Anita Fitch Pazner and I studied at the Vermont College Of Fine Arts together. I saw earlier drafts of this brand new book, and I’m thrilled for its release. Words Matter is coming to us from Groundwood Books in September 2025. It’s an honor to welcome Anita to the Cynsations blog.
Your forthcoming book, Words Matter, is about Hans and Sophie Scholl, who were instrumental members of the White Rose Resistance. What was your inspiration for this story?
I’ve always been drawn to stories of silent and non-violent protests like that of the football player Colin Kaepernick or the 1968 Olympians, but those stories are not mine to tell. When I learned of Hans and Sophie and the White Rose Resistance and their form of silent protests while on a bike tour in Munich with my college-aged daughters, I knew I had found my heart story. This happened shortly before the 2016 United States presidential election when rallies filled with angry people chanting slogans became the norm.
The parallels between the political rallies in the United States and those of the late 1920s in Germany haunted me. I visited parade grounds and learned how the Nazi movement got its start in Munich.
The bike tour focused on Germany’s refusal to shy away from its history. The entire city feels like a war museum of sorts. But not the type of war museum that exists in other countries glorifying their military or their conquests. Germany has kept the ugly underbelly of war on full display.
Buildings with bullet holes remain standing. Streets are named after persecuted college students. Plaques and memorials to victims appear everywhere. Even the most horrific aspect of the regime, the camps, have been left intact as a reminder of the horrors that occurred when a governmental leader remained unchecked. There is no whitewashing of history.
Having been born in Germany, I have always had a desire to understand how Germany lost its democracy and paved the way for the atrocities of the 1930s and 1940s. I couldn’t connect the brutality I knew existed during that time period with the German people and the culture I loved. I, like Sophie, believed in the goodness in the hearts of the German people.
However, the manuscript didn’t take shape until I took a six-week nonfiction picture book writing class with author Donna Janell Bowman, a fellow Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) graduate. I first wrote the story as a picture book during her workshop.
In hindsight, a picture book where the main characters are beheaded might not have been the best choice. My ah-ha moment didn’t materialize until I connected with Groundwood Books. They loved the writing style and asked if I would be open to publishing the manuscript as a fully illustrated, middle-grade novel.
Brilliant people! Just brilliant.
I will forever be grateful for editors Nan Froman and Emma Sakamoto, who brought Words Matter to life. They believed in the project when no one else was able to find a place for it.
From there, I was linked with illustrator Sophie Casson. Her passion for the project and her emotion-evoking images brought the story to life. In a recent conversation with her, I learned of her familial connections to World War II and the horrors of that time period. On a positive note, the illustrator and I were just informed Words Matter is a 2025 Junior Library Guild selection.
How did you go about choosing the verse format to portray the social injustices of the time period?
When I began researching Hans and Sophie, I fell in love with them as people. Their story demanded a lyrical style of storytelling. It was their choice, not mine. After having been introduced to the history of Hans and Sophie Scholl while on that trip to Germany, I gathered all I could find about them and the resistance. That included letters, journals, the white rose leaflets and other books written about them. I was drawn to them through their words. Sophie’s honest portrayal of her feelings and self-awareness drew me in.
I could relate to her impulsivity and need to understand her feelings and the world around her. In many ways, she was a lot like me. Then there was Hans—what an incredible writer and poet. There really was no other way to tell their story.
Your picture book, The Topsy-Turvy Bus, had STEM lessons about taking care of the earth and creating a better, healthier world. This book has social justice themes that encourage young readers to believe in the goodness that lives in the hearts of people during times of resistance. Both books courageously confront heavy current societal issues and offer resolutions that are both satisfying and realistic. How do you manage to create psychic distance from the stories so you can transform difficult topics into one of optimism and hope?
Hmmm. I’ve never given much thought to creating psychic distance. I live in the topics I write about. I feel the crushing negativity of things like pollution, propaganda-filled governments and the existence of wars. I write about topics that keep me up at night, and I try to find ways to make my small corner of the world a better place.
Kids also know these things exist, and they often feel powerless. I want to empower them with hope and the ability to think critically in order to make the world a better place. I think it was President Snow in the Hunger Games movie (not the book) that said, “Hope is the only thing stronger than fear.”
What do you want readers to take away from Words Matter?
I wrote Words Matter when propaganda and fear took over social media, news networks, and holiday dinners. It was the beginning of the alternative facts era. The divide and hatred went viral. And I admit, I was sucked into the fray, trying to wrap my head around what was happening.
I wasn’t as careful with my words as I should have been. I often tackle topics that allow me to work through issues. Realizing the power of words is instrumental in personal growth. Words have an energy all their own with the ability to lift us up or to cause harm. And they linger. How many times have we replayed the words carelessly thrown our way over and over in our minds?
Young people today are forced to navigate the constant barrage of messages being flung at them. They often respond immediately without the benefit of time to process their words, nor do they have the ability to block words that are intended to harm them. I would love readers to consider the words they choose to put out into the world. Perhaps by doing so we can come to a place where people understand words and truth really do matter.
What was your research process to engage with the main characters and the worldbuilding?
I love the research aspect of writing. I started by reading everything I could get my hands on about the resistance, the Scholls and their place in history. I took several trips to Munich, where the Scholls spent the last months of their lives, and to Ulm, where I was able to walk the streets where they lived when they were young. I saw the rushing river where Sophie liked to dip her toes, and I heard the cathedral bells that echo back to a time when no one felt safe.
You sold two books without an agent. Looking back what is the biggest lesson you’ve learned?
There have been so many lessons learned in the writing and submitting process. I learned to forge ahead with projects I believed in, even when opportunities seemed bleak.
I learned to research publishers and submit to only those who seemed a good fit. There is always someone out there looking for what you’ve written. You just have to find them. And don’t be afraid to ask industry professionals for advice.
I received numerous champagne rejects from agents through the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) critique and submission opportunities.
When frustration began to take hold, I reached out to Shelley Tanaka, a VCFA advisor, for guidance and an objective look at my work. She suggested I submit the manuscript to Groundwood Books. I can’t tell you how grateful I am for her willingness to guide me in the right direction. Even if you haven’t attended an MFA program, you can find editors and writing coaches for hire willing to help writers hone their craft and provide guidance.
Would I love to work with an agent?
Of course I would.
I enjoy the collaborative process. Agents have so much to offer when it comes to opportunities and knowledge. Then again, I managed to sell two books on my own while other writers I know with agents who were unable to secure even one book deal. Everyone’s journey is different.
I like to think of the agent-author relationship as a marriage. I hope to find just the right person—a shrewd business partner, a confidant, and someone with the wisdom and guts to tell me beheaded characters do not belong in picture books. Until then, I’ll continue sending out my work, negotiating contracts and enjoying the process.
How do you celebrate success?
Success seems like such a lofty moniker for what I’ve accomplished. I’m still in the trenches, honing my craft and struggling every day to put words on paper. I celebrate each morning with a latte or cappuccino and watch the sunrise while attempting to get my thoughts out of my head and onto the page. And when I’m able, I explore the world around me, traveling with family or friends, and I read books—lots and lots of books.
What do you love most about the creative life/being an author? Why?
The best thing about living a creative life is the people I’m privileged to meet. The other creators, librarians, the kids at book events, and strangers in line at the checkout who recognize me from author visits or from local television news clips and want to talk about the issues I write about. I love knowing I’m doing something difficult to help kids make sense of the world—not brain surgery difficult, but still . . .
What advice do you have for beginning children’s writers?
That’s easy. Write from your heart, take classes, attend webinars and remember that publishing is a business. Write books you want to read or books the younger version of yourself would have loved.
Keep in mind, people spend years learning how to craft the pages of a book, especially books for young people. Learn the rules, the format, how to write a query letter and make friends in the industry. They are the ones who will get you through the dark days. Failure is inevitable, but success is attainable.
What are you working on next?
I’m working on a science-based middle-grade novel set near a nuclear power plant. It’s been in the works for over a decade. I also have a plethora of picture books ready to send out to publishers on topics that support the sustainability platform I created with my first picture book, The Topsy-Turvy Bus. I’m also super excited about a graphic novel I wrote during a six-month SCBWI workshop. The story is set at an alternative high school for at risk kids. As a writer-only graphic novelist, I’ve set myself up for an even more challenging publishing goal. But that’s okay. What’s life without challenges?
Cynsational Notes
Anita Pazner earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA) and is the Co-Regional Advisor for Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators- Michigan region (SCBWI-MI). She’s created picture-book workshops for kids of all ages, ranging from second graders to high school students. She’s presented lectures for SCBWI, The Vermont College of Fine Arts, and The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP). She continues to volunteer her time to several non-profit organizations dedicated to making the world a better, cleaner, kinder place for us all.
Suma Subramaniam is the author of several children’s books including the V. Malar series (Candlewick Press, 2024, 2025, 2027), My Name Is Long As A River (Penguin Workshop, 2024), and Crystal Kite Award Winner, Namaste Is A Greeting (Candlewick Press, 2022). Her poems have been published in the Young People’s Poetry edition of Poetry Magazine from Poetry Foundation. She is a volunteer at We Need Diverse Books and SCBWI Western Washington. When she’s not writing, she’s blogging about children’s books. Suma has an MFA in Creative Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts.