Author Spotlight

Interview with Award Winning Author, Clayton Grider

Author of:

"How Do Birds Sing a Duet?" 

"How Did Dinosaurs Get So Gigantic?"

"How Do Quarterbacks Throw a Perfect Pass?"

"How Do Seeds Grow Into Gardens?"

"How Do You Turn Data Into Drawings?"

"The world is so much more fun and interesting with a curious mind.” 

1. You write about such a wide range of topics, from nature to numbers to sports. What do you find the most fun to write about? 🏈

“Numbers. All the topics I write about come back to numbers and science. Everyone sees things in their own way, but when I see a bird’s flight or a ball thrown, I am thinking about the science and numbers behind it.” 

2. When you're developing a new idea, what comes first? The questions or the research? 🤔

3. How do you keep learning fun while also explaining the science behind it? 🧪

“My trick is to make science personal. I know people who say they are not into science or math but love sports. Well, there is so much math and science that goes into sports!” 

4. Do you try to write the kinds of books you would have wanted to read as a kid? 📖 

“I try to write books that would keep me hooked as a kid. I was always asking questions, and my books would have fed my desire to know everything.” 

5. Did you always know you wanted to write children's books? ✍🏻

“I have always loved making up stories, but I never thought I would write something like my How Do? books. It wasn’t until the opportunity was there that I found out how fun it was to write these kinds of books.” 

6. How Do You Turn Data Into Drawings? recently received the Mathical Book Prize. Congratulations! What did that recognition mean to you? 🥇

“It makes me feel like I am succeeding in my effort to make math and science more fun for younger ages. I want kids to interact with graphs and concepts at a young age, but keep it fun.” 

7. If young readers walk away from your books with just one lasting message, what do you want it to be? 📚

“Never stop asking questions and looking for answers. The world is so much more fun and interesting with a curious mind.” 

8. What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned while doing research for a book? 📝

“In my probabilities book, I think the birthday paradox is crazy. In a group of just 23 people, there is just over a 50% chance that 2 people in that group share a birthday. It doesn’t seem true, but math can show us things that our mind initially thinks is impossible.” 

9. Are there any topics you haven’t explored yet but are hoping to tackle in the future? 💭

“I might want to tackle the past in the future. I love history, so I may want to share my love for that area.”

10. Your newest book, How Do Quarterbacks Throw a Perfect Pass?, is all about the science behind sports. What excites you most about introducing this new topic to readers? 🤾🏻

“By showing how math and science interact with sports, I am excited to bridge the gap between the two areas. I love the idea of getting readers to think about sports in a new and scientific way.” 

11. Your book coming out in spring 2026, How Do You Make Your Own Luck? has been selected for the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard. How exciting! How did it feel to have a second book of yours receive this kind of special recognition? 🍀

“Joking answer: It makes me feel like I should stick to writing math books. 

Real answer: It makes me want to write more. If my books are helping spread math appreciation to new audiences, then I need to come up with more titles.”