Six Questions with Songju Daemicke

Songju Daemicke, a former software engineer, is an award-winning Chinese-American children's book author. Her books include Tu Youyou's Discovery -- Finding a Cure for Malaria, Cao Chong Weighs an Elephant, Our World: China, and Grace Lee Boggs: Gardens of Hope. When she's not writing, she loves tending to her garden, hiking, and photography. Songju and her husband live in Bentonville, Arkansas. Visit her website to learn more about Songju and her books/

1. To what extent is your writing inspired by your own experience, or by watching your children’s experiences?

Most of my fiction manuscripts are inspired by my own or my children’s experiences. For example, Words as Wings, my PBParty finalist story, is based on a fond memory of my father, who was also my first teacher. Growing up in a small town in China without a single library, I learned to read from my father’s handmade word cards.  

My manuscript, The Peacock Dance, was inspired by my oldest daughter’s experience. She came to the U.S. at age 10 without knowing any English. Performing the Peacock Dance for her school was a turning point in her new life in America, helping her be seen, gain confidence, and make friends. My life experiences have given me many unique stories to tell.

2. What three things bring you joy?

Hiking, reading, and good food.

Hiking is such a pleasing activity. I love feeling sunshine and wind breezes on my face, the smell of trees and grass, and listening to the sounds of birds and moving water.

All these sensations make my body sing. Such a joy!

Curling up on a sofa with a good book and a cup of tea. Nothing can really beat that for simultaneous stimulation of the mind and relaxation of the body.

Food is a huge part of Chinese culture. Not only dumplings, I love eating all kinds of food, spicy Korean dishes, savory French food, and hearty soul food.

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

I’m working on a few fiction manuscripts, most of them drawing from my life experience.  I’m also working on a few nonfiction manuscripts. As a former engineer, I’ve always been interested in science and math-based projects. 

My next book is a STEM board book, Where Does Dinosaur Go?, coming out in Fall 2026 from Charlesbridge.  Two children help their auntie at a laundromat by helping sort laundry in several different ways. I’m so excited for this fun book.

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

In the summer of 2020, I first read the name Grace Lee Boggs from the author’s notes of a picture book, Leave It to Abigail: The Revolutionary Life of Abigail Adams by Barb Rosenstock. Grace Lee Boggs was the only Chinese American mentioned. I looked her up on the internet and was immediately drawn to her. Grace was so wise and warm, like a grandma everyone loves.  She was an unexpected participant in the Civil Rights Movement, going beyond racial boundaries to fight for social change. She founded the Detroit Summer, a youth program, planting the seed of change in young people. I decided to tell her story to inspire and empower young people to make the world a kinder, fairer place.

5. Was this always the title for this project? If not, what other titles did you consider and how did you land on this one?

I initially drafted this story about Grace's lifelong quest for equality with the title: Born for Change -- The Revoluntionary Life of Grace Lee Boggs. Second phase, I focused on the Detroit Summer and modified the title: Grace Lee Boggs -- Solutionary, The True Story of a Chinese American Activist.

Next, a used the book The Secret Garden as the main thread of the manuscript and changed the title to Growing Solutionaries: Grace Lee Boggs and Her Secret Garden. This was the title when the manuscript was acquired.

The final title became Grace Lee Boggs: Gardens of Hope, as suggested by my editor.

6. What was the most challenging thing you faced while writing/researching this book?

 Grace's story is not an easy one to tell. Her life did not really have an "a-ha" moment or an ultimate climax like my book on Tu Youyou. I struggled with it for a long while. A wise writer friend gave a brilliant suggestion, to use a teacher's gift of The Secret Garden as the main thread -- the seed of an idea becoming a garden of hope. Grace eventually founded her own secret gardens with the Detroit Summer and, like her teacher, planted her own seeds of hope. These gardens continue to sprout today, growing the world into a better place. The garden theme gives this story a nice arc and a satisfying ending.