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MEET ANN MARTIN BOWLER (6/2011)
by Ann Stalcup

What books influenced you most when you were growing up? 

Ann Martin Bowler

I read the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books many, many times as a child.  I was fascinated by Laura’s life; I honestly lived her life in my imagination. 

Did you write stories when you were growing up? at school? Or at home as a hobby? As a young child, or as a teenager, or both?

I was a busy kid. I rode horses and my bike and played a number of sports. But at the same time, though I wasn't the greatest of students, I very much enjoyed reading and learning. I did a report on New Zealand when I was in the fifth grade that was 3 or four inches thick; I still remember the look on my teacher’s face when I turned it in. It was packed with pamphlets and maps and long descriptions about life in New Zealand. I honestly got a giant kick out doing that report; I still dream of visiting New Zealand. Today, my writing is very much like that New Zealand report; I am still very curious about the world. My writing allows me to learn about the things I am most curious about.

When you were a child did you ever have a moment when you decided that you were going to be a writer when you grew up?

 I didn't start writing in earnest until I was in my forties. My sixth grade teacher, Mr. Tousingon, told me I explained things better than any young person he had ever met; I decided then and there that I would be a teacher.  I loved being a primary teacher and was one for many years. While teaching, I had lots of fun writing songs and stories with my classes.
All along though, I've always loved children's literature. Both with my own children and in my classroom, I saw how books like CHAROLETTE’S WEB absolutely captivated children while other books didn't at all; I thought how wonderful it would be to write books of that caliber. One day, while working with a group of first graders using a particularly boring beginner reader, I realized I could write better readers than the one we were using. I began writing more and more things for my students. That was the fateful period I began to consider myself as a writer. I quit teaching a couple of years later and began to write full-time. Interestingly, I’ve had seven beginner readers published and have two more coming out soon.

What are the topics are some of your books?

I write mainly on multicultural and environmental topics. My multicultural books very much come from my family's life. For example, my oldest son lives in Indonesia.  I was inspired to retell GECKO’S COMPLAINT, A BALINESE FOLKTALE while traveling on the Indonesian island of Bali with my son. I was so impressed by the amazing variety of artwork that is created on Bali and by the storytellers who tell fabulous, colorful tales. GECKO”S COMPLAINT was my way of sharing a bit of Bali's lovely art and stories with the rest of the world.
My two youngest children were adopted from Korea. Before the older one came home, I had no idea what a big deal it would be to bring a Korean child into our home. I soon realized that when people look at my children, they see Korean-Americans and expect a certain amount of knowledge of them: that they know what kimchi is and that they can use chopsticks, for example. I wrote ALL ABOUT KOREA, STORIES, SONGS, CRAFTS AND MORE so that families like ours, as well as Korean-American families, teachers and anyone interested in learning more about Korea could easily experience many aspects of the lovely Korean culture.
ALL ABOUT KOREA was a really fun project for my family! My daughter, Sarah, helped me with the recipes, my son Jacob created all the models for the craft projects and Korea was discussed around our house every day for two years. I feel fortunate to have been able to write this book!

What kinds of things inspire you to write? 

My writing is very much driven by the things that interest me and that I think about. As I mentioned, cultures are fascinating to me. I believe our world would be a more peaceful place if we understood each other a bit more, if we accepted one another. I guess you could say my multicultural writing is my small contribution toward world peace.
I spend as much time as I can outside, hiking, cross-country skiing or just appreciating our natural world.  I am very concerned about environmental issues; I worry about the many ways we are damaging our planet.  I have been working on a project that I hope will show children what a gift our planet is and inspire them and their parents to take better care of this precious gift.

Have any of your books earned special recognition?

Yes, I have received some awards.  In 2009, the Chinese edition of my book ADVENTURES OF THE TREASURE FLEET, CHINA DISCIVERS THE WORLD was placed on the “Good Book List,” Taiwan's highest children's book award similar to our Newberry.  My book THE HISTORY OF THE PASO ROBLES INN, MORE THAN A CENTURY OF PRIDE was honored as the best piece of nonfiction written in 2004 by the Sacramento Publishers Association. Though my book ALL ABOUT KOREA has not received any award as of yet, the words of the Korean Consul General felt like an award to me when he said, “I was certain that ALL ABOUT KOREA was written by a Korean or Korean-American author. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a non-Korean had written such a thorough, informative yet succinct introduction about Korean culture.”  

How did your life change when you got married? and had children? Did it make it easier or harder to find time to write?

As a longtime teacher and the mother of five, and now with three grandchildren, I have been literally surrounded by kids my entire adult life and have read to a child almost every day of my adult life. I'm not complaining! I've enjoyed these books beyond measure. And as an author, all this reading has given me a unique insight into what works for kids and what does not. I view myself as someone who is growing with every writing project; reading and watching children's reactions to books has been my most powerful education as a writer.

What are you working on now?  When do you expect to start submitting it to publishers?

I am working on the environmental project I mentioned previously as well as another Indonesian project. The Indonesian project is an exciting one that has an unusual concept, so I can't go into a lot of details just yet. Though I haven't signed the contract, Tuttle Publishing, who published a number of my books, is very interested in the project.

What do you most want the students to get out of your school visits?

When I visit schools, which I do often, my goal is to encourage kids to enjoy books and the writing process, as well as to learn about the world. I encourage kids to read books that they enjoy and let books take them to fantasy worlds, back in time, to other parts of the world and to just about any place that they are interested going. I end each assembly by telling children, “Books can take you anywhere you want to go!”
I do fun interactive story readings with kids in schools. I get lots of kids and teachers up on stage with me and we have a great time exploring my books together; the children play musical instruments from around the world while teachers or the principal gets to be the Emperor of China or the king of the jungle, which the students always enjoy.  My ALL ABOUT KOREA assembly is extra special, as it not only celebrates the fascinating Korean culture, but all cultures of the world.