Simone Field is a teacher at Victoria Park Christian School in Perth, Western Australia, with 25 years of teaching experience. She is author of two books for children and spoke recently about her current book series.
Tell us about yourself.
I am a Perth girl, born and raised, and have lived in China and Peru also. I am married to a wonderful husband and we have two great kids, both teenagers. I love reading books, walking my dog and spending time with my family. I have loved Jesus since I was 21 years old, when I gave him my heart, and life has never been the same since! I love knowing a heavenly Father who never leaves me and who wants me to grow to be more like His Son.
In Isabel and the Lunch Box Bully, you introduced us to the group of friends your book series will follow. Where did the idea for this series come from?
I used to walk around the Christian bookstore with my kids and I remember wanting to find books they could read that related to where they were at—young kids growing up in Australia, wanting to connect with Jesus in a way that was relatable for them. I wanted to show that although life will have conflict and problems—Jesus tells us this—faith is the anchor that tethers us in place when conflict and problems arise. It gives wisdom, support and encouragement through the words of Jesus and the Holy Spirit via the writers of Scripture.
Your new book, Sasha and the Scary Spotlight, explores the challenges of social anxiety. Why is this subject close to your heart?
I have watched children increasingly experience anxiety as a part of life, and I, too, have had my own mental health battles with this particular beast. I know how crippling it can feel and how amazing it feels to overcome it and be set free.
What do you feel that faith has to offer as part of a wholistic approach to supporting young people who are experiencing anxiety?
I think that Scripture is full of the wisdom we need when experiencing anxiety, and I think that we get to see God move when we pray and believe that He wants freedom for His children. It also has some mighty promises we can stand on when suffering. My favourite is the promise in Romans 12:2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
How has your work as a teacher influenced your writing?
I get to see what is and isn’t influencing children these days, and how their emotional and spiritual health has changed over many years. I also think it gives me sympathy for the unique circumstances children face today. While I may not personally be going through all the challenges experienced by the children in my books, I witness the effects of some of these challenges firsthand.
Do young people still have an appetite for stories that model practical Christian values?
I believe so. I also see a strong desire for books of this kind among parents and teachers—they want content they don’t have to “vet” first to be sure it is appropriate for their kids to read. I hope my books can be trusted by families to offer something good and helpful and wholesome, as well as being enjoyable stories that kids can relate to.
What do you hope young people and their families take away from your books?
That when seemingly big problems arise, ones that threaten to overwhelm us, we can access help around us. There are tools available and people who want to see us get better. Most importantly though, I’d love for the takeaway to be that we are so very loved and cherished by a God who champions our success and longs for us to call out to Him.
Sasha and the Scary Spotlight and Isabel and the Lunch Box Bully are available from Adventist bookshops in Australia and New Zealand, or online.
Lauren Webb is an assistant book editor at Signs Publishing.
