Caroline Starr Rose

picture book and middle-grade author

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Classroom Connections: Our Dragon, illustrated by Linda Davick

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age range: 3-5 years
format / topics: picture book; welcoming a new baby
Linda Davick’s website
Mem Fox’s website

With delightfully rhyming text and brightly colored illustrations, this breezy picture book showcases the experiences of two human parents and their newest family member: a baby dragon. A lively read-aloud perfect for newly expanded families.
— Booklist

Please tell us about your book.

Our Dragon was written by our beloved Mem Fox. I first met Mem at a SCBWI conference five years ago but never had worked with her before. When my editor Allyn Johnston asked if I’d be interested in illustrating this manuscript, I jumped at the chance. 

Mem loves babies of all sorts: human babies, animal babies–even dragon babies. Our Dragon covers topics like impatience, mischievousness, attention-seeking, naughtiness, fear, regret, forgiveness, happiness, and unconditional love. All these feelings emerge as we encounter burning toys, shattered vases, smoking shoes, splattered coffee, airborne fruit salad, and flooded carpets–all fun things to draw.

What did you find most enjoyable about illustrating this book?

A reader posed this question to Mem: What do editors want from an illustrator? 

Mem’s Answer:  They look at the feelings in the story and then try to find an illustrator who can best express those feelings in their artwork.

I had a terrific time illustrating the dragon’s range of feelings. It made my experience even more challenging and fun in that the baby dragon couldn’t use words to express his feelings–I had to show all his feelings through his one-toothed dragon face and his body-and-tail language. From the beginning, I looked upon this assignment as an illustrated compendium of feelings. 

What is the most surprising thing that happened while illustrating this book?

Surprises always materialize while illustrating a book, just as they do when writing a book. In this case, the baby dragon’s parents–who were originally conceived as adult dragons–turned into adult humans as I went through the sketching process! Mem, as well as my editor, went right along with it, so all was well. And even the dragon’s human parents didn’t seem to be the slightest bit miffed that their baby turned out to be green with spots, stripes, and scales. 

Writers do lots of research. Do illustrators need to do research, too? Especially when the main character is a creature that doesn’t really exist?

1. Yes. Doesn’t it seem absurd to feel the need to research a creature that doesn’t really exist? But the research I did gave me confidence about creating my own dragon. I learned that dragons have appeared in stories for thousands of years, in every country in the world. Some dragons are lizard-like; some snake-like; some have four legs, scales and wings; some have three heads! Some dragons are good, many are evil. My goal was to create a dragon unlike any I’d seen in pictures, while also making sure it would be instantly recognizable as a dragon. And on top of that, it had to be a darling dragon.

2. One thing I always find myself researching is hands. Hands are impossible! Even when my humans are simple characters bordering on cartoons (as the dragon’s mom and dad are), in almost every case I have to look for a photograph of hands in the exact position I’d like to draw them in, or use my own hands in the mirror as a reference, or take a photos of my husband’s hands and use those to draw from. 

What did you find the hardest about illustrating this book?

1. My publisher, art director, and I often go through as many as 20-30 versions of thumbnail book layouts before we’re ready to begin full-size sketches. This think-and-sketch period can last for years, as it did with Our Dragon. 

2. The most difficult part of doing the final art was illustrating the human parents. I love drawing kids and creatures, but drawing adults does not come naturally! In the two middle grade books I’ve written, I solved that problem by not allowing any parents into the stories. In Our Dragon, the adult humans just jumped into the book and wouldn’t leave.

3. The trickiest part of illustrating the book was keeping the characters consistent. For instance, the dragon appears 23 times throughout the book in different sizes, poses, and wearing different expressions. I used stripes, triangular scales, dots, horns, wings–and all those elements had to be consistent throughout. The number of scales, the number of stripes–and the proportions of all his body parts needed to be the same every time he appeared.

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

There’s plenty to talk about (and to draw upon for art projects and plays) within the pages of Our Dragon. For instance, children might be asked to describe how they feel–or draw what their face looks like–when: 

  • they’ve been careless and caused an accident.
  • they’re sorry and not sure how to express it.
  • someone forgives them.
  • they forgive someone who hurt them.
  • someone loves them no matter what.

Have you discovered any secrets that give your work a boost?

  • Going for a walk or riding my bike always refreshes my mind in the short term. 
  • Over the longer term I’m inspired and pick up new ways to work by attending SCBWI conferences. And I’m not even a “conference person!”
  • I’ve had luck in meeting and befriending more experienced and open-hearted children’s book people, the latest being Jeanne Whitehouse Peterson, who practically lives in my neighborhood.

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Filed Under: books and reading, classroom connections

Classroom Connections: Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest by Refe Tuma

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age range: 8-12
genre: gothic monster; historical fiction
Refe Tuma’s website

Praise for the Frances series

A rollicking adventure.
—Kirkus Reviews

⭐️ Bursting with wry humor and references to Frankenstein, Tuma’s idiosyncratic, utterly original tale moves at breakneck speed through a richly imagined landscape, accumulating vividly rendered characters and settings…while injecting considered discussions of modern themes such as gender roles and privilege.
— Publisher’s Weekly (STARRED REVIEW)

Frances is both a terror and a delight. The author clearly had a rollicking good time, and readers will, too.
— The Horn Book

Please tell us about your book.

Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest is the epic sequel to my debut novel for middle grade readers, Frances and the Monster. 

In book one, readers saw Frances’s life upended by the discovery of a secret experiment left unfinished by her late great-grandfather, the eccentric and reclusive scientist Albrecht Grimme. Frances wanted so desperately to prove to her parents she was no longer the sickly child that barely survived a traumatic automobile accident when she was three, and that she was ready to join them on their trip to the latest scientific symposium. Instead, she awakened a monster that nearly destroyed her home and a nearby city.

Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest picks up a few months later, when Frances is finally invited to travel with her parents to a special meeting of the prestigious European Society of Science and Invention—the very thing she has wanted for as long as she could remember. Only now, she has a secret she must keep from them at all costs. A secret that, if discovered, could mean her first trip is also her last.

Keeping this secret is further complicated when her train is hijacked by men with unknown motives. She is forced to flee with her friend Luca into the Black Forest, a vast and wild expanse of trees and shadows and beasts. She quickly learns there are forces at work more terrifying than she ever imagined…and that the key to defeating them might lie in her own scientific discoveries.

What inspired you to write this story?

Frances and the Monster was my love letter to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and the classic movies it inspired, along with another tale some believe may have influenced Shelley: The Magician’s Apprentice. Both stories deal with hubris, ambition, and impatience with established processes and systems. I’ll admit these topics may not seem all that appropriate for young readers. At least, until you remember what it feels like to be in such a hurry to skip past all the inconveniences of youth—the waiting, the learning, the reliance on older, more experiences members of the community—and just grow up already. This was a big theme of my childhood, and one of the things that has made Frances such a compelling character to write.

Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest, on the other hand, is a celebration the monster genre in all its forms, from Frankenstein’s original creation to the Wolf Man, to zombies and the living dead. Many believe monster stories to be less “literary” than other genres, sacrificing thematic depth for cheap pulp or jump scares. I couldn’t disagree more. In fact, I’d argue there is no genre better equipped for deep examinations of grief, fear, anxiety, acceptance and inclusion, and morality.  

This sequel is also a natural expansion on the themes of friendship, family, and ethics explored in Frances and the Monster. Frances sees her world continue to expand exponentially, in terms of both geography and relationships. She’s must process the shocking revelations about her parents uncovered during her climactic showdown with Constable Montovan at the end of the first book and decide what ‘family’ means to her. At the same time, a new cast of colorful characters challenges Frances to learn to let people in rather than going it alone, to trust them rather than protecting herself by keeping them at arm’s length.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research and / or share a few interesting tidbits about your writing process with this book?

Historical fiction comes alive when readers are given a glimpse of a specific time and place that feels authentic and lived in.

Frances and the Werewolves of the Black Forest is set in May of 1940, during the early days of WWII. While the story is not about the war per se, the plot is tightly connected to a very specific and very real historical event (to say more would be to spoil the fun!) It was important to me to be as accurate as possible in my portrayal of both this event, and anything else related to the conflict. That meant juggling a lot of dates, locations, and logistical concerns.

That devotion to authenticity is also why the train Frances rides in is based on an actual train, the Edelweiss Pullman (which is still in operation today!) and follows the line’s actual route. And why the landmarks Frances encounters in the Black Forest are based on actual sites as she would have found them in 1940. Even the more fantastical elements are designed to reflect the ideas of the day. In this case, terrifying ideas that explored the darker corners of science and warfare and destruction. Most of these ideas were never realized, of course—but what if they had been? 

Another aspect of the story I’m particularly proud of is its representation of a deaf character named Otto, and of a wheelchair user named Rudy. I consulted with several sensitivity and authenticity readers to ensure these characters were represented accurately and respectfully, and that both contributed to the story in ways that would invite deaf and disabled readers to see themselves as heroes in the text. If you’ve read Frances and the Monster, you know sign language has always been a part of Frances’s world, and it was exciting to dive deeper into signing and the unique challenges and opportunities it affords.

What were some special challenges associated with writing Frances?

I first outlined the Frances series nearly ten years ago. At the time, I envisioned book two as a kind of classic WWII swashbuckler in the vein of The Adventures of Tintin or Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. Plucky heroes using their wits to outsmart the evil Nazis. This didn’t seem unusual or insensitive at the time. (In fact, I remember querying the first book and having an agent reject the manuscript with the note that she wanted “more Nazi hijinks!”)

Unfortunately, it’s become clear that Nazis are no longer a relic of the past; a distant villain to be defeated and humiliated again and again by new and different heroes. If they ever were. My editor and I agreed that this book wasn’t the right context for what could very well be some young readers’ first introduction to historical Nazi Germany, and I rethought my outline with new, fictional villains created specifically for Frances’s journey.

It was a difficult decision, but in the end, I think it was the right one. The story’s fictional villains ended up providing so many great opportunities for more nuanced motivations and worldbuilding, without the risk of unintentionally minimizing or misrepresenting the very real evils of the day. In my humble opinion, the story is better for it.

Another, completely different kind of challenge had to do with the setting. Forest settings in literature always run the risk of feeling somewhat generic. Anyone who has spent time wandering wooded areas can tell you that if you’re not paying attention, the landscape can really start to blend together. Trees here, trees there. One ravine looks like the next. This is even more true when attempting to describe the woods. 

It was important that every scene feels distinctive, and that the reader is always given something to anchor them to where exactly one scene takes place versus the next.

Careful readers may notice that the descriptions of the forest change as Frances becomes more familiar with her new environment. At first, she can’t tell one tree from the next. As the story goes on, however, she becomes more attuned to the landscape. She notices specific foliage, terrain, and landmarks, and thus so does the reader.

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

Frances’s adventures are full of fantastical technology, strange and visceral science experiments, and clever acts of creativity and ingenuity. These elements pair perfectly with STEAM programs because they inspire readers to think outside the box and get messy. What middle schooler could read about a pig’s heart being accidentally vaporized and not want to rush to the science lab themselves?

In addition to the STEAM connections, Frances and the Werewolves is a book about choices and their implications. Challenge after challenge forces Frances to choose between what is easy and hard, safe and risky. She must choose who to trust, who to rely on, who to believe—even, more than once, who will live and who will die. These moral and ethical dilemmas are ripe for classroom discussion and personal essays, giving students a safe, fictional environment in which to explore complex issues and consider how they might respond, and why.

After all, isn’t that what good stories are all about?

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Filed Under: authors, books and reading, classroom connections, the writing life

Classroom Connections: Fatima Tate Takes the Cake by Khadijah VanBrakle

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age range: 14-17 years
genre: contemporary YA
topics: coming of age; Black, American Muslim families; baking
Khadijah VanBrakle’s website

A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

Fatima is a fierce protagonist who will stop at nothing to preserve her dignity. Skillful examinations of the intersections between culture, gender, and religion, as well as nuanced perceptions of one Black Muslim community, round out VanBrakle’s searing debut.
—Publishers Weekly

This is a special interview to share. Khadijah and I have known each other for years through our New Mexico chapter of SCBWI. She took a revision class I taught years ago. I took a self-defense class she offered last year. She is loads of fun and a force to be reckoned with. Let’s celebrate Khadijah’s debut, Fatima Tate Takes the Cake!

Please tell us about your book.

FATIMA TATE TAKES THE CAKE is a coming-of-age story about a seventeen-year-old Black, American Muslim who must navigate between parental / community expectations & personal responsibility. The story follows Fatima, a high school senior whose arranged marriage to her secret crush is based on a lie.

Here’s the description from my publisher:

Fatima Tate wants to be a baker AND enjoy some innocent flirting with her hot friend Raheem—but her strict Muslim parents would never approve of either…

Seventeen-year-old Fatima Tate, aspiring baker (100% against her conservative parents’ wishes), leads a pretty normal life in Albuquerque: long drives with BFF Zaynab, weekly services at the mosque, big family parties, soup kitchen volunteering (the best way to perfect her flaky dough recipe!), stressing about college.

But everything changes when she meets a charming university student named Raheem. Knowing the ‘rents would FREAK, Fatima keeps their burgeoning relationship a secret… and then, one day, her parents and his parents decide to arrange their marriage. Amazing! True serendipity!

Except it’s not amazing. As soon as the ring is on Fatima’s finger, Raheem’s charm transforms into control and manipulation. Fatima knows she has to call the whole thing off, but Raheem doesn’t like to lose. He threatens to reveal their premarital sexual history and destroy her and her family’s reputation in their tight-knit Muslim community.

Fatima must find the inner strength to blaze her own trail by owning her body, her choices, and her future. Combining the frank authenticity of Elizabeth Acevedo and the complex social dynamics of Ibi Zoboi, FATIMA TATE TAKES THE CAKE is a powerful coming-of-age story that gives a much-needed voice to young Black Muslim women.

What inspired you to write this story?

I wanted to tell a story where a Black, American Muslim teenage girl was dealing with normal adolescent issues, infused with other problems specific to her marginalization. Having three daughters who never had Contemporary YA stories with main characters who were both Black and Muslim was, and still is, a HUGE reason why I decided to write these kinds of stories.

Could you share with readers a few interesting tidbits about your writing process with this book?

I used to start writing without really knowing my main character. After the first and second draft of this book were completed, I paid a sensitivity reader to give it a once over. Based on that feedback, I rewrote the entire story.

It was a difficult decision, but I wanted it to be better. So I took the time and then over eight months, I scrubbed my story until it was the best I could make it. A few writer friends of mine read over some problem scenes and I kept revising.

The process of writing, rewriting then revising this YA story was a long one, but so worth it. I learned a ton, and now I have an actual process for drafting my future books.

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

My story is set in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Just breaking in to say how much I love this.

Many people mistakenly think we are part of the country of Mexico. As a transplant here, I really wanted to use this city’s unique features and give the readers a new experience. In addition, African Americans are here in very small numbers, currently less than five percent of the population. Showing a side of the Land of Enchantment rarely seen in YA fiction was a challenge, but in the end, very satisfying.

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

YA/Teen stories set in the Southwestern US (or specifically NM YA / Teen stories featuring a main character from a two-fold marginalization by an author who shares that specific marginalization). Would the story be different if it was written by someone NOT from a diverse background?

Diverse, Coming of Age stories dealing with both Parental & Community expectations.

Going Beyond Stereotypes: Weaving Faith & Other Controversial Topics into Your Stories.

Black & American & Muslim: The YA Stories Not Yet Told.

How does the privilege of wealth in fiction translate into the real world? 

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