Q&A: Meet Our Writer Glen (PART 2)

Just to check … have you read Part 1? If not, dive into the first part of this Q&A with Glen – and then make sure you come back here for Part 2!

Now that you have had the pleasure of meeting Glen, our esteemed and extremely talented double Emmy Award winning writer, it's now time to journey deeper into the magic behind the pages …

The second half of this Q&A is where the magic of storytelling meets the reality of your little Sooper-Star’s world. We delve into some of Glen's most rewarding and challenging moments, as well as uncovering his favourite Sooper Books creations.

So, let's turn the page … and continue our captivating conversation with Glen …

Tailoring Content for Children – Where Magic Meets Reality

1. Many people think ‘reading for fun’ is less important than ‘reading to educate’ – but research has found that ‘reading for fun’ is critical for development, education progress and life success. So, how do you tailor your writing to engage children but still feel light-hearted and fun?

“To me the most important education for any human is learning how to put yourselves into the shoes of someone else! The act of seeing through another person's eyes is the most fundamental skill we can cultivate for the future of the world!

And absolutely nothing does that better than reading - nothing at all!”

“I make sure that I read a wide selection of literature - books that were written by African American writers, books written by female writers and so on - because in the time that I'm reading the book … those people are me!

When kids are reading stories … that's what's going on!

And so, the trick is that kids aren't even noticing all the other things that they are learning while they're reading the story. They think they're reading it for fun, but actually the content is incredibly enriching.

In addition to compassion – they are learning curiosity. An excellent story should stimulate and awaken their sense of curiosity!

One of the grand purposes of storytelling is creating a safe space for children to explore all the feelings that they have inside of them that they don’t know how to make sense of yet. This is true for adults too! We feel a lot and it's confusing!”

“Children feel a huge amount. And so ideally, I am creating spaces where the child can enter and allow themselves to feel fear, the unknown, surprise, delight and maybe even righteous indignation! The whole panoply of emotions!”

2. What considerations do you take into account to make sure your stories are age-appropriate? 

“I think that particularly for the younger age group … you want them to feel safe and you don't want to put their characters in the same kind of peril, necessarily, as perhaps an older age group.

When we talk about ‘curling up with a good book’ … there is something that is just so delicious about just cosying up and getting comfortable with the book! So being able to instil that desire in kids from the earliest age is really valuable.”

3. How do you make sure the philosophy driving your stories is one of inclusion, cooperation, respect and compassion?

“A good writer embraces the mandates for specificity. Why have a generic individual? When you can celebrate their incredible specificity!

For instance, in our series ‘Monty’ – Monty is a green fellow who has a wheel for one of his legs. We never actually go into how this happened … he just has it. And sometimes it presents challenges, and hinders, and sometimes it helps!

Children really see the world in a very beautiful way – so as a writer I must tap into that.”

Challenges and Rewards – A Peek Behind the Curtain

4. Share some insights into the challenges you face when creating children's content? How do you overcome writer's block while maintaining both authenticity and charm?

“I've come to peace with ‘writer’s block’ because I think at the end of the day there is no such thing as ‘writer’s block’...

What's really going on is my brain is saying: ‘No, we are not doing that same dumb thing again … so I'm going on strike until you are ready to find a better way!’

And so, I have realised that ‘writer’s block’ is probably just an indication that I would like to take this to the next level!

By the time I'm done writing down one of my supposedly ‘dumb’ ideas, I'll look and think, ‘Actually it's not so bad!’

And before I know it … I'm back in the game!

Of course, sometimes just simply going for a walk also helps!”

5. On the flip side, what aspects of crafting content for children do you find most rewarding?

“It's lovely once I’m done writing and I realise I have actually manifested something that wasn't there before by bringing something intangible into the tangible world! Yeah … that's really nice!

Also learning that you're not just sending it off into the cold reaches of outer space and that it's actually reaching homes! 

For example, when someone writes in with a comment about how they ‘love this series’ or how their ‘daughter can't wait for more’ … that's the gold! Getting comments online from people that you've never met, from across the sea, who are really appreciating these stories and they are in some way enriching their life … that's what I live for!”

Glen's Favourite Sooper Books Creations – Discovering Gems

6. Among the stories you've written for Sooper Books, which particular stories hold a special place in your heart? 

“Ah … I love all my children!

If I had to say one … it would be a series like ‘Go Nuts’.

But I guess to answer your question … I'm actually most proud of how some very different moods are getting created in these different stories.”

7. Looking ahead … are there any exciting projects, or themes, you are eager to explore in future creations?

“We’re rolling out a number of series soon that we've been banking!”

“One that comes to mind is a series called ‘Pearly White’. This is actually completely drawn from my experiences with my own kids! My kids would have so many questions for the Tooth Fairy. They would leave a list of questions, with their tooth, under their pillow. And then my wife and I would have to stay up writing the answers in very spidery calligraphy.

My eldest son’s Tooth Fairy was called ‘Cuckoo Willow Twist’ and my daughters was called ‘Pantaloon Barley Beard’!

So, this series is the real story behind what's going on with the tooth fairies … and all the obstacles that the fairies come across!”

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8. To conclude, we asked Glen what he hopes parents will gain from ‘unveiling the creative process behind Sooper Books’?

He said: “As I think back to when my kids were younger … one of my lasting memories is that feeling of my brain being over full with tasks that needed done … and anxieties of all the things that I wanted to happen to ensure that my kids were getting the best childhood they could get! And it left me full of worry and guilt … and all those good parent things!

But every time I found something where I thought: ‘Ah, this I can trust’ – whether it was a brand of cereal or whatever –  I realised I could trust it and so I didn't have to think about it again. And it was such a relief because I could get that off my brain … and make room for other things!”

“For me a large component of that was: ‘What was feeding the brains and hearts of my children?’

So, what I would say about Sooper Books is … it is a resource that you can trust … so you can take that off of your brain. And at least this tiny little component of your children's childhood you can know: ‘Okay, I don't have to worry about that because these stories are brain food and heart food that is nutritious and tasty!’

The aim at Sooper Books is to be something that ‘you don’t have to worry about’.

And in so doing, we are really keen on not being ‘a retread’ – these are original stories that you are not going to be finding anywhere else – so you really are getting a gorgeous brain buffet!”

In concluding our insightful Q&A with Glen, we find ourselves inspired by the purpose and magic that drives his storytelling. Glen's perspective on the transformative power of ‘reading for fun’ resonates with us profoundly – reading goes beyond entertainment – it is a gateway to empathy, curiosity and a safe space for exploring emotions.

Glen's hope for parents to find solace in trusting Sooper Books as a reliable resource echoes a universal sentiment – knowing that the stories your children consume are both “nutritious and delicious” becomes a comforting assurance!

We want to thank Glen for sharing a behind-the-scenes look into his creative process – and we hope it has reassured you, as parents and guardians, that Glen is a master of his craft!

So … we eagerly encourage YOU to explore Sooper Books' enchanting collection of stories “you don’t have to worry about” crafted by Glen himself!

“Glen Berger’s plays include Underneath the Lintel (Over 450 performances Off-Broadway, several Best Play awards, over 500 productions in U.S. and abroad, in 8 languages), O Lovely Glowworm (2005 Portland Drammy Award Winner), Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22 (Ovation Award and L.A. Weekly Award for Best Play), The Wooden Breeks, Darwinii, and musicals [book and lyrics] On Words and Onwards (Manhattan Theatre Club/Sloan Foundation Fellowship), A Night in the Old Marketplace (Loewe Award), both with composer Frank London of the Klezmatics, and August Rush (with composer Mark Mancina).  He has received commissions from a number of regional theaters including the Alley Theater, Berkeley Rep, and the Children’s Theater of Minneapolis.

He was the co-bookwriter for Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark on Broadway (directed by Julie Taymor with music by Bono and Edge of U2), which ran for three years.  His memoir Song Of Spider-Man—the harrowing tale of Turn Off the Dark’s creation—was published by Simon & Schuster and cited in numerous “Top Ten Books” lists for 2013.

His television credits include two Emmy Awards (twelve Emmy nominations) and more than 300 episodes for over a dozen children’s series, including Big and Small (BBC), Curious George (Universal), Time Warp Trio (NBC), Octonauts (BBC), Muppet Babies (Disney), Peabody-award-winning Molly of Denali (PBS), and head-writer positions on Arthur (PBS), and Fetch with Ruff Ruffman (PBS).

He was the co-writer for the 2021 movie Curious George: Cape Ahoy (Universal). And is now Head Writer for Sooper Books!”