Meet the author of The Lost Island: Samantha Wheeler
By Mia Macrossan
Samantha Wheeler talks in depth about her latest book The Lost Island, a book that provides plenty of ‘brain food’ for its readers.
Animals and the outdoors are my safe space, my brain food – there’s so much to see and learn – so when I write, this passion follows through in my stories.
Since publishing her first children’s novel, inspired by Australia’s koalas, Samantha has written a range of acclaimed books including Smooch & Rose, Spud & Charli, Mister Cassowary, Wombat Warriors, Once I Munched a Mango, Turtle Trackers, Devils in Danger, and Everything I’ve Never Said. Her work has been recognised through numerous literary award nominations and honours.
Through her stories, Samantha hopes to inspire young readers to care for animals, protect the environment and recognise the difference one person can make.
Thank you for sharing your insights with StoryLinks.
In the Teacher’s Notes to The Lost Island you write about your love of nature, fascination with extinct species, shipwrecks, famous castaways and real-life biologists and naturalists. How did you manage to fit all these ideas and subjects into The Lost Island?
I think the key throughout was to let the story lead. I wasn’t trying to teach readers about shipwrecks, extinct species or naturalists. I wanted my protagonist Theo to be curious, frightened, surprised and sometimes completely baffled by what he encounters in the wild, allowing the facts and ideas about nature to emerge through his adventures. By weaving the different things I love about nature and natural history into the story, rather than forcing a list of things on to the reader, I hoped the reader would be swept up in Theo’s connection with the natural world along with his personal growth. As far as extinct species go; I still find the idea that someone might spot a Tassie Tiger in the wild enticing. There have been a number of sightings of previously thought to be extinct birds and mammals around Australia, so who knows what might still be out there?!
Nature and science are often important features in many of your stories. Why is that?
I grew up in Zimbabwe, Africa, surrounded by nature and animals, so I think my love and curiosity for the natural world started there. We had lots of adventures (and mis-adventures) when I was young, and my fascination for all living things persisted throughout. I wanted to study Zoology or Marine Science once I finished school, but my dad was worried there weren’t enough jobs. So I studied Agricultural Science instead and loved it. Animals and the outdoors are my safe space, my brain food – there’s so much to see and learn – so when I write, this passion follows through in my stories.
Robinsonades are a popular genre in fiction what made you decide on this type of story? Why a small island in the Pacific for the setting?
The castaway element in The Lost Island was a great way to create adventure, but even more useful was that by abandoning Theo on a small desert island in the Pacific (the largest ocean in the world), I had a way of removing anyone who might help him. In this way his connection to nature emerges organically through his own mishaps and adventures.
Why did you make Theo such an anxious worrywart? Do you think boy readers will readily identify with him? What were your reasons for making him such a contrast to his stepsister Mozzie. (nice traditional gender role reversal btw)
Yes, Theo is a worrywart! I based Theo on my eight-year-old nephew, who is fascinated with facts (and has an almost photographic memory), but is quite nervous about trying new things. We took him and his much braver younger sister whale watching a few years ago and unfortunately encountered very rough seas. When the captain said ‘we’re now entering open water’, the fear on his face was palpable. To calm himself, he began spouting facts about engine size, wave height and all sorts of imagined terrors, despite us only being an hour off our local coast. In my experience, many kids today feel the pressure to be sportier, braver, more adventurous than they really are. I hope Theo shows them another way to be.
Theo’s Fast Facts are one way of imparting nature and scientific knowledge to your readers. How did you arrive at this way of incorporating this material into your book?
Theo’s Fast Facts happened pretty organically to be honest. In early drafts, Theo had a copy of Treasure Island with him, which he regularly quoted in times of stress. But after discussions with my editors at UQP, we decided that if Theo was really to survive, he’d need to have a bit more than an adventure novel up his sleeve. So I replaced Treasure Island with a small (but useless) survival kit, Theo’s experiences as a Cub Scout, and his previously Googled knowledge about nature. In this way, it seemed more believable that he could survive on a desert island. Again, my nephew, who regularly reels off incredible facts, was a big inspiration for the fast facts idea.
What do you hope children will take away from reading The Lost Island?
My biggest hope is that children will become more curious about nature after reading The Lost Island. As we spend more time inside, absorbed in screens and technology, our connection to the natural world is declining. Such disconnection affects our wellbeing, our resilience and even our capacity to empathise with the world around us. Not everyone has the opportunity to spend days camping or hours exploring the bush, but books like The Lost Island can help bridge that gap. They can open a door to the natural world, sparking wonder, curiosity and a desire to look more closely at the world around us. Above all, I hope The Lost Island leaves readers with a sense of wonder—encouraging them to step outside and discover a little more of nature for themselves.
Are you working on another children’s book? Can you tell us anything about it?
I have a couple of things in the pipeline, but nothing set in concrete yet. A follow up but stand-alone koala story (like my first book, Smooch & Rose) is one option, with so much koala habitat disappearing near where I live. Another idea is a story about how my family and I fled Zimbabwe during the war there, or a picture book about a crocodile with no teeth! Or what about a sequel to The Lost Island? Watch this space.
Thank you Samantha, all your books encourage your readers to ‘step outside and discover a little more of nature’ but Theo’s heartstopping adventure is a real treat to experience.
