Happy Monday and welcome to my stop on the blog tour for DOWN TO EARTH by Betty Culley! I’m so excited to share my interview with Betty with you! This book is truly amazing and I’m so excited to for you to find out more about it!
Down to Earth by Betty Culley Published on August 24, 2021 by Crown Books for Young Readers
Genres: Middle Grade, Science Fiction
Pages: 224
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Henry has always been fascinated by rocks. As a homeschooler, he pours through the R volume of the encyclopedia to help him identify the rocks he finds. So, when a meteorite falls in his family's field, who better to investigate than this rock enthusiast--with his best friend, James, and his little sister, Birdie, in tow, of course.
But soon after the meteorite's arrival, the water in Henry's small Maine town starts drying up. It's not long before news spreads that the space rock and Henry's family might be to blame. Henry is determined to defend his newest discovery, but his knowledge of geology could not have prepared him for how much this stone from the sky would change his community, his family, and even himself.
Science and wonder abound in this middle-grade debut about an inquisitive boy and the massive rock that came down to Earth to reshape his life.
What would you do if you spent the day with Henry? Where would you go to eat, hang out, relax, etc.?
I would like Henry to show me everything on Bower Hill Road, especially his big meteorite. I’d also like to visit the granite quarry. If it was summer, I’d love to swim in the stream. Oh, and of course, I’d want to see Braggy’s door paintings and his three-story house! Then when I got hungry, I hope his Nana might make me some of her biscuits.
If Henry were to hang out with characters from other books, who would they be and why?
One person Henry would enjoy meeting is Coo, from the book Coo by Kaela Noel. Coo was raised by pigeons in a dovecote on a roof and is a girl with courage and determination, who sees the world from a unique viewpoint. Henry might also like to meet Lan Mifune, from We’re Not from Here, about a family of humans who immigrate to an alien planet after Earth has been destroyed in a nuclear war. Henry would love to hear about Lan’s journey through space and the planet he lands on.
If there was one fictional place you could travel to for a day, where would it be and why?
There is water in all my books, so I’d love to go to any fictional watery place, whether it was an ocean, stream, river, or pond.
If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be and what would you talk about?
I’d like to meet the main character of my current work-in-progress, Nathan Savage. I’m sure he would have a lot to tell me about his life and his family. I’d take notes so I could use them when writing. Maybe the visit would help me finish the book!
If you buried a time capsule with three items inside, what three items would you choose and why?
I love this question, and there’s actually a scene in DOWN TO EARTH where some of the characters have to choose what objects are most important to save.
- A letter to the future
- Flower seeds
- A key (and a hint for what it opens)
What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?
When I went to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, I saw a lot of very cool meteorites, including the Willamette Meteorite, (known as Tomanowos by the Clackamas people) the largest meteorite found in North America, and the sixth largest in the world. It was found in Oregon. I didn’t write about this meteorite in the book, but it was very interesting to see it in person.
What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from Down to Earth?
My favorite scene is at the end of chapter eight. It’s when Henry puts aside his doubts and embraces his awe of the meteorite. He then tells the crowd,
“I’ll show you where it fell the night it lit up the sky.”
About Betty Culley
Betty Culley’s debut novel in verse Three Things I Know I True, was a Kids’ Indie Next List Top Ten Pick, an ALA-YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Nominee, an ALA-YALSA Quick Pick, and a Junior Library Guild selection. Her first middle-grade novel Down to Earth, is inspired by her fascination with meteorites, voyagers from another place and time. She’s an RN who worked as an obstetrics nurse and as a pediatric home hospice nurse. She lives in central Maine, where the rivers run through the small towns.
What do you think about Down to Earth? Have you added it to your tbr yet? Let me know in the comments and have a splendiferous day!
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