Today I'm kicking off the BlogTour for a brand new book - and offering readers a chance to win a copy of...
Be a Changemaker: How to Start Something That Matters
by Laurie Ann Thompson
240 pages; ages 12 & up
Simon Pulse/Beyond Words, 2014
We’ve all done it: thought, “someone should do something
about (fill in the blank)”.
But here’s the secret: if you want something to change, you might have to be
the changemaker.
The cool thing: you don’t have to be a president or
congressman to be a changemaker. You don’t even have to be “old”.
In Be a Changemaker, Laurie Thompson profiles young people who
saw a need and took action. One 12-year old boy, appalled at how children were
forced into labor in slave-like conditions, founded a group that became Free
the Children. Another kid formed a club at his school that he called Earth Savers,
which grew and evolved into Greening Forward, a group that helps kids develop
their own Earth Savers clubs.
Thompson writes about kids who’ve created gang-free
community centers, raised money to feed the homeless, developed an acting
company focused on preventing accidents, and more. In each chapter she also focuses
on specific skills needed to bring about change. Want to know how to conduct
interviews and surveys? Check out the chapter on researching your ideas. Need
advice on how to raise money through donations and grants? Thompson’s got a
chapter on that, too. She also
includes personal reflections about everything from raising money selling Girl
Scout cookies to taking the plunge to become a writer.
As if that’s not enough, I asked her Three Questions – which
she most graciously answered.
Sally: Why did you want to write this book?
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| Laurie Thompson |
Laurie: When I was a child, I desperately wanted to do
something important that would make the world a better place. Unfortunately, I
had no idea how to do something like that… or any inkling that I even could! I
couldn’t wait to grow up so I could go out and make a difference. I didn’t end
up realizing that dream until I was in my 30s, and by then I wanted to help
make sure no one else would have to wait so long.
Sally: I really like the structure: profile of a
change-maker; a "how you can do it"; and your reflections. Can you talk
about the process of writing the book and how you came to this structure?
Laurie: I knew all along that I wanted each chapter to have
a profile of a young person or team who was already doing it, followed by
hands-on how-to sections so readers could emulate the changemakers profiled,
but the “In My Experience” sidebars grew organically during the revision
process. There were a few chapters where I kept slipping into a first person
point-of-view. I was trying hard to fix and/or remove them, but I was having a
hard time saying what I wanted to say in the way I wanted it said. My editor liked
those sections and suggested pulling them out and making them sidebars. Once we
did that, we decided to make it consistent by doing one for every chapter. I’m
a shy, private person, so those sidebars were the hardest parts of the book for
me to write! In the end, though, I’m glad we did them. I wanted the book to
feel like an honest conversation, and I think those personal experiences add a
touch of vulnerability and authenticity that helps keep it real and engaging.
Sally: So, are you a "change-maker?"
Laurie: I never would have thought that I would be, and
despite having important roles at big companies, co-founding a technology startup,
volunteering countless hours at many organizations, and a commitment to
philanthropy, I never used to feel like one. Now, I do. Being the co-regional
advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators of
Western Washington for three years was my first taste of really being a
changemaker. I had the good fortune of inheriting a strong, healthy
organization, so I didn’t have to build anything from the ground up, but we did
make a lot of small changes and put our marks on it, and I know it made a
difference in the lives of writers and illustrators in our region and also in
the lives of the children (and adults) who will get to enjoy their great work.
And, of course, I hope that putting this book out into the world will have a
wide-reaching ripple effect of positive change around the world, both through
the projects readers launch now and in the changes in their later lives as a
result of that early empowerment.
Sally: Question three-and-a-half ~ What’s your next book?
Laurie: My first nonfiction picture book, Emmanuel’s
Dream, comes out in January of 2015. It’s a biography of Emmanuel Ofosu
Yeboah, who was born in Ghana with one leg. In his early twenties, he rode a
bicycle nearly 400 miles to change the way disabilities in his country were
perceived.
Sally: Wow! He sounds like a changemaker!
You can learn more about Laurie at her blog,
LaurieThompson.com.
Book Giveaway Rules: All you need to do is leave a comment. Then email me so that if you win I can contact you. send email to sueheaven (at) gmail (dot) com. Book giveaway is open only to US residents.
And Please visit the rest of the stops on Be a Changemaker blog tour
Whew! I hope I got everyone on the list. Have fun! Review ARC provided by Blue Slip Media.
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