Marvelous Middle Grade Monday-An Author Talks Genre and School Visits

Welcome to another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.  And today's post is doing double duty for me as the latest addition to Oh MG/YA Canada. 

Jane Buttery is visiting. She kindly sent me a copy of her book and also agreed to answer some questions I had for her for MMGM Authors Talk Genre & School Visits.

Before we get to the questions, here is a little bit more about her book from her website:

Can you guess what happens in a small town in 1846 when a Black schoolboy Josh befriends a poor Irish immigrant, Seamus? It is not surprising when the locals don’t approve. It was in fact a time of growing prejudice and led to the Separate Schools Act of 1850. 

Josh, who is a dedicated student, suffers bullying by the others who don’t want him at their inter-racial school. The school boys even gang up on Seamus when he sticks up for Josh. But throughout the experiences the two boys become strong friends; they discover a common love of music and, towards the end of the story, they have quite a journey together.

The author seeks to bring you a slice of life in Upper Canada, relating it to real facts about the town as it becomes an important small port and a refuge for those fleeing from slavery or from starvation in Ireland. 

This is certainly a book that will spark an interest in history (I know it peaked mine!), filled with stories from the time...and all tied together in the friendship of two boys.

My questions:

1. Your book was clearly well researched. When writing historical fiction how do you plot out your story and use history to pull it all together. The research involved must be massive and daunting while satisfying?
2. You do school visits with your book. What has the response of the kids been like. Any favorite moments you'd like to share?
3. Any advice for those embarking school visits and those who might be quite nervous about it?

Jane's answers: 

 1.Research: I have a degree in history and love doing research. I used a local source called HEIRS to which I belong as well as the internet and various books. If you look at the back page117, the references  there, reveal the variety.

The plot came from a story I heard a HEIRS(Harrow Early Immigrant Research Society) about an inter-racial school. I was intrigued. I also knew James Alexander was a black grocer on Bathurst Street next to the church.

THE PLOT: As I like 'backing' the underdog, I was happy to use a black boy (who did exist but I made him a bit older) who may have gone to the school. I knew his father was Peter Stokes who got land in the new settlement (Harrow). We know that Mr. Fry's son probably went there.  I also wanted to show how prejudice grew and how some people felt when new immigrants came. The year 1846 was a good point for this as the Irish were forced to seek help in Canada.

As I wrote, it seemed good to give equal weigh to Seamus and Josh so I planned a chapter for each and a time when they got together. I also wanted to show a little earlier history and that's why chapter 5 is about the 1838 rebellion and chapter 10 about the family's escape in the 1830's.

2. INTEREST: On school visits, teachers have asked me to talk about the background history as this fits into the curriculum so I do a Power point presentation and then read passages. 

Students find the 1838 rebellion chapter interesting told from Mr Fry's view about the capture of the schooner Anne on Jan 8th 1838. At school, they said there was still prejudice and bullying. 

I discussed the book in depth with home schoolers who asked all kinds of questions. They were white but identified with Josh easily. Someone asked me about writing a sequel about Josh. I'm glad they liked him. They also found the fire story interesting and asked how true it might be. We really don't know how the fire began.

3.ADVICE:a) I wish I'd started with the home group as they were most involved. The school children had had the book read to them at first and then, those interested continued reading it...so they weren't as familiar with it.

b) I was a teacher so approaching a school was easier for me and the book involved some of grade 6/7curriculum which interested the teachers at that level .NO NEED to be nervous. Tell yourself 'I know more about this than they do!'

c) I may go initially for a Readathon and be asked to come back. This has happened in 2 schools.

d) I suppose I try to sell a visit but showing how I can help them encourage interest in history and historical fiction. I send out a newsletter to schools once a year about my workshops a all levels.They love visitors during education week.

I also offer a book at a big discount or give away a book . Sometimes I do a follow up, asking students to say what they think might happen to Josh or Seamus next and then I offer a book for one good entry. I read the entries! I hope this is not too wordy . Nowadays I find it more exhausting to go to students for a day ( I do a variety when I go) so I go to outside group and sell quite well that way.

Not too wordy, Jane! I appreciate you taking time to answer my questions. All best with the continued success of your book and thanks to all those who've stopped by for a read!

Happy MMGM all and for those of you with today off...enjoy! Here is some more marvelous for y'all to check out:

Shannon Whitney Messenger (a.k.a. Fearless Leader)-Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe
Jennifer Rumberger-Children's Author
Joanne Fritz-My Brain on Books
Danika Dinsmore-The Accidental Novelist 
Shannon O'Donnell-Book Dreaming
Myrna Foster-The Night Writer
Natalie Aguirre-Literary Rambles
Brooke Favero-Somewhere in the Middle
Ally Beecher- Kid Lit Frenzy
Barbara Watson-Novel and Nouveau
Anita Laydon Miller-her middle grade blog
Michael G-G-Middle Grade Mafioso
Jessica Lei-her blog  
Pam Torres-So I'm Fifty
Akoss-Nye Louwon – My Spirit | a search for the writer in me
Gabrielle Prendergast-Angelhorn
Gina Carey
T.L. Conway

Keeping it Simple {ish}

You know.

You can't do it all. I try to, then have to remind myself I can't.

So here I go again emptying my plate.

Again!

I. Swear.

You will notice no more A-Z Blogging Challenge. Time there will go to reading and writing.

You won't notice I weeded out google reader. Got so carried away with adding blogs over time that I am missing out on reading and commenting on some of my favorites and, really, the time spent was getting a wee bit out of hand.

Blogging is for Marvelous Middle Grade Mondays, by definition on Mondays and YA Roundtable. Oh MG/YA Canada will be incorporated into them.

Rest of time...reading and writing. Writing and reading.

Do any of you have to regularly take stock and clean off the plate?

Indira Ghandi and Gum #atozchallenge

The quote (and this is a favorite):


Have a bias toward action - let's see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away.
Indira Gandhi


One step at a time. One word, sentence, paragraph. One blog post and so on. It helps to break it down so it doesn't overwhelm. Then, when you look back you see the road you built! 

The food (okay, not really a food):

GUM to chew on while you develop that plan. And make it bubble gum so the inner child can blow a few bubbles and add fuel to that imaginative fire!

Hope you all are enjoy your Easter weekend with family and friends!

Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy and Fudge for #atozchallenge

Today's quote is from Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. My I loved that book and book talking it to kids. And my...I love this quote!

 "You can't be too old to spy except if you were fifty you might fall off the fire escape, but you could spy around the ground alot."― Louise Fitzhugh, Harriet the Spy (for more wisdom from Fitzhugh and Harriet head over to GoodReads)


Now that I am over fifty, I laugh out loud even louder when I read this! I say, pursue those dreams, do what you love and don't let your age stop you.

And if you needing a little burst of energy to keep you going why not chow down on some Fudge. This is my all time favorite sweet. All. time. Whenever I travel, I always seek out a place to buy it. My favorite is Maple Sugar. Do you have a favorite fudge or sweet to nibble for that burst of energy? Or just because?

A-Z-Thomas Edison and Eggplant

Welcome to A-Z and special guest E. 

The quote:

I never did a day's work in my life. It was all fun.
Thomas A. Edison (fr. Brainy Quotes)

Imagine yourself at the point of being paid to do what you love. Sure, they will the hard bits-but even that will feel fun! For me it's writing and doing school visits to talk about my books and promote the love of reading! What about you?

The food:

An odd food popped into my head for today's A-Z. Eggplant. Can't get it out of my head now that I've thought of it. Never eaten it. Have you? Must look it up, find some recipes.


Speaking of looking up-do, click on the icon and check out more A-Z bloggers-there is a wealth of material and fun out there to fill your writEr's wEll! 

An A-D for A-Z

As I laid about battling the stomach flu/cold/flu (er, super bug?) my thoughts on what I wanted to do changed from quotes on creativity, pursuing your passion to thoughts of food?

Yep.

You know how you think you will never eat again. How food is the last thing that will ever pass your mouth? Funny how that changes and all your favorite snacks and eats and drinks and, and... come flooding back into your head as you start to feel better.

SO.

The purpose of this ramble on is to say that I thought for my first time participating in A-Z Blogging Challenge I would combine...food for the mind in the forms of quotes and food for the bod whilst pursuing creative endeavours-reading, writing, blogging, in particular.  Of course, need to come up with some sort of cool title-an A-Z of Foods for Thought? Need to think on that.

******

Aa

A-Apple Pie, Danish, Crisp!


A subtle thought that is in error may yet give rise to fruitful inquiry that can establish truths of great value. Asimov, Issac

Bb

B-Banana Chocolate Chip  Muffins and while on the topic of Banana's if you have never experienced a banana boat. Go. Experience it.

Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things. Bradbury, Ray

Cc

C-Carrots/Celery/Chips-good crunchies to get those endorphins snapping and a working. And yeah...you could skip those crazy chips.

Write the kind of story you would like to read. People will give you all sorts of advice about writing, but if you are not writing something you like, no one else will like it either. Cabot, Meg

Dd

D-Donuts-Old Fashioned Plain with Coffee from Tim Hortons!

I'm not sure I'm adult yet. Depp, Johnny I am adding in here that I think it is important to stay in touch with the kid within-that is whole lot of imagination to tap into!

********

Thanks to Brainy Quotes~! where I found all of these. 


What about you? Any favorite A-D quotes or food come to mind? Or even...fave quote and or snack in general? 


Enjoy the day all!

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, A-Z Blogging Event and More

Had big plans for today.

Big plans for yesterday.

Big,

big plans for Saturday.

BUT.

I was a wee bit sick with the flu. I have determined you should never ever ever (and I say ever!) announce to people that you hardly ever get the stomach flu anymore and then joke about it must a perk of getting older. The flu swooped in, took me down and said take that, nobody jokes on my watch.

Anyhow, that is my long windy way of saying no Marvelous Middle Grade Monday reading recommend that has a little bit of meat on it. Just a quick--I am reading Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone and setting and character pulled me into the story and is keeping me there. More later on it and the sequel! In the meantime here is link back to Shannon's post for today and here is my list of participants.

Needless to day I also have nothing for A-Z which I was going to start. Will follow up on that today, see if I should carry on and catch up with it or take it off the blogging plate.


AND-for all you carrying on with #wipmadness or joining in for the first time...April is here and we are hanging out on Haunting the Broken Tree (how is that for a seriously cool blog name for a writer?)

Finally, it is National Poetry Month in the States. One of my all time favorite blogs to follow during this time is Gotta Book because Greg does this:

Happy Monday all!