4 Questions for Author Michele C. Hollow
Her middle school book Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning drops today!
We’ve been sporadic for a while, but it’s been especially difficult to be a Jew in the world lately. For much of the past year, we’ve taken our messaging offline. We’re back and intend to stay more connected. First up, 4 Questions, our ongoing interview feature with interesting Jews in the News.
4 Questions for Michele C. Hollow
Author and journalist Michele C. Hollow is a dear friend of The Kumzits. She’s also a phenomenal human being and pal to the planet, people, and pets.
Hollow’s new book Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning is the true life story of a young girl who would grow up to change history. Anning was a fossil hunter who grew up to be a paleontologist. Hollow’s historical fiction book for children has everything in it that kids (and adults!) love including dinosaurs, fossils, and women in STEM like Grace Hopper, Marie Curie, and Jane Goodall.
The Kumzits : Tell us a tiny bit about your new book. You've mentioned some of the hardships your heroine went through as a girl in the early 1800s; do you think that things have changed in society in the way women and girls are treated overall?
Michele Hollow: Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning focuses on Mary at age 12 when she made her first major fossil find. This was in 1811 in Lyme Regis, UK, where Mary grew up. I was doing online research and read an article about famous people in history that we don’t know about. Mary’s story captured my imagination especially when I saw where she spent her days fossil hunting. The Lyme Regis coast is huge. Finding fossils there amazed me because of the size of the area.
Mary’s character impressed me. Here was a young girl who made an amazing discovery. Unfortunately, women weren’t included in scientific journals. The head of the London Geological Society and many of the geologists didn’t believe a 12-year-old girl could make such a discovery. The man who purchased the 17-foot ichthyosaurus that Mary found received credit for the find. Determined to correct the situation Mary fought for recognition. She triumphed. Today, she’s known as the “Mother of Paleontology.”
I’d like to see everyone, not just children, spend less time on social media sites and more time outside exploring and indoors reading. ~Michele C. Hollow
Thanks to so many women before us who paved a path, opportunities exist today. We have a woman running for the highest office in the United States. Despite that, many challenges still exist.
The Kumzits: Can you tell us a bit about your own level of faith (or none at all)?
Michele Hollow: Judaism is my heritage. October 7 brought me closer to that heritage. The level of anti-Semitism before, during, and after that day is crushing. No one should be attacked for one’s religious beliefs or lack thereof.
I’m an atheist. I’ve always been an atheist. I don’t foist my belief on others and I’d like to see others do the same.
3. The Kumzits: You mentioned friends supporting you on the journey to write this book. Can you share any thoughts on that with aspiring authors?
Michele Hollow: Writing a book isn’t a solitary journey. Yes, we write alone. However, once we put words down, we need others, those we trust, to tell us if what we have makes sense. Does it read well? Is it any good? Fortunately, I have two writer friends, Carole Moore and Chelsea Lowe, who helped me polish Jurassic Girl. We’ve all worked with editors before and because of that we developed thick skins. We can take criticism. Thankfully, they were honest and helped me make my book a better read.
The Kumzits: Your book is for middle schoolers. Many people are worried about tweens and teens getting so much of their distorted information from social media. Do you have a message for parents or teachers about how to keep students interested in history and great stories like this?
Michele Hollow: In school, two of my favorite classes were history and English. I had a history teacher in 7th grade who called parents to tell them how well we were doing in school. It was odd answering the phone when Mr. Corcoran, my 7th grade history teacher, called. I worried I’d get in trouble. A call from Mr. C was a good thing. He spoke highly of his students and believed if we worked hard, our parents should know.
I’d like to see a greater emphasis on reading, reading all books. I grew up in a house where we could read anything and everything. Book bans today are frightening and wrong. I read to my child before he could read. He loves reading today. The I Survived books were his favorites. They cover history and are for middle graders. He and I still read the new ones when they come out.
I’d like to see everyone, not just children, spend less time on social media sites and more time outside exploring and indoors reading. I’ve been known to leave the house without my phone. I don’t want to be tied to it and without a phone, I can experience nature without the distraction of a phone.
Note from The Kumzits: Sales on the first day and first week that a book is out help the author tremendously. Please consider buying a copy of Jurassic Girl: The Adventures of Mary Anning for the young person in your life.
The book, main character, and the author all sound so interesting! Great thoughts and fun character choice.