AS: Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us about your background?

CB: “Well, among the things I tell students at my author visits, I'm a Texan, a dad, a dog owner, a music lover, and a Spanish learner. I've written 25 published books for young readers, both fiction (Shark vs. Train) and nonfiction (Whoosh! Lonnie Johnson's Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions). I'm also the current president of the Texas Institute of Letters, a literary honor society that's been around since 1936.”

AS: Tell us about your book, Glitter Everywhere! What was the initial inspiration for it?

CB: “Glitter Everywhere! is about the science, the history, and the culture of a well-known craft material that people tend to have pretty strong feelings about, both pro and con. The book was inspired by a New York Times article in 2018 about how glitter is made. Someone who knew about my books about the invention of the Super Soaker water gun and the creation of daylight fluorescent inks and paints saw that article, thought "That sounds like a Chris Barton book!" and suggested it to my editor, who suggested it to me.”

AS: If there’s one sentiment you wish readers would take away from reading Glitter Everywhere!, what would it be?

CB: “That one sentiment would be understanding -- not just about why and how modern glitter came into being, but also about why the stuff is both loved and not loved.”

AS: In January of this year, you were supposed to speak to 1,600 students at Cambridge and Woodbridge elementary schools in Alamo Heights ISD, but officials cancelled your visit due to parent complaints concerning gender identity, sexual orientation, and the term LGBTQ+. Can you tell us about your experience with censorship?

CB: “In one sense, it’s such a long and complicated story—sparked by three parents—that I opted to tell it in full in a post on my website. But I can best sum it up by saying that a district administrator insisted that I compromise on two of my principles:

1) Do not allow a minority of parents to dictate which intellectual experiences other people’s kids get to have, and

2) Do not go above and beyond to accommodate restrictions on intellectual freedom.

When I refused, the district canceled my school visits, word got around about the district’s actions, and over 1,000 local voters showed their support for our shared principles in a board of trustees election this spring.”

AS: What are some ways readers can get involved in fighting book bans and censorship?

CB: “They can do what I did at the beginning of 2022 and start showing up at their local library commission or school board meetings to learn more about how things work in their communities and to get connected with other folks who share their belief in the freedom to read.

Here in Texas, they can also get involved in the Texas Freedom to Read Project, which does great work throughout the state and played a big role in getting the word out about what happened with Glitter Everywhere!”

AS: How can readers support local authors like you?

CB: “Buy our books from local booksellers, which—like us authors—are essential parts of the literature and literacy ecosystems. 

Invite us to speak at their schools and libraries, which not only provides income to authors but also makes the work we do more accessible and attainable for young readers and writers in their communities. 

And demonstrate their appreciation for the work done by school and public librarians, who connect countless young Texans with books that can help them become lifelong readers, thinkers, and valuable community members.”

Meet Barton at Lioness Books on August 14th at 6pm - RSVP here!