Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!
Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators
Congratulations to Buffy Silverman on the release of her new book, On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring!
Congratulations on the release of your new book, On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring! What inspired this story about the changing seasons?
The idea for Snow-Melting Day began as a response to a StoryStorm blog post in January, 2018, written by Heidi Stemple. Heidi encouraged writers to pay attention to what’s around them. It must have been a warm winter day, because I wrote this sentence in my notebook:
Not only do you write picture books, but you write poetry as well! Can you tell us a little bit about your path to becoming an author and poet?
My writing focus has wandered over the years, from narrative nonfiction for magazines, to writing nonfiction for educational publishers, to poetry. I think I first caught the poetry bug when I enrolled in an online children’s poetry class with Laura Purdie Salas, about 10 years ago. As I delved into children’s poetry, I discovered that this is the writing I am most drawn to and is what I want to do when I grow up!
In addition to nonfiction books on nature, you’ve also written about a wide variety of other nonfiction topics, from Titanic to the mars missions and even about how race cars work! Do you have any tried and true research methods or resources?
Many of my nonfiction books were written for series developed by editors. Some of these featured subjects about which I knew little to nothing. Mars? Pokemon? The Titanic? Cutting-edge Brain Science?? I’ve found that the more I learn about a subject, the more interesting it becomes. And once I’ve discovered the wow-factor, I know I can write about a subject for a young audience. Unfortunately, I’m not organized enough to say that I have any tried and true research methods—I usually spend a lot of time wandering around the internet, gathering more and more sources. Sometimes I’ll look at references cited on a Wikipedia page because those often lead to primary sources.
You are incredibly prolific, with over 90 books written and poetry featured in an impressive array of publications, like The Poetry of US, from National Geographic, and magazines like Cricket and Spider! What do you do to “fill your bucket” and keep the inspiration flowing?
I think my greatest source for inspiration is accountability. That can take many forms—a deadline from an editor, a critique group meeting that I’ll be embarrassed to attend without a manuscript, or a submission opportunity from a conference.
What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to write and publish not only picture books, but also poetry?
Go to the library and read lots and lots of books, especially recently published titles. Many children’s poets who bring nature to life inspire me—Barbara Juster Esbensen, Valerie Worth, Joyce Sidman, Leslie Bulion, Douglas Florian, Deborah Ruddell, and Irene Latham have written books that I’ve read over and over again. I think poetry books are really the best mentors for anyone wanting to write poetry!
What’s next for you, do you have any events or readings coming up? Where can people learn more about you and your work?
What’s next on my agenda is a walk in the snow with my dog! But you might have been asking about writerly things? I’m speaking about using lyrical language for KAST at the end of February. I’m also heading to the SCBWI-MI nonfiction conference in March, and I hope to see lots of SCBWI folks there. To learn more about my writing, please visit my website: www.buffysilverman.com.
Buffy Silverman is the author of over 90 nonfiction books for children, featuring topics from Angel Sharks to Alligators, and Mars to Monster Trucks. Her newest book, On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring, received a star from Kirkus Reviews. Buffy spent many years as a naturalist and environmental educator, and taught biology to college students. Now she enjoys speaking to students about nonfiction, poetry, and writing. Her home is near a swampy lake in Michigan where she spends outdoor time with her dog, watches and photographs nature, and writes about the creatures she observes. Visit her at http://www.buffysilverman.com.
The idea for Snow-Melting Day began as a response to a StoryStorm blog post in January, 2018, written by Heidi Stemple. Heidi encouraged writers to pay attention to what’s around them. It must have been a warm winter day, because I wrote this sentence in my notebook:
It was a drip droppy
slip sloppy
snow melting day
And then I jotted down a few images: Mist rises in the air, boots sink in the slush, puddles grow on the lake, followed by some questions to myself: Is there a story here? Or just a poem? And then more notes: dog wet from snout to tail (it really must have been a slushy day!) and writing on the snow (dog/deer tracks) turn to slippery sloppery.
Not only do you write picture books, but you write poetry as well! Can you tell us a little bit about your path to becoming an author and poet?
My writing focus has wandered over the years, from narrative nonfiction for magazines, to writing nonfiction for educational publishers, to poetry. I think I first caught the poetry bug when I enrolled in an online children’s poetry class with Laura Purdie Salas, about 10 years ago. As I delved into children’s poetry, I discovered that this is the writing I am most drawn to and is what I want to do when I grow up!
In addition to nonfiction books on nature, you’ve also written about a wide variety of other nonfiction topics, from Titanic to the mars missions and even about how race cars work! Do you have any tried and true research methods or resources?
Many of my nonfiction books were written for series developed by editors. Some of these featured subjects about which I knew little to nothing. Mars? Pokemon? The Titanic? Cutting-edge Brain Science?? I’ve found that the more I learn about a subject, the more interesting it becomes. And once I’ve discovered the wow-factor, I know I can write about a subject for a young audience. Unfortunately, I’m not organized enough to say that I have any tried and true research methods—I usually spend a lot of time wandering around the internet, gathering more and more sources. Sometimes I’ll look at references cited on a Wikipedia page because those often lead to primary sources.
You are incredibly prolific, with over 90 books written and poetry featured in an impressive array of publications, like The Poetry of US, from National Geographic, and magazines like Cricket and Spider! What do you do to “fill your bucket” and keep the inspiration flowing?
I think my greatest source for inspiration is accountability. That can take many forms—a deadline from an editor, a critique group meeting that I’ll be embarrassed to attend without a manuscript, or a submission opportunity from a conference.
What advice would you give to someone who’s looking to write and publish not only picture books, but also poetry?
Go to the library and read lots and lots of books, especially recently published titles. Many children’s poets who bring nature to life inspire me—Barbara Juster Esbensen, Valerie Worth, Joyce Sidman, Leslie Bulion, Douglas Florian, Deborah Ruddell, and Irene Latham have written books that I’ve read over and over again. I think poetry books are really the best mentors for anyone wanting to write poetry!
What’s next for you, do you have any events or readings coming up? Where can people learn more about you and your work?
What’s next on my agenda is a walk in the snow with my dog! But you might have been asking about writerly things? I’m speaking about using lyrical language for KAST at the end of February. I’m also heading to the SCBWI-MI nonfiction conference in March, and I hope to see lots of SCBWI folks there. To learn more about my writing, please visit my website: www.buffysilverman.com.
A little bit about the book:
Snowmen droop / Cardinals swoop, Rabbits bounce / Foxes pounce
In the early days of spring when the snow begins to melt, plants and animals stir to life. High-impact photos and simple, rhyming text make for an engaging read-aloud while back matter offers more detail about each of the creatures featured in this celebration of spring's arrival.
A little bit about the Author:
Buffy Silverman is the author of over 90 nonfiction books for children, featuring topics from Angel Sharks to Alligators, and Mars to Monster Trucks. Her newest book, On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring, received a star from Kirkus Reviews. Buffy spent many years as a naturalist and environmental educator, and taught biology to college students. Now she enjoys speaking to students about nonfiction, poetry, and writing. Her home is near a swampy lake in Michigan where she spends outdoor time with her dog, watches and photographs nature, and writes about the creatures she observes. Visit her at http://www.buffysilverman.com.
Congratulations, Buffy! ON A SNOW-MELTING DAY is a beautiful book.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your new book, Buffy! It sounds fantastic.
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Buffy! I always appreciate your nature-themed books and poems. And I'll enjoy a walk in the snow with my dogs today!
ReplyDeleteThanks for celebrating with me!
ReplyDelete