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Why is a scientist writing children's books?


I’ve been a professional chemist since 2007, so what the heck am I doing writing children’s books?! :-) 

Over the years I’ve watched scientists try to explain their work to people and have noticed a lot of glazed eyes, looks of confusion and the ever-popular smile-and-nod. It’s surprising how many researchers struggle to simplify their subject enough that non-scientists and kids can understand. In an effort to make the real-world research coming out of our building more understandable, I started writing the Nancy Nano series. I have been completely blown away by the positive responses. Hearing kids chat about our science and answer their own questions about particles and electrons has been pretty incredible!

Nancy Nano books as of 2019

Beyond science, it’s super important just to keep kids interested in reading. When our family goes camping, we play a little writing game to create a story. One person writes a few sentences, folds the paper over so that only the last line is visible, then hands the paper to the next person in line to continue the story. This repeats until everyone has one or two turns, then the last person to handle the paper reads the story aloud. Depending on the age of the group, the stories mention a lot of farting or unicorns, but the end result is always laughter and a desire to reread the story and start again.

I write about science for my job and for the neighbors, but I started writing fiction for my kids. I wanted to find a way to keep them interested in reading beyond the quirky games that we play. They can learn just about anything from a good book, which is why our family spends so much time at the library, but step one in developing smarter kids is simply to keep them interested in reading. I started writing about dragons and magic this year to try something new, and was encouraged by several people to publish. The magic and humor in the Dragon Ponies series has kept readers giggling and wanting more, so the books have already been a success.

The first two completed books of the Dragon Ponies series


Writing is something I really enjoy, so there will be many more projects in the future. The ninth Nancy Nano story has been outlined and the third Dragon Ponies adventure is already in progress! Be sure to check the website to see what is coming up next.


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