1. How did your childhood influence the series of books you have written about Saige?
I grew up on a farm; Saige is a town girl, but with her grandmother's ranch so near, she's also a country girl, and that has a big influence on the books. The importance of animals to her life; having a best friend who is suddenly into something that you aren't, which happened to me as it did to Saige, and how that means you suddenly have to find your way into new friendships with people who do share your interests, and find a new kind of friendship with that still-dear best friend.
1. Do you see any of yourself as a girl in Saige?
Like Saige, I was born loving horses and felt that my real life was in the hours after the school bus dropped me off at home, when I did my real things; ride, read, and later on, write stories. I share Saige's shyness, but like her, I'm also an activist and have found myself in front of microphones, at times wondering how I got there.
1. Saige feels very passionate about the arts and the importance of access to the arts in schools. Art and music are often the first to face cuts in schools, what are some reasons that you think children need an arts education?
There are some very basic literacy reasons, first of all. Art and music are part of our cultural heritage and our civilization. No one should be ignorant of something so important.
The technological revolution we're all living through is very much design-based, and full of music. It's not just about math and science; let's not forget how important that calligraphy class was to Steve Jobs!
Art and music classes in school have some very tangible results for children academically and socially, reflected in higher grades, stronger graduation rates, and better impulse control and anger management.
Most importantly, art and music are about joy, and science shows that we learn best through joy, and through play.
1. How was writing for American Girl different than other writing projects?
It was different in that I was much more part of a team, rather than just a solitary artist in my mountain cabin. American Girl had some things they wanted to see expressed in the series, so there were a few guidelines. Beyond those guidelines I had a lot of freedom to create a story the way I always do, and when I had questions, I always had someone I could ask. It was fast—we had a pretty tight deadline. But the editing was top-notch, as good as any I've experienced in my many years of publishing.
1. American Girl is committed to helping girls feel good about themselves and discovering who they are, who influenced you to follow your passions and goals?
Marcia Ammon, who was a long-term substitute teacher in fifth grade, taught us about poetry and encouraged us to write poems about things we were interested in. Because of her I discovered that writing was as much fun as reading (my passion) and I was hooked.
1. Did you write when you were younger? Did you use writing as a way to express yourself?
Since fifth grade I've written stories, at first just for myself, later to share with friends, including Linda Felch, an English teacher at my high school who was a terrific mentor for a lot of young writers. I used writing to be someone else and go somewhere else, a huge help during some of those difficult middle school years. It has been a joy in my life for so many years now, and it almost doesn't matter what I'm writing. Last year, along with the Saige books, I completed a 700-page history for adults, an early reader (Bramble and Maggie; Spooky Season) and wrote a pamphlet for a local nonprofit, and I enjoyed all of them.
I've also used writing to find things out. I had an enormous amount of fun writing Horse Crazy!, a nonfiction book of crafts, projects, history and lore for middle-grade readers. I got to try new crafts for the book, like knitting a curry comb out of baling twine. It was my job to read horse books and watch horse movies, so I could review them, and I even included a big section on drawing and photographing horses (hint: use your horse model collection to get started. Horse models, unlike real horses, stand still!) So writing is a great way to enjoy whatever your passion happens to be, and it's terrific for the mind.
