July 24, 2015
To end our Soiree, today I'm highlighting the great Ellen Jackson, author of my favorite book for children Earth Mother. Please
let me introduce you to……. the wonderful Ellen Jackson! Not only is she one of
my favorite authors, she has penned more than fifty books and is a multiple
award-winner. Ellen has written in many different genres, and isn’t afraid to
step into something new!
When Ellen was a child her mother worked for
Walt Disney Studios, but discouraged Ellen from a writing career. So, Ellen was
a Psychology/History/Philosophy major who ended up with a B.A. in English
(UCLA), Teaching Accreditation (UCLA), and an M.A. in Counseling (California Family Study
Center) with a specialty
in early childhood development. She’s worked as an elementary school teacher,
curriculum specialist, curriculum author, editor, and award-winning author of
children's books. As if she has any extra time, she also volunteers at
libraries and homeless shelters!
She says she likes to read, dance with her
dog, collect rocks, play the recorder, hike among the redwoods, and make
collages.
Presently, Ellen lives with her husband and
dog in Santa Barbara, California, about a block from a very nice beach.
Please visit her website at:
Here are Ellen Jackson’s books thus far…..
COMING SOON:
BEASTLY BABIES
July, 2015
OCTOPUSES ONE-TO-TEN
THE STORY OF STARDUST
BOOKS -- FICTION (CHILDREN'S)
BEAR IN THE BATHTUB, Addison-Wesley, 1981.
THE GRUMPUS UNDER THE RUG, Follett, 1981.
ANTS CAN'T DANCE, Macmillan, 1990.
BORIS THE BORING BOAR, Macmillan, 1992.
CINDER EDNA, Lothrop, Lee and Shepard, 1994.
BROWN COW, GREEN GRASS, YELLOW MELLOW SUN, Hyperion, 1995.
THE PRECIOUS GIFT, Simon and Schuster, 1996.
THE IMPOSSIBLE RIDDLE, Whispering Coyote, 1995.
MONSTERS IN MY MAILBOX, Troll Associates, 1995.
THE WACKY WITCH WAR, Troll Associates, 1995.
A TALE OF TWO TURKEYS,
Troll Associates, 1995.
WHY COYOTE SINGS TO THE MOON, American Education Publishing, 1996.
SCATTERBRAIN SAM, Charlesbridge, 2001.
EARTH MOTHER, Walker,
2005
THE CUPCAKE THIEF, Kane Press, 2007
THE SEVEN SEAS, Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2011.
THE BALLAD OF BOOSTER BOGG, Shenanigan Press, 2011.
BEASTLY BABIES, Beach Lane
Books, 2015.
BOOKS -- NONFICTION (CHILDREN'S)
THE TREE OF LIFE, Prometheus, 1993.
THE WINTER SOLSTICE, Millbrook Press, 1994.
THE SUMMER SOLSTICE, Millbrook Press, 2001.
THE SPRING EQUINOX, Millbrook Press, 2002.
THE AUTUMN EQUINOX, Millbrook Press, 2000.
THE MONTHS BOOKS (series of twelve books, one on each of the months of the
year) Charlesbridge, 2002.
THE BOOK OF SLIME, The Millbrook Press, 1997.
HERE COME THE BRIDES, Walker and Co, 1998.
TURN OF THE CENTURY, Charlesbridge, 1998.
LOOKING FOR LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE, Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
EXTREME ANIMALS DOT-TO-DOT, Sterling,
2001.
SOMETIMES BAD THINGS HAPPEN, Millbrook Press, 2002
MY TOUR OF EUROPE, The Millbrook Press, 2003.
IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL WE GO!, The Millbrook Press, 2003.
THE WORLDS AROUND US, Millbrook Press, 2006.
THE MYSTERIOUS UNIVERSE, Houghton Mifflin, 2008.
ABE LINCOLN
LOVED ANIMALS, Albert Whitman, 2008.
TOOLING AROUND, Charlesbridge, 2014.
BOOKS -- NONFICTION/CURRICULA
STAY ON THE SAFE SIDE, grades 5-6 and 7-8, Office of Criminal Justice Planning,
Sacramento, 1985.
STAY ON THE SAFE SIDE, grades K-4, Office of Criminal Justice Planning, Sacramento, 1987.
EARTHQUAKE SAFETY, Horizon Publishers and Distributors, 1991.
STRANGER DANGER, Safety Advice for Kids, Horizon Publishers and Distributors,
1991.
HOUSEHOLD SAFETY, Horizon Publishers and Distributors, 1991.
And now, heeeeeeeere’s Ellen!
How did your interest in writing start and what inspired you
to write your first book?
As a child, I loved to write. When
I was in third grade, I wrote a poem that the teacher liked. She make a
bulletin board out of it, which made me feel really special. My mother
was a children’s librarian who worked at Walt Disney studios. She brought
home wonderful books and sometimes we read them together. I read so much
that my sixth grade teacher told my mother I really should play outside now and
then. If you want to know what I was like as a child, I kept a
diary. I have some of the entries posted on my website here:
When I moved to Santa Barbara, I left my teaching job to take
care of my sick mother and was homebound much of the day. From my years
as a teacher, I knew children’s books, and I’d always enjoyed writing. So
I thought, “I know. I’ll become a writer.” So I just plunged right
in. Today I’d caution other people from making that kind of leap without
a lot of research.
How long did it take you to
see your work in print and did you have an agent before you published?
No, I didn’t have an agent. I sold my
first book myself. I sold it to the first publisher I sent it to. Note to other
aspiring authors: This is extremely unusual and almost never happens. I was too
inexperienced to know how lucky I was.
As a member of a multiracial family I've noticed a very deep
need for more diverse characters and books for children. How do you choose
subjects that include diverse characters/story lines and how are these
manuscripts generally received by publishers?
Publishers are eager to publish
multicultural and multiracial stories. There seem to be more and more of these
kinds of books around. Many of my stories (and nonfiction books) feature
multiracial and/or multicultural characters. The main character in my book
EARTH MOTHER is African, one of the main characters in my book SCATTERBRAIN
SAM, is African American, various races are depicted in the series IT HAPPENS
IN THE MONTH OF...April, May, etc. and also in my nonfiction books TURN OF THE
CENTURY and IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL WE GO and HERE COME THE BRIDES. I’m sure I’m
forgetting some.
Do you have a favorite character or book from your work?
I love all my characters, even the
villains! There’s a little bit of me in every character I create. The
main character in CINDER EDNA is a spunky girl who finds a positive solution to
all life’s challenges. Unlike Cinderella, she doesn’t need a fairy godmother.
She finds other ways of getting what she wants in life. I like to think I’m a
little bit like her.
Where or when do you get or have gotten your best
inspiration for stories?
My ideas come from my life, my childhood,
the books I’ve read, my hopes and fantasies–everything that’s gone into making
me who I am. I’ve noticed that ideas come more readily to people who pay
attention. After I published my first book, I was afraid I’d never have another
idea again. But I kept writing, and the ideas kept coming.
I keep an idea file, and when I get an
idea I write it down on a card. I always check Amazon or the library to
seem if anyone else has published something similar–and if so, how long ago
that was and in what format.
I always picture a parent and a child
walking into a bookstore and looking for the perfect book. I want to come
up with a topic so interesting that both parents and children would want to
read about it.
Have you ever really
disliked something you wrote that others loved?
You’re the only person who’s ever asked
me that question, and it’s a good one! The answer is, yes. But, really,
most authors feel as if all their books are their children. Just as parents
don’t want to choose a favorite child, authors don’t like to choose a favorite
book. Let’s just say that sometime a certain book will get a lot of attention,
but another one is neglected. And sometimes I really like the neglected book
better than the ones that are the most popular.
When you are working on a
manuscript, do you direct your characters or do they direct you?
I’d say–a little of both. Sometimes the
characters want to do something surprising. Sometimes I let them, and sometimes
I say “no.”
Do you work on more than one genre or manuscript at a time?
I’m always working on more than one
manuscript. I write both fiction and nonfiction, and no manuscript really feels
complete until I’ve sold it.
How do you organize your
research, manuscript drafts, etc.
I keep drafts of my fiction manuscripts
on the computer. I number the drafts sequentially. I keep a large file envelope
for each nonfiction book and organize my research notes within each file
envelope according to subtopic. For example, I recently published a book on
animal tool use. The book featured eleven different animals. Notes and book
references for each animal were clipped together.
Is writing/art your
only career? If not, what else do you do professionally?
Writing is my only career at the moment.
I was a school teacher for ten years.
If you could be a
superhero, what would your powers be and why?
I’d like to be a time traveler because
I’m really curious about what’s going to happen in the future. But I’ve written
a few books on historical topics, such as ABE LINCOLN LOVED ANIMALS, and I’d also like to
visit the past and meet the people I’ve written about.
I have many dreams about flying, but I’m
not sure I’d really like it all that much in reality. My sense of direction
isn’t that great, and I’ll bet it gets pretty cold up there!
