We were very excited to feature Lenny Lemmon And The Invincible Rat by Ben Davis in our subscription box for junior readers recently - a laugh-out-loud adventure packed with mishaps and all about friendship and determination. Ben lives in Staffordshire in the UK and mostly writes for children, but has also performed poetry and on the comedy circuit, and has even dabbled in journalism! We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to ask him a few questions; read on to find out what he shared with us:
Do you have a favourite genre to read?
I enjoy pretty much everything, but I’m not that big on fantasy and sci-fi.
Did you have any favourite authors or books when you were a child?
I didn’t have one favourite author as a kid, but I’d go to my local library all the time and always had a book on the go. Roald Dahl, Dick King-Smith, Goosebumps, books about football, books about pirates. Everything!
Is there a character in the Lenny Lemmon series that you relate to most?
I’d like to say I’m carefree like Lenny or adventurous like Jess, but actually I have the most in common with sensitive, nervous Sam!
If you could have any pet in the world what would it be? And would you have a pet rat?!
We actually do have pet rats! One called Ratty, named after the one from the book, and the other is called Cheddar, named after the cheese.
If you could spend a day at school in any historical ‘olden day’ period, which would you choose?
Did Viking kids go to school? I feel like that would be pretty fun. Imagine the tiny helmets. Adorable.
Do you think school students face any challenges today that didn’t exist in the ‘olden days’?
The distractions of the internet and gaming is probably the big one. Sure, my ancestors had to work down mines, but their kids weren’t bugging them for Roblox, so I don’t know.
Are you afraid of spiders like Jess? Or of something else?
I’m actually a little afraid of mice and rats! Not pet ones, but wild ones that scurry about.
What do you think is the most challenging aspect of creating a book for young people?
Sometimes you want a book to be about something, and you want to get a message across to your readers, but you have to not make it feel like a lesson or you’re telling them what to think. That can be a tricky balance at times.
Can you give us any hints about what adventures Lenny and his friends will experience next?
The gang may be about to visit a safari park!
Are you working on any exciting new projects?
I have a couple of book ideas with publishers at the moment. Fingers crossed!
What do you love most about being a writer?
I love the thrill of sitting down to write. I’d get that same feeling when I was little and I’d make my own little books out of sheets of paper, and when I’m really into something, I’m that little kid again. I definitely have that feeling when I write Lenny.
Check out Ben's website to find out more! https://www.bendavisauthor.co.uk/
