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Gary D. Schmidt has authored several acclaimed children’s books, such as the National Book Award finalist Okay for Now, Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, honored with both the Newbery and Printz awards, and The Wednesday Wars, which also received Newbery recognition. Residing in Michigan, Schmidt’s literary contributions are widely appreciated. His collaborator, Ron Koertge, is a two-time PEN Award recipient and has penned works like Stoner & Spaz and Shakespeare Bats Cleanup. A resident of South Pasadena, California, Koertge brings his own unique voice to their joint endeavors. In a recent telephone interview, these longtime friends discussed their latest middle-grade novel, A Day at the Beach, and their collaboration process.
Ron Koertge: Do you recall when you first contacted me about the idea that grew into A Day at the Beach?
Gary D. Schmidt: I remember sending you emails about three different concepts and suggesting that you choose one. Do you remember your reply? You said, “Let’s work on all three.” And now look at us, we’re onto the fourth!
Koertge: I was thrilled to see your message. I felt like this could be my opportunity to re-enter the world of children’s literature. My last Young Adult book was Coaltown Jesus, a concise novel in verse.
Schmidt: That book has been a fixture in my Young Adult classes, served in workshops, and has been recommended so often that I think Candlewick might owe me a thank you!
Koertge: After Coaltown Jesus, I told my wife that the only remaining option was to write YA haiku, which doesn’t seem to be in demand.
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We considered a lot how this book would fit on a middle school classroom shelf. —Ron Koertge
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Schmidt: Since we roomed together during our MFA teaching experience, I was aware of your creative energy. I had been mulling over the idea of a collection of stories set at a familiar beach where I spent summers as a child. The narrative unfolds within a single day, dawn to dusk, capturing quick stories about various kids and their experiences by the ocean. Your background in flash fiction and poetry made the idea of crafting 25 sketches an ideal fit.
Koertge: It also felt like a fun venture to collaborate. I had never done that before.
Schmidt: I’ve co-written before, and I remembered your lectures and readings during our time at Hamline. Knowing your experience with Hill Street Blues and as a well-regarded poet, I felt excited about the opportunity to work with you again.
Koertge: Exactly! I knew that you would bring extensive knowledge about middle grade fiction—which I fully appreciate—even if I’m often undeterred by a lack of experience. After that initial email, I managed to write a couple of sketches.
Schmidt: I remember. I sent you my first draft, and you responded with four sketches! I then contributed two more, and you returned with seven.
Koertge: It felt great to engage with prose again! We quickly realized that our different paces and approaches actually complemented each other.
Schmidt: By the end, we had created 45 stories, some standalone while others featured recurring characters.
Koertge: Some were tense, featuring an abusive individual surrounded by children, while others were humorous, like the story about a child whose swim trunks are lost in the waves.
Schmidt: There were also deeply moving themes—like a child carried out into the ocean by his father who is battling cancer—and narratives highlighting redemption, such as a boy band kid reconnecting with his musical passions.
Koertge: Ultimately, we collaborated with our agent, Rick Margolis, to reduce the collection to 30 stories. Surprisingly, we reached an agreement on the final selection quite swiftly.
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Our aim was to inspire kids to enjoy writing through our work—what a fantastic goal!
—Gary D. Schmidt
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Schmidt: Exactly. We would trade drafts, and I’d notice that a piece I had spent time developing was cut, but I trusted your vision. We approached this collaboration with respect for each other’s artistic choices from the very beginning.
Koertge: Absolutely! While we never explicitly stated “I trust you completely,” I genuinely did. The project felt relaxed: there was little attachment to any single story. Though we might not have articulated our overall aim from the outset, we both sensed the narrative thread that connected it all.
Schmidt: That became clear as we progressed. The narrative starts with a morning run by a sibling duo, culminating in a late evening run that signifies their leap into the future.
Koertge: There’s also the subplot involving a lost iPhone, which doesn’t get resolved until the final pages.
Schmidt: Indeed, that lost phone carries significant meaning for its owner!
Koertge: Early in our partnership, we frequently envisioned this book sitting on a middle school shelf. We discussed how reluctant readers tend to enjoy short stories, making this book a perfect read, with teachers able to share one story per day. One fifth-grade teacher mentioned that they could read a complete story in just seven to eight minutes.
Schmidt: And we should also highlight how educators can motivate students to write their own stories inspired by a beach day. Encouraging a child’s enjoyment of their own creativity through our writing is indeed a worthy goal.
Koertge: Now, we’re diving into our next project, a fantasy novel titled Styx & Stones. Get ready, Hades. We’re coming for you!
A Day at the Beach by Gary D. Schmidt and Ron Koertge. Clarion, $18.99 Apr. 1 ISBN 978-0-06-338092-9
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