Alexandra Hanson-Harding is a writer for Scholastic Here, she talks a bit about her background and answers a couple of questions.

I grew up in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, and like many kids, I did want to grow up to be a writer. I kept journals since I was 14, and I still do. I have 105 volumes of journals now. After I graduated from college, I moved to New York City to work in publishing. I have been working at Scholastic for 11 years now. I am a Senior Editor for Junior Scholastic, and my main job there is writing stories for 6th to 8th grade kids. It is a very interesting job and I feel quite lucky to have it. I think those are very important years in kids' lives and I feel very honored to create things for them. I am also married to an English teacher, Brian, and I have two sons, Moses, 10, and Jacob, 7, and I live in New Jersey. I have written 8 books for kids and teachers.

As a writer for Scholastic, do you get to write about the things that most interest you? How do you select topics?

I work with my editor and other staff members to develop story ideas. I do get to write about subjects I'm interested in, like history and politics. Lately I've become more interested in the economy and have been able to write some stories about that as well.

When writing an article like "A Breath of Fresh Air?," how do you research your topic?

For "A Breath of Fresh Air?" I did research by reading newspapers, magazines, and material on the Internet. Then I wrote down questions and did interviews with experts and with people who suffered the effects of air pollution. I try to make sure I get different perspectives when I do an article, especially one about a controversial subject. Sometimes the people I enjoy talking to most are the ones who have opinions that are the most different than my own personal opinions.

What do you think about publishing on the Internet?

This article appeared on the Internet, but only after it had been in Junior Scholastic Magazine. I think the Internet is wonderful, but I still think there is a place for magazines and books in the world. Magazines and books are still more portable than most Internet materials, and you can flip back and forth in them more quickly. But I definitely use the Internet for research all the time.

How do you decide on an organizational strategy for your articles? Does it come naturally, or do you have to put a lot of thought into organization?

I do think about how to organize a story before I write it. I often have a simple outline in my head, which could include, 1. What's the story? 2. Why should kids care? 3. Why is it news? 4. Do others disagree, and if so, why? 5. What will happen next? Sometimes the questions are different. But to me it's really important to always keep the audience in mind, and to make sure that I not only give information but also make it clear why the information is relevant to the reader. Of course, I work to make it true to the facts as well.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In addition to writing, I like to hike, go to the movies, and spend time with my friends and family. In the future, I hope to publish a novel I've been working on for the past five years. I want to write more young adult novels and non-fiction books as well.