River Journal caught up with Tarrytown author Lauren Glattly to find out more about her new picture book, Proper Badger Would Never Trash the Classroom! Below is a Q&A with Glattly which has been condensed for brevity.
River Journal: Tell us a little bit about Proper Badger Would Never Trash the Classroom!
Lauren Glattly: Proper Badger Would Never Trash the Classroom! is a children’s picture book for kids ages 4-8 about a badger who accidentally gets on a school bus and goes to school determined to be a proper star student but finds his wild badger instincts just can’t be suppressed. It’s sort of an upside-down guide on how not to properly behave at school, with plenty of laughs along the way. It is the second book in the series, published on July 22, by Flamingo Books, a children’s book imprint of Penguin Random House. It can be purchased for $18.99 at any bookstore or online. I’ll be launching the book at a story time at Lofty Pigeon Books in Brooklyn on Saturday, September 6, and doing a story time here in the River Towns at Picture Book in Dobbs Ferry on Sunday, September 7, with more events to come.
RJ: How long have you been writing?
LG: I have been writing for fun since I was about ten years old and have wanted to be a published author for as long as I can remember. I have been writing with intention to have a fiction writing career for fourteen years.
RJ: Is this your first published book?
LG: This is my second published book. My debut children’s picture book and the first in the series, Proper Badger Would Never!, was published on April 2, 2024 by Flamingo Books, and I have the first book in an early reader graphic novel series coming out with Simon & Schuster in 2027.
RJ: How long did it take to write your book?
LG: The first badger book was a bit of a gift from the muse which I wrote very quickly in about thirty minutes. I’ve heard that second books are harder to write, so I was steeling myself for a much longer process this time. But then I came up with the idea for it while chatting with my family over tacos sitting outside of The Taco Project on Tarrytown Main Street. It took me a few days to write the manuscript, then I did a few rounds of revisions with my editor, and presto, we had our story.
RJ: For benefit of other writers, briefly describe your writing process.
LG: As a mom, I don’t have much of a writing routine anymore. I squeeze in writing time whenever I can, during naps, after bedtime, and some days, not at all. I don’t stress about those days, because I tend to write in sprints, and when inspiration strikes, I find ways to carve out time and write a lot all at once. My writing space is equally unregimented and over the years has ranged from coffee shops and libraries to my bed, the couch, and a tiny desk squeezed into a walk-in closet.
RJ: Any advice for those who may struggle with writers’ block or other writing challenges?
LG: Step away from your computer. I’ve never managed to solve a problem in a manuscript just staring at my screen, so I try to get out in nature, go for a walk, and call a family member or a friend to discuss the issue. Even just doing the dishes or some laundry can be enough to give my brain the space it needs to daydream and the answer or inspiration I’m looking for always seems to materialize.
RJ: What attracted you to this region to raise a family?
LG: My husband and I lived in Brooklyn for years, and we loved the walkability and neighborhood vibe, but we wanted more nature in our daily lives. We fell in love with the River Towns, particularly Tarrytown, for the walkability and small-town communities so ideally located between nature preserves and New York City.
RJ: Do you have favorite local hangouts to dine, shop, socialize, escape, chill?
LG: Climbing Wolf in Dobbs Ferry is a community gem and I’ve spent a lot of time writing there, including much of this book. In Tarrytown, the Saturday Farmers Market in Patriots Park is a weekly must, Coffee Labs has the best hot chocolate art I’ve ever seen, Marquee Records and Trilogy Consignment always have awesome finds, there isn’t hardly anything you can’t get at Goldberg Hardware, and Main Street Sweets has the best mint chip ice cream on the planet.
