An Inside Look with John David Anderson
(Author of The Greatest Kid in the World)
*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)
*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)
*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)
*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)
*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)
*Season #SIX (Summer 2019)
*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019)
*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)
*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)
*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)
*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)
*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)
*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)
*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)
*I'm excited to present season #FIFTEEN 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 FOURTEENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #FIFTEEN.
*Thank you to John David Anderson for being the Two Hundred Forty-Eighth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing. I truly appreciate it.
The Greatest Kid in the World
by John David Anderson
(May 9, 2023)
How did you come to know Zeke?
I wasn’t the most obedient kid growing up. Or the most heavily supervised. A mischievous streak coupled with a big imagination led to my fair share of spankings during those early years, though I actually mellowed out by the time I hit Zeke’s age. In writing his character, I projected what kind of adolescent I might have been had I continued to seek attention in those ways. Then I paired that with an heartache that most of us have experienced—that of a heavy personal loss--and tried to explore how those two things, the need for attention and the weight of grief, might interact in a character who suddenly has to learn to be good (or great, I suppose).
What do you think is his most admirable quality?
At the start of the book, Zeke would tell you it’s his creativity, but I know it’s his love for and devotion towards his family, even his sister with whom he’s often at odds. Of course it doesn’t always manifest itself in positive ways, but it’s always there, deep down (deep deep down, as his mother would say). It’s that love and loyalty that ultimately drives him to evolve and become less self-centered. To grow up, essentially. Which is a difficult and admirable accomplishment in itself. (Still working on it personally. Let you know when I get there.)
Is there anything you wish he would have changed or done differently in his story?
I certainly don’t always agree with every choice Zeke makes (especially how he treats his sister), but if he didn’t make those mistakes, he wouldn’t have the chance to learn from them. So no—he did what he had to do to get where he needed to go.
What do you think Zeke can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what he went through?
I hope they can juxtapose the unhealthy and unproductive ways he deals with his problems with the more constructive ways he’s learned by the end. Especially important is finding a way to express your feelings, sharing them with those you love and trust, rather than keeping them tucked away in a box under your bed. On top of that, I think Zeke shows that there are lots of ways to make a positive difference in the world—some small, some big, some local, some global—and that the most important thing is stepping outside of yourself and realizing the impact you have on others (and hopefully making it a positive one).
How did you research Zeke and the circumstances he found himself in?
The circumstances he finds himself in are fairly outlandish. I don’t think there’s ever been a World’s Greatest Kid competition (nor do I think there should be—we do plenty of ranking of each other as it is). But the trauma he’s experienced—the loss he has to grapple with that underscores the novel—that was born out of personal experience. Like Zeke (and most everyone else), I’m no stranger to grief. Though I will say I did watch lots of Tik Tok challenges for inspiration on his third-day shenanigans. Also I tried to skateboard down a slide once.
Do you and Zeke share any similarities?
For sure. I can be a bit of a prankster at times. And I’m not above being ridiculous on occasion to get the attention of others. We both grew up in households that were tight on finances. We both have older sisters who we secretly suspect are better than us though we would never admit it out loud. Mostly, though, I see in Zeke a similar impulse in myself to want to hide from the terrible things in the world rather than confronting them. Zeke’s actions are often an attempt to control a world that seems so uncontrollable, to find some agency in the chaos. I feel like writing is driven by a similar impulse. In my head I can fashion the world to my liking.
What was the hardest scene to write about him?
Any scene where he has to confront his true feelings head on, like the interview with Gordon or some of his deeper conversations with Logan. It’s hard for me personally to discuss my problems, so naturally it’s challenging whenever I make my characters do the same, even those are the moments that foster the most growth.
Thankfully for every scene where Zeke has to bare his heart, there’s a follow up scene where he eats too many pickles or surfs down the poop chute, so it balances out.
Who do you think was his biggest supporter and why?
I think they all support him in different ways. His brother is there for unabashed hero worship and to also remind him of the importance of being a role model. His mother balances unconditional love with her need to teach him how to be good and kind. More interesting are the two he wins over to his side: his sister, Jackie, and Logan, the cameraman. Their support has to be earned, I think, Jackie’s especially. It’s one thing to know that someone will love you no matter what, but that doesn’t mean they have to like you or respect you or admire you. That requires effort, and I think it’s something Zeke learns over the course of the book. Not to count on it, but to work for it.
Why do you think some young people think they have to be the class clown, jokester, or prankster in order to be accepted and/or liked by others; when deep down they have a really good heart and want to do the right thing?
We all seek approval in different ways, and sometimes we seek approval from some at the expense of dirty looks from others. In an ideal world, being selfless and compassionate and empathetic would be all you need to do to be liked and feel rewarded, but that’s not the world we live in. If anything, you get more attention by going the other way. And it’s not just young people. A look at contemporary politics will show that approval is based more on the trouble you stir up than the problems you solve. I’m with Gordon Notts in thinking that we need to do more to accentuate the positive out there in the world. I kind of hope the book inspires the next generation to think about how they can do just that.
What do you think Zeke is doing at the present time?
Well, I hope he’s helping a fellow student with their homework or taking out the trash for his mom or even running a charity fund drive at school. And he very well could be. But let’s be honest—there’s just as good a chance that he and his brother are back on the roof with a bucket full of water balloons, just waiting for Jackie to walk out the door.
*Here are links to the Two Hundred Forty-Seven interviews...
SEASON #TWO (Summer 2017)
SEASON #THREE (2017/2018)
SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)
SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)
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)
SEASON #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)
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)
SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)
Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)
Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)
Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)
Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott)
Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)
Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake)
Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)
Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)
Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)
Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)
Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)
Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)
Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)
SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)
Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble
Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)
Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)
Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)
Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)
Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)
Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)
Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)
SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)
Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)
Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)
Interview #237 with C.C. Harrington (Author of Wildoak)
Interview #238 with Margi Preus (Author of Windswept)
Interview #239 with Dayna Lorentz (Author of Wayward Creatures)
Interview #240 with Katrina Nannestad (Author of We are Wolves)
Interview #241 with Anika Fajardo (Author of Meet Me Halfway)