Kerrie Logan Hollihan is a veteran non-fiction writer from my local Cincinnati SCBWI group who has multiple honors under her belt for her previous books. Her latest book Mummies Exposed! "The Scoop on Sleeping Beauties, Masked Men & Tattooed Tourists, Traders, and Tribesmen" is set to come out May 2019. It's the first book in the new "CREEPY and TRUE" series published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. |
Everyone has certainly heard of the mummy of the boy King, Tut. This book includes him, of course, but also discusses the discovery of many more mummies that are not as well known. Full color photographs of the subjects are included as are interesting "factlets" throughout. I am happy Kerrie has agreed to answer some questions about her upcoming book and about her writing life.
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I am lucky to get another interview with a non-fiction writer, Brandon Marie Miller, from the Southwest Ohio Chapter of SCBWI I attend, who has a newly released book for those interested in American history. When I first joined the group, Brandy was especially helpful to me by critiquing a few chapters of a YA historical fiction book I am revising. I think she felt pity on me when she learned I was getting through only three pages a month with a critique group I attended. Recently, she has been providing advice on writing book proposals and query letters as I struggle through that process. I met Mary Kay Carson in the Southwest Ohio chapter of SCBWI where we are members. The group meets monthly to discuss writing topics, host guest speakers, critique each other's work, and help each other out in general by providing support and answering questions. Mary Kay is a great resource within the group as a non-fiction science writer, especially to me, who is trying to get my own science non-fiction books published. I read her latest book, Inside Biosphere 2: Earth Science Under Glass, last year while serving on the Sibert committee. As a member of the 2016 Robert F. Sibert Award committee, I am honored to receive many non-fiction books for children from publishers all year. It's always exciting when another package arrives on my doorstep full of the newest and best books being published. Now, at the halfway point through the year, as I am preparing to attend the American Library Association conference, I wanted to reflect on the trends I have noticed so far. Sorry to disappoint any readers hoping to read a review or two, since that is normally what I do. This blog is dedicated only to my observances about trends. You'll get to read plenty of reviews later! So, in no particular order:
As I head to San Francisco next week to discuss non-fiction books with my committee, I will be anxious to hear their opinions on our selection of non-fiction books and listen for other trends I may have missed. I will have an update on this topic at the end of my term, I'm sure, and will be able, at that time, to write reviews about them. |
I remember the excitement of visiting the public library as a child. The magic and suspense of reading favorites like The Velvet Room and The Secret Garden tugged at my imagination. Biographies of George Washington Carver and Betsy Ross allowed me to see the lives of those who came before me and to appreciate their accomplishments. Poetry collections like my favorite The Tall Book of Poems, which I took with me on sleepovers, introduced me to a range of poetry where I could consider how the placement and rhythm of words affected your mood – sometimes bouncy, other times melancholy. Plus, I really loved the way that book felt in my small hands. My goal in writing children’s books, I think, is an attempt to recreate those feelings, those early years of reading books where everything seemed possible.
I received an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University and won the Karen and Philip Cushman Late Bloomer Award from SCBWI. I worked as a Children's Librarian for 20 years and still prefer to read books written for young people. I have two Cavapoo dogs named Prince Albert and Daisy Wu, and a black kitten named Mortimer. I am married and split time between homes with my husband Rod in Dayton, OH and in Cadiz, KY where we enjoy our pontoon boat on Lake Barkley.
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