Ethan's STEM Adventures: I Can Be a Scientist!
by Louis J. Desforges
GENRE: Children's
BLURB:
Like the infinite-shade of colors, the richness of life is enhanced by our natural inclination, as creative beings, to hold distinct perspectives on just about any subject. Collectively, however, I believe we all appreciate the profound significance of all the things that influenced and molded us from an early age—the moments and events that are weaved intricately into our memories.
Who amongst us cannot recall a story, no matter what artistic form used to bring it to life: a book, a show, a play, a comic, a song, a movie, or even a real-life character (that family member, teacher, coach, or friend) who shaped the lens with which we view the world then, now, and always.
For this very reason, I believe children should see themselves represented in all areas of human endeavors, cementing deep within their framework the possibilities that await, regardless of prevailing circumstances.
My hope is to bridge the diversity gap in STEM by creating excitement around Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math through diverse representation.
"I see me, therefore I can be."
So it remains, like the infinite shades of color, the richness of life is enhanced by the stories and experiences that holds us.
-Louis J. Desforges
Excerpt:
As far as the eye can see
I wonder what adventures wait for me!
Summer, spring, winter, and fall
I can’t help wonder about it all
Science is the way we see
What was, what is, and what can be
Earth Science, Life Science, Social Science…Whew!
Physical Science and formal Science too!
All the ways to tell the story of me and you
And everything in between
That can or can’t be seen
I can be a
Biologist…Meteorologist…Or Zoologist
I can be an Astronomer, Geographer, or Oceanographer…
Whichever I prefer!
Interview with Louis Joubert Desforges
What made you want to become a writer?
I have always been intrigued and captivated by great storytelling. Growing up, I hardly traveled beyond my Brooklyn neighborhood – except the occasional school trip; and so, I essentially lived my entire childhood vicariously through the exciting adventures I read about.
Although I always remained fascinated by the people and places those stories introduced me to, I was far more intrigued by how the stories were told.
My first foray into writing was to create my own comics – so from an early age, I recognized the complexity and difficulty of writing something that can excite, intrigue, inspire and impact others – because of this, I maintained a high level of admiration of story tellers – regardless of the medium – books, songs, comics, movies, theater etc.
I am inspired by writers who are witty, mischievous with their play on words; writers that can tap into a deep well of knowledge and very subtly pull from multiple subjects to illustrate a point or to set the stage. I am in awe of writers that can transport me into any story that whereby I literally feel my five senses come alive in real time.
Naturally, I am a very curious person, so a good book for me is one that can poetically provide a crash course in any or all subjects that intrigues me- anthropology, psychology, astronomy, world civilization, evolution, politics, art history, theology, world cultures and traditions – bringing the evolution of those subjects to life via a succinct and compelling storytelling.
What inspired you to write Ethan’s STEM Adventures?
I believe that we learn as children to adopt false narratives such as the perception that aspirations are “unattainable,” “far-fetched,” or “unrealistic” simply because they seem out of reach for whatever reason at the time. We aren’t taught to look at failures as a success waiting to happen, or to look at barriers as a challenge that will instead teach us more of what we need to know to succeed.
Telling stories is an excellent way to inspire children. Stories provide children with a view into new and exciting world of characters, places, cultures, and traditions.
Storytelling enhances creativity, inspires curiosity, and broadens a child’s immigration – making them more open to new ideas and concepts while teaching them about life, themselves, and others.
Sadly, children along all dimensions of diversity rarely see themselves represented in the characters of the books that they read.
My purpose is to be intentional about creating more diverse, equitable and inclusive stories that will inspire and cement deep within a child’s framework the confidence to achieve their dreams, regardless of their prevailing circumstances.
“I see me, therefore I can be”
Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in Ethan’s STEM Adventures?
In this book, there are two characters – a boy and his dog. The boy is my 4-year-old son. Although the dog is fictionally because we don’t have one currently, I am a big dog lover!
In Ethan’s STEM Adventures, both boy and dog are curious, adventurous, and brave. Together, they travel through time and visit amazing locations discovering the joys of science. Here is an excerpt:
“Science is the way we see
What was, what is, and what can be
Earth Science, Life Science, Social Science…Whew!
Physical Science and formal Science too!
All the ways to tell the story of me and you
And everything in between
That can or can’t be seen”
You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
This is a very, very tough question. It’s like asking to choose a favorite ice cream, travel destination, or international cuisine? It’s impossible to narrow down!
So forgive me, but in no particular order, my favorite authors are (1) Frederick Forsyth (2) John Grisham (3) Dan Brown. With that roster, you can imagine why it’s impossible to settle on one.
Each wrote some of my favorite books which subsequently turned into blockbuster movies: The Day of the Jackal, the Pelican Brief, The Firm, The Da Vinci Code, Angeles and Demons…you can see the trend.
Through each of their storytelling, I am transported into a world of intrigue, whereby all my senses come alive, and I can feel, smell, taste, hear and see via their written words. Sometimes, I find myself reading a passage several times – like replaying a favorite part of a song or movie because I am compelled to soak it up download it to my internal hard drive.
Can you tell us a little bit about your next books or what you have planned for the future?
I plan to continue writing – this first children’s picture book is one in a series of 4 focused on STEM. From there, I plan to branch into other topics that resonate with me deeply such as sustainability – more specifically, living in harmony within our environment.
I believe it is possible to teach these things to children very early on – creating responsible and conscious adults.
The writing process can be excruciating for me. I am still working on developing the confidence, knowledge, and discipline to create a full-length novel.
More to come – but for now, I love writing children’s picture book
What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
As an unintended consequence, writing this book was very therapeutic. In many ways, I was able to explore, heal and find closure for many parts of my own childhood that created the lens in which I viewed the world. Interestingly, I am able to create and appreciate a new, better narrative as I raise my own child.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Having endless curiosity, Louis has always been enthralled by the inner workings of everything around him.
With a natural and insatiable drive to build, explore, and understand, one of his fondest childhood memories is harvesting toasters, microwaves, TVs, and other discarded electronics in his Brooklyn neighborhood so he could take apart and rebuild them, or scavenge parts to build his own remote-controlled cars or planes.
He is the first to admit that nothing ever worked as intended, or at all, for that matter, but that never really mattered to him. As long as he was dissecting, constructing, exploring and learning, his cup was always full.
Today, his tinkering looks very different. Louis spends countless hours building and rebuilding Lego sets with his four-year-old son.
With any free time left after work and family life (usually late at night), you can find Louis in his workshop (any available free space with a flat surface) writing, painting, sculpting or toiling over his photography; nonetheless, his deep love for STEM remains, and at its core feeds his endless curiosity and desire to understand the inner workings of everything.
CONNECT WITH LOUIS
WEBSITE ~ INSTAGRAM ~ GOODREADS
1 comments:
Sounds like a very good book.
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