Danica Davidson is the author of 18 books for middle grade and young adult readers, ranging from serious nonfiction to manga how-to-draw books to fantasy adventure stories taking place in Minecraft. Please visit her website at www.danicadavidson.com. Today I have the honor to talk with Danica about her new book, I WILL PROTECT YOU and her author journey.
- What was your author journey like? What brought you to middle grade?
I’ve been writing and telling stories since I was little, and I knew from early on that I wanted to be a writer. I was submitting to agents (and getting rejected by them) since middle school. I started working as a professional journalist in high school, but the goal was always to be an author.
I was trying to sell a YA book, and some people commented that the voice sounded more like middle grade, and I was good at that voice. When I sold my first book, MANGA ART FOR BEGINNERS, to Skyhorse Publishing, they asked if I had any ideas about Minecraft, because they wanted to do Minecraft books. Thinking about what people had said about my middle grade voice, and knowing I’d rather write novels than how-to books on Minecraft, I pitched a middle grade Minecraft adventure book where the main character is an 11-year-old who lives in Minecraft. That spun off into two series consisting of twelve books! After I’d finished those series I met Eva Kor, and that leads us to I WILL PROTECT YOU.
- Can you tell us more about your new book, I WILL PROTECT YOU?
I WILL PROTECT YOU is a middle grade (ages 8-12) book that tells the true story of how Eva survived Auschwitz while she was in elementary school. Most children did not survive it, or were even given a chance. That means this is an extremely rare story, and it tells about the Holocaust from a child’s-point-of-view. It’s meant to be a child’s introduction to the Holocaust, because Eva’s age and perspective made it relatable.
- Where did the inspiration for you book, I WILL PROTECT YOU come from?
I’d experienced and witnessed an increase in antisemitism, and I wanted to write a book (or books) to educate people and prevent anti-Jewish discrimination. I just didn’t know what to write, because it’s such a wide topic. So I was educating myself more, including seeing Jewish speakers, and Eva was one of those speakers. But at the time, writing a middle grade book with her had never crossed my mind. I was just hoping I could interview her for a magazine. I introduced myself to her after her speech, and when she learned I’d written and published 16 children’s books, she got very excited. It was as if she forgot everything else in the world. She exclaimed that she wanted to write a children’s book, because the only way to fight antisemitism is to teach children about it in an accessible way. Holocaust education in schools usually starts at 12 or later (if it happens at all) and Eva said that’s too late, because the prejudices are already in.
- What do you hope readers will learn or discover from reading I WILL PROTECT YOU?
There is a lot of ignorance about the Holocaust, and I hope this book takes that away. Parents can read this with their kids and learn from it, too. I hope people have a better understanding of how ancient antisemitism is, and how much it still manifests today. I also hope it helps readers recognize things like extremism, propaganda, and conspiracy theories, in whatever forms they take. Eva’s survival and strength show what kids can accomplish, and I want it to let kids know they can do amazing things.
- What is the most challenging thing you faced while writing or researching I WILL PROTECT YOU?
It was emotionally draining to write, but it was also cathartic, because I felt as if I were doing something helpful. I had already done a lot of research on Jewish history and the Holocaust, and I continued as I wrote this. It is challenging to study history, because you weren’t there, and there can be contradictions and confusions over specific details.
- How was the editorial process? Did you do any revisions?
After I interviewed Eva thoroughly, and talked with her about ideas and angles, I began writing the book and sending her chapters at a time for her approval. She only ever wanted small tweaks. She said I understood her thinking, and was very pleased with how the book came together.
I sent early drafts of the book to people I respect, to some of my own history teachers, to rabbis, and then to Michael Berenbaum, who was the director of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and President and CEO of the Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation, for fact-checking and thoughts. Then I did another round of edits, got Eva’s approval, and got the book sent off to my agency.
- What’s up next for you?
I’m pitching another Holocaust book with another well-known survivor (this time it’s for a YA audience), and I just had my book CHALK ART MANGA released. I worked on it with Rena Saiya, who is a professional Japanese manga creator, and as far as we know, it’s the first-ever book on how to draw manga-style characters with chalk. Also, MANGA ART FOR EVERYONE, the sequel to my bestselling book MANGA ART FOR BEGINNERS is coming out in July and available for pre-order. I worked with Rena on this one as well, and it has real tips for how mangaka in Japan do their work.
After that, we’ll see. I write a lot, and I write in many different styles!
- What advice would you give to other aspiring writers?
Write, and then write some more.
I WILL PROTECT YOU
ISBN: 978-0-316-46063-7 | Date: 4/6/22 | Publisher: Little, Brown
Authors: Eva Mozes Kor and Danica Davidson
Book Description: The illuminating and deeply moving true story of twin sisters who survived Nazi experimentation, against all odds, during the Holocaust.
Eva and her identical twin sister, Miriam, had a mostly happy childhood. Theirs was the only Jewish family in their small village in the Transylvanian mountains, but they didn’t think much of it until anti-Semitism reared its ugly head in their school. Then, in 1944, ten-year-old Eva and her family were deported to Auschwitz. At its gates, Eva and Miriam were separated from their parents and other siblings, selected as subjects for Dr. Mengele’s infamous medical experiments.
During the course of the war, Mengele would experiment on 3,000 twins. Only 160 would survive–including Eva and Miriam.
Writing with her friend Danica Davidson, Eva reveals how two young girls were able to survive the unimaginable cruelty of the Nazi regime, while also eventually finding healing and the capacity to forgive. Spare and poignant, I Will Protect You is a vital memoir of survival, loss, and forgiveness.
Purchase links: https://www.lbyr.com/titles/eva-mozes-kor/i-will-protect-you/9780316460637/
