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Author gets ‘Lost’ in nature, touts kids’ environmentalism

When Deanna Neil was a child, she used to pick up debris in her neighborhood and read books about the environment. Now she is writing children’s historical novels with environmental themes.

She’s the author of the award-winning children’s book “The Land of Curiosities: Adventures in Yellowstone.” Today she releases the sequel, “The Land of Curiosities: Lost in Yellowstone.”

The two books are part of a trilogy centered on the creation of the world’s first national park in 1872. The latest novel chronicles the adventures of an 11-year-old girl who is lost in the wilderness of Yellowstone and her 13-year-old brother’s attempts to find her. The books, for kids 8 to 14, are published on recycled paper by The EcoSeekers, a company Neil founded with her brother, David. USA Today talked to Neil, 27, who lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., about her novels.

Question: What do you hope children get from your books?

Answer: I hope they have a great adventure reading the book, and they learn about the environment from it. The whole goal of the book and the EcoSeekers company is to engage kids with nature and environmentalism through the power of story.

Q: Was it difficult to weave some of the history of Yellowstone and environmental themes into the plot for a children’s adventure novel?

A: Yes. I did a lot of research for both of the books. I went out to Yellowstone many times. I met with the park historian. I went to the Yellowstone library, and I pored over primary source documents. I read a lot of journal entries from people who went on the Hayden Expedition in Yellowstone. (Explorations by geologist Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden were instrumental in Congress’ decision to create the park.) But there is inevitably a point where you have to stop researching historical fiction and start writing and let your imagination go.

Q: Do you see your book as more than a children’s adventure story set in Yellowstone?

A: Yes. It provides a platform for issues of conservation. It’s a window into environmental thought. It explores what the park system is about and how the parks themselves are a reflection of environmental thought from the first concept of land preservation — protecting a plot of land — to modern-day ideas of biodiversity.

Q: Did you think much about the environment when you were a child?

A: Oh, yes. I would walk around the neighborhood in the suburbs of Chicago and ask people if I could pick up trash in their backyard. I read books like “50 Simple Things You Can Do to Save the Earth.”

Q: Do you think most kids are pretty aware of environmental concerns?

A: Definitely. If you ask kids what is the cause you fight for, they will often talk about animals and nature. I think we lose it a lot as we get older. But kids naturally connect with the environment. They love playing outside. They love the outdoors.