Cover Reveal, Interview, and Giveaways with Vivian Kirkfield

I’m excited to welcome to the blog this week, author Vivian Kirkfield for both an interview AND a cover reveal of her forthcoming title, From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves.

* Vivian is offering two giveaways: 1) A copy of From Here to There 2) A picture book manuscript critique. To enter, check out the Rafflecopter giveaway following the interview below.

About Vivian:

Writer for children—reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. Her bucket list contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing, banana-boat riding, and visiting critique buddies all around the world. When she isn’t looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books in the picturesque village of Bedford, NH. A retired kindergarten teacher with a masters in Early Childhood Education, Vivian inspires budding writers during classroom visits and shares insights with aspiring authors at conferences and on her blog, Picture Books Help Kids Soar where she hosts the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest and the #50PreciousWordsforKids Challenge. She is the author many picture books including Sweet Dreams, Sarah, a 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Book Selection, Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe; and the upcoming From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, January 19, 2021). You can connect with her on FacebookTwitterPinterestInstagramLinkedin, or just about any place people with picture books are found.

And now without further a due, the cover for From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves 

::DRUM ROLL:: 

 

Who might From Here to There appeal to?

Hopefully, FROM HERE TO THERE will appeal to everyone…parents/teachers/librarians because of the #STEM-rich content encased in exciting narratives…and kids of all ages because each story is relatable – most kids have bikes, but perhaps never thought about who invented the first one…and why. (Hint: it had to do with a volcano) Many kids have taken road trips, but the story of the very first automobile road trip is fascinating – the driver (a woman – and this was 1888) had to stop every ten miles to buy benzine (a cleaning fluid that could also be used as a fuel) at a pharmacy because the car had no gas tank. She had to stop at streams and rivers to pour water over the engine because the car had no cooling system. And when the brakes (2 blocks of wood that pressed against one of the tires) began to wear down, she stopped at a shoemaker shop and told him to cover the blocks with pieces of leather – first brake pads! When Bertha Benz returned home, she had a long honey-do list for her husband – he added the improvements she suggested – and people started buying his cars. I’m happy to say that in 2012, Bertha Benz was finally recognized by the Detroit Motor Hall of Fame for her contributions to the automobile industry.

What inspired you to write it?

When I do school visits, kids often want to know where I get my ideas. This book started with one story…ERIC GETS AMERICA MOVING: The First Interstate Bus Company. Chatting with my sister one day, she told me about a friend from Sweden who was friends with the granddaughter of the founder of the Greyhound Bus Company. My sister said that Eric Wickman came to the United States when he was 17…speaking no English and only $60 in his pocket. My curiosity sparked…I researched and wrote the story. My agent sent it out on submission. Ann Rider, editor at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt loved it, but she wondered if I could write several more stories, similar in structure, about other things that move. And of course, I said yes, I can!

How did you come up with the concept for it?

The concept for the compilation book was the editor’s. And I went along for the ride. (Pun intended!)

Was it always intended to be a compilation of biographies? Or did this ambitious undertaking evolve from more humble beginnings? 

As I mentioned, it evolved from more humble beginnings. In the beginning, the editor asked for 5 stories, geared for K-grade 2. But as we moved forward, she decided she wanted 7-10 stories geared for grades 3-6. In the end, we agreed on 9 stories…and although the book is listed as targeting grades 3-6, there is nothing in any of the stories that wouldn’t be appropriate for K-2.

What was the timeline and process like for this book, from drafting to publication? 

We signed the contract in the summer of 2017…and the editor gave me a May 1, 2018 deadline to have all nine manuscripts submission-ready. This was definitely a huge challenge…I had about nine months to come up with the ideas (the editor gave me lots of leeway as to what things that move I could write about), research them, write a rough draft, and then polish them to submission-ready.

How did you approach tackling this project?

1. I made a list of various things that move that I thought would be of interest to kids.

2. I researched who invented the first of each of these. I didn’t only want things like a car, bus, and train. How about the first robotic – the mechanical arm that powers the assembly lines of the world? Or how about the folding wheelchair which allowed for more mobility – and the entry back into sports for many people who are differently abled.

3. When I found the inventor, I had to do more research to find my way into the story…the editor wanted each story to show the A-ha moment – and I tried to start each story with the inventor as a child – this will help kids connect with each biography, I hope.

4. Then I started writing my rough draft – keeping careful track of all quotes and sources.

5. Fortunately, I have lots of critique buddies…I honestly could not have completed this task without them. I was able to send story #1 to a small group of critique buddies and while they read it and composed their feedback, I started story #2. When #1 came back, I revised…while sending out #2 to my critique buddies. And when #1 was revised and polished, I sent it on to a different group of critique partners. And so it went for 9 months.

In what ways was it different from authoring a book featuring one biography only?

It was different from authoring one bio only because there was so much research…lots of trips to the library…sometimes I was able to chat with an expert or a family member – that was exciting! And I had to try to keep the tone and format the same in all nine stories, yet each story had to be unique.

Did the timeline and nature of this biography alter how you worked with your editor and the relationship developed?

I feel blessed to have worked with Ann Rider…she was an absolute joy! I’d send her four manuscripts…she’d mail them back with her penciled in suggestions…and I’d make corrections/changes in the Word doc and email back to her. There was really only one back and forth for each story – which is totally amazing! And then the copy editors and fact-checkers made corrections/suggestions on the Word doc and emailed that back to me. The last step was receiving the printed color layouts in the mail – with instructions to let them know if I found anything that didn’t look right. I made my notes on post-its, mailed it back.

What was the research process like for this book? 

As I mentioned, there was a ton of research because there were nine different biographies. Lots of online searching and reading. Lots of books from the library. And I was fortunate to speak on the phone with several experts and a few family members for some of the stories.

What were some of the challenges of tackling this project?  

One of the challenges was finding the A-ha moment for each invention…or the incident that leads the visionary to create his/her invention. Another challenge was keeping the narrative fun and interesting, while providing lots of STEM info…we did this by using sidebars with some of the extra info without weighing down the story. A third challenge was providing a similar tone and structure for each of the nine stories, without it becoming cookie-cutter…each biography could be a stand-alone picture book. And the fourth challenge was to try to bring diversity into the collection. It’s actually a book of biographies that span the globe and touch on people who were and still are marginalized including…a Frenchman from 1783 who had attention deficit disorder and who invented the first hot air balloon; an Englishman from 1830 who worked in a mine as a young child and went to night school to learn to read and who built the first intercity passenger steam train; a German lady in 1888 who took the first road trip with a gas-powered automobile; a Swedish immigrant who arrived in America in 1905 speaking no English and with only $60 in his pocket and who went on to found the Greyhound Bus Company; an American engineer, paralyzed in a mining accident, who invented the folding wheelchair in 1930 and whose wheelchair company employed dozens of differently abled workers; and an African American girl who, in 1942 at the age of eight, decided to become an engineer even though she lived in the south and African Americans were not allowed to take engineering classes at that time – but she went on to be one of the Hidden Figures of the Navy and she led the team of engineers that created the first computer generated design for a naval ship and a naval submarine.

How did you pace yourself to avoid burnout?

Hahaha…I don’t think I had time to think about burnout…I was going flat out for those nine months…and meanwhile, I had gotten two other book deals in 2017 and was working on revisions for those…and then in February 2018, we sold Making Their Voices Heard and there was an intense week of revisions with that editor. It was DEFINITELY a crazy busy time. But fortunately, I work well with deadlines. And of course, I was also doing blog posts and hosting the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest in March and the one for kids in May.

Is there a common theme or take away amongst the individual stories of this collective work?  

Yes, there is a common theme/takeaway…Follow Your Dreams Because Nothing Is Impossible If You Can Imagine It. This is the mantra that all of these visionaries embraced (and it’s my mantra also). If you see a problem – find a solution. And NEVER GIVE UP…persistence and perseverance were key elements for all of them…and of course, passion and patience.

Is there a subject you especially connected with, and why?

I connected with all of these visionaries…because they embody what I believe to be true – be yourself – be true to yourself – work hard at something that gives purpose and meaning to your life. I think writers need to connect with their topics and characters…for me, the passion I have to tell their stories lines up with the passion they each had to do what they did.

You’re a very busy person! How do you do it all and still find time to write and give so much to the kidlit community?

Benjamin Franklin had a saying: If you want something done, ask a busy person. I think that holds true for me…there is an inner fire that is driving me to do everything I can. I think I was always like this…before I was a writer, I taught kindergarten, ran a daycare for teacher’s children, was Series 6 and 63 licensed for investments and annuities, typed book catalogs, raised three children, and cooked dinners from scratch for 50 years. Sometimes I wish I had more than 24 hours in the day…and often try to push the envelope by staying up really really late! But these days, most of my energy is devoted to writing, helping other writers (I have lots of critique groups and also mentor several writers), lifting up other authors and illustrators and their books on my blog and on social media. I also love to do school visits (Zoom these days), webinar presentations, and try to keep abreast of what’s happening in the writing world.

What’s a goal you’d like to achieve as a writer? 

A goal I’d like to achieve as a writer? Always write stories that will empower at least one child to have hopes and dreams and plans of what might be.

What’s something you’d love to accomplish during your writing career? DREAM BIG!

I feel I’ve already accomplished so much, not only for myself, but in helping other writers by critiquing their work and also by hosting the #50PreciousWords – and one of my books, Sweet Dreams, Sarah, was a Eureka Honor Award winner and a 2020 Notable Social Studies Trade Book…plus From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves has already been named a Junior Library Guild Selection…but, piggybacking on the previous answer…and paying attention to your instruction to DREAM BIG! I’d love to empower EVERY child to have hopes and dreams and plans of what might be.

Are there any projects you’re currently working on and excited about that you’d like to shout out? 

Thanks so much for asking, Justin! I’m really excited about another upcoming book that will launch in Spring 2023 from Calkins Creek/Boyds Mills/Kane. PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World. It’s going to be illustrated by Jana Christy and I can’t wait to see her sketches! Plus I just sent another nonfiction pb Bio that was an R&R (revise and resubmit) to that editor…fingers crossed that she loves the revision and acquires the book…it’s a story near and dear to my heart – the VERY FIRST nonfiction pb bio I ever wrote back in June 2014.

Thank you so much for having me, Justin…you are a special beacon of light for our kidlit community.

Pre-order From Here to There via any of the following links:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Target

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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