Her Eyes Were On the Stars: Nancy Grace Roman, “Mother of Hubble” Space Telescope, tells the story of how one girl’s dream of becoming an astronomer turned into a reality. What inspired you to tell her story?

At the time, I was looking for subjects to write about. I was hearing a lot about STEM and biographies for women in science, so maybe it was prophetic when I was watching an episode of NOVA on PBS about the Hubble Telescope and “the Mother of Hubble” when the name of Nancy Grace Roman was mentioned, and I thought she might be an interesting person to write about. She was certainly someone I had never heard of before and I was willing to bet others hadn’t either. I realized how remarkable she was after I started some preliminary research. I was fortunate to find her email on NASA’s website and to receive a quick response from her saying she would be interested in doing a telephone interview with me. From there, there was no turning back!

Your background in Engineering and having an MLIS in children’s literature gives you a unique perspective on writing nonfiction children’s books. What is the most rewarding part of writing books for children to you?

For me, it is that feeling I want to recreate that I had as a child reading really good books, magical books, or those that gave me a glimpse into someone else’s life. I’ve always had an interest in science, so maybe I am more interested in writing about those subjects. But I am also a very creative person, and my interest in architecture and interior design goes back to my creativity. So even though I love writing nonfiction, I also love making stories up, too.

What were some educational aspects that were important for you to include in this children’s book?

One thing I wanted to convey was how important first-hand accounts are to research. Primary sources are essential, and that was why I wanted so badly to interview Dr. Nancy Grace Roman in person. I wanted her account of events. I always tell kids that research can be like a game of telephone. The original message gets tangled the more times it gets told. So, one thing I really wanted to include in this book were the actual quotes Dr. Roman said to me. Also, I included all the other sources I used in the bibliography in the back that can be checked against my work. We all need to remember that just because someone says something, it doesn’t mean it’s true. Check your facts!

Will this book be the start of a series? I would love to see more books about other women in science, or are you working on a different story?

This book is a stand-alone, with no plans for more in a series. I do have other books, both nonfiction and fiction. One nonfiction book I am very proud of is Octopus Capers that is still unpublished, but with my agent, Stephen Fraser of Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency. He also has a middle-grade fantasy called The Changeling. Currently, I am working on a Halloween picture book called Every Creature Eats about a witch’s party where she is pushing lots of “treats” on her guests. It’s the kind of book I would’ve loved to have had as a Children’s Librarian at the library, where I would read a story to the kids, and then we’d have an activity related to the book, in this case, a snack.

Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website | Amazon