Briefly tell us about your book.
Ocean Warriors: The Rise of Robo-Shark is an environmental adventure with STEM themes for kids 7-12. It’s set in the not-too-distant future at a time when sea creatures are virtually extinct. In this future world, kids are sent to Environmental Citizenship summer camp, and Kai and Emily go to a research submarine to help restore extinct sea creatures. Kai would rather spend his days playing virtual reality games than restore the icky sea cucumber, until one day he sees a great white shark out the portal of the submarine. The problem with that is, sharks are extinct. Plus, this one is a cyborg. Kai then sets about working with Emily to prove its existence and learning to communicate with it. In getting to know the shark, he becomes determined to bring sharks back from the brink of extinction. Not everyone likes the idea of great white sharks roaming the seas again though, and they come up against an evil organisation trying to thwart the mission.
What inspired the idea behind this book?
It actually began with a very simple writing exercise where I was given an object, and mine was a wind-up toy shark. I started writing from a cyborg shark’s point of view and that got me thinking about what threats sharks face and how we perceive them. I started researching the issues around why sharks could become extinct such as overfishing and the horrific process of shark finning. From there, I created the robo-shark character, who can be seen as a sentient being who should be cared about. The premise of talking with a great white shark lent itself to humour, so as I developed the other characters around this anthropomorphised shark, I had a lot of fun creating the story, while at the same time looking at themes of ocean conservation.
What are you hoping readers will take away from your book?
My main hope, as with all my books, is that readers will enjoy the book, have a few laughs, and have fun through the reading experience. This is the main reason I aim to create fast-paced adventures, in that I aim for kids to want to keep turning the pages. Secondary to that, I hope it will open up discussion around the issues in the book around ocean health, conservation and species preservation. I think by becoming more aware of the importance of animals, and encouraging kids to see them as beings with feelings, the future of our environment and animals will be safe.
Can you tell us a bit about your writing process?
I try to do a little planning, and I usually have an idea of the beginning, middle and end. I very often don’t stick to the plan though because my characters often have other ideas – or something unexpected happens, and it sends me in different directions. Sometimes that ties the story up in knots, so to untangle the story, I go back and revise my plan and continue on again. It goes on like that through most of the story. I like to write this way because part of the fun for writing for me is being surprised myself by what eventuates.
What were your favourite books as a child?
I read every mystery/adventure story I could get my hands on. I especially loved Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Secret Seven books, the Trixie Belden mysteries, and later on Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie. I think that’s why most of my books have a mystery/adventure element.
How does this book compare to your other books?
It feels to me that this book is a bit of a combination of aspects of my other two series’ Jake in Space and Eco Rangers. I’ve taken some of the speculative fiction elements I loved playing within the futuristic space books and tied that with the animal and environmental themes like I did in Eco Rangers. Like the other books, they’re adventure stories with kids who save the day. My other books are chapter books but this one is my first middle-grade novel. This book is, therefore, a little longer than the others and is targeted to slightly older readers or readers who are ready to move to the next step up from chapter books.
Who is your favourite character in the book/series? Who are you most similar to?
The bum-breathing turtle Fitzroy is my favourite character. He really is a grumpy bum, both literally and figuratively, but he does have redeeming features, and I loved writing him. I wouldn’t say I’m most like him though. Ha! I think I would be most similar to Emily. Like me, she’s interested in learning and solving problems. She has a bit of a no-nonsense approach but she is curious and uses knowledge to get to the bottom of things.
Did you always plan to be an author? What led you to where you are today?
I didn’t always plan to be an author, because I never really thought of it as a career choice, but I did always love reading and writing. My teachers at school encouraged me to continue writing but it wasn’t until I was in my early twenties that I decided to pursue writing as a career. From there I studied for my Diploma of Professional Writing and Editing and went on to get my Bachelor of Communication. I love learning so this was a great way for me to work towards becoming a published author, which I did not long after completing my studies. I’m now undertaking my PhD and I’m writing a middle-grade novel as part of that.
Buy a copy of Ocean Warriors: The Rise of Robo-Shark here.
Candice Lemon-Scott is an award-winning Australian author, editor and presenter. She has published 13 books for children, and written one for adults and her books have been published in Australia, the US, the UK and China. Her quirky style, fast-paced narratives and originality appeal to young readers in particular.
Candice’s first series, Jake in Space, is a six-book series of space adventure stories about turbo space cars, hurtling asteroids and evil villains.
Candice loves wildlife and animals and has always been surrounded by a range of pets throughout her life, including dogs, cats, rabbits, fish, birds (including a duck) and various lizards. She was first moved to write her second series, Eco Rangers, after helping with a couple of koala rescues from her own backyard. The first book Eco Rangers: Pelican in Peril was the Honor Book Award winner in the Green Earth Book Award and her second book Eco Rangers: Microbat Mayhem was shortlisted in the Wilderness Society’s Environmental Award for Children’s Literature. She continues to be inspired by her own children, Krystalin and Aliena, who love and care for nature and wildlife. A trained wildlife carer, Candice enjoys writing about the adventures of the young Eco Rangers, Ebony and Jay.
Ocean Warriors: The Rise of Robo-Shark is a middle-grade environmental adventure, and was released by Storytorch Press in March 2022.
Candice’s website is candicelemonscott.com.au.
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