Talking New Traditional Children’s Books with Chicken Scratch Books’ Kiri Jorgensen

As a writer, a teacher, and a SCBWI regional advisor, Kiri Jorgensen has observed an evolution in children’s publishing over the years.

On the Chicken Scratch Books website, she writes about the observations that led her to launch her own publishing company:

More and more books published by the mainstream publishers had themes or conflicts directly connected to the trending issues of society… Where were the new ‘traditional’ books?

Can I tell you how many times I’ve asked the same question? At first, I thought I was simply out of touch with my readers. But in talking with other writers, parents, teachers, and librarians, I realize I am not alone.

I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to connect with Ms. Jorgensen and ask her a few questions about her work.

KM: Filling the void left between mainstream and religious publishers is not a small undertaking! You cover the “why” you began Chicken Scratch very succinctly on your blog. Can you tell us a little about *how* you plan to fill this void? 

KJ: I love traditional children’s literature. Over the years I’ve read, and read aloud, hundreds of wonderful novels that clearly spread the joy of story. My kids and students have responded in engaging ways. But I started to notice a shift. Stories that I’d loved were starting to feel less engaging. I realized that it wasn’t the storylines themselves, or the characters, but rather the language that wasn’t connecting with my students.

Kids today are raised on a crisp information diet that combines written and visually concise input. This isn’t to say that they won’t benefit from some elaborate descriptions now and again, but the language they readily engage with is more succinct than what it used to be. For information download to their brains, kids use tools that specialize in quick delivery and thorough placement. This is not the way of classic literature.

Authors today are producing a myriad of wonderful traditional stories in all genres, with new writing styles. The material is out there. And I believe the market is still out there too, as long as gatekeepers know where to look for the new style, clean, traditional stories they can trust.

At Chicken Scratch Books, we only publish new traditional children’s novels. What that means is, the books we provide fit the mold of ‘traditional’ in regards to their characters, story, and themes, but they also fit the mold of ‘new’ in the structure of their language, pacing, and delivery.

We’ll fill the void between classic traditional and ‘new mainstream books’ by giving kids and their gatekeepers the assurance that new traditional is all we do.

As a brand-new publisher, we do things differently than anyone else. We reach out directly to our audience with access to not only wonderful new traditional books (print and ebook), but also tools to analyze and teach these stories even deeper. We work directly with parents, teachers, homeschoolers, and any other gatekeeper that loves middle grade stories. We give them access to the authors themselves through video and provide fun learning tools – both print and digital – to build on their stories. Our goal is to provide strong literature and the means to study it deeply in the modern world.

Every book we publish will engage, entertain, enlighten, lift, build, and delight. All without making anyone uncomfortable.

KM: I noticed you offer free courses for writers (full disclosure: I’ve completed one of these courses). Why do you offer these services for writers?

KJ: Although I’m a writer, editor, and publisher, I’m a teacher at my core. It wasn’t until I landed on the idea of providing learning opportunities for writers and readers that the formation of Chicken Scratch Books blossomed. To me, it seems obvious. We want to publish wonderfully crafted middle grade novels. We know what we want, and what it takes to create them. Why not guide and help writers produce what we are looking for?

We’ll be regularly adding to our offering of free online courses. I’ve been quite surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed producing them. We’re also working on more in-depth paid courses that come with different levels of individual support. The first of these should go live by the end of the year.

In addition to our online courses, if writers sign up for our email list they’ll receive our weekly WriteLetter. This follows a monthly topic and includes written and video instruction, as well as PDF downloads to help in the writing process. Our WriteLetter is also free.

KM: What’s on your To Read list?

I’m super lucky in that I get to read so many wonderful stories both pre and post publication. My library is mostly middle grade novels, and if you could see it, you’d know – mostly because of the sheer volume – that my ‘To Read’ pile is extensive!

I love traditional novels, so I always seek those out from any publisher. I’ve gotten pretty good at recognizing which ones fit my requirements, even before I read them. I have one newly published book sitting on my table – The Artifact Hunters by Janet Fox. I actually got to read an earlier draft of this one when it was just being formed, so I’m very excited to read the finished project. Also on my shelf is Irena’s Children, Young Readers Edition adapted by Mary Cronk Farrell. This is the story of Irena Sendler who smuggled 2500 children out of the walled Jewish ghetto in Warsaw, Poland during Nazi occupation. I’m so grateful that a young readers edition has been created for this vital story. Another book that’s on my ‘not purchased yet, but soon will be’ list is Premeditated Myrtle by Elizabeth C. Bunce. It’s a Victorian English tale of a girl obsessed with criminal science, and a mystery to solve. I’m already in love.

Kiri Jorgensen is the Publisher and Senior Editor at Chicken Scratch Books. She is also a writer, teacher, entrepreneur, and most importantly wife and mother. Her involvement in the world of children’s literature spans almost three decades from several different angles. She taught in the public schools for 16 years, from huge school districts to a two-room schoolhouse, and created writing curriculums for middle schoolers. She has written and produced over 30 stage plays for children, served as Regional Advisor for SCBWI Montana, and has taught writing in a variety of settings, age ranges, and genres. She lives with her husband and a plethora of pets in rural Montana, where she cooks her meals on a wood-burning cookstove and is grateful every day for being right where she is.

Kell McKinney earned a B.A. in journalism from the University of Oklahoma and an M.S. in documentary studies from the University of North Texas. She’s a part-time copywriter, double-time mom and wife, and spends every free minute writing and/or hunting for her car keys. Connect with her on Twitter @Kell_McK or kellmckinney.com.