Back to Featured Interviews >>

MEET MARTIN NELSON BURTON ***MASTER OF CEREMONIES***2009 LUNCHEON
by Bonnie O'Brian

Do you remember the first book you ever read?

Martin Nelson Burton

The first book I ever read was PUT ME IN THE ZOO by Robert Lopshire. My mom read it to me before I had started kindergarten, so I didn’t actually read it – but I memorized all of the words and could recite what happened on each page. What I loved the most were the tricks that the animal could do with his spots, throwing them up in the air or on people passing by.

What were some of your other favorite books growing up?

One of my favorite books was called THE ANSWER BOOK because it had the answers to questions I asked but my parents didn’t know. I really enjoyed fantasies, like THE WIZARD OF OZ, by L. Frank Baum; THE HIGH KING by Lloyd Alexander, and A WRINKLE IN TIME by Madeline L’Engle. I liked books with animals, too, like BAMBI by Felix Salten and THE BLACK STALLION by Walter Farley. And I certainly loved non-fiction. There was a very exciting book called RIDERS OF THE PONY EXPRESS which made a big impression on me.

Did you ever get to meet an author when you were a child?

I met one author: Marguerite Henry, the Newbery-award winning author of KING OF THE WIND, MISTY OF CHINCOTEAGUE and other wonderful horse books. My mom took me to a department store where she was having a book signing and bought me one of her books. I remember how happy she was to meet me, and she let me ask her several questions. At school the next day, I wrote an article about my interview with her. It was published in the school newspaper, and I mailed a copy of the paper to her. She wrote me back right away, and I’ll never forget how thrilled she was that I had published her interview.

What is the best part of being a writer?

The best part of being a writer is checking out the competition! As an adult, I never stopped reading great children’s books. I can’t believe how good some books are – like HOLES by Louis Sachar. My highest compliment is to say, “I wish I could have written that.”

What is the worst part of being a writer?

The worst part of being a writer is not being able to write full-time. Most children’s authors – including the very best – are not able to support themselves full-time with their writing. But that’s also a blessing, because when you meet another author, it is almost always someone who writes for children not because they can make a lot of money, but because that’s what they love to do.

Your book, DEAR MR. LEPRECHAUN, starts out with this line: “The first friend I ever had was a leprechaun.” How did your friendship with a leprechaun start?

My step grandfather, who was Irish, introduced me to leprechauns. I would come home after listening to his stories and look for leprechauns in the house. I was convinced one was there, but I couldn’t find him – probably because he was too shy to come out. So, I got the idea that maybe, if I left a note out at nighttime, he would come out when no one was around and write back. And that’s exactly what happened.

How did you get the idea for your first book, THE WHALE COMEDIAN?

When my son was in preschool, his teacher asked him what he would like to do when he grows up. He told her, “I want to be a whale comedian who tells whales jokes and the whales spit water!” When I heard about this, I thought that would have to be the most fun job in the world, telling jokes to whales and getting soaked. I came home, shut myself in my room, and came out a couple of hours later with the first draft of my first book.

Do you think it’s important for children to read?

Yes, it’s very important for children to read! Reading is one of the most important things you can do. BUT – different children read in different ways. My son never liked reading the kinds of novels and nonfiction that I liked. In fact, he learned to read by playing video games and reading the characters’ dialog boxes! But he grew up to be an excellent writer, especially in writing scripts for television and movies. On the other hand, my daughter is an incredible reader, and loves many of the same books I do. She is also a superb writer, especially in writing essays. People read and learn in different ways.

Are you afraid that not enough children are reading books today?

No, I’m not worried at all. In some ways, children are actually reading more than ever! More children are reading from the Internet – and within a few years, most of us will be reading electronic books. These are exciting times! I can’t wait for electronic books to become more like paper books – full of color and able to “turn” pages on the screen like a real book. Reading and writing will continue to be the most important things we can do.