Interview with Beth Anderson: Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science

 

Thomas Jefferson's Battle for Science illustrated by Jeremy Holmes

 Beth Anderson’s eighth picture book Thomas Jefferson’s Battle for Science: Bias, Truth and a Mighty Moose! published by Calkins Creek, delights and has a hilarious ending. Award winning illustrator Jeremy Holmes illustrated this story with woodblock prints and digital pencil. The book includes beautifully illustrated end papers with paw prints of various North American mammals. As always Ms. Anderson include back matter which include a timeline, an essay and references.

 

 Two Question Interview with Beth Anderson

 Welcome Beth. Thanks so much for returning.

 ETC: How did you first learn of Thomas Jefferson’s “Mighty Moose” and its hilarious ending?

BA: My first attraction was to Jefferson’s obsession with mammoths. But when a book came out about that, I let my manuscript rest. Then I stumbled on an article about the moose incident. Soon another book was announced about his obsession with measuring, and that had the moose in it. But…my attraction to the incident was the idea of how to "measure truth." It strongly connected to our moment in time. It held so much relevance and had hugely important ideas about science, misinformation, and checking sources (so important to teachers!).  It took a lot of digging to understand the larger context, find the details, and decide how to handle the fact that Jefferson too was biased (with awful consequences).

 ETC: I would suggest that “Moose” in the title, the endpapers with paw prints and the line “Or So He Believed,” all constitute both hooks and heart. Is there a specific point in the book that you consider heart or an entry point for a child?

BA: Definitely! Moose in the title surprises and grabs interest. The footprints are a hook that illustrator Jeremy Holmes created in the end papers. And you nailed the beginning of the “heart” thread in the line “so he believed.” That’s really what it’s all about—what we believe, why, and being able to admit our errors. I think about hooks and heart from the very beginning. As I research, that’s what I’m after as I sift through the facts. If I can’t find any value for kids today and the event is an interesting anecdote rather than a story that matters, I let it go. I try to find my heart idea, what the story is about at a deeper level than the physical plot, before I start drafting because that heart becomes the frame and driving force for decisions about what goes in and how I shape the story. The heart of this manuscript shifted a few times as I revised and found that some pieces were too abstract or complicated. I experimented with the “path” through and different endings. There were just SO many possibilities and valuable ideas in this story that it was a real challenge to hone the through line to make it clear and focused.

ETC: Thank you for the detailed answers and a book about science with so much humor.

      Visit Beth Anderson

       Visit illustrator Jeremy Holmes

       Visit Greg Pattridge host of MMGM

            Visit book store Second Star to the Right

 

Previous interviews with Beth Anderson: 

Cloaked in Courage

Revolutionary Prudence Wright

Franz's Phantasmagorical Machine 

Tad Lincoln's Restless Wriggle 

Lizzie Demands a Seat 

Daniel Nayeri's Everything Sad is Untrue

 

Jacket art by David Curtis

Daniel Nayeri has written a multiple award winning, middle grade novel, Everything Sad Is Untrue which was published by Levine Querido in 2020. In a conversational tone Mr. Nayeri engages the reader while depicting life in Iran, Italy and Oklahoma. Humor, love and so many obstacles abound throughout this immigrant story. Droll, interesting vignettes will keep the reader turning each of the 368 pages. Themes of divorce and abuse are introduced.

David Curtis’s brightly colored, jacket art foreshadows the tornadoes of Oklahoma and acts as a metaphor for time which is neither sequential nor linear and ranges from the mythological age of Persia to Oklahoma of the 1990s.

Visit Daniel Nayeri       

           Visit book cover illustrator David Curtis 

          The Society of Illustrators hosts a YouTube video with David Curtis Starting a Career in Illustration 

          Visit jacket designer Semadar Megged

           Learn about jacket designer Elizabeth Parisi SCBWI blog book dummy  

          and Elizabeth Parisi SCBWI book covers 

           Book covers, best of 2019 Kettle Fire Creative

           Visit Greg Pattridge host of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

          Visit your local book store Tattered Cover         

Review: Tara Lazar's Absurd Words

Absurd Words illustrated by Michelle Mayhall

With Absurd Words: A kid’s fun and hilarious vocabulary builder for future word nerds Tara Lazar has written an entertaining word book with words grouped by topic. My favorites are space and weather. However, there are a variety of categories such as style or fashion and music. Michelle Mayhall’s colorful, engaging illustrations and book design guide the reader through the text. Ms. Lazar defines over 750 words in kid friendly language. This is a witty read and will benefit both elementary and middle grade students. Sourcebooks Explore published Absurd Words, a nonfiction text, on January 2, 2022 and it is recommended for grades 4-8. Ms. Lazar likes to make lists; her website has a list of 500 interesting words.

For writers and future writers, Ms. Lazar hosts Storystorm every January which is a romp through picture book craft and generating ideas. While it is February, past posts are easily accessed.

Greg Pattridge provides book recommendations and reviews on Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

Visit Tara Lazar

Visit illustrator Michelle Mayhall 

Visit Greg Pattridge host of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Visit your local bookstore Second Star to the Right 

Cloaked in Courage: Interview with Beth Anderson

 

Cloaked in Courage illustrated by Anne Lambelet

Beth Anderson has written Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson Patriot Soldier, published by Calkins Creek. Forward thinking, Deborah Sampson disguised herself as a man and fought in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. In telling this story Ms. Anderson also depicts the life of poor children in New England and the life of an enlisted soldier; stories that are seldom told. By its absence, the story becomes an endorsement for free public K-12 education and free lunch. Anne Lambelet drew and painted with traditional pencils and paint and then combined these in a digital program, Adobe Photoshop. As always Ms. Anderson includes primary sources and secondary sources in the back matter.

One Question Interview with Beth Anderson

Hello Beth. Welcome.

ETC: What do you find most helpful to your writing?

BA: Most helpful to me in my writing is….other people! We often think of writing as a solitary pursuit, but I couldn’t do this without so many people in my life that help carry me along this journey. My critique partners are vital to pushing my thinking and helping me solve problems within a manuscript. And that works both ways as critiquing their work allows me to grow, too. More kid lit peers create opportunities for learning, whether it’s in online groups, at a conference, webinars, or sharing experiences. My agent provides honest feedback, suggestions, and takes care of the side of the business that’s not my favorite. Editors are a constant source of knowledge and see the boulders and holes in a story path. In addition to all those essential people in the writing world, encouragers like family and friends keep me going when the mojo fades, and share the joy when everything comes together. And of course there are the kids who read the stories. That’s a lot of people! Truly a village!

ETC: What an inclusive and joyous response. Thank you so much for visiting.

Visit Beth Anderson

Visit Anne Lambelet

Visit National Women's History Museum

Visit Colorado History Center

Visit your local bookshop The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop 

Beth Anderson's Educator guide to Cloaked in Courage 

Beth Anderson's Persuasive writing USPS stamp campaing