Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

July is for Rest

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Hello, friends.

For the last ten years or so, I’ve taken a blogging and social media sabbatical during the month of July. While I might pop on Instagram while I’m in Atlanta for my nephew’s wedding and I won’t stop sharing family Scrabble games on my silly Scrabble account (because FUN), I’ll largely be silent otherwise. In other words, I’ll be recharging and enjoying life — the good, necessary refreshing stuff so important to intentional living.

This period of rest is always so good for me as a writer and human being. It’s good to step back from the frenzy and mindless clicking. As much as I enjoy blogging, it’s lovely to not have to plan and prepare for a little while. For those of you who read via email, I hope you enjoy the month away from regular conversations here. If you’re looking for “content” (that word makes me cringe), I encourage you to dig through almost twelve years of posts and resources here on the website. Or don’t! Do you own relaxing!

Thank you, faithful readers. I’ll see you in August.

Straight from the Source: Ann Clare LeZotte on Writing Historical Fiction

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Ann Clare LeZotte is the author of the Schneider Family Book Award-winning novel Show Me a Sign, which was named a best book of the year by NPR, Kirkus Reviews, School Library Journal, the New York Public Library, the Chicago Public Library and American Indians in Children’s Literature, and was a finalist for the New England Independent Booksellers Association and the Jane Addams Children’s Book Awards. A passionate advocate for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, as well as underserved youth from marginalized communities, Ann worked for many years as a youth librarian in Gainesville, Florida. Set Me Free, a standalone companion to Show Me a Sign, will be released in September 2021. In her free time, Ann enjoys yoga and walking her dog Perkins.

What typically comes first for you: a character? An era? A story idea? How do you proceed from there? 

Absolutely an era—more specifically, an important period in Deaf history. I’ve been reading about Deaf history and sign language linguistics since I was a teenager. Even though I was born deaf and have been completely deaf for most of my life, it’s not something I was taught at home or school. So, it’s a near obsession of mine to write books for young readers about Deaf history, culture and language!

How do you conduct your research? 

I like to have visited a place, so I have an impression of it when I start researching. I already know it appeals to me. In the case of Show Me a Sign (and the upcoming, standalone companion book Set Me Free), I lived on Cape Cod in the 1990s and took a number of trips to Martha’s Vineyard. I liked to go in the winter when there were few tourists. It was a cab driver who told me about the island’s history of genetic deafness. I took another cab to the Chilmark Library and the librarian shared resources with me. I also bought local literature on the subject. Now keep in mind this was decades before I stared writing the book. Ideas percolate a long time in my mind.

Do you have a specific system for collecting data? 

I keep notebooks. Because my mind doesn’t think in long English prose sentences, I often use notations to indicate my sources and indicate the key data I’m collecting. I go back to my initial notes many times. 

What kinds of sources do you use?

I use general history books and Deaf history books. All the central books I used were published by Martha’s Vineyard presses except for Nora Groce’s ethnography, EVERYONE HERE SPOKE SIGN LANGUAGE: Hereditary Deafness on Martha’s Vineyard (Harvard University Press, 1988). Thomas Dresser’s history of the Vineyard included stories about privateers and sheep farms along with information about Jonathan Lambert and the Deaf community he helped to create. At the beginning of my research, I naively believed I was writing about a white Deaf utopia. Once I realized that the Aquinnah Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation would feature prominently in my book, I knew I needed to consult with Native experts. I was lucky to find Afro-Indigenous writers and advocates, because the book features a formerly enslaved Black man and intersectionality of the day. My cultural competence readers were enormously helpful and shared family stories and details that I couldn’t have found in books. Because Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language is an extinct language and there isn’t much data about the Deaf community, anyone who was willing to talk to me was invaluable. I consulted Tom Humphries, a notable scholar in Deaf community who co-wrote an ASL textbook I’ve used for years! I also studied old maps for the topography. 

How long do you typically research before beginning to draft?

I did a lot of reading for both books before I began to draft. I was also a fulltime youth librarian and fulltime caregiver, so it was hard to find time to write. But I don’t feel the need to rush from research to writing. As I’ve said, I read Deaf history for pleasure. It helps me connect with who I am in my life and the larger world. 

At what point do you feel comfortable beginning to draft? How does your research continue once you begin writing?

Once I can see it in my mind, I start to draft. Of course, that’s an exploratory process. I absolutely continue researching. A new book on the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head was published after I’d already started. I devoured it and it changed my original course in some ways. I use cultural competence readers throughout my different drafts. Frankly, I started with cringe-worthy Native stereotypes and became more educated. I’m open to criticisms during the draft process—I need them. SHOW ME A SIGN had many drafts. I was learning to write a novel and strengthening the storyline and characters, including many historically accurate details.

What is your favorite thing about research?

I guess it’s a typical response but learning things I didn’t know. 

What’s your least favorite thing about research?

Nothing, really. I could be stuck in the stacks of a big library for a long time without becoming restless!

What’s your favorite thing about writing historical fiction?

Recovering chapters of history that have never been told before but are essential to an understanding not just of Deaf culture but U.S. history in general. Breathing new life into it so some young readers can see someone like themselves in a book for the first time and others can put themselves in a perspective they may never have thought of before. 

What are some obstacles writing historical fiction brings?

Because we can only know so much about a people and place from a different time. Also, it’s a real challenge to write accurately about another time but with an awareness that you are writing for young readers today. To be authentic but also appealing to contemporary sensibilities. As you well know, that takes some careful finessing!

What’s one of the most interesting things you’ve learned while researching?

I learned about a spy for the British during the War for Independence—a girl called Miss Jenny.  Her story would make a fascinating book. 

Has your research ever affected the overall trust of your book? How so?

Late in my drafting process, I came across a repulsive detail. Chilmark Deaf community founder Jonathan Lambert worked on the slave ship Tyral. He helped hunt down escaped, formerly enslaved Black people in Canada. I told my editor who initially said, “That’s a bit heavy.” But we both knew that once we’d discovered it, we couldn’t pretend we never saw it or leave it out of the book. Ultimately, the revelation makes the book stronger. 

Because life isn’t always clear cut, the motives behind our actions don’t always make sense. But stories need to follow a logical path. What sorts of decisions have you had to make about “muddy” historical figures or events in order for your book to work?

Actually, I run toward that type of truthfulness and ambiguity! I think it’s important that white marginalized people address not only our privilege but imperialism in writing historical fiction rather than simply posing ourselves as victims. My Deaf and hearing characters cover a broad spectrum of diversity and settler colonialism thought and belief. I think at any time in history people have conflicting beliefs (we can certainly see that today!), some more forward-thinking than others. 

Why is historical fiction important?

To quote one of my favorite writers, Carole Boston Weatherford: “Why do I write about forgotten history and heroes? Because teachers can’t teach what they don’t know. With my nonfiction books, teachers, parents and children can learn together.”

The Notebook Series: Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine

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I keep a notebook for each book I write. I thought it might be fun to share some of those pages with readers through a series of posts. Today’s post, the fourth in the series, will focus on my third novel, Jasper and the Riddle of Riley’s Mine.

I love this notebook! It’s my favorite of all I’ve kept so far (a gift from fellow author Sonia Gensler) and even inspired two different poems — “Ode to a Research Notebook,” which is still the most satisfying blog post I’ve ever written, and “Oh, Notebook Mine” (just realized that should be “O Notebook Mine” — oh well), which I sold to the SCBWI Bulletin and was inspired by the first poem.

Jasper was tricky in that it was the first book I wrote where there were mass quantities of information I could delve into. To this day, this is the book I researched most thoroughly. It was also the first book where I visited the place I was writing about (see evidence above of my day in Skagway, Alaska).

It took me a while to decide where Jasper was from. Would he have grown up on a claim outside Alaska’s Circle City, or one near Forty Mile, the oldest town in Canada’s Yukon Territory?

Or would he have lived much farther away, somewhere like Kirkland, Washington?

Below is a sunrise / sunset chart for various places Jasper stayed and information on the real “One-Eyed Riley,” a name too fun to pass up!

Here’s a little pep talk I found that I’d written to myself. It’s kind of corny, but it’s also a great metaphor for writing this novel:

Like the Stampeders wandering toward a destination that sometimes proved insurmountable, elusive, and far, far out of reach, I will push on with a story that has no plot as of yet, I will learn on the journey, change course when needed, [and] keep moving toward the gold — a complete manuscript I can somehow, someway, someday work with!

One of the most interesting bits of research I did was reading Stephen Bramucci‘s thesis, Huck’s Legacy: The Complex Nature of the Humorous, First-Person Storyteller. (Jasper’s character was inspired by Huckleberry Finn.) Those of you who’ve read the book: do you see parallels between the two?

Here I am trying to piece together the clues to One-Eyed Riley’s mine.

Looking back at this notebook has reminded me how proud I am of the work I did. Jasper‘s a good one! If you haven’t read his story yet, I encourage you to pick up a copy.

Read the post about May B. here.
Read about Over in the Wetlands here.
Read about Blue Birds here.

Classroom Connections: How to Wear a Sari by Darshana Khiani

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form / themes: contemporary picture book; growing up, South Asian culture
age range: 3-5 years
Darshana Khiani’s website
How to Wear a Sari book trailer

Simple, multi-patterned line art drawings in a lively color palette by Lew-Vriethoff pilot young readers through Khiani’s winning guide to sari-wearing…an enjoyable behind-the-scenes look at a South Asian staple.
—Publishers Weekly

A delightful picture book about dressing—and acting—like a grown-up before your time.
— Kirkus

An Amazon Editor’s Pick: Best Books for Ages 3-5

Please tell us about your book.

My debut picture book, HOW TO WEAR A SARI, comes out on June 22 from the Versify imprint at HMH Books. It’s illustrated by the talented Joanne Lew-Vriethoff.

In HOW TO WEAR A SARI, a spirited young Indian girl is tired of being seen as “little” by her family. She wants to show she can do things that older people can do. She decides the best way to do this is by teaching herself how to wear a sari. Naturally, there are some hiccups along the way, but what she discovers is that she’s not the only one in the family who has set out with something to prove, resulting in some funny moments.

What inspired you to write this story?

When I started writing picture books, I wanted to write books for third-generation South Asians like my two daughters. Books that centered their lives in this country. Books that had universal themes about growing up with a South Asian backdrop and a touch of humor. Books that aren’t focused on the differences between South Asian and non-South Asian culture, but rather have an unspoken acceptance – books of joy.

I love the elegance and sophistication of saris. However, I’m not the best at wearing them. It can take me upwards of 45 minutes to drape one on. And even then, I may still ask my mom or cousin to help fix my sari. I began wondering if it’s this hard for me, what would it be like for a young girl?

Could you share with readers how the book evolved?

The story went through eleven revisions over nearly a year. The story is told in 2nd POV with the narrator helping the young girl through the story. The first voice was a used car salesman which was too sleazy, then a grandmotherly voice which was too sweet. The voice I ended up using was an encouraging voice with a touch of mischievousness. The hardest aspect to nail down was the character motivation. Why did the girl want to wear a sari – to be noticed by her family, to prove that she could do older things, to look glamorous, to be like an older sibling? After eleven revisions, I finally got it which was to prove she wasn’t “too little” and could do anything she put her mind to. After my editor acquired the story, I made a small change where instead of the narrator saying to the girl “You’ll look like a star,” the story says “You’ll be a pro.” Because of that change, I feel it increased the character depth since the story is now emphasizing acquiring skills.

What are some special challenges associated with introducing a sari which your audience might be unfamiliar with?

A sari can be stylish, sophisticated, a symbol of womanhood in South Asian culture much like wearing high-heels or a long fancy gown is in Western culture. The challenge became how to express the glamour and difficulties of draping a sari in a succinct way that seamlessly fits into the story. I solved this by approaching it from the angle of the girl’s nervousness at wearing a sari. “Don’t be nervous. Sure, saris are long and unwieldy and worn by adults, but you can do it.”

What topics does your book touch upon that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom?

Children have so much learning to do when they are young, whether it is acquiring a new skill like riding a bike or wanting to imitate an older person, such as dressing up fancy or helping around the house. This story shows that it’s okay to strive to do older things with a touch of reality that things may not always work out. I also wanted children to know that everyone has those moments of trying and failing as shown by the family photo album in the ending.

Thank you so much for having me. 😊

Thank you for sharing your book with us, Darshana!

Quick Lit: What I’ve Been Reading Lately

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The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee

1890 Atlanta. Jo Kuan and her guardian, Old Gin, secretly live in an old Underground Railroad hideaway beneath a house owned by the Bells, the family who runs the Focus newspaper. Subscriptions at the Focus are lagging, and things aren’t looking good. Much of Jo’s education has been unknowingly supplemented by the Bells, both in overheard conversations and through their paper. She decides to try to help bolster the paper by submitting an anonymous column penned by “Miss Sweetie,” which becomes enormously popular. Jo, whose day job is as a lady’s maid, must hide her identity as her everyday life feeds the topics she writes about. Eventually, her two worlds collide, and Jo must decide what will stay hidden and what will be revealed — including secrets of her own family history.

I adored this entirely new-to-me glimpse into the Gay Nineties and New South and the tender relationship between Jo and Old Gin. Check out Stacey’s interview on the blog a few years back with her debut novel, Under a Painted Sky.

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

This was my first Kurt Vonnegut book, which I read for my Dead Authors’ Society book club. I had a vague sense it was about World War II, that was all. Wow, was it bizarre and fascinating! Kurt Vonnegut was a prisoner of war during the bombing of Dresden (which I knew nothing about [or perhaps learned about in school and remembered nothing?]). The first chapter serves as a long prologue. In it the narrator (Vonnegut?) talks about wanting to write about Dresden for years and settling on this approach — telling the story through a character named Billy Pilgrim who happens to become “unstuck from time” (the story is non-linear) and is also abducted by aliens (!!). Is the book science fiction? Is it a story of PTSD and Vonnegut’s attempt to cope with the fallout of war? (Surely yes to the second part.) Does Billy believe he was abducted by aliens because he cracks his skull in an airplane crash after the war? It’s irreverent and strange and disturbing and funny and very, very memorable. As the Tralfamadorian aliens say about death, “so it goes.” My favorite book club discussion so far.

Mazie by Melanie Crowder

Melanie is a talent with a wide range. She writes middle grade and YA, verse and prose, duologies and standalones. I adored Mazie, her newest young adult novel. Mazie Butterfield has big dreams. She wants to leave her small Nebraska town and make it on Broadway. It means leaving behind her family, the home she loves, and Jesse, the boy she’s dated for years, all to see if she has what it takes doing the thing that makes her feel most alive.

I have no acting aspirations, but Mazie’s longing resonated with how I feel about the writing life. I learned so much about the theater world in 1959, including industrial musicals. Have you ever heard of them? I loved watching Mazie come into her own and grapple with who she was and what she wasn’t willing to compromise in pursuit of her career. The storyline with Jesse is lovely, too.

This Beautiful Truth: How God’s Goodness Breaks into Our Darkness by Sarah Clarkson

“Beauty and brokenness told me two different stories about the world. I believe that Beauty told true.”

There’s a song I keep on the bulletin board over my desk, one I heard years ago while visiting Christ Church Santa Fe that absolutely speaks to my soul: “Why Do We Hunger For Beauty?” The song doesn’t answer directly, but the answer is plainly there: Beauty is God’s doing. It’s reflected in nature, in art, in any good we encounter. Beauty is God, His calling to humanity. This book is that song in written form.

This Beautiful Truth is Sarah Clarkson’s candid journey with mental illness. The book “is a plea to present God as the healer and never the inflictor of our pain.” It’s gorgeously written and heartfelt. “God breaks into our pain in a tangible way,” Sarah says, “teaching us to trust His love and to hope for His healing. Beauty is a voice singing into our suffering, beckoning us toward restoration.” This Beautiful Truth released last week.

On Writing

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I am a man and alive… For this reason I am a novelist. And being a novelist, I consider myself superior to the saint, the scientist, the philosopher, and the poet, who are all great masters of different bits of man alive, but never get the whole hog.
— D. H. Lawrence

Seven Ways to Make This Website Work for You

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I’ve had an author website and blog in various forms for almost twelve years now. My hope is this little corner of the Internet is a friendly, welcoming place that is also a resource for readers, writers, teachers, librarians, and homeschooling families. But how do you know what’s here if you haven’t explored? Today’s your chance to do so!

This post is best read on the blog itself. If you’re reading via email, I invite you to click through. Let’s get straight to it:

How do I find…

information on your books? There are a couple of ways to do this. Either click on “books” in the main menu and select a title in the drop down menu or click on a cover in the sidebar. Underneath the covers, you’ll find a sidebar menu where I’ve also included each of my titles. Click on any of these to read blog posts about a particular book. And if you’d like a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the writing of my specific books, check out my new monthly series I’m calling The Notebook Series. You can find links for the first three posts under the “teacher resources” tab in the main menu.

posts about writing? In the sidebar menu, click on “the writing life.” You’ll find a number of posts about writing, including writing links, interviews with other authors, and my own thoughts on writing. Posts that touch on publishing can be found in the sidebar under the “publication” tab. To read the most popular posts I’ve written on writing, click on “bio” in the main menu and scroll to the bottom where you find a list of posts to choose from. If you’re looking for answers to frequently asked writing questions, you’ll find those under the “bio” tab, too, including some links with writing wisdom from other authors, articles on how to get your book published, and advice for young writers.

interviews with other authors? I run two monthly interview series: Straight from the Source, where authors talk about writing historical fiction and non-fiction, and Classroom Connections, meant to introduce teachers, librarians, homeschooling families, and all other readers to new releases. I keep a running list of both interviews under the “teacher resources” tab in the main menu. The Classroom Connections interviews are divided alphabetically into picture books, middle grade, and young adult. Each has a brief description about its setting, theme, or form. This list is an incredible resource! It represents almost ten years of interviews. If you’re looking for something new to read or want to learn more about authors’ writing experiences, Classroom Connections a great place to start.

If you scroll down a little further, you’ll find the Straight from Source interviews, listed alphabetically by author’s name. These are a treasure trove of information and (can I say this?) my favorite interview series. I have learned so much about other authors’ writing processes, their challenges and triumphs, and their reasons behind why they write what they do. A friend recently told me she read through a number of these interviews while working on her own non-fiction project. 

Classroom Connections interviews can also be found via the sidebar menu. Click “classroom connections” and / or “teaching” to find them. From the sidebar, you can find Straight from the Source interviews by clicking either historical fiction or non-fiction. If you click the “authors” link in the side bar, you can find both interview series.

Classroom resources? I’m glad you asked! I’ve created teaching guides and other helpful documents for almost all my books. You can either click on “books” in the main menu and go to the title you’re looking for to find downloadable resources, or you can go to the “teacher resources” tab, where all the handouts are grouped together near the top of the page. Beyond the reader discussion guides, you’ll find some general handouts that I use in presentations: The Stickman Character Development handout, which is a great, easy way to introduce young writers to creating characters of their own, Going Deep with Young Readers, which is a collection of quotes I gathered for a state library association conference talk that showcases the importance of student choice and exploration when it comes to reading, and 10 Things I Wish I’d Known About Writing While in the Classroom, which is exactly what it sounds like — concepts I’ve learned as an author that I wish I’d known to offer my students during my teaching days.

Under this tab you’ll also find a reading assignment I developed for my social studies and English classrooms called Where in the World Are We Reading? , a collection of state reading lists where you can nominate favorite recent releases for state awards, and some wonderful professional development interviews with superstar author and teacher, Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer and Reading in the Wild. If you’re interested in starting a book club for kids, you’ll find a series of posts about my own after-school club under this tab, too.

Information on classroom or virtual visits? This one is easy. Both have their own tabs in the main menu. The “author visits” page opens with statistics on why such visits are wonderful ways to encourage and inspire young people in their own reading and writing. If you’re a teacher or librarian looking for hard facts on if a school visit is worth the investment, these are golden. But don’t just take my word for it. Have a look! Scroll down to see what kinds of talks I offer and how to contact my booking agency, the Booking Biz, to schedule an in-person or virtual visit.

information on your events? My “events” page is woefully out of date at present. But I hope that changes in the months ahead. Stay tuned…

your critique service? Click on the last tab in the main menu, “Writing One to One” for a rundown on what I offer (and what I don’t), what you can expect, and how to get the ball rolling if you’re interested in learning more. I’m thrilled to say three authors I’ve worked with have published or are soon publishing manuscripts I’ve read. What an honor to play a small role in their stories!

If you’ve benefited from something you’ve found on the site, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below!

Reading and Writing Links

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“By having expectations, we are planting the seeds of our future sense of failure when those expectations aren’t met. They are loud grating static that detracts from the much more important and fulfilling act of writing. They fill our hearts and minds so full of what an “ideal” career/writing path should look like that we don’t recognize the wild and wonderful and potentially hugely satisfying career path we DO have.”
On Expectations and External Validation :: Robin LaFevers

“Deafness freed Beethoven as a composer because he no longer had society’s soundtrack in his ears.”
On Beethoven and the Gifts of Silence :: Cal Newport

“I teach art students to normalize struggle! It is truly the only way good work is ever made.”
The Arc of Every Long Project :: John Hendrix

Do you have a copy? Mine came in a Happy Meal.
50 years later, ‘The Monster at the End of This Book’ is still selling — and inspiring authors :: Philadelphia Enquirer

Read these back to back, as I did —
No One Should Have to Hustle :: Austin Kleon
I was wrong — this is the worst advice! :: Jess Keating

 

Straight from the Source: Julie Leung on Writing Historical Non-Fiction

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JULIE LEUNG was raised in the sleepy suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia, though it may be more accurate to say she grew up in Oz and came of age in Middle-earth. She graduated with an English and journalism degree from University of Georgia. By day, she is a marketing director at Random House, specializing in sci-fi/fantasy books. You can catch her at pop culture conventions on behalf of Del Rey Books. By night, she is a children’s book author. Her debut series, Mice of the Round Table was praised as a “winning new adventure,” by Kirkus Reviews. She is also the author of Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist ,Who Did It First? 50 Scientists, Artists, and Mathematicians Who Revolutionized The World, and The Fearless Flights of Hazel Ying Lee.

How do you conduct your research?

In writing about Hazel Ying Lee and Tyrus Wong, it has been important for me to consult real-life people as primary resources, in particular any surviving family members. I love involving them in the writing process and making sure I have their blessing. Often I am able to incorporate personal anecdotes perhaps not available in more obvious records. Beyond that, I also rely on any documentaries (both Hazel and Tyrus have had phenomenal documentaries made about them) and any previously published articles available online. 

At what point do you feel comfortable beginning to draft? How does your research continue once you begin writing?

Usually I begin to outline my manuscript using a readily available online biography. For instance, I first read about Tyrus Wong in the New York Times obituaries and used that article to sketch out my story beats. Then I began to flesh out the details during my main research phases. Oftentimes, my manuscripts get way too long and I spend a lot of time boiling down to key points and highlights.

What is your favorite thing about research?

History was my favorite subject in school growing up because everything unfolded like a dramatic epic and there always seemed to be more behind what was officially included in the books. I often wondered what nuances got left out. My favorite thing about research follows the same sensation — of peeling back layers and discovering the full picture of a person.   

What’s your least favorite thing about research?

Finding a moment I really want to explore fully with a detailed scene and description, but not having enough sources to back up what I want to know.

Because life isn’t always clear cut, the motives behind our actions don’t always make sense. But stories need to follow a logical path. What sorts of decisions have you had to make about “muddy” historical figures or events in order for your book to work?

My picture books often feature moments of interiority that aren’t necessarily based on concrete fact but are inferred from what I’ve learned about my subjects’ personality. For instance, I can only imagine what Hazel might have thought while she was flying a plane or assume how Tyrus felt mopping the floor of his art school. Such moments are artistic liberties I took, but that I felt were important to include in order to create a three-dimensional representation. I always gut-check these passages with additional sources and get their blessing on it. 

What’s your favorite thing about writing historical nonfiction?

I feel less indulgent and more purposeful when I pursue a nonfiction project. My writing becomes less about my own art and more about whose legacy I wish to be in service to. Shining a bigger light on little-known pockets of Asian American history is so meaningful to me, the daughter of first-gen immigrants. I feel like it’s a course-corrective to growing up without such stories during my childhood.