interviews – Page 5

Peter Carnavas on Leo and Ralph

Posted on March 13, 2024August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of a children's novel: Leo and Ralph by Peter Carnavas

Peter Carnavas is the creator of over twenty books, many of which have been shortlisted or won awards. Peter’s books have been translated into many languages. He lives on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Today we’re chatting about Leo and Ralph, his latest novel.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Leo and Ralph.

From the publisher:

Leo and Ralph have been best friends ever since Ralph flew down from one of Jupiter’s moons. But now Leo’s older, and Mum and Dad think it’s time to say goodbye to Ralph. When the family moves to a small country town, they hope Leo might finally make a real friend. But someone like Ralph is hard to leave behind …

Leo loves everything about space. What’s your favourite fact about space?

I discovered my favourite space facts from one of my favourite books: Stellarphant, by James Foley. At the back of his book, he shows all the different animals that have been into space — rabbits, tortoises, frogs and chicken eggs!

Can you share a memory of what you and your friends liked to do at lunchtime when you were Leo’s age?

It was either soccer or handball. I loved playing soccer, and lunchtime never seemed long enough — we always wanted to score just one more goal. In my mind, I was the greatest handball player in the school, but I don’t have any trophies to prove it. You’ll just have to take my word for it.

Leo’s descriptions of Dundle are so effective we can picture the country town in our mind’s eye. Is Dundle based on a real town?

As I wrote about Dundle, I pictured a lovely country town called Clermont, in the central highlands of Queensland. I lived there for five years when I started teaching and I have great memories of the town and the community. Leo isn’t too sure about Dundle when he first arrives but he grows to love it, just like I did with Clermont.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I won’t say too much, as the idea has only started growing, but I’m planning a novel about animals, and the main character is a stubborn, curious and very brave goat.

Do you have a tip for young writers?

When you write stories, you’re in charge, so write the story you really want to write. There are some basic rules to remember — a main character that readers want to cheer for, and some big problems to create tension — but most of all, try to write the kinds of stories you love to read.

Leo and Ralph is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop, library or order online!

AWESOME EXTRAS:

Watch the book trailer! [YouTube]

Download the Teachers’ Notes from the publisher’s website

Visit Peter Carnavas’s website for more about him and his books

authors, interviews

A.L. Tait on The First Summer of Callie McGee

Posted on March 6, 2024March 26, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

Allison Tait (A.L. Tait) is the internationally published bestselling author of adventure series The Mapmaker Chronicles, the Ateban Cipher novels, and the Maven & Reeve Mysteries. Today we’re chatting to A.L. Tait about her latest novel The First Summer of Callie McGee, a cosy mystery novel.

Allison Tait sitting on the edge of a wall.

The cover of a children's novel, The First Summer of Callie McGee by A.L. Tait.

From the publisher:

It’s the last summer before Callie starts high school and she’s been dragged along to yet another ‘family friends’ holiday. Determined to change her nerdy reputation, Callie sets out to make waves but nothing is quite as she expects. Her usual ally, Sasha, has outgrown Callie; her nemesis, Mitch, has brought his cousin Owen along; and the boring south coast town of Sawyer’s Point has been rocked by a series of burglaries. Callie, Owen and Mitch decide to investigate the robberies, bringing them face to face with a local gang … and a possible ghost. But then Sasha goes missing …

You’ve published multiple fantasy novels, what was different about writing contemporary realism?

When you’re writing a story set in a fantasy world, you have to work incredibly hard to bring that world to life on the page with every tiny detail. You’re thinking about everything from what people wear and what they eat to how they buy things at the shops and how they travel from A to B – and then you have to make sure the reader understands all of that without resorting to long descriptive passages (boring!).

In a contemporary world, your reader knows what a car is and what a double-storey brick house looks like, so that side of things is easier – but it’s still essential to build a world for the reader to immerse themselves in.

The biggest challenge for me in the switch was the ‘real’ factor. In a fantasy novel, my characters can drink ale and fling themselves into rivers and readers know it’s not real, without having to be told not to try it themselves. In a contemporary novel, I felt like I had to take a lot more care about my character’s action. When Callie throws herself into a rip to rescue her younger friend Cody, for instance, I’ve already made it clear that she’s a strong swimmer and she’s been a Nipper, so she knows what to do.

When your series The Mapmaker Chronicles began you talked about sketching a map of the books’ world. While you were writing The First Summer of Callie McGee, did you draw a map of Sawyer’s Point?

Sawyer’s Point is based on a real seaside village called Gerroa, about 20 minutes’ drive from my house. I’ve spent a lot of time there over the years (in a friend’s holiday house!) so I could see in my mind exactly where Callie and her friends were at any time. Having said that, I did move things around a bit – Sawyer’s Point has a surf club, but Gerroa does not.

Is Callie’s trying on of a new name based on your own childhood experiences – did you ever try out different nicknames for yourself when you were growing up?

I’ve always found names fascinating – what they say about us, how they fit us and, maybe, how we grow to fit them. And nicknames are even more interesting, because having one implies you have that easy sort of relationship with someone else. I didn’t try to change my name as a child (though I know people who did), and my nickname has always been Al.

Do you have a tip for kids who’d like to write a story based on a real place/setting?

Write what you know, but make it new. Choose a place that you know really well and then change one thing. That one thing might be bringing a new person (character) into that place (one of the best ways to describe a place is to show it through a new person’s eyes – even if it’s your class at school). It might be adding a mysterious statue that’s been there forever and then, one day, has vanished – or perhaps it’s never been there before and then, one day, appears out of nowhere. It might be putting a trapdoor in the floor that leads to a secret tunnel.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I’m excited to be working on a new contemporary middle-grade novel, which will hopefully be out next year! It’s got all the things I love – a character with heart, adventure, and mystery. Watch this space!

Awesome extras:

Check out A.L. Tait’s ‘Writing Tips for Kids’ page.

Download the Teachers’ Notes for this book.

Read a review of the book by Mia, age 11

Visit A.L. Tait’s website for more about her and her books.

authors, interviews

Sharon Giltrow on Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt

Posted on January 24, 2024August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

The cover of a children's book: Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt

Sharon Giltrow grew up surrounded by pet sheep, sandy beaches, fields of barley, and her seven siblings. Sharon is the author of three picture books – Bedtime, Daddy!, Get Ready, Mama! and Let’s Go Shopping, Grandma! – and a chapter book, Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt. Today we’re chatting to Sharon about that latest book, illustrated by Thu Vu.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt.

From the publisher:

Samara knows wishes don’t come true. But if they did, her wish would be to have the courage to stand up to Toby King, the meanest boy at school. On her eleventh birthday Samara is given a mysterious utility belt. A belt with magical tools. But the belt comes with a catch …

As the author of three picture books, what led you to write a novel?

That is a great question. The Utility Belt series started as a picture book manuscript. When I shared it with my critique group back in 2019, they suggested it would make a great early middle grade book. I loved that idea, although it was a bit scary. I examined the story to see how I could turn 500 words into 10,000 words. Then I enrolled in an online middle grade course to learn the skills needed.

Samara’s utility belt holds a range of interesting tools. How did you decide what went into her utility belt? Were there any tools you included in earlier drafts that were scrapped in later drafts of the book?

It all began with Samara’s sidekick. I brainstormed possible sidekicks for Samara. The sidekick had to be super cute, friendly and small enough to fit in Samara’s pocket. A gecko! Then I researched geckos to see which one would be best for the story. I chose a Madagascar Day Gecko because they are awake during the day and are beautiful. I researched all the superpowers geckos have. From there I invented tools for the utility belt. For example, many geckos can camouflage so one of the tools is camouflage drops. I thought about how and when Samara could use these tools. At the start of the story Samara had to clean her room. But she didn’t want to so she used the camouflage drops to make the mess in her room disappear. Some of the tools that didn’t make it into the utility belt were a regenerator, rebreather, coloured looking glasses, flashlight, thermal rock, and a duplicator.

If YOU were given a utility belt for 2024, what are the tools you’d hope for in your own belt?

My sidekick would be a sugar glider because they show us what it means to take a “leap of faith” soaring to new heights, where we can the behold the view and gain a whole new perspective. The tools in my utility belt are already working because in 2024 I have decided to become a full-time author. I’ve taken the leap and given up my daytime job.

Do you have a tip for children who’d like to write their own chapter books?

Think about the whole story. The beginning, middle and end. What happens during these parts of the story. Then work out what happens in each chapter. If the book is to have ten chapters, two chapters would be for the beginning, six chapters for the middle and two chapters for the end. Also be sure to end each chapter on a cliff hanger. So, the reader wants to keep reading.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

Sure thing. I’m working on another early middle grade series about human evolution. And of course, there is a sidekick in this story, but I don’t want to give too much away.

Samara Rubin and the Utility Belt is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Watch a short book trailer for the book

Look at some of the illustrations from the book on Thu Vu’s website

Visit Sharon Giltrow’s website for more about her and her books

authors, interviews

Kitty Black on The Starting School List

Posted on January 17, 2024August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

Kitty Black has a background in psychology and teaching and believes stories are at the heart of who we are. Kitty is the author of many picture books, two of which have been translated into German and Turkish! Today we’re chatting to Kitty about her latest picture book: The Starting School List, illustrated by Cate James.

Kitty Black, a woman with red hair and glasses

The cover of a children's picture book: The Starting School List

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of The Starting School List.

From the publisher:

It’s Little Brother’s first day at school tomorrow. Luckily, Big Brother knows what that feels like. And what’s more, he has a list of what to expect …

You’ll learn where the loos are, and all about bugs.
You’ll learn a sad friend could do with a hug.
You’ll learn the best spot for sand that is slushy.
You’ll learn that tomato makes sandwiches mushy.

How did you come to write about starting school?

I was actually asked if I wanted to write a picture book about starting school by my publisher, I’d never thought about it before, but I instantly loved the idea. We knew that we wanted the book to be full of good advice, and who’s better at telling younger kids what to do than their older siblings. In a loving, helpful way of course!

What’s your favourite memory about starting school?

I wouldn’t call this my favourite memory, but it’s definitely the strongest memory I have of starting school, I got left behind on my first day. My older siblings told me to wait outside my classroom and they’d come get me on the way to the bus stop, but they forgot! A teacher drove me home, and just as we were pulling into the driveway my Mum was marching out of the house, car keys in hand, shouting at my siblings about how could they forget their little sister. They never forgot me again!

You’re the author of many picture books … and this one is written in rhyme. When you get an idea for a picture book, how do you know whether a story should be told with or without rhyme?

This is my first rhyming book, and I was honestly surprised that I wrote it in rhyme. I tried writing the book without rhyme over and over again, but it just didn’t feel right. There was something about the first words in the book ‘Hey little brother, are you asleep?’ that just WANTED to rhyme. So, I guess I don’t know when a story should rhyme or not, but the story knows.

Do you have a tip for young writers who’d like to try writing their own picture books?

Go for it! Writing should be fun, so if an idea makes you giggle, make it into a book!

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I am working on ANOTHER rhyming picture book, which was inspired by my cheeky dog.

The Starting School List is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

Awesome Extras:

The cover of a picture book The Starting School List

See some sample pages from the book at Booktopia’s site

Grown-ups can enter a competition to win a Starting School pack with QBD books, closing 31 January 2024.

Check out Kitty Black’s website for more about her and the books she’s writing.

Check out Cate James’s website for more about her and her illustrations.

authors, interviews

Kristy Nita Brown on Where’s My Whistle?

Posted on December 19, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

Kristy Nita Brown is a Western Australian author, writing junior fiction books and delivering creative writing, independent publishing and film making workshops at libraries and schools. Today we’re pleased to be chatting to Kristy about the first book in her Mavey and Beth’s Double Act series: Where’s My Whistle?, illustrated by Alison Mutton.

A children's book with twin girls on the cover.

The author provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Where’s My Whistle?

About the book:

The Year Two song has whistling in it, and Mavey can’t whistle. To make matters worse, Mavey’s twin sister Beth has a mighty whistle. Terrified her classmates will laugh at her, Mavey and her family devise a plan to get Mavey whistling. Will Mavey learn how to whistle in time for the big concert? Or will Mavey’s toot stay mute?

First things first: can you whistle?

I can whistle. I remember my dad showing me how to whistle. We lived in the bush, so I had plenty of long car rides to practise. But Mavey and Beth’s Double Act: Where’s My Whistle? isn’t about me. It’s based on my eight-year-old daughter who can’t whistle. When she found out she was the only kid in her class that couldn’t do it, she was very upset. Together we searched the Internet for different ways to whistle. Do you know some adults can’t whistle too?

The book includes some interesting facts about whistling – did you write the storyline first or did all those whistling facts give you the idea for the story?

At the back of the book I included facts about whistling, a pan flute activity and the Skipping Song to play on the recorder. These came last. The story came first, from watching my daughter struggle with the feelings that come along with being unable to do something your friends can.

We learn that Mavey’s favourite subject at school is Music. What was your favourite subject when you were at school?

Music was one of my favourite subjects growing up because I played the flute. Every Saturday, I went to flute lessons at the Fremantle Music School. Then, on some Sundays, I performed with other kids in a small ensemble. My best friend at primary school also played the piano. We both loved music together. In high school, my favourite subject was small business. Because I sold lollies and washed the teacher’s cars, and made lots of money!

Do you have a tip for young writers who’d like to try writing their own chapter book?

My tip for young writers is to read as many books as you can that are similar to what you want to write. Then pick your favourite and follow the structure as you write your own story. Most chapter books have a similar number of chapters and word count. Usually, something happens in each chapter to move the story forward. At the end, the story is resolved in a way that the person reading it learns something, or feels good. Hopefully, following this structure will help a young writer get to the end, because I think finishing the story is the hardest part.

What’s next for Mavey & Beth?

I’m toying with a couple of ideas for the next Mavey and Beth book. I know the cover will be green and blue. I can picture the twins on the cover. But I’m not sure if the story will be about Mavey getting her ears pierced, a birthday party mishap, or a swimming lesson disaster. What do you think?

Where’s My Whistle is out now! Find a list of stockists at the author’s website.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Watch the book trailer for Where’s My Whistle? [YouTube]

Visit the author’s website for more about Kristy and her books

Visit the illustrator’s website for more about Allison and her books

authors, interviews

Allison Rushby on The Christmas Wish

Posted on December 13, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

Allison Rushby made a wish when she was six years old. She wished to be a ballerina with pierced ears. Not long after this, she wrote her very first book (not about a ballerina) and decided to be an author with pierced ears instead. She went on to write many more books, for both adults and children, though none of them were sticky-taped together like that first one. She lives in Brisbane with her family and her two not very useful assistants, Harry the Bordoodle and Titus the Sphynx. If you’ve ever dreamed of your wishes coming true, you’ll love Allison’s new series! Today we’re chatting to her about Book 5 in The Wish Sisters series, The Christmas Wish, illustrated by Karen Blair.

A photo of Allison Rushby holding a book

The cover of a children's novel: The Wish Sisters

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of The Christmas Wish.

From the publisher:

A delightful, festive story in this funny, illustrated Australian series for newly independent readers: It’s Christmastime, but Flick and Birdie are missing their Granny Aggie. To cheer them up, Mum and Dad invite the neighbours over to decorate gingerbread houses. All is going well until Mrs Mortlake brings up Christmas wishes, giving baby Birdie all the wrong ideas. How can Flick spread the joy of Christmas when a gingerbread person is biting the guests?

Did you grow up with a little sister?

I didn’t! I’m a big sister. Though I always think it feels a bit strange to say that because my ‘little’ brother is very tall and I am not very tall at all! So my little brother is my big brother, really!

Do you have any Christmas traditions in your own household that you like to revisit every year?

When I was a child, our family always had a real Christmas tree, which is something people don’t seem to have much anymore. I remember it smelled absolutely delicious – lovely and pine-y and fresh. Whenever I walk past the pine trees at my local park I take a big sniff of that sharp smell and always think about our family Christmas tree! Sadly, I have a very naughty Sphynx cat (one of the cats with no hair), so my Christmas tree for the past few years has been very dull – it’s made of wood and fits together a bit like a jigsaw puzzle. I can’t even have any decorations as he’s that naughty! I tried to have some twinkly lights this year, but he chewed through the wires!

The baby sister gets to do the all wishing in this series. What would you wish for if you had an imp who could grant your wish right this second?

This might sound like something very boring and adult to wish for, but I would wish for my oven to be fixed. It broke yesterday and I’m a bit worried it won’t be fixed for Christmas. A lot of baking needs to be done at Christmas! But I’d also be a bit wary of doing any wishing, because the imp is just as naughty as my cat. The imp manages to twist every wish in unexpected ways. I can’t even imagine what the imp would do to my oven!

Do you have a writing tip for young writers who might like to try writing a series?

I always tell young writers the most important thing they can do is read. Read, read, read and then read some more! But while you are reading, also take note of the stories you enjoy the most. Are there books you’ve read more than once? What was it about them that you loved? Was it the setting? The characters? Try to work out what you’re drawn to as a reader, because this is usually a good indication of what you will enjoy writing the most.

What are you working on next?

I’m currently writing a book about a mythical creature that’s set in the late 1600s in London. I’m having to do a lot of research, but it’s so much fun to lose myself in a whole other world each day.

The Wish Sisters is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Visit Allison Rushby’s website for more about her and her books (author)

Visit Karen Blair’s website for more about her and her books (illustrator)

Download the Teachers’ Notes for The Wish Sisters

Check out the five books in The Wish Sisters series!

authors, interviews

Ashleigh Barton on Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation

Posted on October 25, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

A head and shoulders photo of Ashleigh Barton, author

The cover of a children's novel: Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation

Ashleigh Barton lives in Sydney, Australia. As well as writing the Solomon Macaroni novels, Ashleigh is the author of several picture books. Today we’re pleased to have Ashleigh visiting Alphabet Soup to talk about the second book in the Solomon Macaroni series: Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation, illustrated by Sarah Davis.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of this book.

From the publisher:

The world’s friendliest vegetarian vampire and his six mischievous cousins are going to Paris with Uncle Dracula. They can’t wait for the fine food, fabulous fashion and fang-dangled art. But Uncle Dracula is not himself. When the kids see the Mona Lisa, they get an idea to cheer him up … and it’s their naughtiest one yet.

Uncle Dracula takes Solomon and all the cousins on a holiday to Paris. If you were heading off to Paris yourself, what would you be most looking forward to?

I’m like Elvis – I would definitely be most looking forward to the food! The other thing I’d most be looking forward to is seeing the Bouquinistes of Paris (the booksellers of Paris), which are green wooden boxes along the Seine that hold hundreds of thousands of books, including second-hand and antique books. These open-air bookstores have been there for more than 500 years. I’d originally included a scene revolving around the Bouquinistes in Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation but it got edited out for pacing reasons. If I ever go to Paris again, I can’t wait to see these – I bet there would be so many amazing treasures to discover.

The Catacombs played a big part in this story and I haven’t seen them in person either, so I’d have to add that to my list too, along with a lot of other things I discovered in my research.

Have you seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre?

I have seen the Mona Lisa at the Louvre but it was a very long time ago! I was lucky enough to go to the Louvre when I was nine years old. It was quite incredible knowing how long ago the painting was made and how revered it is. When I was researching for the book, I watched a lot of videos and read a lot of accounts to see how other people felt when seeing the Mona Lisa in person and one thing I read a lot was how surprised people were by the size. It’s actually fairly small (which made it much easier for our characters to steal!).

Unfortunately I didn’t make it back inside the Louvre when I visited Paris again many years later, but I will have to add it to my wish list above!

The cousins are big fans of ice-cream … which ice-cream flavours would be in your own multi-flavoured ice-cream tower?

If someone gave me a multi-flavoured ice cream tower I would have to try one of everything. When else would you get the chance to try every flavour in the shop and have no regrets about choosing the wrong one?

This book involves a careful plan being carried out with precise timing. Are you a plotter or a pantser when it comes to writing about planning a heist?

I think I’m a mix of both! I’m pretty terrible at admin generally and for me plotting feels a lot like admin. I also find that one idea leads to another, so things take unexpected turns for me along the way when I’m writing. But I do try to have some kind of plan in place, whether that’s a point A and point B with nothing planned to get from one to the other, or something more detailed. When I plotted this particular heist, I knew exactly what was going to happen once they pulled it off but I didn’t plan every step or the things that went wrong along the way until well into writing it.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I’m not sure what will be happening next with Solomon, but in the meantime, I have two picture books and a brand-new series coming out next year. I’m not sure I can say too much about this new series yet, but it’s completely different to Solomon Macaroni and for a slightly younger audience. It is contemporary fiction with a bit of a non-fiction twist and another amazing illustrator on board!

Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Read our 2022 interview with Ashleigh Barton

Watch Ashleigh Barton’s quick introduction to the book [YouTube]

Download the Teachers’ Notes for this book

Download a Solomon Macaroni activity pack on the author’s website

authors, interviews

Chenée Marrapodi on One Wrong Turn

Posted on October 4, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

Author and journalist Chenée Marrapodi, sits on marble steps with a book on her lap.

Chenée Marrapodi is an author and journalist who has danced ballet and jazz her whole life, loving the stories that can be created through movement. Today we’re pleased to be talking to Chenée about her debut novel One Wrong Turn.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a review copy of One Wrong Turn.

From the publisher:

Amelia is a ballerina on the rise — she’s talented, dedicated and set to star in the lead role of the annual production. But when Valentina arrives from Italy and joins the ballet academy, the competition gets fierce. Can Amelia outshine Valentina and keep her place in the spotlight?

At your book launch, you mentioned going to ballet classes in Australia and in Italy. Do you have a memorable ballet performance you were in when you were young?

My first ballet performance was definitely a standout. I was a sheep and two farmers had to shear our wool on stage!

It’s funny to look back at now, but at the time I was so disappointed because in the previous year’s concert the girls got to be fairies.

What is your all-time favourite ballet production? ( … Would it be Cinderella?)

Cinderella is definitely one of my favourite ballet productions, which is one of the reasons it features in One Wrong Turn. There’s something special about seeing a familiar story brought to life on stage. I find it easier to get lost in the beauty of the dance because I already know the narrative so well.

I particularly love WA Ballet’s production of Cinderella, which is described by Amelia in my novel. Amelia talks about getting to ride on Cinderella’s coach as a young child, which is something that kids actually get to do in WA Ballet’s performance. It’s really special to watch!

In particular, I love watching the Step Sisters. They are hilarious and always steal the show. I once saw one of the sisters do tap dancing on her toes in pointe shoes. I still don’t know how she managed to do it!

Did you need to do any research while you were writing One Wrong Turn? Or did your experiences growing up cover everything you needed to get your story down?

Most of the story was inspired by my own experiences in dance classes. Some of Miss Lily’s funny corrections were things I’d heard my own teachers say over the years. Given I was never training for a career in ballet, I did chat to a couple of professional dancers to make sure the amount of training my characters were doing was realistic.

Valentina’s Italian family and traditions were also inspired by my own experiences. I’m Italo-Australian and grew up with big family meals and traditions like sauce and sausage making days. Valentina’s house is actually based on my Nonna’s and features some of the quirky pictures that used to hang on her walls.

I also lived in Italy for a while and danced at a small school while I was over there. Like Valentina, I couldn’t translate my teacher’s corrections while I was dancing. I found it too hard to remember choreography, listen to music and translate corrections in a foreign language at the same time. It took my teacher a whole year to figure out my secret!

Despite being fluent in Italian, I got one of my good friends in Italy to double check the Italian phrases in the novel. I don’t speak the language as much as I used to and I’m a little bit rusty. The last thing I wanted was an error forever printed in my book!

What’s the worst writing tip you’ve ever been given?

“Edit the story as you go.”

It might work for some people, but it doesn’t work for me. If I edit as I go, I get too fixated on trying to make every sentence perfect. It makes the whole task feel too overwhelming and I never make it to the end. Instead, I find it better to write a messy and fast first draft. I don’t reread my work until I make it all the way to the end of the story. It’s much easier to edit a messy page than a blank one.

Can you tell us a little about what you’re working on next?

I’m really excited to be working on a sequel to One Wrong Turn. It’s great fun being back at the ballet academy. You can expect the same characters, with a couple of new additions. There’ll also be lots of dancing (including a different style), fun, friendship, a tiny bit of romance and some very big challenges for everyone to overcome.

One Wrong Turn is out now! Ask for it at your favourite local bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Read a sample chapter of the book.

Watch/listen to Chenée Marrapodi reading the first chapter of her book. [Youtube]

Download the Teachers’ Notes for One Wrong Turn.

Download these cool activity sheets to keep you on your toes.

Visit Chenée Marrapodi’s website for more about her and her books.

authors, interviews

Dianne Wolfer on Scout and the Rescue Dogs

Posted on September 20, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

The cover of a children's novel: Scout and the Rescue Dogs. The cover illustration shows Scout (a girl with red hair) and six dogs of various breeds. In the background is a blue truck.

Dianne Wolfer lives on the south coast of Western Australia, but she grew up in Melbourne, Bangkok and Albury. Dianne writes picture books, novels for children and teenagers, and nonfiction for all ages. Today we’re chatting to Dianne about her latest novel Scout and the Rescue Dogs, illustrated by Tony Flowers.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Scout and the Rescue Dogs.

From the publisher:

The summer holidays have finally arrived and Scout can’t wait for her adventure in the big rig with Dad. They’re on a mission to deliver donations of dog food to animal rescue shelters right across the state. But Scout and her dad get more than they’ve bargained for. It’s bushfire season – and it’s not just the dogs who need rescuing …

You have a rescue dog yourself, can you tell us a bit about Harry?

I’m always happy to talk about our beautiful rescue boy. His personality inspired aspects of a previous book, The Dog with Seven Names, and now he has inspired another!

We saw Harry on the SAFE rescue site ten years ago. He was huddled in a corner with a plastic cone around his head looking very sad and lonely. Harry was found running in the street. He’d been badly treated and was a terrified, little fellow. He had many fear triggers. When we were driving to collect him, another dog attacked Harry, so when we first met him, he had a nasty gash across his neck. We brought him home and truckloads of love soon helped him settle and trust people again. He’s had a good life since then, being walked, and spoilt. This past winter he enjoyed a road trip to Broome where he swam at the beach every day. Our grown-up kids reckon Harry is the favourite child.

Is the character Scout based on anyone you know?

No, however aspects of myself, my friends and family have found their way into the story. Like Scout, I love dogs and animals and was distressed by the impacts of the 2019/2020 bushfires on wildlife and our forests.

I’d completed a read-through draft of the story when terrible fires broke out in many of the towns Scout visits. It happened around Christmas, the same time as my novel. I had to decide whether to change my settings or include the fires. My family was impacted by ‘Black Summer’, so I did the latter. Like Scout I experienced hellish orange skies and weeks of toxic air when I stayed with my mother in Albury. My sister evacuated her home in the Snowy Mountains. Before leaving she put out dozens of water trays for the birds and insects. My cousin’s husband and daughter fought huge, horrific walls of flames at Corryong, and the truck convoy taking hay to starving cattle was inspired by true events. I grew up near Scout’s Beechworth home and swam at Woolshed Falls and Lake Hume. My friends lived in Howlong and Burrumbuttock. The places in Scout’s story are all very familiar to me.

Have you been in a rig?

Not properly. I do a lot of country driving and was inspired by truckies during Covid, the unsung heroes who kept our country functioning. I’ve often parked beside big rigs and peered up into the cabins. Creating truck-driving characters was fun. Whenever I see a dog in a truck, I ask the driver if I can take a photo for my collection. There are some very cute truck dogs on the ‘Scout’ page of my website.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

Books take a long time from idea to publication, so I usually have a few things on the go. In Feb 2024, a new edition of Granny Grommet and Me will be published (illustrated by Karen Blair). It’s been out of print for several years so I can’t wait for the grannies to surf again. I’m also looking forward to the publication of a picture book with my friend and fabulous illustrator, Frané Lessac. It’s about cattle mustering in northern Australia and was inspired by the lovely Brahman cattle I saw in the Kimberley. A longer project: this year I’ve been researching an inspirational Australian aviator who achieved many things in her short life, but I don’t want to say more until I finish a read-through draft. I’ve written about 12,500 words and so I’m getting closer … It’s due for release late 2024 or early 2025. And I’m also thrilled to have a set of haiku coming out in the 2024 poetry collection Right Way Down and Other Poems. 2024 looks like being an exciting year.

Do you have a tip for young writers who would like to write a story set in real life?

Real life inspires many of my stories. I often take a story spark from history or my life then use my imagination to weave a story around it. That can vary from surfing grannies in Albany (Granny Grommet and Me) to a wartime air raid (The Dog with Seven Names) or the only horse to return from WWI (The Last Light Horse). Or Scout!

My advice for writers is make time to write. Take lots of notes and get down a first draft, no matter how rough, without questioning yourself or overthinking it. Write the beginning and end, with dot point chapters in between, then join those dots. Once you have that first draft you can edit and rework it. Your characters might even take you in another direction. I do dozens and dozens of drafts. If you get stuck, put that story aside for a few weeks and work on another one. Don’t give up.

Scout and the Rescue Dogs is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Check out the truck dogs’ photos on Dianne Wolfer’s website

Visit Dianne Wolfer’s website for more about her and her books.

Read our 2020 interview about another of Dianne Wolfer’s books: a biography of Munjed Al Muderis

authors, interviews

Shivaun Plozza on Meet Me at the Moon Tree

Posted on September 13, 2023August 27, 2024 by Alphabet Soup

MEET THE AUTHOR

The cover of a children's novel: Meet me at the moon tree by Shivaun Plozza. The cover illustration shows a child in tshirt and long pants sitting under a large tree and gazing out at the evening sky

Shivaun Plozza is an award-winning writer for children and young adults. She lives in Geelong with her cat, Fenchurch. Today we’re thrilled to chat to Shivaun about her latest book Meet Me at the Moon Tree.

The publisher provided Alphabet Soup with a reading copy of Meet Me at the Moon Tree.

From the publisher:

For Carina Sugden, nothing is more special than a moon tree – a tree grown from the seeds taken on the Apollo 14 mission into space. Her father taught her everything she knows about them. But he passed away before they found one together. When Mum relocates the family to the Otway Ranges, Carina becomes determined to find a moon tree on her own. After a mysterious encounter with a black cockatoo, Carina realises there’s magic in this forest. And if magic exists, anything is possible, like seeing her dad one last time…

How did you first hear about moon trees?

I was researching the world’s strangest trees for a story when I came across a reference to ‘moon trees’. Just the name ‘moon trees’ sounded so fascinating to me so I knew I had to discover everything about them. When I learnt their history I threw away my original idea and began working on Meet Me at the Moon Tree. It just goes to show how helpful research is (as well as allowing yourself to follow whatever sparks your curiosity!) to creative writing.

Trees (many kinds!) feature strongly in the story. Were you already knowledgeable in this area or did you need to do some research?

I’ve always been interested in trees but I wasn’t at all knowledgeable about the different species or the many interesting facts I learnt about them along the way (such as the fact that they talk to each other!). I definitely had to do a lot of research. If anyone is interested in learning more about trees I’d highly recommend Can You Hear the Trees Talking by Peter Wohlleben.

Grief is at the centre of this story. Was this part of your plan for the book when you sat down to write the first draft or did it arise during the writing?

From the beginning I knew that I wanted to write a story about a girl looking for a moon tree so I asked myself why she was looking: why did finding a moon tree matter so much to Carina? I wanted the reader to desperately want her to find one, as much as she wanted to find one herself, so it made sense for it to matter because of a promise she’d made to her much beloved father.

Do you have a tip for young writers who’d like to write stories with real-life settings?

One thing that helps is to treat your setting like it’s a character. Often we think about how we can bring our characters to life but we don’t always think about bringing the setting to life—we just assume our readers will know what we’re talking about when we write that our characters walked down a street or entered the kitchen. But does every street look the same? How about every kitchen? All settings, like people, are distinct so find out what makes that setting distinct and bring it to life on the page.

Can you tell us a bit about what you’re working on next?

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the shift from childhood into the tween years and how it can create tension in friendships if each friend is moving at a very different pace. So I’m writing about that.

Meet Me at the Moon Tree is out now! Ask for it at your favourite bookshop or local library.

AWESOME EXTRAS

Visit NASA’s website for more about the history of Moon Trees.

Download the Teacher’s Notes for Meet Me at the Moon Tree.

Visit Shivaun Plozza’s website for more about her and her books.