Author Maya Wai-Haas and former Montessori student recently published What a Rock Can Reveal: Where They Come From and What They Tells Us About Our Planet.
Tell us about your current profession and what drew you to it. I am a freelance science writer and travel guide. I’ve always been fascinated by the science that shapes our world—from big landscape-wide shifts like the tectonic movements that build mountains to small-scale processes like the chemistry behind marshmallows’ unusual texture.
Back in college I quickly fell in love with geology from a seminar class I took my first year. During the class, we visited sites all around Massachusetts to piece together the region’s history. I was fascinated and excited by the idea that rocks had stories that I just needed to learn how to read. I was hooked.
I spent many years pursuing a career as a researcher or professor but eventually realized that science writing/communication was a much better fit. It combines my interest in exploring the natural world with my love for creativity and art. As a science writer, I learn about a huge range of topics and then dream up creative ways to share the answers I find with the general public. I’ve also recently expanded my work into travel guiding as a geology expert on trips with National Geographic Expeditions and Smithsonian Journeys. These trips have been an exciting opportunity to talk directly with travelers about their environments while I explore alongside them.
What led you to write your most recent title? The book is the second installment in a series from Phaidon Books that encourages kids to spend time in nature and explore. The first book in the series is What a Shell Can Tell, all about the stories behind each shell. So, when Phaidon reached out to me to ask if I had ideas for a similar book about rocks, I was thrilled. The thread that connects almost all of my writing these days is the idea that stories are hiding in every stone, which fits perfectly with the series. One of the very first things I wrote while brainstorming ideas for the book was: There’s no such thing as a boring rock. This became the first line of the book and served as a guidepost for me throughout the writing process. Rocks are the keepers of secrets about our planet’s past and the books are all about how studying rocks helps us unlock that hidden history.
Tell us more about the book. Rocks are often overlooked when we talk about appreciating nature. I wanted to write a book that not only spoke to kids who already loved rocks and minerals but also to kids who may have not yet realized just how cool rocks can be.
I still remember a moment while I was an undergraduate student when another student asked me what my major was. When I said geology, she laughed while asking whether I passed my final exams by simply identifying something as a rock. While I was hurt by the quip, the experience solidified my resolve in trying to show everyone just how fascinating and informative rocks can be. I think that a better understanding of geology can greatly enhance everyone’s—both kids’ and adults’—appreciation of nature and the landscape. Suddenly you realize that you’re surrounded by stories of our planet’s past, and learning those stories helps us understand what could happen in the future. I hope that people come away from this book (and many of the other geology articles I’ve written) seeing the world around them a little bit differently.
What other titles have you published? This will be my first children’s book. I was also one of the authors of National Geographic’s Stargazer’s Atlas. In that book, I was responsible for the section about our solar system, guiding readers on a journey through our celestial family. Apart from books, however, you can find my writing in a range of articles for a variety of media outlets, including National Geographic, Smithsonian.com, the New York Times, and Science.
Tell us about your Montessori background. I attended a year of preschool at Montessori Children’s House in St. Louis Missouri before my family moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma. My first year in Tulsa, I attended a non-Montessori school. But after many struggles, my parents moved me to Undercroft the summer before I turned five.
The shift was like a lightbulb for me. My family later learned I was dyslexic and ADHD and needed the flexibility Montessori offered to learn at the pace and with the methods that would work best for me. I stayed at Undercroft as long as I possibly could, which was through fifth grade, the highest the school went at the time.
Have you brought Montessori principles into any of your professional or adult life? Absolutely. Montessori helped foster a curiosity about the world that still drives me to this day, both personally and professionally. These days I like to think of myself as a professional question-asker, a skill that I think has roots in my Montessori training.
I’ve also always favored learning through hands-on activities, which made Montessori the ideal environment for me to thrive, and I’ve continued to seek those types of experiences throughout my career. Hands-on activities help me continue to learn, and I’ve started trying to use these activities to introduce my audience to new topics. In a way, I think this book has Montessori principles in mind as well, encouraging young readers to explore, interact with, and make observations about their environment.
What is next for you/ what projects do you have in the works? This year I’m traveling a lot as a geology expert! I’m working with National Geographic on trips to New Zealand, Alaska, and the Alpe-Adria trail. And I’ll be in Iceland for a couple of trips with the Smithsonian in the fall. I’ve also been in discussions about an exciting collaboration to create a rock experiment kit for kids to explore the wild properties of different minerals. I’m excited to make that happen this year — there are so many cool things minerals can do, like stick to magnets or glow under a blacklight. I don’t have a release date yet, but I’ll be sharing updates in my newsletter (mentioned below) so sign up if you want the latest info on this!
How can our readers find out more about you or your work? There’s more about me on my website www.mayaweihaas.com. Through the website, interested readers can also sign up for my newsletter called WeiPoints. These are irregularly timed doses of wonder about the world where I share updates on my latest stories, behind-the-scenes reporting, project updates, and more. At the end of each newsletter, I also include a list of the trips I’ll be going on as a geology expert, for anyone interested in joining me on one of these adventures. I’m also on a bunch of social media sites, @WeiPoints on X and @mayaweihaas on Instagram and TikTok.
Is there anything else you would like to add? I hope everyone goes outside and takes a close look at the first rock they find! Let me know what you see.
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