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MEET RUTH STROTHER
by Bonnie O'Brian

What did you most like to do when you were a child?

Ruth Strother

My two favorite activities were reading and playing with dogs—or really any animal. There weren’t very many kids in my neighborhood, so I played with all the neighborhood dogs. I didn’t have a dog of my own, but I spent a lot of time dreaming about having one.

What books influenced you most when you were growing up?

I loved to read, I still do, but I especially loved reading animal books. The books in the All Creatures Great and Small series by James Herriot were among my favorites. The author was a veterinarian and the books were based on his experiences. I just loved them! For the longest time I wanted to be a vet when I grew up. Then while I was in high school I did an “externship” at the University of Minnesota’s vet school. I went there every Saturday to observe vets at work. Although they helped a lot of animals, there were some who couldn’t be helped. I decided it would be too heart-wrenching for me to be a vet.

What was your first job when you graduated from college?

I was very fortunate because my first job out of college was with a children’s book publishing company. It really was a dream job because I was able to combine my love of books with my love of animals. I started as an editorial assistant. Eventually I ran the science division and worked on books about animals and the earth. I wrote my first books there.

What are the topics of some of your books?

I’ve written mostly about animals and their life cycles. Some of the animals I’ve written about are American bison, sharks, bats, wolves, tree frogs, rattle snakes. I’ve also written biographies of Bill Gates and Margaret Mead. All of the books I write are for kids from beginning readers to young adult. And all of the books I write are nonfiction—at least so far!

What kinds of things inspire you to write?

Animals, especially dogs, and children inspire me to write. Children seem to be born with a love for nature. Sometimes they lose that feeling as they grow. Through writing, I want to help kids hang on to that natural love for animals, starting with dogs since they’re such an integral and valuable part of our lives. Dogs entertain, heal, uphold the law, rescue, and provide companionship. Each year ever more dogs are abandoned, abused, and destroyed; and unfair prejudices and bans against certain breeds continue to grow. Children who understand dogs—where they come from, the history of their domestication, their capabilities, their behaviors, and their roles in our lives—will grow into adults who may finally be able to provide dogs, and other animals, with a more humane world in which to live.

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?

The first story I ever wrote was in third grade, if I remember correctly. It was about a squirrel. The second story I remember writing was in seventh grade, and it was about the kindness of a lion.

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

I loved to write when I was growing up. Besides writing a couple of stories, I also wrote poetry and haiku. I never thought I’d actually become a writer, though. My love for animals and nature led me to expect that I would be a vet or a biologist, or something else along that line. In college I took a lot of biology and ecology classes, but I kept gravitating toward English. I finally graduated with an English degree. When I discovered I could make a living editing and writing books about animals and nature, I knew I had found my career.