Author Jessica Stremer on Making a Difference- PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. I’m so excited because I get to introduce a friend and colleague of mine. We co-lead the PB Spree group together and she writes awesome nonfiction! Please welcome Jessica Stremer, here to chat about her nonfiction picture book, LIGHTS OUT: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds. It’s illustrated by Bonnie Yang and published by Simon & Schuster.

BUT first- YAY! Jessica is generously giving away a FREE picture book critique to one lucky winner! To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends June 8, 2024.

Please describe the journey to publication and inspiration for LIGHTS OUT: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds.

I originally set out to write a book about the challenges birds face during migration. My agent felt the topic as a little too broad, and suggested I instead focus on just one of those challenges. She lives in Texas where the Lights Out Movement is well-known, and suggested I do some research to see if that narrative thread would be something I’d be interested in. It didn’t take too long before I found my way into this new story.

What message would you like the book to impart to children?

I hope that people feel empowered and hopeful after reading this book. I’d like children to realize that small actions – their small actions – can make a big difference in the world around them. They don’t have to rely on adults for change.

What is your research process and does it vary depending on the project?

I often begin by looking to see if there are any other books recently published on the subject I’m interested in. If yes, I’ll look to see how they approached that subject. I consider what their angle is and determine if what I want to write is different enough.

Next, I’ll research using books and scientific journals. I try to find at least 3 sources to backup whatever fact I’d like to include. Websites can also be helpful, but I try to stick to official sites vs. personal blogs.

I use OneNote to help me stay organized, and also like to print articles so that I can highlight and make comments about how I’d like to incorporate a fact into the story.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

There are so many portions of this book that I love, but these three scenes carry a lot of weight. The first spread shows the migrating birds encountering trouble along their journey. In the story, one of the sparrows becomes injured and left behind. The girls brings it to a rehabilitation center, where she learns about the Lights Out movement.

This is the point in the story where we feel the momentum shift as the girl steps up to help bring change to her community.

You write a lot of nature-based nonfiction, when did your connection with nature begin?

I’ve always loved being outdoors, going for hikes, and exploring our natural world. That love for science and nature has only grown with time. There are so many interesting stories still waiting to be explored, and I hope that my books inspire kids to pursue their own curiosities.

Please share your favorite books from 2022-3 that inspired you.

FEW by Kate Allen Fox

RIVER OF DUST by Jilanne Hoffman

FINDING FAMILY by Laurie Purdie Salas

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?

Be open and flexible. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want.

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BIO

Jessica Stremer is an award-winning children’s author who combines her love of science and writing to create books that inspire kids to explore and think critically about the world around them. Her titles include GREAT CARRIER REEF (a Cook Prize Silver Medalist and NY Public Library Best Book of the Year), LIGHTS OUT: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds, FIRE ESCAPE: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires (a JLG Gold Standard selection), PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN: How Science Saved a Species, TRAPPED IN THE TAR PIT, and WONDERFULLY WILD. Jessica obtained a B.S. in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology, from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She was a recipient of the 2023 Stephen Fraser Encouragement Award and 2023 finalist for the Russel Freedman award. When not writing you can find Jessica cheering from the sideline of her kids’ soccer games, spending time outdoors, and planning her next family adventure. 

https://www.jessicastremer.com/