Anne: Hello, Mr. Schu! For years you’ve tirelessly supported libraries and all things reading-related, and now it’s great to see your own MG debut on the shelf. Louder than Hunger just came out from Candlewick. Would you please tell readers a bit about the story?
John Schu: Thank you to MG Book Village for supporting libraries and librarians!
Thank you for supporting readers!
Louder Than Hunger tells Jake’s story.
Jake volunteers at Tinley Terrace, a nursing home near his house.
He loves books.
He loves musicals and movies.
He avoids people his own age.
He avoids mirrors and food.
There’s a very loud voice inside his head that tells him he’s unworthy of taking up space. That he’s unworthy of a happy life.
Eventually, Jake’s hospitalized at Whispering Pines for anorexia nervosa, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and depression.
Jake’s story is based on my experiences and emotions while living in multiple residential treatment facilities as a teen.
Anne: It’s a heart-wrenching story. I like the way your summary mirrors the pages of the book—more white space than text. Sometimes the shape of the words themselves gave me the sensation of falling, kind of like the downward spiral Jake was in. It’s an effective way to tell Jake’s story! What made you decide to write Louder than Hunger as a verse novel?
John Schu: The shape of the words gave you the sensation of falling—wow! That makes my heart happy. That was my intention.
I always knew Louder Than Hunger needed to be told in verse. The white space in the margins comforted me. It helped me dig deeper. It helped me feel more comfortable with the level of vulnerability it took to tell this very personal story. I hope it helps readers more easily digest Jake’s story, too.
Anne: Yes, I think it will. You open with the dedication, “for thirteen year-old me, who needed a book like this one,” and at the end, you say, “Writing Jake’s story hurt and healed my heart.” Ooooh, I ache for you and kids going through tough stuff, whether it’s bullying, anorexia, depression, grief, or all of the above. What was the hardest scene for you to write?
John Schu: Writing the dedications and the author’s note were two of the most cathartic writing experiences.
Oh, so many of the scenes were hard to write.
The scene in the library.
The scene when his mom is screaming and yelling because Jake won’t eat. She’s lost. She doesn’t know how to help him. She’s dealing with her own depression and anxiety.
But you asked me which scene was the hardest to write . . .
The hardest poems to write were the ones after Jake’s day pass with his mom to the Chicago Theatre. The Voice destroys what feels like it could be a turning point in Jake’s treatment. As I wrote those scenes, I kept saying, “I’m sorry, Jake! I need to hurt you again.”
Anne: When I read those scenes, I was soooooo sad for Jake.
Now, let’s talk about the grandmother character. She plays a huge role in Jake’s story. Was she based on your own grandmother? Tell us a bit about your grandma and your relationship with her.
John Schu: Thank you for asking about Jake’s grandma. In addition to dedicating the book to thirteen-year-old me, I write this in the dedication:
For Grandma Ruth,
who always reminded me to slow down.
I was VERY close to my grandma. She was my best friend. She would pick me up every Friday afternoon during the school year to spend the weekend at her house. We spent almost every day together during summer break.
Like Jake’s grandma, she loved the color red, The Golden Girls, music, and Venture department store.
Like Jake’s grandma, she read aloud Goofy’s Big Race hundreds of times. “Slow and steady . . .”
Like Jake’s Grandma, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer when I was in middle school.
A cancer that destroyed her body. I miss her every day!
Anne: Oh, that must have been hard. I love how your grandma character kept telling Jake, “take care of my boy!” I felt like I knew her.
Jake has fond memories of elementary school. What about you? What year in school was your happiest?
John Schu: School was complicated.
I felt out of place.
I spent a lot of time during elementary school feeling alone and on the outside looking in.
In The Creativity Project, I write a letter to Dr. Mary Margaret Reed, my fifth-grade teacher.
I thank her for the happiest year of elementary school.
I thank her for being patient and understanding and kind.
I thank her for reading aloud to me.
I thank her for making me feel less alone.
A big thank-you to all of the Dr. Mary Margaret Reeds of the world!
Anne: I hope Dr. Reed reads this interview!
These days, as you travel around the country visiting schools and nurturing a love of reading and libraries, what age group do you most enjoy spending time with?
John Schu: I love visiting schools! I see grades 3-5 the most. I always thought it was my favorite age group, but I’ve been adding more and more middle school visits to my schedule. I enjoy every experience.
Anne: Let’s end with your social media links. Where can readers go to learn more about you and your books?
John Schu: The best place is my website, JohnSchu.com. You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky.
I would be most grateful if you bought a copy of Louder Than Hunger for a friend from your favorite bookshop!
Anne: Will do! Thank you for spending time with us today at MG Book Village. It’s been a privilege to chat with you and hear a bit about your life and your approach to writing this story.
John Schu: Thank you so much! I appreciate your thoughtful questions! Happy, happy reading!
John Schu advocates for the things he cares about most: kids, books, and the people that connect them. He is the children’s librarian for Bookelicious, a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University, and for almost 6 years served as the Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs. He was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker, and is the author of This Is a School, illustrated by Veronica Miller Jamison, This Is a Story, illustrated by Caldecott Honor artist Lauren Castillo, Louder Than Hunger, and The Gift of Story: Exploring the Affective Side of the Reading Life. He is a contributor to The Creativity Project, edited by Colby Sharp. John Schu lives in Naperville, Illinois.
Anne (A.B.) Westrick (she/her) is the author of the older-MG novel Brotherhood. You can learn more about Anne at the MG Book Village “About” page and her website, ABWestrick.com.
