Scholastic Kid Reporters are pros at interviewing influential changemakers in their communities for Scholastic Kids Press. Ever wondered how they choose their story topics or prepare for their next assignments? We thought it would be fun to flip the script and ask them a few questions about how they report “news for kids, by kids” in our new Kid Reporter Q&A OOM series.
Meet Nolan Pastore, a 13-year-old Kid Reporter from Ohio. Nolan has been reporting for Scholastic Kids Press since 2017. This veteran Kid Reporter has covered it all—from looking at the potential long-term injuries in youth sports to interviewing the governor of his home state. We asked Nolan about his recent article “The Crayon Girl,” which introduces readers to a girl who is adding some color to children's hospitals.
Check out our Kid Reporter Q&A with Nolan below.
What is your article about?
My article is about Ella Tryon, a 10-year-old girl from Ohio who started the nonprofit organization Help Me Color A Rainbow, which donates crayon boxes to children’s hospitals throughout the U.S.
What inspired you to write about Ella and her organization?
I read about Ella’s story and thought, “What a perfect match for Scholastic Kids Press! She is exactly the same age as many of our readers!”
How did you prepare for your interview?
First, I pitched the article to my editor, Suzanne McCabe. Once approved, I read other articles and watched archived news interviews with Ella. I created a list of questions reflecting what kids would want to know about her organization. Finally, I contacted Ella’s parents to request an interview.
What is something you learned from your reporting?
I learned about the power of the media (both social and traditional) through interviewing Ella. She told me how her mom used Facebook to raise awareness about her crayon-collection campaign. The post went viral, and people started sharing it. That’s when a Cleveland news channel picked up the story. More donations than they ever imagined started coming in, both monetary and crayon boxes.
What do you hope other kids take away from reading your article?
I hope that kids realize they can make a difference, regardless of their age.
You can read more Kid Reporter articles on the Scholastics Kid Press website, and follow Scholastic Kids Press on Instagram and Twitter for all Kid Reporter updates!
