Behind the Books: Nonfiction Authors Inside Their Stories
It’s no secret that writing nonfiction books requires a heaping dose of research. Tracking down letters and journals, interviewing people, observing animals in their natural setting, experiencing events firsthand—these are the kinds of research that has always been routine for nonfiction writers. But what’s new is that some of them are starting to bring their […]
Behind the Books: The Art and Science of Illustrations
This week I’m finishing up the next manuscript in my A Place for Animals series. Right now, the book, A Place for Bats, is schedule for publication in 2012.The text is pretty much done so I’m pulling together reference materials to help the book’s illustrator, Higgins Bond, get started on her sketches. Because these are […]
Behind the Books: More Fun in Philly
A couple of weeks ago, I spent a few days in Philadelphia for this year’s NSTA conference. But one morning, I skipped out on the conference to visit my friend Doug Wechsler. Doug is the author of lots of great science books for kids, including Frog Heaven: Ecology of a Vernal Pool (Boyds Mills Press, […]
Behind the Books: A Rainbow of Research
Think research is research? Think again. The more books I write the more I realize that no two projects are every the same. Each one has its own unique challenges. The Rainbow of Animals series was no exception. It includes six books—one for each color in the rainbow. Why Are Animals Red? Why Are Animals […]
Behind the Books: Firsthand Research
I love doing firsthand research, especially when it takes me to exotic places like the African savanna or a coral reef or a tropical rain forest. Nothing beats observing animals in their natural environment. This kind of research provides key tidbits of information that are often missing from the authoritative books and journal articles about […]
The Power of Quotations
Science is an ever-changing world, and talking to scientists working on the cutting edge of knowledge is the best, and often the only, way to get the most accurate and up-to-date information. I don’t usually include direct quotations from scientists in books, but I like sprinkle them liberally throughout my text when I write a […]