and experiment and take risks. Those qualities make them more powerful than they realize. They need encouragement to put that power to work, get involved, raise their voices, and make change.


What do you think Ellie is doing as the present time?
If Ellie were here right now (and she’d be 98 years old if she were), I believe she’d be wearing a mask and keeping her distance, but she’d have a sign in her yard. She’d be making proclamations. She’d be taking a stand. And she would most definitely be voting.



*Here are links to the One Hundred Fifty-Three interviews...

SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)













SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)







SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)




















SEASON #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

Interview #121 with Melissa Savage (Author of Nessie Quest)

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)




SEASON #NINE (Fall 2020)