1KHO 850: The Imagination Advantage | Daisy Day and Calvin Day

Summary

Podcast Summary: The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast – Ep. 850: The Imagination Advantage | Daisy Day & Calvin Day
Host: Ginny Yurich
Guests: Daisy Day and Calvin Day (young authors)
Release Date: July 7, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast spotlights the "imagination advantage" through candid and joyful conversations with two of the youngest authors ever featured on the show: siblings Daisy and Calvin Day. Host Ginny Yurich explores how their self-published books, collaborative creativity, and screen-light childhoods are proof that imagination flourishes when kids are granted time, space, and a little freedom. This episode is a treasure trove for parents, educators, and young writers seeking practical inspiration to nurture creativity over screen time.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Spark of Authorship & Early Creative Memories

• How the Journey Began ([04:10–05:29]):

  • Calvin recalls being inspired to write after playing with a mutant ninja toy he won at church, which fueled imaginary adventures at recess:
    • “Man, this would be so cool if I could just write a book about this and it could be whatever I want it to be.” – Calvin (04:31)
  • Daisy shares her progression from stapling dinosaur drawings together as a "book" to writing real stories inspired by the Warrior Cats series.

• Peer Inspiration & Influence ([05:29–06:27]):

  • Calvin and Daisy’s books sparked interest among peers—even inspiring Ginny’s own daughter to write her own story.

2. Collaborative Creativity – The Power of Community

• Writing Groups & Family Involvement ([07:11–12:20]):
  • Daisy works closely with cousin Clara, who’s writing the next installment of her series; they edit and brainstorm together. Daisy describes her cousin’s excitement:
    • “It’s more fun bouncing ideas off people…if she approves it, it’s better.” – Daisy (08:55)
  • Calvin’s writing club (with cousin Adam and friend Wolfie) features weekly meetings, cooperative storytelling, and playful accountability:
    • “The requirement is a page a week and the punishment is we whack them with books.” – Calvin (10:09)
  • They even have a club song, blending humor and pride in their creative community (11:08–11:50).

3. Creativity vs. Screens: Imagination in a Tech World

• The Role of Screens ([12:25–13:51]):

  • Calvin concedes that screens occasionally spark ideas but maintains that “I love writing way more than watching screens.”
  • Daisy and Calvin bond over shared soccer loyalties but agree that hands-on play and imaginative games at recess are essential to their creative lives.

• Keeping Creativity Alive ([13:54–15:23]):

  • Daisy’s trick: Write out the most exciting scenes first—“Then whenever I’m feeling bored, I’ll go write the boring parts.”
    – Daisy (14:37)
  • Calvin prefers chronological order, believing “the more I write, the better ideas I get.”

4. The Writing & Publishing Process

• Habits and Process ([19:12–20:37]):

  • Calvin writes a page a day in the early morning; Daisy writes at night.
  • Daisy’s friend illustrates her chapter headings; Calvin does all his own maps and art, often drawing directly from his toys.

• Self-Publishing Logistics ([21:54–22:35]):

  • Both use IngramSpark for self-publishing, with sales through their mom’s and Amazon websites.
  • Calvin handwrites his books in cursive, while Daisy switched to print for legibility.

5. About the Books

• Calvin’s Series:

  • The Blue Belted Hero – Follows Blue Belt in a war-torn land, involving prophecy and battles among animal clans ([23:21–24:06]).
  • Raid of the Dragons – Introduces dragons as new adversaries ([25:00]).
  • Forthcoming: Rebellion of the Tigers and likely, Mutant Survival.

• Daisy’s Series:

  • The Collingwoods – Friends and family turn into cats and form their own clan, inspired by Warrior Cats ([27:13–28:18]).
  • Explores themes of belonging, survival, clan formation, and learning to hunt as cats with guidance from a real-life pet.
  • Collaboration with cousin Clara on Wings of Fury and Spark of the Mountain.

6. The Joys and Logistics of Naming, Describing, and Including Everyone ([30:44–35:06])

• Calvin uses animal species for names; Daisy surveys friends for preferred cat names and researches cat breeds for descriptions.

7. Creative Pursuits Beyond Writing

• Cardboard Creations & Family Enterprise ([39:48–43:52]):

  • Calvin crafts intricate ships and soccer figurines (“The Resolute”), selling them at markets and via their “mini economy.”
  • Daisy’s mom sells embroidery kits; the family’s “Plaza Productions” also includes films and her dad’s book on financial literacy.

• Mini Economy and Business Lessons

  • Each child has family jobs, earns, budgets, sells goods/services (44:02–46:07).
  • Daisy reflects: “It really does help you realize that nothing’s free, that you need to work hard to earn the money and to get good things, you have to earn them.” (45:43)

8. World-Building and Childhood Play Outside

• Family trips to Vermont inspire play “mutants” and “Warrior Cats” in the woods ([52:15–53:04]).
• Recess play, sibling sports, and the joys (and lessons) of outdoor moments like winning a soccer championship ([50:50–51:34]) or first riding a big roller coaster ([51:40–52:02]).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Imagination isn’t something we teach nearly as much as we protect. Give kids time, space, friends, and a little freedom, and incredible things begin to happen.”
  – Ginny Yurich (00:57)

• “For me, I do the opposite. I write in order, because if I write the climax first…the more I write, the better ideas I get.”
  – Calvin (15:03)

• “Just make the book of whatever you want to make it of. You can keep it private if you want it to be.”
  – Calvin (48:51)

• “Apply butt to chair. Repeat step one. Just sit down, keep writing, and don’t stop.”
  – Calvin (49:07, quoting writing advice)

• “It’s more fun bouncing ideas off people…if she approves it, it's better.”
  – Daisy (08:55)

• “A family that cannot stop making things.”
  – (Family Motto, referenced by Ginny at 42:47)

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Segment Timestamps

| Segment Topic | Timestamps | |---|---| | Introduction & premise | 00:00–01:43 | | Meet Daisy & Calvin, how they started writing | 02:31–06:27 | | Collaborative creativity (cousin writing, book club) | 07:11–12:20 | | Creativity vs. screens & keeping ideas flowing | 12:25–15:23 | | Writing process (habits, illustration, self-publishing) | 19:12–22:35 | | About the books and synopses | 22:35–28:18 | | Book details: names, descriptions, friends/family inclusion | 30:44–35:06 | | Other creative pursuits & mini economy | 39:48–46:07 | | Outdoor play & inspiration | 50:50–53:04 | | Final advice for young writers | 48:41–49:24 |

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Tone and Takeaways

The episode glows with enthusiasm, humor, and encouragement. The hosts and guests consistently convey warmth and authentic curiosity, demonstrating that creativity thrives most in a community—and that storytelling doesn’t require permission, just a willingness to play. Kids are invited to see writing as accessible and exhilarating, and parents are reminded that simple structures (like a mini economy, scheduled screen-light play, or collaborative projects) can have rich, lasting results.

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For more:

• Visit madebyday.co for the books, craft kits, and more family projects.
• Share this episode with a young writer or parent who needs inspiration to swap screen time for creative time.

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Favorite Memories Outside:

• Calvin: “Winning my first soccer championship.” (50:50)
• Daisy: “The first time I went on a big roller coaster”; playing Warrior Cats and making clan forts outdoors with cousins. (51:40–53:04)

Transcript

[Daisy Day]

Oh,

[Jeanne Erich]

it's a beautiful world Ain't nothing on screen that's ever gonna be this

[Daisy Day]

view

[Calvin Day]

oh,

[Jeanne Erich]

it's a beautiful world

[Daisy Day]

and

[Jeanne Erich]

I just want to share with I just want to share with you this beautiful world Such a beautiful. Welcome to the 850th episode of the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. 850 conversations later, and I am still so grateful that people are showing up to learn alongside me. Thank you for being here. Whether this is your very first episode or you've been with me for years, I'm really glad you're listening. Today's guests are two of the youngest authors I've ever interviewed, and I have a feeling you're going to finish this conversation. Wanting to hand your child a notebook instead of another screen. Daisy Day and Calvin Day reminded me that imagination isn't something we teach nearly as much as we protect. Give kids time, space, friends, and a little freedom, and incredible things begin to happen. Before we jump in, I have one small favor to ask. If these conversations have encouraged you or your family, would you take just a moment to follow or subscribe to the podcast wherever you're listening? If you have a minute more. Leaving a rating or review is one of the biggest gifts you can give the show because it helps other families discover it, too. And if an episode ever makes you think someone I know needs to hear this, send it to them. Most people find new podcasts because a friend shared one. We've got some incredible conversations coming up, including Jungle Keepers founder Paul rosalie and bringing EK expert Dr. Robert Melello. And I'd love for you to be here for all of it. All right, let's jump in to today's conversation.

[Calvin Day]

This episode is brought to you by Google Health.

[Jeanne Erich]

Stop chasing someone else's definition of health. What matters is what's healthy for you. Google Health offers a new kind of coach built with Gemini for effortless tracking, sleep insights, and holistic coaching tailored to you. Visit googlestore.com to learn more and start a new relationship with your health. Requires Google Account, Google Health app Internet, and Google Health Premium subscription. Features subject to change, availability and results vary. Intended for medical purposes. Works independently of Gemiini apps. Check responses for accuracy. Welcome to the 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jeanne Erich. I'm the founder of 1000 Hours Outside and it is truly an honor to have two authors, two authors here today. They are both kids. They are brother and sister, Daisy Day and Calvin Day. Welcome to the both of you.

[Calvin Day]

Hello. Hello. Hi.

[Jeanne Erich]

Hello. Hello. So I'm going to Give a little bit of backstory about how we ended up doing. Doing a podcast together. I was able to interview your dad, and your dad wrote a book called teaching your kids to save, spend, and share wisely. And this is a book about a lot of things, but also about doing a mini economy in your home and starting to teach your kids about how money works in the real world. Actually doing this hands on. And in the process, your dad told me that the both of you had written books, and I thought that was very intriguing. And he talked about how that kind of worked with your economy, that maybe you would pay your parent to be an editor or to lay it out, and then you're able to actually sell your books. So I asked your dad, I said, do you think they'd ever be willing to come on a podcast and talk about your. About the books that they've written? And he said yes. And so here we are. And I wanted to tell you that I had given a copy of the Raid of the Dragons, which is Calvin's second book, to our youngest daughter, who's nine. And so she was reading it in the car, and then she came home and immediately started writing her own book. So you have been so in. The both of you are so inspirational. So can you go back in your memory? I know, Calvin, you talk about getting this Tiger mutant Ninja toy. You want it at church? Go back in your story for the both of you. Calvin and Daisy, can you think about the moment when you first thought, I could write a book? Calvin, you are for sure in elementary school. Daisy, I'm not quite sure of your backstory, but I would love for you to tell us about that moment when you thought, oh, I like reading books. I've read books. I could write one.

[Calvin Day]

Well, after I got the toy, I loved it so much. And at recess, I was always playing mutants with my friends, where we would pretend to be the mutants and battle imaginary enemies. And so we did a lot of adventures. And I thought, man, this would be so cool if I could just write a book about this and it could be whatever I want it to be. And so, yeah, so you did.

[Jeanne Erich]

Daisy, how about you?

[Daisy Day]

Well, I started writing books when I was little. They were like, quote, unquote books. I think the first book I ever made was I drew a bunch of pictures of dinosaurs and then stapled them together and called it a book. But then I guess when I really started writing, like, actually writing it out, I think it was after I read the warrior series by Erin Hunter. And then I started writing this story on the ride of the car, I was like, I think the idea of clans is so cool. What if I put myself in this place and all my friends and I thought it would be so fun if I made this clan out of my friends and family. I remember we were driving back from Vermont when we were up visiting Vermont and I made this list and then I wrote a story about it and then I eventually self published it.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. So you can actually buy copies of these books. So I'm going to tell people the titles and that there are new ones coming. So the first title by Calvin Day is the Blue Belted Hero. And the second title is the Raid of the Dragons. And Calvin, we're going to talk about this in a little bit. But you're currently working on the third book which is called the Rebellion of the Tigers. And Daisy, you have the Calling Woods. That is your first book. People can find these on your mom's website. But you also have a part of the website that's for your family. I'll make sure. I'll put the link in the show notes but it's made by Day Co Slash Plaza Productions. So I'll make sure that people can easily find that to go and go and find your books. But Daisy, you have now your cousin who is going to be writing the second book in the series. It's called Wings of Fury or Wing of Fury, I might have put it.

[Daisy Day]

Wings, plural.

[Jeanne Erich]

Wings of Fury. That's by Clara Day. That's your cousin. And then the new book after that is Spark of the Mountain. So the clan's beginning. It's. Is it like a prequel?

[Daisy Day]

We were thinking about it since we aren't exactly sure when we want to stop writing these because we were thinking that it'd be really fun if this was like the prequel series. And then there's another series that happens generations later.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. What a great idea. I've got two daughters that really like the warrior cats. And there's so many of those books. There's so many, so many. And they're constantly like my favorite character died. And they all have great names, all of these different characters that they talk about. One of the things that we had to in the Warrior Cat series is that I think there's several authors. Is that true?

[Daisy Day]

That's what I heard. Is that that's why there's so many of them. They're just able to write them so quickly because it's multiple people writing one book.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. And so this is a part of both of your stories. So Calvin, you've got a writing group and you're really influencing other kids. And Daisy, you know, here is your cousin Clara. She's coming in to write the second book of this Warrior Cats fan fiction. And then also Clara is writing her own book too. You were telling me about it. It's called Changing Tides. So can you talk about the part of this where it seems like being an author would be individual, but for the both of you, it's not. There's a lot of other people who are involved. Daisy, do you want to kick us off?

[Calvin Day]

Sure.

[Daisy Day]

Pondering. Pondering. He started.

[Jeanne Erich]

Perfect. Perfect.

[Calvin Day]

Tell her about yours and Clara's earliest talks and, like, how you got excited

[Jeanne Erich]

to work with how you both got

[Calvin Day]

excited to write together.

[Daisy Day]

Okay. Well, both me and my cousin, we both really loved the warriors series. And when I started writing my fanfiction, she's one of the characters in it.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Daisy Day]

And so she was like, this is awesome. And then at our family reunion, I told her about it and she was like, this is great. And then at Christmas, she said, would it be okay if I wrote the second book? And I'm like, yes, that's totally fine because it's hard. And so she started writing the second book and I was like her editor and I helped her write some things. And it's more fun bouncing ideas off people because if there's an idea that I really like, but I'm just not sure whether it's good or not, I can, like, tell her about it and if she approves it, it's better.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Daisy Day]

Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

What a great process of collaboration. And do you feel like that strengthens your relationship?

[Calvin Day]

Probably.

[Daisy Day]

I mean, I haven't seen her since Thanksgiving, but it's fun.

[Jeanne Erich]

It's an extra bond that you have because you're writing books and you're. You have something different to talk about that's unique for the two of. And so, Calvin, you've got a whole

[Calvin Day]

book group, so every Friday. Well, we used to do it every Tuesday because me and Wolfie. So it's with my cousin and one of my best friends, Wolfie. My cousin's name is Adam. So we used to do it every Tuesday because me and Wolfie could always be together and we would just call Adam, but now we've moved it to Friday where we can all just call each other and it's a three person talk. And we have a bunch of club book writing, club traditions, and we always talk about each other's books that we're writing and what's required to keep stay in the Book, the writing club is to do a page a week. Is to write a page a week.

[Daisy Day]

I thought it was a day.

[Calvin Day]

No, that's just my goal.

[Daisy Day]

Oh.

[Calvin Day]

My goal is to write a page a day. But the requirement is a page a week and the punishment is we whack them with books, they fail, see them enough to work.

[Daisy Day]

So you just hit Wolfie and say you hit Adam.

[Calvin Day]

We. We hit. Say. Wait, am I allowed to call you Jenny or just.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes, you can call me Jenny. Yes.

[Calvin Day]

So what we do, Jenny, is just like. And the other person has to react like

[Jeanne Erich]

it's like a pretend fight through a screen.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah, that's great. Feel bad. You don't want it to happen.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

And we're writing a club book about all of us and we're all in it. So we write it every Friday. And then we also have a club song.

[Jeanne Erich]

I think both Daisy and myself are hoping that you would sing us your club song.

[Calvin Day]

Let's get writing. We all write and our characters fight. We make jokes at our oas. Alright. Like bread that is thawing that a sports guy is gnawing.

[Daisy Day]

Oh.

[Calvin Day]

Us as a trio is always a sight. Bump, bump, bump. Eli fights in the ranks. Blue belt never gets outflanked. When the moai attack together, we fight back. Always stick together no matter the weather or the situation is. Let's get riding. No, no, no. Right, right, right. No, no, no. Right, right, right. No, no, no. R.

[Jeanne Erich]

Kelvin, this is so creative. Who came up with this?

[Calvin Day]

Mainly Adam, my cousin. But we all contributed to it.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, wow. The creativity is extensive. I mean the amount of words that are in these books. I also like the maps, I like the illustrations. I like the crests for each of the different that, you know, there's the tigers and the rhinos. They all have in the gorillas, the kingdom of the gorillas. They all have their different crests. It's so much. So can you talk about. Do you think that screens sometimes ruin creativity?

[Calvin Day]

Screens? Well, I mean, screens could inspire us a bit. Like maybe that's a good idea. But I honestly, I love writing way more than watching screens. But it is World cup right now.

[Daisy Day]

But still, he is an absolute soccer nerd. He and my brother have sworn that until the US either wins the World cup or gets out, they are not going to take off their USA shirts. They have like three of them.

[Calvin Day]

And the punishment is next time Mexico plays, we have to cheer for them.

[Daisy Day]

He hates Mexico.

[Calvin Day]

That's a pretty bad punishment.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. Yes. Okay, so where do you think it's True. Where do you think that the creativity. How do you keep creativity alive?

[Calvin Day]

Well, I mean, still playing with the toys. Here is the blue belt toy that I bought from the church. Bingo. Ten dollar bill.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

So just acting out that were those guys gives me good ideas. The next, the fourth book, I have plans for it because we were playing, we were acting out what's going to happen in the fourth book. All this year in fifth grade, just playing it at recess and it was really fun. So now I'm just like, this is a really good idea for a book. So that's how I get a lot of inspiration. Just playing and also reading other books and stuff.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. Daisy, what would you say, like where

[Daisy Day]

I get the create or the inspiration?

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. And, and how do you keep creativity alive? There's, there are these studies that say that creativity starts to go down as people get older.

[Daisy Day]

That's why it was hard to finish like the first book is because like I've start what once your creativity's going

[Jeanne Erich]

down, it doesn't have to though. And that's the thing. That's why I'm asking from the two of you, what is your opinion on how you've been able to stay so creative? Because these books are very creative. It's not just the storylines, but it's also the names, it's also the illustrations. And then even that song that you just sang, Calvin, like that's very creative.

[Daisy Day]

The main reason how I think I've been keeping the creativity alive is that I'm not writing my books. Chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, I'm writing them. I write the climax first. Like I'll go write chapter 13 where something interesting happens and then I'll just write all the interesting parts and then whenever I'm feeling bored, I'll go write the boring parts.

[Calvin Day]

Okay. For me, I do the opposite. I write in order because if I write the climax first, then I think that the more I write, the better ideas I get. So if I write it in order, then once I get to the climax, I have a bunch of really good ideas and I can make the climax better. But either way works.

[Jeanne Erich]

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[Calvin Day]

Well, I try to write a page a day and I always do it in the early mornings.

[Daisy Day]

I write mine late at night.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, anything works.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah, I'm an early bird. I usually wake up at maybe around six.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay.

[Calvin Day]

And then I write for a bit. And for me after maybe 20, the first 20 minutes of my writing, I'm kind of like slow and I can't think of stuff. But then once I get into full writing mode, that's what I call it, then I start speeding through it and I really get things done.

[Jeanne Erich]

These books are decently long, so I would imagine if you do a page a day, you know this is a, A, a long term project that you're working on now. I know, Daisy, you talked about you had a friend who did. A friend or a cousin. Someone did your chapter headings, the illustrations here. And we're going to talk in a minute about how you. They're self published. But someone drew those, is that correct?

[Daisy Day]

My friend Naomi Walker drew those.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay, so that's another really special thing about being able to include others. Then in yours, Calvin, there were maps. I was very impressed by the maps. And yours also have A lot of illustrations. So there's this map in the Blue Belted Hero. And then in. The map is similar in the Raid of the Dragons, but it's done in cursive and it's just really beautiful. So who does the illustrations for you, Calvin?

[Calvin Day]

I do them.

[Jeanne Erich]

You do? They're really impressive. So there's this map. I made a note actually. Are you able to think back of your different drawings and have some favorites or is it hard to remember because there's so many?

[Calvin Day]

Well, probably my top favorite is when Blue Belt faces down King Croc in the first book. Okay, I can pull it out.

[Jeanne Erich]

I had a couple favorites too. I really like the illustrations. I liked the illustrations where this is like a castle and you see all the people. Oh, yeah, that's an incredible one.

[Calvin Day]

This is my favorite.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. I think I had written that one down as well. I also thought this was a really good illustration of this. Is this the Minotaur?

[Calvin Day]

Oh, yeah. With these ones where I do the close up of the mutants, I usually copy the toys.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. So this is the. Is this the one that you were talking about?

[Calvin Day]

Yeah, that one's my favorite.

[Jeanne Erich]

This full page spread. Do you draw the pictures as you go along or do you wait until after you're done and then do the illustrations?

[Calvin Day]

For the Blue Belly Hero, I usually go as I do it as I go along. But with the Blue Bell Hero, there wasn't enough pictures at the beginning. So I went back and did some pictures.

[Jeanne Erich]

My daughter was asking about that because like I said, I handed her your book and then she immediately came home and started to write one of her own. And she was really impressed that there was illustrations in there. And so your dad told me that you use a self publisher. It's called IngramSpark. There are several self publishing options and so people can actually come and buy your books off of the website. And also Raid of the Dragons is available on Amazon as well. So I'll make sure people know where they can find those. And there are more books to come. So let's talk about what the books are about. So if you could give a synopsis of what your books are about, I'm sure people would love to hear. Who would like to start?

[Calvin Day]

Well, first I want to show you. Here's the binder that I wrote. The Blue Bow heroine.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes. So you start off with writing it cursive. That's great for people to see. So you write it out by hand?

[Calvin Day]

Yes.

[Jeanne Erich]

My cursive is fantastic, by the way. I know. Daisy, you said yours is not quite.

[Daisy Day]

My cursive is horrible. It's so bad. That's why I wrote the third book in print, which is much more legible.

[Jeanne Erich]

You almost had bloopers because like in the transit, in the translation of your cursive, it got some things wrong. So it was almost like a book blooper at the end. I liked that you included that in the Collingwoods. But if you were to give someone who didn't know about what your book was about, if you were to explain what it was, was, what would you say?

[Calvin Day]

Well, on the blurb, the back of the book, it says that blue belt's born into the Land of War. So there's been a war that's been going on for a very long time and he was just born into it. And there's this mysterious prophecy that just came and they don't know what it is, who it's referring to, what's happening. So they need to figure out what the prophecy is about and who it's referring to. And blue belt steadily becomes better and better at fighting. At the beginning of the book, he gets his power weapon, which every mutant gets when they're around 15. And so that. Yeah, that's about as old as he is. And so. Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay. Okay. What would you say is the overarching storyline of the blue belted hero versus the Raid of the Dragon?

[Calvin Day]

Okay, well, the Blue Bell hero, there's already a war going on and they. There's a bunch of different enemies that they have to conquer. And their allies are the lions. There's three groups of allies. There's the lions and tigers. And then the minotaurs and rhinos. No, no, the gorillas and rhinos.

[Daisy Day]

Right.

[Calvin Day]

And then the minotaurs and crocodiles. And the crocodiles are the main evilest bad guys, but they still have to fight all of them.

[Daisy Day]

Yeah, the rhinos and gorillas.

[Calvin Day]

I know my book dates, so. And then the raider, the dragons there. Well, I don't want to spoil. But.

[Jeanne Erich]

But there's dragons that are now into the mix here, so we're not gonna. We're not gonna. Yes. Spoil it, but that you can kind of a little bit tell from the title. And there's new character flame that's in the Raid of the Dragon. So those are the two books. And the one that's coming next, like you said, you've been playing it all year at school. It's called the Rebellion of the Tigers. So, Daisy, if you were going to tell people about the Collingwoods, what would you say is this Main plot, overall theme here.

[Daisy Day]

Wait, Calvin.

[Calvin Day]

Oh, go.

[Jeanne Erich]

Go ahead.

[Calvin Day]

The third book is called the Rebellion of the Tigers.

[Jeanne Erich]

Did I say it wrong?

[Calvin Day]

Well, the one that I've been playing in school this year is going to be the fourth book.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, well, thank you for clarifying that. Do you have a title for the fourth book yet, or are you still working on it?

[Calvin Day]

Well, what we always called it was. Well, it's. It's going to be about some of the mutants trying to survive in the wilderness. So we always called it Mutant Survival. So. Okay, so that's probably going to be the title.

[Daisy Day]

Fun.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay. And I want all the listeners listening in. So it might be parents, it might be kids, that as soon. I am not kidding. As soon as my daughter picked. Put one of these in her hand. She's nine, so she's about the same age as you, Calvin. And she came home and was immediately inspired to write her own. And she's been drawing her pictures. She's doing one that's in the Civil War time. So she's got this little notebook. I mean, and she is writing in it every day. So it's. It's very inspiring for a kid to see another kid who's actually published a book and it's in print and there's a cover and there's pictures in it. So huge congratulations to you on your success and also on the way that you're influencing other kids. So four books are in the works here. The two. First two are available already. And then the Rebellion of the Tigers is coming soon. And then Mutant Survival might be the one that comes after that. The fourth book.

[Daisy Day]

Book.

[Jeanne Erich]

Daisy, I loved the premise here of getting annoyed with your parents and then saying, we're gonna leave. And then there is this transformation wand. So can you give the listeners the premise of the Collingwoods?

[Daisy Day]

So I wrote it about myself and my friends and family. It's. These kids live in Richmond, Virginia, and their parents are mistreating them. This is not based on actual. Thanks.

[Calvin Day]

Her parents are very nice.

[Daisy Day]

Parents are great. I can't see. So they run away to this forest, and while they're exploring the place, they find this transformation wand. And then they get stuck as cats and then they discover this whole other world in the forest where there's, like. Where there's clans and all the things and.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, so some of the main parts of the story here, and we're not going to give any of it away, people can pick up a copy and read it. But one of the questions is, are they going to be able to become a clan because they have to change back into humans very quickly and that doesn't happen. So now you've got all these friends and family that are cats.

[Daisy Day]

Cats.

[Jeanne Erich]

And you're wondering how are they going to fit in with these other clans. There's the Valley clan and the Meadow clan and the Storm clan. So are they going to get to be a clan themselves? This is you with your friends and family. Another one is, are they going to be able to take care of themselves? So can you talk about learning how to hunt?

[Daisy Day]

Like, how they find out?

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, like. Like the. The nervousness of. Are they going to be able to provide because they. You have a lot of friends and family. There's a lot of cats.

[Daisy Day]

I realized that, like, too late that there were a lot of them.

[Jeanne Erich]

That's a good thing, Daisy.

[Calvin Day]

Right?

[Daisy Day]

I guess. It's just when I started writing it, there was like half as many. Like, there were not a lot. And then as I told my friends about it, they were like, can we be in it? Can you make us cats? Can you put us in the book? And I'm like, fine. Talk about what happens in the Falling Woods. I did

[Jeanne Erich]

well. But they have to start to provide for their whole clan. And there are a lot of these cats.

[Daisy Day]

Yeah. How I put in the book how they learned to hunt was we have a pet cat named Peter. He is a real life cat and he did not actually run away. We still own him, but I have that. He ran away and then they find him in the book and then he's the one who teaches them how to, like, provide for themselves and. Yeah. Live in the forest.

[Jeanne Erich]

I liked that part of Peter showing up because I thought that was a really creative thing to think about. Daisy, what would it be like if you have a house pet and then all of a sudden you turn into that animal and then you get to interact with them as an animal. So I like, liked. I really like that part. You said we were your house folk. When you're trying to explain to Peter who you are now you're a cat. I also thought there was a line in there, a show of tales, you know, instead of show of hands. I thought that was so clever. Then there's a part about how they get their nine lives. Is that something that is part of the Warrior cats books or was that something that you made up on your own?

[Daisy Day]

It's not something I made up. It's in the real series because the clan leaders have nine lives. Because there's like the common thing where cats have Nine lives. So in these books, the cat, the leaders really do have nine lives. And that's something in the actual books that I thought would be really fun to write about.

[Jeanne Erich]

I loved that. I give you this life for endurance. I give it for wisdom. I would love to talk about the names that you came up with. So obviously, Daisy, you had to come up with so many names because you have all these friends and family that turn into cats and everyone has a cat name. And then same for you, Kelvin. There's different names like Dong Kong, who is in the Hong. Who was in the Hong Bong army. What is your process for coming up with names?

[Calvin Day]

Well, Bluebell, I came up with his name in when I was like four, because that was when I bought him. And I was like, his name. He has a blue belt. So his name is blue belt.

[Jeanne Erich]

See?

[Calvin Day]

Yes. Yeah. So but all the other names I came up with when I was in second grade, and I named them after this. Different kinds of species of tigers, like Caspian tiger, Caspian tiger. So there's the Caspian tiger, the Javan tiger, the Bengal tiger, the Sumachin tiger. And. And. And I do. And I name characters after all of that. And then Dong Kong, he. My friend Fred, he's not in the book club, but he's one of my school friends who I play mutants with, and he made up Don Kong. And he said that a gorilla's name should be Dog Kong. So I was like, okay. And after that, well, and then the king of the gorilla's name is Hong Kong. No, Hong Bong. My bad.

[Jeanne Erich]

Hong Kong.

[Calvin Day]

And then I. I didn't express this in the first two books, but in the third book, the second syllable is like the last name kinda. And so if your name is King Kong. No, not King Kong.

[Daisy Day]

Okay.

[Calvin Day]

Sing Sing Song, then your brother might be named King Song.

[Daisy Day]

Yes.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yes, I like that. So Hong Bong is not related to Dong Kong? No, because that second syllable is different. There's a lot of creativity there. I wondered what you thought, Daisy, about because there were so many cats. Also, I was like, it's wonderful that you have so many friends and family. I think that's great. You get a good. That's a good message. Daisy, in the book the Calling woods, to have all of these friends, was it overwhelming for you come up with a cat name for everyone, or did you enjoy that?

[Daisy Day]

I did enjoy it because it's really fun making up these names. A lot of them, like names like Hazel Paw, Frostpaw, they came up with their own names. Oh, like, I went up to them and said, so in the book, my friend Savannah Davis, she becomes Hazel Paw. I think. Yes. I said, if you were a warrior cat, what would you want your name to be? And she said, oh, I want it to be Hazelclaw or Hazelpaw. And so I said, so I made her that name. And a lot of the other ones I just put random names down because, like, it was a lot. So I just.

[Jeanne Erich]

It was a lot. But they're all creative. They're all creative. And then the other thing that you did, Daisy, was you described them all. So here's an example. You turned into a cat. Now, I won't give away what your name becomes becomes, because that's kind of part at the end where you find out what your name ends up being as a cat name. But Daisy, you become a silver and a beautiful silver and white tabby cat with a bushy tail. Was it difficult to come up with descriptions because you also did that as well?

[Calvin Day]

Kind of, because there's a story about that. Well, remember you kept like scrolling through this.

[Daisy Day]

So when I was coming up with all the cat names, there were so many of them that I made like a slideshow for everyone. And so I had to decide what they looked like. And then I like searched up and scrolled through a bunch of pictures of cats and picked which one I thought was the best so I could remember what everyone looked like.

[Jeanne Erich]

That's smart because it would be really easy to get confused because there's a lot of them. But it's wonderful how you did it. And I love reading about everyone was there except for the Murphy boys, Jack, Eli, Micah, Savannah, Naomi, Jade. I was like, wow, these people have a lot of friends. And then you zoom in. Your cousins, the cousins from Vermont, cousins from Florida. Everyone's involved, even people's little brothers. Even your grown up cousin Julia at Virginia Tech, she's involved.

[Daisy Day]

She helps get the Jacob Bison's from Flaxburg to here.

[Calvin Day]

Okay, I did that.

[Daisy Day]

Reason.

[Jeanne Erich]

It goes to show that you get to be in charge when you are an author. You get to include whoever you want. And when your friend says, I would like to be in it too, you can just say, okay. And then they can have some input on naming and things like that. So you just see how this is good for community and for friendships. Let's talk about other things that you do. So Calvin brought up soccer. How long have you been playing soccer for?

[Calvin Day]

Well, I've always liked to kick the ball around, you know, in the backyard. But I really started getting really really into it. Last World cup in 2022. And then I started playing it all the time at recess. So a lot of this is recess games. And now I play travel and I really like soccer.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, so you have a lot going on. How about you, Daisy? What do you enjoy besides writing?

[Daisy Day]

I really love, like, reading, too, because I recently discovered a lot of really good books, like mainly the Hunger Games and Harry Potter series,

[Jeanne Erich]

I would say. Actually those are my favorites as well. Someone asked me actually once recently if I could read any book series again for the first time. Never having read it, I picked the Hunger Games or. And then a close second would be Harry Potter.

[Daisy Day]

They're really good books.

[Jeanne Erich]

They are. They are. So you really enjoy reading. Can you talk about Plaza Productions? So this is about your family's creativity. So there's not only books, but there's also films. Your mom has got craft kits that she sells for sewing. So there's the fantasy novels from Daisy Calvin's adventure books, but there's also film projects. Your dad has written a book about financial literacy for kids. What else is going on at Plan as a production?

[Calvin Day]

Well, for my book club, the. Wolfie and Adam are also writing books because, I mean, if you want to write a page a week, then you need to be writing a book. So Wolfie is writing a book about. Do you know about the Easter island heads?

[Jeanne Erich]

No, tell me.

[Calvin Day]

Well, they're these big heads that actually have bodies that are maybe 50ft long going into the ground. But you can only see the heads on Easter Island. And if you caught the part in the song where it says when the moai attack, they're also called the moai. And so they come alive and start rampaging and the islands, and they have to stop them. And then Adam is writing, I think, four books at a time. Now he's writing. Okay, he's writing four books, and one of them is the second in a series. So he's already finished a book. And it's called A Job is a Journey. Ajada is like some kind of creature, kind of like a halfling. And he has to go and do a quest to stop a war. And they have to destroy these really powerful weapons. And there's some kind of evil people who are called. They're not people who are called the woodland serpents who try to capture them. And I haven't read it yet because it's still being edited, but it'll probably come out soon.

[Jeanne Erich]

So do you talk then on Fridays about the book ideas? Because it seems like you know about that book pretty well.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah. We always talk about each other's books and give each other ideas. And then after we give each other ideas, we start doing the book club book.

[Jeanne Erich]

And, you know, this is what adults do, too. Have you talked about with your parents, like C.S. lewis, who wrote the Chronicles of Narnia? He would get together and talk about his book ideas with Jared Tolkien, who wrote the. Yeah, he. They had a whole club. It was. I think it was called the Inklings. They had a name for their club, too. And as adult men, they would get together and talk about their book ideas, like Lord of the Rings, and give their feedback. So you're doing the same thing, but you're starting so much younger.

[Calvin Day]

Another thing that I like to make, or I like to make things about out of cardboard. So I make these. Cardboard.

[Jeanne Erich]

That's a soccer player.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah. And he's Weston McKenney. I'm actually wearing McKenna jersey right now.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, yeah, That's a great idea. Because you. I mean, it's so easy to get cardboard.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah. And I'll show you.

[Daisy Day]

Hobbits.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, yeah. Look at those. Those are incredible. This is amazing talent. He's grabbing something else.

[Daisy Day]

With their five hobbits. Why is there. Oh, there's two for us.

[Jeanne Erich]

Daisy, while he's getting his things, could you talk a little bit about the family, the mini economy? If you were to explain that to a family who doesn't do it at all, what would you say? Or doesn't know about it at all?

[Daisy Day]

It's like each kid in the family, each person has a job that they have to do, like the window wipers or the.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay, we're gonna take a pause here for a minute because Calvin has just brought in an incredible cardboard ship. It's. Oh, my goodness. It's a. Like a pirate ship all made out of cardboard with a pirate at the front and.

[Daisy Day]

And

[Jeanne Erich]

flags. How long did it take you to make that?

[Calvin Day]

A while. It was during spring break. I just was so bored one day, and I was like, what if I just made a ship? So I made this ship.

[Jeanne Erich]

And you can open the back of it. I'm going to explain it for people who can't see it. When he opens the back, there's a whole bedroom there. It looks like there's a bed and maybe a desk. There's an upper deck and there's a lower deck. You put a name on your ship. I thought I saw that on the side, maybe in cursive.

[Calvin Day]

It's called the Resolute.

[Jeanne Erich]

The Resolute in phenomenal Cursive. There's cannons coming out, all made out of cardboard. That is incredible.

[Calvin Day]

And it can come apart so you can see the inside of the ship. Okay. Do you want me to show you?

[Jeanne Erich]

Sure.

[Calvin Day]

Here's the inside of the ship.

[Jeanne Erich]

Okay. So the top can come off so that you can see the lower level. What do you have in there?

[Calvin Day]

There's some people inside of it.

[Daisy Day]

I'm trying to take a cannon out.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, the cannons. Yes.

[Calvin Day]

And it's incredible. Yes. So they can sleep in.

[Daisy Day]

Oh, right. I didn't know.

[Jeanne Erich]

Oh, they've got hammocks. Yeah. I see that

[Calvin Day]

they have gunpowder barrels right here.

[Daisy Day]

That's part of. Wait, I thought that was attached to the bottom.

[Jeanne Erich]

So that is incredible. Your family is very creative. Your dad had written or may even be on the website. It said something like, a family that cannot stop making things. And so that. I mean, that is an exceptional thing to play with and to create from scratch. All out of cardboard. Tell us about. What did your. What did your mom create?

[Daisy Day]

Create. She does embroidery. So she does, like, the hoops that you put fabric on and then stitch patterns and words into it.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, yeah. They're beautiful. I've seen them. So people can go to madebyday co to find. She sells different idea. You could print it out and sew it. I'm not sure if there's actual kits or if it's.

[Daisy Day]

There are kit.

[Jeanne Erich]

There are kits on there as well.

[Daisy Day]

Fabric that you can stitch on the pattern.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. Yes. Okay. So you all have all of these creative things that you're doing, these creative pursuits. Do you feel that some of it stemmed from doing. Do you call it mini economy? What do you call it?

[Daisy Day]

We call it mini economy.

[Jeanne Erich]

Do you feel that some of the creativity and the drive to create and make things came from doing mini economy?

[Calvin Day]

Well, the cardboard guys who I make, I sell them at my mom's markets too, and I also sell them in the mini economy store. And I used to make paper figures who I sold in the mini economy store. So maybe from those paper figures, I started making cardboard figures.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

And then that started to be actually a good business, which I've made that, and I made some money off of it.

[Jeanne Erich]

What happens when you go to a market with your mom? Do you go with her or does she just take some of your cardboard things and then you just find out if they sold after?

[Calvin Day]

Usually we help her set up and then. But usually they're on Saturdays, and I have soccer games on Saturdays.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

Or something like that. So I have to leave, but yeah. So she sets them up with her sewing and.

[Jeanne Erich]

And people will come by and buy them.

[Calvin Day]

Yep.

[Jeanne Erich]

So you're making money while you're playing soccer?

[Calvin Day]

Yeah, I guess.

[Jeanne Erich]

Fantastic.

[Calvin Day]

But I do have. I have to give mama, my mom, like, I think a twentieth of the money because she's the one at the booth selling all of it, actually.

[Daisy Day]

Sitting there for hours.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

And you usually have to pay to set up a booth. Right. So that makes sense. Sense. Yeah. You'd have to contribute to that part of it. So for a family who. And there's a lot of families listening. I got to interview your dad, and we talked about his book, teach your kids how to save, and we talked a lot about the mini economy, but some families don't do that or they don't know of it, so they could learn about it more from your dad's book. Daisy, how would you explain how that works and what you feel like you've learned from that mini economy?

[Daisy Day]

It's like. Like I said, everyone has a job, and you can earn money and save up for things, and it really does help you realize that nothing's free, that you need to, like, work hard to earn the money and to get good things, you have to earn them.

[Jeanne Erich]

What are some of the best jobs?

[Calvin Day]

Well, I really like my job. I get. Me and Robbie, my little brother, get to work outside with that app. Like, chopping all the weeds and edging and mowing and watering the flowers and stuff like that.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

And that's fun.

[Jeanne Erich]

Are there any jobs that are kind of like, meh. Nobody really likes that one.

[Calvin Day]

Well, I don't like being baseboards. Yeah. Wiping baseboards. I don't really like doing inside jobs, and that's what BCS did.

[Jeanne Erich]

That's a really interesting thing to learn about yourself as a kid, Calvin. I actually think that's really valuable to learn that you like outside jobs and you really like creativity. There was a part in the Collingwoods, I actually liked this part in relation to this podcast about getting outside where the mom is making the kids go outside and it's raining. So I was curious. And. And the mom says, just go. And the kids are like, no. Oh, it's raining. She's like, go. Anyway, so I was curious, Daisy, what you think about going outside in the rain? Do you like it or not?

[Daisy Day]

Like, it depends on the rain. If it's, like, warm rain, going outside is awesome. Because one of the best things to do in, like, rain is we have a trampoline in our backyard, and when it gets Wet you. It makes it super bouncy so you can bounce really high.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Daisy Day]

And so playing in like spring rain is really fun, but if it's like cold, it's just miserable. Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah.

[Calvin Day]

I really like playing soccer in like a light drizzle. How come know why? I. It's just. It just feels good. I don't know why though.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. So is this the trampoline that you bought with the mini economy taxes?

[Daisy Day]

Is it?

[Calvin Day]

Well, it's actually our second trampoline because

[Daisy Day]

the one we bought with mini economy taxes got smashed by a tree branch.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah. And we. We had to pay some more money. Not as much, but we did have to pay some more money because we didn't have insurance. Insurance on the first trampoline I like. So,

[Jeanne Erich]

yeah, you're learning a lot about money and how it works through the mini economy. This has been such a treat to talk to the both of you. Is there anything else that you wanted to share that you haven't gotten to say yet?

[Calvin Day]

I feel like there is. I'm just thinking of it. Why are you looking at me? I'm not looking at you. Okay.

[Jeanne Erich]

What encouragement would you give to a kid who is listening, who's nervous to start writing a book but really wants to.

[Daisy Day]

Don't be nervous. There's nothing to be scared of.

[Calvin Day]

Yeah. I mean, just make the book of whatever you want to make it of. You can keep it private if you want it to be.

[Daisy Day]

I have two notebooks of private stories applied. But

[Calvin Day]

I heard this guy who said, here's two lessons of writing a good book. Step one, apply butt to chair. Repeat step one. So just sit down, keep writing and don't stop.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, that's great advice. Great advice. Well, this has been an absolute treat to talk to the both of you. I want you to know I really enjoyed the Collingwoods. The Collingwoods is by Daisy Day. This is a. A book about being mistreated and making a secret group called the Rebels and trying to figure out, are they going to stay and make a clan, are they going to run away forever? And then I also read the Blue Belted Hero by Calvin Day. This is a dangerous quest about a young hero in a world that needs saving. And then also the raid of the dragons. The adventure continues. This is a sequel to the Blue Belted Hero with new danger, fierce enemies. And now there are dragons on the move. So Calvin's hero must face an even greater challenge. There are more books to come and so if people go to the website made by Day Co Slash Productions and I'll put the link in the show notes. They can sign up for the newsletter so they'll know about the new books that are coming. And they can also buy the books that currently exist there, as well as a lot of other things. Your mom's got craft things there as well, for people that like to embroider. That actually helps with your brain health, moving your hands in those intricate ways and like you're doing with all the cardboard creations that you're making, Calvin, it makes people feel better. So these are all wonderful things to be doing in this day and age. We always end our show with the same question. What's a favorite memory from your childhood? And I know you're still in your childhood, but what's a favorite memory that you've had that's been outside?

[Calvin Day]

Outside. Well, may one of them is winning my first soccer championship. I was so happy because it was when I still played rec. My coach always signed us up for the hardest tournaments. And last two seasons, two years ago, or my last game of rec on that team, we finally won the championship. And it was outside, and it was so exciting. But the sad part was, was my mom and dad were in Tanzania when it happened, so they weren't there for it, and neither was she. So none of my family was there. But it was still really fun, and I was so happy.

[Jeanne Erich]

Well, congratulations. That's a huge deal. Daisy, what would you say?

[Daisy Day]

I don't know if I have a favorite moment outside, but I know a moment that was outside that I really, really loved was the first time I went on a big roller coaster.

[Jeanne Erich]

O where at?

[Daisy Day]

It was at King's Dominion.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah, some people like roller coasters and some people don't. But you like the thrill, huh?

[Daisy Day]

I loved it. My favorite part, it was called Raptera. It had these big swoops and a lot of drops, which is my favorite part. I'm talking about from Vermont.

[Calvin Day]

What you guys doing? Oh, yeah, that's just gonna say that. Well, our grandparents have a house in Vermont, and we always go up there. Well, about every once a year, we go up there, and it's in the mountains, and there's this, like, big dirt mound in there in the woods in the backyard. And we stuck a bunch of sticks into and made it into a fort. And we. And we play mutants there sometimes

[Jeanne Erich]

near

[Daisy Day]

that, there's this other mound which is not as big, but that's where me and my cousin and my sister, we play Warrior Cats over there. Like, we have this whole clan camp, and we have a territory and it's fun.

[Jeanne Erich]

Yeah. And you can just see how all these ideas can stem out of childhood play. This has been such a treat. You did fantastic way to go on your first podcast. Maybe you'll go on more. Because authors do podcast tours and talk about their books as they come out. It's been a treat. Thank you for spending this hour with me, and huge congratulations on all of your writing success.

[Calvin Day]

Thank you. Thanks for interviewing us.

[Daisy Day]

Yeah.

[Jeanne Erich]

Thank you for spending part of your day with me. If you enjoyed this conversation with Daisy and Calvin, I hope you'll share it with a parent, grandparent, teacher, or young writer who could use the reminder that creativity grows when childhood has room to breathe. And if you've been listening for a while but haven't followed the show or left a review, today would be a wonderful day to do that. Every review, every subscription, and every shared episode helps this podcast reach another family. I don't ever take that for granted, and I'm deeply grateful that so many of you have helped this community grow simply by telling someone else about it. As always, thank you for being a part of this journey with me. We have made it to 850 episodes together. Together. And I'm genuinely excited about what's ahead. Until next time, I hope you find extraordinary moments on ordinary paths. Get outside open your eyes Feel that sunshine kissing your skin Throw your worries out to the wind Climb some trees Skin your knees Feel that grass on your feet again get out there and take it in

[Calvin Day]

oh,

[Jeanne Erich]

it's a beautiful

[Daisy Day]

world Ain't nothing on the screen that's

[Jeanne Erich]

ever going to be this view

[Daisy Day]

oh,

[Jeanne Erich]

it's a beautiful world

[Daisy Day]

and I just

[Jeanne Erich]

want to share with I just want to share with you with you this beautiful world Such a beautiful world.