Meet Anita Yasuda!

For July, my guest author is Anita Yasuda, a children's book writer.
Read her interview and learn about her and her latest work.


Interview with Anita Yasuda, the author of Explore The Solar System! 25 Great Projects Activities Experiments (Nomad Press 2009)

Tell us about yourself first.

I am a trained Montessori early childhood teacher who works as a freelance writer. I’ve written ten books to date with more titles scheduled to be released next year. My family travels widely and as such I am lucky to visit places around the world. My non-writing self is usually volunteering at school events or is back stage at the local theatre.

When did you start writing?

My mother tells me I always had a pencil in my hand and would stay up for hours writing and writing long after the lights went out. Thank goodness for flashlights! I started working as a freelance writer ten years ago, shortly after my daughter was born and haven’t looked back since.

What genres have you written?

I write nonfiction because I love researching. It’s exciting to learn something new, to ‘meet’ famous and not so famous people from the past and present, to travel to unusual locations, learn about multicultural festivals, and to tell an interesting story of course! I’ve written books for collectors on many subjects including Japanese children’s fabrics, Hello Kitty®, Japanese anime, travel books on San Diego and Buffalo and even ghost books on California. My articles for children mainly focus on multicultural crafts and festivals. I’ve written pieces on voting in India, children’s toys from Indonesia, stargazing, and more.

Is Explore the Solar System: 25 Projects, Activities, Experiments (Nomad Press 2009) your first book?

Explore the Solar System: 25 Projects, Activities, Experiments is my first book for children. I previously have written nine books for adults. It was great to work on a book I could share with my daughter who is in Grade five and my niece and nephew. I was so lucky to have three eager children ready and willing to try out all the activities.

Tell us about your book. What is it about?

Explore the Solar System: 25 Projects, Activities, Experiments, takes children ages 6-9 on an amazing, standards-based journey to the solar system, teaching them about everything from the Earth to the Sun, to the Asteroid Belt and beyond. The activities run the gamut from creating an origami version of the solar system that can hang anywhere to making a solar oven to witness the power of the sun, providing a fun way to learn about the Solar System.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was thrilled when I was asked to write this book as I’ve always been an astronomy buff. I’ve enjoyed many nights looking at the stars with my daughter. As 2009 is the International Year of Astronomy and the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s astronomical observations what better way to celebrate than writing a text that children could use to discover the solar system.

How long did it take you to write it?

I wrote the book over six months. Most of the activities were completed in half that time as I had such enthusiastic volunteers!

Who is the publisher of your book?

Nomad Press located in Vermont published my book. They are a great company who publish quality children’s educational books. I was a customer before I wrote for them!

Where is it on sale?

Explore the Solar System: 25 Projects, Activities, Experiments is available through any major chain such as Amazon or Chapters, and at Independent bookstores.
What do you advise new writers to do?

Write about what you love. And remember to read as much as you can in the genre in which you are writing.


Thank you!


http://anitayasuda.livejournal.com/