Celebrate National STEM Day with Melissa Stewart!

1 day ago

5 min read

Hi readers, writers, and shark lovers, too! Today is National STEM Day and tomorrow marks the beginning of National Children's Book Week! What better way to celebrate the festivities than with prolific author of over 200 books for young readers, Melissa Stewart, and her new STEM book, Sharks in Kansas!

Sharks in Kansas? Seems impossible, right? After all, Kansas is smack dab in the middle of the United States — more than 1,000 miles from the closest ocean. But the world hasn’t always looked the way it does today.

Seriously, how much fun does this book sound?

Want to know more about Melissa and her fascinating book PLUS, want to share some fun activities with little ones and hear some inspiring querying tips, too? Read on...🦈

Hi, Melissa! Thanks for joining SeasonsOfKidLit.com! We’re thrilled to feature you and hear all about you and your book, Sharks in Kansas (what a cool topic!). Can you share the inspiration behind your book and a little about its path to publication?

A: The idea behind Sharks in Kansas: The Ancient Sea in the Middle of America traces back to 2021 when I was writing Mega-Predators of the Past—a book about colossal carnivores, like the giant ripper lizard shown on the cover, titanic terror birds as tall as a giraffe and Titanoboa, a snake longer than two cars parked end to end.

As I gathered research, I discovered Archelon—a sea turtle the size of a small car. But what was even more amazing than the turtle’s supersize is where it lived—smack dab in the middle of the North American continent.

Up until that moment, I’d never heard of the Western Interior Seaway, and I had no idea that the place we now call the Great Plains had once been home to twelve different kinds of sharks! Plus mosasaurs and plesiosaurs and lots of other cool critters, too. I knew I had to write a book about how this watery world formed and changed over time.

Very few people know about the seaway, and there’s no other book about it for kids. That’s surprising because the ancient ocean submerged thirteen U.S. states and five Canadian provinces. It’s amazing how much the land beneath our feet can changed over 85 million years!

Like all books, this one went through many drafts (39 in all!) and was rejected many times (at least 5!). I’m grateful to the members of my two critique groups for keeping me motivated and helping me make the manuscript the best it could be. Finally, “When Sharks Swam in Kansas” was accepted by the amazing team at Random House Studio in 2024. One of the first suggestions my editor made was streamlining the title to Sharks in Kansas. What a great idea!

The book’s art director hired Becca Stadtlander to create the illustrations, and after a few rounds of sketches, the book was ready for the printer. From that point, it took about 6 months for the book to be published. Sharks in Kansas entered the world in July 2026, during Shark Week.

That is all so fascinating -- thanks for sharing!

Q: What first got you interested in prehistoric creatures?

A: In elementary school, my class took a field trip to see dinosaur trackways along the Connecticut River in Massachusetts. That’s when the prehistoric world came to life in my mind, and I’ve wanted to learn more ever since.

Q: What was your favorite part of working with your publisher?

A: This is the third book we’ve worked on together. First, there was Tree Hole Homes: Daytime Dens and Nighttime Nooks, illustrated by Amy Hevron, (2022) and then Whale Fall: Exploring an Ocean-floor Ecosystem, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey (2023).

I really appreciate their ability to find just the right illustrator for a manuscript, and their dedication to making sure everything in the book is scientifically accurate. All three of these books have complex visual information, especially in the backmatter. We kept working on it until everyone was satisfied.

Q: What’s your favorite spread from Sharks in Kansas? Why is it your favorite?

A: Oh boy, that’s a tough question. Becca created such vibrant, visually immersive art. Every page is richly textured and full of drama. Since I have to choose, I guess I’ll go with the fight scene. Afterall, shark-loving kids can’t resist the intrigue of two mighty beasts facing off.

Here we have the super shark Cretoxyrhina on the left and the 50-foot-long Tylosaurus on the right. Who will win?

We agree and love the artwork by Becca Stadtlander!

Q: What do you hope kids walk away with after reading this book?

A: I hope they’ll be excited that all these incredible creatures once lived where we live now. It’s truly astonishing that we can understand what the world was like so long ago and how it’s changed over time. The backmatter explains how the land sank and then rose again over millions of years.

I’m always surprised and delighted by the response I receive from readers. For this book, I’ve been receiving a slew of fan art. Here are two of my favorites.

And here’s the biggest surprise of all: An amateur fossil hunter in Kansas sent me fossilized teeth of three sharks and one fish in the book. He also included a coprolite for fun because, hey, who wouldn’t like to own some dinosaur poop?

Ha, so cool!

Q: What tip would you like to share with readers who are stuck in the query trenches?

A: Enjoy the journey and celebrate successes—even the small ones! So many things about book publishing are out of our control, and there are lots of challenges and disappointments along the way. That’s why it’s important to make a big deal out of every single bit of progress, from a “good” rejection to a starred review.

We love this tip! Thanks so much for sharing this and your book with our readers. Readers, please thank Melissa for stopping by. Feel free to drop a shark GIF, too!

Have a little one in your life that would love some shark-tivities? Make sure to check out her coloring page below and reading guide, along with more shark-filled fun here.

About Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart is a leading voice in children's nonfiction, with more than 200 science books to her name. Her work has been translated into more than a dozen languages and garnered such awards as the Sibert Honor, two Green Earth Book Awards, and four ALA Notables. Her best-known titles include Whale Fall, illustrated by Rob Dunlavey, Tree Hole Homes, illustrated by Amy Hevron, and Feathers: Not Just for Flying, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen. After earning a bachelor's degree in biology from Union College and a master's degree in science journalism from New York University, Melissa worked as a children's book editor for nine years before becoming a full-time writer. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. She lives in Massachusetts. For more information, including teacher resources, videos, and more, visit melissa-stewart.com.

For more about Melissa, check out the below links:

Instagram: Melissa Stewart: @melissastewartscience

Facebook: Melissa Stewart: Melissa Stewart

Bluesky: Melissa Stewart: @melissastewartscience

LinkedIn: Melissa Stewart

9 Comments

mjdulaney

2 minutes ago

My five year old grandson loves your Mega Predators of the Past book and while he prefers dinos, this prehistoric shark book is likely to be just as popular with him and his brother.