Episode #167: Which book that you have written do you think you enjoyed the most and why? -with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Welcome back! Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and Grace Lin answer this wonderful kid question: “Which book that you have written do you think you enjoyed the most and why?”

TRANSCRIPT:

Grace Lin: Hello, I'm Grace Lin, children's book author and illustrator of many books including the middle grade novel, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and the Picture book, A Big Moon Cake for Little Star. Today, I am here with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman, the author of middle grade novels like The Book Scavenger series, as well as the Sisterhood of Sleuths.

Welcome, Jennifer.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Hi. Thank you for having me.

Grace Lin: Thank you so much for coming. Are you ready for today's kid question?

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Yes, I'm ready.

Grace Lin: Okay. Today's Kid question is from a person named Channing. Channing asks, "What book that you have written do you think you've enjoyed the most and why?"

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Oh, I like that question. I think I definitely enjoyed writing my newest book, Sisterhood of Sleuths the most. Partly because the book is a tribute to Nancy Drew. Discovering Nancy Drew books when I was 7 played a big part in me falling in love with reading and mysteries. Those are happy childhood memories to revisit and tap into. I also really enjoyed researching the history behind the Nancy Drew series when I was working on the book.

Then during the actual writing process, the characters were just so much fun for me to create and spend time with. In my real life, during the course of writing the novel, there were some difficult things that were going on and happening. It became important to me to write a feel good story in part to help me feel good, stay positive and focused on uplifting things during those difficult times.

Yeah, I think definitely Sisterhood of Sleuths was the most enjoyable book I've written so far.

Grace Lin: Oh, that's so awesome. I agree. Writing is such a place of solace for so many authors. But before I get into that topic, I want to say, "Okay, I also loved Nancy Drew books when I was younger." Tell me how Nancy Drew books fit into The Sisterhood of Sleuths. Tell me about that.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Sure. Okay. The main character, Maizy, her mom has a thrift store. Someone leaves a cardboard box of old Nancy Drew books outside the store, somewhat mysteriously. There's a photo of her grandmother in the box, which she assumes her grandmother will recognize and know what it's about. But her grandmother acts like she knows nothing about the photo or the books or anything. That kind of launches Maizy into unraveling this mystery of the photo, the books and why they showed up. But she also reads the books and discovers Nancy Drew herself through the course of it.

Grace Lin: Oh, that's so cool. Is there a specific Nancy Drew book that plays into the Sisterhood of Sleuth?

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Not necessarily one in particular. There are little mentions of some different ones, but it gets more into the history behind the series, is some of what Maizy starts to learn. Yeah. But it's more just the spirit of Nancy Drew, maybe, that comes into play in the story.

Grace Lin: I really like how, in The Book Scavenger series, you mentioned so many other books.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Oh, yeah.

Grace Lin: That's always so much fun. I'm curious if in The Sisterhood of Sleuths you do the same thing. But are they all like Nancy Drew books?

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Yes, I think so. Now, I'm trying to think. Because I am pretty sure it's all Nancy Drew books in this one. Unless I've forgotten something, which is possible too.

Grace Lin: My favorite Nancy Drew book is The Sign of the Twisted Candles.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: I'll have to reread that one. I'm sure I did, but now they're blurred together a little bit in my memory if I haven't refreshed my theme.

Grace Lin: Yeah. No, I love Nancy Drew, but I have to agree. There is something about them. They were written quite a while ago. There is a blurring of many of the plot lines which I'm sure is not the case with Sisterhood of Sleuths at all.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: I hope not. No.

Grace Lin: All right. Usually, I answer the question a little bit too. Because sometimes the kids ask as well. I was thinking about, what book did I enjoy the most and why? Usually my answer for a question like this is, I always say A Big Mooncake for Little Star, because that's the book that my daughter is, the Little Star. It's the first book that has my daughter in it. It's that blending of family and being a writer.

You mentioned very briefly about how being an author, you need the writing to be a place of solace sometimes. Sometimes family life and writing life is very separate. Sometimes it's a really good thing it's separate. But when they can come together in a way that is harmonious, it's just so lovely. That's what happened with A Big Mooncake for a Little Star for me. That it came to be like family life and work life came together in a really harmonious way. That is the book that I enjoyed the most. That is why.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: I love that. That's wonderful.

Grace Lin: Yeah. But then I also think that the book that I usually enjoy the most is the one that I'm going to write next.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Oh, that's so true. Yes, I agree with that. That's a good answer too.

Grace Lin: Because the next one is going to be awesome. Yes.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Yeah, yeah. It's never the one I'm currently in the middle of writing, because then it's feeling hard. If I was asked this question when I was in the middle of writing Sisterhood of Sleuths, I might've said something different. Because in the moment it often feels more challenging.

Grace Lin: Yes. Do you ever have that feeling while you're writing that you want to write a different project?

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Oh, yes.

Grace Lin: Because that other project is going to be so much easier.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman:
Yes, definitely.

Grace Lin: It's always the most enjoyable project is the one that you're not working on.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman:
Yeah, the next one. The one that's in my imagination still. It's going to be the best one and the most fun ever.

Grace Lin: Exactly. All right. Thank you very much, Jennifer, for answering this question.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: You're welcome.

Grace Lin: Thank you Channing for asking such a great one.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Yeah, thank you Channing.

Grace Lin: Bye.

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Bye.

Grace Lin: Wasn't that great? Please make sure you check out the author's book and learn more about today's author by going to our website, KidsAskAuthors.com for more information. See you next time.

More about today’s authors:

Jennifer Chambliss Bertman is the New York Times bestselling author of the Book Scavenger series and Sisterhood of Sleuths. Book Scavenger was an Indie Next Top Ten pick, an Amazon Book of the Year, a Bank Street College Book of the Year, an NCTE Notable Book, and has been nominated for over twenty state award and honor lists, among other accolades. The series is being translated into more than a dozen languages. Sisterhood of Sleuths was an Amazon Top 20 Children’s Books of 2022 and a Common Sense Media selection. Jennifer’s debut picture book, A Good Deed Can Grow, illustrated by Holly Hatam, published in 2023. She holds an MFA in creative writing and has worked in a variety of roles with children and in publishing. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Jennifer now lives in Colorado with her family.

Grace Lin, a NY Times bestselling author/ illustrator, won the Newbery Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon and her picture book, A Big Mooncake for Little Star, was awarded the Caldecott Honor. Grace is an occasional commentator for New England Public Radio , a video essayist for PBS NewsHour (here & here), and the speaker of the popular TEDx talk, The Windows and Mirrors of Your Child’s Bookshelf. She is the co-host of the podcast Book Friends Forever, a kidlit podcast about friendship and publishing (geared for adults). Find her facebook, instagram , twitter ( @pacylin) or sign up for her author newsletter HERE.

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