This week, we’re celebrating Adrienne’s debut! Adrienne Sylver grew up in Ohio, where she rooted for the Cleveland Indians and learned to appreciate a good stadium hot dog. She has a master’s degree in magazine journalism from Ohio University. Like many Buckeyes who dislike shoveling snow, piling on fifteen layers of clothing, and blowing their nose for six months of the year, she escaped after college to the sunshine of Florida. Okay, over the years she’s come to appreciate cooler weather, good hair days thanks to low humidity, and the fact that hurricanes don’t whip across Lake Erie and flatten your home. But there’s nothing like going barefoot year-round or watching dolphins frolic in the surf. She has worked as a newspaper reporter and public relations writer. Today, she lives in Miami with her husband, Mike, and children, Nick and Meaghan.

Here’s a little bit about HOT DIGGITY DOG: THE HISTORY OF THE HOT DOG (Dutton Children’s Books).

How did the humble hot dog become an American favorite? And what does our red hot love say about who we are? Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog takes readers on a kid-friendly blast into the past to discover how the hot dog came to America and how it became a staple at baseball stadiums, cookouts, and July 4th celebrations. The book is garnished with hilarious retro illustrations by Elwood H. Smith and tons of foodie facts.

If you had to give your book a movie rating: G through Rated R, which one would you give and why?

Absolutely a G rating. The book is aimed toward 5-8 year olds.

What topics, issues, or themes does your book address? What drove you to write about them?

I was inspired to write Hot Diggity Dog after hearing a story on NPR that stated Americans eat two billion hot dogs in the month of July alone. Wow. Two billion? That’s crazy. I became more curious about the hot dog and wanted to know where it came from and how it became so popular. As I began my research, I uncovered so many fun facts (hot dogs in America were first served from carts without buns, burning the fingers of those who bought them) that I had to know more. The story covers everything from the hot dog’s creation (in Germany or Austria, depending on which history you read) to competitive eating.

Name a few examples of readers who would identify or like your book.

Even though Hot Diggity Dog is aimed at elementary school children, it’s really a terrific book for all ages. If you love hot dogs or you like reading about history, it’s a book for you. At the same time, if you’re into fun illustrations and sidebars filled with quirky facts (In 1969, the same astronauts who made history by being first to walk on the moon ate the first hot dogs in space), you’ll eat this book right up. And graphic novel readers should enjoy this book, too — one reviewer likened the look to Mad magazine. I notice something new in the art every time I page through the book thanks to magnificent illustrations by Elwood H. Smith.

List a few statistically improbable phrases or sentences one might find in your book. These are phrases or sentences you might never find anywhere else.

• Who named the hot dog? No one knows for sure. Here’s one theory: The shape of a hot dog resembles the shape of a long, skinny dachshund dog.
• When Russell Emel was seven, he demanded peanut butter on everything. His mother asked a local meat company to make a peanut butter-flavored hot dog. They did.
• Imagine getting paid to eat. Competitive eaters do. There are eating contests for everything from watermelon to chicken wings to asparagus.

How can your book be used in the classroom?

It’s a great introduction to fun, nonfiction reading. Personally, I didn’t love nonfiction books when I was young. There weren’t nearly the options that there are today. I couldn’t relate and was not that interested in reading about another long-dead president or a war that was thousands of miles away. If a teacher had introduced me to a book like Hot Diggity Dog, I would have been more inclined to choose a nonfiction book when I went to the library or book store. It’s a wonderful stepping stone for writing exercises, too. Teachers could use it to get kids involved in research and to encourage them to write their own stories about their favorite foods.

Now tell us about other already-published books that readers of your book might enjoy.

• The Guinness World Records series
• Ripley’s Believe It Or Not series
• Popcorn by Elaine Landau
• The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay

Now whet our appetites with a teaser.

It’s the Fourth of July. Red, white, and blue streamers decorate the park. Fireworks will boom in the sky tonight. And what will Americans be eating? Hot dogs!

Are you offering authors visits to schools, libraries, or other organizations?

Yes

Are you willing to speak nationally?

Sure. I love to travel (are you listening those of you in Hawaii, California, Ohio…anywhere?).

List a few example titles of presentations, talks, or workshops you might give for an author visit.

• Stimulating Nonfiction Taste Buds
• Hot Dogs: How One of My Favorite Foods Made Me An Author
• Let’s Write a Nonfiction Book

This concludes our interview with our latest author, ADRIENNE SYLVER. We wish her much success with her debut novel HOT DIGGITY DOG: THE HISTORY OF THE HOT DOG. To see what Adrienne is up to these days, visit her website at http://www.adriennesylver.com.

*GIVEAWAY ALERT* Adrienne is giving away a signed copy of HOT DIGGITY DOG: THE HISTORY OF THE HOT DOG to two winners. Tell your friends and leave a comment for the author! Enter by May 25th, 2010 11:59 PM CST. (U.S. and Canadian residents only, please.)

Your email address will not be displayed publicly and will only be used to contact you if you win! And don’t forget to participate in our otherAuthorsNow! giveaways.

About The Author

Adrienne was born loving food, which may be why her first published book is about hot dogs. She grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, where she was a Cleveland Indians baseball fan. That’s where she first learned to appreciate a good stadium hot dog. After receiving a master’s degree in magazine journalism, she packed up and moved to Florida. There, she’s happy going barefoot most of the time. Adrienne has worked as a reporter and a public relations writer. She lives in Miami with her husband, Mike, and their two children. One of her kids (who shall remain nameless) actually despises hot dogs and refuses to eat them, but Adrienne doesn’t hold it against her too much.  Read more about Adrienne Sylver.

Related posts:

1. HOT DIGGITY DOG: THE HISTORY OF THE HOT DOG by Adrienne Sylver
2. Author Spotlight: Beth Ann Bauman, ROSIE AND SKATE (Giveaway Alert Now – 11/03/09)
3. AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Amy Brecount White, FORGET-HER-NOTS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 03/09/10)
4. AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: LISA MANTCHEV, EYES LIKE STARS (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 11/24/09)
5. AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Crewe, GIVE UP THE GHOST (GIVEAWAY ALERT NOW – 12/15/09)