20 Questions: What do you read for fun?

Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)

This month’s question:

What kind of books do you enjoy reading, just for fun?

Patricia Newman

“Let me preface my answer with all my reading is just for fun—even scientific studies I read to research my books. When I have time to browse the shelves in a bookstore or library, though, I gravitate toward the literary fiction section, but not exclusively. I just finished (and loved) Happiness Falls by Angie Kim, Music of the Bees by Eileen Garvin, I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai, Isola by Allegra Goodman, and Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire (environmental nonfiction). Peace Like a River by Leif Enger is one of my all-time favorites. Likewise anything by Jane Austen. Maybe I should take a picture of my bookshelf instead of writing all these words :-)” 

—Patricia Newman, Sibert Honor author + environmentalist

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Kirsten W. Larson

“I’ve been a huge mystery reader since childhood, starting with Nancy Drew and Agatha Christie. One of my favorite current series is Finlay Donovan by Elle Cosimano. Finlay Donovan is a suspense novelist and single mom turned amateur sleuth, who solves cases along with her nanny sidekick, Vero. The books are a riot!”

—Kirsten W. Larson, author of Reimagining Your Nonfiction Picture Book (Both/And)

20 Questions: Success stories for books that tanked on submission

Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)

This month’s question:

Do you have a success story for a book that tanked on submission?

Valerie Bolling

Two of my books tanked on submission with one publisher and later another publisher acquired both of them in a two-book deal! After writing LET’S DANCE!, I wanted to write about other activities that children enjoy, so I wrote a book about many of the universal, timeless games that children play called LET’S PLAY; that book became RIDE, ROLL, RUN: TIME FOR FUN! LET’S DANCE!,which is about dances from around the world, inspired me to write a book about musical instruments from around the world called LET’S JAM!; that book became BING, BOP, BAM: TIME TO JAM! 

– Valerie Bolling, author of I SEE COLOR with co-author, Kailei Pew, illus. Laylie Frazier (Harper Collins, 2024)

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Kirsten W. Larson

My middle grade graphic novel, THE LIGHT OF RESISTANCE (coming 2026), the story of French art curator Rose Valland who spied on the Nazis during World War II, started life as a picture book biography. On submission, the feedback was consistent: the topic was too complex and nuanced for a picture book audience. I needed more space to tell the story. Fortunately, editor Emily Feinberg at Roaring Brook fell in love with the story and pitched the idea of doing it as a graphic novel. The book is being illustrated by Barbara McClintock. 

–Kirsten W. Larson, author of REIMAGINING YOUR NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK (Both/And, 2023)

20 Questions: The It Factor

Welcome back to our series, 20 QUESTIONS!,

where we answer questions about writing, reading, and author life.

(Note that we enjoy the series so much we’ve decided to just keep the questions coming!)

This month’s question:

How do you ensure your books have that special “It Factor?” 

Hope Lim

“I don’t presume that my books have an ‘It Factor’ but one thing I hope to accomplish in my stories is the exploration of more than one thematic element. My storylines may seem simple but underneath the simplicity, a deeper meaning can be extracted and discussed. For example, SOURGRASS is about finding a way to live in hope after a difficult time of parting with a friend. At the same time, it uses spring as the context for return and renewal, while demonstrating the beauty of keeping promises and the importance of trust in relationships.”

– Hope Lim, author of Sourgrass illustrated by Shahrzad Maydani (Beach Lane Books, 2024) 

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Patricia Newman

“The ‘It Factor’ is a personal connection for me and my readers. As I write I ask myself over and over, ‘Who cares?’ Once I find my inner spark of connection, I put all that passion on the page. My books tend to be persuasive, so once I find the child’s connection to the topic it’s fun to empower them to care.”

– Patricia Newman, author of Eavesdropping On Elephants (Millbrook Press, 2019)

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Valerie Bolling

“My critique partners help me ensure that my books have an ‘It Factor.’ They regularly read stacks of picture books, attend webinars, and are members of writing communities. In other words, they know what makes stories pop, so their feedback is critical to helping me polish my manuscripts. In addition, I have an amazing editorial agent who adds his feedback, and I’ve been fortunate to work with editors who help me fine-tune my stories even further.  

– Valerie Bolling, co-author with Kailei Pew of I See Color , illustrated by Laylie Frazier (Harper Children’s, 2024)

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Kirsten W. Larson

“I think what sets my books apart are their unique structures, which coincide with the topic I’m writing about. The story structure of Wood, Wire, Wings, the story of the first women to design an airplane on her own, follows the engineering design process. A True Wonder, a book about the invention of the comic book hero, Wonder Woman, is told in comic book format. And The Fire of Stars, a book about the woman who discovered what stars are made of, parallels her formation as a “star scientist” with the process of star formation. These unique structures bring something special to the table.”

– Kirsten W. Larson, author of The Fire of Stars, illustrated by Katherine Roy (Chronicle 2023)