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The Unvarnished Truth
So You Want To Be An Actor is a guide for young readers that explores the real craft behind acting, showing how performers build characters, handle auditions, survive rejection, and turn imagination into truthful performance. Why did you feel it was important not to romanticize the profession?
Because children know when a book is performing for them instead of speaking to them, and the moment they sense it, they stop trusting you. My whole approach to this series is to meet a child eye to eye, and you cannot do that while hiding the hard parts of a calling behind a curtain of sparkle.
Acting in particular is romanticized to the point of distortion. Kids see red carpets and assume that is the job. The job is auditioning, hearing no, preparing fully again, hearing no again, and walking into the next room anyway. If a young reader is drawn to this work, they deserve to know that rejection is a permanent feature of the profession — not a phase to push through.
I want to be clear that this honesty is not meant to discourage. Quite the opposite. Telling a child the unvarnished truth about a calling is the highest form of respect I can offer them. It says: I think you can handle this, and I think you deserve to choose with your eyes open. The children this book is for are not fragile. They are exploring ideas that at some point will become important decisions. And a decision made on the basis of the real thing is sturdier than a decision made on the basis of the polished version. When a child learns about the auditions, the rejections, the years of training, the financial uncertainty — and still leans forward, still wants in — that is one of the most important pieces of information a young person can have about themselves. It tells them the pull is coming from somewhere real. That is the seed of a vocation, not a daydream.
I also believe the wonder of acting becomes more powerful, not less, when you set it next to the work. The standing ovation matters more when you understand what it costs.
You introduce major acting ideas, such as Stanislavski and Method acting, in a very accessible way. What challenges did simplifying those concepts pose without losing their meaning?
The hardest part of simplifying was deciding what must survive the compression. A children’s book has no room for a full tour of Stanislavski, Strasberg, Meisner, Adler, and the century of debate among their inheritors. So the question I kept asking was: if I can only carry a few things across the bridge, which ones cannot be left behind?
Three felt non-negotiable. First, that acting is a craft with technique, not a mysterious gift bestowed on the chosen few, which means it can be studied, practiced, and improved like any other skill. Second, that the great teachers were after truthful behavior, not the performance of big emotion; the kid who tries to summon real tears at 12 and feels broken when it doesn’t work needs to know that manufactured feeling was never the point, and their acting potential is not measurable by whether they can cry on command. And third, that there is more than one legitimate path into the work, and a young actor gets to find the approach that fits them rather than forcing themselves into the one the movies made famous.
Everything else — the lineages, the disputes, the technical vocabulary — I let go. The way through was to keep language plain and anchor every abstract idea in something a child can already feel. What does my character want? What are they afraid of? Those questions open the door to serious craft without requiring a 10-year-old to learn Russian, pick a specific school of thought, or cry on demand to prove they belong.
The book covers stage, screen, voice work, and physical theater. How did you decide how much depth to give each path, and which surprised you most when you researched its specific demands?
I gave stage and screen the most room because that is often where young readers first imagine themselves. But I wanted voice acting and physical performance to feel equally serious, because they are — and because a kid whose strengths lie there shouldn’t finish the book thinking they’ve only seen the side door.
The biggest surprise to me was Frank Welker. He is the highest-grossing actor in film history, but most readers have never heard his name. He’s earned around $8 billion at the box office, spent an entire career built inside a sound booth, and yet enjoys total anonymity at the grocery store. That single fact reframes what an acting career can be.
The other surprise was just how different stage and screen acting really are. They look like the same craft from the outside, but working actors will tell you they aren’t. The camera reads micro-expressions that the back row of a theater will never see. The stage demands a voice that fills a room the camera would find embarrassing.
You write that acting builds confidence, empathy, observation, imagination, and the courage to try something new. Which of those benefits do you think is most underrated and most useful outside the theater?
Really, all of the above, but if I had to narrow it down, I think listening is most underrated and underemphasized. Real listening — the kind actors mean when they say it. Most of us aren’t listening to the people in front of us; we’re waiting for our turn to speak, rehearsing our next line while theirs is still being said. Actors are trained to truly receive what the other person gives them and let it change what happens next. That is a skill very few professions teach directly, and almost every relationship needs.
Empathy gets the headlines, and rightly so. But empathy without listening is just imagination running in a private room. A child who learns to actually take in another person’s words, body, and silence — and respond to what is really there instead of what they expected — has been given a tool that will serve them in every friendship, every classroom, every argument with someone they love.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
So You Want To Be An Actor pulls back the curtain on one of the oldest and most demanding performing arts careers on earth — not the red-carpet fantasy, but the real one. Written for young readers ages 10 to 14, this illustrated nonfiction guide takes kids and tweens inside the rehearsal rooms, audition halls, and theater stages where actors learn their craft from the ground up. It’s honest, specific, and built for the curious mind that wants to know what this profession actually looks like before the applause starts.
Inside these pages, young actors and aspiring performers will discover how real training works — the voice and movement exercises that turn a body into an expressive instrument, the script analysis that reveals what a character is truly saying beneath the words, and the drama techniques that let a performer live truthfully in someone else’s circumstances. From stage to screen to voice work to physical theater, this book covers the full range of the acting world and what each path demands.
But this isn’t just a guide to technique. It’s a book about resilience. Actors face rejection not as a rare setback but as the daily texture of a working life. Young readers will learn how performers build the emotional strength to audition again and again, how they prepare scenes and monologues with discipline and imagination, and why the people who stay in this profession say that when a performance truly lands — when the room goes still and something shifts — nothing else comes close.
Whether your child has been cast in every school play since second grade or is quietly reading every part in every story they encounter, this book meets them where they are. It doesn’t talk down. It doesn’t oversimplify. It treats kids as capable of understanding the real demands of a career in acting — the physical, vocal, and psychological work that sits behind every performance that looks effortless.
Comedy or drama, stage or screen, the greatest performance anyone has ever seen began with someone who was willing to go somewhere true. For the young performer ready to find out if that someone might be them.
Ages 10 to 14. Illustrated nonfiction for kids who take their dreams seriously.
So You Want To Be A Crime Scene Investigator
So You Want To Be A Crime Scene Investigator, by Linda Soules, is a fascinating and kid-friendly guide for young readers who are curious about forensic science and what crime scene investigators actually do. Instead of giving kids the flashy TV version of CSI work, this book explains the real job in a clear and honest way. Readers learn about photographing crime scenes, collecting fingerprints and samples, documenting evidence, protecting the chain of custody, and making sure everything is handled carefully enough to hold up in court.
What makes this kids’ book especially interesting is how well it connects science to real life. DNA analysis, fingerprint examination, trace evidence, bloodstain patterns, and lab work are all explained in a way that feels easy to understand without being boring or watered down. The book also shows that crime scene investigation is not just about finding clues. It takes patience, focus, teamwork, critical thinking, and the ability to stay calm when the pressure is high.
The detailed illustrations and fun facts add a lot to the reading experience. They make the information more engaging and give young readers something to look at and really imagine the job. I also liked that the book talks about different kinds of forensic work, the history of forensic science, and even the emotional side of the job. The book states, “Crime scenes are places where something bad has happened…” That honesty helps kids get a fuller picture of the career, including both the exciting parts and the serious responsibilities.
This is a great choice for children who are interested in science or future careers in crime scene investigation. It’s organized, informative, encouraging, and has extra resources that help kids keep learning after they finish the book. So You Want To Be A Crime Scene Investigator is not only useful for young readers but also enjoyable for adults who like learning about forensic science in a simple and engaging way.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1972766293
Unity and Teamwork
Part career guide, part science lesson, So You Want To Be A Firefighter turns fire behavior, rescue tools, and emergency response into something fascinating and accessible. What were you most determined not to leave out, and what did you most want to show beyond the fire truck?
The 75%. More than three-quarters of the calls a modern firefighter responds to aren’t fires at all. They’re heart attacks, broken bones, seizures, car accidents, floods, chemical spills, the woman down on the kitchen floor, the kid trapped in a wrecked car. If a young reader closed the book thinking “firefighter” means “person who sprays water on flames,” I’d have failed them. Today’s firefighter is an emergency responder in the broadest sense, and the truck on the cover is just the most visible part of a much larger promise.
In addition to including some of the science, the other thing I wouldn’t budge on was the station as a home. The cooking together, arguing over who does the dishes, the 24-hour shifts, the bond that retired firefighters describe missing more than any rescue. Children imagine the dramatic parts on their own. What they don’t see is the long, ordinary middle — the trust built over thousands of shared dinners that makes the unity and teamwork in dangerous moments possible. That trust is the real engineering of a fire crew, even though it’s much quieter than the siren.
The inclusion of historical figures like Molly Williams and references to 9/11 give the book a wider sense of firefighting history and sacrifice. Why did you feel those stories mattered for this audience?
Because firefighting history is a story about who gets to be a hero — and for a long time, the answer was narrower than it should have been. Molly Williams was an enslaved Black woman in New York City who, in the blizzard of 1818, dragged a fire engine through snow when the male firefighters were too sick to respond. She did the job they were paid to do and got none of the recognition they received. She was never officially acknowledged in her own time.
History has corrected that, and a child who reads about her closes the book understanding something true: the people who have always shown up include people whose names were left out of the old books on purpose.
The 343 firefighters on 9/11 belong to a different conversation, but the same lesson. Children today were not alive when that happened. They know it as a date on a wall somewhere. Telling them, plainly, that 343 people ran into those towers while everyone else was running out gives them something solid to hold onto about what human beings are capable of when the moment asks everything of them. I trust kids with that. I think they’re hungrier for that kind of truth than we give them credit for.
I liked that the book offers readers practical ways to start preparing now through fitness, volunteering, and taking on responsibilities. What inspired you to make the book so action-oriented?
Two things. First, kids ages 8-14 are at exactly the age where the gap between “I want to” and “I can start” feels the most discouraging part of dreaming about a career. We tell children to follow their passions, and we mean it well, but the encouragement lands flat without doors they can actually walk through today. So I wanted every reader to close the book with at least one thing they could do this week — and ideally a few more they could pick up over the months ahead.
There’s also an indirect benefit to taking action early that I wanted to honor. Most children will change their minds about what they want to be many times, and that’s exactly as it should be. The habits built while chasing one dream — discipline, service, showing up, paying attention — travel beautifully to the next dream, and the one after that. A child who volunteered at the animal shelter at ten because she wanted to be a veterinarian will carry something from those Saturdays into whatever calling actually claims her. Action turns a dream into a practice, and the practice outlasts any single version of the dream.
Second, and more fundamentally, I wanted parents and teachers reading over the child’s shoulder to have something to do together. “Make a fire escape plan for your home — seriously, tonight” is in there because real firefighters will tell you it’s the single most important thing a family can do. That sentence has nothing to do with becoming a firefighter someday. It has to do with not dying in a house fire next month. If the book convinces one family to walk through their house this weekend and pick a meeting spot in the yard, the book has already earned its place on the shelf, regardless of what the reader grows up to be.
Aspirational and practical aren’t opposites. I aim for these books to be both at once.
Your So You Want To Be A… series consistently treats kids like capable thinkers rather than passive learners. Why is that philosophy important to your work?
Because the way you write to a child is the way you tell them what you think they’re capable of, and they’re listening for that signal even when the words are about something else. A book pitched slightly above where a child stands is an invitation. A book pitched slightly below is a ceiling — and children sense the difference within a page or two. Give them the harder vocabulary, the surprising fact, the genuine complexity, and most will rise to meet it, and feel taller for having done so.
My North Star for this whole series has been a single question: what would I want to hand a curious child? Not a child whose curiosity I plan to manage, but a child whose curiosity I trust to lead somewhere good if I give it real material to chew on. That means the surprising facts, the hard parts of the job, the historical wrong that wasn’t righted in its time. It’s important to provide tools to understand new concepts presented, and sometimes, younger kids will only pick up a piece of it the first time around, but the reach itself is part of what makes the reading worth doing.
Underneath all of this is a permission slip I am trying to slide across the table: you are allowed to take yourself seriously. Your questions are real questions. Your interests are real interests. You don’t have to wait until some later age to be a thinking person — you already are one, and here is a book that proceeds on that assumption.
There is also something subtly political in it, though I don’t say it that way to kids. We live in an era that markets to children constantly and listens to them rarely. A book that meets a child eye to eye is doing something small but real against that tide. It’s saying: you are a person whose attention is worth earning, not capturing. If a child closes one of these books and feels — even without naming it — that someone took them seriously for 38 pages, that’s the experience I’m trying to give. Everything else follows from there.
Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon
So You Want To Be A Firefighter is a career exploration guide for kids ages 10 to 14 who want the truth about one of the world’s most respected and demanding professions. No sugarcoating. No shortcuts. Just an honest, richly illustrated look at what firefighters do, how they train, and what drives them to keep showing up when the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Inside, you’ll discover what a real firefighter’s day looks like from dawn to well past midnight. Morning drills and equipment checks. The science of fire behavior — how flames move, how buildings fail, and why understanding both can save lives. Emergency medical response, hazardous materials training, and rescue techniques practiced again and again until they become second nature. This isn’t a surface-level overview. It’s the kind of deep, detailed look that treats young readers like the capable, curious people they are.
You’ll also learn about the tools and technology firefighters depend on, from thermal imaging cameras to the sixty-plus pounds of protective gear they wear into every blaze. You’ll meet some of the legendary figures who shaped the history of firefighting and see how the profession has transformed over centuries into one of the most technically skilled jobs in public safety.
But gear and gadgets are only part of the story. This book digs into the human side of the fire service — the physical and psychological demands that test every firefighter, the trust forged between crew members who share meals, quarters, and life-or-death moments, and the deep sense of purpose that keeps veterans coming back shift after shift. It explores why this career calls to certain people and what that pull actually means.
Most importantly, it shows kids what they can start doing right now to explore whether firefighting might be part of their future. Fitness benchmarks. Volunteer opportunities. The mindset and habits that set future first responders apart long before they ever set foot in an academy.
So You Want To Be A Firefighter is the book for every young person who wants more than a daydream — who wants a real, unflinching look at what it means to answer the call. Because the fire doesn’t wait, and neither does the kind of kid who’s ready to discover what they’re made of.
Ages 10 to 14. Nonfiction. Careers and Professions. Illustrated.
So You Want To Be A Pilot
Linda Soules’ So You Want To Be A Pilot is an engaging and informative children’s book that takes young readers beyond the fantasy of flying and into the real world of aviation. Written for curious readers ages 10 to 14, the book captures the excitement of watching a plane cross the sky while also explaining the discipline, training, and responsibility behind every safe flight. Soules doesn’t present piloting as simply sitting in a cockpit and steering through the clouds; instead, she shows that becoming a pilot requires dedication, precision, teamwork, and a deep respect for safety.
One of the book’s greatest strengths is the way it makes complex aviation concepts accessible without watering them down. Readers learn about aerodynamics, weather, navigation, cockpit instruments, and the many systems that help pilots fly safely even when visibility is poor. Soules explains fascinating details, such as why pilots rely on checklists, why cockpit communication must be exact, and how modern pilots work with autopilot systems. These facts are presented in clear, down-to-earth language, making the book an excellent STEM resource for children who want real answers about how airplanes work.
The line, “The most extraordinary achievement in aviation is not the speed… it is the calm ordinariness,” stood out to me because it shifts the focus from the excitement of flying to the incredible safety and discipline behind it. It made me think about how amazing it is that hundreds of people can travel seven miles above the earth at incredible speed and feel comfortable enough to fall asleep. I also liked how the book lists pilot code words like “wilco” and “squawk,” because kids can start using them right away and feel like real pilots learning the language of the cockpit.
The book also gives readers a thoughtful look at the profession itself. From early training and first solo flights to commercial aviation, cargo flying, bush flying, and test piloting, Soules shows that there are many paths into the sky. The book’s “day in the life” approach helps young readers imagine the routine and responsibility of the job, from early morning walk-arounds to careful landings. Profiles of aviation figures such as Amelia Earhart, Chuck Yeager, and Bessie Coleman add historical interest and help readers see aviation as a field shaped by courage, innovation, and persistence.
So You Want To Be A Pilot is both inspiring and honest. It celebrates the wonder of flight while making it clear that piloting is a calling built on preparation, judgment, and lifelong learning. With its practical guidance, glossary, career insights, and wonderful illustrations, this book is a fantastic choice for children who love airplanes, dream of becoming pilots, or enjoy learning how things work. Soules gives young readers the respect of telling them the real story, and in doing so, she reminds them that big dreams begin with curiosity, effort, and the courage to keep looking up.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0GX2Z6499
So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter (Archaeologist)
So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter is a fun and enchanting guide for any curious kids who have ever picked up an old coin, a strange rock, or a broken piece of pottery and wondered, “Who left this here?” Aimed at readers ages 10–14, the book takes the exciting idea of treasure hunting and turns it into something even better: real archaeology. Instead of focusing on movie-style traps, secret tombs, and piles of gold, Soules shows readers that the true treasure is the story behind an object and what it can teach us about people who lived long ago.
One of the best things about this book is how clearly it explains the science behind archaeology without making it feel boring or complicated. Readers learn about tools and methods like ground-penetrating radar, LIDAR, magnetometry, stratigraphy, dating methods, conservation, and lab analysis. That may sound like a lot, but the writing keeps things easy to follow and exciting. The book shows how archaeologists figure out where to dig, how they carefully record what they find, and why even a tiny pottery shard can be just as important as something shiny or expensive.
I liked how the book explains the difference between archaeology and looting. Soules makes it clear that digging up an object without understanding where it came from can destroy part of its story forever. The book shows that context matters more than the artifact itself, which is a powerful lesson for young readers. It also highlights the teamwork involved in archaeology, from field crews and scientists to conservators and local communities, helping readers understand that major discoveries are rarely made by one person working alone.
So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter (Archaeologist) is an inspiring and smart book for kids who love history, mysteries, ancient civilizations, and hands-on discovery. It respects its young audience by giving them real information about the hard work, patience, and responsibility that archaeology requires, while still keeping the sense of wonder alive. This is a great read for any child who dreams of uncovering the past and wants to know what it really takes to find the stories buried beneath our feet.
Pages: 38 | ASIN : B0GZHKQ7VK
So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver
So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver is the kind of children’s book that makes you realize there is so much more to a job than what you see on the surface. Written for young readers around ages 9–14, this illustrated guide takes kids deep into the world of professional diving, from the first spark of ocean curiosity to the intense training, science, teamwork, and bravery needed to work far below the waves. I think it does a great job showing that deep-sea diving is an adventure and a serious career that takes discipline, focus, and a lot of knowledge.
I loved how much real information it includes without making the topic feel overwhelming. Readers learn about pressure, decompression, gas mixtures, saturation diving, underwater welding, shipwreck archaeology, cave exploration, and even what happens to the human body underwater. It explains complex ideas in a way that feels clear and exciting, while still respecting how dangerous and demanding this job can be. The glossary, career details, and real-world examples make it useful for reports, career day, or any child who is curious about ocean work.
The illustrations are another big highlight. They bring the deep ocean, the gear, and the divers’ work to life, especially for kids who are visual learners. The book also covers the people behind every dive, like supervisors, standby divers, medical technicians, deck crews, and scientists waiting topside. That teamwork element makes the profession feel even more real. I even learned something as an adult. I didn’t know that being in the deep sea “actually changes how your brain works, in ways scientists are still studying.”
This is an engaging, detailed, and surprisingly fun read, even for adults. You don’t have to want to become a deep-sea diver to enjoy it, because there is so much to learn about the ocean, science, history, and the hidden jobs that keep parts of the modern world running. This would be a great gift for a sea-loving kid, a useful classroom book, or a strong addition to a career exploration series. Linda Soules makes deep-sea diving feel mysterious, challenging, and possible, and that is exactly what makes the book so appealing.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1972766316
So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete
So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete, by Linda Soules, is a smart and encouraging nonfiction guide for kids who dream about playing sports at the highest level. Instead of focusing only on fame, trophies, and big game moments, this book shows what being a professional athlete really looks like behind the scenes. Soules makes it clear that talent matters, but it is only the beginning. The real work comes through practice, discipline, training, recovery, and learning how to handle pressure.
One of the best parts of this children’s book is how honest it is without being discouraging. Young readers learn about strength training, nutrition, sleep, film study, mental toughness, and the team of coaches, trainers, nutritionists, and sports psychologists who help athletes perform their best. The book also explains the less glamorous parts of the job, like injuries, early mornings, strict routines, public failure, and the fact that an athletic career does not last forever. That honesty makes the book feel useful, especially for kids who may think professional athletes mostly just show up and play.
The writing is clear, casual, and easy for kids to follow, while still treating them like serious readers. Soules doesn’t talk down to her audience, and she gives enough detail to make the world of elite sports feel real. The colorful illustrations, fun facts, real athlete stories, glossary, and “day in the life” sections help keep the book engaging. Some parts are packed with information, so it may appeal most to curious readers who enjoy learning how things work, but sports-loving kids will find plenty here to keep their attention. I also liked how it mentions that “The mental dimension is as demanding as the physical.” I don’t think many children’s book go into this aspect enough, and I was happy to see this book tackle that side of sports.
So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete is a great choice for young athletes, sports fans, families, teachers, and coaches. It gives kids a realistic look at the hard work behind greatness while still encouraging them to dream big. More than anything, it shows that being “professional” starts long before the crowd cheers your name, it starts with the choices you make when no one is watching.
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1972766200
So You Want To Be A Toy Designer
So You Want To Be A Toy Designer, by Linda Soules, is a fun and eye-opening nonfiction children’s book that gives kids a real look at what it takes to create the toys they love. Rather than treating toy design like a simple dream job where people just sketch cool ideas all day, the book shows how much thought, testing, teamwork, and problem-solving go into every toy before it ever reaches a store shelf. It’s especially great for creative kids who like to draw, build, tinker, or take things apart just to see how they work.
One of the best things about this book is how clearly it explains the connection between imagination and engineering. Readers learn that toy designers don’t just ask, “Would this be fun?” They also have to think about child development, safety, materials, manufacturing, and how kids actually play. The book walks through the full process, from early sketches and prototypes to play testing, redesigning, and safety reviews.
I especially liked the prototyping section because it makes the design process feel real and exciting. The artwork showing how an idea can move from a simple drawing, to a clay model, then a 3D print, and eventually into a finished toy was one of the most interesting parts of the book for me. I like it because it helps readers see that toy design is not just about having a fun idea; it’s about shaping, testing, changing, and improving that idea until it becomes something kids can actually play with.
The layout of the book is kid-friendly, with sections about the best parts of the job, the hardest parts, surprising facts, tools designers use, and even a day-in-the-life look at the profession. The fun facts about famous toys and inventors, and the accidental creation of the Slinky, make the book even more engaging and educational. The illustrations are vibrant and helpful, and the glossary is a nice bonus for readers who are learning toy design terms for the first time.
This is an informative and genuinely inspiring career guide for elementary and middle school readers. It’s honest about the challenges, including the fact that not every toy idea works, but it still makes the field feel exciting and possible. So You Want To Be A Toy Designer would be a great choice for classrooms, libraries, career reports, or any kid who has ever looked at a toy and thought, “I could make something like that.”
Pages: 38 | ISBN : 978-1972766255
