The Mitten: A Deep Dive Into Family History: How Historical Michigan Inspired a Middle Grade Novel By Betsy Bird

My family has long, strong Michigan roots. Going back well more than a century, hale from South and Southwest Michigan. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that Caldecott Award winner David Small lived in a house connected to my Grandmother’s no-good uncle. It’s not often that family stories and contemporary interests (like, say, children’s books) intersect, but when they do, it behooves you to pay attention.

For years my mother told the story of how this ne’er do well uncle would skip out on his farm chores so he could high tail it to nearby Mendon, Michigan where an elderly ex-circus performer lived. Going by the name Madame Marantette, she was apparently a great big deal in the early 20th century. You can imagine my astonishment when I discovered that not only was she real and not some figment of family legend, but also that David Small, an illustrator I’d known since my youth, lived in her very house!

Some books come to you in pieces. You have the elements in your head but they don’t coalesce all at once. It took years before I had the wherewithal to start to realize I had a book on my hands. After all, family history + local illustrator + notorious historical figure = literary gold. Long story short, I told David about my idea and he ended up being the illustrator of LONG ROAD TO THE CIRCUS! It’s the story of Suzy Bowles, a small town country kid who longs for more. When she discovers her uncle has been skipping out on his farm chores to help the mysterious Madame Marantette, Suzy wants in. She doesn’t know how, but she’s determined to find out whether or not the Madame is her ticket out of his one horse town.

I had my story and I had my illustrator. Now came the difficult part: Actually writing the book. Amusingly, I’d gone into the project thinking that I had a picture book on my hands. David quickly disabused me of this notion. As he told me, this was clearly a middle grade novel. And never mind that I’d never written one before, he had faith in me that I could write one now. With more than a little trepidation, I set out to live up to his expectations. And, in doing so, I discovered I had a secret weapon in my pocket. That weapon? Family history. To be more specific, a family history with deep ties to Michigan, which I’d alluded to before. It turns out that if you dig deep into your family’s history and stories there’s a plethora of material to be found!

Of course, the downside of family history is that if you still have family hanging around, they may not agree with your interpretation of said history. My book caused a couple debates over whether the no-good uncle deserved the redemption he receives in the book and whether using one name or another for characters was a good idea. Still and all, the old adage “write what you know” turns out to have a lot of truth behind it. Don’t know how to write a novel that’s unexpectedly landed in your lap? Don’t just write what you know. Write what your family knows. Because, believe me, they’ll be more than happy to provide you with material if you just open up and give them a chance.

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library, and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She blogs frequently at the School Library Journal site A Fuse #8 Production, and reviews for Kirkus and the New York Times on occasion. Betsy is the author of the picture books GIANT DANCE PARTY and THE GREAT SANTA STAKEOUT, she a co-author on the very adult WILD THINGS: ACTS OF MISCHIEF IN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, editor of the middle grade anthology of funny female writers FUNNY GIRL, and author of her upcoming debut middle grade novel LONG ROAD TO THE CIRCUS, illustrated by Caldecott Award winning illustrator David Small. Betsy hosts two podcasts, Story Seeds, which pairs kids and authors together to write stories, and the very funny Fuse 8 n' Kate where she and her sister debate the relative merits of classic picture books.

Learn more at: https://www.betsybirdbooks.com/

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