Many months ago, I was sent a manuscript with a request to blurb the book. The title was Gertie's Leap to Greatness, and it had to do with a little girl named Gertie who was on a quest to become to the greatest fifth grader around. Did I laugh? Did I cry? Did I keep turning pages until very late in the night? Yes. Yes, I did. This is what I had to say about it:
It has been a long time coming, but I am so excited to share this interview with Kate Beasley, the author of Gertie's Leap to Greatness. Look for the book on October 4th!
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| See other reviews at www.gertiesleaptogreatness.com |
It has been a long time coming, but I am so excited to share this interview with Kate Beasley, the author of Gertie's Leap to Greatness. Look for the book on October 4th!
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| Author Kate Beasley |
I’ve lived in
Claxton, Georgia, all my life. It’s a small town about an hour west of
Savannah. A lot of people want to escape from small towns, but I like living
here! I’m a country mouse for sure. My parents farm in Claxton—cows, cotton,
pecans, peanuts. I help out on the farm a little bit, but mostly, I write full-time
right now, which is a dream come true!
When did you
get your start as a writer? How long have you been writing?
I always
liked writing in school…mostly essay writing. I started studying and writing
fiction when I started college. That was in 2007, so I would say that I’ve been
writing seriously for nine years. Gosh, it doesn't feel like it’s been that
long. Time flies!
What were some
of your favorite books as a child? Authors, illustrators, you name them. (And
any current authors who inspire you as well!)
Oh my
goodness. How many do I get to name?
Longtime
Favorites:
From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Holes by Louis
Sachar
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by
Beverly Cleary
Harriet the Spy by Louise
Fitzhugh
Matilda by Roald
Dahl.
And of course, Harry Potter!
More recent
books that I’ve admired are
Raymie Nightingale by
Kate DiCamillo
Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan (coming out in 2017)
Right now I’m
in the middle of reading Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls Series, and I’m hooked!
In your own
words, describe what “Gertie’s Leap to Greatness” is about.
Gertie Reece Foy is on a mission to be the best fifth grader in the
universe. Her mother, who abandoned Gertie when she was a baby, is now leaving
town for good, and Gertie will use this opportunity to prove that she doesn’t need
a mother anyway. Gertie’s plan to be the best goes awry when the daughter of a
famous Hollywood director moves to town. Both girls can’t be the best.
Please describe
your creative writing process.
Hmmm. It involves a lot of pacing. And snacking. And rewriting. And green
tea.
I rent a house from my parents, and I go there to write. So, I have a
dedicated writing space. It’s in a pecan orchard, which is very nice when I’m
staring out the window.
I go there every day, and I try to get it right. That’s the best way I
can think to put it. It’s like I know there’s a story in my head, and I’ve got
to get it exactly right. “It” being everything—the characters, the setting, the
rhythm of the words. I throw away a whole lot. And I’m very slow. But I keep
going.
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| Illustration by Jillian Tamaki |
What was your
favorite scene to write in GERTIE?
Gertie and
her great-aunt Rae babysit a younger girl named Audrey. At one point in the
story, Gertie says something to Audrey without really thinking. She says
something quite cruel and hurtful actually. She regrets it, of course. Gertie’s
not a mean girl! But I think sometimes good people mess up, and that’s really
hard. It was my favorite scene to write because I mess up, too, and I think
readers mess up, and I want them to see that it’s something that we have to
accept and move past.
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| Illustration by Jillian Tamaki |
Who was the
inspiration for Gertie Reece Foy? / Do you hope children identify with her?
I didn’t have a specific person in mind when I was writing Gertie, but I
definitely hope children will identify with her! The problems Gertie has are
both big (her mother abandoning her) and small (struggling with jealousy and
losing friends), but she feels all of her problems keenly. Every difficulty she
encounters is large and personal to her. I think—I hope—that children will
relate to Gertie’s struggles, because I know that all children have problems of
their own, no matter how easy their lives may seem or how much adults might
wish it were otherwise.
What was the inspiration for the opening line of the
book: “The bullfrog was only half dead, which was perfect.”
The first
sentence of the book was the very first line I wrote, and it hasn’t changed
from the beginning! I was writing beside a pond, and a bullfrog jumped into the
water. I wanted to write a sentence with a frog.
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| Illustration by Jillian Tamaki |
What do you
love about writing books for children?
Writing for children is a tremendous privilege. My readers are smart and
sensitive and have a well-developed appreciation of humor. Child readers are
the best and most important, and I have to work so hard to produce work that’s
worthy of them!
What is next?
Any future projects for us to look forward to?
I’m working on
another standalone MG novel! Stay tuned!
Thank you for stopping by Twenty by Jenny, Kate!
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