A Brilliant Fall for Kate Messner

A local school teacher successfully publishes another novel this past fall

Story by Gabrielle Bilik

Kate Messner, a local, National Board Certified, seventh-grade teacher at Stafford Middle School, is celebrating the publishing of her children’s book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. This is not her first published book; she has written many successful novels.

“My first two books were historical novels for young readers, both set on Lake Champlain,” Messner says.

Spitfire is the story of a 12-year-old girl who disguises herself as a boy during the American Revolution. Her second novel, Champlain and the Silent One, is set in 1609 and is about an Innu boy who guides Samuel de Champlain on his voyage to encounter the Iroquois. North Country Books, a small regional press, published both of Messner’s books.

“I love research, so historical fiction is a joy for me to write.  In addition to using lots of books and historical journals and other documents, I spent a lot of time at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum doing more hands-on kinds of research,” Messner says.

Messner took part in a reenactment on board a replica of the Gunboat Philadelphia when she was working on her novel, Spitfire.

“As far as the overall experience of being a writer, I absolutely love it."

“That was a terrific opportunity to get firsthand information about life on board the gunboats that I just couldn't have found anywhere else,” Messner says.

“My newest book, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, is my first national title, and it was published by Bloomsbury/Walker just this September,” Messner says. “It's a contemporary middle grade novel -- a funny school story about a seventh grade girl who has left her science leaf collection project to the last minute.  She has one week to collect and identify 25 leaves, and everything that can possibly go wrong in that week does,” she explains.

The book is based on an actual project that the students at her school are assigned each year.

“I teach 7th grade English on an interdisciplinary team there, and every fall, our science teacher assigns the project,” Messner says. “Every fall, we have kids who refuse to get started until they're already pressed for time, and I've heard some funny all-nighter kinds of stories over the years.  Some of those made it into the book!”

“While I'd sold my first two books directly to the publisher, I knew that to find a national publisher for The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, it would be helpful if I had a literary agent. So after several months of submitting to agents, I found one who was interested in representing my work, and she handles that side of my writing life now,” Messner says.

“As far as the overall experience of being a writer, I absolutely love it.The best part is talking with kids who have read my books; they always have such wonderful, insightful things to say,” Messner says.

“I love writing. I have ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil, but where I grew up, in Medina, a small town in Western NY, we didn't have authors visit our schools.  I didn't know any authors, and it didn't really occur to me that you could choose that as a career path, so I channeled my love of writing into journalism.”

Messner graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in Broadcast Journalism and spent seven years as a TV producer and reporter before deciding that she wanted to go back to school to be a teacher.

“It was after I started teaching English that I started writing seriously for publication, and now I'm happily balancing those two things with my family life,” Messner says.

“And of course, I love curling up with a good book in front of the fireplace, too.  I'm an avid reader. I think that's an important part of being a writer."

“My family loves spending time outside,” Messner says. “So that's where you'll find me in most of my free time if the weather's nice.”

Messner also enjoys hiking, kayaking, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, traveling and keeping a blog.

“And of course, I love curling up with a good book in front of the fireplace, too.  I'm an avid reader. I think that's an important part of being a writer. I generally read at least a book or two a week,” Messner says.

“I'm juggling a few projects right now,” Messner says. “I just sent revisions for a new middle grade novel back to my editor at Walker in New York.” 

The new novel is entitled Sugar on Snow and will be published in December 2010.

“It’s about a girl from a small-town maple farm near the Canadian border who earns a figure skating scholarship to train with the elite in Lake Placid.”

Messner has also been working on revisions for a picture book that's coming out with Chronicle Books in spring of 2011.  The book is called Sea Monster's First Day.

She drew inspiration from Lake Champlain’s beloved “Champ.” It is a humorous book about the sea monster’s separation anxiety.

“Chronicle is also publishing a second picture book that I wrote after a school snowshoe field trip to the Paul Smiths Visitor's Interpretive Center. That one is called Over and Under the Snow, and is about a girl who goes cross country skiing and discovers the secret world of animals living under the winter snow,” says Messner.

Also in the works for Messner is a chapter book series coming from Scholastic Press in February 2011. Kicking off the series will be Marty McGuire, Frog Princess. The series features a third grade girl who struggles with her desires to be a scientist rather than a ballerina.

“She's casted as the princess in her school play, with hilarious results,” says Messner. “And I'm working on a new project right now, too - a middle grade mystery. I'm really looking forward to wrapping up work on my 2010 novel so I can get back to that draft!”

What was your favorite children's book growing up?