>> From the Library of
Congress in Washington, D.C.
[ Silence ]
>> Front office is part of
the Library of Congress.
It's mainly an office of record
for copyright registrations.
The office I work in deals
mostly with copyright,
legal and policy questions,
regulations and we do reports
for Congress, but you don't care.
I'm here to introduce Jon Scieszka
and it's a real privilege for me
to introduce Jon Scieszka who is one
of the preeminent children's authors
and literacy advocates
working today.
He was born in 1954
in Flint, Michigan.
He went to Albion College and got a
Master's of Fine Arts at Columbia.
He has worked as a
teacher and a painter
in New York City before his
first book, "The True Story
of the Three Little Pigs"--
[ Applause ]
>> Illustrated by Lane
Smith, was published in 1989.
It has since sold over
3,000,000 copies
and been translated
into 14 languages.
Working with Lane Smith and other
illustrators Jon had written a
number of other popular
books including
and please hold your applause
until the end, "Robot Zot",
"Knuckle Head", "The Frog Prince
Continued", "The Stinky Cheese Man
and Other Fairly Stupid Tales"
a Caldecott Honor winner.
He's also written a number
of series of books including,
"The Time Warp Trio",
"Trucktown for Preschoolers"
and the multiplatform, "Spaceheadz."
Jon Scieszka is the
First National Ambassador
for Young People's Literature,
a post sponsored by the Library
of Congress Center for the Book
and the Children's Book Counsel.
Now, one of Jon's most notable
achievements is the Guys Read
Literacy Program whose mission is
to help boys become
self-motivated lifelong readers.
[ Applause ]
Spurred by research showing boys
scoring worse on reading tests
than girls and wanting to provide
books that would inspire a love
of reading in boys Jon founded
"Guys Read" as a program
of the New York Foundation
for the Arts.
As part of "Guys Read",
Jon had edited a series
of themed anthologies of
stories aimed at boys.
My own nine year old is
currently enjoying the first one,
"Funny Business."
Other titles focus on thrillers
and sports and the latest,
"Other Worlds" was just
published last week.
Before I bring Jon
out I need to mention
that this event is being videotaped
for a subsequent broadcast
on the library's website
and other media.
The audience is encouraged
to offer comments
and raise questions during the
formal question and answer period.
But, please be advised that your
voice and/or image may be recorded.
I'm good at this.
I'm a lawyer, may be recorded
and later broadcast
as part of this event.
By participating in the question
and answer period you are consenting
to the library's possible
reproduction
and transmission of your remarks.
That said, please join
me in welcoming
to the National Book
Festival Jon Scieszka.
>> Thanks Chris.
[ Applause ]
>> Jon Scieszka: Wow.
I am going to have a lawyer
introduce me every time from now on.
I think what you just all
agreed to is kind of like
that Amazon agreement once
you get down to the bottom.
I own you apparently.
You have to do whatever I say
and you can't sue me ever.
That's what my lawyer just told you.
But, I love that Chris got the
hardest thing correct and one
of the reason we're gathered
here today is to figure
out how to pronounce my name.
It's just Jon.
There's no H in it.
The H is silent and invisible.
So, it's very easy.
No, maybe the second name
actually gives people some pause.
And it helps if you don't
actually look at it.
That's my best tip.
So, it's don't look
at it and just say
like it rhymes with
Fresca, Scieszka.
So, everyone try Scieszka.
>> [Group response] Scieszka.
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh that's perfect.
You just all legally agreed to give
me your homes by saying Scieszka.
Chris write that down.
You know and I'm going to show
you a couple things today.
I thought I'd show you the new,
"Spaceheadz" book that's coming out.
And I thought we brought Chris along
because a new book I have
is called, "Battle Bunny."
It won't be out for a month, but
it's kind of a subversive book,
it kind of messes up
a lot of other books.
But, then I thought well, I'd
just tell you some stories
about how I got started and then
give you a chance to ask questions
because when I go around to schools
I get a lot of great questions.
So, if you don't have any
I can actually ask them.
Like how old are you?
How much money do you make?
What happened to your hair?
Why are you so incredibly
good looking?
Or my other favorite one is
almost inevitably what kind
of car do you drive?
And I used to think that
was a weird question,
but it's actually a really good one.
It's like do you have a legit job?
Like good enough.
And so, I would tell kids, I
would just say, "Oh I don't know."
You know I live in New York.
I don't need a car.
And the kids would look
at me like you suck.
So, I've changed my
whole presentation
and I wish I would have
brought a picture of my car
because when kids ask I just show
this picture of a Lamborghini.
I don't actually say it's
my car or I try not to.
And I only got caught once and I was
giving this presentation to a group
of kids in California and a
little kid raised his hand
and I called on him.
And he said, "Did you
get the ceramic brakes?"
I was like, yea.
Of course, what did you say?
Turns out his dad has three of them.
And I guess he's not a
children's book author.
But, I figure I'm doing my part
to encourage kids to be readers
and writers if I keep
showing them my Lamborghini.
[ Laughter ]
So, maybe I'll tell you a little
bit about how I got started
in this business because
it's a weird business.
I grew up with five brothers
and that'll change anyone.
No sisters.
So, there was Jim, Jon,
that's me, Tom, Greg,
Brian and the, Jeff the last guy.
Good guy, but I forgot
him for a second there
and we all fit in 10 years.
And we're, and we were just
this pile of wrestling.
In fact, I never, I didn't know
that you could actually decide
something by not wrestling.
So, we would decide who gets
to get in the front seat
of the car, you just wrestle.
Who gets the last piece
of pizza, you wrestle.
So, later I went to school
and studied to be a doctor.
I went and studied to be a writer.
I started teaching
elementary school.
And when I was teaching elementary
school in the faculty room that's
where I first learned maybe
you just don't always wrestle.
Like when we were trying to figure
out where to put the coffee pot
and all the kindergarten
teachers were talking about.
And I said, "Oh let's just wrestle."
And they all looked me
like no, we don't wrestle.
So, I think that's honestly
where I found my audience.
I taught elementary school
in New York for 10 years.
A little of everything from
first grade to eighth grade
and I had the best time because as
Chris mentioned, I actually went
to school and got a
Master's in Fiction Writing,
which was very fancy, which them
entitled me to paint apartments
for the next year or two.
That's about all you
can do with MFA.
So, kids don't try to get an MFA.
Your parents will hate you.
But, I found out there was
a job available teaching,
which this is kind of
how clueless I was.
I thought oh, I used
to be in first grade.
I could do that.
How hard can it be?
It's an incredibly hard job.
Man, oh we have some teachers here.
So, luckily I learned
to be a teacher
by working with great teachers.
I was an assistant teacher
for probably two years
and then the third year I
finally had my own second grade.
It was just the most fun ever,
but also the most exhausting
and crazy thing ever too.
And that's when I suddenly realized
I should be writing for my kids
because my kids, I-- we're
reading to them things like,
"The Phantom Tollbooth" or,
"Frog and Toad" or "Roll Doll."
And I would find out
these are great books.
These are great stories.
So, I took a year off from
teaching just to write stories.
And I brought along
the very first draft
of the first story
to show you today.
It's a little frightening though.
I don't know if I should
show this to you.
Are there any kindergarteners
in here?
Someone just grabbed their head.
Okay, you might want to look
away when I show this, okay,
because it's the most
frightening thing you will ever see
if you're going to be a writer.
Are you ready?
[ Laughter ]
It's the blank page because
it was, it was terrible.
I took off to write and I was
looking at this page going like,
I think I have to sharpen
my pencils.
I think I have to watch
some television.
I think I have to drink some tea.
And I love when I talk to kids.
I show them this process.
Like kids always ask me
too, like is writing fun?
And I used to say yea,
yea, it's fun.
Then I thought about it and I
thought no, actually it's terrible.
It's like having homework every day.
It's also like being
your own dentist.
Taking your own teeth out slowly or
hitting your head against the wall.
Like it feels really
good when you're done,
but while you're doing
it it's terrible.
It's antisocial.
You don't get to talk to people.
So, don't be writers kids.
Oh no wait.
Maybe you should because you can
get a Lamborghini or maybe not.
I might be lying because
that's what I do as writer.
I make things up.
So, I wrote the first story.
It kind of looked like this.
It was just a first
draft on a legal pad.
And I sent stories out people
and got them rejected like crazy.
I used to get form letters that
just said Dear Mr. insert name here.
This is not quite right for us.
But, then I started
sending them stories
that eventually became,
"The Stinky Cheese Man."
Then I got some handwritten letters
and they said Scazocabobble do
not ever send us anything again.
Just like man I'm sorry.
But, I taught second grade.
I mean, but I think it really
freaked them out a story like,
"The Really Ugly Duckling" who grows
up to be just a really
ugly duck, the end.
Like can you imagine an
editor reading that going
like something's wrong
with this man.
But, the only thing wrong
with me was I spent a lot
of time with second graders.
That's also what happened
to my hair.
I had a whole bunch of hair before I
was in second grade for three years.
But, second graders are amazing.
Like that's not going to change
their life when they find
out an ugly duckling grows
up to be an ugly duck.
I think I also learned
that from teaching too.
I taught my second graders and
met them later like in seventh
and eighth grade and there were a
couple kids not really any change.
They just got bigger
and uglier or nicer.
Well, we will get into that though.
That's just terrible.
So, I kept sending things out until
finally somebody took a chance on,
"The True Story of the Three Pigs."
They still didn't really
love it though.
They said this is weird.
But, locally teachers loved it,
librarians loved it,
readers loved it.
They read it to each other.
Like the publishers didn't
think kids would understand it,
but everybody understands that,
like that's how I grew up,
blaming my little brothers.
Like I didn't do it, Tom did it.
Tom would say no, Greg did it,
Greg would say no, Brian did it.
Brian would say no, Jeff did it.
So, see I get all my ideas from
growing up with five brothers.
So, kids if you want to be
writers get five brothers.
Talk to your parents
first though maybe.
Well, we're getting in deep here.
I better start reading some stuff.
Well, the latest thing
that's out is,
"Spaceheadz #4" red hot fiery cover.
You might wonder why
it's number four.
It's because there's,
"Spaceheadz #1 and 2 and 3."
So, in the, "Spaceheadz" I think
I can give you a little clue
of what this is about because
I was inspired to write these
by watching television commercials.
It's kind of one of my favorite
things to imagine like what
if you were an alien
from another planet?
What would you think
Earth was actually all
about if all you watched
were commercials?
For one you would have no
idea what deodorant is about.
Like it gives you 24
hours of protection,
but apparently you just
roll it on your arm.
Oh, my other favorite one
is Charmin with those bears.
Like imagine you're from Mars
and you're trying to figure
out what earthlings
do with toilet paper.
You would never know.
Apparently Charmin just
makes very large bears happy.
So, that's what happens
in, "Spaceheadz."
"Spaceheadz" have learned everything
they know from watching commercials
that are beamed out into space
and they decide to invade Earth.
So, they disguise themselves.
One disguises himself
as a fifth grade boy.
One disguises himself
as a fifth grade girl.
And the most clueless
one disguises himself
as what he thinks is
the most powerful being
in the entire planet,
the class hamster.
So, he becomes a hamster.
And they just show up on the
first day of school in Brooklyn
and they meet with
this new kid Michael K.
And they Michael K. we are
Spaceheadz from another planet.
Can you help us save the world?
And Michael K. looks
at them and he says,
"Could you guys not sit next to me?"
But, they keep pestering
him and they just follow him
around saying no, no, we're
really from another planet.
We need your help.
And they're out on the playground
and Major Fluffy sticks his
out of Bob's pocket and
he goes eek, eek, eek.
And the guys turn to Major
Fluffy and go oh that's right,
I forgot Major Fluffy is the
leader of this whole expedition.
He should explain what happens.
So, I'll read you just a little bit.
There's a little bit of a spoiler
alert here in chapter five.
If you get to the end you might
want to close your ears also,
but this explains everything.
And you know what; this is the
best chapter I have ever written
in my whole life.
And in fact, it's actually the best
chapter that's ever been written
by anyone.
I mean I know that
because I read this.
You know the guy who wrote, "Diary
of a Wimpy Kid" Jeff Kinney?
I read it to him over the phone.
He just started crying like a baby.
And then I read it to-- oh who's
the lady who wrote, "Harry Potter?"
J.K. Rowling, my friend.
I called her up and I read it to
her and you know what she did.
She said, "I'm not writing anymore."
I give up.
So, chapter 5A where Major Fluffy
explains everything, "eek, eek,
eek" said Major Fluffy, eek,
eek, eek, eek, week, eek, eek.
Week, week, eek, eek, eek, eek, eek,
eek, eek, e, e, e eek, eek, eek,
eek, eek, eek, eek, eek, e,
e, e, e, eek, eek, eek, eek.
E, e, e, e, e, e, e, week, week,
eek, week, week, week, week, week,
eek, eek, e, e, e, e, e,
e, e, e, e, e, e, e, e, e,
e. Oh wait, I read that wrong.
That's e, e, wee, wee,
week, week, week, e,
e. Yes there's an entire
chapter written in hampster.
[ Laughter ]
[ Applause ]
Don Dillilo can't do that.
I saw him last night and bugged him.
Oh and look at this and
the chapter ends eek, wee.
Two pages just like that.
That's how fast I write.
That-- well also copy and
paste, which is excellent.
So, I hope I didn't blow
too much of the story.
But, the great part about,
"Spaceheadz" is too it's both
a book series and it's online.
So, Michael K. helps the aliens make
a website because they need to sign
up 3.14 million kids
to save the world.
So, there's a, "Spaceheadz" website.
They use Facebook.
They have a Tumbler.
Major Fluffy has a blog and
he Tweets, but in hamster.
There's also a Major Fluffy app
where you can speak anything
into the app and Major
Fluffy translate it
into hamster, kind of astounding.
I've been at schools where kids will
ask honestly for like 20 minutes,
every question is does
he speak French.
Well, let's try.
Bonjour, eek, eek, eek, eek.
Does he speak Chinese?
I think so.
Does he speak duck?
Yes he does.
And so, it's kind of
handy for a writer.
So, you might be interested to know
that in book two Major Fluffy gets
in more trouble when
a dog runs up to him.
And the dog says woof, woof.
And Major Fluffy says bark, bark,
bark, bark, woof, woof, woof,
tail wag, tail wag,
slobber, slobber, slobber.
So, he speaks dog in book two.
And he speaks to baby Kay in
book three, goo goo, ga ga.
Good guess, goo goo, ga
ga for a whole chapter.
So, this is what writing's
all about.
Oh, some people are going
ga ga here speaking of.
Oh, can I borrow your, "Guy's Read?"
Oh thanks.
And, "Guys Read" I
wanted to show you too.
They're not available in the tent,
but you can find them anywhere else
because this is one of my favorite
things that I'm doing lately.
And it's just a collection of
original stories to sort of connect
with this literacy program
I have called Guys Read.
Oh thanks.
[ Applause ]
And it's all about
just kind of looking
at what we're doing
with boys and reading.
So, what we've been doing
for the last 25 years is
testing boys and girls.
And for the last 25
years we've found
out boys are doing worse than girls.
Every year, every grade
level we test.
So, what do we do?
We test them again.
That's our only strategy so far.
So, what I decided to do is maybe
just get people talking about it.
And having grown up with a bunch
of brothers I realized boys read
in a different way and
it's not a value judgment.
They just might like
different things.
So, this whole library, there's now
five of these books and each one
of them has 10 original stories.
So, this one's all funny stuff
by some of my favorite writers
like Kate DiCamillo, Mac
Barnett, Eoin Colfer,
Jeff Kinney, Jack Gantos.
And it's just a way to introduce
guys to all these different writers
and see maybe you'll like something.
And to give it kind of
a low key approach too.
Not to say you have to read
everything, but maybe find what you
like because I think that's what
we all love to do as readers.
Like we're readers, we like to pick
what we like and boys like that too.
So, check out guysread.com
and then look around at these.
There's a bunch of
them out there now.
We'll let's stop here for questions.
We got like 10 minutes.
I'd love to hear some
of your questions.
Yes?
>> [Inaudible background question]
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh, what
inspired me to write, "Guys Read?"
I love reading, but I
also had some brothers
who didn't like reading so much.
And even my own son's not
too crazy about reading.
So, I tried to find all the
best stuff I could find.
Yea?
[ Inaudible background question ]
>> Jon Scieszka: Ooh, yell
it out as loud as you can.
[ Inaudible background question ]
>> Jon Scieszka: What devices
do I use when I'm writing?
>> What advice.
Where can you download
the hamster app?
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh, where can
you download the hamster app?
Excellent question, on the--
it's just in that great like
mess of Apple Store, iTunes.
It's free too, which is good.
I would feel bad if I
actually charged anything.
Yes?
>> Yea, which on of your brothers
was the oldest one of all?
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh, which one
of my brothers was the oldest?
Jim, but I'm the nicest
and the best looking.
Oh here's microphones here.
That's even more convenient.
Yes?
[ Crowd sounds ]
>> My brother likes trucks
and sometimes we even go
and one time we buyed, "Smash!
Crash!" and we got when
we ordered we like goed
to the-- like William got "Smash!
Crash!"
>> Jon Scieszka: Fantastic.
The question was she
really loves, "Smash!
Crash!", yea.
So, actually that's one
of my favorite books too.
The whole series are all these
different trucks that are based
on kindergartners I know.
In fact, we're working on the
TV show now, which is fun.
Yes, on the right side.
>> What was the newest book
you have been working on?
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh, the
newest book I'm working on?
>> Yea.
>> Jon Scieszka: Should I show
you a sneak peek really quickly?
>> Yea.
>> Jon Scieszka: It's
been called transgressive.
I'm not sure what that means,
but it's called, "Battle Bunny."
Now, I wrote this with Mac
Barnett and it might be hard to see
in the back, but it kind of looks
like a Golden Book
that got messed up.
And that's exactly what it is.
So, it's-- we imagined what
would happen if a kid got a book
that he didn't really
like from his grandma.
But, he's a good story teller
and he's a good artist himself
so he kind of takes this old
book and he adds stuff to it.
I better use my lawyer
for this, I think.
And we love it.
So, this guy makes a better story.
So, instead of the birthday bunny
who's celebrating his birthday
and no one knows when it is
it becomes, "Battle Bunny"
and he fights with all
the animals in the forest.
So, it's out in October.
Wait for that.
Good question.
Yes, on the left side.
>> What inspired you
to write, "Spaceheadz?"
>> What inspired me to
write, "Spaceheadz?"
Teaching third grade, I think--
>> Really.
>> Jon Scieszka: Because third
graders are kind of space heads.
They just are always
out in outer space.
Yes?
>> In, "Spaceheadz" you dedicated it
to the original space
heads, which are from PS58.
>> Jon Scieszka: Yes.
>> Did you teach there?
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh no.
He wondered about the dedication
to the original space heads.
I went and read stuff to
them in Brooklyn at PS58.
>> Oh okay.
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh, that's
a close reading of the text.
I like that.
Yes?
>> Thank you.
As a teacher sometimes I
have kids, boys as you know
who are reluctant readers.
So, your organization Boys
Read has been a great asset
for me to pass on to parents.
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh
that's great to hear.
>> And then secondly I remember
in, "The Knucklehead" you talked
about how you took
comic books to school
and your teacher frowned
at you and--
>> Jon Scieszka: Yea.
>> You questioned that.
And what do you feel, what
do you think is the role
of comic books in education?
>> Jon Scieszka: Oh I love
that graphic story telling
is available to kids now.
In fact, I think we're in
a golden age of kids' books
where there's great nonfiction,
there's great graphic novels,
there's word list books.
There's all kinds of things.
So, it's both a way to
get more kids into it
and not just have kids
read one thing.
Yes?
>> How many books have you written?
>> Jon Scieszka: I think
I've written about 78 books.
A lot of them are short ones and a
lot of them are still in my closet.
But, I think I've published
about 50 of them.
I haven't counted lately.
That's a great question though.
Yes?
>> What is your favorite
Looney Tunes cartoon?
>> Jon Scieszka: What is my
favorite Looney Tunes cartoon?
I think it's the one where Bugs and
Daffy are arguing over duck season,
wabbit season, duck
season, wabbit season.
And then I think Daffy or
Bugs erases Daffy's butt.
>> Excuse me.
>> Jon Scieszka: Yes?
>> How-- what's your favorite book?
>> Jon Scieszka: My favorite
book so far is, "Battle Bunny"
because it's transgressive.
I'm like yea.
That's good.
Yes?
>> What color is your Lamborghini?
>> Jon Scieszka: What color is--
it's gunmetal gray [laughter]
with gullwing doors, V12, maybe.
Depends what the Google
search turns up.
Yes?
>> As a disgruntled Columbia
grad and a public school teacher
in New York I wanted to know
how long did it take you
to write your first book while,
you were teaching at the time?
>> Jon Scieszka: Yea.
Well, actually I took off
from teaching and just sat
in a sad little office in
New York and tried to write.
And it probably took a couple weeks
of writing, but it took a whole year
of getting rejected before three,
"True Story of the Three
Pigs" got accepted.
Yes?
>> Why did you do,
"Stinky Cheese Man?"
>> Jon Scieszka: Why did
I do, "Stinky Cheese Man?"
I think she's an editor.
Oh, you know what, my
daughter's favorite story was,
"The Gingerbread Man."
You know the one where the
gingerbread man runs around
and he smells so good
everybody wants to chase him.
She made me read that story
like five million times
and I think I went crazy.
And I wondered what would
happen if the lady ran
out of gingerbread then she'd
make him out of something else
like really bad smelling cheese.
And then nobody chases him.
Was that a good answer?
Sort of, okay.
I'm sorry.
Yes?
>> Go ahead.
>> Did you ever have a moustache?
>> Jon Scieszka: Did I
ever have a moustache?
Not a good one.
That's a good question though.
No not a really good one.
Should-- do you think I need one?
>> No.
>> Jon Scieszka: No.
Okay, good.
Next.
>> What's your favorite video game?
>> Jon Scieszka: What's
my favorite video game?
I like that one where it's just
a ball of stuff that you push
around and collect more things.
I-- what's the name of that?
>> [Inaudible background answer]
>> Jon Scieszka: Yea, yea.
And you just collect
a bunch of garbage.
What's your favorite?
>> Minecraft.
>> Jon Scieszka: Minecraft.
Ooh that's too hard for me.
Alright guys, I promised
Susan Cooper.
Do you guys know Susan Cooper--
>> [Group response] Yea.
>> Jon Scieszka: Who
wrote, "The Dark is Rising"
and some other really amazing stuff.
She's giving a presentation
right now.
But, I told her I thought my tent
could probably make more noise
than her tent.
So, I would like to video you
all just screaming as loud
as you can on the count of three.
Are you ready?
>> Yea.
>> Yea.
>> Jon Scieszka: Three, two, one.
[ Kids screaming ]
>> Jon Scieszka: Whoa ho ho.
Fantastic, I think we win.
Well, thanks so much guys.
Next I'm going over to sign
in the signing area and then
at 4:30 I'm doing a presentation
with Catherine Patterson,
Susan Cooper and Grace
Lin in the specialty tent.
Thanks guys.
>> This has been a presentation
of the Library of Congress.
Visit us at loc.gov.