Growing Bookworms – Guest post with children’s author, poet, and memoirist, Miriam Hurdle #GrowingBookworms #childrensfiction #readingcommunity
Posted: December 13, 2023 Filed under: Uncategorized 138 Comments
Today, I am delighted to welcome children’s author, poet, and memoirist, Miriam Hurdle, as my final Growing Bookworms guest for 2023.
Miriam is a diverse author with a poetry book, memoir about her cancer journey, and a delightful children’s book called Tina Lost in a Crowd. Welcome, Miriam.
What is your history of writing for children?
I was the Director of the Children’s Department in a literacy organization in Hong Kong. My job was writing for a children’s magazine and promoting literature in elementary schools.
After I came to the U.S., I always wanted to write children’s stories again. In 2006, I took an online writing course at the Institute of Children’s Literature https://www.instituteforwriters.com for a year. An instructor corresponded with me to provide feedback and suggestions on my assignments and revisions. The Institute also provided marketing tools and an annual catalog of 800 magazines accepting submissions. The goal of the course was to have my essays published.
The Institute suggested that children’s literature writers observe the children. If the writers were not teachers or adults with young children at home, they could volunteer at organizations such as libraries or Boy/Girl Scouts to get first-hand experience to understand their behaviors and language.
At the time of taking the writing course, even though I was a school district administrator, my interaction with the elementary school students was still fresh in my mind.
There were many fun memories of activities with my daughter, Mercy. I combined one story about Mercy, my understanding of the children’s behaviors, and my writing skills to write my first assignment entitled “Tina Goes to Hollywood Bowl.”
I kept the stories written during this course in a computer folder for many years. Early in the year 2020, during the lockdown, I revised the Tina story to prepare for publication.
Your book, Tina Lost in a Crowd, involves lost children. Was it based on a personal experience of some kind?
The story of Tina Lost in a Crowd is partly based on fact. When my daughter Mercy was eight years old, my sister Yolanda, her husband Patrick, and their son Enoch, who was Mercy’s age, came from Hong Kong to visit us. We took them on tours in northern and southern California. One activity was going to a concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. I drove the five of us to Rowland Heights Regional Park, then we took the Park & Ride bus to the Hollywood Bowl.
The sky was dark with bright stars when the concert started. Mercy and Enoch swayed side to side when they listened to Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and smiled at each other. During the intermission, Patrick left his seat to buy some popcorn. Mercy and Enoch wanted to use the restroom. Yolanda and I urged them to catch up with Patrick.
Later, when Patrick came back without them, I panicked. Imagine losing 8-year-old kids in a crowd of 18,000 people. How would I find them? Yolanda and Patrick stayed in their seats while I followed the descending steps between the sections of seats to where I thought they could have gone.
I found them standing against a wall! It was such a relief, but I was curious about what made them stand there. “Were you scared?” I asked them.
“Not too scared,” Mercy said, “I learned from the Girl Scouts that if I get lost, I should stay at one spot to wait for the adults to find me.”
This was one of my fondest memories. I asked Mercy, “Should I write a story about this experience?” She answered me with no hesitance, “Of course!”
The story became Tina Lost in a Crowd.
The illustrations in your book are outstanding. How did you go about choosing an illustrator for your story? Did you have much input into the illustration process?
I’m a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). On one blog post, it featured an illustrator and her work. I liked the style of her artwork, so I contacted her and got an idea of how much she would charge for the number of pages in my book and how long it would take to complete the job. She charged more than my budgeted amount.
Some blogging friends recommended some websites with illustration services, and I checked them out. Some illustrators charged by hours. They didn’t have a portfolio with sample artwork, so I couldn’t tell if I liked their style. I preferred using services charged for the job not by hours.
Another recommendation from a blogger was Fiverr. I decided to search for an illustrator on Fiverr.com. https://www.fiverr.com The “gigs” provide their bio, sample work, and prices. Some would provide limited, and some unlimited revisions.
I do watercolor painting and wish to illustrate my book, but I don’t do portrait painting. There are thousands of gigs out there, and it would take forever to scroll through all the pages to find one. I entered watercolor as the criteria for the children’s illustration and got 660 services. It took me six months to find one I liked. I paid for one sample page. It was the style I liked so I ordered the rest as part of my entire book.
After I accepted the sample page, I sent the story summary and the description of each page to her. She then sent me a few sketches at a time. I gave her my feedback and suggestions. She revised them and sent them to me. Sometimes I respected her creativity and approved it. But if they didn’t correspond with my story, I asked for further revisions until they were done to my satisfaction. It was a pleasant experience working with Victoria Skakandi.
What do you like best about writing for children?
I was an elementary school teacher for 15 years before becoming a school district administrator. I loved teaching small children. They love to learn and are receptive to new ideas. I started by teaching kindergarten and eventually taught first to fourth grade before doing administration. I had lists of students’ first 100, 200, and 1000 words, etc. So, I had a good idea of their vocabulary level. Some immigrant students might not have the same vocabulary levels but they were expected to understand the subjects of studies. Teachers would have to use teaching materials with high content with low vocabulary to teach these students.
From my teaching experience, I love to use grade-level-appropriate words to write stories that boost their creativity, stimulate their imagination, build their confidence, encourage self-confidence, or for them to read for fun.
What is your favorite children’s book or series for children?
When I was a kid, I loved to read Aesop’s Fables. When I read them to my students, they would shout with me at the end of the fable “The moral of the lesson is…” My granddaughter, Autumn, loved The Magic School Bus series. Between my daughter and I, we accumulated a good collection of different subjects. She loved to look at the illustrations and followed the school bus transforming into a submarine, an airplane, and other transportation. One subject of the Magic School Bus was dinosaurs. After introducing the names of the dinosaurs, it created some fun names with illustrations, such as “bananasaurs,” and “sockosaurs.” We laughed and made up our own funny dinosaur names.
My review of Tina Lost in a Crowd
What Amazon says
Tina invited her friend Erica to attend a popular Tchaikovsky’s Spectacular concert on a summer evening with her parents. During the intermission, her dad left the seat to buy some snacks. Tina and Erica followed him wanting to use the restroom. The shoving crowd pushed them away, and they lost sight of him. It would be impossible to fight through the 18,000 people to find him or go back to Tina’s mom.
This story tells about what happened to Tina and Erica after they got lost. Children can adapt to learning from different situations they may observe or encounter. Adults could have discussions with the children about the situations to help them develop problem-solving skills.
My review
Tina Lost in a Crowd is a charming book for children about two young school friends who attend a busy concert with Tina’s parents and get lost on their way to the restroom.
I enjoyed the character of Tina, a lovely and friendly girl who demonstrated politeness and respect towards both her teacher and her parents as well as consideration towards her friend. She has sufficient presence of mind not to panic in the scary situation of being lost in a big crowd.
The depiction of Tina’s family life and her mother’s interest in her and eagerness to plan some fun family outings for the summer vacation are heart warming and lovely to see in a children’s book. I liked the fact that Tina’s mother made a picnic for her family and Tina’s friend, Erica, to enjoy at the concert with good, wholesome food.
The illustrations in this book are a real treat and every page is a visual delight. I would recommend this book to parents and caregivers who like books that encourage good family values and level headedness by children in difficult situations.
Purchase Tina Lost in a Crowd from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Tina-Lost-Crowd-Miriam-Hurdle-ebook/dp/B095TWG9VS
About Miriam Hurdle
Miriam Hurdle is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). She published four children’s books at twenty-six years old. Her poetry collection received the Solo “Medalist Winner” for the New Apple Summer eBook Award and achieved bestseller status on Amazon.
Miriam writes poetry, short stories, memoir, and children’s books. She earned a Doctor of Education from the University of La Verne in California. After two years of rehabilitation counseling, fifteen years of public-school teaching and ten years in school district administration, she retired and enjoys life with her husband in southern California, and the visits to her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughters in Oregon. When not writing, she engages in blogging, gardening, photography, and traveling.
Learn more about Miriam at:
https://theshowersofblessings.com
https://www.goodreads.com/author/edit/17252131.Miriam_Hurdle
About Robbie Cheadle
Award-winning, bestselling author, Robbie Cheadle, has published fifteen children’s book and two poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
The eleven Sir Chocolate children’s picture books, co-authored by Robbie and Michael Cheadle, are written in sweet, short rhymes which are easy for young children to follow and are illustrated with pictures of delicious cakes and cake decorations. Each book also includes simple recipes or biscuit art directions which children can make under adult supervision.
Robbie and Michael’s new Southern African Safari Adventures series is aimed at teaching young children about Southern African wildlife in a fun and entertaining way. Each book contains a rhyming verse story about a particular animal, as well as illustrations by Robbie Cheadle, photographs and links to video footage about that animal.
Robbie’s blog includes recipes, fondant and cake artwork, poetry, and book reviews. https://robbiesinspiration.wordpress.com/
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Thank you very much for interviewing me, Robbie! You asked interesting questions. I’m so glad to talk at length about my aspiration to write children’s books. I look forward to having conversations with your readers.
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Hi Miriam, thank you for being a lovely guest. I enjoyed your responses to the questions very much.
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You’re welcome, Robbie! Your questions are wonderful and interesting!
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🥰🌈
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😍💖
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what a lovely review, and your book sounds wonderful, Miriam
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HI Beth, I’m delighted you enjoyed this interview. Miriam has provided very interesting responses to the questions.
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Thank you very much, Beth! I like to read a book to the children and then ask them related questions. I’m glad my daughter learned about what to do if she gets lost.
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Important information to know, Miriam. It is easy to get lost 💞
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I have many of my own stories of getting lost, Robbie.😍
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Oh my 😆
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as a person who has always gotten lost, I can really appreciate this
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I have no sense of direction and always get lost. But lost in a crowd as a child is different 😞
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Absolutely-terrifying
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I got lost many times before GPS and car navigation.
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Me too, I struggle even with GPS 😉
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I use navigation 90% of the time right now. There are only a few places I can go without navigation. 😃
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💞
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yes, it’s really helped me a lot
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Yes, I’m glad the navigation is good. It’s helpful especially at night.
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A lovely review, Robbie. What an experience to live through. Losing sight of two children anywhere is worrying, but at a concert with 18,000 people…..
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Hi Danny, I know, the thought gives me the chills. I never lost either of my children, but I myself got lost more than once. I was very naughty and adventurous as a girl. It was a lot safer back then than it is now, but I did give my parents some mini heart attacks.
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I was the same as a child. I used to ‘get lost’ on purpose…. As an aside I have just seen an email from the open university accepting me for the course that starts in February.
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How exciting, Danny. Something for you to look forward too 😊
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That’s exciting, Danny! 🙂
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I was holding my breath trying not to get scared, Danny. That’s an experience no parent wants to live through. Thank you for your comment.
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Mercy sounds a very sensible girl. I became separated from my mother in a busy market aged about 5. My mother eventually found me holding another woman’s hand who was walking away in the opposite direction. Eek!
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Oh my, Stevie. Your mum must have nearly had a heart attack. Mercy still is a sensible woman from what I’ve read about her.
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Oh, no, another woman was taking you in the opposite direction, Stevie? How scary it was to your mom! Mercy did great. She is a great mom now.
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Yes, Mum always said she saw me just in time before the woman disappeared around a corner.
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Gives me the shivers
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I hope that woman wasn’t trying to kidnap you. How scary.
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Mum always reckoned she was. I remember the panic of losing her in a crowded market, but I don’t remember the other woman.
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Have you watched What is a Child in Time by Benedict Cumberbatch? Find out.
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Haven’t heard of that one. I’ll look it up. Thanks.
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Let me know what you think of it.
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It sounds like the sort of film I’ll have to watch when Sam’s away.
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I don’t want to spoil it.
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I enjoyed this interview and your review, Robbie. I especially liked Miriam’s description of finding an illustrator. It’s amazing to learn of the different ways we can find people to work with. Also amazing how a scary moment during an evening out can turn into a story for others. I’m glad Mercy agreed!
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Hi Dan, I thought the story behind the story was interesting. I’m lucky enough to be able to do my own illustrations but I was very interested in the process of finding an illustrator.
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You are lucky. If I tried illustrating, it would have to be Mr. Stick Figure Goes to Town.
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I know what you mean, Dan! Somehow both my granddaughters do stick arms and legs but a triangle body!
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I never drew stick people. I used to draw ballerinas on pointe and they always had muscle definition.
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That’s wonderful, Robbie. It’s interesting how we see people and objects as children and then draw them. Autumn and Nora (even Nora) can draw perfect circles for the head! Nora can write her name. She draws a good looking N, a perfect circle for O, a wiggling line for the R, and a good A.
Oh, she starts taking piano lessons. I’m glad she does that when she’s only 3 1/2.
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Hi Miriam, that is wonderful. Greg started piano lessons at 4. He could read music long before he could read. 🎹🎼
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Wow, it’s wonderful. They use the strip of piano key names to learn. Autumn works say, I know how to play such and such, it’s CCGGAAG… It’s easier to read the note. 🎹🎼🎵
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💝🌈
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🙂
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Well, Van Gogh says everyone can paint and I’m a believer 💜
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Thank you very much, Dan! It took me a long time to find an illustrator. I wonder if he (he wants to use a she-name) is okay in Ukraine. He seems to be in service still. When we went trick-or-treating, Mercy wanted to make sure we kept the girls in sight!
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I do hope your illustrator is well. It’s very hard to think about people at war.
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It’s unthinkable, Dan. It’s almost a year. It started in February. When we went to Germany, the tour guide said many cities were bombed flat and rebuilt. There were hardly any historical, ancient buildings. Ukraine is pretty flat by now with lives lost and families scattered.
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I enjoyed this interview. I’ve read Tina Lost in a Crowd. It’s great!
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Thank you, Priscilla, it is a delightful story 🥰
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Thank you very much for your support and review, Priscilla!
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What a delightful interview! I particularly liked the bit about the dinosaurs.
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Thank you, Liz. I also enjoyed Miriam’s responses 💜
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You’re welcome, Robbie. 🙂
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Thank you, Liz! 🙂
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You’re welcome, Miriam!
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Thank you so much for your reading and commenting!
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You’re welcome, Miriam!
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I loved the dinosaurs and bananasurus too, Liz!
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😀
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What a great story, Miriam! It’s wonderful that you wrote about this experience as a way to help other children. Great interview. Thanks so much, Robbie.
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Hi Colleen, it is my pleasure to host Miriam. I really loved this book 🧡
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It sounds wonderful, Robbie.
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Thank you so much, Colleen! It’s a story I’d never forget! I’m glad to share this experience. It’s my hope to visit schools to read the book to kindergarten to second graders.
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Good luck to Miriam with the book, it was nice to see her featured here.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hi Pete, I’m delighted to host Miriam. She is a wonderful blogger, writer and poet. She’s also a kind and gentle person 💝
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Thank you very much for your kind comment, Pete! I appreciate Robbie’s interview! ❤
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Great interview and review. We have those mail in classes in common, Miriam:) I kearned a lot about writing for children then. I loved Tina Lost in a Crowd, and the true story behind it! Xo
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I know, Denise! It was good to find out we took the same classes learning about writing for children. Thank you for your wonderful support and review of my book. ❤
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Hi Denise, that is great to know. You and Miriam both have lovely children’s books.
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Thank you, so do you!
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A most enjoyable post. I love that Miriam shared the experience upon which the book was based. Sometimes, we don’t realize how connected we all truly are, until we learn what someone else has experienced!
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You’re right, Annette! When I had the book tour for this children’s book, so many bloggers related to getting lost themselves or momentarily losing their children or grandchildren. Some people read my book to their children or grandchildren and ask them what to do had they got lost. One child came up with nine ways to do it!
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Hi Annette, I’m so pleased you enjoyed this interview. We often do discover shared experiences in our lives 🌈
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Mercy made a wise decision, and I love that you turned it into a book, Miriam. And I enjoyed it very much – the illustrations are wonderful!
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I still had anxiety over the event for a long time. Writing a story about it is my way to deal with the anxiety, Teri! Thank you very much for enjoying my book and the illustration!
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Thank you, Teri 🥰. It’s a great book 😀
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A lovely interview. I enjoyed Miriam’s book and liked learning more details about how it came about. The search for an illustrator was extensive. I found that daunting, but I’m not surprised at all that Miriam pulled it off. Thanks so much for hosting, Robbie and Kaye Lynne, and huge congrats to Miriam on the interview and wonderful review.
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Thank you for your wonderful comment, support and review of my book, Diana! I couldn’t believe it took six months to find an illustrator and another six months to get it done. But my searching showed that even after an illustrator accepted the job, it would take as long as a year to complete the job, but that particular artist does detailed illustration.
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Take six months with my illustrations too because I do them by hand on not on a computer.
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I appreciate the time you take to do so many things, Robbie! Don’t forget to take time to sleep!
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😂 such a pity we have to sleep 🩵
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The illustrations were wonderful, Miriam. Worth the wait and just right for the story.
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Yes, I searched for one who would do watercolor paintings and looked at their portfolio, sample drawings. After I found this gig, I paid for one page to see if I liked it. After I hired him, I l gave him detailed description of each page, even the positions and expressions of the characters. Most of the gigs works so unlimited revisions. It’s the revision after revision until I liked them as if I would draw them that took time.
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Yes, that would take time
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🙂 All that work paid off. 🙂
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It did, Diana. 😊
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They are lovely 💕
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Hi Diana, thank you for your lovely comment 💖. I have recently started doing illustrations for my own books and for a few other books. That is one of the reasons I was very interested in Miriam’s experience with finding an illustrator. I’m glad you enjoyed her commentary.
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I did the illustrations for my one kid’s book. It was a ton of work, so I have huge admiration for illustrators in general. And your drawings and paintings are gorgeous!
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I remember your children’s book, Diana. The illustrations were lovely. It is a lot of work and a big financial investment to employ someone to do it.
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That’s why I did it myself. But it took me forever since it’s not something that comes easy to me. I’m happy sticking with plain old words. 🙂
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I am a slow everything too, Diana. I draw and paint by hand so some pieces take a month to complete
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☺️
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This was a really interesting interview. Our kids also liked the Magic Schoolbus and it is educational. You wrote a great review for Tina Lost in a Crowd. I bought that book for the kids of friends of ours and they loved it. I read it too and I thought it was a great book, a story featuring important information about a mistake I think every parent will make at some point. The illustrations were beautiful. Thank you for the pleasure of reading a great interview.
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Thank you so much for your kind comment, Thomas! I collected almost all the Magic Schoolbus books from my teaching days. It’s great to find out my grandkids love those books! I appreciate you gifting my book to your friends and you read it and reviewed it also. My illustrator did a wonderful job with my book.
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Hi Thomas, Miriam book is lovely and the illustrations are beautiful. I’m delighted to know you also enjoyed it.
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I’ve got my autographed copy from friend, Miriam. 😊 The best kind of children’s books are ones that teach lessons in a non-preachy entertaining way. Miriam’s book checks both of those boxes. I know of someone who got separated from their children in Disneyland. Could there be a scarier situation for child and parent?
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I appreciated so much of your help, asking me many questions when I sent you the first draft of the story, Pete! You’re right, nobody, not children, not grownups likes preachy readings. They want to come up with their conclusions. Separated from their children in Disneyland? OMG! It’s even scarier! At least the Hollywood Bowl is an enclosed venue. I assumed the person you know reunited with their children!
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Thankfully, but I’m sure it was traumatizing.
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I have only been to Disney World in France but the thought of losing my kids there is dreadful. Michael was only 3 and a ‘runner’ so I kept him strapped in a push chair most of the time. I remember when we climbed off the bus. It was snowing and Michael jumped straight into a pile of snow and made his gloves all wet 😅
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What a frightening experience! I’m so glad everything turned out all right and that it gave you the idea for your book. I once got lost at an amusement park when I was about seven. I was scared half to death, but it turned out all right, too. It’s a feeling you never forget, that’s for sure. I’m glad this book will be helpful for children. 🙂
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Hi Kymber, thank you. I enjoyed this book of Miriam’s very much. Getting lost is very scary for everyone involved.
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That’s something I will never forget, Kymber. When I started writing children’s books, this experience came to my mind right away. Thank you for sharing your experience.
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4.9 rating on Amazon–almost impossible to get that Miriam. That book is a star.
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You’re very kind, Jacqui! You contributed to the 4.9 rating on Amazon.
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[…] children’s book, Tina lost in a crowd. If you missed it, you can read the interview here: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/12/13/growing-bookworms-guest-post-with-childrens-author-poet-and-m… Gingerbread mansion with Rose fairies. Can you see their pints of Guinness. Another little joke. […]
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I love your interview, Robbie. You have such a complete picture of Miriam’s past. She is a woman of so much experience and talent. You are two of a kind! I know that feeling of losing a child in a crowd of people. Our best friends in Colorado Springs were shopping with their toddler, who was about two or a little more. He disappeared behind a rack of clothes and was off. She was frantic, as you can imagine. A friend from church just happened to spot him in a toy store some distance away from Sears, where she had been shopping. The friends from church knew Brian should not be out on his own, and they kept him safe until my friend responded to the announcement of a lost child over the loudspeaker. I think Miriam’s book is a lesson that every child should learn at an early age.
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Hi Marsha, children are easily distracted and can wonder off. I kept Michael the Adventurer, firmly strapped into a pram. Greg was never a problem. He was always a very good boy 😄
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Our mom didn’t take us shopping very often. I had three sets of grandparents/great-grandparents who waited their turn to take care their grandchildren. Mom never worried about shopping with kids until we started school. 🙂 Lucky Mom.
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Yes, lucky mom. I hate shopping. I have sons though, and they don’t shop like girls do.
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Is that good or bad. I hated shopping. My grandmother used to take me shopping for fabric when I was little. There were no stores to escape to that had toys, so I was trapped. Is that how your sons felt about shopping, or did they find their own interests? 🙂
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Most of the toddlers love to wander around without fear, Marsha! We went to see Nutcracker with four toddlers yesterday. One child got the idea of holding hands or holding a friend’s jacket when we pushed through the crowd to go to the restroom or get a snack. Yes, it’s important to educate them even at a young age so they have an idea of what to do when getting lost.
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Especially now! I’m reading a story by blogger Kay Castaneda about a girl growing up in the 60s in my home town. To read about the activities that youngsters did, that I did, without much fear back then brings back how much life has changed since them. Not that these characters didn’t have problems with people, but a stern word seemed to do a lot.
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Yes, it was much safer then. My husband and his two siblings went into the woods by themselves in Australia.
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That sounds scary. There are some dangerous critters and plants in the woods.
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Some of the problem is that parenting has changed. I see it with my younger sisters. They don’t set boundaries with their kids or teach them about consequences and taking responsibility.
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Definitely, parenting has changed. Your sisters haven’t reaped many of the consequences of their parenting yet, I’m sure. However, once started on a path, it’s hard to change mid-course. There is a fine line between discipline and harshness, and an even finer one between kindness and looser boundaries. I have been an observer of parenting only, but over the years, I’ve seen both styles both succeed and fail in different ways. I like what I see in your style, from what I can see at a huge distance because you have a lot of face time with your kids. They know you love them. I think you can set firmer boundaries if you are with kids through thick or thin. There is no substitute for love in a relationship. I think parents can err either way as long as there is a lot of love and respect between them.
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Hi Marsha, yes, love is important, and giving time.
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Love covers a multitude of mistakes. 🙂
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I enjoyed this post and the comments – and as I have noted before – the Tina Lost in a Crowd book is a clever book!
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Hi Yvette, thank you. I agree 🥰
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🙂
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Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Yvette! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family!
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Great review Robbie!!! Thanks for sharing Miriam’s work!! Awesome!!
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Thank you very much, Kirt! I appreciate you stopping by!
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It’s my pleasure, Kirt it’s a delightful book.
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Thanks Miriam and Robbie. That wail of fear in a supermarket – small child, lost…
Age three, I was lost at Kew Gardens, thought the tropical house was a jungle.
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It sure is a frightening experience, Esther! Thank you for sharing.
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A great review for your book, Miriam. I love the concept and the back story of being lost at the Hollywood Bowl. Such a great lesson for children to remember.
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Thank you, Miriam’s children’s book is delightful 💕
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You are welcome. She is a great writer!
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It was an experience no mother will forget, Dwight! I’m glad to write a story about it. Thank you for your comment.
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You are very welcome. It should be helpful to children who read it.
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