age range: 8-12
genre: contemporary fiction; magical realism
setting: Senegal
Leah Henderson’s website
discussion and activity guide

Debut author Henderson’s depiction of Senegalese life is well researched and warm with affection….Mor’s drive to do right and his love for his family are unmistakable. Keep an eye on this author!
— Booklist

Through tight, polished sentences and a smattering of regional vocabulary, debut novelist Henderson believably evokes the harsh realities of the impoverished seaside village and the resilience of its residents….Mor’s indomitable spirit, love for his family, and refusal to give up make him a fascinating and well-rounded protagonist.
— Publisher’s Weekly

Thanks so much for inviting me to Classroom Connections!

You’re welcome, Leah. I’m excited to have you on the blog today — the day of your paperback release! Please tell us about your book.

One Shadow on the Wall takes place in contemporary Senegal and is laced with magical realism. It’s about a newly orphaned boy named Mor Fall who must decide between doing what is right and what is easy in order to keep a promise he made to his father before his death. With an aunt ready to separate Mor and his sisters the first chance she gets and a group of boys ready to take all he has, Mor must figure out ingenious ways to keep his family safe and together. At its roots, this story is about love and loss, family and friendship, and creating your own future—even if it’s hard to do.

What inspired you to write this story?

A few years ago, while on a trip in Senegal, West Africa, I happened to glance out a car window and locked eyes with a young boy sitting on a beach wall. I’m not sure what it was about him, or that moment, but it stayed at the forefront of my mind all day. Later when I went back to the town where I’d first seen him, I saw him again.

This time I asked permission to take a photograph. Moments later, I stood, staring at it. I remember feeling like the boy was saying so much to me in that image. I felt like he was daring me not to see who he really was, as if most people had overlooked the essence of him so many times before. I know it may seem a bit far-fetched that I might have felt all this from a simple photograph, but I did. And I remember thinking at the time: “I do see you.” The whole encounter took less than 90 seconds, but it was the start of a story for me. My way of letting him know he wasn’t invisible to me.

In a number of interviews you discuss your research process for this book. Why was doing research for this particular story so important to you? Could you share with readers how you conducted some of your research?

From the minute I started writing this story I knew I knew nothing. I was a visitor to Senegal, and had only been two times before that. No part of me felt like an expert on the country or her people. At every step I was hesitant. I knew I had to do research!

This all started with a 10-page story that I shared with a professor in graduate school never thinking it would go any further than that. Where I just wanted to process the young boy’s challenge, my professor saw the start of a novel.

For almost a year I dragged my feet, not sure this was my story to tell. Then my father told me not to stand in the way of that boy seeing his possibilities on the page. I agreed. And in order to do that, I needed to learn as much as I could to create a fully rounded world for Mor and his community.

I was fortunate enough to be able to go back to Senegal to do that research. When I stepped off the plane, my senses were my guide. I watched, listened, recorded, wrote, touched, tasted, and experienced everything I could in every way that I could. Never knowing what I might need or how I might use what I compiled. For me, it was about being as present as possible while I was in the country. I asked a ton of questions and tried everything that I could. I filled notebooks, took endless amounts of photographs, tried different foods, squished fish guts, and did so many other things that I thought my character Mor might do.

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

Senegal is an amazing country, but it is also a place many of my readers maybe unfamiliar with. I wanted people to experience the heartbeat of the place like I had, but I also realized since they couldn’t see what I could see, and hear what I could hear, and touch and smell what I could experience I had to find a way to show that on the page. Daily life in the village I envisioned can be a bit different from here. I knew many readers would have no reference point or perhaps a very imbalanced one. African communities are not always shown in the best light. And I wanted to give a bit more balance in my story, if I could.

At times I found myself overwriting, unsure if my words were capturing the essence of a moment. Also, because certain things might be new to my audience I had to do more explaining in general which at times during revision felt like it was pulling me out of the story.

Basically a bit of world-building had to happen before I could even get to the heart of Mor’s journey. And that happened over many drafts!

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

My hope is that it can be utilized many different ways in the classroom. Mor’s story is unique in some aspects, but there are also notes of similarity as well.

One of the first things I talk about with students is how I found my way into writing this book—through finding my commonalities with Mor and building on those to understand how and why our life experiences may be different.

I ask students to write about their own summer experiences and then we compare them to Mor’s. Students are always surprised by how much they have in common when things are simplified. Shared love of sports, family, or the summer months. Many young people also experience bullying and this story may be a way into a larger discussion on the topic as well.

Cultural elements are also strong in this book. Exploring more about the country itself could be a wonderful addition to any unit on Africa.

Thank you again for having me today, and thanks, everyone, for taking the time to learn more about One Shadow on the Wall.

age range: 10-12
genre: contemporary fiction
Corabel Shofner’s website

It’s not often that a book gets everything so right: characters, plot, setting, voice. It’s even rarer to find all that in a first novel. But Shofner has taken all the established, important elements of a good middle-grade novel, given them a brisk shake, and served them up to readers in way that both entertains and enlightens.
— Booklist, starred review

One undersized but indomitable tomboy tackles tough issues with wry humor as she attempts to create the home and family for which she yearns . . . Ruby’s folksy precociousness and determination are as endearing as her realization that the world is not perfect and that love comes in pieces. . . . a rollicking read.
— Kirkus Reviews

Plucky and wise beyond her years, Ruby relies on hope and common sense in equal measure, and her voice is the star of Shofner’s debut novel . . . A quirky and ultimately uplifting tale, perfect for fans of Kate DiCamillo and Joan Bauer.
— School Library Journal

Please tell us about your book.

Almost Paradise is a reverse coming of age story. Ruby Clyde has taken on the adult role in her family. I have seen this often and think it is a tragedy because the child loses her childhood, yet adults often praise them for being grown up.  After Ruby Clyde’s mother is arrested, she must find worthy adults and learn to trust them. In this way she is able to reclaim her childhood.

That said, Ruby Clyde is a clear-headed, spirited little human who stands on her own two feet and tells it like she sees it, which is often funny.

What inspired you to write this story?

Inspiration comes AS I write. It usually begins with a character.

With this story, I was in bed, having just been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Full of steroids and uncertain of the future, I began writing. A child marched into the room and while bouncing on the bed she announced:

“My name is Ruby Clyde Henderson and I am not stupid. What’s more, I look like a boy, even at my age—I am skinny, and as my mother says, ‘flat as a pancake.” So when I want, I tell them my name is Clyde, and when I don’t want, it’s Ruby. Some don’t even believe I’m a girl, with my hair being so short. It’s funny, people tell you not to lie, but they hardly ever want to hear the truth. If you try to tell it, they call you a liar. Liar, liar, pants on fire. But if you lie, they believe you.”

Ruby Clyde is a self-proclaimed healer. I believe writing can heal and I believe that my good health, despite a dreadful disease, is in large part due to writing Ruby Clyde.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching? 

I did much legal research and then told it through a child’s eye, so the law is a bit simplistic but clear, I hope. I am a lawyer in Tennessee but I had to research Texas law. I sat in on a couple of trials in Austin, one of them for what was known as the yogurt shop murders which was chilling. I spent much time in the Texas Hill Country which is one of the most beautiful places on earth. It is a lot like Israel. Dramatic and dry, rocks and twisting trees. In many ways this book is a love letter to the Hill Country. I love the spirit of Texans. I researched Peach Orchards outside of Austin and learned the difference between freestone and cling peaches, which is how much the peach clings to the pit. Long ago, I met briefly an Episcopal solitary nun but I had to find another one to answer all my questions. How to get in? How to get out? Can she live in solitude on donated land? Can she wear whatever she wants even if it is a full habit with a wimple? Could a child come live with her on the ranch? Can the nuns sell peaches?

You lean on Charles Dickens, especially Oliver Twist, to tell your story. What are some special challenges to using a book within a book?

Ruby Clyde is a reader, and the book she reads helps shape and give depth to the story. But this can be tricky. A writer must find the right passages from a book to trigger insights. Too much information might be boring. Dickens works on many levels for me: reflecting the plot, enhancing Ruby Clyde’s character, and leading readers to want to read Dickens.

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

Confidence and problem solving.

Children who take on the adult role.

Children with incarcerated parent. (Legal system.)

Vocabulary — Ruby Clyde often refers to her “wordly wizard” workbooks.

A thematic use of Charles Dickens’ books.

Children surviving in a damaged family.

Finding trustworthy adults and reclaim childhood.

age range: 8-12
genre: contemporary fiction
Melissa Sarno’s website

Please tell us about your book.

Just Under the Clouds is a novel for middle grade readers about Cora, a 12 year old girl living in a homeless shelter in Brooklyn with her mother and sister. When their room at the shelter is ransacked, the family moves in with her mother’s old friend and Cora discovers “the tree of heaven”, a tree that can grow in even the worst conditions. It sets her on a quest to understand the true meaning of home.

What inspired you to write this story?

When I wrote the novel, I was living in Brooklyn and I was struck by how many beautiful trees and plants were growing along the sidewalks where I wandered every day. I started to dream up a girl who loved climbing trees in New York City and it evolved into a story about seeking safety and permanence in something as stable and sturdy as a tree. This was also around the time when Super Storm Sandy struck my neighborhood and I began to think about some of the inequalities in the way people lived and how fleeting a sense of home can be.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research or share a few interesting tidbits you learned while researching?

I have always been attuned to nature, even while living in Brooklyn, but my research allowed me to understand my surroundings better. I learned to identify a lot of the trees on my street (the most popular street tree in New York City is a London Plane tree, because it absorbs carbon dioxide best.) I also learned a lot about crows and how they can recognize places and faces and keep returning to them. There’s a houseboat in my story because I had seen a small community of houseboats on the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn. I learned a bit about how some people live on them, like where they get electricity (through solar energy) and running water (through rain filtration). It made me want to live on a houseboat someday!

What are some challenges associated with writing about a difficult topic like homelessness?

I think the biggest challenge was getting past my own ideas of what it means to be homeless, which were originally pretty stereotypical. It’s easy to get wrapped up in a statistic or an “issue” and I also know that, as a reader, I am turned off by books that hammer home a message rather than tell me a good story. In order to overcome the obvious pitfalls, I felt I had to write about a girl who happened to be homeless, instead of a “homeless girl”, if that makes sense. I had to listen to Cora’s story and learn who she was as a person shaped by her experiences rather than someone defined by her circumstances.

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

The topic most central to the book is home and I think classrooms can explore what home means to students, whether it’s a place, a person, a feeling, or something else entirely. It’s also a book that I hope will inspire and encourage kids and teachers to think about the natural world around them, whether they live in the city, the country, or somewhere in between. Identifying what surrounds us, understanding how things grow, how we can help them grow, and connecting them to our own needs and desires can be a fun and thoughtful lesson.

Perl has created a moving coming-of-age journey steeped in Jewish traditions and comedic history, elegantly balancing humor with an honest look at the impact of suicide. Noah’s genuine voice and tricky situation will have readers pulling for him.
–Publishers Weekly

This novel is excellent on multiple fronts. A satisfying story that will appeal to all middle grade readers.
–School Library Journal

Watching Noah repeatedly sliding on a banana peel (even, once, literally) gives readers plenty of occasions to wince, to chortle, and ultimately, to applaud.
–Booklist

genre: contemporary fiction
age range: 10 and up
Erica Perl’s website

Please tell us about your book.

Well, first, let me tell you what it is NOT about: The Three Stooges. It’s actually about Noah and Dash, two seventh graders who are best friends and comedy junkies. That is, they were best friends, until Dash’s father dies suddenly and Dash shuts Noah out. Noah is sad and frustrated and jealous (because he seems to be the only friend Dash has abruptly rejected). So, instead of accepting the end of their friendship, Noah risks losing everything – even his sense of humor – to prove that gone doesn’t have to mean gone for good.

What inspired you to write this story?

My younger daughter’s best friend’s father, who was a friend of mine, died by suicide. And two adult friends of mine lost parents as a result of suicide when they were children. But, in all honesty, this book isn’t “about” suicide per se, though it does address the way depression and other mental illnesses can hide in plain sight. What I wanted to explore was the ripple effect of a tragedy. That’s why I chose to write from Noah’s perspective. He admired and adored Dash’s dad, so he feels the loss, too. But he is one step removed, so it is different for him than it is for Dash. And that makes it difficult for him to understand what Dash is feeling and why he is behaving differently than Noah might expect.

Could you share with readers how you conducted your research?

I interviewed teenagers and adults who had lost parents to suicide, and I read a lot of books. But the most important piece of my research was volunteering at a grief camp run by the Wendt Center for Loss and Healing. All the kids at camp had lost family members (though not all to suicide), and many of the campers I worked with were Dash and Noah’s age. By watching them work through their pain – and explore the freedom to separate from it – I came to a heightened understanding of the incredible range of ways kids process grief and loss. I tried as much as possible to capture and honor their lived experiences in ALL THREE STOOGES.

What are some special challenges associated with writing a “funny” book that explores a subject as serious as parental suicide?

It was really important to me to walk a careful line so no one – especially no one grieving – felt I was being casual or irreverent about loss. At the same time, I wanted to show how comedy and laughter can be a profound basis for human connection. And I wanted to show the way that humor can come from a place of pain while also helping people to heal.

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

The book explores several topics that would make it a perfect fit for the classroom. These include:

• Comedy in a cultural and historical context. In particular, the kids in this book end up working on a project exploring Jewish comedy and comedians. But many cultures have rich comedic histories, and the comedy history of America is also well worth studying. There are ample video clips for students to watch, dating back to the early twentieth century – including silent film clips – that show the evolution of comedy from slapstick and vaudeville to improv, stand-up, sketch comedy and much more. Students can study how social, political, and cultural events have affected comedic styles as well as subject matter in a variety of time periods.
• Technology, privacy, and ethical dilemmas. In the book, Noah finds Dash’s missing cell phone and is torn about what to do. The choice he makes has repercussions and leads to more bad choices because of the hole he digs for himself. Students might discuss appropriate rules around personal technology and raise examples of when it is and is not ethical to violate someone’s privacy.
• Empathy about “invisible” differences / mental health awareness. When Dash’s father dies, Noah doesn’t know what to say or how to act around him. This is extremely common (for adults as well as children). When Noah learns that Dash’s father died by suicide, and suffered from depression for years, he refuses to believe it because Dash’s dad kept his suffering hidden so effectively. Students can discuss ways to cultivate a community where mental health issues are taken as seriously and discussed as openly as physical health issues and learn ways to support those who are suffering, struggling, and surviving.

Giveaway

Erica has graciously offered to giveaway a signed copy of All Three Stooges. To enter, simply leave a comment below sharing why you’d like to read this book. The contest closes Tuesday, February 27. US residents only, please.