In the world of books, the characters can be just as important – if not more so? – than the creator. Therefore, I’m welcoming characters to Book Bags and Cat Naps to introduce themselves, spill the beans about their makers and tell us what lies ahead…
Today I’m welcoming Nate – from Karen Pokras Toz’s title Nate Rocks the World - to the blog
[sws_blue_box box] About the book
Ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge cannot catch a break. After all, life as a fourth-grader can be hazardous what with science projects to deal with and recess football games to avoid. Everyone, including his best friend Tommy, seems to have bad luck when hanging around Nathan. Throw in an older sister who is a royal pain, a dad who is stuck in the past, and a mom who keeps trying to poison him with her awful cooking, and poor Nathan’s life as a fourth grader appears to be completely doomed. Armed only with his sketchpad, his imagination, and his wits, Nathan Rockledge navigates the perils of the fourth grade in style, to emerge heroic, as Nate Rocks, proving that even a ten-year-old can accomplish great things.
Not all is lost however. Give Nathan a sketchpad and a pencil and watch as his drawings transform his otherwise hopeless life into heroic adventures as Nate Rocks. Time and again, Nate saves the day – winning The World Series, fighting evil forces to keep the world from darkness and even saving Christmas. When his sister nearly drowns while swimming in the ocean, Nate Rocks the World one more time, proving that even a ten year old can accomplish great things.
Follow the quirky and imaginative adventures of ten-year-old Nathan Rockledge as his cartoons come to life.
Nate Rocks the Boat is due for release in May 2012.
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Welcome! Please introduce yourself…
Hi I’m Nathan Rockledge, I’m 10 years old and I’m in 4th grade. School is okay I guess, but I’d really rather be hanging out with my friends or drawing. I love to draw! Abby – that’s my older sister – says my drawings are dumb. But I think they’re pretty cool. Cartoons are my specialty, and usually I’ll draw myself in them. When I do, I get to do all sorts of fun adventures like play baseball, be a cowboy, and even save the world from the evil Dr. Shadow.
Spill the beans…
The creator/character relationship could be described as a give and take one. Who is the taker and who is the giver in your relationship?
My creator is definitely the taker. I don’t ask for much, but the one thing I do enjoy is food. I mean – I’m a growing boy! Is it too much to ask her to give me a Mom who can actually cook? It’s bad enough my creator gave me an annoying sister and a know it all classmate. But for the love of… hey is that a cookie?
How much is Nate Rocks the World?
$7.99 print / $0.99 digital
And, if your creator could spend the Nate Rocks the World royalties on a treat, what would it be?
A vacation!
Assuming the tables were turned and you became the author, what story would you cast your creator turned character in?
Ooh – that’s a fun question! I could draw a cartoon where my creator is the star this time. Let’s see. She could be walking her children to school when out of nowhere a giant monster approaches. The monster heads straight for them. The children are all screaming and crying.. there is nowhere to run. Suddenly, a boy appears with a giant laser gun. He hears them yelling in the distance. “Nate, save us Nate, please hurry!” The boy acts quickly, aiming the laser beam directly at the monster.He shoots. The monster falls to the ground just seconds before reaching the woman and her children. They run to the boy, yelling, “Nate Rocks – thank you. You saved us. You are a true hero.” …. Oh wait, that was about me again wasn’t it?
Tell us something about your creator that they’re unlikely to share themselves?
Well for starters, she drinks a ridiculous amount of coffee. Especially when she is writing. And she’s always talking to her cats. She even reads my stories to them. The little grey one fell asleep in the middle of my cowboy adventure… how embarrassing! Good thing Abby didn’t find out. I’d never hear the end of it.
Character/creator comparison
Tell us one of your bad habits
I throw my dirty laundry on the floor.
Tell us one of your creator’s bad habits
She’s a bit unorganized.
If you lived in the same world as your creator, would you be likely to move in the same circles?
You want me to hang out with a mom? Eww. I hear she has some cool kids though, so maybe I’d like to hang out with them.
Now here’s a quickfire comparison round: your favourites (N) and hers (K)
Food: ”Anything not cooked by Mom” (N) vs “Mexican” (K)
Drink: “Soda (but we’re not allowed to drink it)” (N) vs “Coffee” (K)
Holiday: “Destination – Florida – Specifically, The Kennedy Space Center!” (N) vs “Somewhere warm” (K)
Film: “Anything with Captain Asteroid in it” (N) vs “Fried Green Tomatoes” (K)
Book: ”Comic books!” (N) vs “Too many to choose from but my favorite genre is historical fiction” (K)
Colour: ”Red” (N) vs “Yellow” (K)
And now the moment of truth: review Karen Pokras Toz’s book
Well, what can I say? The book totally rocks. Of course, I would have made some changes. For starters, A brother instead of a sister would have been nice, and there is that whole mom who can’t cook thing. But otherwise, I think it’s pretty cool. I love that my creator put all of my adventures in the story. Plus, she tells everything from my point of view. Can you imagine how annoying the book would be if it were in Abby’s voice? Ugh.That was definitely a good decision. There are some embarrassing parts, like how I get in trouble here and there, and how I had to dress like an elf for Christmas. But overall, I think it’s an awesome story.
Will we see you again? Any last words?
Yup – my creator has book two coming out in May – it’s called “Nate Rocks the Boat.” It’s all about my time at overnight camp, and I think it’s pretty neat.
[sws_green_box]About Karen Pokras Toz
Karen Pokras Toz is a writer, wife and mom. Karen grew up in the small town of Orange, Connecticut and graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Finance. She also attended the University of Richmond, where she studied law and business, receiving both a JD and an MBA. Karen has spent the last several years working as a tax accountant, writing in numbers. She recently discovered a passion for writing with words. Karen enjoys gardening, cooking, and spending time with her husband and three children.
About the Author:
By day a publicity assistant, by night an avid blogger and reader. I'm happiest when I'm surrounded by books and cats, with my husband by my side. Luckily, that's a pretty apt description of most days!
Donna Brown – who has written 620 posts on Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dave.
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Mar 07, 2012 @ 23:48:05
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Mar 16, 2012 @ 18:10:02
[...] Character interview: Nate – “Nate Rocks the World” (bookbagsandcatnaps.com) [...]