AUGUST ISSUE
Our August line-up includes interviews with Nandi Bushell, Frank Payne, Dawn Renee Young, Scott Sollers, Aisha Saeed, Dan Gemeinhart, and Constance Lombardo and Micah Player! Conrad Storad gives the rap on raptors, Judy Newman celebrates summer treats and sweet reads, and Nick Spake reviews The Imaginary.
And be sure to check out our newest book reviews and summer reading list. It's all inside!
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FEATURES
Nandi Bushell
Drums Up Magic
by Raven Howell
Fourteen-year-old British musician and singer-songwriter Nandi Bushell is now adding “author” to her impressive résumé with the release of The Life-Changing Magic of Drumming.
Born in South Africa and now residing with her family in the United Kingdom, a young Nandi showed a strong interest in keeping a beat and drumming by the young age of five. Her parents nurtured her curiosity and enthusiasm. They bought her a drum kit. She began taking lessons.
“I would watch the ‘Hey Jude’ video on YouTube while making pancakes for breakfast with my family. Ringo looked so happy with the biggest smile on his face. I just remember thinking drumming looks like fun,” says Nandi. “After doing well in a math club, my mum and dad took me to a toy shop, and I picked a toy drum kit. That’s how it all started.”
“Having lessons has really helped me progress and improve. It’s always nice to have someone to support you when you get stuck.”
Frank Payne
Embarks on a Tail-Wagging Adventure
by Raven Howell
During his childhood, Frank Payne would go fishing with his grandfather on the Rappahannock River in Falmouth, VA. Little did he know the influence it would have on his future creative efforts.
Frank’s first picture book, Webster the Beagle, published in 2018 by Mascot Books, tackles the subject of fitting in and finding one’s true home. Webster, born a hunting dog, gets lost in the woods until he’s taken in by a loving owner. With the kindness and support of his new family, Webster’s life changes. He’s able to express his full potential and brings happiness to everyone around him.
Long familiar with dogs, Frank says, “We had two pups growing up: a cocker spaniel named Happy, and a basset hound named Sorry. I grew up at a time when our parents pretty much kicked us out of the house in the summer from sunup to sundown. We would go to our grandparents a lot, which was the best because that meant time on the river and fishing. Other times I’d be in my neighborhood, doing all the normal things—riding bikes, playing Kick the Can and every sport available—basketball, baseball, football, soccer, running.”
Dawn Renee Young
Inspires Kids to Make Good Choices
by Raven Howell
“I stay motivated because I love children and try to instill in them the love of literacy and the importance of making good choices for a lifetime,” says children’s author Dawn Renee Young.
Dawn is a retired teacher, principal, and teacher improvement coordinator, and obtained a degree as an Educational Specialist in Character Education. She’s published the Mrs. Good Choice line of books and continues to present her program, “Good Choices Matter,” in schools and libraries.
“I began my writing journey back in 2012. My debut book, The ABCs of Making Good Choices, was published in 2013 by a local college here in Tennessee. I self-published seven books in the Mrs. Good Choice series from 2013-2015. After that venture,
I began writing almost every day for the next seven years.
I have written over 50 picture book manuscripts. Then in 2023,
I was picked up by Solander Press and also one of my books was published by a division of Harper Collins Christian.”
Scott Sollers
Pens a Tall Tale for Little Readers
by Raven Howell
Children’s author Scott Sollers tries to follow three guiding principles when appropriate. “Whatever you are doing, do the very, very best you can, because somebody is watching and it’s not who you think it is. Second, take an interest in others. Ask questions and draw them out. You will learn something and forge a relationship that could be very meaningful. And lastly, always trust your instincts. You have a predisposition for a lot of reasons. Trust yourself,” he encourages.
His new book, A Tall Tale, How the Ostriches Got Their Long Necks and Long Legs (Mascot Books), tells the story of rival communities, the Have-Alls and the No-Haves. The No-Haves, jealous of the Have-Alls’ pets (called the Squatz) decide to try stealing them, causing a fierce tug-of-war between the two camps. When the air clears, the communities come together, choosing companionship and abundance and a fun surprise involving “how the ostriches got their long necks and long legs.”
A Tall Tale is the new book in Scott Sollers’ Stephanie’s Stories series. “I think all of my stories try to show how selflessness and putting another’s interest ahead of your own always produces positive results,” says Scott, from his home in San Mateo, California. “I was inspired to write these stories to enhance my relationship with my young daughter and I conceived and wrote these stories almost 30 years ago! I bought a blank hardback book and hand-wrote and illustrated 13 of these stories as an heirloom, and just recently undertook the daunting task of getting them published.” He happily adds, “My publisher and marketing consultant have done superb work.”
photo by Bindu Liang
Aisha Saeed
Inspires Kids (and Grown-Ups) to Celebrate Everyday Joys
by Raven Howell
Meet Zuni. She’s sweet, silly, ever-so-charming, and full of bright ideas. Her family has a memory jar. Anytime someone in the family does something important, they mark those moments through notes and photos stored in the jar and share those memories together at the end of the year. A deceptively simple story for young and old alike, Zuni and the Memory Jar is a reminder to celebrate everyday moments in life along with grand achievements. We love this idea and asked author Aisha Saeed to tell us more!
Tell us about your career and where you worked before you became a writer. What inspired those career choices?
Before becoming a writer, I was a second-grade teacher and later, an attorney who represented children. I represented kids with disabilities and chronic illnesses to ensure they received equal access to education. As a writer for young people, I feel grateful that while my job has shifted, my focus remains the same: children. As an author, I still get to have school visits and interact with students, which is so incredibly meaningful for me.
What inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve loved to write since I could put a pencil to paper. Telling stories is how I make sense of the world. While I never could have dreamed as a child that I could be a storyteller for a living, I am incredibly grateful because the work truly feeds my soul.
Tell us about Zuni and the Memory Jar! What inspired the book?
I was inspired to tell a story about the beauty of the ordinary and the everyday. Zuni and the Memory Jar is a story about a family that decides to make a memory jar to collect memories of notable events in their lives throughout the year. The youngest in the family, Zuni, is often told lovingly that one day she’ll have notable events to contribute as well, but Zuni knows something they don’t know: that everyday moments are notable and beautiful and worthy of remembering as well.
Q&A with
Dan Gemeinhart
by Julianne Black DiBlasi
Do you ever wander into a memory of a childhood story? Something about your day, a smell, or a person you meet suddenly brings you back to an old favorite, and your feelings from that time spring at you like a retro pop-up book? Or did you ever wade through a bookstore with your own child and get the sensation you were in your own literary scrapbook, smiling at all the titles as you would a (great) class reunion?
The creatures, lessons, and characters from our favorite books create indelible grooves on the mind’s greatest hits record, returning to the forefront at the oddest moments. Even as the seasons change and time passes, the memories from stories always stay with us—no matter how far we’ve traveled from when we first absorbed their wonder.
Once Upon a Friend is about exactly that. In the story, as soon as the reader opens Meego’s book, the reader and main character become best friends. Together, they jump from the exciting adventures in Meego’s stories to the fun times in their own life. Bravely exploring dark caves or facing big days like the first day of school, the reader and Meego go through everything together.
Whether you are feeling nostalgic, attempting to share the power of lifelong reading with your young ones, or simply in the mood for a great storytime book, Once Upon a Friend illuminates the magic of books and characters we never forget.
Q: Where did the idea come from for Once Upon a Friend, and what drove you to create your first picture book?
A: The idea for Once Upon a Friend came to me when I was visiting a middle school in Maine several years ago. The library had some stuffed animals of Elephant & Piggie on the shelf. It seemed like a funny decoration for a middle school, and when I asked the librarian about them, she said something along the lines of, “Well, middle school can be a scary place, and I think even these big kids like seeing old friends around.” It made such an impression on me, and a line rose right into my mind: A friend you make in a book is a friend you never have to leave behind. The whole book kind of came out of that line.
THE BOOK BUG
Constance Lombardo and Micah Player
Have Created a (Good) Monster
by Raven Howell
When picture book and middle-grade author/illustrator Constance Lombardo describes Itty Bitty Betty Blob from her new book as “a blob who loves swaying more than stomping, who chooses rainbows over ruination, and who tries to be bad, like a good little monster, but simply cannot,” I’m hooked.
Constance’s enthusiasm for her newly written character is contagious. “Betty is exactly the kind of free-spirited visionary I seek out in my friends,” she divulges. “We would definitely dance among the dandelions together. Maybe even bake a cake with pink frosting!”
In the book, Itty Bitty Betty Blob, Betty is not your typical monster. She practices growling and scowling for picture day at school but ultimately doesn’t enjoy scaring other people. It’s an endearing journey of discovering and embracing our differences, and Betty ends up inspiring those around her. The mood of the plot and tone of the artwork morph from the drearier black and whites of emotional struggles and insecurities to the colorful enjoyment of making new friends and feeling accepted.
“Betty is truly her own blob, with a sunny disposition and unique way of moving through the world … literally! I hope she helps kids see that being yourself, even when the world has different expectations, is a righteous and courageous act.”
MONTHLY COLUMNS
-
Monsters at the Movies
The Imaginary
by Nick Spake -
Life of a Reader
We Scream for Ice Cream …
and Reading!
by Judy Newman -
Conrad‘s Classroom
Urban bird watching: Raptors
by Conrad J. Storad -
Liv On Life
My Grandma and the Piano
by Olivia Amiri -
Kids Corner
Secret Message Puzzle
Itty Bitty Betty Blob
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