An Inside Look with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
Hey, Jeremy JB Barnes here, doing another interview, for a teacher of all people! How cool is that? It’s not like I ever thought, when I messed up big time by inviting Sidney on our ship, that I’d end up kinda famous and being asked to do interviews. I think this dude, Patrick, was asking Nora and Gae who helped us write our story, but they get all the limelight, so no go, dude! I’m answering. Me n’ Sid. We’re more interesting anyway. Or at least, WAY funnier! Also, if you think so, you and your classes or bookclubs can tweet with us at https://twitter.com/JBBarnesCTO and https://twitter.com/MillySidner.
We hope we inspire way more kids to pay attention to plastic pollution and help clean up our beaches and oceans! Oh, and if you’re a librarian reading this, our story is perfect for your Oceans of Possibilities summer! Cool, right?!
1. How did you come to know Jeremy (JB) and Sidney?
JB: Wait, what? I’ve known myself since birth. HAHAHAHA. I know you were talking to the writers, but we’ve got this interview! Cool?! And, Sidney? Well, that’s a crazy story. You can read about all that in CONSIDER THE OCTOPUS. You won’t believe it, but it’s all true. It helps to have a grandma who believes in synchronicity. Hers, not mine. You know what that is? Synchronicity?
SID: I can’t say I actually MET Jeremy. It was a whole big crazy mixed-up misunderstanding of mistaken identity. I think that’s kind of redundant but you get the idea.
2. What do you think are their most admirable qualities?
JB: I don’t know how many admirable qualities I have, but Sidney has plenty! She’s smart and funny, but like quiet-funny, like you don’t know at first how funny she is. Versus me. I’m a total goofball. Oh wait: here’s one admirable quality I have: I can teach a goldfish new tricks!
SID: I follow my heart And it led me to. . . well, the beauty of our earth’s oceans, to the research ship, The Oceania II . . .and yeah, to Jeremy. So I guess my heart led me to the clues that led me right here!
3. Is there anything you wish they would have changed or done differently in their story?
JB: Funny how this answer always feels like one thing at first then something else after I think about it more: Like, at first it’s all, “yeah, I’d change how dumb I was inviting the wrong Sidney Miller!” but then I realize, NO WAY DUDE! Because if I hadn’t made that big mistake, I wouldn’t have met Sid, and she’s my absolute best friend in the universe now. Also, I wouldn’t literally be one of the kids in charge of one of the biggest. . . well, heh. Nevermind. No spoilers. You’ll have to read our book!
SID: I sure hope not! We like things the way they turned out just fine.
4. What do you think they can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?
JB: Well, I hope there aren’t too many kids experiencing a bad case of mistaken identity, right? Heh. But we just want to inspire kids to step up and to believe they can actually make a difference. Like even a small difference is a big difference. Parents can educate their kids, sure. But also, vice versa! Kids can educate their parents! They can tell them what’s important to them and their world and make sure they are listening! Oh, and make them laugh, because the world is kind of hard, and laughter is the best medicine. And a pretty good teacher.
SID: What can WE offer? Hmm. . . I guess we can offer our story to kids, so they can see that with a lot of science and a lot of hope and a lot of friends we can repair the world.
JB: Repairing the world. That’s called Tikkun Olam in Judaism, right, Sidney? (Her grandma taught me that!)
5. What kind of research did you have to do for the story?
JB: Oh, we didn’t have to do research because we were actually living it, but our writing helpers, Gae and Nora, did! For example, I tried to explain over and over what a research ship looks like, but then I shared this cool link with them where they could actually board a virtual one. Here’s one example! https://www.marine.ie/Home/sites/default/files/VirtualTour/index.htm You can go down into the wet and dry labs and mess and everything! And, like, they had to learn about ghost nets, and RIBs and drifter buoys and so much stuff about the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. Oh yeah, I did have to research how to teach a goldfish to play basketball! And, yes, you can!
SID: I am a dream interpreter by amature profession. I do a lot of research for that. I even started my own podcast about it, and my own Instapik,which is where all the trouble began, but you can read all about that in the book.
6. Do you share any similarities with your characters?
JB: You mean with our writers? Sure! Gae is pretty funny when she wants to be. And she really knows how to get into the head of a 12-year-old boy! She says that’s because she has two sons. I haven’t met them yet, but I’d like to!
SID: I think Nora and I are a lot alike. I think she may even have based the character of me on her. Writers do that a lot, you know. We are both Jewish. We are both interested in science. We both collect bobbleheads. We both like Star Trek, but I like Star Wars better.
7. What was the hardest scene to write?
JB: Definitely the one close up at the edge of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It felt super important to make sure kids understand just how bad it is. Once you do, it makes you sad, but you also can’t ignore it. And there’s hope! And we can be part of that hope! I know that sounds corny, but it’s true!
SID: Well, I can tell you standing in a shower stall on a giant ship, holding my goldfish with water dripping on my head was not too much fun to relive.
8. Why do you think some young people are willing to step up and help out for the greater good of the world, while other young children remain self-centered and selfish?
JB: I don’t think most young people ARE selfish! I think grownups don’t know how to motivate us sometimes! That’s where friends – and, yeah, even teachers (I can’t believe *I* just wrote that) – can come in! My mom tried to get me to love science FOREVER but it wasn’t until I met Sidney that I realized science is cool. And matters, like, A LOT.
SID: Seems to me, it’s the grown-ups in this world who are selfish and self-serving. They have not taken care of the earth we all live on, and haven’t for years. Did you know Rachel Carson’s famous book, A Silent Spring was published SIXTY years ago this summer? June, 1962.
JB: Oh, yeah. Sid taught me all about Rachel Carson. At first I thought she was ONLY a goldfish. Heh!
9. What do you think Jeremy and Sidney are doing at the present time?
JB: Oh, we know!!! Do you? Read our book to find out!!!
SID: Yeah, in fact, I gotta go get ready. See ya there, J.B!
A quick note from Nora and Gae:
Dear readers, CONSIDER THE OCTOPUS got a starred review from Kirkus and a glowing review from School Library Journal. We think it’s the perfect read for summer! Not only important but funny, and our kids really need to laugh. We hope you’ll give it a read and, like JB said, add it to your Oceans of Possibilities summer resources!
Please reach out to us for any more information! We do virtual and in-person school visits, and even have a whole program on collaborative writing!
SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)
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)
Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)
Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot)
Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)
Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave)
Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)
Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)
Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero)
Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)
Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)
Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas)
Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There)
Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)
Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)
Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)
Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)
Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)
Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)
Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)
Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)
Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)
Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)
SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)
Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow)
Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)
Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)
Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)
Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)
Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy)
Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)
Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)
Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)
Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)
Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)
Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)
Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)
Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)
Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)
Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)
Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)
Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl)
Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)
Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me)
SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)
Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)
Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe)
Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)
Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin)
Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)
Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)
Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down)
Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)
Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)
Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)
Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)
Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)
Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)
Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)
Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will)
