Green Group discussion

Green Group member has written Tree Huggers, a novel based on real events--kids fighting to save trees in their neighborhood. She says, "I'm also writing a sequel right now with the same characters focusing on the impact of plastics on the oceans. I'd be happy to answer questions any of you have about the book, the characters, the writing process, etc."

Please join her in conversation, especially if you have read the book or plan to!

Hi Leanne, i'm curious if you wrote this with a particular age-group in mind? is this an adult book, a YA novel, or a YA novel that adults would enjoy? or simply a book for everyone? it seems like something my nieces and nephews might enjoy. they are turning 11, 12, and turning 14.

I would be interested to know the "age group" as well.

It is considered a "middle grade" book, which is 8-12 year olds. However, a lot of adults I know (especially the ones interested in the environment) have read it and really liked it, too. The main characters are in 7th grade. I'm a teacher, and I would say strong third graders through seventh grade is a good age range. I use it with my fifth grade class, and they get a lot out of it at that age. It offers a lot of conversations about standing up for yourself and what you believe in, the importance of working with other people when you are trying to make a difference in the world, and how powerful a small group of people can be.

Leanne, that is great. i'm thinking this will be an excellent book to read with my two younger niece and nephew and maybe with my older nephew...he might be too old for it but it's totally about the thing he cares most about...preserving the natural world.

i have a friend who is a children's librarian and writes for the same age group that you do. i think it must be really difficult, but i suppose if you work with children that age regularly, you know how to write for them without pandering. i think i would be terrible at it, even though i don't talk down to my nieces and nephew.

is there anything that is particularly difficult about writing for that age group?

Hi Marieke. If you read the book with your niece and nephew, please let me know how it goes. I hope you all enjoy it!

I wrote the book in part because, as a teacher, I just haven't found fiction books out there that inspire kids to take care of the world around them or show them that they can make a difference. I do a lot of global awareness and service learning units with my students. This is all very near and dear to my heart. This past year we did a huge study of climate change, so I have been following all the posts about that with a lot of interest.

I have read and written books for kiddos this age for many years. I've worked with 8-12 year olds since 1994. So for me, they are my target group. I love 'em, and I love writing for them. Aside from professional articles, I've never written for another age group, so it's hard to say what the particular challenges are writing for this age group.