Скачать или смотреть 12 x 12 Picture Book Podcast 007: Leah Schanke on Making History Kid-Friendly

Can young readers handle difficult topics? Author Leah Schanke thinks so. It's just one of the reasons she wrote her debut picture book, Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls's Voyage Out of Slavery.

In this interview, Leah Schanke and Kelli Panique celebrate Black History Month by shining a light on how she discovered the story of this book and the steps she took to bring it to life—including tips for bringing your own historical stories to life.

You’ll discover:

How she came to writing picture books
Why she writes history for young readers
What inspired her to write Robert Smalls's story
How her critique group helped this book come to life
The big change that made the original story more kid-friendly
What she said when editors asked her to "age up" the story
Leah's research process
How she stayed true to her vision of the story
The context notes she includes for the editor or illustrator
The pitch event that connected Leah with her publisher
Tips for writers of nonfiction and historical fiction
Her favorite thing that didn't make it into the book
The book she wishes she wrote

Timeline:
00:31 Meet Leah Schanke
01:12 Leah’s Writing Journey
02:03 Discovering Robert Smalls
02:43 Pitching Freedom at Dawn
04:02 Why Lizzie’s Viewpoint
07:43 Research and Revision Process
10:26 Staying True to Vision
12:44 Illustration Collaboration
16:37 Publishing Path and Timeline
18:13 Advice for Nonfiction Writers
21:27 What’s Next and Wrap Up


Books mentioned in this episode:
Freedom at Dawn: Robert Smalls's Voyage Out of Slavery by Leah Schanke and Oboh Moses
Be Free or Die: The Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero by Cate Lineberry
Twenty-One Steps: Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Jeff Gottesfeld and Matt Tavares



Resources mentioned:
Picture Book Summit Podcast: The Appeal of Dark Picture Books


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Thank you for listening!

Find out more about the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge at https://12x12challenge.com/membership/


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