A great big HELLO and WELCOME to Amy Fellner Dominy who joins us in The Reading Realm to talk about her new book MONSTER DOWN DEEP…
What is MONSTER DOWN DEEP about?
Monster Down Deep is wondrous seaside adventure about a daring treasure hunt, an unlikely friendship and one very special fish.
Following a shipwreck off the Californian golden coast, treasure hunters have been everywhere. Each one is after the same thing: the lost diamond necklace. But none are more determined than Cassie Stein. Her dad’s beloved aquarium is falling apart, and they need money – fast!
While racing to find the treasure before her rival, TJ, Cassie finds something remarkable. A fish, unlike any she has ever seen, that can understand her every word. His name is Blue, and his life is in grave danger.
To save her new friend, Cassie must do the unthinkable – accept TJ’s help. But with the diamond necklace still up for grabs, can she really trust him?
Can you tell us a little about yourself and if you’ve written other books?
I’ve been writing since I was a little kid. I submitted my first story when I was 14—and quickly got my first rejection. But I never gave up. I joke that I was an overnight success. It just took about 10,000 nights. Monster Down Deep is my 10th published book. I also write picture books and young adult novels.
Have you done any other jobs before writing?
I had lots of glamorous teenage jobs. Babysitter. Fry cook at Jack in the Box. Movie theater concessions worker. (My favorite.) My first real job out of college was Advertising Copywriter. I wrote everything from TV commercials to outdoor billboards. After 20 years of that, I was ready to focus on my own messages. I went back to school and got an MFA in Playwriting from Arizona State University. I wrote for the stage for a few years, focusing on Theater for Youth. It was a natural shift to start writing children’s books.
What inspired MONSTER DOWN DEEP?
Five thousand miles of seaweed, believe it or not. I read an article about the huge seaweed patch a few years ago and started wondering: What could be growing in all that goo? Or hiding? I started researching and discovered some of the challenges facing our oceans—and how kids were helping in their communities. That inspired me to keep going. Then, during a trip to an aquarium, I saw a fish (a Blue Wrasse), that seemed to speak to me. Very soon after, a fish did begin speaking to me. His name was Blue and he refused to leave my imagination until I told his story.
Are you writing more books for this age group?
I am! I love writing for middle grade. It’s a time when kids are figuring out who they are and where they fit in. Things are often starting to shift with family and friends. Confusion is wonderful for fiction. It’s also a time when I remember being passionate about the injustices in my world and wanting to make a difference. It’s fulfilling to share the things that matter to me about our world with the kids who will one day be solving the problems.
If you weren’t a writer, what other career would you like to have done?
I took my exams to be a teacher before I discovered advertising as a way to earn a living as a writer. I know I would have loved the teaching part of teaching. A few of my kid’s teachers had a profound impact on them. I would have loved that kind of connection. I’m glad that I can channel my enthusiasm into school visits.
What children’s books did you enjoy reading as a child and why?
I didn’t realize it at the time, but I read a lot of books about orphans or kids finding new homes: Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery; Heidi by Johanna Spyri; Mandy by Julie Andrews Edwards.My own family was stitched together with a stepmom and stepsisters in a time when that wasn’t very common. Books were how I made sense of it all. (Books are still how I make sense of just about everything.)
