Author Melissa Stewart on Expository Nonfiction- PLUS a GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish! I’m super excited because I got to interview one of my main nonfiction mentors who’s not only talented, but also very generous with her knowledge. Please welcome nonfiction pioneer, Melissa Stewart! I have the pleasure to introduce you all to her latest picture book, Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem, published by Random House Studio and illustrated by Rob Dunlavey. Check out the jaw-dropping cover!

BUT first- YAY! Melissa is generously giving away a FREE copy of her book. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends March 24, 2023, US only.

Please describe the journey to publication for Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem.

The story behind this book traces back to 2019. While writing Ick! Delightfully, Disgusting Animals Dinners, Dwellings, and Defenses, I stumbled upon an article about zombie worms, aka bone-eating snot flower worms.

Of course, I included them in that book. First of all, what a fabulous name! But also—believe it or not—dozens of teeny tiny male zombie worms live inside each female. Wow!

Each section in Ick! was limited to about 400 words. But there was SO much more to say about these curious critters. I tacked the article to my Idea Board as a reminder that I hoped to learn more about them.

Sometimes notes and articles stay on my Idea Board for a long time, collecting dust. But when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, all my school visits were canceled and I had plenty of time for research.

As I began reading more about zombie worms and their environment, my mind was blown. I was completely captivated by the incredible collection of critters that live in, on, and around a whale fall. I knew I had to write a book about them.

The premise of this book is fascinating; that even though it may be the end of a whale’s life, it heralds a new beginning for many other sea creatures. What made you think of this concept?

Hmm, that’s an interesting question because I never considered any other approach. I guess the circle of life must be deeply embedded in my view of the world. Who we are as people—our experiences, our beliefs, our passions and vulnerabilities—fuel our writing, sometimes without us even realizing it. That personal connection is what makes the books we write uniquely our own.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

Here’s the book’s opening:

“When a whale dies,
       its massive body
       silently sinks

down,
    down,
through the inky darkness,
      finally coming to rest
      on the soft, silty seafloor.

For the whale, it’s the end of a 70-year-long life.

But for a little-known community of deep-sea denizens, it’s a new beginning. The whale fall is a bountiful gift that can sustain life for another 50 years.”

Then the book goes on to describe the astonishing ocean-floor ecosystem with a whole host of creatures that are found nowhere else on Earth. Here’s one of my favorite spreads:

Some people believe that children prefer fiction over nonfiction, but that isn’t always true. Can you share what researchers have proven about children’s genre reading preferences?

To start off, it’s important to acknowledge that some children (and adults) really do prefer fiction. But most people (children and adults) enjoy both genres, and many prefer nonfiction. There is a robust body of research showing that many kids love reading to learn and find nonfiction fascinating, but unfortunately, many adults aren’t aware of that research. They mistakenly assume kids would rather read made-up stories.

As a result, nonfiction accounts for two-thirds of adult book sales, but only one-quarter of children’s book sales. Elementary classroom libraries contain four times more fiction than nonfiction. School libraries are typically divided into three major sections—two are fiction, and only one is nonfiction. Educators favor fiction without even realizing it. So do parents, grandparents, and other caregivers.

The good news is that the NCTE (National Council for Teachers of English) is now trying to address the implicit bias against children’s nonfiction. On January 19, they released a Nonfiction Position Statement, calling for educators to add more nonfiction to their classroom libraries and use more nonfiction in instruction. As a science writer, I’m excited that the NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) endorsed it the very next day.

Please share your favorite books from 2022 that have inspired you.

Oh, that’s an easy question. I published a list of my 15-favorite STEM books on my blog in December. These are books I hope educators will come back to again and again.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other nonfiction writers about how to craft their hooks?

Be patient.

Once in a while, I get super lucky, and a book idea comes to me with the hook, text structure, and voice built right in. But more often, it takes time. Sometimes a very, very, very long time. And that’s just the way it is.

As nonfiction writers, we have to wait until our brains work out how the various craft elements will work together to create a book that’s interesting and unique. You do a very good job of explaining this in a blog post for Storystorm back in January. I highly recommend it.

And a bonus question just for kicks! What’s your favorite animal you’ve ever written about, so far?

I’m going to go with the okapi, which is one of the animals included in Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs. They’re so fascinating that I wanted to write more about them, and I now have a book focusing on them in the works. Stay tuned for more info coming soon.

BIO

Melissa Stewart has written more than 200 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including the Sibert Medal Honoree Summertime Sleepers: Animals that Estivate, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. She co-wrote 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children’s Books, edited the anthology Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-winning Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing, and maintains the award-winning blog Celebrate Nonfiction. Melissa’s highly-regarded website features a rich array of nonfiction reading and writing resources. 

LINKS

Website: https://www.melissa-stewart.com/
Blog: http://celebratescience.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @mstewartscience
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissa.stewart.33865
Instagram: @melissastewartscience

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