Why I Love Writing Fictional Stories That Feature Math, Money, and Science Concepts (Even Though ELA Was Always My Favorite Subject in School)
Reading and writing and more reading were my favorite things to do growing up in Queens, NY. I practically lived at the library and checked out a towering stack of books during each visit. My family used to go on vacation in Vermont every summer and my favorite thing to do was explore the numerous antique shops to find old books. So, when I found out that people actually got paid to help create them, what I wanted to be when I grew up immediately switched from ballerina to book editor. I somehow ended up in children’s books, which turned out to be exactly where I wanted to be. While I would occasionally get to edit a non-fiction book, most of the titles I worked on were fiction, which I loved.
Many years later, after my daughter was born, I decided to make the move from working in an office to writing and editing from home. (That means I get to spend a lot of time with my Boston Terrier, Jack. But the only time he shows interest in my work is during Zoom calls when he insists on sitting on my lap.) That’s when I started writing for Kane Press on their Makers Make It Work and Math Matters series and later, Dollars to Doughnuts. At first, I was a little worried (I was an English major, not a scientist, mathematician, or financial expert!) but I soon discovered that this was a combination that really spoke to and worked for me. Why exactly, you may ask? Because…
I Get to Use My Brain in a Different Way
Writing a made-up story and writing a fictional situation that revolves around a specific concept are very different. I have to come up with a premise that conveys the concept in a fun and interesting way. It gives me a structure to follow, but limits the stories I can write, always an interesting challenge!
I Get to Write About Things That Interest Me
Like many kids, I had a healthy appreciation of money! Earning it from doing chores. Receiving it in birthday cards from my Grandma. Saving it in my Raggedy Andy bank and then when I had enough, opening up my very first savings account. In fact, I kept close tabs on my bank book which got updated by the bankteller after each deposit. I always knew my balance down to the penny just like Julian in Cash Stash. I would have loved to have found a series like Dollars to Doughnuts to teach me all about money matters.
My Makers Make it Work book, Slime King (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2019), came into being because my daughter and all her friends were completely caught in the slime craze and we were curious about the chemistry of the slime we were always making at home. And my family’s love of medieval fairs made that the perfect setting for Think Positive, Pippa! (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2022) and its living board game which taught the concept of negative numbers.
I Get to Do Research
While I own a credit card, have a savings account, and know the importance of sticking to a budget, I did still have to do some research on the finer points of each for the Dollars to Doughnuts books. Like how old does a kid have to be to get a debit card? What’s the correct terminology for explaining how a budget works? Do you need to have a parent’s permission to open a bank account? For Double or Nothing (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2018) a Makers Make It Work title, I got to take a field trip to a 3D Printer in Brooklyn for a lesson on how the machines work. And we just had to go to another Medieval Fair so I could get more details to accurately set the scene in Think Positive, Pippa! (not really, we were going anyway!)
I Get to Use My Experiences, Good and Bad
When I was young, I loved bedazzling my clothes with rhinestones, so that’s where the Blinginator in Birthday Bling (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024) the first book in the Dollars to Doughnuts series, comes from. And I used my experience selling Girl Scout cookies (I’ll be honest, I didn’t earn any badges for my cookie selling skills!) to write the opening scene in the third book, Cash Stash (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2024). In book four, All That Glitters (Astra Books for Young Readers, 2025), I used a disappointing visit to a pop-up experience with my daughter and her best friend as the basis for an event the characters want to attend called SugarFest.
And Best of All, I Get to Help Make Learning Fun
It’s a challenge to come up with a fun, engaging story while also teaching readers subjects that might be considered dry. The scene in Cash Stash where Julian’s little sisters force him to play a game of Hot or Cold to find his missing piggy bank was so much fun to write. He was just so annoyed and they were so silly. I had so much fun writing that chapter! My hope is that readers will remember the important information I’m trying to convey because I made it extra entertaining.
Currently, I am finishing up the fourth book in the Dollars to Doughnuts series, working on a series of early chapter books featuring an iconic character from my childhood, and collaborating on an original graphic novel with my 16-year-old daughter. I can’t tell you how much fun it is to sit across from a writing partner after all those years of working alone. (Don’t tell Jack. He is great company, but truth be told he’s not very helpful with the brainstorming!)
Hear Catherine R. Daly’s Audio Name Pronunciation
Listen to a Meet-the-Author Recording for Batter Splatter
Explore Catherine R. Daly’s author page on TeachingBooks
Text and images are courtesy of Catherine R. Daly and may not be used without express written consent.
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