I wanted to write the kind of book I wanted to read.

How it started

It began as a design experiment.

I've worked with kids and teachers from around the world most of my adult life, as a designer and social entrepreneur. What I've found recently is that optimism for the future is in short supply, or at best, not evenly distributed. How do we envision, or co-design, a future where we can all thrive? Well, first, you have to believe that a positive future is possible.

So that's how Girl Out of Time started. Envision a potential future that is desirable, and then work backwards to identify the changes we need to make to get us there. It's called backcasting. It's a little like time travel. Wait. It's actually a lot like time travel, but just in your head and with lots of sticky notes. Which got me thinking. Hmmmm… time travel.

The exercise took on a life of its own as I began weaving together the themes I love most in life — regenerative farming, nature, science, biomimicry, making, music, found family and community — and in the process, I was introduced to characters I wanted to spend more time getting to know.

And, I love time travel stories. The loopier, the better.

Girl Out of Time became a time travel story. It's also a story about our environment and everyday people making a difference. It's about farming, and making, and finding your place in time. It's the story of two people, among many, who will help bring about that change. This is Anna's story — a young girl adrift in time, anchored to no place since her parents' death. And it's Mara's story, too — a broken time traveler hiding from the mistakes of her past.

And, of course, there have to be aliens. Really cool aliens. And funny friends, and wormholes, and alien landscapes, and awesome technology that is actually feasible — anti-gravity, quantum computing, AI, cloaking devices. And while we're at it, I've always wanted to be able to fly. That's a big part of the story, too. Flying. Lots of flying. Oh, and chase scenes.

You get the idea. If you have the chance, let me know what you think. Hopefully you have as much fun reading this book as I had writing it.

What's next

Where Girl Out of Time is going

This is just the beginning, and it sets the stage for future adventures. Never let a good wormhole go to waste, my father always told me. The cast of characters will expand as future books introduce new kids from around the world, all connected for a reason.

Like I said, if we're going to solve the big challenges like climate change, it's going to take a lot of people doing a lot of different experiments. The big problems of our time do not recognize national boundaries. Nature will also have a much bigger role in the following stories, just as it will in all of our lives.

About me

My name is Clyde Boyer.

I'm the author of Girl Out of Time. I'm also a social entrepreneur, co-founder of Trinity Education Group, and a former farm kid who has spent my life working with underserved youth and migrant populations, as well as building learning hubs in Africa and Latin America. I'm a frequent public speaker and an advisory board member of SXSW EDU and founding board member of World Bank EVOKE. As a lifelong learner and student of biomimicry, I believe nature is the best teacher in solving many of our world's issues.