Interview with Jack David Dean
Tanya Creighton



What inspired you to right this book?

I just wanted to create something that would inspire and encourage young people to break through all the garbage that daily school life throws at them. Kids today are bombarded with all kinds of pressure and most don’t see any way out. The main character Johnny Jung is teased by a group of boys who follow him everywhere. However, Johnny has such a strong sense of his own self-worth that their teasing has literally no effect on him. He even thinks the bullies look funny when they tease him. One of my favorite parts of the book is when the leader of the boys tried to look mean at Johnny and Johnny laughs because the look on his face reminds Johnny of how his little sister looks when she has to go to the bathroom.

Were you teased as a child?

Oh yeah a great deal and it wasn’t easy but I dealt with it. I was a pretty strong willed kid despite the fact that I seemed to be a bit of a wimp on the outside. I hated fighting or any kind of violence and still do. I always tried to talk my way out of trouble with bullies because I couldn’t fight.

So is there a lot of you in Johnny Jung?

Maybe, it’s hard to say. My son is the real inspiration for the character of Johnny Jung. My son hates to fight even though he is a pretty strong boy physically. This is the core of Johnny’s personality as well. My son has had to deal with teasing and bullying. No matter what happens negative things never seem to really get down into the center of who Elijah is. I know it bothers him when kids are mean but he seems to be able to talk it out and then just let it go. I hope to inspire other kids to be able to do this.

I watch my son and gain insight for the Johnny Jung character. I put so much of Elijah into Johnny that I wonder if Johnny is more real than created.

 

Who is your target reader?

Well my kids are 5 and 7 and they seem to follow what is happening. However, the reading level is probably too advanced for them. My wife read it to our kids and they were able to understand everything and relate to the characters and the over-all story. I think 9-12 year olds would be able to read and understand everything on their own. However parents could read Johnny Junkpile to their younger children like we did. The book is simple to understand and easy to read. My goal was that any kid could just pick it up and immediately become interested in the story.

Also, the digital version will include all kinds of extras and bonus material that parents or any adult will find useful.

Is there fighting in the book?

Johnny does respond physically to the bully character whose name is Karl. Johnny’s dad sees the altercation between them and mildly scolds Johnny for losing his self-control. Johnny is only to use violence as a last resort. The storyline is that Johnny could fight back but chooses not to.

Are there any personal experiences in the book?

The whole way Johnny handles himself is sort of a combination of my own personal experiences as a child, things my son goes through and what I see other kids dealing with.

Can you give an example of a personal experience?

Sure. Right at the beginning of the book Johnny is harassed by Karl the bully. This whole scene is a recreation of something that happened to me when I was in school. A group of boys surrounded me and where hassling me and threatening me. I was able to get out of the situation by just standing my ground and not letting them intimidate me.

Did you get in a fight?

No not at all. I was certain I was going to get the tar beat out of me but they left me alone when they saw that I wasn’t afraid of them.

Sounds like you were a brave kid?

Not one bit. That whole incident scared me so much that it is still part of me to this day. I was terrified during the whole incident. I just decided I wasn’t going let these bullies run my life anymore. By simply standing up to them I was able to save myself from being taunted and harassed. I’m not sure if this will work every time but I did learn that bullies are not always as brave and tough as they seem to be.

The characters appear to be Asian-American are you Asian American?

No not at all, I’m a mixture of German and a bunch of other European countries.  My great-grandparents on my mother’s side actually came over from Germany to America. My paternal grandfather’s family is from several countries and his wife, my grandmother, is primarily German. My wife’s family comes from Puerto Rico.

So where did you get the Asian theme?

Really it came form this guy that I met while working for a college several years ago. The way he talked about his father and grand father always impressed me. He held them in such high regard that they seemed almost god-like, real pillars of their family. So I decided to write a book about a family whose father is the center of their strength. Johnny loves his father and respects him so much that he does his best to emulate his dad and strives to be like him.

Sounds like you are trying to make a point?

I guess so. I’m not trying to be preachy or anything but just want to show a family who is loving and supportive.

Is this something you think is missing today?

Well I suppose. I really want to show kids and adults that there are intact families and that not all is lost in our culture. So often media is created that shows the bad side of families and portrays the family unit as broken and dysfunctional. Johnny Junkpile shows a family who loves and cares for one another and how this helps them get through some tough situations.

I noticed that the mother is not mentioned in the book.

I don’t want to give a spoiler but she shows up eventually. I’m trying to focus on the father and establish a strong bond between the reader and the father. Johnny’s mother will be along in the next book.

So you have a sequel to Johnny Junkpile?

I hope to yes. If the first one does well I would love to create a second book and a whole series of books.  Remember try to read a good book today and have some fun.