Q&A with Andrew Maraniss

 

 

Andrew Maraniss is the author of the new kids' chapter book Hut! Hut! Hike!, part of his new Sports Zone! series. His other books include Strong Inside. He lives in the Nashville area. 

 

Q: Why did you decide to write a fiction series for kids age 6-8?

 

A: I’ve been writing books for progressively younger audiences! After adapting my first book for adults, Strong Inside, for young readers, I’ve written other nonfiction for high school, middle school, and elementary school students. This is my first venture into fiction.

 

With all my books, I’m interested in writing the kind of books that reach a certain reader: the kid who might be labeled a “reluctant reader,” who just hasn’t discovered the kind of books that they’re interested in yet.

 

The opportunity to write a series for Scholastic’s “Branches” series came about in a way that really underscores the magic of independent bookstores.

 

The children’s manager at our great Nashville indie, Parnassus Books, was talking to the Branches editor, who also happens to live here in town and was in the store to shop, about the number of families interested in sports books. The editor asked for ideas on potential authors and my name came up. I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity.

 

Q: How did you create your character Jasper, and why did you decide to focus on flag football?

 

A: Jasper is one of three main characters in the series, with the other two being his neighborhood friends Ruby and Mo. The series follows these kids and their classmates as they begin to participate in organized sports.

 

In the first book, as you mentioned, they try out for a flag football team for the first time – in the next two books, they play soccer and baseball.

 

While I’m a big college and NFL football fan, I think flag football is a much safer and better alternative for kids, and it is a sport whose popularity is soaring. Both boys and girls enjoy playing, and with the book releasing in the fall, it made sense to lead with a fall sport.

 

Q: What do you think the book says about friendship?

 

A: While these kids have their moments of disagreement and have some friendly rivalries with other kids in their town, at its heart this is a book about the way that friends support one another.

 

Even when they’re having fun, kids who play sports are dealing with adults in stressful environments – parents and coaches with demands and expectations. Things don’t always come easy on the field. There’s a lot to learn, with successes and failures playing out in front of friends, parents, and opponents.

 

Through it all, the kids in this series understand what their friends are going through and they choose to lift each other up.  

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: Most of all, I hope kids have fun reading these books. Aishwarya Tandon did a great job with the illustrations, including some sections that resemble a graphic novel treatment.

 

The important thing at this age is just to get kids reading, and to enjoy reading. This book, like the whole series, is just intended to be fun, with some gentle messaging on friendship and sports facts thrown in.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m finishing the next books in the series and also writing a young adult book on the first Special Olympics, which took place in the summer of 1968.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Andrew Maraniss.