I’m so excited to bring you the first author interview of a series that I’ll be sharing in my newsletter and blog! Sign up for my newsletter so you don’t miss a single interview! Please welcome my critique partner and friend, Jessica Fries-Gaither, to tell us about her recently published picture book, Nature’s Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don’t Fit In!
Please tell us a little about yourself!
Jessica: I’ve loved reading, writing, and science my entire life. Some of my fondest memories from my childhood include weekly trips to the public library where we’d check out more books than we could carry and classes and workshops at our local parks and science museum. I also recently discovered a stack of construction paper books that I had made as an eight or nine-year old; all but one were about science topics. It was no wonder, then, that these elements wove their way into my professional life. I’ve been a science educator for 25 years and have taught students ranging from first grade to graduate students. I’m currently an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. Before temporarily relocating to DC, I served as the Science Department Chair and Lower School Science Specialist at Columbus School for Girls in Columbus, OH. I have published six books to date (three books for teachers and three nonfiction picture books), with two more nonfiction picture books on the way in 2024 and 2025!
What inspired you to write this book?
Jessica: The idea for Nature’s Rule Breakers came from a tweet I came across during a doom-scrolling session during the pandemic. It simply read, “Biology isn’t binary.” I liked it, reposted it, and kept scrolling, but the idea stuck. I started thinking about all the ways we (myself included) teach kids about living things in binaries: producer/consumer, nocturnal/diurnal, warm-blooded/cold-blooded, etc., when really, almost everything exists on some sort of spectrum. I thought kids would enjoy reading about what I call the “in-betweeners:” bold animals that are both, notable creatures that are neither, and fantastic living things that don’t quite fit.
Did you encounter any challenges along the way?
Jessica: Every book has challenges! The two major ones were deciding which of many possible examples to include in the book (there are so many great ones out there!) and working to explain sometimes sophisticated scientific concepts in an accessible yet accurate way for young readers. Fortunately, I had some help on both fronts. Dr. Stephanie Nelson, a friend and fellow colleague at Columbus School for Girls, helped with brainstorming and Sara Levine, a talented children’s author and science expert, helped me wrestle with some tricky wording. And of course I would be remiss without thanking my critique partners who also provided feedback.
What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
Jessica: My hope for readers (whether children or the adults who read with and to them) is two-pronged. First, I hope they take away the idea that nature is quite complex and full of grey, not black-and-white binaries. And second, I hope that this helps them think about their fellow humans with the same complexity and understanding.
Are there any projects you’re excited about right now?
Jessica: I have a new book, Wild Wonderings: Scientists and Their Questions, with NSTA Kids coming in November. And I recently signed a contract for another picture book, but I can’t share the details just yet. And while I haven’t written much since landing in DC, my brain is FULL of ideas for new projects. I’ve been joking that my to-write list is starting to rival my to-be-read list, which is saying something.
How can people get in touch with you or follow you on social media?
Jessica: I’m active in quite a few places on social media: Facebook (Jessica Fries-Gaither—Author), X, Instagram, and BlueSky (@JessicaFGWrites) and Linked In (Jessica Fries-Gaither). My website is jessicafriesgaither.com.
Have you developed any additional activities or teacher’s guides to extend the learning experience when reading your book?
Jessica: While I haven’t created a teacher’s guide, I did write a guest blog for Beth Anderson’s blog called Especially for Educators: Investigating the Structure and Function of Rule-Breaking Plants which details a simple science activity to accompany the book.
Book: Nature’s Rule Breakers: Creatures That Don’t Fit In
Author: Jessica Fries-Gaither
Publisher: Millbrook Press
ISBN-10: 1728477204
ISBN-13: 978-1728477206
I highly recommend adding this book to your own personal library as well as your school and public libraries! To support authors and independent bookstores, consider ordering through my bookshop link: https://bookshop.org/shop/Need2Read (I am an affiliate and *might* earn a small amount from purchases through this link.)
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