Catch up with Daniel W. Vandever

Daniel W. Vandever is the author of Fall in Line, Holden!

Fall in Line, Holden! follows Holden, a young Navajo boy, through his day at boarding school. Although Holden is required to conform to a rigid schedule and strict standards of behavior, his internal life is led with imagination and wonder. Whether he is in art class, the computer lab, or walking the hall to lunch, Holden’s vivid imagination transforms his commonplace surroundings into a world of discovery and delight.

Daniel W. Vandever, the author and illustrator has traveled across the country visiting public schools and giving presentations to conferences such as the National Center for Families Learning Conference in Florida, and being the topic of discussion in webinars hosted by the Native Americans in Childrens’ Literature association. What makes the book special is its ability to bring up topics of discussion and Daniel W. Vandever continues to visit schools across the nation to address these topics.  The author will be present at the Tucson Festival of Books March 2-3, 2019. With great reviews on his book coming from American Indian Library Association and the School Library Journal, he plans to continue his storytelling journey in the future with a second book.

Words from the author:

I intended to address three topics with Fall in Line, Holden that I feel are necessary. They included: diversity in children’s book, early literacy, and boarding school era education. Each topic can be difficult to address within a children’s picture book, which was why I made it a point to visit as many schools, community organizations, and public spaces as possible in order to properly discuss the complexities of each subject. It helped that the book received positive promotion in traditional and non-traditional media like Twitter and Facebook, but where I felt the real impact resonated was in face-to-face interactions. I was fortunate to visit elementary, middle, and high schools throughout the Navajo Nation and even as far as St. Louis, Missouri. In each place, meaningful dialogue was raised around each topic and practical solutions began to surface. In spite of receiving an honor award from the American Indian Library Association and positive reviews from Kirkus and the School Library Journal, these conversations are what I think are the real accomplishments of the book.

Over the next year, I’d like to continue expanding Holden’s message across different mediums. Last spring, I helped convert the book into a One Act Play with a Navajo Technical University students, and I’d like to explore converting the experience into a screen play. Other than that, I’ve turned my focus toward writing my second book, which will be written for middle school readers.

Daniel W. Vandever will be present at the 2019 Tucson Festival of Books in Tucson, Arizona being held on March 2nd and 3rd.

Daniel W. Vandever Salina Bookshelf Interview: https://youtu.be/rqBXVpJRaYk

Native America Calling Interview: http://www.nativeamericacalling.com/friday-december-15-2017-book-month-fall-line-holden-daniel-w-vandever/

KGLP Interview: https://kglp.podbean.com/e/author-daniel-vandever-discusses-fall-in-line-holden/

Follow Daniel W. Vandever on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/DanielVandeverFanPage/