Mixed Up Files: How did you become an agent? Were you always interested in the publishing industry?

Saritza Hernández: I am a lifelong student of literature. I’ve always gravitated towards books and as a child would have a book with me everywhere I went. My grandfather gave me a manual typewriter when I was 9 and I swore I was going to be a writer, a reporter (Boricua Lois Lane at your service) or a poet. But I had no idea that one could work IN publishing. I didn’t really understand what book publishing was until we moved to Orlando, Florida, and my sixth-grade class went on a field trip to tour the Harcourt Brace Jovanovich buildings. At the time, they had a giant press where books were being printed. I think they were workbooks, but it was such a cool process that when I got home, I told my mom I would one day work there. 20+ years later, I got my first job in publishing as an Administrative Assistant at Harcourt School Publishers and worked in almost every department at one point or another over the next 18 years, moving up and learning more with each job.

When a friend of mine was looking to get published, I helped her write a query letter. In the process of researching literary agents (and what they did), I found that there were only a few BIPOC literary agents and even fewer editors who identified with any marginalization. As ebooks became popular, many underrepresented voices opted to self-publish or were being relegated to micro-presses with very little support. I saw a need and decided to fill it by looking for mentorship. I sent out a tweet asking to connect with someone who would be willing to answer my questions. Lori Perkins of the L. Perkins Agency eventually responded and, after a 2-hour phone call, offered to mentor me remotely. I didn’t think I could be part of the publishing industry living in Orlando, Florida, but Lori saw something in me. Without the remote internship opportunity she created, I would not be here today.

MUF: Tell us about being “the first literary agent to represent marginalized creators in the digital publishing space.” How did that come about?

SA: As I mentioned earlier, I had a friend whose work wasn’t being seen by Traditional publishing because it featured a queer romance. Her work, she kept hearing, would be “better suited” for the digital publishing space. I soon learned that this was happening to many creators who were writing from their lived experiences. Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Queer, and Neurodivergent creators were often told that their work was “difficult” to connect with or that there wasn’t a readership for it (which we all know is not true), so they were going to small presses or micro presses to get published and were often signing away sub-rights that would never get exercised or being locked into option clauses that kept them from seeking traditional publishing models for future works. Very few agents were willing to take on clients working in these spaces because advances were very low (if any were offered) and the perceived return on investment was therefore low. Agents don’t make much money as it is, so I understood why many opted not to rep authors in this space, but it was perpetuating the lack of diversity in the industry by maintaining a white, cisgender, heteronormative, male-centric status quo. I decided to focus my attention on those missing voices and set out to be as successful as I could be for them and for me.

MUF: What is the day in the life of an agent like?

SA: Busy. It’s a busy day from the moment we roll out of bed with our phone in our hand to catch up on industry news to the moment we get back into bed to read queries and client manuscripts before going to sleep. (Or at least, that’s usually how my day starts and ends.)

A typical day for me may look like this:

Skim my email on my phone and star or mark important emails so I can tackle them when I get to my desk later in the morning. I’ll usually read Publishers Marketplace Deals and Publishers Weekly newsletters while eating/making breakfast and may copy/paste names of new editors or recent deals with editors I know that could prove useful as comps for works that my clients have into my Notes app. Sometimes, I’ll start my day by reading queries on my phone.

When I finally sit down at my desk, I’m usually tackling a contract or submission list for a client. I’ll respond to critical emails and check in on Slack conversations with clients and with colleagues. (I’m in several Slack workspaces, so I have started closing out the app when I need to concentrate on something like a contract or a manuscript.)

I’ll put together my submission list for client manuscripts, respond to client emails about their manuscript edits, or update illustrator tearsheets mid-day, or I may set aside a few hours to read and edit client manuscripts or respond to queries.

A good portion of my afternoon is spent nudging editors about submissions, payments, deadline updates, or contract negotiations. I’ll also work on reading client manuscripts and putting together my editorial notes. And, once or twice a week, I set aside some time to meet with editors virtually to get a sense of what they’re looking for or to catch up.

There are days when I also meet with clients, where we either brainstorm ideas for their next project, discuss the edits to their current manuscript before we submit it, or catch up.

At some point during the day, I also eat lunch, make dinner (or dinner plans) for the family (I am a caregiver to my parents), and play tabletop games with the family.

MUF: How much collaboration does the ABLA agent team have?  

SA: OMG, we are SUPER collaborative! We share our pitches and sublists with each other for suggestions and even workshop titles when needed. We have such a wealth of knowledge between all 15 of us that we tap into it daily. We have a Slack where we chat all day, and we reach out to each other via text or email when needed for support, encouragement, or to connect. It’s a sisterhood that I’m incredibly grateful to have.

MUF: What’s your least favorite part of your job as an agent?

SA: Letting clients go. I don’t like breaking up with anybody, but in this industry, it’s important to have the right partner to succeed, and sometimes, that means I am no longer the right partner for a writer or illustrator.

MUF: What’s your favorite?

SA: Notifying a client with an offer for their work. Especially for those projects that take a while to sell. The projects we revise, workshop, go on submission for a while, and eventually find the right editor to take on are super special.

MUF: Unlike some of your kidlit agent peers, you represent children’s books and books for adults. That sounds like it would be more work and that you’d have to have expertise across a wider spectrum of the industry. What makes you enjoy having a broader list?

SA: It DOES require that I create more connections across the industry, but I think it also gives me an opportunity to be highly selective about the work I take on. As a career agent, I get to work with my clients across the breadth of the work they want to write. So, if they want to write an adult romance novel while we go out on sub with their spooky middle grade, I get to be part of that journey.

MUF: We’d love to hear about a few kidlit books coming out soon (or just out!) from your clients that we should keep an eye out for.

SA: Ooh! I love talking about my client titles! Ok, so in September, Louangie Bou-Montes‘ debut YA Romantasy Till the Last Beat of My Heart releases from HarperTeen. What if your former friend, and crush is brought into your mortuary and you accidentally resurrect him? What would you do to make it right and can you do it before their time runs out?

Jen Bailey‘s Unexpecting is a contemporary YA novel that is as funny as it is heartwarming. When neurodivergent, openly gay Benjamin learns that he’s about to become a father with his best friend after an experiment gone wrong and that she plans to put the baby up for adoption, he sets out to prove that he can be a good father and high school student.

My client Mayra Cuevas co-wrote the contemporary YA novel Does My Body Offend You with Marie Marquardt, inspired by real events where a “Bra-bellion” starts at a high school after a student is told to put band-aids on her breasts when she’s not able to wear a bra to school.

My illustrator client Lisbeth Checo recently illustrated MzVee’s Natural Me picture book about the beauty of natural hair based on the African singer’s chart-topping song.

I also repped Angela Quezada Padron‘s debut author-illustrated picture book biography about climate activist Nicole Hernandez-Hammer, As the Seas Rise that is out now.

I’m also extremely proud to represent April Daniels‘ Dreadnought duology. It’s the trans superhero series you didn’t know you needed.

MUF: Any final thoughts? 

Read the books “they” try to keep from you. Ask your local library to carry books by BIPOC, queer, and neurodivergent authors. Build little lending libraries in your neighborhood and stuff them full of banned books. Vote! Especially for your local school board and county representatives. If you don’t see the candidate you need, run for office yourself. Read diversely. For every book written by a white, cisgender, male author, read three by diverse authors. Then, tell others to do the same. Be the hero of your story and change the world in the process.

Learn more about Saritza Hernández at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency website or on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Note: Saritza is currently closed to queries. 

The post Meet Literary Agent Saritza Hernández appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Shaun is the author of YA novels including Howl, A Complicated Love Story Set in Space, and Before We Disappear, as well as a memoir, Brave Face. Shaun stopped by to talk about the most helpful writing advice he’s ever received, the difference between writing YA and MG, and why it’s so important to support local bookstores, libraries, teachers, and librarians.

Mixed-Up Files: Tell us about The School For Invisible Boys and the inspiration behind the idea. What sparked this story?

Shaun David Hutchinson: The School For Invisible Boys is an idea that’s been banging around my brain for well over a decade. I wanted to write a story that explored different concepts of masculinity. As a society, we often trap boys within a narrow definition of what constitutes appropriate masculinity, but there are a lot of boys who don’t fit into those boxes. And when they don’t fit in, they’re shamed and often bullied for it, much like Hector is.

The School For Invisible Boys is a bit autobiographical. I didn’t go to an all-boy’s school, but my mom did get remarried and I did wind up at the same Catholic school in fifth grade where my stepdad sent his sons. As a quiet boy who preferred reading to sports, I struggled to fit in at school and with my new family, all of which informed the story. The major difference between me and Hector is that I only felt invisible.

I was also inspired by the books I grew up loving. Weird books like A Wrinkle In Time by Madeline L’Engle, fantasy like The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper, and adventure books like The Dark Secret of Weatherend by John Bellairs. I think the fingerprints of the books I grew up loving are all over The School For Invisible Boys.

MUF: You have written quite a bit in the YA space. Can you talk about your experience writing this middle grade book and what is different in your approach to this age group vs. a slightly older reader? Was there ever a time you considered making The School for Invisible Boys YA or was it always intended as a MG?

SDH: In my head, The School For Invisible Boys has always been a middle grade book, which is probably why it took me so long to write! Writing for a middle grade audience proved to be a significant challenge for me. In a lot of ways, it felt like having to learn to write all over again. I was very lucky to be able to work with my long-time editor in the YA space, Liesa Abrams, at her new imprint Labyrinth Road. Liesa has oodles of experience with MG as well as YA, and so she was able to guide me through some of the more difficult challenges. I honestly don’t think I would have been able to do it without her.

More specifically, I think writing for a middle grade audience necessitated a gentler approach than I’m used to. For example, in the book, Hector is called a certain slur when he asks his best friend to be his boyfriend. I made the choice not to use the word because, even though I could have made the case that it was appropriate to use in the situation, I remember what it was like to be that age, and I think a child seeing that word written out in print might cause them to internalize it in a way that would negate the message the story conveys. I try not to shy away from exploring some of the harsher truths of life in my books, and I didn’t definitely didn’t shy away here, but I definitely approached those topics a little more gently.

I also focused a on the external conflicts in Hector’s life rather than dwelling on his internal conflicts to keep the pace brisk. There was a bit less navel gazing than you might find in my YA, a bit more focus on how the characters fit in with the rest of the world.

MUF: What sort of writing routine do you have?

SDH: I generally wake up around 5am and write for a couple of hours before I sign-on to work my day job. I’ll write during lunch if I’m in the zone. I might write a bit more during the weekends. I do my best writing in those early hours before the demands of the day have crept into my brain. I try to write every day, though I don’t think it’s necessary for everyone. I have ADHD, so routines and schedules are very important to me. Other than that, my process is kind of chaotic. I don’t outline. Thankfully, I’m a fast drafter, so I can make a few mistakes and backtrack without losing a significant amount of time. I’ve learned a lot about craft over the years, but at the end of the day, I usually just follow my gut, even when it leads me places I didn’t expect to go.

MUF: Have you read any new middle grade lately you’d recommend?

SDH: I haven’t been able to read a lot of recent MG—I spent most of 2022 writing and revising The School For Invisible Boys and most of 2023 writing and revising the sequel, and I try not to read anything that might influence me while I’m drafting—but recent books I’ve read and loved have been We Belong by Cookie Hiponia, Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow, What Stays Buried by Suzanne Young, and The Probability of Everything by Sarah Everett.

MUF: Has anyone ever given you writing advice that was helpful?

SDH: My very first editor, Anica Rissi, told me to trust my readers. At the time, I only applied it to the book I was working on, but as I continued writing and growing as a writer, her advice became this little voice in the back of my head whenever I began to doubt that readers would understand or care about what I was trying to say. Trust your readers, her voice would whisper when I wondered if I was writing the right book or if writing was even worth it.

There are a lot of “rules” when it comes to craft, and I think some of them are useful, some are not, and most can be broken, but learning to trust my readers has been the one piece of advice that has always serve me well. The books I write may not reach everyone, but that’s okay. As long as they reach the readers who need them.

MUF: There is concerning uptick in book bans across the U.S. Is there anything you think readers, writers, and people interested in books can do to support more – not less – books in the hands of kids?

SDH: Personally, I think the most important thing people can do is pay attention to what’s happening locally. Support your local teachers and librarians. Show up for school board meetings. These bans are being carried out by a small group of very vocal people. The vast majority of people in our country don’t support book bans, but the book banners are well organized, and so their voices seem much louder than they actually are. We have to show up locally in order to counter them.

I think the other thing we can do is simply continue supporting authors and books you love. Put them into the hands of kids who need them. We didn’t always have money for toys or video games or vacations when I was growing up, but my mom always made sure I had access to all the books I could ever need or want. Support local bookstores, support libraries, support teachers and librarians. Always.

MUF: What’s next for you? Are you working on a new project? (Or do you work on a few ideas at once?)

SDH: Well, I just turned in a companion book to The School For Invisible Boys that’s called A Home For Unusual Monsters and follows the character Sam from the first book as she spends the summer searching for a list that might contain the locations of monsters living in secret among us. I’m also working slowly on another young adult book that I refer to as my “gentle apocalypse” story, and I’ve started tinkering with the idea for a third MG book that continues Hector’s and Sam’s adventures.

Want to learn more about Shaun? His website is shaundavidhutchinson.com or find him on Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT THE SCHOOL FOR INVISIBLE BOYS
What would you do if no one could see you? In this surreal adventure, a boy who is used to being overlooked literally becomes invisible, only to realize there may be far more dangerous threats in his school than bullies.

Order your copy at Bookshop or from your local bookstore, or borrow a copy from your library.

The post Interview with Shaun David Hutchinson, author of The School for Invisible Boys appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Mixed-Up Files: Tell us a little bit about The Good Luck Book. Where did the idea for this come from?

Heather Alexander: THE GOOD LUCK BOOK is a large, illustrated, middle-grade nonfiction book that explores fascinating traditions and superstitions from all over the world. Kids will discover how and why they started, why people still do them today, if they hold up to science, the good luck charms we share, and the unique ways we wish for good fortune. All my nonfiction titles spring from my curiosity of the world around me or from articles that spark my interest. This one originated very close to home. You see, I generally pride myself on being very logical, but then I realized how many little superstitious rituals I do without thinking. They range from the typical, like crossing fingers or wishing on shooting star or blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, to the more personal, like knocking the side of an airplane before I enter. It got me thinking about lucky numbers, lucky foods, lucky animals–and when the list went on and on, I knew there was a book there.

MUF: What was your research process like? How did you find all the different traditions and beliefs about luck?

HA: I always scour libraries and used bookstores, both in person and online. And for this book, I looked at a lot of university folklore websites and even checked out international message boards on the topic. Everything I found was then cross-referenced for multiple sources. There are sooooooo many superstitions and lucky charms throughout the world so I tried to focus on the more popular ones. Also, there are a myriad of variations on similar rituals, depending on where you live or where your family is from, so the one I ended up choosing may not be exactly way the reader has heard it.

MUF: How did you and your illustrator work together? What was that like? (The art looks great!)

HA: I know, right? The art is stupendous! It was created by four different artists: Ruth Burrows, Teo Georgiev, Sonny Ross, and Sarah Walsh. Usually, I only have the honor of working with one illustrator on a book, but because there was so much to illustrate in a relatively short time Stefan Georgio, the art director at DK, decided the more, the merrier–and the faster. While I didn’t interact directly with the talented artists, I did give art notes through Vicky Armstrong, my editor, and Stefan.

MUF: We’re sure you learned all sorts of fascinating things during your research and writing journey on The Good Luck Book. Can you tell us a few facts that really surprised you?

HA: It’s hard to pick a few! How about:

• Covering your mouth when you yawn comes from a very old superstition. Your hand was there to block spirits from coming out of or going into your open mouth!
• “If birds fly low, expect rain and a blow,” is a popular saying. Can birds predict “fowl” weather? It seems so! Most birds have a Vitali organ. This is a special receptor in their middle-ear that can sense a drop in atmospheric pressure, and that drop means a storm is on its way.
• Many shops and homes in India hang seven chilies and a lemon from a thread on the door. It’s an old superstition meant to keep away Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune. She likes eating sour and hot things, so if she’s happy with the treat, it’s believed she won’t enter to bring bad luck. But, it turns out, this is actually a supersmart natural pesticide. When the cotton thread pierces the chilies and lemon, a pungent and sour odor is slowly released, and this stench helps to repel flies and mosquitoes!

MUF: What do you want readers to know about the concept of luck?
HA: Lucky charms can be fun and superstitions interesting to learn about, but the most important thing is to make smart choices and search for real answers. We each have the power to decide what we believe and what we don’t, what we let scare us and what we don’t, what wishes we send out into the universe, and—most of all—what kind of luck we bring to ourselves and the people around us.

Learn more about Heather at her website or on Instagram @halexanderbooks.
The Good Luck Book: A Celebration of Global Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore by Heather Alexander, illustrations by: Ruth Burrows, Teo Georgiev, Sonny Ross, and Sarah Walsh.

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MIXED-UP FILES: Congrats on the new book, Deke. Tell us a little bit about it.

DEKE MOULTON: Thank you so much for having me! DON’T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER is a middle grade spooky adventure about two vampire brothers who are sick (in their own ways) of the secret life their mothers want them to live, especially when they find out there’s a serial killer in their small, sleepy Pacific Northwest town. Adam wants to use his vampire powers (and protections) to track down and stop the killer, whereas Victor sees the killings as a way to get guilt-free blood.

I honestly came up with the idea from a dream – I had this super vivid dream of being a middle-grade-aged vampire kid being accused of eating people and having to clear my name. My original idea has changed a lot over the drafts, but it was one of those moments where a super vivid dream becomes very inspiring.

MUF: Why vampires? Have you always been into them? 

DM: Honestly (and I hate to admit this!) I have never been ‘obsessed’ with vampires. I’ve enjoyed vampire movies (I include so many references to THE LOST BOYS in my book for a reason!), but on the other hand, I went viral on Twitter for talking about how I accidentally ate at the Bella Italia of Twilight fame during my honeymoon without any idea what Twilight was.

Though part of my removal from a vampire obsession helped while I was writing – I explored different vampire myths without feeling too personally connected to any of them, which gave me some of the space to play with what myth is used for.

MUF: Do you love to be scared as a reader?  

DM: I cannot do horror at all! If something is truly scary, I just have a hard time dealing! I adore spooky things though – I love witches and skeletons and vampires and ghosts. I love the idea that the spooky can be friendly and misunderstood and helpful (but once ‘spooky’ things are out to get me, I just don’t care for it much). That’s one of the reasons I love Halloween – even though traditionally it’s not a Jewish custom to observe it – just because I love all these little spooky things.

MUF: What made you want to write for middle grade readers in particular?  

DM: I’ve always been drawn to middle grade books. Part of me wonders if I’m trying to ‘recreate’ a childhood I didn’t have, or if I’m really just in need of books that have a guaranteed ‘hopeful’ element to them. I’ve read adult books but get a little bored with the jaded atmosphere I find in so many of them. I don’t really care about adults being down and out, or having marriage problems, or having a mid-life crisis. I want to go on adventures with the full promise of life ahead of me!

MUF: Did your career in the military inform your writing in some way? 

DM: Ha! Yes!! Though in some strange ways – I talk about different kinds of blood, which I learned about while doing ‘combat life saver’ courses. One of my supporting characters, Luis Espinosa, is a military kid and shares some insights that he learned from his father that helps the kid trio try to track down the serial killer.

But also in some surprising ways, too. I trained as an Arabic linguist during my service, and at one point, all my professors were Sudanese, so I made one of my characters Sudanese. Sudanese Arabic is surprisingly hard to find online, so I’m glad I have some authentic language in there!

I was also stationed in Vicenza, Italy, so my Italian character is a former nun whose convent was one I ran to weekly as part of my physical training regiment – the hilltop convent of Monte Berico. Also, that character’s name is Beatrice – I worked with an interpreter with that name, but because of the Italian pronunciation, I didn’t realize her name was actually Beatrice!

MUF: What are some other recent middle grade books you’ve read and enjoyed? 

DM: I have been reading a LOT this year, so this will be a difficult list to manage, but I’ve been positively adoring the ARC I got of ALEX WISE VS THE END OF THE WORLD by Terry J. Benton-Walker at ALA, THE WITCH OF WOODLAND by Laurel Synder (which is an incredibly wonderful Jewish witch story!), SOUL LANTERNS by Shaw Kuzki was so phenomenal that I had to purchase it (after borrowing it from my library), HONEY AND ME by Meira Drazin was such a great look at the Modern Orthodox community.

MUF: What are you working on next? 

DM: My next book is called BENJI ZEB IS A RAVENOUS WEREWOLF – which is a werewolf book based on Jewish werewolf mythology! I honestly had no idea there even WAS a specifically Jewish werewolf mythology, so it was really fun to explore that and build a story around that. It comes out next summer!

Readers can find Deke at their website, on Twitter @dekemoulton, and on Instagram @dekewritesstuff 

The post Author Interview: Deke Moulton, DON’T WANT TO BE YOUR MONSTER appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Here, Collins chats with MUF contributor Andrea Pyros about the challenges of writing a dystopian story for middle-grade readers, the magic and comfort of reading as a middle-schooler, and what she’s read – and loved – lately.  

Mixed-Up Files: Tell us about THE TOWN WITH NO MIRRORS.

Christina Collins: THE TOWN WITH NO MIRRORS is my second middle-grade novel, set in a modern utopian town called Gladder Hill, where mirrors and cameras are forbidden, words like “beautiful” and “ugly” aren’t in the dictionaries, and twelve-year-old Zailey has grown up knowing every face in town…except her own. There’s no talk of how people look, no body shaming… Sounds good, right? But it might not be as utopian as it seems. And Zailey has questions—as well as a guilty secret that could get her and her grandmother evicted if she were discovered… I’ll stop there so I don’t give too much away!

MUF: What inspired you to write this story? 

CC: It all started when I took a fascinating dystopian literature course in grad school a while back. I was a creative writing student, so I had the option to write a short story rather than an essay for my final project. At the time, I was also into fairy-tale reimaginings, so an idea popped into my head regarding Snow White’s “happily ever after”: What if Snow White wanted to ban mirrors from her kingdom as soon as she became queen? After all, she’d almost died at the hands of a mirror-obsessed stepmother.

Then I began to imagine what such a society would be like—one without mirrors or any reliable way of knowing what your face looks like. I wrote it as a short story for the class, but the concept stuck with me. That’s probably because body image was such a personal topic for me (and who hasn’t struggled with body image at some point?). I also read about an interesting trend that had been popular circa 2012, called “mirror fasting.” I eventually scrapped the Snow White angle and started writing about the idea in a way that felt more relevant: as a middle-grade novel with a contemporary setting. This felt right not only because body-image concerns so often emerge in young people around middle-grade age, but also because the modern world presents so many opportunities for physical comparison. The novel grew from there!

MUF: There are some serious themes in this novel, but you’re writing for middle grade readers. Can you talk about how you balance the topics in a way that works for this age group?

CC: Great question. To be honest, it’s not something I thought consciously about while writing the book. As I touched on above, middle school is a time when so many kids (including past me) begin to really compare themselves to others and struggle with body image—for some, it sadly starts even younger—so writing this story for a middle grade readership felt pretty natural.

The key for me was to approach the themes through the eyes of a twelve-year-old; Zailey may not fully understand all of the serious issues pertaining to the mission of Gladder Hill, but she is certainly curious, growing more aware, and asking questions. The topic of eating disorders does come up, but the story didn’t call for explicitly discussing it, only touching on it briefly. While the novel features serious themes, I also wanted to make sure it was an entertaining story with some mystery, adventure, and a sense of hope at the end, which I think helps with balance.

MUF: What makes you enjoy and want to write for MG readers in particular? 

CC: I remember the magic and comfort of reading fiction when I was an MG reader myself. It strikes me as a particularly influential and formative time in a reader’s life, and there’s something so special about being a part of that as an author. Plus, I like reflecting on and writing about the age that hovers between childhood and young adulthood—all the excitement and confusion and wonder of it, chock-full of story possibilities.

Christina Collins. Photo: Kalie Reid

MUF: You were born in Massachusetts but now live in Ireland. Does the experience of being an immigrant inform your writing, and if so, in what ways? 

CC: I drafted my debut novel and got the idea for my second novel all before I moved, so I think the experience hasn’t had too much influence on my first two novels. But now that I’ve been in Northern Ireland for seven years (!), I suspect it will influence my writing more and more.

It’s funny—when I brainstorm new ideas, I often find myself defaulting to a US setting, maybe partly because it keeps me feeling connected to where I’m from, and because writing about home and the familiar can be comforting when you live an ocean away from most of your family and friends. At the same time, I’m finally feeling ready to write about the experience of moving to and living in Northern Ireland; I have some story ideas in that regard and can’t wait to see where they take me.

MUF: What’s your writing process like? 

CC: It varies with each project, but I usually like to get to the end of a first draft on my own, without the influence of any outside feedback. I start by writing a sort of story pitch; this helps me figure out if I have enough of a grasp on what I want the story to be about overall and whether there’s a strong enough hook. From there I flesh it out into an outline, and then I tend to write until I have a complete first draft that I’ve read through and lightly revised at least once on my own, before sending it to my agent for her thoughts and suggestions.

MUF: What are your favorite dystopian novels (for any age)?

CC: Ooh, so many! The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is definitely up there for me; that book blew my mind when I first read it in my early twenties, and it’s one I come back to. Other favorites include the YA novel Only Ever Yours by Louise O’Neill and the MG novels Alone by Megan E. Freeman and Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix.

MUF: What are some other recent middle-grade books that you’ve enjoyed? 

CC: Girl (In Real Life) by Tamsin Winter, This Last Adventure by Ryan Dalton, and Bright by Brigit Young are all recent reads that I highly recommend. And I’m currently reading and loving Jennifer Chan Is Not Alone by Tae Keller.

MUF:  What are you planning on working on next?

CC: I have several story ideas, so the challenge for me is picking one I feel confident enough to stick with. As I mentioned earlier, I’d love to set a middle-grade novel in Northern Ireland where I live, so I’m hoping to focus on that next.

MUF: Where can people find you online?

CC: You can visit my website at www.christinacollinsbooks.com and find me on Instagram and Twitter as @stinacoll, although I don’t use Twitter much these days.

The post Interview with Christina Collins, author of THE TOWN WITH NO MIRRORS appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

On one hand, that make sense. Middle school kids know the ropes by now, but on the other hand, as kids enter their teen years, risk-taking behavior around food allergies (as well as other serious allergies) skyrockets. Seeing children in books managing their allergies is important, even if the characters don’t always make perfect choices every time. In honor of Food Allergy Awareness Week, here are 5 middle-grade and YA titles about food allergies and other allergic conditions that tween and teen readers will enjoy.

Are we missing any? Tag MUF and share your picks with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, too.

Allergic: A Graphic Novel by Megan Wagner Lloyd (author) and Michelle Mee Nutter (illustrator)

From the publisher: “A coming-of-age middle-grade graphic novel featuring a girl with severe allergies who just wants to find the perfect pet! At home, Maggie is the odd one out. Her parents are preoccupied with getting ready for a new baby, and her younger brothers are twins and always in their own world. Maggie loves animals and thinks a new puppy is the answer, but when she goes to select one on her birthday, she breaks out in hives and rashes. She’s severely allergic to anything with fur! Can Maggie outsmart her allergies and find the perfect pet? With illustrations by Michelle Mee Nutter, Megan Wagner Lloyd draws on her own experiences with allergies to tell a heartfelt story of family, friendship, and finding a place to belong.”

Allergy angle: Allergic is about a 5th grader with an allergy to dogs, not food, but it is sweet and fun, and younger MG readers will appreciate the gentle approach to managing a health condition.

A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough

From the publisher: “Sutton is having robot problems. Her mini-bot is supposed to be able to get through a maze in under a minute, but she must have gotten something wrong in the coding. Which is frustrating for a science-minded girl like Sutton–almost as frustrating as the fact that her mother probably won’t be home in time for Sutton’s tenth birthday. Luis spends his days writing thrilling stories about brave kids, but there’s only so much inspiration you can find when you’re stuck inside all day. He’s allergic to bees, afraid of dogs, and has an overprotective mom to boot. So Luis can only dream of daring adventures in the wild. Sutton and Luis couldn’t be more different from each other. Except now that their parents are dating, these two have to find some common ground. Will they be able to navigate their way down a path they never planned on exploring?”

Allergy angle: As noted in the blurb, Luis has a bee allergy and carries an EpiPen, and  the book makes it clear that managing a serious condition can be hard for a kid.

Almost Midnight: 2 Festive Short Stories by Rainbow Rowell and Simini Blocker (illustrator)

From the publisher: “Almost Midnight: Two Festive Short Stories by New York Times bestselling author Rainbow Rowell contains two wintery short stories, decorated throughout with gorgeous black and white illustrations by Simini Blocker. ‘Midnights’ is the story of Noel and Mags, who meet at the same New Year’s Eve party every year and fall a little more in love each time . . . ‘Kindred Spirits’ is about Elena, who decides to queue to see the new Star Wars movie and meets Gabe, a fellow fan.”

Allergy angle:  Noel has an allergy to tree nuts, which he mentions right off the bat when he meets Mags. Though this is a YA title, it can also be read by upper middle-grade readers.

My Year of Epic Rock by Andrea Pyros

From the publisher: “If Life Was Like a Song Nina Simmons’ song would be You Can’t Always Eat What You Want. (Peanut allergies, ugh). But that’s okay, because as her best friend Brianna always said, We’re All in This Together. Until the first day of the seventh grade, when Brianna dumps her to be BFFs with the popular new girl. Left all alone, Nina is forced to socialize with her own kind–banished to the peanut-free table with the other allergy outcasts. As a joke, she tells her new pals they should form a rock band called EpiPens. (Get it?) Apparently, allergy sufferers don’t understand sarcasm, because the next thing Nina knows she’s the lead drummer. Now Nina has to decide: adopt a picture-perfect pop personality to fit in with Bri and her new BFF or embrace her inner rocker and the spotlight. Well… Call Me a Rock Star, Maybe.”

Allergy angle: I wrote My Year of Epic Rock because my then-elementary aged child had food allergies and I wanted there to be books out there that dealt with the challenge of being different during the years you most want to fit in. Nina has an allergy to peanuts and eggs.

Fearless Food: Allergy-Free Recipes for Kids by Katrina Jorgensen 

From the publisher: “Let’s get cooking with more than 100 allergy-free recipes for kids! Fun, delicious and easy-to-make breakfasts, snacks, sides, main dishes and desserts avoid the Big-8 food allergens whenever possible. A graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, Chef Katrina Jorgenson has created amazing recipes that avoid milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat and soybeans. Plus, the recipes are easy enough for kids to make on their own. The whole family will love Baked French Toast with Homemade Blueberry Sauce, Pumpkin Seed Pesto Pasta, Creamy Mac and Cheese, Banana Ice Cream and so much more!”

Allergy angle: There is no shortage of wonderful cookbooks for people with food allergies, intolerances, or celiac disease (who must avoid all gluten products). Here is one of them!

The post Middle Grade & YA Books About Allergies appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Mixed-Up Files: Tell us about your new book.

Lisa McMann: THE FORGOTTEN FIVE: MAP OF FLAMES is the first book in a middle grade fantasy series. It’s about five supernatural kids, raised in isolation, who enter a hostile-to-supers civilization for the first time to search for their missing criminal parents…and the stash they left behind.

MUF: Let’s talk about world building. How does the shape of a series come about? Do you come up with a single story first, or a world you want to flesh out?

LM: I usually come up with the immediate setting first—where are we when the story begins? In MAP OF FLAMES, it’s a criminals’ hideout on a beach with no electricity, no technology, just a handful of cabins in a lush setting that’s isolated from the modern world. Next I came up with the destination—where are these kids going and what does that look like. I wanted a big contrast between the two things here, so I went with a NYC or Chicago-type of city. When I imagined how the kids would get from one place to the other, the map of southern Europe factored in—I pictured the hideout at the boot heel of Italy, and the big city of Estero at the bottom of Spain (though I brought them closer together so it wouldn’t take so long to get there). So that map was in my head, as well as the contrasting locations. In one of my other series, THE UNWANTEDS, the hidden magical world of Artimé is designed to look like a place where my mother grew up, along the shore of Lake Michigan. I took that real life location and added magic to it.

For me the shape of the series comes from two things: developing flawed characters and their relationships, and introducing a plot in which the antagonists push the protagonists too far, forcing these main characters to take action. Both things drive the series, with all kinds of setbacks as the heroes attempt to overcome evil and build strengthening relationships at the same time. The bigger the world and its problems, and the more troubled the characters and their need to fix themselves, the longer the series can run.

MUF: What are the biggest challenges in writing a series, and how does that compare when you write a stand-alone novel?

LM: Now you’ve got me looking back at my career and realizing I’ve only ever written three stand-alones out of 28 books. So maybe my biggest challenge is being able to write a book and actually tie up all the loose ends!

With a series, you are writing a story arc within each individual book, but also a story arc for the whole series. That can be tricky to get the hang of—parts of the plot need to resolve while other parts need to become more conflicted. It’s definitely something that my editors have helped me see and understand in past series’. It really takes a conscious effort to recognize the two different arcs.

Lisa McMann, author. Photo by Ryan Nicholson

MUF: Do you expect that readers will always read in order, or do you find that many people jump in in the middle of a series? If that’s the case, how do you provide back story for new readers without turning off anyone who’s started with book #1?

LM: I absolute wish I could force everyone to read the books in order—I’m a bit controlling this way, haha. But I know this doesn’t always happen. In the early pages of every sequel, I try to weave in key elements of things that happened in the past, kind of the same way TV shows give you the recap of important scenes from the previous episodes. I don’t want this to ever feel heavy-handed or annoying for those faithful readers who read the books in order, though. So it’s a delicate balance to inform or remind but not overdo.

MUF: How much collaboration is involved with your editor on a book series?

LM: I think this depends more on the editor than the writer. Some editors want an outline ahead of time that they can contribute to or approve of. Others are fine with letting an author do their thing and being surprised with the way a book turns out. Both ways work. I prefer not having to write an outline, because I feel like doing that takes something away from the creative process of writing the story—it feels limiting. But if that’s what the editor needs, I’m happy to provide it.

MUF: How do you keep track of your characters and their environment so you don’t forget details?

LM: I keep it all in my head. I might jot down a few notes on my phone app—notes about a key sentence that will carry through to the next book. But it’s also not too difficult to search for the information I need in previous books if I can’t remember something. I know many writers keep copious notes and use other means to track everything—they are likely cringing right now. I just work a different way. I can see a picture of things in my mind. I think my book details take up most of the space in my brain because I can’t remember what I had for breakfast.

MUF: If you would like to share any recent/new-ish middle grade books you’ve enjoyed, we’d love to hear your recommendations! 

LM: I love Kelly Yang’s Front Desk Books. And Christina Soontornvat’s non-fiction All Thirteen. On my nightstand I have A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow and The School for Whatnots by Margaret Peterson Haddix—excited to dive in!

You can find Lisa at @lisa_mcmann on Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram and /McMannFan on Facebook

The post World Building with Bestselling #Kidlit Author Lisa McMann appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

“My un-put-downable middle-grade read this year was THE GREAT WIDE SEA by M.H. Herlong. It’s a suspenseful and heart-wrenching tale of family, loss, and adventure at sea. The love between brothers in mourning is especially heartfelt and adds a rich emotional layer. A story of family bonds and endurance. Definitely on my list of books to re-read!”
—Donna Galanti

“As a huge fan of Chris Baron’s debut middle-grade novel in verse, ALL OF ME, I came to Baron’s sophomore MG with high expectations. I was not disappointed. THE MAGICAL IMPERFECT stars Etan, a lovable, big-hearted pre-Bar Mitzvah boy, who develops selective mutism after his mom leaves the family home for treatment of her depression. A magnificent, multilayered story of familial love, unexpected friendship, and the power of healing through love and self-acceptance, this of gem of a novel will delight the most finicky of middle-grade readers.”
—Melissa Roske 

“Chad Lucas’s THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE. It’s the perfect blend of funny and serious, taking on some big questions about identity and family with a deft touch.”
—Heather Murphy Capps  

The post MUF’s Favorite Middle-Grade Reads of 2021 appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Here Fred shares his rules for writing for middle graders, his favorite teams, and the most important thing we can learn from sports.

MUF: Thank you so much for answering a few questions for us. Starting with the hardest question first: What’s your favorite sport? 

Fred: I enjoy most sports if they are well played and the teams or players are well matched.  But my favorite sport to watch is baseball.  My son, Liam, is the head baseball coach at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and so my favorite team to watch is the UMBC Retrievers.

Growing up, I played lots of sports: baseball, basketball, football, soccer, tennis and even street hockey.  I wasn’t great at any of them but I loved playing and being active.  Now that I am older my favorite sport to play is golf.  I am still trying to score my first hole-in-one.

MUF: As a kid, did you love reading, love playing and watching sports, or love both? What led to your career as a sportswriter? 

Fred: Both. As I said above, I played lots of sports growing up.  I also spent many hours watching sports on television.  Living in New England, I was a big Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics fan.  Because my father was in advertising, he would get tickets to see the Celtics and the Bruins, Boston’s pro hockey team.  So I was lucky enough to see such great basketball players as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and many others up close in the Boston Garden.  I also saw the incomparable Bobby Orr of the Bruins play hockey several times.

As for reading, I grew up on the Chip Hilton sports books.  The books, written in the 1940s and 50s by Hall of Fame basketball coach Clair Bee, followed Chip and his friends’ sports adventures at Valley Falls High School and State (his college).  I suspect the books would seem very old fashioned now, but I loved them.  They helped me understand the joy of being lost in a book.  I also read sports magazines such as Sports Illustrated as well as the sports section of several newspapers.

Finally, I did not start out as a writer.  I studied history at the University of Pennsylvania (PENN) and then went on to law school at George Washington University.  I was a lawyer for more than thirty years.

The most important reason I became a writer is because I married my wife, Peggy Jackson, who was, at the time, a journalist.  She encouraged my writing.

Kidlit author Fred Bowen

First, I wrote movie reviews for local papers.  That was fun.  I got paid to go to the movies!  A few years later, after my son was born, I started reading sports books to him.  I didn’t think they were very good so I tried writing one.  Those efforts produced T.J.’s Secret Pitch, the first in my Fred Bowen Sports Story series.  I now have 24 books in the series with Soccer Trophy Mystery being the latest.  I plan on writing kids’ sports books as long as I am having fun doing it and kids want to read them.

MUF: For your young readers, what would you tell them are the most important things they can learn about the world and themselves by participating in sports? What if they’re not sporty at all? 

Fred: There are lots of things kids can learn from sports such as sportsmanship and how to be a good teammate.  But I think the two most important lessons kids can learn from sports are:

• Always try your hardest. That way you can be satisfied even if things do not turn out the way you had hoped.  It is easy to say, “I could have gotten an “A” if I had studied.”  It is harder to study your hardest and get a “B.”  But at least you will know you gave it your best effort

• I have hinted at this lesson in the first answer. Sometimes, you can try your hardest and things still do not turn out the way you wanted.  Your team loses or you don’t make the team.  Life is filled with disappointments.  Sports is often a good (and safe) place for kids to learn how to deal with disappointments but to bounce back and try again.

Sports are not the only place to learn these lessons.  Some kids are not “sporty.”  They can still learn these lessons about effort and learning how to bounce back from disappointment if they are interested in music or theater or some other activity.  The important thing is you have to care about your interest.  Don’t be a kid who is always complaining things are “boring.”  Find something you like to do and give it your best efforts.

MUF: For writers, any advice on how you created such a successful and wonderful book series? What’s your secret?  

Fred: First, thanks for the kind words about the series.  One of my “secrets” is I am lucky enough to write about a subject that is interesting to me and my readers.  I have been a sports fan for my entire life and so it is a joy to write about the games and personalities in sports.  I think my readers sense my enthusiasm for the subject and that is one of the reasons they love my books.

As for the more technical aspects of writing, I was asked to speak at a conference of people who wanted to write for middle readers (ages 8-12).  So I came up with my Rules for Writing for Middle Graders.  Here they are (although I am sure I broken all of them at some time).

• Write in short, clear sentences;
• Avoid long descriptions;
• Avoid adverbs and the passive voice;
• Subject/Verb/Object is a good sentence structure 90% of the time;
• Show, don’t tell;
• All action should either reveal character and/or move the plot along;
• If you can tell your story (or part of your story) clearly through dialogue, do it;
• Try to break up the words on the page – no young reader likes to see page after page filled with words;
• Think about your reader.

MUF: Finally, how can fans find you? Do you have a website and/or any social media that you use? 

Fred: The best way to reach me is to go to my website: www.fredbowen.com

Click on the “Contact” heading at the top of the home page.  That will direct kids or any interested people to a way they can send me an email.  I always enjoy hearing from my readers and will answer any emails sent to me.

The post Meet Fred Bowen, author of the FRED BOWEN SPORTS STORY SERIES appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

THE VERDIGRIS PAWN is the story of Beau, heir to the ruler of the Land, a man so frightening, people only dare call him Himself. Beau has been raised isolated and alone. And despite the harsh and judgmental treatment he gets from his father, Beau has no idea of the brutal tyranny Himself unleashes upon his subjects, and how hated and feared their family is.  This all changes when he meets Cressi, a young servant, who opens his eyes to the realities of life in the Land – especially about Mastery House, a terrible and brutal place where the children of the poor are sent to be raised and trained to be servants in exchange for payment of their families taxes.

This discovery of the truth sets Beau off on an epic adventure as he tries to undo the poisoned legacy of his family. But in order to restore fairness and equality to the Land, he must think of things like a real-life game of Fist (a board game similar to chess!)  But when you’re reviled throughout the Land and false heroes lurk around every corner, leading a rebellion is easier said than done.  This is a story about how appearances aren’t always what they seem and how real power can come from the most unlikely places.

MUF: What does the title mean?
AW: The title refers to the key game piece in Fist, in which either the king must knock the verdigris pawn off the board, or the pawn will unseat the king. As for Verdigris, it’s an alchemical reaction that turns copper and brass a beautiful blue-ish green color when it oxidizes. A great example that we can all call to mind is the Statue of Liberty. Just as the pawn in fist can be transformed into the king, Beau, Cressi and Nate, my three central characters, all also go through life-changing transformations.

MUF: This is your debut kidlit novel. What career path led you to write a book? Why MG?
AW:  I wanted to be a writer for as long as I can remember. I was constantly telling and writing stories as a kid. I graduated college with a degree in playwriting and moved back to NYC with the intention of writing plays. But life and work, and a measure of insecurity about my words, got in the way. I followed another career path for about 15 years, but writing would not leave me alone. It was when I moved up to the country to raise my kids that I got back to it.

As for why I write MG, simply put, I love this age. I think MG readers are truly some of the smartest and open people there are. It’s this beautiful knife’s edge time between childhood and the teen years, before the cynicism and deep seeded doubts can take hold. It’s a time of realizing you have a voice and striving to use it. This is fertile terrain both for telling stories and for learning about ourselves.

MUF: You say that your novel is, a “new take on the classic middle grade books we all grew up with.” Can you speak more to that? 

AW: There’s a very classic feel to this story, to the way it’s constructed, and I think in the writing as well. It might bring to mind classic fantasies such as the Chronicles of Prydain and Diana Wynn Jones’s work. But while it nods to those stories, it also poses questions that are urgently relevant to our world while challenging some deeply held cultural assumptions.

One of the themes the story explores is who gets to write history, and how is it even possible to tell the entire story from all sides. I like to think that the book will encourage readers to examine issues around power; what does it mean to have it, how can you claim your power when you feel powerless, and can power be wielded to enhance rather than sacrifice the greater good.

MUF: Speaking of classics, what are a few of your favorite classic MG titles?
AW: I used to get lost in Mary Norton’s The Borrowers books for hours on end– oh, how I wanted to have little people living in the walls of my house. I loved how resourceful they were, how clever and united as a family they were, especially through all the very hard times they faced

This one I mention with a caveat that I haven’t re-read it in a very long time, and I’m sure there are elements that do not hold up today, but E.B. White’s Stuart Little was another book I re-read so many times. I loved that here was this mouse who was unconditionally welcomed into the family. That no one questioned that he was different was a picture of the world as it ought to be. And then somehow he aged at twice the rate of his sibling and was ready to go off and explore the world long before they were. There was so much hope and inspiration in that story for me. The blending of the world as we know it with the potential for the fantastical is still the terrain I like to explore as a writer.

MUF:  What new MG book(s) do you love? 

AW:  Oh gosh! How much time do we have?

I have been blown away by so many of my fellow 2021 debuts – but I’ll just stick to the fantasy titles for now since that’s where my heart lives.

Root Magic by Eden Royce is gorgeous, magical historical fiction.

The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman is a wonderful magical retelling of The Little Princess with a social conscious.

I love the infusion of mythology with adventure in Josephine Against the Sea by Shakirah Bourne.

And last but not least, The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis, which will be out in September, is a lyrical and fantastic examination of grief, love and life.

MUF: Can you tell us one thing you learned while writing The Verdigris Pawn?
AW: I learned that white paging a book  (starting over from the blank page) is nothing to fear. In fact,  it’s incredibly liberating. Sometimes beginning anew is the best way to get to the heart of a story.

I’ll explain.

I had a meeting early on with my editors to address some issues on how the story was rolling out. The longer we talked the more I realized that I couldn’t patch it, I couldn’t revise my way to a fix. So, I metaphorically balled the book up into a giant 375 page wad, threw it over my shoulder and started over.

The arc of the story has always been the same, but how it rolled out changed – and so very much for the better!

That experience of doing what I once thought of as the unthinkable has made me more daring, and freer as a writer.

Find Alysa on Twitter @agwishingrad, on Instagram @alysawishingradwrites, and her website at www.AlysaWishingrad.com  (where you might find some Pawn-ish treats and facts).

Thank you so much for having me, I’ve loved chatting with you!

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