When Thomas is bullied by Kyle in Nobody!, he wonders if there is something wrong with him:
What if Kyle is right? What if nobody likes me? What if I am different?
But an observation leads him to wonder:
But aren’t we all different in some way? Isn’t that what makes things interesting?
The answer, Thomas, is YES! Our differences make us interesting. We all have something interesting and unique to offer the world. Think about the things that you enjoy doing that make you an interesting person. Maybe you have a hobby that you love? Maybe you have a great sense of humor? Maybe you have traveled to interesting places and met other interesting people? Maybe you write poetry? Maybe you like to cook? Maybe you can speak several languages? There are so many things that make you interesting.
Now think about how you would feel if someone bullied you about those things. When Thomas was being bullied in Nobody!, he didn’t feel like an interesting person - he just felt sad and worried all the time. Fortunately, he had people who were willing to stand up for him and that made a big difference. I think the people who stood up for Thomas are interesting! Think about it…they did something different. They didn’t just stand by while someone was being bullied. They encouraged Thomas to keep doing the things that he enjoyed and they spent time doing those things together with Thomas.
How about you? What makes you interesting?
We want to hear from you, our kid readers, about all of the wonderful things that make YOU unique! Send us a hand-written letter by June 15th to:
That's So Interesting Contest c/o Free Spirit Publishing 217 Fifth Avenue North, Suite 200 Minneapolis, MN 55401-1299
Be sure to include your name, address, and an email address where you can be reached.
Once all the letters are in, we will randomly select five letter writers to feature on our blog - and to make things even more interesting - we will give away five complimentary autographed copies of Nobody!
While we wait for your letters, we'll start by introducing you to some of the interesting kids who helped create Nobody!
First up in our blog series is an interview of Ludwig Bryngelsson. He attends 4th grade on the other side of the globe in Malmö, Sweden. Aside from speaking both Swedish and English, Ludwig is a very talented artist. He was a great help to Paula while illustrating Nobody! Thomas, the main character, is a 4th grade boy who loves to draw. Having never been a boy and being much older than a 4th grader, Paula needed a little guidance on how boys his age draw. Ludwig always jumped to the challenge whenever Paula needed help. He drew his vision of a bully, drew all of the inspiration for the bugs and doodles and even whipped out a few self-portraits. All of this helped Paula to leap off and do Thomas’ drawings in her own hand. Ludwig was a true professional and inspiration throughout the process. We can’t wait to see where he is in twenty years!
Ludwig Bryngelsson at work in his studio.
Paula: If you could be a sound, what would it be?
Ludwig: I would be "boom" like something exploding.
Paula: What is the funniest thing that ever happened to you?
Ludwig: The funniest thing that ever happened to me was when I was 7 or 8 and I was trying to tell my mom that I had a loose tooth while she was helping me brush my teeth and my loose tooth flew out of my mouth and across the bathroom floor.
Paula: What do you think your life will be like in the future?
Ludwig: In the future I want to make music and I haven't figured out what I want to study when I get older.
Paula: Who is your best friend and why?
Ludwig: My best friend is Rasmus. He is nice and we have known each other since we were in preschool. He is probably the first friend that I ever made.
Paula: What's the coolest thing you saw someone do today?
Ludwig: My dance teacher, Artan, dancing like Michael Jackson. He is really good!
Paula: How would you change the world if you could?
Ludwig: I would make people stop fighting and having wars.
Paula: What do you think makes you an interesting person?
Ludwig: Well I have a good imagination and my parents come from different places. We live in Sweden. My mom comes from the US but her parents are Cuban. My dad is Swedish and we speak both Swedish and English at home.
Paula: Who is the most interesting person you know? What makes that person interesting?
Ludwig: My dance teacher Artan. He is a great dancer and he owns real Michael Jackson stuff like a jacket that Michael Jackson used to wear.
Paula: Your artwork is really amazing! What do you like about making art?
Ludwig: It's fun to do and to take your time and when it's done it feels pretty cool.
Paula: We heard you do some volunteering at your school. We’d love to hear more about it!
Ludwig: If I see people that are alone in the schoolyard then I can help them find someone to play with. Or if I see that someone that's starting a fight I'll tell a teacher or some grown-up to go stop the fight. So I go around looking at kids and see so they don't start to fight then I tell grown-ups to go stop it. Almost like a good and nice spy. It's called kamratstödjare in Swedish which means like Friends Helper.
Ludwig and his friend Axel on the job as Friends Helpers
That’s so interesting! We really enjoyed reading about you, Ludwig. Pretty cool stuff!
Readers: Check back in a couple of weeks for our next interview and get those letters in the mail!