Watercress: Review and Interview with Andrea Wang

 

 

Happy New Year All.

Watercress is a dazzling brilliant combination of writing and illustration which has been awarded the rare combination of a Caldecott Medal and a Newbery Honor in 2022 and additional awards. Andrea Wang writes of her childhood in Ohio and Jason Chin’s watercolors illustrate the boredom and embarrassment of harvesting roadside greens and household furniture. Eventually the characters and readers learn why Ms. Wang’s parents left China. Holiday House published Watercress.

While the story is specific to Ms. Wang’s childhood, it does contain universal themes such as childhood embarrassment because of one’s family. It evokes memories and answers to the childhood admonishments to: eat your vegetables; finish your dinner; there are starving children in China or elsewhere.

Two Question Interview with Andrea Wang

Hello Andrea. Welcome.

ETC: What advice would you give to writers under the age of 12?

AW: Read. Read as many books as you can in the category and genre that you want to write, but try to also read different types of books. Maybe try some poetry, or a picture book (you're never too old for a picture book), or a graphic novel. Reading across categories and genres will help build your vocabulary and show you different ways that stories can be structured. 

 ETC: What was some of the best advice that you received early in your writing career?

 AW: This is a tough question because I took a lot of writing classes and received a lot of great advice. One tip that I've found helpful is to let the story be what it wants to be. That might sound a little wacky, but basically I take it to mean that I shouldn't limit the story to what I think it should be. Maybe I start out with the intention to write a picture book, but I get really intrigued by the theme and end up writing several thousand words. That's okay -- maybe the story is really a chapter book or middle grade novel. Or maybe I think I'm better at writing prose, but what comes out is free verse. That's okay, too. I think the important thing is to let your creative mind explore and have fun. Afterward, you can figure out what works best for the story and reshape it during the revision process.

 Happy New Year! Thanks again for hosting me on your blog. 

 ETC: Thank you so much Andrea. It has been an honor.

 

Visit your local bookshop: The Wandering Jellyfish Bookshop

Visit Andrea Wang

Learn more about Jason Chin

Online Exhibition: Asians Everyday  at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art:

Visit: Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art

Hot Berry Pie, Gluten Free, easy peasy

 

berries ET Charles

1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1 stick at room temperature

1 scant cup rolled oats

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup corn meal

1/16 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon lavender salt

4 cups individually frozen mixed berries: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries

Optional: whipped cream

Directions: Cream butter and sugar together. Add corn meal and mix. Sprinkle in nutmeg and lavender salt and then mix thoroughly. Stir in rolled oats and mix. Using the butter wrapper or a tiny piece of butter, grease a 9.5-inch diameter deep dish pie pan thoroughly. Scoop the four cups of individually frozen mixed berries into the greased pie pan. Distribute the berries evenly. Spoon the butter, sugar, oats and corn meal topping evenly over the berries. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes. Topping will turn golden brown. This will be very hot when removed from the oven. Let cool for at least 15 minutes, depending on the drafts in your abode. Serve warm. Optional, may be served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Serves 8 people.

Notes: This is a warm, quick and easy gluten free dessert for Christmas and the winter holidays. Berry Cobbler variation 3.

Review and Interview with Fleur Bradley: Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

 

Midnight at the Barclay Hotel

With Midnight at the Barclay Hotel, Fleur Bradley has written a delightful middle grade mystery romp through a historic hotel set in the Rocky Mountains. Xavier Bonet’s illustrations are an entertaining addition to the mystery. Published by Viking, Midnight at the Barclay Hotel has plot twists and red herrings. Ms. Bradley's story is so compelling that once National Novel Writing Month 2022 has finished, I will reread it.

Two Question Interview with Fleur Bradley

Hello Fleur. Welcome.

ETC: Regarding writing, what do you know now that you wish that you had known when you first started writing novels?

FB: Celebrate those small accomplishments. A book is really a culmination of a lot of small successes and times the author persevered. So much of writing is revision, and that's hard! I wish I had known in the beginning how important it is to recognize the small moments of achievement.

ETC: What would you recommend for those under the age of 12 years who would like to write?

FB: Write short stories first. They're fun to write, quicker to complete, and a great way to develop craft. And find some fellow writers your age! The library often has writers’ groups. You need friends to stay motivated.

Thank you so much, Fleur.

Visit Author Fleur Bradley

Visit Illustrator Xavier Bonet

Support Your Local Book Store The Wandering Jellyfish 

Collage Crunch #scbwiArtober

Collage Crunch et charles

 

In response to #scbwiArtober, October 17, 2022 - prompt, Crunch.
 

Interview with Laura Roettiger: Aliana Reaches for the Moon

 

With Aliana Reaches for the Moon, Laura Roettiger has written an entertaining book about the moon, environmentally friendly art and family relationships. Illustrator Ariel Boroff and publisher Eifrig Publishing, facilitate Ms. Roettiger’s STEAM story. The backmatter includes references and an illustration of the moon’s phases.  

 

Three Question Interview with Laura Roettiger

Hello Laura, Thanks so much for being with us.

         ETC: What was the best piece of advice that you received when you first started writing picture books?

         LR: I hope it's okay to list some best pieces of advice because it's difficult to choose just one! 

• Join SCBWI. 
• Read widely in the genre you are writing in and focus on newer books. Classics are great, but they don't reflect the current market. 
• Find critique partners that ask questions, challenge you, and don't be afraid to keep trying new things even if they don't end up working. Listen to all feedback; think about what resonates with you and don't be too quick to dismiss feedback that isn't what you want to hear.

         ETC: What do you know now that you wish you knew when you were beginning to write picture books?

 

         LR: After the Letters and Lines Conference (SCBWI Rocky Mountain Chapter held September 2022) I found myself thinking over and over, 'I wish I had known that 5 or 6 years ago,' but in reality, I wasn't ready to know all of the information at that point in time. I think the most important thing is to work on craft, rewrite, revise, change the point of view, and don't be afraid to try.  

         ETC: Are you writing in any other categories or genres such as middle grade?

 

         LR: My first manuscripts were picture books but I wrote a YA novel in 2016 that broke a lot of rules and will likely never see the light of day. I wrote the beginning of an adult novel in 2017 that made it to a few writing conferences but also got pushed aside as I worked on picture books and getting ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON polished for publication. During Covid, I moved three times and struggled to focus on writing. I have a second picture book that will be announced as soon as an illustrator is secured for the project. I have a detailed outline for a middle grade contemporary novel but there's a fatal flaw in the plot so, you guessed it, it's on hold until I figure that out because the draft is at the point where I need to address the flaw or start again.

Thank you so much.

         ETC: It has been my pleasure.

Visit author: Laura Roettiger

Visit illustrator: Ariel Boroff 

Learn more about the moon: Moon Phase and Libration 2022 

    A slightly different NASA site: Moon Phase and Libration, 2022

    Earth's Moon phases and eclipses: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/earths-moon/lunar-phases-and-eclipses/

Visit your local bookstore: The Wandering Jellyfish