40 Gallons of Sap to Make 1 Gallon of Syrup -- Research to Book

It takes 40 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup. That's a lot of sap! It's not too different from creating a nonfiction book. It takes gallons of research to make one small book.

When I recently went to nErDcampNNE I brought one of my book boxes. Every book I create with Houghton Mifflin has its own box. Some boxes are bigger than others. They get filled with ticket stubs, receipts, articles, books, drafts, photo release forms, and all sorts of stuff that pertain to the writing of the book. They do NOT include all of the articles I have read online or in libraries, or the piles of books that I am not able to keep, including rare editions and such. It also does not include the hundreds of photos I take and download to my computer. 

It does take many "gallons" of research for each book. Every nonfiction writer will tell you the same thing. But we enjoy it! It's a treasure hunt -- an extreme sport  -- a time to EXPLORE! 

There are so many ways that teachers can spur on this exciting phase of writing with students. Loree Griffen Burns, Melissa Stewart, and I discussed having students interview each other, parents, teachers, and community members. Teaching students interview etiquette and how to write questions and ask follow-up questions is part of the learning process. 

Thinking of the research phase more like a quest than finding three sources for a project is the goal. Making discoveries and letting those discoveries lead to more questions and on to more discoveries is the joy we nonfiction authors feel every day. 

And then after all that research we have to distill it down  - just like boiling down the sap  - to find the  jewels we want to include in shaping the book we write. 

Ask any nonfiction author about their research and you will be in for a treat! 

Science is not an ending. It is a beginning.

I have been writing about our natural world for decades and for the most part my books have been far from controversial. That is until recently. I first wrote about climate change in my 2008 title, KEEPING OUR EARTH GREEN.  I described real-life citizen science experiences that offered proof of a warming planet. And I included activities that could help slow it down. It is hard to believe that I wrote that book ten years ago and scientists are still having their results questioned. As our ice melts in the Arctic and now the Antarctic, and we have even seen our first climate refugees leaving their island homes, our country is debating whether climate change is a hoax.

My 2016 book, THE STORY OF SEEDS, focused on the seed crisis our planet if facing, partly due to  climate change. I discussed genetically modified crops and their impact on the environment. I introduced readers to visionaries, like Dr. Cary Fowler, who are working across the globe to protect our food source.

My 2017 book, BEASTLY BRAINS, brings to light the cognitive abilities of animals, including corvids, elephants, primates, dolphins, dogs, and bees. I presented scientific studies that point to cognitive evolution and nudged my readers to think about the rights of animals that exhibit empathy and self-awareness.

All of these books talk about science. Science isn't something we need to believe in. It isn't a philosophy or a religion. It is a blending of explorative thinking and curiosity that helps us discover the world around us. For those of us who believe in a higher power, it is what helps us revel in what was created for us. Science is not an ending. It is a beginning. It can provide us with the technology to keep our houses cool in the summer, alert us to dangerous storms, help transport us, and help us live longer. There are times when science has the ability to go further than we might want it to and then we have to introduce ethics. But science has no agenda. It is simply there to be understood and explored.

 I watched a video today of two congressman debating climate change and calling for a debate. As this continues the world keeps spinning and warming. I'm not sure what our Earth's future will hold for us, but it is imperative that we provide our students with critical thinking opportunities and strong science programs so that they might be able to lead us in a world that might not be as hospitable to humans in the future.

Book - Shopping: Brainy Beasts

If you enjoyed BEASTLY BRAINS:

Take a look at these recent bookshop discoveries:

Great Apes & Class Debate Challenge

BEASTLY BRAINS was released last month and yesterday I spent the day in NYC in support of the Nonhuman Rights Project's case on behalf of a chimpanzee named Tommy, who is included in my book.

The Nonhuman Rights Project works for the recognition and protection of fundamental rights for nonhuman animals. They are working tirelessly to gain legal rights for great apes and other highly cognitive animals held in captivity in the United States.

As I sat in the courtroom I imagined a classroom debate - rights vs no rights.
Students could examine these existing cases and hold a debate on whether or not these animals should obtain legal rights.

Some things to consider:

1. a river in New Zealand recently obtained rights
2. historic civil rights cases 
3. the definition of habeas corpus

Here is a booklist that features apes and can provide readers with critical thinking opportunities.

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate received the Newbery Medal and tells the story of a captive gorilla called Ivan. Based on fact, Applegate imagines the story from the gorilla's point of view. The real Ivan spent 27 years in a shopping mall enclosure. Beautifully told, this book will touch readers in a profound way.  Applegate went on to write a nonfiction companion book that is a must-read!

The Murderer's Ape by Jacob Wegulius tells the fictional story of Sally Jones, a gorilla, that must clear her human friend's name after he is accused of murder. This unusual detective story is a tale of great friendship and a survival. 

Read Endangered, Threatened and Rescued, three books featuring great apes,  by two-time National Book Award finalist,  Eliot Schrefer. These books combine the issues of great apes with wonderful storytelling. 

 If your class does hold a debate, please let me know. I'd be happy to SKYPE in for Q&A. And I'd love to know the results! 

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