Author Interview with Michelle Meadows

The first book written by Michelle Meadows that I read to my daughter was PIGGIES IN THE KITCHEN (Simon & Schuster, illustrated by Ard Hoyt). My daughter and I enjoyed the rhyming story of these young pigs baking up a storm in the kitchen for their mother, and my daughter especially liked finishing up the rhyme for me at the end of each page. My daughter and I also liked PILOT PUPS (Simon & Schuster, illustrated by Dan Andreasen), another book written by Michelle Meadows, which is a story about toy puppies exploring their house by piloting a toy plane. Recently, I contacted Michelle for an interview.

Born and raised in Washington D.C., Michelle resides in Maryland today. She attended Syracuse University where she earned a B.A. in magazine journalism.

How did you decide you wanted to be a children's book author?
I remember being very young and thinking about writing books. But I really got into it seriously after I had my son. I loved reading to him all the time and sold my first book when he was around 2.

 

I enjoy the rhyming in your books. How did you develop your rhyming and poetry skills? Is there a specific meter you use when you write?
I love rhyming! I really enjoy reading poetry and find it very relaxing. I was in a poetry club when I was younger. I can't say that there is a specific meter that I use; I tend to go with the rhythm that pops into my head.

What are the benefits of using animals as your main characters?
I tend to use animals as main characters because they are cute. And I think it's funny to imagine animals doing things that people do. I find that kids think so too. So the benefits include encouraging kids to stretch their imaginations and imagine things like animals in pajamas or toy pups riding motorcycles.

What advice do you have for aspiring picture book authors?
I strongly believe that authors should write what they love to read. For example, if an author doesn't really enjoy reading poetry, it may not be the best fit to write poetry.

Who were your favorite authors growing up? What are/were your favorite rhyming books? 
My favorite authors were Judy Blume and Shel Silverstein. I have a zillion favorite rhyming books! I especially love the work of Judy Sierra and Eileen Spinelli. Eileen Spinelli's HERE COMES THE YEAR has the most lovely language and I enjoy reading it again and again. And I love Judy Sierra's WILD ABOUT BOOKS.   

Any upcoming projects you’d like to mention?

I am very excited about my next picture book—ITSY BITSY BABY MOUSE. ITSY BITSY BABY MOUSE (Simon & Schuster) is a rhyming story about the drama a little mouse experiences when he gets lost in a big house. I have an awful sense of direction so there is a lot of me in this mouse. And just like the mouse, I have gotten lost and had moments of panic. This book will be released on March 6 and I hope kids like it. 


Thanks for doing the interview. 

You're very welcome!

Teaching with Children's Books: Picture Books with Pigs

It just so happens that my daughter is going through a phase where she is totally digging picture books featuring pigs. So here are some books that I've been reading to her that feature them piggies. An art lesson could reveal how the illustration style of the pigs, or other animals, are similar and different from book to book.

 

DREAM BIG, LITTLE PIG! (Picture Book-Sourcebooks Jabberwocky) by Kristi Yamaguchi, Illust. by Tim Bowers- Poppy the pig struggles with ballet dancing, singing, and modeling before she discovers her true calling- ice-skating....and perhaps flying.

 

PIGGIES IN THE KITCHEN! (Picture Book- Simon & Schuster) by Michelle Meadows, Illust. by Ard Hoyt- In this rhyming book, a bunch of pigs scramble to prepare baked goods and a surprise birthday cake for their mother. 

PIGS ROCK! (Picture Book-Viking) by Melanie Davis Jones, Illust. by Bob Staake- A group of musical pigs play in a touring band. 

 

RICHARD SCARRY'S BEST MOTHER GOOSE EVER (Picture Book-Golden Books) by Richard Scarry- Traditional Mother Goose rhymes are accompanied by fun illustrations of Richard Scarry's animals, many of which are pigs. I've read many, though not all, of these poems aloud to my daughter.  

Author and Illustrator Interview with Grace Lin

I bring to you my latest interview with award-winning author Grace Lin. She wrote WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON (Little, Brown), a Newbery Award winner, as well as a bunch of picture books, such as THE UGLY VEGETABLES (Charlesbridge Publishing). A graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design, Grace also illustrates her children’s books. 

When I read my first Grace Lin book, THE YEAR OF THE DOG (Little, Brown), a MG book, I remember thinking how it would’ve been nice if a book like this, a book about a young Chinese American girl exploring what she wanted to do when she grew up, was around when I was a kid. Pacy Lin reminds me of Ramona Quimby in some ways. So I was thrilled when Grace Lin sent me an ARC of DUMPLING DAYS (Little, Brown), a continuation of Pacy Lin’s adventures. In DUMPLING DAYS, Pacy and her family go on vacation in Taiwan and immerse themselves in the local culture and food. DUMPLING DAYS will be out on January 21. You can view the book trailer by clicking here.

Where were you born, raised?  Can you give me a favorite childhood memory?
I was born in New Jersey! My parents are both from Taiwan, which makes me Asian-American. One of my favorite childhood memories was my father buying my watercolor paints for Christmas. They were the fancy kind, in tubes, and the sales person at the store had told him that these were not the type for beginners. And my father said, “My daughter is not a beginner.” I remember feeling so proud that my dad thought that way…and, inside, rather immodestly, I agreed.  It’s one of those happy memories of feeling extreme confidence that only youth can exude!

I enjoyed reading DUMPLING DAYS! I think the book would be especially enlightening to those who are about to visit Taiwan or China for the first time.  The local details were so colorful and vivid. And I got hungry from reading the food descriptions. How did you remember all these details from your travels? And speaking of dumplings, which kind are your favorite?

Remembering the details was not too hard. I looked at a lot of old photos and it all came flooding back to me. Of course, I have traveled to Taiwan many times since my first time, so the trips have all kind of blended together. The hardest part was trying to get photo reference for things I remember but didn’t have images of. Luckily, I have relatives in Taiwan that I could send on reconnaissance! My favorite dumpling is xiao long bao, the soup dumplings. They are hard to find, but a restaurant called Jo Shanghai’s in New York City has them—and they are delicious!

In DUMPLING DAYS, Pacy takes an art class where she encounters a competitive classmate. How do you depict a rivalry between two characters and show the main protagonist’s resentment of this person while retaining her likability?
Honestly, I didn’t really think about the likability of the protagonist.  I just thought about how I felt in many similar situations and tried to make it as true to my experience as possible.

 I read your essay on your web site about how you came to terms with being a multicultural author. So I cautiously ask, what makes a multicultural story credible, in your opinion?
That’s a hard question to answer, because every reader comes to a story with his or her own experiences. I try to make my stories as authentic as possible to me and hope that the reader feels the same. If they do not, I try to remember and gently remind people that one story, my story, is not supposed to be representative of the entire Asian-American population.

So how much is the Pacy Lin series is based on your childhood? I ask because in The Year of the Dog, Pacy Lin writes a story called THE UGLY VEGETABLES, and you happen to have a book out called THE UGLY VEGETABLES. Did you have arguments with your sisters too, and go through a soul-searching phase, as Pacy did in THE YEAR OF THE DOG, to reflect on what you wanted to do when you grew up?
The Pacy books are heavily based on my childhood and are very true to life.  That said, they are books of fiction and that is because I did switch some things around and alter episodes. In YEAR OF THE DOG, Pacy enters a book contest, wins 4th place and decides after that she will become an author/illustrator when she grows up. That is really what happened to me, as well. I won 4th place in a contest writing and illustrating my own book and decided that I would become an author/illustrator when I grew up, too! However, in YEAR OF THE DOG the book that Pacy wrote and illustrated for the contest was THE UGLY VEGETABLES. The book I entered into the contest was not THE UGLY VEGETABLES, though that was my first published book—published many, many years later.

Besides DUMPLING DAYS, which is being released in January 2012, do you have any other current or upcoming projects you’d like to mention?
I’ve been hard at work on the companion book to WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON.  It’s called STARRY RIVER OF THE SKY and it comes out in October.  For those readers that know WHERE THE MOUNTAIN MEETS THE MOON, this book is not a sequel—it doesn’t follow Minli’s story—but it takes place in the same world and there might be some other characters you recognize!

What, in your opinion, makes a strong illustration?

To me, a strong illustration starts with a strong foundation. And the foundation of  illustration--beyond the artistry, the colors or composition--is the illustration's purpose. This purpose changes with the format. For a picture book, the illustration should give the viewer added details about the story, give "more" story than the text. For an early reader, the illustration should match the story exactly, supporting the text to help readers. For a novel, the illustration should be summary of the description/emotions created by a moment/section of the story.  But as long as the meaning, the message of picture is clear--it is a strong illustration. Beauty, however, is in the eye of the beholder!

What are your favorite kidlit books and authors?
My favorite books and authors tend to be the ones I read and loved (and still love) as a child. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES by LM Montgomery, BALLET SHOES by Noel Streatfeild, B IS FOR BETSY by Carolyn Haywood, MISS HAPPINESS AND MISS FLOWER by Rumer Godden, SEARCH FOR DELICIOUS by Natalie Babbitt and hundreds more. Some more contemporary kidlit authors that I enjoy are Barbara O’Connor, Lenore Look (I adore the RUBY LU & ALVIN HO books) and Nancy Springer.

Light Up the Library Auction

Kidlit author Jean Reidy, who recently released LIGHT UP THE NIGHT, is hosting an online auction called Light Up the Library to benefit a library at Musana's Children's Home located in Iganga, Uganda. According to Musana's Children's Home web site, the facility is an orphanage and school. Some kidlit industry professionals are contributing their products and/or services to this auction, which began on November 7 and will end on November 18.

Author Interview with Jennifer Solow

A few years ago, I read THE BOOSTER (Atria)- it’s a book about a woman with a shoplifting compulsion. Last year, Jennifer Solow, the author of THE BOOSTER, released her first kidlit book for middle grade readers, THE ARISTOBRATS (Sourcebooks Jabberwocky). The Aristobrats are legacy students at the prestigious Wallingford Academy where popularity is a must. Parker and her three best friends, incoming eighth-graders, know this is their year to shine but their popularity is threatened when they’re stuck managing the school’s super uncool web casts. Recently, I interviewed Jennifer.

Were you born and raised in New York? Where did you go to college, and what did you major in?

I think because I write a lot about Manhattan, people think I grew up there, which is flattering for a Manhattan-o-phile like myself! I actually grew up in Pittsburgh, PA and went to Rhode Island School of Design. I think I was a ‘closet writer’ disguised as an artist. (Maybe because I can’t really type and can’t really spell and my sentence structure generally needs…uh…help.) Looking back, I was always making paintings of poems. I got an A+ in a screenplay writing class…in art school! It really never occurred to me that I was actually a writer with a paint set. Or maybe I’m still a painter with a Thesaurus. Words…visuals… paint…pens…they all feel so similar to me. 

How did working in advertising help you in fiction writing?                                 

I work hard. I am ambitious. I know how to sell stuff. I know the difference between a good idea and a boring idea. I am comfortable with the notion that the publishing industry is a business and faces challenges like any other industry. I don’t confuse art with commerce. I am also a collaborator by nature – I love working on projects with other smart people with different perspectives. I don’t view the creative process as precious – I think of it as a party with friends I’ve invited.

Was it hard to transition from writing for adults into writing for the kidlit market?                                                                                                                                         

I don’t think of it as a different market; I think of it as different characters. The main character in my first book, THE BOOSTER, is 29 and figuring out how to grow up. The main character in THE ARISTOBRATS is in 8^th grade and figuring out how to grow up. Writing is as hard as it is fun, period. No matter how old or young the characters are, it still involves a whole lot of sitting in a chair at your computer.

In your book bio, you mention you had attended an exclusive private school where a student’s social status depended on the haircut they had. At this school, what other factors determined a student’s “acceptability” and how did you use these memories in THE ARISTOBRATS?

I think most teenagers feel like they’re rejects from their world whether they are or they aren’t. We probably all feel like rejects once in a while. I remember fawning over this certain nail polish color that a few of my friends had. With it, I thought I could be anything. Without it, I thought I was nothing. Was that true? No. Same with having the right haircut – is it true you really need the right haircut to be accepted? Who says YOU can’t be the one to say what the right haircut is in the first place? “Acceptability” or “popularity” is really a state of mind more than anything. In THE ARISTOBRATS, Parker says, “You have to picture who you want to be and then just imagine that’s who you already are.” That’s as true now as it was for me then. If you want to be something, just pretend it long enough until you get there.

One of the things I liked about THE ARISTOBRATS is that Parker and her friends (a.k.a. the popular girls) are nice to others. I feel the notion that popular girls have to be mean girls is a false stereotype because unpopular girls and wannabes can also be mean girls. How did it feel to write against a stereotype?    

My daughter, Tallulah, is in middle school and she’s popular. I really wanted to send a message to her that power can be used for good or evil. The idea that nerdy girls are good and popular girls are “Mean Girls” is wrong. People (of all ages) are complex and full of faults and strengths. Anyone can be an inclusive and powerful leader. Popular girls have a unique opportunity to be that for others. It may be writing against stereotype but who says middle grade writing needs to be stereotypical? I wanted my characters to be real and I wanted them to be role models for Tallulah.

I like the sharp details in your settings, such as that of the posh and elite Wallingford Academy. How do you craft vivid and believable settings?                  

A painting teacher I had once said that, “realism is in the details.” I always remember that quote when I write – the deeper and more specific I can go with the details, the more real the world becomes. When I dream, I imagine vivid places that are totally alive for me. I can remember a place from a dream I had 20 years ago. That’s like writing a setting for me – I simply construct it in my imagination like a stage set and then ‘visit’ that place when I write. I also collect image files. I often ‘cast’ my books with photos of the characters and populate the settings with all the relevant details. I keep notebooks that have torn scraps of everything from the ‘perfect white shirt’ that Parker wears to the chandeliers at Wallingford to the wallpaper that the headmistress has in her office. There’s a specificity to these details that I like – they create the world of the story.

What are your favorite kidlit authors or books?                                               

THE GREAT GATSBY is my favorite book. Lorrie Moore is my favorite author. Dr. Seuss taught me the most about writing. I’m a sucker for the Gallagher Girls (obvs!) and could curl up to a good re-read of JENNIFER, HECATE, MACBETH, WILLIAM MCKINLEY, AND ME, ELIZABETH right now, but I get into trouble when I really delve into authors in my genre when I’m writing something. Suddenly, after reading THE HUNGER GAMES, I was depressed that my character wasn’t Katniss, which is silly but true. I have to stay away from books in my genre until after I’m done writing. The book on my bedside table right now is “Easy Composters You Can Build”.

When is THE ARISTOBRATS 2 coming out? What is it about?                    

Hopefully THE ARISTOBRATS II, CONFESSIONS OF A FORMER SOMEBODY will be out in the spring. I’m a little in the dark about it because I’ve lost my second editor at my publishing house and I think they may have forgotten about me. As an author, that’s unfortunately part of the drill (breathe deeply, Jennifer!) But the book, when it does come out, is about love and loss…and rock stars! Parker’s mother loses her job and Parker faces leaving school, the webcast and her best friends behind. One of the girls falls in love (you won’t believe which one…or with whom!). It’s a big turning point for Parker – for all of them. Plus James is so incredibly hot in book 2. I’m desperately in love with James – he’s my ideal guy.

I totally dig the pictures of you in the Famous Author tank top.                                           
I have a painting on my wall by Shari Elf. It’s says, “I always have to ask myself, What would Cher do?” That’s writing for me – not a mechanism for putting words on paper, but a chance to have fun and to be fantabulouz (like Kiki) for a while. I took the “Famous Author” photo with a very famous photographer named Terry Richardson. He owed me a favor from my days in advertising and I called it in. One day after the photo appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, I was hiking a trail near my house. A girl stopped me and pointed: “You’re the Famous Author!” I said, “YES! YES! I’m the Famous Author!” That’s what life is to me. Having fun. Trying ‘characters’ on. Making magic happen. Asking a hotshot photographer to take your picture while you’re still cool enough to do it. My life is about more than writing books – it’s about joy and work and creating something from nothing.

Thanks for the opportunity.

You're so welcome, Jennifer!

Books I Read in October

ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia (Middle Grade-Amistad) In the summer of 1968, an 11 year-old girl and her two younger sisters must spend a summer in Oakland with their disinterested mother who had once abandoned them. While staying with their mother, the girls participate in a youth camp hosted by the Black Panthers. The author was a presenter at the SCBWI discussion  panel on multiculturalism I attended earlier this year. 

DUMPLING DAYS (ARC) by Grace Lin (Middle Grade- Little, Brown & Co.) I was so excited to receive this ARC! To be released in January 2012, this book is a continuation of Pacy's adventures which originated in THE YEAR OF THE DOG. Here, Pacy and her family spend part of their summer in Taiwan. When she is not busy with her Chinese painting class, Pacy is immersed in the food, culture, and lifestyle of her parents' native Taiwan. Check out my author interview in January.

What I'd Be Doing During NaNoWriMo

It's National Novel Writing Month! I've never written a novel during NaNoWriMo, but I do like reading about people who pursue their dreams of being novelists during this month (as well as the other eleven months of the year). Someday, I'd like to participate in NaNoWriMo, to start a novel from a shaky start to a sloppy first draft finish, and then call it a month. 

This November, however, I'll be busy at working on revising my WIP. It has already gone through a few drafts. I recently ran my MS through a couple of AWESOME critique buddies, and have been reflecting on how to incorporate their feedback into the final drafts. 

Revising isn't easy. I'm forced to look at my work from a neutral perspective and I have to frequently remind myself that it doesn't matter if I'm smitten with a part that I'd written- what I need to consider now is if an agent or editor or intended reader would get it too. If not, it means I need to cut or revise. That's why I make it a point not to fall too deeply in love with my first drafts because chances are, I'm going to need to tweak a lot of the stuff around.

How would you be spending NaNoWriMo? (Responses don't have to be writing-related.)