Author Q & A
Did you go apple picking for Rosh Hashanah with your family as a child?
Apple picking and making homemade applesauce are holiday activities that my children and I discovered together by accident. Sadly, I lost my mother when I was a young woman and I wanted to protect my family from my sense of loss during the High Holy Days. I didn’t know it yet, but I needed a new tradition. A close friend suggested a visit to a local orchard. We plucked apples straight from their branches, carting them home in her trunk to fill homemade crisps and pies; some would become our trademark applesauce. I slowly and gratefully began to realize that I felt better when I was outside with my children, connecting to nature and embracing the holiday in a completely novel way. Fifteen years later, we still go apple picking to get ready for Rosh Hashanah.
Does your work as a teacher influence your writing?
Seated on the classroom rug with an open book in my extended hand, I am always amazed at how a good story can focus young children. I love to experiment with pace, rhythm, and the musicality of language. The dynamics within the text can impact how children will hear a story. As a writer, it intrigues me to imagine how my words will sound when read aloud.
In Apple Days, Katy’s community plays a large role. Why?
Several years ago, Nadine Rubenstein, a beloved teacher at Temple Sinai Nursery School, became ill. Nadine was one of my son’s first teachers, so we shared an especially close connection. The community galvanized around Nadine, planning ongoing yard sales, organizing house concerts, supervising meal deliveries, and identifying a myriad of ways to meet Nadine’s needs through the end of her life.
The children and young alumni of our school were watching. They, too, wanted to help and that’s how Kids for Nadine began.
Apple picking and making homemade applesauce are holiday activities that my children and I discovered together by accident. Sadly, I lost my mother when I was a young woman and I wanted to protect my family from my sense of loss during the High Holy Days. I didn’t know it yet, but I needed a new tradition. A close friend suggested a visit to a local orchard. We plucked apples straight from their branches, carting them home in her trunk to fill homemade crisps and pies; some would become our trademark applesauce. I slowly and gratefully began to realize that I felt better when I was outside with my children, connecting to nature and embracing the holiday in a completely novel way. Fifteen years later, we still go apple picking to get ready for Rosh Hashanah.
Does your work as a teacher influence your writing?
Seated on the classroom rug with an open book in my extended hand, I am always amazed at how a good story can focus young children. I love to experiment with pace, rhythm, and the musicality of language. The dynamics within the text can impact how children will hear a story. As a writer, it intrigues me to imagine how my words will sound when read aloud.
In Apple Days, Katy’s community plays a large role. Why?
Several years ago, Nadine Rubenstein, a beloved teacher at Temple Sinai Nursery School, became ill. Nadine was one of my son’s first teachers, so we shared an especially close connection. The community galvanized around Nadine, planning ongoing yard sales, organizing house concerts, supervising meal deliveries, and identifying a myriad of ways to meet Nadine’s needs through the end of her life.
The children and young alumni of our school were watching. They, too, wanted to help and that’s how Kids for Nadine began.
Over the course of two months, the children baked hundreds of items to sell almost entirely on their own at a series of fundraisers. Their best intentions were turning into a reality, as they raised close to $5,000.
These young children understood. They cared. They were making an important statement about community and a substantial difference. I wanted to capture what was happening - but how? Through Apple Days, I hope to share this incredible story of children’s empowerment with young readers.
These young children understood. They cared. They were making an important statement about community and a substantial difference. I wanted to capture what was happening - but how? Through Apple Days, I hope to share this incredible story of children’s empowerment with young readers.
Decorating cupcake for 'Kids For Nadine'
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Kids for Nadine fundraiser
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Where do you find ideas for your characters and their stories?
I find ideas for my stories from spending time with children, immersing myself in their world. I listen carefully as children share their thoughts with me and pay close attention to their ever-evolving conversations. I aim to see classroom events through each child's set of eyes. This kind of perspective-shifting becomes excellent practice for when I sit down to write from different viewpoints.
I think of a classroom as my idea lab. A child's compelling words make me think about dialogue, so I jot down a line. A momentary facial expression can inspire a character trait. A playground conflict over taking turns may inspire a plot twist. It's a way of paying attention that sparks my ideas.
I think of a classroom as my idea lab. A child's compelling words make me think about dialogue, so I jot down a line. A momentary facial expression can inspire a character trait. A playground conflict over taking turns may inspire a plot twist. It's a way of paying attention that sparks my ideas.
