Authors show young readers larger world
By Juliet Hyams

While the cost of travel may limit some family vacations this summer, two Northwest Portland authors bring distant events closer with colorful, innovative new children’s books.

Ashley MacEachern’s “Lance in France” celebrates Lance Armstrong’s cycling career and the rewards of perseverance. Elizabeth Rusch’s “The Planet Hunter” describes the reclassification of Pluto and the redefining of our solar system. Both authors bring to a child’s level subject matter often reserved for adults: professional sports, science and social issues.

Award-winning author Elizabeth Rusch has a range of books and articles to her credit. “The Planet Hunter” demonstrates her knack for identifying an unsung hero to bring a topic to life. And she recognizes in adult material topics adaptable to children, such as the story of astronomer Mike Brown searching for new planets.

“People don’t usually look at a 12,000-word feature in The New Yorker and think of a kids’ book,” she said, “but I did.”

"Kids are so interested in topics like the solar system; I thought they should be the first, not the last, people to learn not only that Pluto is no longer considered a planet but also why Pluto is no longer a planet and what it means for our understanding of our solar system," she said.

Eight-year-old Eli Reeves, who is “very interested in space stuff,” read the book immediately upon receiving it. He liked learning how Brown “built this humongous telescope and looked through it for four years for a real planet.”

Rusch continues to be inspired by stories that may be considered too sophisticated for children. Current projects include children's books about Mario Molina, the Mexican-American chemist who connected chlorofluorocarbon gases with ozone depletion; piano prodigy Maria Mozart, Amadeus' little-known sister; and the Mars rovers, robots that are exploring the planet where Martians live in imagination. Another work in progress titled “Lee's Christmas Tree” emphasizes agricultural aspects of the beloved icon.

Another of Rusch’s books that keeps kids attuned to science is “Will it Blow,” published last year, which reflects her family’s fascination with Mt. St. Helens. When the volcano awoke in 2004, Rusch and her son Cobi could see it steaming from Northwest Portland, and she noted his amazement. They visited the Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, where Cobi held “a rock born the day before, still warm from the interior of the earth,” she said.

Rusch marvels that, like astronomy, “geology and volcanology are changing right now. A new eruption pumped out incredible amounts of lava, and who loves volcanoes more than kids? But nothing had been written on St. Helens since 1985.”

“Will It Blow” challenges readers to become “volcano detectives,” following the clues scientists examine to predict volcanic activity.

“Kids have such a capacity to understand complex concepts if they are presented right,” she said. “I want to take children’s intellect, curiosity and capacity seriously, use humor and tell things as a story.”

Read about Elizabeth Rusch at www.elizabethrusch.com. Find out more about Ashley MacEachern at www.lanceinfrance.com.