Interview and Giveaway with Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw

I’m excited to welcome to the blog this week, author Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw!

* Suzanne is offering one lucky winner a copy of I Campaigned for Ice Cream: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks signed by her and the main character. Only those within the continental US are eligible to enter. Please check out the Rafflecopter giveaway following the interview below.

About Suzanne:

Suzanne Jacobs Lipshaw is a nonfiction children’s book author and elementary special education teacher who is passionate about growing young minds through her teaching and writing. Suzanne’s first book, I Campaigned for Ice Cream: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks, debuted in April 2019 from Warren Publishing, Inc. The proud momma of two grown boys, Suzanne lives in Waterford, MI with her husband and furry writing companion Ziggy.  When she’s not dreaming up new teaching or writing projects, you can find her kayaking on the lake, hiking the trail, practicing at the yoga studio, or comparing paint swatches at the local Sherwin Williams.

Connect with Suzanne:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Please tell us a bit about your debut picture book, I CAMPAIGNED FOR ICE CREAM: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks.

I Campaigned for Ice Cream is the true story of nine-year-old Josh who in 2001 wondered why ice cream trucks never rolled down the streets of his neighborhood. He soon discovered that ice cream trucks were illegal in his city due to an antiquated peddler’s law. The book depicts Josh’s passionate journey as he fights Town Hall to bring the joy of ice cream trucks to his town.

Who might this story appeal to?

The story is geared to students in the second – fifth graders but has inspired “kids” of all ages.

Would you share with us your personal connection to the story behind this story.

I feel like we need a drumroll or something here…

…Josh is not only in my heart because he’s the main character of my first book baby, he is my heart because he’s my first-born son.

Josh’s quest for ice cream trucks was an incredible experience for our entire family. During his nine-month journey, my husband Marc and I were extremely proud of Josh’s efforts to bring the joy of ice cream trucks to the kids (and adults) in West Bloomfield, Michigan. Along the way, Josh and his younger brother Jeremy learned several valuable life lessons starting with experiencing the civic process first-hand. Josh developed lifelong leadership skills, including but not limited to, finding his voice and using it to inspire others. When Josh chose to fight City Hall, I was concerned that the board of trustees would deny his request. So, I contacted two local newspapers to share the story of the young ice cream truck advocate; figuring at least Josh would get his picture in the paper for his endeavors. Surprisingly, the story went viral. It was picked up by local TV news and radio stations, a myriad of local newspapers, and eventually spread across the United States and beyond. Both boys learned a great deal about the workings of the media; a vital lesson we didn’t expect.

When I Campaigned for Ice Cream debuted, it marked the intersection of Josh’s aspiration quest to get ice cream trucks in his neighborhood and my lifelong dream to write a children’s book. Josh, who is now 27, flew in from Denver, Colorado to sign books with me at my book launch party. Additionally, Josh has read the book aloud with me at bookstores and joined me for an author assembly at his elementary school where we shared “the inside scoop” behind Josh’s quest and the writing of the book.

 

This story continues to create lifetime memories for not only Josh and I, but our family, friends, and the West Bloomfield community. Both Josh and I are humbled and honored that our dreams and efforts have created legacies for our family and future generations.

When and why did you decide to write it as a picture book?

Several years ago, I decided that if I didn’t make a concerted effort to carve out time to write I was never going to accomplish my dream of becoming a children’s book author. So New Year’s Eve 2016, I made a resolution to make writing a priority and it was the first resolution I’ve ever kept! I picked up a manuscript I started years back, a fiction middle-grade version of I Campaigned for Ice Cream and continued with it. I also resolved to take classes to further my craft. One of my first courses was Kristen Fulton’s Nonfiction Archeology class. The idea of writing nonfiction books strongly resonated with me. I teach developing readers by immersing my students in a different science theme each year and I saw nonfiction as a natural progression from my method of teaching to my writing. The course inspired me to try the ice cream truck story in a nonfiction picture book format and it worked. Now I’m hooked!

Being that you literally lived through this story, what was the research process for it like?

When my kids were younger, I was an avid scrapbooker, so I had an extensive scrapbook to use for my research. It included copies of city documents, agendas, the law, Josh’s petition, letter, speeches, etc., along with all the newspaper articles we could find. Additionally, I had VCR tapes (does that age me?) of all the board meetings and the TV news stories. As part of my research, I watched and transcribed every single board meeting so I could be assured my information and any quotes I used were 100% accurate. There were so many fun side stories to Josh’s quest that I couldn’t include but share when I do school visits.

At the surface level, the title would lead you to believe this story’s about ice cream. But there’s so much more to it than that. What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

My hope is that I Campaigned for Ice Cream motivates and empowers readers to realize that no matter how old or young you are, you can fight for what you believe in and make a difference in our world. I also hope readers see Josh’s story as an example of how finding your voice, working towards a goal, and persevering can affect change.

Is there a specific part of the story and/or spread that you connect with most, and why?

My illustrator, Wendy Leach, did an amazing job with all the illustrations, but I was instantly drawn to the picture of Josh practicing his speech in front of our immediate family. To me, it represents how each member of our family played a part in helping Josh achieve his goal. The pride shown on my face and the placement of my hand on my heart says it all.

Is there anything you’re currently working on and would like to share with us?

I have three nonfiction picture books in the works. I just received a rewrite and resubmit (fingers crossed) for my book Mighty Mahi, the story of the sea turtle my students adopted in 2015. The second is my first try at an expository nonfiction story. The main text is written, but I need to delve into writing the sidebars. My third book, which I hope will be the start of an interactive series, is heading out for query shortly. All three connect to one of the yearlong science themes I use to teach my developing readers. The one in the revision stage was also inspired by Josh who is…hint…a space engineer.

WILDCARD QUESTIONS:

What’s your favorite flavor of ice cream?

I have to give props to Guernsey Farms Dairy, a Michigan company, for their Sea Salt Turtle Swirl which combines sweet and salty sea salt caramel, toffee ice cream, and rich caramel truffles. You must try it!!!

Thanks for your time, Suzanne!

My pleasure! Thank you for all you do for the kidlit community!

You can check out I Campaigned for Ice Cream: A Boy’s Quest for Ice Cream Trucks by visiting the following links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

No Comments

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.

Subscribe

To receive regular notifications when a new interview appears, please submit your e-mail. Thanks!
First Name
Last Name
Email address
Secure and Spam free...