Skip to main content

Interview with Teen Author Rachel Yurchisin - Books - Blogcritics

Joining us today is Rachel Yurchisin, teen author of a children’s book entitled Diary of My Days in Kenya: A Naturalist’s Observations of a Lioness and Her Adopted Baby Oryx. Rachel's love of science and nature has inspired her to write her first children’s book in the hopes of passing on her passion to other young ‘budding’ naturalists. Yurchisin is a junior in high school and participates in educational programs at her city zoo and natural history museum.

Thank you for joining us today, Rachel. Can you please start us off by sharing a bit about yourself?
I have a love of science and nature that has inspired me to write my first children’s book in the hopes of passing on my passion to other young “budding” naturalists. I am currently a junior in high school residing in Cleveland, Ohio. I feed my interest in animals and the natural world by participating in educational programs at the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. I enjoy competing in tennis tournaments and I play softball for my high school.

When did you first get bit by the writing bug?
I started writing little poems from a very early age, but I didn’t write my first book Diary of My Days in Kenya until fifth grade. Why did you decide to write stories for the How-to/Parenting market? It wasn’t a conscience decision; at that point in my life, I was writing a story that was designed for children my age. I do believe that if I am fortunate enough to publish any future writings, I will probably continue writing children’s stories.

What is your favorite part of writing for this group? What is the greatest challenge?
My favorite part is knowing that I am opening up the world of reading to a child and sending them off on an adventure that they may never had embarked upon had they not turned the pages of my book. The greatest challenge is to “get all my facts straight” and do the research aspect of the writing.

Can you tell us about your book? Diary of My Days in Kenya is a fictional story loosely based upon the real life occurrences of a nomadic lioness who nurtures baby oryx as if they were her own young. During a drought, a naturalists, Susan Polling, and other professionals, are sent on assignment to observe and document this special pairing. The book’s spirited protagonist, Polling, offers the reader interesting insights as to why this unique phenomenon has transpired. The story explores how the traditional relationship of predator and prey is transcended, presenting a spellbinding account of how a parental bond, even a non-traditional one, can never be broken.

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/books/article/interview-with-teen-author-rachel-yurchisin/#ixzz1jAVPEi1P

Popular posts from this blog

The Comeback of 2D Animation: Why We’re Craving Realness Again

There’s something happening in animation right now that’s worth paying attention to—not because it’s simply nostalgic, but because it’s deeply human. As someone who works in the mental health and creative storytelling space, I can’t help but see these conversations about art, AI, and hand-drawn storytelling as part of a bigger theme: our collective hunger for authenticity. We live in a time where AI-generated content is everywhere—convenient, efficient, and often soulless. It’s not surprising that artists and audiences alike are looking back toward something that feels more tactile, more imperfect, more human. That brings us to 2D animation, an art form that has shaped generations and now, it seems, might just be making a comeback. Here’s what Language of the Soul podcast host, Dominick Domingo, had to say on this trend: There’s been a lot of industry talk lately speculating about 2D/traditional ANIMATION making a comeback. Recent articles confirm that although Disney has not greenlit...

Storytelling, Mindfulness, and What Makes Us Human in a Tech-Driven World

In a time when artificial intelligence is advancing at lightning speed, many of us find ourselves quietly asking: What does it mean to be human? Amidst the algorithms, the data, and the drive for efficiency, how do we stay connected to the qualities that make our lives rich with meaning? One timeless answer lies in something we’ve carried with us since the dawn of time: the stories we tell. Stories are more than entertainment. They are the glue that binds us to one another, the mirrors in which we glimpse our purpose, and the maps that help us navigate life’s complexities. In our latest Language of the Soul conversation, we sit down with Denise Piles—mindfulness coach, former nun, and seasoned corporate professional—to reflect on how storytelling and mindfulness can help us stay rooted in our shared humanity, even in the fast-paced world of technology. Denise’s journey is remarkable. From a life shaped by faith and service to a career at Microsoft, she has walked two seemingly diff...

Unmasking Narcissism: Lessons on Healing, Boundaries, and the Human Condition

  When I first sat down with Dominick to interview Stuart Wood, neuroscientist and author of Escaping the Void: How to Support Victims Out of Emotionally Abusive Relationships , I thought I knew what to expect. I’ve been a victim advocate for years. I’ve sat with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and I’ve seen the way emotional abuse erodes someone from the inside out. But there was something about this conversation—something about tying narcissism not just to relationships, but to culture at large—that resonated with me on a personal and professional level. Stuart came to the topic of narcissism the way so many of us do—not through clinical theory at first, but through experience. He supported a friend through four years of leaving and healing after an abusive narcissistic marriage. And from there, he wrote a book that demystifies the confusing behaviors and manipulations so often minimized or dismissed, even by victims themselves. Why Narcissism Hits Home I come ...