Getting to Know Nancy Loewen: Writing the Difference Makers Series
By: Houjun Kamata
Nancy Loewen is a children’s book author with nearly 130 published titles. Recently, she has contributed to our Planting People Growing Justice Difference Makers series, which highlights people who have made a meaningful impact in their communities. Each book follows an inspiring figure, sharing their journey, challenges, and triumphs. Loewen empowers young readers to see how one person can make a positive difference through her engaging storytelling.
What do you love about collaborating with PPGJ?
About six years ago, I moved to a neighborhood near Rondo, and I really liked the idea of connecting with a local organization. It’s exciting to see the different projects underway at PPGJ, knowing that they will benefit the community right where I live. At the same time, PPGJ’s outreach is worldwide, so that’s exciting too!
Why do you believe books like the Difference Makers series are important for everyone to read?
We need to give credit where credit is due—if someone has worked hard to bring about justice and has accomplished great things, we should know about it! Some people are more famous than others, and their stories get told and retold. There’s nothing wrong with that, but we can’t stop there. The more stories we know, the deeper our understanding of history and the more effective we can be in the present.
What does being a “difference maker” mean to you personally?
I think it’s about putting something positive out into the world. Life can be hard, so why not behave in a way that makes life a little easier or better for those around us? What if we all do that whenever we can? Some people have incredible gifts and are able to help many, many people with their actions—these are the people we are profiling in this series, and deservedly so. But we need to remember that within our own lives, we can all be difference makers. We can be helpers, listeners, and encouragers. We can set off little chain reactions of positivity and affirmation.
Why do you think literacy matters so much for young minds?
It’s hard for me to find the words to answer this question. Literacy is such an enormous idea, encompassing so much of what makes us human. I mean, just stop and think about how we use written language. In my day so far, I’ve read for pleasure (a memoir of a favorite musician), I’ve read news articles, I’ve read and responded to numerous emails (both personal and professional), I’ve helped a high school student shape her college application essay—and now I’m answering your questions for this blog post! The thoughts in my mind are going to become thoughts in other people’s minds. Pretty cool, when you stop to think about it! I can’t even imagine who I would be without the ability to read and write. I see reading is a sturdy, reliable key that opens all sorts of doors. Some of the doors open to practical things that help us function in the world, but others open to wonder and comfort, and fun. And everyone deserves to have a key to those doors so they have the chance at a fuller, richer, more satisfying life.
What do you hope everyone gets out of reading your children’s books?
I hope that readers will learn something from my books—that a fact or a feeling or an insight will be stored in their minds for future use, even if they’re not aware of it. And if they feel a special connection to a book, that’s even better! I like to believe that if I try my hardest and do my best work, the reader will somehow know that and will feel valued.
What do you enjoy the most about writing children’s books? What would you tell authors who want to write children’s books?
What I enjoy the most is probably the satisfaction I feel when I finish a manuscript. The writing process itself is very hard for me. I’m a slow writer, and I usually go through many drafts before a manuscript is complete. Sometimes I get frustrated and crabby because I’m just so sick of the project—I want to move on and do other things. But I stick with it. When I read through my work and I like it and I don’t find anything that I want to change, I know I have fulfilled my duty to the manuscript, and that feels terrific.
For those who want to write children’s books, my advice is to read lots of books and really study the ones you like. Take notes about what works. If at all possible, read and discuss the books with kids. When you are writing your own manuscripts, imagine there’s an actual child reading or listening to your words.
If you’re writing a picture book, allow plenty of breathing room for the illustrations. The words are important, but it’s not all on you to tell the story. The illustrations add another dimension you probably can’t even imagine. That’s sort of the magic of picture books—they add up to so much more than the sum of their parts.
Is there a book that means the most to you or a book that you want to highlight?
The Everybody Club is very special to me. I wrote this book with my friend Linda Hayen. When her daughter, Carissa, was little, she started a real-life Everybody Club in the basement of their home. The members were her dolls and toys, the cat, and her brothers, one of whom wasn’t able to walk or talk. The point was that EVERYONE belonged.
When Carissa was a teenager, she died in a terrible car accident. For years, Linda had it in the back of her mind that her daughter’s club could be turned into a children’s book. When she told me about her idea, I loved it right away. We worked on the book on and off for years and finally self-published it in 2021. It was relaunched by Amicus Ink (an imprint of The Creative Company) in 2024.
And here’s something fun: this past spring, we sent a copy of the book to every single member of Congress--all 535 of them! Shortly before Carissa died, she had been on a school trip to Washington, D.C., and she came home determined to work in government someday. She wanted to be an advocate for justice. We ran a GoFundMe campaign to raise the funds for the project, and when we sent out all of those books, it felt like we were sending Carissa with them.