
Welcome, Ina Claire! It’s a treat to interview a scholarly
author about the craft of writing for young readers.

ICG: I’ve received feedback from my stories, especially "The Test," published in Scholastic Scope. Because it was read in classrooms nationally, I had the good fortune to learn from various teachers that their students loved discussing the story and its moral dilemma. A quiet, teenage Mercedes has to choose between helping her handsome, popular boyfriend cheat on a final exam, or not cheating and losing him. She decides not to cheat and keeps her self-respect, even though she loses Carlos. Students identify with issues that apply to them: peer pressure, social acceptance, principles and the rights of love. I'm gratified there are teachers who've kept the story and still use it.
You've also written two books on Constructivist learning theory,
which suggests that young readers learn best when they build a personal
understanding with a story using their experiences and reflections. How can this approach be used to reach more young readers?
ICG: Such an important question. What situations, dilemmas
and conflicts do young people relate to? Your story’s setting, time and culture
may be different from theirs, even foreign, but the issues cut through the
differences. Being able to identify with characters of all stripes engages
young readers and develops their understanding of our shared humanness across
circumstances. When I write a YA story—about a paraplegic pre-teen boy or a
lonely, young girl—I engender my characters with the needs and perceptions of
most young people. And so I strive to make the fiction relatable to the YA/MG
readers who are physically able and outgoing as well as those who, for any
reason, may be on the social margins.
We often hear how reluctant readers don’t like the fact that
books require them to just sit there and read passively. In what ways can
parents and teachers use Constructivist techniques to make reading be more
interactive?

How can middle grade and young adult writers use Constructivist approaches in their in storytelling to engage young readers better?
ICG: A major Constructivist goal, whether in YA mainstream
fiction, science fiction or fantasy, is for the author to consider events and
themes that relate to young people, motivating them to critically think about
life’s challenges. For example, are moral decisions fixed as an unbending
principle, or conflicted between two opposing worthy actions, or dependent on
extenuating circumstances? Whose needs take priority? Engage your readers so
they can imagine what they would do in that same situation and for what reason.
Try to create YA fiction with sparks for lively discussions or quiet,
individual reflection that widens the young readers’ points of view.
As a sneak preview for our readers, what can you share with us about
your upcoming novel?
ICG: It’s an all-ages fantasy brimming with real-life
issues. A hero quest in a long ago time, with the flavor of Ursula Le Guin's Earthsea trilogy without wizards or dragons.
Thanks for an interesting interview, Ina Claire. We’ll keep
an eye out for your upcoming fantasy book. All the best, Chris Brandon Whitaker!
Yes--asking questions is the key to understanding. The new book sounds interesting. Will keep a look out for it.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Wendy. From what Ina Claire said off the record, her new fantasy book sounds really cool.
ReplyDelete