Amy Houts

 CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

With an eye for how young children perceive the world around them, gleaned from her years as an early childhood educator, Amy Houts has mastered the art of connecting with the hearts of young readers and instilling meaningful spiritual truths along the way. 

Houts is a seasoned children's author with over 100 children's books under her belt and numerous awards for her writing over the years. And you won't want to miss her upcoming picture book, God's Earth is Something to Fight For releasing this September 2023!

Let's jump into the interview to learn more about Amy and her literary endeavors.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

When I was growing up, the book that impacted me the most was the science fiction book, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. I was intrigued by the characters, the fantasy, and the fight between good and evil. I didn’t usually read sci-fi. I mainly read mysteries like Nancy Drew. A Wrinkle in Time was unlike anything I had ever read. It made me think. It opened up my mind to see things differently. And it had a female main character who saved her father and her family.

2) What do you love about writing for children?

I love the creative part of writing, processing a problem, a story, an outcome. I love seeing how a character grows. It’s meaningful. 

When I write nonfiction, I love the research and putting the pieces together like a puzzle. For example, last year I wrote Christian Q&A Book for Kids, a book of over 100 faith-based questions and answers for 6 to 9-year-olds . Each included a Bible verse as the basis for the answer. I used knowledge of over 30 years of attending Bible study. I researched, read, and studied answers from a variety of reliable sources. Then wrote the answers using words (I hoped) a child could understand. I was challenged—in a good way—to be the best writer I could be. Writing this book was such an honor. I love taking faith concepts and bringing them down to a child’s level.

3) Your picture book, God's Protection Covers Me, won two awards in 2020. On your website, you share the story about the long road to writing this picture book. Why do you think this book resonates with young readers?

God’s Protection Covers Me takes a difficult faith concept and uses similes to make the concept easier to understand. This picture book features farm and woodland animal homes and compares them to God’s protection. A child might not understand how God’s protects us, but she can understand how a stable protects a horse or a burrow in the ground protects a mole. 

The playful language, rhymes, and charming illustrations by David Creighton-Pester make this book resonate with readers. I’m so thankful for the many people who have told me how much they love this book!

4) As a children's author who has written over 100 titles for both faith-based and secular publications, what elements are essential to communicate to young readers through storytelling?

Storytelling is an essential tool for life. It’s a way we can learn. Readers empathize with the main character. The essential elements or themes I want communicate is that love abides, good wins over evil,  friends make up, and people are essentially good. 

Writing and reading stories make me hopeful. Problems can be solved. Information and knowledge help me understand. These elements are true for both faith-based and secular books.

5) What inspired the idea for The Giant Book of Bible Fingerplays for Preschoolers, a book with Bible stories and Scripture memory to engage little ones with God's Word in active ways?
Fingerplays are short poems acted out with hand and body movements. When I was a preschool teacher, I started group time by reciting a fingerplay, and I thought, this would be a great way to teach Bible stories!

Fingerplays are fun, fast attention-getters. They focus on a key point or a simple story, and they are easy to learn and do. Children enjoy acting out the motions, and it helps to get their wiggles out! Sometimes fingerplays rhyme and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the rhythm is patterned after a nursery rhyme, so you have the option to say or sing them. Here’s a classic: “The Eensy, Weensy Spider.” 

I wrote over 100 Bible fingerplays and submitted them to Group Publishing. After a number of revisions, I was offered a contract!

6) As a former preschool teacher and children's author, how can parents foster a love for reading in children ages 4 and under? 

Read at least one book every night before bed. Go to the library. Allow children to choose books along with the ones you want to check out. Read yourself. Let your child see you reading. Read together aloud or silently. Show children how much fun reading is.

AMY HOUTS is the author of over 100 books for children featuring early learning concepts. She writes for both faith-based and mainstream publishers. Amy’s faith-based books include God’s Protection Covers Me (Beaming Books) and The Giant Book of Bible Fingerplays for Preschoolers (Group Publishing). Amy’s educational books include 60 retold tales for the series, Compass Children’s Classics, 2020. Her 10 nonfiction science early readers for Highlights Press were released in 2020.

Amy and her husband, Steve, live in rural Northwest Missouri, an hour from Steve’s family farm. Amy and Steve are the parents of two grown daughters and three grandchildren.

Amy's Latest Book (releasing September 5, 2023)

A Sampling of Amy's Books

Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

With an aptitude for weaving multiculturalism into her works, Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young invites young readers into the beauty of other cultures through engaging stories and a focus on God's greatness. 

In her latest picture book, Chasing God's Glory, Gilmore-Young encourages families to actively pursue God's glory together while naturally folding in cultural details about the main character, Zayla. 

Let's jump into the interview to learn more about Dorina and her literary endeavors.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

Nine Days To Christmas was my favorite picture book as a child. Although it was about a little Mexican girl and I am not of Mexican descent, I identified with the culture and saw myself represented in the beautiful brown skin of the main character Ceci. That book was an invitation into Ceci's world, and I love the way my mama read it aloud to me!

2) What do you love about writing for children?

I love creating colorful imagery and playing with the cadence of words. Kids are so fun to engage. They love stories and language. I like to speak to all of their senses through my stories!

3) Cora Cooks Pancit received the 2009 Picture Book of the Year Award from the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association. What sparked your idea for this book?

I grew up in the kitchen with my mama and grandmas and aunties. I loved the storytelling that happened there. I got the idea to write Cora because many of my cousins in my generation didn't know how to make Grandma's pancit. This is a traditional dish in the Philippines. Every family makes it a little differently. The recipe and the book were created to honor my Grandma Cora, who is in heaven now.

4) What do you hope readers take away from your newest book, Chasing God's Glory?

I hope readers of all ages are inspired to go on a treasure hunt for God's glory in their everyday experiences.

5) In addition to writing for kids, you have written devotions and Bible studies for adults. How do you balance working on your craft for both adults and children?

I'm not sure balance is even possible. I have different seasons for different types of writing. I'm usually editing one project while I'm creating the next. The work ebbs and flows. I try to stay in tune to where the Holy Spirit is leading me next.

6) What is one practical way parents can help their children chase God's glory? 

Start talking about it! I have conversations with my daughters in the car, at the dinner table, and as we go about our daily lives. We are constantly calling out ways we have experienced God during our days. Make it a part of your normal conversation. This will encourage your kids to go looking for God's glory for themselves.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more author interviews! Swing by on May 14th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the fourth (and final!) post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series on the minimally reached next week on April 16th!

DORINA LAZO GILMORE-YOUNG is a speaker, podcaster, spoken word artist, and author. As a remarried widow, Dorina helps people chase after God’s glory on life’s unexpected trails and flourish in their God-given callings. An award-winning children’s author, Dorina has also worked as a journalist, social entrepreneur, missionary, and Bible study teacher. She serves as a storyteller for Dayspring's (in)courage, the visionary leader for Lead Loved helping equip Christian women leaders, and the president of the Redbud Writers Guild. Dorina and her husband Shawn are raising three brave daughters in Central California. Together they started the Global Glory Chasers membership and love to cook, eat, and travel together.

Dorina's books:

Laura Thomas

 CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Author Laura Thomas concurs with Emilie Buchwald's sentiment that, "Children are made readers on the laps of their parents."

As a former homeschool mom and now empty nester, Thomas knows the value of reading together with your kids.

"Honestly, reading books to my (now adult) children are the fondest of memories for me," Thomas said. "And I know every single moment was time well spent."

Thomas is the author of the middle grade book, The Candle Maker.

Let's dive into our interview with Laura to learn more about her and her writing.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

For my eleventh birthday, one of my aunts bought me a large illustrated children’s edition of the classic Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. I was already an absolute bookworm, but there was something enchanting and compelling about this book, and I reread it over and over again. I found myself entering into the story as if I were one of the four sisters (I am, in fact, one of four sisters!) and was drawn to each of the characters for different reasons. I experienced a roller-coaster of emotions as events unfolded and I championed Jo March as she forged ahead with her dream to be an author. I like to think of Jo as being one of the catalysts that sparked my own writing dream…

When I am asked today about my all-time favorite book, it’s still Little Women. And sitting on my bookshelves amongst numerous other beautiful editions is my original dog-eared, well-loved copy from my eleventh birthday.

2) What do you love about writing for kids?

Books were my comfort and delight as a child, and my writing journey (long story short) is that I buried my author dream for a full twenty-five years. When my husband finally unearthed said dream, I desperately wanted to write for kids. Be a picture book author. Bring that same comfort and delight I experienced as a child. 

I started out with published children’s stories in magazines and that morphed into writing Christian teen fiction—my first published book. Since then, I have had nine books published in several genres (including The Candle Maker featured in this interview), but I still hold the dream of having a picture book traditionally published one day…

3) What is it about fiction that most sparks your interest? 

I’m an avid fiction reader—I always have been. There’s something about the melding of story and characters and setting that intrigues and compels me to fully immerse myself in a good novel. It’s comforting and restful and creative…the very act of reading fiction requires us to use our imaginations! 

That applies to children’s books, too—once they are old enough, fiction allows them to conjure characters in their minds from words on a page, and they get to follow alongside, learning and growing and storing away nuggets they will remember for years to come. My website tagline is that I write “heartwarming encouragement for your soul”—and it’s my desire to provide hope-filled stories for all my readers in every genre.

4) What do you hope readers take away from The Candle Maker? 

The Candle Maker is a short novel but I believe it packs a punch with its mystery, history, and theme of facing fears. Set in Victorian England, middle-grade readers follow Benjamin as he discovers the truth about the fabled old candle maker in his village, and what he learns along the way about rumors, bullying, kindness—and an English bulldog! 

I also provide free worksheets on my website for some extra fun takeaways (it’s the old homeschool mom in me!) and hope readers will be encouraged to always dig for the truth in their own lives.

5) In addition to being a children's author, you also write Christian teen fiction and Christian romance. Of the 10 books you've written, which project has been your favorite? Why?

Ugh! That’s a great question but also like asking me to pick my favorite child! I like to think there’s a little piece of me woven into each of my books; my dreams, loves, fascinations, fears, and faith. 

Each project has stretched me and I continue to learn so much as I write every single one. Tears to Dancing, from my teen fiction trilogy, will always be special as it was my first book accepted by a publisher, and marked the beginning of a writing journey that would eventually take me on a path toward having romantic suspense novels published. 

I’m currently writing my fifth romantic suspense—and because I need to give it a great deal of attention, perhaps I feel obliged to call my work-in-progress a “favorite” at any given time!

6) What is one children's book you recommend all parents should read with their child? Why? 

There are so many phenomenal books out there, but one of my favorites to recommend is Charlotte’s Webb by E.B. White. This children’s classic was published in 1952 and pulls on the heartstrings with its adorable characters: Wilbur the rambunctious pig and Charlotte the sage spider. 

This story of friendship doesn’t shy away from tough topics, but they are presented in such a beautiful way that a child will hopefully feel comfortable to discuss any worries or concerns with a parent. 

Be sure to keep an eye out for more author interviews! Swing by my blog on April 9th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the third post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series on frontiers people next week on March 19th!

LAURA THOMAS is a published Christian author and writes heartwarming encouragement for your soul—especially in her romantic suspense novels, teen fiction, marriage, and children’s books. Laura is a hope*writers certified writing coach, a book-loving chocoholic mom and nanny, and is married to her high school sweetheart. Originally from the UK, they live in Kelowna, British Columbia, as audacious empty-nesters.  

Laura's middle grade book:

Erin Greneaux

 CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Erin Greneaux delights in taking biblical truths and finding creative ways to help readers engage with them on the pages of a story.

Erin writes Christian fantasy for young readers (ages 6–10). The Enchanted Garden is the first book in The Golden Feather Gardener series. This series helps young readers grasp spiritual truths as they join two sisters on an adventure through an enchanted garden.

Let's jump into the interview with Erin to learn more about her.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

When I was in early elementary school, my dad read the Chronicles of Narnia out loud to us. I was fascinated by how a book could transport me into another world. While there was a lot of depth to those books that went over my head, I could hear the passion and excitement in my dad’s voice as he read them to us. I knew that they were important to him, and when he read them to us, he was sharing a part of himself with us. Those read aloud story nights were a gift to us.

Children pick up more emotion behind words than adults give them credit for! As I have grown up, I have read that series again and again, and I understand something new every time. I strive to write books that have that same depth, in which children and adults alike can gain insight with each reading. While kids may not be able to iterate what they learned, they soak up the gravity of the story’s meaning in their soul.

2) What do you love about writing for kids?
I am a mom to three daughters, and before that I worked with kids in children’s ministry and an inner city ministry, so I have spent my entire life with kids. I love their imagination, the way that they see the world so differently, and the wonder and excitement that they bring to the everyday things we overlook. My girls give me so much inspiration and it is fun to watch their reactions as I read the stories to them. It is a delight to get caught up in the flitting adventure of a child’s imagination.

I also love the visible lightbulb moment when a child understands something fully for the first time. Being able to take complex ideas in the Bible and place them into a child’s mind in a way that illuminates their understanding is an absolute thrill.

3) What is it about writing a fantasy book series that most sparks your interest?
There are so many ways to convey a message but Jesus chose parables. He understood that the best way to teach a truth is oftentimes through fiction. Fiction can demonstrate the heart of a message without getting entangled in the logistics and details of a historically accurate text.

As far as fantasy goes, when writing for my daughters, there was no other choice. Unicorns, fairies, and mermaids are choice guides to teach girls ages 4-9! As a writer, it definitely helps to have no limits when creating as well. In fantasy, anything is possible, and I can create tangible visualizations of complex ideas that make sense to kids.

4) What do you hope readers take away from The Gold Feather Gardener book series?
We are created with a longing to know God. The craft of storytelling began as a way of expressing new ways to know and understand God better. For kids who know the Bible, I hope they recognize the Gardener immediately and understand on a new level what Jesus did for them on the cross. I hope that they grasp what was at stake with original sin, why Jesus had to die, and the incredible love that prompted His sacrifice.

For kids who have never encountered God, I hope that they fall in love with the Gardener and this book draws them to the Savior He represents. 

In book 2 of the series, the girls will begin learning how to develop the fruit of the Spirit. As always, my goal for the following books is to teach complex, abstract ideas like joy, honesty, and humility in a tangible way that kids understand and can live out.

5) In addition to writing for kids, you've written books and devotions for women, including Mary's Treasure: The Life of Christ Through a Mother's Eyes (A 24-Day Journey of Reflection, Art, and Poetry). You won the 2022 Illumination Book Awards in your category for this devotional set. First, tell us a bit about this project. Second, what do you hope to impart to readers in this award-winning project?

All of my writing is to help others understand and apply biblical truths to everyday life. After becoming a mother, I began to understand Mary’s story in a new way. I could imagine the difficulties of raising the Son of God, from the joy of His birth to the devastation of His death. In Mary’s Treasure, each day features a poem narrating the life of Christ from Mary’s perspective.

There is a fictional element to it in that each day Mary picks up an item to remember that moment by. Only when Jesus rises from the dead does she see how each of her treasures have a special meaning. Each poem has gorgeous watercolor artwork by Taisiia Kolisnyk that captures the emotional range of Mary’s life with gripping reality. Each day also has curated verses, an application, a prayer, and a question for reflection.

I wanted to present a devotional that pulled together the Bible’s prophesies and symbols that connect Jesus’ birth and death in a way that was simple, beautiful, and creative. Instead of being overwhelmed by all of the Old Testament references, we simply walk with Mary on her journey and discover the layers of meaning in Jesus’ sacrifice in story form.

6) What is one way you help your three girls live out their faith in everyday life?

‘Help’ is a good word because my girls are definitely a work in progress, as am I as a parent. Faith is woven into the fabric of our lives, but one practical way is to give biblical reasons for why we do what we do. 

Yes, we teach our children right and wrong but the reason behind those actions is vital. That creates a lot of conversations around loving others because God first loved us even when we were His enemies. We can forgive others because of the many things we have been forgiven for. We tell the truth because we want to earn the trust and respect of others. We are grateful for what we have because we don’t earn anything without the gifts God has given us. We don’t have this perfect and we repeat these messages A LOT but having these conversations over and over creates trails that they can follow on their own as they grow.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more author interviews! Swing by my blog on March 12th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the second post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series on the 10-Window next week on February 19th!

ERIN GRENEAUX is an award-winning author and stay-at-home mom of three beautiful little girls who make every day a new adventure. She's from south Louisiana and married a Cajun, which is why her last name has so many unnecessary vowels. Erin is passionate about exploring the practical application of faith in everyday life. She loves taking biblical ideas and presenting them in a way that is simple, clear, and actionable.

Erin's books:

Christie Thomas

CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

With a knack for making biblical truths resonate with little ones, author Christie Thomas serves as a guide for parents looking for uncomplicated, meaningful ways to disciple their kids. Christie comes alongside families as they cultivate a lasting faith in their children in simple, enjoyable ways each day through her ministry, Little Shoots, Deep Roots. Through establishing little daily habits that take a few minutes, Christie leads families in discipling their children in the lives they have today. 

She also writes Christian picture books for young readers (ages 3–8) to navigate anxiety and loss from a biblical perspective and engaging devotions for families.

Christie is the author of five books, including her most recent family devotion, Fruit Full: 100 Family Experiences for Growing in the Fruit of the Spirit. This family devotion walks through how Jesus produced the fruit of the Spirit and how to abide in Christ to follow in His footsteps. 

As a mom to boys, I'm looking forward to working through my copy of Christie's The Mother and Son Prayer Journal: A Keepsake Devotional to Share and Connect Through God. This prayer journal lets moms and sons explore how to be a person after God's own heart together.

Let's dive into the interview with Christie to learn more about her and her writing.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

My absolute favorite children’s book ever was Anne of Green Gables. I don’t know if it’s technically considered a children’s book, but I found it in my grandparents' bookshelf as a child and read it under their pool table, so it wormed deeply into my childhood brain. I delighted in Anne for her love of reading, her brilliant imagination, and bold spirit. I had the first two, but none of the third, and Anne became my heroine.

2) What do you love about writing for kids?

I love being able to speak into the hearts and minds of children I’ll never meet. What an amazing gift to hear parents tell me one of my books is their child’s favorite, or that their child made a spiritual or emotional connection as a result of something I wrote.

3) What sparked the idea for your picture book, Quinn's Promise Rock?

One day, I was poking around on Facebook when one of my acquaintances told how her young son was afraid to go to school. She had tucked a rock in his pocket and told him to put his hand in there to remind him that God was with him, everywhere he went. Her story sparked an idea in me that morning, an idea that percolated as I drove to and from a women’s Bible study, then solidified after I hastily fed my boys and put them down for a nap. 

I sent the story to her so she could share it with her son, and she loved it so much that she invited me to her house to talk about how to get it published. I had previously self-published one book, but Quinn’s Promise Rock became the story that opened the door into the traditional publishing world. The story in the book is virtually unchanged from the way I wrote it that afternoon while my boys slept.

4) As the founder of Little Shoots, Deep Roots, how does your ministry help families pursue Jesus in their everyday lives?

My goal is to help Christian moms and dads overcome the hurdles associated with discipling our kids. So often we feel unequipped, strapped for time, or hypocritical, so we don’t share the way we want to. 

The goal of Little Shoots, Deep Roots, is to help them discover small pockets of time in their daily lives that they can fill with tiny little faith habits. The beauty of tiny little faith habits is that they don’t take much time, don’t require us to know it all, or do it all, and through them, we are forced to realize that the burden doesn’t lay on us at all, but on the God who does the hard work of softening our children’s hearts.

5) One of your books, Wise for Salvation: Meaningful Devotions for Families with Little Ones, was the runner-up for the 2016 Word Christian Book award. First, please tell us a bit about this award-winning devotion for children ages 2–6. Second, what impact do you hope this book has in the lives of little ones?

Wise for Salvation came out of my desire to equip the parents in my church with take-home pages they would actually use! I was the children’s ministries director at my church for over 10 years, and in that time I also had my own 3 boys. I realized that these preschool take-home pages weren’t being used, even by me! They were too complicated and I couldn’t weave them naturally into my day. So I set to creating something that would only take a couple of minutes each day, but that could also become a habitual part of a family’s day. 

It was in seeing the impact of those fun, interactive 2-3 minutes per day that I became convinced about family discipleship being more of a daily, small habit than the big hairy deal we often think it is. Those take-home pages became Wise for Salvation, which is currently in the process of being re-published as My First Devotional. I’m delighted that it will take a new generation of families deeper into Scripture and getting to know our amazing God…2 minutes at a time. 

6) How can parents pass on their faith to their kids in simple, meaningful ways today?

Keep it simple! I have talked with so many parents who feel stuck because they can’t do family discipleship in the way the big parenting books describe. It feels like an impossible dream. Instead, I coach parents how to take that big vision and distill it into tiny, sustainable faith habits that will grow over time. 

For example, instead of reading a 10-minute Bible storybook each day, fighting with your toddler to pay attention and not rip the pages, break it into 2-minute chunks. Or, use an interactive book like Wise for Salvation, which helps you take a single Bible passage and spread it over 5 days, allowing you to enjoy being with your child instead of trying to ram all the details into their brain. The details will come as they grow.

I hope you enjoyed gleaning insight from Christie today. Be sure to keep an eye out for more author interviews! Swing by my blog on February 12th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the first post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series launching next week on January 15th!

CHRISTIE THOMAS lives in a houseful of boys and loves them to bits. She writes about cultivating authentic faith in the home at christiethomaswriter.com and is the author of Quinn Says Goodbye, a picture book for children experiencing loss, as well as Quinn's Promise Rock, a picture book for children experiencing anxiety. She is the founder of Little Shoots, Deep Roots, which is all about leading kids to a deeper Christian faith through little faith habits without parents feeling like they have to know it all or do it all.

Christie's books:

Amanda Cleary Eastep

CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

The stories our children hear and read play a key role in shaping them. Amanda Cleary Eastep advocates parents wisely determine the books their kids read because literature forms the moral imagination of children. 

Moral imagination is when one can see the options in a given situation, sort through right and wrong, and act with an understanding of how it impacts others.

Fiction combines emotion and intellect together and molds the moral imagination of kids in the process. This pairing enables young readers to imagine themselves in the shoes of the characters. Through quality storytelling like this, kids learn something is possible even if they have never experienced it. They are also instructed on what is right and good through the stories they read.

In Amanda's writing, she creates stories grounded in biblical truth that invites kids to ask whether they too could respond like the characters depicted on the page. 

Amanda writes Christian middle grade fiction (ages 8–12). Lions to the Rescue! and Mystery in Crooked Creek Woods are her latest two books in the Tree Street Kids series released this past summer. And if you're familiar with the Sugar Creek Gang series, this is Moody's step toward providing an updated book series for young readers.

Let's jump into the interview with Amanda to learn more about her and tap into her wisdom.

1) Which children's book has most impacted you? Why?

I’m a child of the ’70s, and we didn’t have nearly the diversity of books (both in authors and genres) that we see today, so this answer won’t come as a surprise to most people: A Wrinkle in Time and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, equally. Both were profound to the formation of my moral imagination. I mean that, by taking me to new worlds, these stories opened my heart on a different level to God, creation, and good and evil. I felt God’s presence everywhere, especially on dark and stormy nights, and I understood I had a place in a great battle. The very real “magic” of those books has never left me.

2) What do you love about writing for kids?
They are precious beings. What we tell them, teach them, write for them can become a kind of script for their lives. Writing books for kids is a glorious and terrible responsibility; it’s also incredibly fun. Writing for children is like sitting on the floor to build with LEGO blocks or kneeling in the dirt to dig for treasure. After the actual writing, what I love most is when a reader of one of the Tree Street Kids books tells me that Jack Finch had the exact same experience they had or that Midge made them laugh or that the end of the book made them cry. (I don’t try to make them cry, but it is a sign the story resonated!) I’d add that I also love collaborating with illustrators. The incredibly talented (and patient!) illustrator for the Tree Street Kids books is Aedan Peterson, who also illustrated Pembrick’s Creaturepedia (Wingfeather Saga) and The Story of God with Us.

3) What is it about middle grade fiction that most sparks your interest?
The 8-12 age range is an interesting and important one. Kids are out of the baby/toddler years but haven’t encountered the same challenges or experiences of the teen years. Kids, for the most part, still get to be kids but now with a deeper level of awareness of themselves, others, and the wider world. This is a wonderful time for dreaming and adventure, for the imagination to flourish. Good middle grade fiction can feed this while at the same time broaching the real-life challenges kids face and pointing them ultimately toward hope.

4) What do you hope readers take away from your Tree Street Kids book series?
Here’s the quick list: Fun, hope, inspiration, and encouragement, plus some fascinating facts. (Did you know the tongue of a bowhead whale weighs about as much as a compact car?!) I want readers, on a more subconscious level, to simply experience the joy of story and the tending of their moral imagination, i.e., entering into a character’s experience and then asking themselves what choice they would make in that same situation.

5) What is a key way your first book, Jack vs. the Tornado, changed from the first draft to its final draft?
For the first book in the series, I had written a detailed synopsis and fairly detailed outline. The biggest change to the story came in the first chapter (and has remained throughout the series): the addition of Henrietta, Jack’s pet chicken. My editor, Marianne Hering, suggested I give Jack a pet, so the amazing, tornado-and-nugget proof bird was born, and she’s remained a favorite of readers.

6) As a developmental editor and kids author, what advice would you give parents as they help kids select good literature to read?
Today, age ranges in publishing categories are even less of a boundary line than they used to be when it comes to what may be deemed appropriate for young readers. Reading every book before a child does isn’t possible, so here are five ways parents can help curate the books their children read:

1. Seek book recommendations from friends and families whose values align with yours. Even then, ask specific questions to help you decide if a book is right for your individual child. Ask: What did your child enjoy most about the book? What did you like/not like about the book? What made your child/you choose the book? Would you read more books by this author? Why or why not? (Specific questions can also help you avoid having TOO many good books to read…but what a wonderful problem to have!)

2. Research and regularly check trusted book recommendation websites. One of my favorites is redeemedreader.com. They review an excellent mix of general market and Christian children’s books in all genres and age ranges.

3. Stick with the authors you trust (and vet new ones). Many authors write more than one book. For instance, my series currently includes four titles for ages 8-12. You can get to know authors on their websites and social media platforms and, of course, by reading their books.

4. Stick with publishers you trust. This is easier to do with smaller publishers or imprints. Some Christian publishers, for instance, are under the umbrella of large publishing companies that publish all kinds of books. Moody Publishers (my publisher), though, is independent, and their books—both fiction and nonfiction, children and adult—all meet the same criteria. If you find an author or series you like, it’s possibly you’ll find similar authors/books from that same publisher.

5. Teach your children what qualities they should look for in the books they read. This isn’t unlike how you teach them to make other choices about entertainment, hobbies, and even friends. I’m not suggesting a stringent checklist, here. You also want to ensure that kids feel free to come to you with questions when they encounter words, illustrations, or topics in books they get from friends, school, gift givers, etc.

Be sure to keep an eye out for more author interviews! Swing by my blog on January 8th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the first post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series launching on January 15th!

AMANDA CLEARY EASTEP is not related to Beverly Cleary but wishes she were. She is, however, a children’s author, and the Tree Street Kids is her middle grade (8-12) series (Moody Publishers). When she is forced to act like an adult, she edits books by grownup authors. Amanda lives and writes in the mountains of North Carolina but has spent most of her life in the suburbs of Chicago where her characters live. Learn more about Amanda and the Tree Street Kids at treestreetkids.com. Follow her author antics on Instagram.

Amanda's books:

Caroline Starr Rose

 CHILDREN'S AUTHOR INTERVIEW

I first "met" Caroline Starr Rose during an online author interview for a writer's group called hope*writers. Caroline's humility, thoughtfulness, and wisdom sparkled. For many years Caroline labored to develop her own writing craft and persevered through numerous rejections before her success as a children's book author of seven published picture and middle grade books (plus a contribution to a book and one in the works)! 

Caroline primarily writes historical fiction for kids. Her writing is engaging, her characters possess depth, and readers can always expect an adventure. While she doesn't explicitly write Christian fiction, her writing shines as a great example of Christian writers making an impact on the world through quality writing. 

My son and I finished reading Jasper and the Riddle of Riley's Mine together and thoroughly enjoyed the adventure! History during the gold rush to Alaska came alive on the pages of this book!  For a stellar example of Caroline's writing abilities, check out May B, a middle grade book written completely in verse! 

Caroline's latest book released this past summer is Miraculous. Here's a bit about it from her publisher:

Thirteen-year-old Jack knows what cured his baby sister when his family thought she might never get well—Dr. Kingsbury’s “Miraculous Tonic.” Guaranteed to relieve maladies known to man or beast, Dr. Kingsbury’s potion can cure everything from pimples to hearing loss to a broken heart, and Jack himself is a witness to the miraculous results and the doctor’s kindness. When he had no money, the doctor didn’t turn him away but gave him the tonic for free along with a job—to travel with him from city to city selling his cure-all elixir.

When Dr. Kingsbury and Jack arrive in Oakdale, the town at first feels like any other they’ve been to. But it’s clear Oakdale is a town with secrets, and its citizens are slow to trust strangers.

Then Jack meets Cora, and a friendship neither expected starts to bloom. Together they uncover something else they didn’t expect—not only secrets about the town but also Dr. Kingsbury. As they race to discover the truth, they’ll have to decide who and what to believe before it’s too late.

Now let's jump in and learn more about Caroline and her writing (and perhaps you'll see why your family might enjoy her books as well.)

What do you love about writing for kids?

Children’s books are the ones that made me a reader. Of the books I’ve read in the course of my life, they have left the biggest impression on me — shaping me as a person, exposing me to new people and places, allowing me to explore situations I might one day encounter (and others I hope never to experience) from the safety of home. They’ve piqued my curiosity, taught me compassion, and helped me see the beauty and wonder of our incredible world.

What is it about historical fiction that most sparks your interest?

When I was a kid, I liked history, but I never felt very “good” at it. There was so much to know and too much to grasp. Historical fiction gave me a window into the past that history class missed — a flesh-on-bone experience of other times and places. Books gave me a way to see the humanity of people from long ago, the similarities we share and the differences, too. History came alive to me through story. I want to offer the same to young readers!

How does your Christian worldview impact your writing?

Have you ever thought of this before? God could have given the world His message in a million different ways, but He chose to use “story” — the true account of His faithfulness to His people (what we call the Bible) as the way for us to know Him. How incredible is that? Story is ingrained in who we are as human beings. If we are exposed to it (and it’s really impossible not to be), we come to intuitively know its structure. Story feels sacred to me, a basic form of human connection. How amazing is it that I get to tell stories for a living?

What do you hope readers take away from your newest book, Miraculous?

There’s a quote from author and theologian Frederick Buechner that often came to mind while I was writing Miraculous. It encompasses what I hope the book (and, ideally, all my writing) conveys: “Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.”

This world is sometimes a difficult place. I don’t want to shy away from that reality in my books, but I also want to always offer kids hope. What was really lovely to discover as I worked on Miraculous was the message of forgiveness it offers, too. (Authors don’t always know the full scope of their work until it’s completed.) So many characters in Miraculous are afforded second chances. I found such kindness and generosity in that.

From the books you've written so far, who is your favorite character? Why?

Oof. I’m never able to answer this question! Probably the best way for me to try is to focus on the character I’m currently spending time with, as that character is always my (current) favorite. Right now that’s Opal Gloria Halloway, a girl who’s been raised in a fire towel in New Mexico’s Gila Wilderness. I’ve wanted to write a book about my beloved home state for ages. I’ve also felt I wasn’t finished exploring nature and solitude, as I did in my first novel, May B. Opal’s story has given me the chance to do both. Look for The Burning Season in early 2024!

I love Opal because she finds so much joy in her “small” life tucked away on the side of a mountain. She loves her family, loves her home in the Gila, and longs to do the work she was raised for — becoming a fire lookout like her mother and grandmother before her. But Opal is secretly afraid of fire. I love her courage and resourcefulness in the face of the unexpected. I think she’s an all-around really cool kid and hope readers think so, too.

As a former teacher and kids author, what advice would you give parents as they help kids select good literature to read?

In my mind, any book that gets a kid reading is a good book. Think of those of us who consider ourselves life-long readers. It’s the love of reading that draws us back to books time and again, isn’t it? How do we foster a love of reading? By exposing our children to books upon books and by giving them the freedom to choose what they read. Sometimes that might mean books we grownups see as frivolous or beneath their skill level. Sometimes that means allowing a child to read a favorite again and again. Assigned and required books can be wonderful and certainly have their place, but if we want to truly raise readers, it’s important to give them the opportunity to make their own choices — as all life-long readers do.

Be sure to swing  by Caroline's blog to learn more about her, sign up for her newsletter, or track with her writing journey.

Swing by my blog on December 11th to meet the next author in this series. 

Also, mark your calendar to catch the first post in the Reaching the Lost family prayer guide series launching on January 15th!

Caroline Starr Rose is a middle grade and picture book author whose books have been ALA-ALSC Notable,* Junior Library Guild, ABA New Voices,** Kids’ Indie Next, Amazon’s Best Books of the Month for Kids, and Bank Street College of Education Best Books selections. In addition, her books have been nominated for almost two dozen state award lists. Caroline was named a Publisher’s Weekly Flying Start Author for her debut novel, May B. She spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico and taught social studies and English in four different states. Caroline now lives with her husband and two sons in New Mexico.

*American Library Association – Association for Library Service to Children
**American Booksellers Association

Caroline's Books