Hi Kid Lit Friends,
I am so pleased to have the author of This is a School (Candlewick, 3/29/22) on the newsletter today! John Schu has made a career out of advocating for the people and things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker for his dynamic interactions with students and his passionate adoption of new technologies as a means of connecting authors, illustrators, books, and readers.
Karina: This is a School is a beautiful love letter to school communities.
Do you remember the moment you wrote the first lines for this book? Where were you and what got you excited about this idea?
John: Hello, Karina! Thank you for inviting me to this space to discuss This Is a School. I must admit it feels strange not to interview you. As you know, I’m a SUPER fan of The Vanderbeekers series.
This Is a School is a companion to This Is a Story (Candlewick, spring ’23). This Is a School is my debut picture book, but I wrote This Is a Story first. The opening stanza in both books follows a similar structure. I used This Is a Story as a mentor text for This Is a School. Thanks to Story, the opening line of School came to me right away: This is a kid. Working on both stories was a truly joyful experience.
Where was I when I wrote the first line of This Is a School? I was at 1901 Vine Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! Look up the address on Google Maps!
Karina: You are quite famous in the kidlit community! Your infectious laughter and your unending enthusiasm for children’s books makes you a favorite among teachers and librarians… and authors!
John: You’re very kind! Thank you for mentioning my laugh. I visited Kendall Elementary School in Naperville, Illinois, regularly before the pandemic. A few days ago, I stopped by for the first time in over two years. One of the teachers said, “I knew Mr. Schu was in the building. I heard his—your—instantly recognizable laugh traveling up and down the hallways.”
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Karina: What is it like to be able to share your debut picture book with the world?
John: I go back and forth from feeling super excited to a little nervous, but mostly excited. I hope This Is a School makes students smile. I hope it shows everyone in a school how important Veronica Miller Jamison and I think they are.
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Karina: What was your reaction when you found out that Veronica Miller Jamison was illustrating This is a School?
John: OH MY GOODNESS!!!! I was so, so, so, so happy! I sent Karen Lotz, the brilliant editor of This Is a School, an email message that contained a lot of exclamation marks and excited emojis! Veronica’s illustrations are so warm and inviting. She’s brilliant!
Karina: What other projects are you working on?
John: Two projects were recently announced: Louder Than Hunger, my debut novel-in-verse for older readers (Candlewick, fall ’23) and The Poetry Place Is Our Space illustrated by Holly Hatam (Candlewick, spring ’24).
I’m currently working on a story that keeps showing up in my notebooks and dreams. Recently, I shared my story idea with a third grader at a school in Mesa, Arizona. I asked her if should keep working on it. She said, “Yes, keep writing!” Her feedback was exactly what my heart needed to hear.
Karina: Has there been anything you’ve found surprising about the writing process?
John: Yes! So many things surprise me about my writing process, especially how each story pours out of me in a different way. I keep my ears and heart open and let the story guide me.
Karina: What are some things or activities that spark your creativity?
John: School visits, walking, music, and live musical theatre spark my creativity. They feed my heart and soul.
Karina: Approximately how many Broadway shows do you see a year?
John: Yay! A Broadway question! Thank you! I always look for you when I’m wandering around Midtown.
To answer your question, as many as I possibly can! I’ve seen Waitress on Broadway 24 times.
Karina: Wow! 24 times! I love that musical too, but I’ve only seen it once.
Okay, we really need to know what your cat, Lou Grant, thinks about This is a School.
John: Mr. Grant loves the endpapers. Here he is walking across them.
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John: Thank you, Karina!
Karina: Thank you, John!
This is a School will be published on March 29th!
What are you reading these days? Let me know! Find me on Twitter at @KarinaYanGlaser, on Instagram at @KarinaIsReadingAndWriting, or email me at KarinaBookRiot@gmail.com.
Until next time,
Karina
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