Meet Sharon Griffin, Author of When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams
BBB: What inspired you to become an author?
SG: I've always been good at writing, but it wasn't until recently that I started doing it for enjoyment. My four daughters are my inspirations to becoming an author and doing something that I never thought of doing before.
SG: I've always been good at writing, but it wasn't until recently that I started doing it for enjoyment. My four daughters are my inspirations to becoming an author and doing something that I never thought of doing before.
BBB: How did you come up with the idea for When I Grow Up: A Little Girl's Big Boy Dreams?
SG: While working at JSC, I had the opportunity to meet many amazing, smart and talented women, both in technical and non-technical positions; however, they were still the minority in comparison to their male counterparts. Last April, while on a work trip in El Paso, TX, I had this light bulb go off in my head for a great idea. I did some internet research on children's book pertaining to male dominated fields. The only items that populated were articles about the small percentages of women in male dominated fields, hence why those career fields are still called that. After conducting the research, that's when I came up with the premise of my children's book. I wanted to write a children’s book that showcased the different career paths a little girl can pursue, all the while portraying different ethnicities and races for the various careers. I wanted little girls everywhere to be able to relate with the book and envision themselves doing those jobs. When I was a child, I never felt I connected with the characters in the books I read because I never saw any that looked like me. Having four biracial daughters of my own has inspired me to want to shed light on this issue and the desire to see more diversity in children's books.
BBB: What do you think young readers will remember most about your book?
SG: I think the illustrations will stand out the most to the young readers because there is so much diversity in the book.
SG: While working at JSC, I had the opportunity to meet many amazing, smart and talented women, both in technical and non-technical positions; however, they were still the minority in comparison to their male counterparts. Last April, while on a work trip in El Paso, TX, I had this light bulb go off in my head for a great idea. I did some internet research on children's book pertaining to male dominated fields. The only items that populated were articles about the small percentages of women in male dominated fields, hence why those career fields are still called that. After conducting the research, that's when I came up with the premise of my children's book. I wanted to write a children’s book that showcased the different career paths a little girl can pursue, all the while portraying different ethnicities and races for the various careers. I wanted little girls everywhere to be able to relate with the book and envision themselves doing those jobs. When I was a child, I never felt I connected with the characters in the books I read because I never saw any that looked like me. Having four biracial daughters of my own has inspired me to want to shed light on this issue and the desire to see more diversity in children's books.
BBB: What do you think young readers will remember most about your book?
SG: I think the illustrations will stand out the most to the young readers because there is so much diversity in the book.
BBB: What can you tell us about the little girl in your story?
SG: There isn't just one girl. The book features diverse women of different colors, shapes and sizes. The book is in first person, so anyone reading the book will go through the book seeing all different types of women working in male dominated professions. One cool thing is that I provided my illustrator a picture of me and my daughters and she replicated it into an illustration, which just so happens to be on the first page of the book.
BBB: Are you currently working on another book?
SG: At the moment, no. I want to get myself established before jumping into another book. I am having fun right now with this book. I'm scheduling author visits at elementary schools, partnering with different venues for book events and featuring women in various professions on my blog, HerStory by GGPub.
You can find out more about Sharon Griffin and her book by visiting http://www.griffingirlspublishing.com/ or http://herstorybyggpub.blogspot.com/.
SG: There isn't just one girl. The book features diverse women of different colors, shapes and sizes. The book is in first person, so anyone reading the book will go through the book seeing all different types of women working in male dominated professions. One cool thing is that I provided my illustrator a picture of me and my daughters and she replicated it into an illustration, which just so happens to be on the first page of the book.
BBB: Are you currently working on another book?
SG: At the moment, no. I want to get myself established before jumping into another book. I am having fun right now with this book. I'm scheduling author visits at elementary schools, partnering with different venues for book events and featuring women in various professions on my blog, HerStory by GGPub.
You can find out more about Sharon Griffin and her book by visiting http://www.griffingirlspublishing.com/ or http://herstorybyggpub.blogspot.com/.
