Tell us, how did your titles, LILY'S NEW HOME and WANT TO PLAY?, come into being.

This one I can’t really answer because our Lee & Low editors came up with the titles.

Why do you think a book's characters, even in those for the earliest of readers, should reflect the diversity seen in real life settings?

​Diverse characters in real life settings are very important for young readers to see at an early age because they can identify with these characters on a universal level. Of course there are important children’s books that deal specifically with issues of diversity and discrimination and racism, but it’s also equally important to show diverse characters dealing with universal stories so children of all backgrounds can identify and relate with them.

Did you create character sketches for Lily, Henry, Mei, Padma and Pablo? If so, what distinctive qualities did you created for each one?

The characters already existed from the Lee & Low series template. They hired me as the writer for the first two books in the series (there are other authors also involved with different books in the series). I was honored to be selected for the first two books, so I was very conscientious of making sure we knew each character’s personality right away. 

I was given brief descriptions of each child--Lily is very inquisitive and compassionate, Pablo is a shy bookworm, Mei is an active yet clumsy girl, Henry is an enthusiastic musician who likes to get everyone involved in projects, and Padma is a strong and outspoken girl.

In trying to show these characters, we brainstormed scenes and storylines in which these qualities could shine and push the story and character relationships forward. For example, when Lily moves to her new home, she notices Pablo loves to read. So she visits the local library and quietly joins him on the steps to read books with him. To me, story IS character. All story plots are inspired by the characters’ personality traits and motivations. It was fun to imagine what these kids would do next!

What was your reaction when you saw your characters and their world illustrated to life by Shirley Ng-Benitez? 

For a lot of books that are heavily illustrated, it’s always such a joy and surprise to see the final art work. Some authors and illustrators work closely together, especially if they are a team, but it’s standard to have the writer and illustrator work separately. I assume this is so the writer can focus on the words and the artist can concentrate on the art! :) But when I saw Shirley’s work, I was so touched by her playful and gentle style. She’s incredibly talented and there’s a warmth and emotional glow to her art. I felt I had known these character forever when I saw her illustrations--she truly captured their essence!

What factors must you keep in mind while crafting an enjoyable story for emergent readers?

I am first and foremost a novelist and a screenwriter and then a picture book author, which means I write A LOT of words. My picture books are unusually long for the genre because they are non-fiction biographies geared to an older elementary school audience. So when I was invited to write the first two books of the Confetti Kids series, I thought it would be fun. But I had no idea how much WORK it would be. The writing is like mastering the art of haiku poetry. You have a VERY limited amount of text to write, so each word has to shine like a jewel. Just like in haiku, not one word can be wasted.

​With early emergent readers, you are also writing with an educational angle to teach the process of learning how to read. So there is also a strict vocabulary and sentence structure you must use. Compound and complex sentences are too complicated for this age group. I had to learn how to STRIP DOWN my writing and get to the very essence of the story--the bare bones, if you will. And yet at the same time, I also had to make sure the characters were compelling and the plot exciting and engaging.

In a nutshell, writing these books was THE HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE. LOL! Oh the irony! :) But I’m grateful for the experience because I learned so much and it actually had a great influence on my other areas of writing. I became a much tighter writer as a result. Lesson learned--not one word wasted. :)

What do you appreciate about publishers like Lee & Low Books?

I have been with Lee & Low Books since my first picture book, SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY (illustrated by Dom Lee) was published in 2005 after winning the 2003 New Voices Award. I love Lee & Low’s mission to raise more awareness of diversity in children’s literature, to promote diverse stories AND diverse authors and illustrators, and the incredible quality of their work. It’s no surprise this publisher’s books have won many prestigious awards over the years--getting published here is a big deal. The editors are impeccable with their insights and editorial advice. These books are carefully constructed and edited and revised before hitting bookstores. Us writers are put through the wringer! But it’s worth it because you can stand by your book when it finally launches!

I also appreciate and admire Lee & Low’s recent activism in raising awareness about diversity issues in the media, especially with their famous surveys and statistical reports that have gone viral and actually caused huge waves in the publishing industry and influenced future changes in policy and editorial decisions regarding more inclusivity for multicultural stories and writers. They were ahead of their time and only now is the rest of the country catching up to their mission statement! It is truly an honor and privilege to work with this ground-breaking publisher.
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Paula Yoo is not only a children's book author and novelist, she's also a TV writer and producer. Her newest titles, LILY'S NEW HOME and WANT TO PLAY?, are both Junior Library Guild selections. Her picture-book biographies include: TWENTY-TWO CENTS: MUHAMMAD YUNUS AND THE VILLAGE BANK, a 2014 Junior Library Guild selection that is illustrated by Jamel Akib (Lee & Low Books 2014); SIXTEEN YEARS IN SIXTEEN SECONDS: THE SAMMY LEE STORY, an IRA Notable non-fiction title (Lee & Low Books, 2005); and SHINING STAR: THE ANNA MAY WONG STORY (Lee & Low Books, 2009), a winner of the 2010 Carter G. Woodson Award from the National Council for the Social Studies. Her young-adult novel, GOOD ENOUGH (HarperCollins 2008), was a 2009 Honor Book of the Youth Literature of the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature. Paula is currently adapting the popular Israeli teen drama, THE GREENHOUSE, for Netflix. Her other television credits include NBC’s THE WEST WING, SyFy’s EUREKA and DEFIANCE, and Amazon’s MOZART IN THE JUNGLE. When she’s not writing, Paula teaches, plays her violin and hangs out with her three cats. You can find her online at paulayoo.com and Tweeting @PaulaYoo.

While you were reading Paula Yoo's text for the first time, what did you imagine regarding the illustrations? What happened next in your creative process?

The first time I read Paula’s manuscript, I pictured Lily in her new environment and how worried she must have been. Lily moves from the suburb to a big city, and I put myself in her shoes as I read. I thought of Lily’s worried face, so I started to sketch Lily, first and foremost, and then the images of her new city surroundings. Maria Mercado, a freelance book designer who works with Lee & Low, gave me wonderful art direction, and through two or three iterations, we came upon the exact Lily character, as well as Lily’s new neighborhood friends. Developing New York’s avenues and apartment buildings and stores were next. The buildings and details of the apartment buildings were challenging to create, but I had great fun researching “New York apartments” and “New York streets” and seeing the details on doors and banisters to try to give the book authenticity.

Did you create character sketches for Lily, Mei, Pablo, Henry, and Padma? If so, do tell us about each one.

Yes, each character came with art direction from Lee and Low. 

Lily is an African-American girl and an only child. She's a little shy at first, but once she's comfortable, she likes to ask a lot of questions. Pablo is a Latino boy and a New York native, he's the only boy in a family of three sisters. He's a bit of a bookworm and can often be found sitting on a corner reading a book. Mei is a Chinese-American girl, and much to her dismay, she's a bit klutzy. She has an older sister and lives with her parents and grandmother. Henry is a Caucasian boy who, like Lily, is an only child. He likes to play sports, play the drums, and motivates others to participate in different local events. Padma is a South-Asian girl, who's a bit sassy and outspoken. She lives with her parents, older sister, and younger brother.  

In Lily's New Home, your urban setting seamlessly reflects diversity, both in the people and in the places depicted. How do you go about creating such authenticity in your drawings?

I am so grateful to Maria and to my Lee & Low editor, Jessica Echeverria, for such great art direction and guidance. I sketched neighborhoods, buildings, street scenes, and even a map of where the characters lived in relation to one another. I believe this greatly helped my thinking about all of the kids and their relationship to the city. I loved the scene of the community garden and enjoyed thinking about how the kids could pass by it on their way to school. Research on the internet helped as well and I was able to further develop Lily’s new neighborhood which is patterned after a borough in New York. 

What medium did you use in creating the art for Lily's New Home and Want to Play?

I used a mixed-media medium consisting of pencil, watercolors, gouache, colored pencils, and final highlights and small details in Photoshop.  

Why do you think emergent readers should see characters in books that look like they do or come from similar cultural backgrounds as they do?

I feel that emergent readers would absolutely love to see themselves reflected in books they’re learning from. If there were many, many books from which to choose, all the better in my opinion! As my children were learning to read, there were very few books with cultural-specific hero characters. More often than not, the heroes were animals or Caucasian. Along with those heroes, I think that it would’ve been exciting and inspiring for them to have a selection of books with heroes from diverse cultural backgrounds, so that they could envision themselves or their friends as heroes in the books that they were learning from.  
   
What do you love about working with publishers like Lee & Low?

This was my first opportunity to work with Lee and Low, and it has been an incredible honor and delight. From the initial stages of sketches and tight layouts, to the final printing and then marketing of the books, I received great art direction, editing, production guidance, and marketing & promotional insight. Their commitment to publishing contemporary diverse stories that all children can enjoy, and their pledge to make a special effort to work with unpublished authors and illustrators of color, is admirable and inspiring and I’m proud to have worked on this new line of books. I am very excited to have another opportunity with Lee & Low, and am currently working on two new titles in this series.

Shirley Ng-Benitez loves to draw! Nature, family, and fond memories of her youth inspire her mixed-media illustrations. Since ’98, she’s owned gabbyandco.com designing, illustrating, and lettering for the technology, greeting card, medical, toy, and publishing industries. She’s living her dream, illustrating and writing picture books in San Martin, CA with her husband and two daughters. Shirley is honored to have illustrated Paula Yoo’s Dive Into Reading early emergent readers, LILY'S NEW HOME, and WANT TO PLAY? (Junior Library Guild Selections for 2016), published by Lee and Low Books. You can find her online at shirleyngbenitez.com and Tweeting  @shirleysillos.

​What do you love about instructing children in the creative writing process? 

I teach high school and college students and work with both beginners and advanced writers depending on the class. So it's a toss-up--there's nothing like working with a student on their very first story, helping them find the courage to put pen to page, to find their voice and delve into their imagination and explore, to experiment. But I also find great joy in working with students who already have a great deal of experience. Editing, at the sentence level, is a wonderful process as well, and helping a student prepare a piece for their MFA application or for submission to a literary journal is incredibly rewarding.

Tell us about your connection to Judy Blume, who praised your YA novel, Fingerprints of You.

Judy discovered my work in a contest shortly after I received my MFA. She read a short story of mine, which she found in the slush-pile for the Key West Literary Seminar fiction award, and something just clicked. In the end, I won the fiction prize and was awarded a trip to FL for the conference, where she and I met. She was kind and generous and honest with me about my work, which was invaluable. At the time, I was writing a novel, but I was struggling to make that leap into the publishing world. I had moved around a great deal after college and didn't have a community of writers to lean on, so her support and eventual friendship made a world of difference. She has become one of my greatest champions, and I'm so very grateful. 

What do you love about Charlottesville's writing community?

The truth is that, in the end, we do the work alone. Alone at the desk, at the computer, in our notebooks and in our heads. But having a community to lean on makes all the difference when you're wading through struggles in your work. One of the things I love most about the writing community here is the diversity of work being produced. There are writers of all kinds--all genres and styles and forms, and I find that to be very inspiring and motivating. Meeting authors who are writing work unlike my own encourages me to branch out and try new things on the page, to take risks. 

What do you love about the Virginia Festival of the Book?

How much time do we have?!? I've been working with the festival as a volunteer and a panelist since I moved to town in 2008, and each year it never ceases to amazing me how many prestigious authors there are, how many dynamic events, how many thought-provoking panels... and it's ninety-nine percent free! It's such an important piece of our community. 

Tell us about your novel that is coming out in May.

My new novel, Invisible Fault Lines, is a young adult novel whose storyline hinges on a missing person mystery in San Francisco in 2006. The central character, Callie Pace, is determined to discover what happened to her father after he disappeared from work, but she has no clues and no leads. Because it takes place during the hundredth anniversary of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, it also weaves in a historical fiction element. So the book is part contemporary fiction, part historical, and part mystery. There's also a dash of fantasy depending on how you read the ending. It's about grief and faith and the different ways we cope with loss. It's also about San Francisco, family bonds, presidential quotes and punk music. This book was a leap of faith for me, and I took a lot of risks when writing it, so I'm really excited send it out into the world. 
Kristen-Paige Madonia is the author of the young adult novels Invisible Fault Lines (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, May 2016) and Fingerprints of You (Simon & Schuster BFYR, 2012). Hailed by Judy Blume as “A remarkable young novelist,” Madonia was the 2012 D. H. Lawrence Fellow, and her short fiction has appeared in such publications as the Greensboro Review, Five Chapters, New Orleans Review, and American Fiction: Best Previously Unpublished Short Stories by Emerging Writers. She has received awards and fellowships from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, the Hambidge Center, the Vermont Studio Center, Juniper Summer Writing Institute, Virginia Center for Creative Arts, Hedgebrook Writers’ Retreat, Millay Colony for the Arts, and the Studios of Key West. She was the 2010 recipient of the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival award and was granted the Marianne Russo Fellowship to attend the 2008 Key West Literary Seminar. She holds an MFA from California State University, Long Beach and currently lives in Charlottesville, Virginia where she teaches creative writing at the University of Virginia, James Madison University and WriterHouse. She is also a Faculty Mentor with the University of Nebraska’s low-residency MFA in Writing Program. Visit her at kristenpaigemadonia.com or @KPMadonia on Twitter.

How has being a mother influenced your writing choices?

This year, I have one child in elementary school, one in middle school and one in high school.

Because of them, I have been honored to log many volunteer hours in schools. I have served on PTO boards, chaired talent shows, planned class parties, shelved library books, sharpened box after box of pencils, gone on dozens of field trips, helped kids learn to read, helped kids write fiction and poetry, chaperoned dances and carnivals.

All of this has afforded me the opportunity to be an observer of universal childhood milestones and rituals--to remind my adult-self of things my child-self had experienced and forgotten. I hope this deepens my characters’ emotions and dialogue in a way that rings true with readers. 

Do you find that the stories you create contain a recurring theme? If so, explain.

My main characters tend to face enormous problems for their age and be underdogs of sorts.

In Gatherin’ Up the Mountain, Mattie and her family face eviction from their mountain home during the Great Depression when the Blue Ridge Parkway was being built in Shenandoah National Park. Josias grapples with Haitian poverty, illiteracy, and land erosion in Josias, Hold the Book. And Anett works with the Danish Resistance to hide Jews and ensure their safe passage to the Gilleleje harbor for escape to neutral Sweden during World War II in The Whispering Town.

I never expected Mattie, Josias and Anett to solve world problems. It’s too big for them. For anyone. But I did require them to be brave and kind problem-solvers in the immediate world around them, with their families, friends and neighbors. Their actions leave their readers with pin pricks of hope.

How has participating in and being in attendance at the Virginia Festival of the Book helped you grow as a writer?

I have been presenting panels at the Virginia Festival of the Book for 15 plus years. One of my critique groups, The Moseley Writers, has been offering an encore panel called “Off to a Good Start: How to hook an editor on the first page.” Participants email the first 100 words of a fiction piece to us before the panel. When we receive the entries, we read them a couple of times and make notes independently. During the panel, we read aloud as many of the entries as we can, anonymously, then discuss what’s working and what can be improved in light of: tone, pacing, setting, characterization and voice.

We’ve gotten positive feedback from not only authors who put their work forward but also audience members who didn’t submit work. It’s a learning experience for everyone. I’m happy to participate in this panel because of the children’s authors who were helpful and kind to me when I was making the switch from newspaper and magazine work to children’s fiction. For me, it’s a way of paying it forward.

I also attend panels at the festival to be inspired by other writers, in particular Lois Lowry, Katherine Paterson and Kate DiCamillo. When I started writing for children it was short magazine fiction and picture books. I started playing around with some middle grade novel ideas but often felt overwhelmed by the comparative length of the manuscripts. When Kate DiCamillo spoke at a recent festival, she talked about her writing day. Her goal is to write two pages every weekday, taking the weekends off. I had never considered a pages per day goal. I thought, “I can do that.” It made all the difference to me organizing manuscripts in a way that gave me daily success in completing goals. It changed my entire outlook.

What do you enjoy about Charlottesville's writing community?

The children’s writing community in Charlottesville is filled with kind, generous and supportive people. They are quick to form fast friendships with other children’s writers and promote each others’ work over social media and in-person at book launches, lectures and panels. They are warm, have wonderful senses of humor, and most love chocolate. The chocolate is really important for all sorts of ups and downs.

What writing project are you working on?

I recently finished revisions on a middle grade novel about a rescue horse. Over the next couple of months, I plan to work on some picture book ideas that have been put on hold while finishing said novel.
Jennifer Elvgren is a former print journalist whose picture book, The Whispering Town (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2014), received the Andersen Prize, been named to the ALA Children’s Notable Book List, is a Sydney Taylor Honor Book, and a Jane Addams Honor Book. She is also the author of Josias, Hold the Book (Boyds Mills Press, 2006) a Bank Street College Best Books selection and the recipient of the Américas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature. Her additional children’s fiction has appeared in Ladybug, Spider and Highlights for Children. She can be found online at jenniferelvgren.com.
    

How did your manuscript, A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, find its home with Lee & Low?

This will take some explaining! I give credit to my mom, Ibuki Hibi Lee. She published a book about my grandma entitled Peaceful Painter Hisako Hibi: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist (Heyday Books, 2004). The book contains my grandma's memoirs and some of her paintings, including several that she created while incarcerated during the Japanese American internment.

My mom's book inspired me to start outlining a picture book biography about my grandma using her artwork as illustrations. I had recently heard about Lee & Low's New Voices contest and began working toward the goal of submission. Meanwhile, Children's Book Press, a longstanding publisher of multicultural/bilingual children's books, approached my mom. They wanted her to write a picture book set in a Japanese American internment camp and to incorporate a camp art school. My mom was five years old at the start of the internment; she attended the camp art school where my grandma and grandpa, who were professional artists, taught. However, my mom had just been through the long process of writing and publishing her book (during which time she battled cancer and won). She was ready to get back to living her life!

That's when I happily stepped in. Lucky for me, Children's Book Press was open to giving me a shot. I stopped outlining the picture book biography about my grandma and started writing a historical-fiction picture book set in a Japanese American internment camp. Children's Book Press really liked the first draft, although it took a few rounds before I was offered a contract.

So, that's the story! An amazing opportunity landed in my lap and I accepted it with much gratitude.

Well, that's almost the whole story. Sadly, Children's Book Press closed its doors during the recession. Fortunately, it eventually became an imprint of Lee & Low, a publisher with a similar vision. It's kind of wild that my book, although not the story I had originally intended to submit to Lee & Low, ended up there several years later! I am proud to call Lee & Low its new home. 
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What was your emotional reaction to having your book illustrated by Felicia Hoshino?

​Oh, Felicia’s illustrations blew me away. She managed, at once, to capture the harsh conditions of the Japanese American internment camp AND the gentle feeling of the story. Also, she surprised and moved me by incorporating some of my grandma’s art concepts into the illustrations. My publisher played the perfect matchmaker in choosing Felicia!

What have you enjoyed about attending and participating in the Virginia Festival of the Book?

Every year I ask my husband, who often travels for work, to avoid travel during Festival week so he may deal with the house and kids! I attend as many sessions as I can manage. This is a town that already loves books, so the Festival only ramps up the buzz in the air and I feed off of that energy. I learn; meet other writers, authors, and professionals in the field; and gain inspiration that carries me forward for months. As far as my participation goes, presenting my book at the Festival was one of the most positive experiences I've had; there was such a genuine interest from the audience to learn.

What do you love about Charlottesville's writing community?

Especially in light of its small size, Charlottesville is home to lots of writers. It has a vibrant, supportive writing (and reading) community! I discovered WriterHouse a couple of years ago and have learned a good deal about the craft and business through classes and workshops. I met my fellow critique group members in a WriterHouse workshop; they are my go-to for manuscript feedback, support, and lots of laughs.

What projects are you working on now?

I'm working on several picture book manuscripts, ranging from a biography of an Asian American politician to humorous stories about growing up. I'm also prepping to launch my author website and blog.
Amy Lee-Tai is a mom to two girls and two cats, and is a former reading specialist to elementary and middle school students. She authored A Place Where Sunflowers Grow, illustrated by Felicia Hoshino (Children’s Book Press, an imprint of Lee & Low, 2006). It is a historical fiction picture book about the Japanese American internment and won the Jane Addams Children's Book Award for Younger Children in 2007. When not reading and writing, Amy loves to take walks, eat dark chocolate, drink strong coffee, and connect with family and friends (although she hasn't yet tried doing all those things at once).