Interview Wednesday: Author Rena Jones

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF:

I’m a homeschooling mom of four. My two girls have graduated, so I’m just teaching my boys now. I enjoy reading, writing, camping, kayaking, wildlife watching, and photography.

WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS FOR NONFICTION COME FROM?

All around me! I live in northwestern Montana and have an abundance of wildlife in the area. We’ve had bears come right up to our house and look in the windows. That’s kind of freaky at 4am! My family also spends a lot of time in national parks and those places are just bursting with ideas for stories about animals, science, and nature.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?

The hardest part for me is coming up with the idea. Once I have something to work with, I’m good and can write easily. Sometimes I do get stuck in a rut and don’t know what to write about, which makes me a little crazy.

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST FACT YOU HAVE LEARNED?

There are so many to pick from, but … if you were to combine the weight of all the ants in the world, it would equal to the same weight as all of the people on Earth. That’s an interesting way of looking at it, especially if you compare the size of a person to an ant.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST WORK.

My latest work is a picture book called Pony Strings & Critter Things, which is due out later this year by 4RV Publishing, LLC. It’s a collection of rhymes introducing kids to various animal congregation names. Everyone knows a group of lions is called a pride, but what is a group of spiders? Or a group of moles? This is the third book in what I call the Critter Series. As of yesterday, I just completed a fourth book to hopefully add to the collection.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?

A lot of what I write is fiction, but I do have some nonfiction work. And most everything relates to animals or nature somehow because that’s one of my biggest interests. For more information on me, please visit my website @ http://home.centurytel.net/RickRena/index.html


Interviewed by Laura Crawford

Nonfiction Monday: Seed Sower, Hat Thrower

We would like to thank the Orland Park Public Library for providing a copy of this book for review.

SEED SOWER, HAT THROWER: Poems about Weather
by Laura Purdie Salas
Ages 4-8, 32 pages
Capstone, 2008

What is wind? What is lightening? What is frost? (Dew you really want to know?) This poetry collection is a charming introduction to weather, from summer’s heat to winter’s chill, from fog to floods, and from tornados to rainbows. Salas uses a variety of poetry forms to engage and educate her readers. An acrostic poem spells the word, “icicle,” which it describes as a “frozen tear.” A haiku notes the electrifying effects of lightening, while an unrhymed mask poem, “I am Fog,” tells the fog’s point of view. Striking color photos fill the pages. The poem, “Main Street,” paired with a full-page snapshot of a flooded street, reads, “River road rises,/ River road flows./ Hop a boat—follow/ where River road goes…” The tone of the book is lighthearted and reassuring, even when describing hazardous weather. Final pages include a glossary, two “Language of Poetry” pages that explain various poetry terms and forms, a recommended reading list and an internet site specifically related to this book. My advisory forecast is that young sky watchers and junior meteorologists will thoroughly enjoy this creative and informative weather themed poetry-photo collection! To learn more about the author, visit http://www.laurasalas.com/ --Review by Heidi Bee Roemer

Click here to read an interview that Laura Crawford did with author, Laura Purdie Salas in October 2009.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Geo Librarian blog.

Interview Wednesday: Rhonda Lucas Donald

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF:
I am an award-winning author who specializes in writing about science. I fell in love with science as a kid, and read every dinosaur book in the school library. In addition to more than a dozen books, I’ve also written for Ranger Rick, Your Big Backyard, the National Geographic Society, and Discovery Education.

WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS FOR NONFICTION COME FROM?
I get ideas from news on the Internet, and I love documentaries about animals. There is nothing more thrilling for me than to see a wild animal. So my first bear sighting was spectacular!

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?
The hardest part about writing for children is keeping it short. It’s so much easier to ramble on!

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST FACT YOU HAVE LEARNED?
Recent theories in physics suggest that there may be 10 or more dimensions. So in addition to up/down, forward/back, left/right, and time, there are at least six other dimensions. Huh? The good news is that they are curled up into coils tinier than an atom. Wow!

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST WORK.
My latest book, Deep in the Desert, features new lyrics to familiar tunes about deserts and the plants and animals that live in them. Kids can frolic with meerkats, fly with cactus-loving bats, and watch out for the Gila monster. Here’s a verse about the javelina to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot”

I’m a javelina, short and stout.
Here are my hooves, and here is my snout.
I will eat a cactus, not a trout.
It’s desert life for me, no doubt.
The book features 10 desert animals, and is full of fun facts about them and the harsh environment they call home.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
I am enjoying promoting the book and doing presentations at schools and bookstores. Learn more about my work and upcoming events at www.browntabby.com.
Interviewed by Laura Crawford