Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Joyce Grant. Take it away, Joyce!

These days, we’re seeing increasing polarization—it’s becoming hard to even have a discussion with someone who doesn’t share your opinions or values. I wanted to help kids become aware of algorithms and “burst” their information bubble, to broaden their worldview, and to understand why seeing other people’s points of view is so important.

Burst Your Bubble! Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You’re Missing, was illustrated by Jan Dolby and published by Owlkids Books.

We wanted the book to be read by kids as young as 9, just before they jump into social media in a significant way. But presenting such a complex message to kids presented a lot of challenges. Here are 8 of them and how we overcame them.

Challenge #1: It’s complicated!

What the heck is an “algorithm”? It may sound simple—as adults we’ve heard the word. But try explaining it to kids! Algorithms can be lots of things: a software program, a recipe, an organizer, a sorter. It can be in real life, or online. We realized that it would have to be unpacked and looked at from up, down and sideways before it could be explained—or understood.

Challenge #2: The book needed to be fast-tracked

Tech moves quickly. This book needed to be on shelves much faster than the standard three to four years that illustrated non-fiction often takes. Owlkids’ Jennifer Stokes signed me on the condition that I would be able to work quickly—and the same with the illustrator. As a veteran editor, Stokes was able to rejig the way her team worked, to cut the timeline down as much as possible. She shaved more than a year off the process, which was hugely important.

Challenge #3: It had to be scrupulously accurate

Even after years of research and with a supportive team of fact-checkers and editors, I stayed up nights worrying that I might misinterpret a technological term or leave something out. We needed a tech expert who could help me understand some of the more complicated concepts, and the ones coming up in the future, which I would then break down to make them accessible to kids. Morten Rand-Hendrickson was a tech hero of mine for many years. He studies and teaches about algorithms, software and AI and the effects it has on us, looking at tech in human and ethical terms. The minute we reached out, he was all-in. He understood what we were trying to do and not only generously gave us his time and expertise, but he also wanted to help spread the word about our book. He wrote a blurb for the back cover and he has recently purchased a large quantity of books which he is donating to the public school libraries in his province. We relied on other experts as well, who gave their time and knowledge, and to all of them I am very grateful.

Challenge #4: It couldn’t be boring!

This isn’t a textbook. It needed to be engaging and funny. I injected as much humour as possible into every sentence. We then needed to find a great illustrator who could come at these complicated subjects from a humorous angle. And we did: Jan Dolby, whose illustrations are quirky and often hilarious, also had tremendous digital experience so she could work at the speed necessary to fast-track the book.

Challenge #5: Kids often learn by doing

The biggest a-ha! moment for me was when I realized that we needed something fun, right in chapter 1, that would help our young readers not just read about algorithms, but actually experience one. We turned the chapter itself into an algorithm! We scattered facts that we knew kids would be interested in, which they uncovered through a choose-your-own-adventure type algorithm that would give them some facts, but not others, depending on their decisions.

Challenge #6: We needed to respect the reader

Challenging concepts are given context, so young readers can fill in the blanks of their own knowledge and seek more, if they wish. There are lots of different ways they can read the book and get what they’re looking for from it. I wanted readers to be able to find something new every time they re-read a section. And I wanted adults to be able to learn from it as well—again, in a fun and engaging way that isn’t condescending.

Challenge #7: It needed to outlast changes to technology

At its root, the book is about critical thinking. That’s the key to writing a non-fiction book that outlasts the rapid advances of AI and algorithms. We wanted readers to understand the big concepts: how technology may be manipulating what you see and the importance of being aware of being in a bubble. And then, thinking about what you want, or don’t want, to change. And giving them tools to do that—online and in their real life.

Challenge #8: Bursting your bubble is hard!

Changing your algorithms isn’t easy or comfortable. So we needed show the reader how bursting their bubble would be worth their time and effort. And, we needed to make the process as quick and painless as possible. We added two double-page spreads filled with 18 practical ideas (“hand your phone to a trusted friend and let them scroll”) that will help readers burst their bubble. There is no quick fix to algorithms—they’re not going away any time soon. But by improving our readers’ critical thinking skills, kids can be safer online.

There’s one last thing that I want to say about this book and that’s the importance of having a great designer. Elisa Guiterrez’s intelligent design helped us tackle all of the challenges mentioned here, using design and artistry in a way that was practical and beautiful. This book owes a lot to her, Jan, Morten and of course Jennifer Stokes, who recognized what it could be and helped us all get there.

To learn more about Burst Your Bubble and Joyce’s other amazing books for kids, visit her website.