Author: Bridget

Twitter and Instagram — @JenSwanBooks

Website: http://www.JenniferSwansonBooks.com

When you were my age (10), did you like to read? I loved to read mysteries. I read every single Nancy Drew book that was written at that time, and also the Hardy Boys and Trixie Belden series. I also gobbled up nonfiction books like crazy. I was very interested in learning about the world around me.

What is a book that made an impact on you? This is a tough one. There are so many. I have to say the one book that really showed me that I could tackle tougher physics and engineering topics for kids is a book called A Black Hole is NOT a Hole by Carolyn DeCristofano. It’s so well-written and deals with the very complex topic of black holes in an interesting and easy to read manner.

Is it hard to come up with book ideas? You write about real things so where do your ideas come from? (Lil Bro – why write about car safety for kids? I like it but most kids are not interested.) I am a very curious person. I started a science club in my garage when I was 7 years old. I wanted to learn more about how things worked in our world. My intense curiosity has followed me my whole life. I come up with ideas, just by wondering… “how does that work?”

As for why I wrote about cars, I actually do believe that kids are interested in cars. I remember playing with Hot Wheels with my brothers as a kid and then watching my own kids do it. This book was inspired by my interest in the self-driving car. I would really like to drive one some day, but most of all, I think it is amazing how much techonolgy and engineering must come together to get this to work. Wow!

In researching your books, what is coolest thing you have done or encountered? I am very lucky in that I get to cool places and meet amazing people in my research. I have been to NASA, Brookhaven Laboratory — where they have a small particle collider, the Field Museum in Chicago, and most recently to CERN the home of the large hadron collider in Geneva, Switzerland. That was the coolest thing I have done, so far.

Is there a new or lesser known author you think kids should be aware of?
There are alot of great authors out there. If you like science and technology, I encourage them to go into the library and spend some time in that section. Find books that are engaging and exciting. There are tons of them there! If you want to find some great books about STEM, I encourage you to check out a blog that I run: STEM Tuesday. It is split up into different topics so you can search it. There are even some fun activities to do on your own or with your class, too.
https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/stem-tuesday/

What advice do you have for a kid who wants to be an author? Read a lot of books. And also try to keep a journal. I did that as a child. I wrote down my thoughts and ideas. It’s fun to look back on that now. Just have fun with writing.

As an author, do you hear from your readers? What do you like about that?I do hear from my readers and that is one of my favorite parts about being an author. I get pictures and letters from them. A lot of the time they tell me about their favorite part of the book. They ask me questions and sometimes tell me how they were inspired and now want to become a scientist or engineer. That is awesome!

If you could portal into any book (yours or another person’s), what book would it be? Harry Potter without a doubt. I mean who wouldn’t want to live in that creative, exciting world with magic?

Book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DkW3kkQCE5o&feature=emb_title

Website

When you were my age (10), did you like to read?

Great question! Not only did I LOVE to read, I still have many of my old paperbacks. (My mom saves everything!!) I loved both realistic fiction and fantasy. A Wrinkle in Time was one of my favorites, but I was also really fascinated by Harriet the Spy and her misunderstood friend Beth Ellen. What I loved best about these stories is that I felt like I knew the characters so well—they became like friends.  

What is a book that made an impact on you?

I remember reading A Wrinkle in Time, and that story having a big impact on me. The main character, Meg Murry, had thick glasses and braces and felt misunderstood—just like I did! It was the first time I really connected with a character. That feeling has stayed with me and continues to help me remember how powerful it is for kids to find themselves in stories.

Is it hard to come up with book ideas?

Stories are everywhere and every now and then—especially when I am hiking with my dog, Meadow—characters pop into my head. I’ve found that if I listen really hard to these characters, they will lead me to a good story!

What author or book have you read recently that impacted you?

I love to read biographies—especially about women who have done amazing things but never got recognized for their achievements. Recently, I discovered Marie Tharp who was the first person to scientifically map the world’s oceans. I read two books about her. One is a picture book called Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea, by Robert Burleigh. The other is Soundings, The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who mapped the Ocean Floor by Hali Felt. I loved Marie Tharp’s story so much that she became an important part of my most recent novel, A Galaxy of Sea Stars, which comes out in February 2020.

Is there a new or lesser known author you think kids should be aware of? 

I loved Jess Redman’s book, The Miraculous. I adore her writing and the way her stories make my heart feel. She has another book coming out next year called Quintessence that looks amazing too!! 

What advice do you have for a kid who wants to be an author?

Write every day and read, read, read! My seventh grade English teacher had us write in a journal every single day. At first I thought, this is too hard, I can’t do this every day. But when I got into the habit of writing every day, I realized how much I loved it. I could write about anything – my day, my family, my friends – no one was judging what I wrote about and that helped the words flow. It was also a way to get through challenges and helped me put things in perspective. I still have all of my journals and they are such a treasure. They are a window into 10-year-old Jeanne and help me remember how it was really hard to be a kid some days.

As an author, do you hear from your readers? What do you like about that?

Yes! I LOVE hearing from my readers. I’ve received some awesome emails and some beautiful art from kids who have read Ruby in the Sky. I love hearing how readers have connected with Ruby and Ahmad, that they’ve found meaning in the story, or simply that they thought it was good book.

If you could portal into any book (yours or another person’s), what book would it be?

A Wrinkle in Time again!!! (Best book of all time!) I love how Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Which, and Mrs. Who, teach Meg about tesseracts, which are a “wrinkle in time” that allows them to travel to other planets. I would love to tesser along with Meg and Calvin and Charles Wallace to Uriel, the two-dimension planet, as well as Ixchel to spend time with Aunt Beast. Even tessering to the dark planet of Camazotz where IT is holding Meg’s father prisoner would be a thrilling adventure!