Author Amanda Lorenzo Teaches Kids to Embrace Their Inner Runt

Runt Farm is a children's book series that I requested to review on my children's book blog. There are two chapter books about a group of almost misfit animals who live together on Runt Farm. Author Amanda Lorenzo was kind enough to take some time to answer questions about her book series.

What is your background?

I grew up in a smallish town in California that was so far off the beaten track that only the occasional tumbleweed could find us! I loved roaming the hillsides that ringed our town, exploring the old mines nearby, picking mushrooms (Dad taught us which ones were okay and what to stay away from. Very important!), and looking for really old bottles in ancient abandoned homesteads. We were fortunate to have some terrific music teachers in town, and I soaked up everything I could from them, though I'm sure my habit of making up my own songs was a bit of trial for them at times. When I packed my bags for college I was a bona fide Arts major with a love for the unusual and surprising! Somehow along the way I learned my way around a computer, too. That led to a career wrangling software and working with some very interesting and lovable geeks. Cletus of Runt Farm would have enjoyed tinkering around in that place.

How did you get involved in writing children's books?

Children's books are just about the most fun you can have! I have always loved reading them, even as an adult. I have an editor friend, and when I told her a few of the stories Ruth and I had been making up just for fun, she made me promise to write them down. Before long the promise was fulfilled. In the first book I wrote about how The Peep (a newly hatched duck) comes to think of Kitten as his mom, how Cletus and Tooth (two mice friends) escape from a lab and end up on the farm, and how they all manage to avoid a big barn catastrophe. But I wasn't done, so in Book 2 I told all about how Beatrice and Blossom are rescued and adopted. They find out that even though they're all a little bit different, everybody fits right in. But even then I still hadn't introduced Cousin Clovis, the eccentric "artistic auntie" mouse. So in Book 3 Clovis makes life quite interesting on the farm. That's how the Runt Farm books were born!

What was the inspiration for Runt Farm?

The stories spring from real life events and a well-oiled imagination. They were a spontaneous outpouring prompted by this simple request, "Tell me a story." First I told one, then Ruth told one. Soon we were leaving funny tidbits on voicemail and email. Little by little the characters emerged and the plots took shape. If I was sick I'd get an email that Tooth (the extra-smart herbalist mouse in the Runt Farm series) was cooking up a poultice for me made out of rutabagas, cinnamon, Brussels sprouts and dandelions. And you know what? That pretend poultice made me feel better.

The books have an old-fashioned feel to them. Why did you choose simplicity instead of the bells and whistles approach so often used today?

Well I love bells and whistles as much as the next person, but from the start Runt Farm was full of the kind of comfort one gets from a handmade quilt, a kind word, and a home-cooked meal. Love and family and the comfort of having a place to belong -- that's about as simple as it gets. So the books reflect that.

In a publishing world filled with vibrantly colored illustrations, why did you choose black and white drawings?

As children graduate from picture books to chapter books they appreciate being offered something a bit more grownup. Their own imaginations take over and supply the colors of their dreams to the artwork. That's an important step -- when the mind of a young reader begins to take an active part in the story. Also, black and white drawings keep the price of these books reasonable. Even though they're beautiful hardbacks, they can be sold for a modest price.

What makes Runt Farm stand out?

Oh, thanks for asking. Let me count the ways!

1. Big Words!

These books use big words. Not just big, but way-out-there big in a way adults will appreciate right along with the kids. When I decided to include weird words like rejectamenta and gongoozling, that meant every book had to have a glossary!You don't usually find one in a work of fiction, but a glossary is quite necessary to the proper enjoyment of a Runt Farm book.

Most of the big words are real English words, though they may be unfamiliar. But some are made up. Funtrumptious is coined by the brave bunny, Beatrice. I wanted to encourage readers to have fun with words, because I like having fun that way myself. I hope readers of Runt Farm feel inspired to discover what a great adventure language can be.

2. The Good, the Bad and the Snuggly

So many entertainments for children these days give them one-sided characters. Time and again we see the all-virtuous superheroes and the all-evil villains. There is hardly any nuance, you know - no subtlety -- and well, I love nuance. It's a marvelous word and an even better idea. The Runt Farmers all have good qualities and they also have their own foibles as well - shortcomings which must be faced. Foibles, that's another interesting word, isn't it?

3. A Big Cast of Characters!

Most children's books feature one or two main characters. Because Runt Farm is about a big family, we have seven (count 'em) characters, all with important parts to play! That's a big bunch and that's why it took me 3 books to get them all into the barn, so to speak.

What are your hopes and dreams for Runt Farm?

Well, I heard a rumor the other day that Runt Farm is becoming a cult classic on some high school campuses. How excellent! Actually my dream is that both children and adults - and high schoolers, why not? -- find themselves in the pages of Runt Farm. I hope that reading about the runts helps readers find the comfort, strength and courage to create their own best family life.

What is your plan for this series?

We'll be adding to the series next year with Runt Farm: Haunted!and I expect that will point the way to many new adventures!

Have you written any other stories, or have plans for any others, outside of Runt Farm?

Everyday I get ideas for new stories, music, dances and artwork. The mind is such an active place! But for now, the answer to your question is Top Secret.

Why is this series so important today?

Today there's so much conflict in our world, so many voices clamoring for attention, and some trying to drown out the others. If we look around in nature we see and appreciate the remarkable diversity around us. We can also see the need and the delight in all that variety. Yet when we meet others who are different in race, skin color, heritage, language, orientation or custom we can often be less understanding, or more afraid. The runts all have their fears and foibles, just as we do.

In Runt Farm we see a cross-species band of animals. They're all different but they manage to make a lovely family unit anyway. The Runt Farm bunch mirrors the many faces of family today: the blended, multi-racial, mixed marriage, adoptive, and two-mommy and two-daddy families. By coming together as a family, the Runt Farmers are saying that families are vital, and that families can take many shapes, many forms. And in a larger sense, I think Tooth and Cletus and Beatrice and the rest of the Runts Farmers would agree that, wherever we live - city or town or farm -- we're all part of the same family.

What would you like children to learn from this series?

I would love for children to see themselves in the stories, to see that they play a key role in the story of their own families. And it would be lovely indeed if, like the Runt Farmers, they come to recognize their own creative abilities and gifts, to see themselves as writers, artists, musicians, great thinkers and enjoyers of learning and life. Some of the most interesting people I know are children, and I learn from seeing what they create, too.

The books are dedicated to Ruthie. Would you like to share about this special person?

Ruthie is family to me and the best friend I've ever had. She loves a good story and a good nap as well. Her support and creativity are a never-ending source of inspiration and joy. And she makes an excellent pretend poultice!

What advice do you have for young, aspiring writers?

Read, read, read! And write, write, write! Get to know your characters really well. Ask them questions and find out who they are before you ever put them into a story. Listen to what they have to say. You'll find the writing ever so much more fun if you let your characters tell the story. You may find, as you write along, that you have many, many characters to choose from, each with a different story to tell.

Where can readers find out more about you and Runt Farm?

Oh, that's as easy as pie. Mmm . . . I love pie. Just visit RuntFarm.com. There's a place to Meet the Runts, and lots of free fun things for kids and parents and teachers to do. Also, there are some Top Secret facts about me, Amanda Lorenzo, on the site. See if you can find them!

How can fans contact you?

I'd just love it if you'd drop in at AmandaLorenzo.com (my blog) and leave a comment about whatever's buzzing about in your noggin! You can also go to the About page on RuntFarm.com where you'll find contact information. (I'm being a bit cagey here and not including the actual address, to avoid those web-crawlers that go about cyber-hunting for email addresses to spam. Nasty business, that.)

Is there anything else you would like to share with readers?

Yes! We're all different, but we also have fascinating similarities. Embrace your inner Runt!

Thank you so much for your time and for sharing your stories with me!

My pleasure, Andi!