Charlie Clasman
David Anthony
Interview with David Anthony and Charles David Clasman by Jerelyn H. (I-F-Letty)
One of my PBS friends set up this interview for me, I have to say it has been years since I read children books and didn’t know what to expect. My husband read to the girls at bed time, and by the time they were in 3rd grade they wanted to read for themselves. I should have made it a priority past that time but I bet I was like many other busy parents, and figured they had enough on their plates with school work, and after school activities. By the time they were teens reading was something they had to do for school. Only now as adults do I see them reading for pleasure. My youngest has e-books she is a techie, my eldest must have “real books”. Perhaps when the time comes I can try again with my Grandchildren. The Knightscares and Heroes A2Z will be on the Will be Read Shelf. I would like to thank Elizabeth for recommending and setting up this interview.
Jerelyn: Welcome David Anthony and Charles David Clasman to PaperBackSwap blog.
Thanks very much! We enjoyed being a part of PBS Cooks! We hope for as much fun with PaperBackSwap in this second adventure.
Jerelyn: First off what age group do you recommend your books to?
Because we currently write two series, we have to give two answers.
Heroes A2Z is written at a third grade reading level, but the books have a picture on every page. This makes them accessible and appealing to younger kids too. We find that children of all elementary school ages enjoy the books. In them, readers meet a family of superhero kids who Fight Crime Before Bedtime.
Our Knightscares books are written for tweeners and beyond, strong 3rd grader readers through middle school. Think three words: Monsters. Magic.Mystery. Don’t be afraid, be terrified.
Jerelyn: How did your collaboration came about?
Charlie and I have been friends for (*ahem*) over twenty-five years now. Wow, twenty-five years! Is that all? It certainly feels longer!
Seriously, though, we met as teens and soon started playing music together. We both had long hair and dreamed of attaining guitar sainthood. After we cut our hair, however, we lost the power to sing. Let this be a lesson to all aspiring musicians. Rock stars must have long hair or they’re just pretenders.
After giving up on the dream of heavy metal glory, we kept collaborating. Instead of composing song lyrics, we started writing stories.
Jerelyn: What is the most important thing you take into consideration when writing for kids?
The fun factor. Our kids’ books must be fun, fast, and fantastic. Got a flying baby? Check. Meet a hungry dragon? Check, check. Kittens performing kung fu? Triple check, etc. If readers haven’t seen it, we want to write it. If readers have seen it, we try to make it better.
Jerelyn: It must be a great deal of fun to go and meet your audience. Are you both educators as well as writers?
Of course we love meeting our audience and fans. That is the real reward in writing. We certainly aren’t doing it for the money! Money. Wait. There’s money involved in being a writer?
Charlie and I are invited to speak at dozens, if not scores, of schools and libraries every year. We present an engaging book talk to students/readers called “Real Heroes Read!” We blend humor, storytelling, juggling, and a knighting ceremony to convey one simple message: Read whatever you want.
The reactions we receive overwhelm us. Kids are so welcoming, so enthusiastic, and so genuine. Act silly and they laugh. Startle them and they cringe. Tell them they are heroes and they believe. What could be more rewarding?
Jerelyn: What made you want to become writers?
Books, easy. Both of us loved to read as kids though we started at different ages. I was always surrounded by books, the first being superhero comics—Spiderman, Batman, the usual cast of caped crusaders. As an only child, the expression, “some of my best friends are books” proved true for me. Of course I had human friends, but I was never bored if they weren’t available. I also had books to keep me company.
Charlie became a fan of reading later in elementary school when a teacher read James and the Giant Peach to the class. Afterward, he started reading many of Mr. Dahl’s books. Not long after that, his uncles caught him reading and decided to play a prank on him. They shut off all the lights in the house, broke out flashlights, and read spooky stories to him in the dark. He was hooked immediately.
Jerelyn: Did you always want to write for children?
No. Growing up, we both wanted to be writers, but it wasn’t until we had families of our own that we considered writing for kids. We believe that gives us an advantage. Experience is the best instructor, and we’re around kids every day. So now we are parents first and authors second.
Jerelyn: What do you think the most important thing parents can do to encourage their children to read?
Read to them. As author Emilie Buchwald said, “Children are made readers on the laps of their parents.” Charlie and I couldn’t agree more. We are always saddened when we meet parents who do not read to their children. Inevitably, such parents express incredulity at the fact: “My daughter/son hates to read!”—shrug of shoulder, helpless face. We wish such parents would place less blame on their kids and consider the example they’ve set.
Jerelyn: What did you read as kids?
As I mentioned, I was a huge fan of superhero comic books. Pretty manly, I know. Surely you can guess, then, that my second favorite read was Judy Blume. Ironman and Fudge—symbiotic perfection.
Charlie read little until 4th grade, and his report cards suffered because of it. Once he discovered Roald Dahl, however, he started to devour books like a child gobbling treats in a chocolate factory.
Jerelyn: I read the first book in both of your series, will you tell us about them?
In Heroes A2Z #1: Alien Ice Cream, a mysterious alien named Burt—Sure-Burt—arrives on Earth, posing as an ice cream truck driver. He shares his alien ice cream with the crowd who soon develop brain freezes that turn them into ice cream zombies. Saving the world will require our three heroes—Abigail, Andrew, and Baby Zoë—to travel into outer space.
Knightscares #1: Cauldron Cooker’s Night is the first book Charlie and I wrote together. It is set in a magical land where a witch’s spell has turned everyone but Josh and his sister Jozlyn into frogs. To break the spell, the pair will climb a mountain to meet a wizard, cross a spooky swamp, and meet griffons, ogres, and mud creatures—oh, my!
Jerelyn: Are your characters based on children you know?
Yes, some of them. Many of the characters in Knightscares are people in our families. My three sons make appearances as main characters, as does Charlie’s daughter and a variety of his relatives. We started writing for our kids and decided to make the experience more personal for them by including them in the books. Honestly, how many kids really get to save the world? Ours do. Feel free to send Dads of the Year donations day or night.
Jerelyn: Do you have a favorite character?
Well, our children’s characters must be excluded. I have three sons. How could I choose? How would the other two let me sleep safely at night?
That leaves an easy consensus: Baby Zoë from Heroes A2Z. She flies, shoots lasers from her eyes, and is stronger than any bodybuilder. Imagine Superman in a diaper. Just watch out for Kryptonite!
Jerelyn: What are you future project going to be?
More, more, more. As the name Heroes A2Z suggests, Charlie and I will write 26 books in the series, one for every letter of the alphabet. The twelfth book in the series (Lost Puppy Love) comes out in early September 2011, and we’re already writing #13, Monkey Monster Truck.
Of course we won’t disappoint our older readers. We have something spooky in the works. Please stay tuned to our website (www.realheroesread.com) and facebook fan page for details (www.facebook.com/realheroesread.com).
Jerelyn: Thank you so much for doing this. To read More about Heroes A2Z and Knightscares, visit http://realheroesread.com/
Wow — what a high-energy interview! Thank you Letty, David and Charlie!
I really enjoyed reading the answers when I got them back. Beth thanks for setting this up and thanks to Charlie and David.
I have since give several copies of the first books in each series to friends and family. They are wonderfully engaging books.
Thanks for the great interview guys! (and the nifty photos!) It was interesting reading an interview with childrens authors. I am certainly going to check these out for my students!
Jerelyn you never cease to amaze me with your skills!!!
Jerelyn, I do enjoy reading your blog posts may it be an interview or review, for children or adults. The posts are always interesting and has me adding the book(s) to my wish list, buying or requesting. A2Z sounds interesting and fun and I know a little girl that would enjoy them (but I will have to read the book first).
I will admit that I have never heard of any of these books. But the interview has made me want to check them out. I always love to hear from children book authors. They seem to be most diverse group of authors : )
What a pleasure to be featured on PBS. Thank you for including Charlie and me. Real heroes read!
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