Annie Barrows

in conversation with Sam Ricks

Recorded Tuesday, October 6th, 2020

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Annie Barrows in conversation with Sam Ricks

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Annie Barrows’ new release, Iggy is Better Than Ever, is the second book in the her wonderful children’s book series that demonstrates how causing a little bit of trouble can sometimes be a whole lot of fun.

Annie wrote several non-fiction books on topics ranging from fortune-telling to opera before turning her attention to children’s books. In 2006, the first book in her children’s series, Ivy + Bean was published. This title, an ALA Notable Book for 2007, was followed by nine others. The Ivy + Bean series appears with some regularity on the New York Times best-seller list and a number of other national best-seller lists. The Ivy + Bean books have been translated into fourteen languages; in 2013 Ivy + Bean: The Musical premiered in the San Francisco Bay Area. A novel for older children, The Magic Half, was published by BloomsburyUSA in 2008. Its sequel, Magic in the Mix, came out in 2014.

In addition to her children’s books, Annie is the co-author, with her aunt Mary Ann Shaffer, of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which was published by The Dial Press in 2008. A New York Times best-seller, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society has been published in thirty-seven countries and thirty-two languages.

She lives in Northern California with her husband and two daughters.

Sam Ricks is the illustrator of the Iggy Series. He has illustrated more than 20 books for kids, including the Geisel Award-winning Mo series. He lives with his family in Utah.

“We clung to books and to our friends; they reminded us that we had another part to us.”

– Annie Barrows, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

Get ready to join Annie in conversation, Tuesday, October 6th.

In the meantime, we invite you to take a moment now to help shape this upcoming conversation.

Check out the list of questions submitted by other registered attendees, and then vote to support any that match your interests.

Feel free to add your own question. Then spread the word to make sure others have the chance to help move your question to the top of the shared list.

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    Hi. I am Ella Manning. I love the Ivy and Bean books. I love reading them with my mom and dad. I like ivy the most. Who do you like better? Goodbye for now😀❤️

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    What is your editing/rewritting process like?

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    What inspired “Iggy is better than ever”?

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    How has life in the pandemic affected your writing?

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    How do you find inspiration to start a book? Does that inspiration come in waves, out of nowhere or is it more subtle?

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    What authors have inspired you over the years?

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    What research goes into your books? How long does it usually take you to write a whole book?

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    What is the last thing you read or saw that inspired you?

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    What draws you to writing childrens books?

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    What are you working on now?

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    How do you go about making characters? Especially for children – what is your thought process like?

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    Who are some of your favorite authors, whether fiction or non-fiction, and have they influenced your writing?

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    You have an irreverent voice that is fun to read. Is it equally fun to write? Why did you choose Iggy to tell your story?