Aimée Bissonette is the author of numerous books for children including NORTH WOODS GIRL, MISS COLFAX’S LIGHT, DRAGONFLY, and HEADSTRONG HALLIE. Her picture books are inspired by her love of nature and stories of resilient women. Aimée lives in Minnesota and in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where she hikes, snowshoes, and hunts for agates. You can learn more about Aimée’s books at www.aimeebissonette.com.

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

To date, all of my historical nonfiction has involved biographies of women who intrigue me and whose stories I want to share with young readers. I often come across my subjects by happenstance. I learned about Harriet Colfax and her work as our nation’s longest serving lighthouse keeper one summer while reading The Women’s Great Lakes Reader by Victoria Brehm.  I learned about Jerrie Mock (and ultimately Joan Merriam Smith) when I read Jerrie’s obituary. I was amazed that I didn’t know anything about Jerrie and Joan despite the fact that their historic flights occurred during my lifetime. I came across Hallie Morse Daggett’s story while conducting unrelated Internet research for another project. Gail L. Jenner’s wonderful blog piece on Hallie hooked me immediately.  

In all three cases, I couldn’t put the women or their stories aside. These lesser known “everyday heroes” were smart, persistent, confident, and resilient. They seemed to be great role models for young readers. I conducted additional research – scouring libraries and online sources – to confirm that was the case. In each instance, it was and I felt I had the green light to explore further. (Occasionally, additional research provides details, and in some cases red flags, that reveal a subject is not the best candidate for me. My published biographies at this point are all picture books and some things that could work for an older audience have to be off limits for the younger crowd.)

Do you have a specific system for collecting data? 

Over the years, I have gotten much better at collecting and organizing data – a direct result of learning the hard way!  I now know that I need to be able to say where and how I came across every piece of information I include in my text. There are no “free passes” just because I’m writing a picture book. Nonfiction picture books need to be as accurate as books for older readers and copy editors will rightfully demand to know the basis for every statement made.  

I don’t use specific software when collecting data, but I do track all of the sources I consult and I faithfully back things up to “the cloud.” For each new project, I create a separate folder of Internet bookmarks in my browser so the sites I deem most helpful will always be at my fingertips. 

I also create a master document in Word, in which I list all the sources (print, online, photos, etc.) I have reviewed, annotating each listed source with notes about what I found and why I think it’s helpful. (I also make a separate list of sources I have consulted that are too peripheral to the subject or otherwise not helpful so I know if I have already ruled out a source if and when it comes up in later research.) 

Lastly, I create a timeline. I plug in details about my subject’s life, as well as important cultural and world events that occurred in my subject’s lifetime. When needed, I even add fashion details. Details like these provide context and make stories richer. Harriet Colfax, for instance, was impressive for what she did not only because her work was difficult and dangerous but because, unlike her male counterparts, she had to do it in petticoats and button boots! 

What kinds of sources do you use? The more specifics here, the better!

My favorite sources are first-person accounts. What a window they are into the souls of my subjects! First-person accounts not only convey facts about my subjects, but how my subjects viewed things that happened when they happened and how they were personally affected. First-person accounts also are marvelous for showcasing societal views and the language of the time.

In researching Harriet’s story, I was elated to learn that a volunteer at the Michigan City Old Lighthouse Museum (on the site of the lighthouse Harriet tended) had painstakingly transcribed Harriet’s entire lighthouse keeper log. Years and years of entries in Harriet’s own voice were available to me – wow! 

Likewise, newspaper interviews of Hallie Morse Daggett provided Hallie’s true view of her life as a “lonely” fire lookout (she loved the solitude) and the “scary” electrical storms that shook her tiny lookout cabin (she found them “simply grand”).

Jerrie Mock and Joan Merriam Smith both penned firsthand accounts of their “race,” which provided innumerable facts about flying and the difficulties each pilot faced, as well as a glimpse into the rivalry between them.

How long do you typically research before beginning to draft?

How long I research varies with each project. Sometimes it takes a long time to retrieve sources. (I cannot thank my local library enough for the work they do helping me obtain academic articles and texts that are only available from afar via intra-library loan.) Sometimes I go down “rabbit holes” involving related people and events, only to surface weeks later with the realization that none of that added research is critical to my story. And sometimes I just need to hit the “pause” button on researching while I wrestle with finding a way into the story. That was the case with Aim for the Skies. I tried so many times to figure out the right structure for what I thought was going to be a biography of Jerrie Mock. It took me a couple of years to realize that my story had to include Joan Merriam Smith, too, and the incredible race between them.

What’s one of the most interesting things you’ve learned while researching and writing historical nonfiction?

I have learned so many fun facts while researching my subjects – even the subjects who I later decided were not right for my picture books.  But one of the truly joyful things for me about writing historical nonfiction is connecting with other writers who share my excitement about my subjects – so much so that they, too, have devoted months or years researching and writing about them! For instance, Laura Deering is a writer who contacted me after Miss Colfax’s Light was released to share information about the other Harriet Colfax (my Harriet’s sister-in-law who served as a Union nurse during the Civil War and afterwards continued her life of service in the Deep South and in Minnesota). Tiffany Ann Brown is a writer I’ve been trading emails with recently. She wrote her own book on Joan Merriam Smith titled Fate On A Folded Wing, from which I have learned so much.  Researching and writing can be an isolating endeavor. It’s always fun to meet a kindred spirit.

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. 

Lori Mortensen is an award-winning children’s author of more than 100 books. Recent releases include Nonsense! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey, If Wendell Had a Walrus, illustrated by New York Times bestselling author/illustrator Matt Phelan, Away with Words: The Daring Story Of Isabella Bird, Mousequerade Ball, illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Betsy Lewin, Chicken Lily, and Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range, a sequel to Amazon bestseller Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg. When she’s not hiking around, camera in hand, she’s tapping away at her keyboard, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. Today she lives in the foothills of Northern California with her family and the wonderful assortment of birds that come her way. To find more information about upcoming releases, reviews, teacher activities, and more, visit her website at www.lorimortensen.com.

Why did you decide to write a picture book biography about Isabella Bird?

I discovered Isabella Bird when I began searching online for women’s firsts, such as first woman doctor, first woman astronaut, etc. However, when I discovered Isabella Bird was the first female member of England’s Royal Geographic Society, I immediately wanted to know more. Once I delved into some research, I discovered that her life as a woman living in the Victorian era was supposed to unfold much differently. Not only did society expect her to stay home and manage a household, she was born with chronic health issues that could have discouraged any plans she may have had. Yet, in spite of the odds against her, she forged a daring new path that took her around the world, and wrote 10 bestsellers that chronicled her exciting explorations. 

How do you conduct your research? 

Once I’m intrigued with some initial research, I dig in and look for everything I can find about the subject. In the past, I relied on my local libraries, but with the internet, the world is at my fingertips. I begin by looking for books, either to buy or check out, then I visit reliable internet sites that include museums, historical sites, historical societies, universities, books in the public domain, newspaper clippings, and experts wherever they may be.  

At what point do you feel comfortable beginning to draft? 

It takes time to research a subject thoroughly, and when it feels like I’ve found all that I can reasonably find, I organize the information into categories such as the subject’s childhood, accomplishments, challenges, setbacks, pivotal moments, and quotes. Once I’m familiar with the information I’ve found, I’m ready to write the first draft. 

Does your research continue once you begin writing?

Interestingly, it does. As the manuscript takes shape, sometimes finding that extra bit of information is the key to making a scene complete. In AWAY WITH WORDS, for example, I realized I wanted to include quotes from newspapers from her era, and quotes from people who heard her lectures. Finding these quotes required extra research, but they made all of the difference. “The woman must be devoid of all delicacy and modesty” said one. “She exercises a spell over the listener” said another. “No one has an adventure like Ms. Bird.” When Isabella Bird passed away on October 7, 1904, the New York Times declared she was “one of the most daring women travelers who ever lived.”

Which of Isabella’s experiences did you find most interesting? 

Throughout my research, I loved Isabella’s stubborn determination to conquer whatever she faced. One of my favorite Isabella treks was when she rode across a snowy, windswept desert. “The demon wind seized on us,” she wrote, “a steady, blighting, searching, merciless blast” that cut through her six layers of woolen clothing as if they were nothing. “I was so helpless and, in such torture,” she continued, “that I would gladly have lain down to die in the snow.” The reader can feel her torment, yet she found the strength to survive and keep going.

During her travels, she suffered many injuries, including six broken ribs and a fractured ankle. Once, her horse drowned while she was crossing a raging river. Of course, with 10 books about her daring explorations, I could only include a fraction of her adventures in a picture book.

Why is it important to tell stories like Bird’s?

Everyone has obstacles in his or her life. It is important to know that boundaries can be broken, and lives can be enlarged and changed in spite of the daunting roadblocks that may stand in our way. In Isabella’s case, she not only broke through the boundaries of English society, she conquered mountains, crossed deserts, and wrote books that opened new worlds to her readers and what showed the world what a woman can do.

Do you have any other recently released picture book biographies?

Yes! NONSENSE! The Curious Story of Edward Gorey about curious, mysterious, brilliant, eccentric, whimsical, sometimes dark, sometimes silly, one-of-a-kind creator, Edward Gorey that was released just before the pandemic hit in March 2020. Although Isabella Bird and Edward Gorey have very different stories, they both lived their lives in their own unique and independent way, a theme that always resonates with me, and hopefully readers everywhere too.