(Photo courtesy of G&R Rock Keepers.)
Authors, even very young ones, are inspired by things that happen in their lives. That is especially true for our talented 10-year-old friend, Grace Grundmeyer. She stopped by the blog to share her debut picture book: The Adventures of Eli and Lincoln: The Hidden Treasure.
Overview:
Grace chose the names Eli and Lincoln, who are friends in the story, to pay tribute to her cousins who passed away. In the book, the boys stumble upon a geode while playing. They find it’s ugly on the outside and hollow on the inside. Soon, they learn it’s a geode, find out it’s beautiful, and start a rock collection. To make it more visually challenging, there’s a hidden pick ax on every page.
Writing Process
Grace’s story started like most do. She wrote it out by hand on lined paper. But the process didn’t end there. “Once I got the story just how I wanted it,” said Grace, “my parents helped me locate an illustrator and publishing company. I met with the illustrator a couple times to get each page just right.” After a final proof, she waited for the hard-cover copies to arrive. “It was fun to see them all printed,” she added. Besides writing and editing the book, she spent a lot of time researching information.
STEM/Literacy Connections
The book is a perfect supplement to an elementary rock unit, classroom read-aloud, or bedtime story. On the last page, Grace included topics for teachers or parents to talk to kids about, titled Discussion Points.
Grace shared a few highlights: “Some of the important lessons include how the beauty is on the inside (just like a geode) which can be used to discuss many important topics like bullying, self-esteem, or rock hunting.”
The book also promotes getting outside and going on an adventure. “Although a new adventure may make you nervous,” said Grace, “there are also exciting things that might happen or you may learn by experiencing something new.”
Advice
We asked Grace what advice she has for other people who want to write a book. She passed this along, “If you want to write a book, anyone can actually do it. It takes time and you have to focus on just how you want it to be when it is all done. I learned writing a book is harder than I thought, but it can be a fun process.”
More Info
Grace welcomes the opportunity to talk to others about her book and geodes in general. Visit her website for contact information on speaking engagements. To learn more about geodes, to buy a copy of the book, or get some geode jewelry and bling, visit Grace’s website: www.gandrrocks.com. You can also find her book online at Mascot Books‘ website or Amazon.
