Six Questions with Carolyn Bennett Fraiser

Carolyn Bennett Fraiser is a homesteader in the mountains of North Carolina, where she writes nonfiction books for kids.  Her book Moon Tree was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection and an SCBWI Crystal Kite Award winner. When she is not writing, Carolyn serves on the board of a local literacy camp in her community and mentors young authors in middle and high school. Visit Carolyn's website to learn more about her and her work.

1. When did you first realize you wanted to write for young readers?

Well, it kind of snuck up on me! I had written for adults for more than 20 years and wasn’t planning to write for kids. Then I lost my job and began working part-time teaching creative writing to kids at an after-school program. I loved it! I continued working there even after getting another full-time job. The owner encouraged me to write for kids, so I gave it a try and was hooked.

2. Do you ever get stuck creatively? If so, how do you get unstuck?

Yes, all the time. My personal life has been chaotic lately, so I’m not able to write as much as I’d like. And when I do have time, the words are just stuck. Life just happens. But I’ve found that being creative in other ways helps tremendously—playing the piano, watercolor, or even doodling keeps those creative juices flowing. Eventually, the writing does flow again.

3. What are you working on? What’s next for you?

I’m so glad you asked. I just signed a contract for another book with Familius. Fire Seeds is a nonfiction picture book about the life cycle of seeds that need fire to grow. With the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, Familius was interested in adding a book about fire to their collection. It was a perfect fit! It’s scheduled for release in 2028. Can’t wait!

4. Where did you get the idea for this new book? What was your inspiration?

This is a fun one. During the pandemic, everyone began spending more time on social media. Someone in a Facebook group I belonged to started a thread on the ABCs for homesteaders—it was an adult version, of course, but hilarious. I joked with my husband that I should write a kids’ version and he dared me to do it! We worked together on the words. I never dreamed it would it published, but it was picked up by the first publisher I submitted it to (Familius), who I think is perfect for this book. 

5. How was the editorial process? Did you do any revisions? Did you have a lot of collaboration with the illustrator?

I didn’t have any revisions with the editor, but I was closely involved with the approvals for the illustrations.  I loved seeing the whole process unfold, from sketches to final art. Even though I’ve been a homesteader for many years, I’m still learning new things. One issue came up on the cover. One of the earlier versions included large jar with canned mushrooms, and I had literally just read that week that mushrooms should only be canned in pint-sized jars and smaller. She made the changes, but I’m so glad I learned that in time to fix it on the cover!

6. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?

Great question! I hope that readers will take away that every child—no matter how young or small—is an important part of their family. Secondly, I want to encourage them to explore and learn new things both inside the home and outside. There’s always something new and exciting to discover. It’s even more fun when you discover those things together as a family.