Samantha Wheeler worked with farmers and taught science before writing her first children’s story in 2011. Many of her books, which include Devils in Danger, Wombat Warriors, Mister Cassowary, and Turtle Trackers, address issues around wildlife and the environment, whereas Everything I’ve Never Said was based on her daughter who has Rett Syndrome and can’t speak. Samantha’s first picture book, Once I Munched a Mango, was published as part of the Queensland State Library’s First 5 Forever initiative, promoting literacy in little Queenslanders. When not writing, Samantha enjoys walking her dogs and drinking tea with her donkey, and hopes her books will inspire everyone to make a difference.
Today, Samantha Wheeler is on the blog to answer a few of our questions about her new book, Devils in Danger. Read on!
Samantha Wheeler (Photo by Jack Venables).
Please tell us about your book, Devils In Danger!
SW: Devils in Danger is about 11 year old Killarney who discovers a family of wild Tasmanian devils hiding under her house. Although she is delighted and wants to do everything to care for these precious creatures, her neighbours and friends aren’t so keen. The story follows her battle to persuade everyone in her small seaside town to jump on board to help save the Tassie devil, a task with a host of complications.
Why was it important to you to write this story?
SW: I decided to write this story after participating in a fundraising walk with the Wilderness Society in Tasmania. Early one morning, after sleeping in a rustic cabin near the Pieman River, we walked along a stunning stretch of untamed coastline, thick with heathland shrubs. That’s when I saw something I’ll never forget. A weird wiry dropping near a set of small unusual footprints. A wild Tasmanian Devil had passed just ahead of us! I spent the whole rest of the walk consumed with thoughts of that devil, and how I could write its story.
When I began my research I found there were so many problems facing this incredible species, including their horrible facial tumour disease and habitat loss. Then I learnt about the insurance populations and current research trying to save them, which was both fascinating and devastating, and motivated me even more. The brave mother devils who struggle to care for their babies, they just blew me away.
Tell us about Killarney, your heroine. What is your favourite thing about her?
SW: I just love Killarney. I wanted to develop an easy-going character (whereas I can be a bit of a worrier) who shrugged off bullies/friendship issues to just get on with the task. I think I most love the way she approaches life with a ‘can do’ attitude. So what if she’s no good at school? That’s okay, she’s happy with that and not stressing. As for her lovely name … I used to live in Bulawayo in Zimbabwe, in a suburb called Killarney. I immediately thought, what a great name for a character!
What do you love about writing middle grade fiction?
SW: I love the audience I write for. I do a lot of school visits over the year, and so admire the courage and passion of our young people when it comes to the environment. I have no doubt they will look after our planet a hundred times better than we have. I also love all the fact finding: I always learn so much about each animal in my stories, often from the encouragement of my readers, which really excites and motivates me to keep writing.
‘I love the audience I write for. I do a lot of school visits over the year, and so admire the courage and passion of our young people when it comes to the environment.’
What is one of your earliest reading or book-related memories?
SW: I love the Gerald Durrell series, My Family and Other Animals. I so wished I could be Gerald Durrell when I was young, and have a bedroom full of exotic pets, just like him. Other vivid memories include The Secret Garden, Pollyanna, My Naughty Little Sister and a book called The Treasury of Poetry with beautiful but slightly terrifying illustrations. I was a big book worm, reading everything and anything and visiting the library religiously every week.
What is the last book you read and loved?
SW: I just finished We Are Wolves by Katrina Nannestad – amazing. I was so invested in her characters, I would have travelled to the ends of the earth with them!
What do you hope readers will discover in Devils In Danger?
SW: When I asked what I could do to help the Tassie Devils, David Pemberton from the Save the Tassie Devil Program, said the most useful things people could do were the every-day things. Like being careful on the roads, keeping dogs on leads, not clearing trees unnecessarily or using poisons like rat sack in the home. I really wanted to include these messages in the story without losing the flow of the plot. It took a few edits to get this right, but I hope young readers will feel inspired that everyone, absolutely everyone can help our wildlife, even if it is doing a tiny thing. Everyone really can make a difference.
And finally, what’s up next for you?
SW: I have a few little projects on the go. I’m working on a junior fiction series about a family who inherit a farm but have no idea about farming. I’m also trying to write an environmental book set outside Australia, which is taking me forever, and I might start researching my next animal book. What do you think? Sharks next?
Thanks Samantha!
—Devils in Danger by Samantha Wheeler (University of Queensland Press) is out now.
Devils in Danger
Eleven-year-old Killarney thinks school is boring. She'd much rather be exploring the wilderness around her Tasmanian hometown or helping her hairdresser mum. When strange things start to happen - ear-splitting screams in the dead of night and missing items found under the house - there's even less chance of Killarney doing her schoolwork. She's too busy solving the mystery.
Before long, Killarney discovers the culprit - a wild Tasmanian devil, denning under the house!
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