Abstract

We suspect that many academics who study and teach children’s literature also harbor a secret desire to write children’s books themselves. For those that do, Claudia Mills, philosophy professor and prolific children’s author, is living the dream. Here she shares an insider’s view of the many facets of her “eccentric hobby” from process to publication, full of the wit and charm that characterizes her work for children. She places strong emphasis on working within a community of writers who respect and sharpen each other’s work. Although her story may seem somewhat idiosyncratic, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor finds much in common with Claudia’s processes, her need for strong connections with characters and situations, and her sense of why a story matters.