Today we talk about Simon Smith – Schoolboy Spy, a book by Mark Creasy published with our publishing house Europe Books.
Europe Books had the pleasure of interviewing the author Mark Creasy to get to know him better, where and why he found the inspiration to write his children’s book Simon Smith – Schoolboy Spy, as well as how illustrations are important for children.
Below you can find our interview. Take a seat and enjoy your reading!!!
- Where did you find the inspiration to write a children’s book?
The book began as model paragraphs for my class, where we were constructing a detailed story set in a school. I provided scaffolds for the learners through my own writing, which allowed them to draw inspiration for their own work. At the end of the week, despite their stories being completed, a few boys asked me to write a bit more as they liked my plot and wanted to see where the story went. I reflected on enjoying the writing and decided to plan an entire book; story, characters and purpose, which became Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy. I wanted to create an engaging book, with higher level vocabulary, aiming to create cliffhanger chapters, imagining teachers reading in class and saying, ‘we’ll find that out tomorrow.’ Being a teacher for 28 years, I was able to draw inspiration for the characters from many children whom I have taught; their characteristics, quirks and personalities. Although, the greatest inspiration is my daughter Jessica, who is the basis for the character Jess in the book (including our dog Presley, who has a pink ball) and is why the book is dedicated to her – she is at the heart of everything I do.
- How important do you think illustrations are in a children’s book?
I think illustrations are vital in books for children of all ages, not just the very young. Although Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy does not have any illustrations, this is because I do not feel that they were needed to amplify the story, instead I tried to create the images in the readers’ minds through detailed descriptions. However, when I reflect on so many books that I have used in class with my learners, such as The Island by Armin Greder, Anthony Browne’s books and Roald Dahl’s books illustrated by Quentin Blake, I know how impactful the illustrations were, and what a difference they made to the children.This is not to say that future Simon Smith books wouldn’t include illustrations, in fact, with increased spying I imagine they will, showing the reader puzzles and codes for them to solve, it just wasn’t right for the content and aim of this book.
- What would you like to hear from your young readers?
I’d love to get feedback of any kind from my readers, it will be heartwarming to hear their reaction to the book. I’d hope that readers can see themselves in the characters and hear how they feel they relate to them. Similarly, I would like readers to say what they think about all the characters, Simon may be the main focus, but there is a cast of others in the book: Who is their favourite? Would they like to see any of the characters developed in any way? Would like new characters, or even to get rid of some? With regards to the book itself, when did the readers solve the mystery of Mill Lane Secondary School? What gave it away to them? Also, what do they think happened to Shreya? In particular, I aimed for a more challenging vocabulary for the text, trying to elevate the lexicon of the reader – how did readers find this? Did they look words up, or skip over them? I would like to think that young readers will be inspired to use some of the language from the book in their own writing – even better, has it inspired them to create their own stories?
- What will parents understand through your stories?
Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy may be a book aimed primarily at children aged 8-13, but fundamentally it can be enjoyed by anyone who likes a mystery and a story involving strong characters, as well as witnessing people going through a journey and overcoming challenges. So, to that end, I hope that parents will enjoy the story in their own right, not just as a book they read with their child – in fact some friends who have already read the book told me how much they loved it! As a parent, I hope that other parents understand the need for more challenging vocabulary, dialogue and plots in children’s book that Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy aims to provide. From this, I hope that any parent reading the book with their child or listening to them read it will encourage them to look up tricky words. Furthermore, I hope that parents will also understand that engaging their child with predictions about the story is a fundamental element of reading and is something that the book provides ample opportunities for.
- Are you working on new writing projects that you can tell us about?
Absolutely! I’ve recently completed writing the second book of the Simon Smith, which I am editing and re-drafting story – which will happen several times before I’m happy with it. Book 2 is set immediately after Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy where the gang all go on holiday and have an unexpected, life-changing adventure! I have plans for many more adventures for Simon and The One Hundred Percenters, so have already mapped out their journey through 5 books. I don’t want to plan too many more as I want to hear what feedback people give me and also what inspirations I find as I go along. I am aware that Simon and his friends completed Year 8 at the end of Simon Smith Schoolboy Spy, so would like their adventures to develop and for the audience to grow with them – much like the readers of Harry Potter did. Beyond fiction writing, I have decided to look again at my first education book, Unhomework and feel it is time for an updated, post-Covid version. I intend planning and drafting this over the coming weeks – in between breaks from book 2, currently titled Simon Smith & The One Hundred Percenters – A Holiday Adventure.
Europe Books thanks the author Mark Creasy once again for taking the time and answering our questions. We are really pleased to have walked alongside him on the editorial path that led to the publication of his book Simon Smith – Schoolboy Spy. We wish him the best of luck for his book and for his future works.
To you, my readers, may this book be a great source of inspiration for everyone and may it bring you a great experience to enjoy. And remember that, no matter how adult you are, books for children have a lot to teach us all! Written in simple and clear concepts, illustrated children’s book have the ability to give us important life lessons or they put us back in touch with our forgotten child side which just needs to be awakened.
So, my dear reader, all I have to say is to enjoy your reading!
Your Editor!