TENACIOUS WON’T GIVE UP
Today I welcome author and Kids Book Crew teammate Pam Vaughan to the blog, to chat about her recently released picture book TENACIOUS WON’T GIVE UP. Illustrated by Leanne Hatch and published by Alfred Knopf Books for Young Readers in June 24th, 2025, this is a book you’ll want to check out.
A BIT ABOUT TENACIOUS WON’T GIVE UP:
Tenacious Won’t Give Up is about a girl named Tenacious, who is determined to ride her two-wheeler bike in the wheel parade. Even though she is good at most everything, something about riding her bike is different. Great for kids who, like Tenacious, might need a little reminder of what it means to persevere.
Review: “A practical and refreshingly inclusive take on persistence.” —Kirkus Reviews
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Now on to our interview:
M. Pam, I’m so glad to have this chance to chat about your newest book. I love the title and the message of this story. For starters, can you tell us if the name Tenacious for the main character is something you decided from the beginning?
P. Tenacious was the main character’s name from day one. I have always loved words that are fun to say but also mean something. Believe it or not, I liked studying for vocabulary words in school and learning their definitions. It was like words had secrets. Anyway, I’ve always thought it would be really cool to have a word like tenacious not only be the name of a character, but also epitomize the meaning through a story. It’s funny because people don’t always realize, at first, that the character names actually mean something. Tenacious means determined. But Sage also means wise.
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M. Why Tenacious?
P. Because it’s an awesome word – and fun to say! Maybe after families read TENACIOUS WON’T GIVE UP, they will think about this character and the attributes she embodies beyond story time. Being tenacious (or like Tenacious) and not giving up, just because learning something new is hard, is the kind of trait that can be beneficial to all, whether you are a young kid or an older kid at heart. I think everyone can relate to a time when they had to learn something new or challenging and faced a point where they considered giving up, but because they were tenacious, now they can do that thing!
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M. I’m sure that once children read this book, they will remember Tenacious and how she persevered when situations got challenging. Can you tell us why was it important for you to write a story about not giving up?
P. I have always been an athlete. I played three sports in college, four sports in high school, and I currently play ice hockey. I started coaching some sport or other since I was in high school. I’ve also led workshops on mental toughness and leadership. I guess it’s just how I think. But this story is not just about not giving up…it’s also about the mindset of making adjustments when trying new things – trying smarter too. Plus, there are subtle, helpful tips for overcoming challenges.
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M. That’s so impressive, Pam! How wonderful that you can add that part of you in your stories. I love it! Now, regarding the beautiful illustrations, can you share how was it for you to meet the characters created by Leanne Hatch? Did you have any input in the illustration process? Did you include art notes in your manuscript?
P. I was thrilled with Leanne Hatche’s artwork! It’s amazing that someone can take someone else’s words and not only create characters but a setting and bring them all to life elevating beyond what I could imagine! I’m so grateful for all of her time and effort. I was completely enthralled by how well she depicted the characters’ expressions and emotions. I included limited art notes and was able to give a little feedback on sketches. But I completely respected Leanne’s vision and approach as a professional illustrator. People often think illustrators are just drawing what the words say, but in most cases, they are depicting what is not in the words. The way Leanne portrayed big emotions as well as nuanced emotions…frustration, determination, exuberance, success, compassion, and contemplation (just to name a few) is hard to even put into words! It’s impressive! I guess you have to see it to feel it.
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M. I agree, Leanne did an amazing job bringing Tenacious story and emotions to life. Pam, what would you say is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from publishing this book?
P. My R&R didn’t exactly say R&R. In fact, my initial response, from the email that my agent shared with me, was that it was a pass because it wasn’t a clear cut – yes. Later, while I was entering this “presumed pass” into my spreadsheet, I reread the email. The editor mentioned some things she loved, like the title and the core of the story. But it didn’t have enough spunk to follow through on the title, and she suggested a lighter touch on the message. The end of the email read: If Pam rethinks it, I’m happy to take another look!
My heart leapt because it wasn’t a pass!
So, I looked up the editor. Her website listed the books she edited. I took every fiction book she edited out of the library and used many as mentor texts. I was missing something and I was going to figure out what it was! I worked tenaciously rethinking and revising and wanting to take advantage of this opportunity! Two weeks after we resubmitted, the editor got back to us with a Yes!! I learned to pay attention to the wording of a response from an editor (if it doesn’t say no or pass it might be a maybe) and to take advantage of an opportunity. I was so appreciative of another chance I was willing to work smarter and harder!
After I revised, I sent it to my agent who sent it back to the editor as an exclusive submission. The editor got back to us in about two weeks with a yes!
That’s such an amazing story, thanks for sharing, Pam! I’m so glad that you worked hard and went all in, by believing in yourself and Tenacious’s potential. This shows the importance of persevering, just like your character. Congratulations! Pam, I wish you all the best in this journey with your second book. May Tenacious get to many kids who need to be inspired by her. Cheers!
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PAM’S BIO
Pam Vaughan is the author of Tenacious Won’t Give up (illustrated by Leanne Hatch 2025, Knopf) and Missy Wants a Mammoth, (illustrated by Ariel Landy, Holiday House/Pixel+Ink) as well as. She is the director of the Whispering Pines Writers’ Retreat and a co-assistant regional advisor for New England SCBWI. Pam is an inspirational speaker and coach who has led workshops on team building, leadership, and mindset and mental toughness. She lives in central Massachusetts with her family and loves to play ice hockey, walk in the woods, and/or be surrounded by the ocean.
Social Media: @pamvau IG/Bluesky
Website: www.pamvaughanauthor.com
Thanks for reading!
M
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Cover photo by Vlad Vasnetsov.
