GIRL WARRIORS: HOW 25 YOUNG ACTIVISTS ARE SAVING THE EARTH written by Rachel Sarah
I love picture books, but I confess that middle grade books truly hold my heart. I’m absolutely delighted to share the first First Draft to Final Book spotlight about a nonfiction middle grade book.
If you’re looking for something to inform and inspire, look no further than GIRL WARRIORS: HOW 25 YOUNG ACTIVISTS ARE SAVING THE EARTH. This is a book that everybody should have on their shelves.
This is Rachel Sarah’s debut nonfiction middle grade book and in addition to being a writer, Rachel is also a journalist. Her work has been in places you might have heard of like, oh…Washington Post, New York Times, Parents, and Common Sense Media.
You know, no big deal.
(I kid, it’s a very big deal.)
She has also appeared on numerous TV shows, given many talks and is a founding editor of Literary Mama. She wrote this book for all the warriors in the world, including her two daughters.
The pandemic has been hard on all of us. For me, sometimes it was very hard to hold onto hope. It is inspiring how these young activists use their voice - even when some don’t have the right to vote yet.
More than anything, it’s a reminder that no matter who you are, you have the power to help reverse the damage that has been done.
And now, onto the lovely interview!
Thank you for being here, Rachel, and for sharing your revision journey! What is the story behind your story? What sparked your story concept?
I first envisioned this story from a place of hope as Greta Thunberg began her School Strike for Climate at age 15 in Sweden, and I followed her in the news. In 2019, I wrote an article for the Washington Post about teen climate activists in the United States hustling to save the planet. This was the seed that would become the book.
Little did I know that I’d spent most of 2019-2020 interviewing, researching, and writing as wildfires raged across the entire West Coast where I live in northern California, and then through months of lockdown as COVID-19 spread.
I thought the hard part of writing this book would be finding activists, but they led me to one another. The activists introduced me to their moms, dads, siblings, and friends.
Picture top left and clockwise: Ayisha Siddiqa, Ridhima Pandey, Daphne Frias, Lilly Platt
I spoke to girls and young women from the United States, Pakistan, Iran, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Jamaica, the Marshall Islands, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, India, and Australia.
That is amazing. How long did it take from idea to book?
Two years, one month, and two days. But who's counting?
Two is a very lucky number! What was your revision timeline?
December 2018: Wrote the book proposal
January 2019: Edited the proposal after getting feedback from critique partners, went out on sub
February 2019: A publisher expressed interest and asked for a conference call
March 2019: Publisher decided not to make an offer; I shed some tears
Spring 2019: My agent went out on sub with the pitch and my heart pounded hard when numerous editors asked to see the full proposal. More rejections. More tears.
August 2019: Proposal sold to Chicago Review Press
September 2019-May 2020: Interviewed 25 climate activists -- all under age 25 -- from all over the world. Also did extensive research, supplemental interviews with family and friends, and fact-checking. So grateful to my amazing critique partners for reading every chapter and offering substantial feedback.
Rachel interviewing Sarah Goody at Climate Strike in SF in 2019
June 2020: Turned in the 30,000-word book and was grateful to my editor for such positive, detailed feedback
June 2020: Got the chance to give feedback on cover drafts with my editor!
Summer 2020: Secured photos and release forms for every activist
September 2020: Went back and forth on copy and line edits
January 2021: The book went to the printer!
That is fantastic! What was the hardest part of revising?
I actually love revising!
Getting those first words down on the page is sometimes the hardest part for me, so I actually look forward to revising! I'm a collaborator at heart, so working with a team of amazing editors is a dream.
Did you have an ‘ah-ha!’ moment with your manuscript during the revision process? If so, what triggered it?
A few of my brilliant Bay Area critique partners -- Mae Respicio, Alexandria Giardino, and Laura Atkins -- helped me conceive the idea that I could introduce all of the activists with their birthdays, city, Instagram handle, preferred pronouns… and something they love (i.e. crafting, surfing, dancing).
What advice do you have for other writers? Are there any resources you would recommend to help with the revision process?
Surround yourself with people who lift you up and encourage you to keep writing because writing and revising takes so much perseverance. Your story matters. Oh, and participate in #MGBookChat.
Have you ever wondered what a nonfiction proposal would sound like for a middle grade novel? Rachel has kindly shared hers and it is captivating!
If you've glanced at the news recently, you've caught a clip of 16-year-old Greta Thunberg, the Swedish climate activist who first addressed the United Nations Secretary-General at the UN Climate Summit in Poland in 2018. “We cannot solve a crisis without treating it like a crisis,” Greta told the crowd. “You say you love your children above all else and yet, you're stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”
She received a standing ovation for her brave, candid message, and she was nominated this year for the Nobel Peace Prize for climate activism. Most recently, she was on the cover of this Time and Wired magazines.
I'd first read about Greta in The New Yorker, when she'd stopped going to school and sat outside Sweden’s parliament to demand that her government do something about climate change. Huffington Post has called Greta "The Teen Who Gave Us Hope" and The Rolling Stone recently named her one of its Women Shaping the Future.
But Greta is not alone. All over the world, young people are standing up to the adults who've created this mess, and pleading with them to reverse the environmental crisis. In Girl Warriors: How 25 Activists Are Saving the Earth, a nonfiction book for fans of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, I tell the stories of 25 girls and women under age 25 who are rising up for their futures to reverse climate change, knowing we have less than a decade.
For readers between ages 9 and 12, these "25 under 25" Girl Warriors inspire hope and motivate change around the world. Demanding that their politicians and leaders do something for their futures, these young activists have been going on weekly strikes, founding non-profits, and giving TED talks.
When I recently asked one of the teen leaders of the youth-led U.S. climate strike about its leaders, he told me: "All of the founders and co-leads are young women. So is the national press organizer. Also, many are young women of color. It wasn't planned this way. It shows how communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change."
These Girl Warriors are empathetic, unafraid, and driven. Their actions are creating radical change. None of the current activism books for young people on the market right now focuses on the environment like this one.
And here is a snippet of one the fearless warriors in her book, with many more to read and learn from!
Thank you again, Rachel! Is there anything else you’d like to share?
I am so grateful to all of the activists for trusting me with their stories. If you are raising your voice for change right now, thank you. I’m deeply grateful to you for fighting for the future of this planet.
I'm also so grateful to everyone who endorsed the book before publication! Such as…
"It gives me hope to read about the phenomenal young women of Girl Warriors."
Kate Schatz, New York Times bestselling author of Rad American Women A-Z
"With courage, struggle, and triumph, these 25 fearless girls and women aren't just telling their own stories. They're telling the story of a world that was always possible and is now bursting into being."
Eric Holthaus, meteorologist, climate journalist, and author of The Future Earth
"A powerful collection of hopeful, diverse, and fearless voices that ignites readers to dream loud, think big, take action, and make change."
Mae Respicio, award-winning author of The House That Lou Built
“A wonderful introduction to fierce, creative, and compassionate activists from all over the world.”
Mary DeMocker, author of The Parents’ Guide to Climate Revolution
"This collection spotlighting the fierce and fearless leadership of 25 climate activists will inspire humans of all ages to rise up for a better world.”
Rebecca Woolf, rock star writer whose next book, All of This, is forthcoming
Have you connected with Rachel yet? You should! You can find her on Twitter (@Rachel__Sarah) on Instagram (@rachel_sarah_writes) or check out her website (www.rachelsarah.com).
Be sure to pick up a copy of her book here at Bookshop.org.
Now go forth, buy this book and be a positive change in the world!