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| An Accidental Hero illustrated by Debbie Palen |
The cutest wombat gazes at the reader from the cover of Laura Roettiger’s An Accidental Hero: A mostly true wombat story which is published by Eifrig Publishing. Ms. Roettiger has written about hope, friendship and science in a picture book about a wombat, Australian fauna and wildfires. The story is told in the form of a newscast which adds a layer of humor. Ms. Roettiger includes facts about Australian animals, climate change and fire prevention in the back matter. Debbie Palen’s whimsical illustrations in a beautiful color palette entertain and inform the reader.
Two Question Interview with Laura Roettiger
ETC: Welcome Laura. Thanks for visiting.
What advice would you give students in K – 12 who would like to write books?
LR: I think the most important advice to give any writer, at any age, is to write what you know is true, kind, and what you feel in your heart. I write fiction so not everything I write is factual, but there is a difference between being creative and writing in ways that are misleading or hurtful. And then, this is the most important part, be ready to revise. Revision is where the magic happens. When I was a teacher, I worked with students who thought that every word on their paper was sacred and they wouldn't change a thing. When a peer or critique partner tells you something isn't working, LISTEN. This is difficult for so many writers and when I do school visits, the teachers always thank me for explaining how important the revision process is and how many people are involved in my books from first draft to final book. Find good critique partners, take classes, find community, and do what works for you. Writing books is wonderful but it isn't most people's 'day job.' What else are you planning to do? Can you combine the two?
ETC: Did you originally conceive of An Accidental Hero: being told through the point of view of a television news cast?
LR: Surprisingly, yes. I know I talked about revision being where the magic happens so I don't want to imply that this story didn't go through revision, but my first draft of AN ACCIDENTAL HERO, from January 2020 was written as a newscast. I did a lot of research and prewriting first because I knew I wanted to keep the story as close to the truth as possible. I wanted to only include the animals in the wombat burrows that were actually discovered by the rescuers. But North American audiences connect kangaroos, koalas, and emus to Australia so I knew they needed to be in the book. As a teacher, I wanted to be able to include them as a layer to extend learning, so the logical way to incorporate them was to have them be reporters. I also love that it added journalism to the story and because the story is written all in dialogue, it's perfect for Reader's Theater. It really transfers well to classroom use which also makes me happy as a former elementary teacher. I love that it meets science and social studies standards, language arts standards, and SEL standards with different lessons.
ETC: Thank you so much Laura for your insight and for writing such a marvelous book.
Visit Laura Roettiger
Visit Illustrator: Debbie Palen
Learn more about Australian Mammals: Australian Museum
Learn more about wombats: Columbus Zoo
Learn more about wombats: San Diego Zoo
Visit your local book store: Second Star to the Right
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