Award-winning author Amy Sarig (A.S.) King joins Tricia to discuss her latest novel, It Came From the Creek, and what it truly means to foster rebels, revolutionaries, and creative thinkers in a world dominated by standardized testing. From students overturning a massive 3,000-book ban in Pennsylvania to late-night FOIA document deep-dives into 1970s chemical dumping, King pulls back the curtain on how real-world outrage transforms into middle-grade fiction.
Key Takeaways:
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Youth Activism in Action: How students in Central York School District succeeded in reversing a massive school board book ban when adult appeals fell flat.
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The Creative Crisis in Classrooms: Why standardized testing pushed creative writing out of 90–95% of American public schools—and why viewing writing as “puzzle-solving” gives young people lifelong agency.
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The Anatomy of an Idea: How a demolished haunted house, childhood friendships, and an EPA chemical dump converged to form It Came From the Creek.
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Digging Up the Truth: King’s obsessive research process, scouring thousands of pages of EPA records and uncovering toxic waste cover-ups to mirror the realities young readers face.
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The Power of Lifelong Friendships: Why navigating friendships across gender lines, growing through self-doubt, and nurturing authentic bonds remains at the core of human storytelling.
Resources & Mentions:
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Books mentioned: It Came From the Creek, Attack of the Black Rectangles, and Me and Marvin Gardens by A.S. King; The Pigman by Paul Zindel
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Central York School District student-led book ban challenge
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EPA toxic waste reporting and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) research
