Today, I’d like to extend a warm, Mixed-Up welcome to Caroline Palmer, author and illustrator of Camp Prodigy, a debut graphic novel about two nonbinary kids who navigate friendship and identity at summer orchestra camp. Touted by Kirkus as “an immersive and affirming story that hits the right notes,” the novel is perfect for fans of Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier. It’s out tomorrow, June 11, from Atheneum Books for Young Readers/S&S.

But first…

Camp Prodigy: a Summary

After attending an incredible concert, Tate Seong is inspired to become a professional violist. There’s just one problem: they’re the worst musician at their school.

Tate doesn’t even have enough confidence to assert themself with their friends or come out as nonbinary to their family, let alone attempt a solo anytime soon. Things start to look up when Tate attends a summer orchestra camp—Camp Prodigy—and runs into Eli, the remarkable violist who inspired Tate to play in the first place.

But Eli has been hiding their skills ever since their time in the spotlight gave them a nervous breakdown. Together, can they figure out how to turn Tate into a star and have Eli overcome their performance anxieties? Or will the pressure take them both down?

Interview with Caroline Palmer

Melissa: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Caroline! It’s great to have you here.

Caroline: I’m very glad to be here!

Melissa: First and foremost, congrats on Camp Prodigy! Can you share the inspiration behind your MG debut?

Caroline: I pretty much took lots of ideas from my own life and threw them together. The main characters being nonbinary violists, orchestra camp, the awkwardness of making connections as a kid… All of those bits, at least, were drawn from personal experience!

Similarities and Differences

Melissa: Camp Prodigy, which focuses on two nonbinary tween violists, Tate and Eli, is loosely autobiographical. (In addition to being nonbinary, you studied the viola.) What are the main similarities between you and the main characters? The main differences?

Caroline: I’d say that Tate and I are similar in how we struggle to open up to others–but for different reasons. For Tate, it’s because they don’t have a lot of confidence. In contract, I’m pretty at ease with myself, but that doesn’t come naturally to me. Eli struggles when they have to play music solo, but by the end of the book they find enjoyment in playing as a part of the orchestra. This is something I relate to. I guess the main difference between us is that I’m not competitive, haha!

Hard Work Pays Off

Melissa: At the beginning of the novel, Tate and Eli seem to have little in common. Eli is a high-achieving viola prodigy; Tate loves to play but isn’t particularly talented. What were you trying to say about achievement—and perseverance—in general?

Caroline: I really liked the idea of this dynamic. A prodigy and a beginner who are worlds away in skill but very similar in motivation. And while Tate’s journey from worst violist in camp to best violist (according to the seating arrangements) is a bit unrealistic, I don’t doubt it can happen in real life. When you’re starting out, even little adjustments can make a big difference in how you play music. Mindful practice and guidance from someone who can see opportunities for you to improve, and then communicate them to you on your level, goes a long way.

This isn’t exclusive to playing music, either! Anyone learning a new skill can go far with it. Hard work really does matter more than natural talent. I’m a lucky person–my personal talents and interests are in alignment–but there are people who have more technical skill than I do, in areas they had to work for.

The Stress of Secret Keeping

Melissa: The theme of secret keeping looms large in this story. Tate is afraid to come out to their family as nonbinary, while Eli hides the trauma they suffered as a result of their quest to be an accomplished violist. What is it about secrets that provokes so much anxiety, particularly for tweens? And what advice would you give to young readers who are struggling with a secret themselves—coming out or otherwise?

Caroline: I think there’s some correlation with hitting puberty, in a way. This could be influenced by my experience with gender, but suddenly, you have to deal with uncomfortable changes to your body. I could always speak freely with my parents, and I knew what was coming, but I still felt the urge to lie by omission. By saying nothing, it’s as though your problems and worries won’t be real. Unfortunately, they still are.

My advice? It’s always a relief to share a secret with someone you trust. It may be scary, but the people who care about you should always be able to help, even if they can’t do anything but listen. It’s up to you whether or not you share a secret, but it’s always easier to carry something with help, rather than alone.

Nonbinary rep

Melissa: As above, your novel features two main characters who are nonbinary. How is this novel specific to the nonbinary experience? What is universal?

Caroline: There are several scenes that center on the feeling of being misgendered. In my experience, for those first few months and years after you’ve realized that you’re not cisgender, you tend to be the most sensitive about incorrect pronouns or gendered terms. It’s like a fresh wound that needs to heal. Tate, a kid who’s recently begun to explore their nonbinary identity, is deeply uncomfortable not just with being misgendered, but also with hearing other people misgendered. And sometimes, cis people who are well intentioned still don’t give the concept a second thought.

This experience feels pretty specific to me, but I think everyone can understand the feeling of having something important to you completely dismissed, even by kind people who just don’t understand. The feeling of being queer is not so  alien if people give it some thought!

Challenges and Rewards of MG

Melissa: Since this is your first foray into middle-grade fiction, what was the biggest challenge you faced when writing and illustrating this novel? The greatest reward?

Caroline: It was tricky trying to create satisfying stakes. When you write fantasy or sci-fi, for instance, it’s easy to create tension. Maybe the world will be destroyed if the bad guys aren’t stopped! But Camp Prodigy was an entirely different genre, so the stakes had to be personal. It was also pretty tough to draw realistic backgrounds consistently!

For the reward, I’d say getting to hold the book in my hands. Getting to read it from front to back as a professional, physical story. It was so satisfying to see everything come together just the way I knew it would!

Caroline: The Versatile Creator

Melissa: In addition to writing middle grade fiction, you create comics, storyboards (including those inspired by The Simpsons, Star Wars, and Hamilton), and have done a TV-show pilot based on the BETA version of Regular Haunts, where you produced all the art, editing, sound design, and voice acting. What is the secret to being such a versatile creator?

Caroline: It all stems from the same source for me. I want to tell stories with words and art. The many facets of animation and comics aren’t too different in that regard; I’ve always seen them as points on the same scale of visual mediums. You have prose novels–all words, animation–all art, and comics in the middle of both.

For me, there’s very little that compares to the feeling of telling stories with words and art. I’d try out any medium to bring what’s in my mind to reality in the most fulfilling way! So I guess the secret would be…if you want to try something new, do it! There’s nothing more exciting than creating art without holding yourself back.

Creative Process

Melissa: What does your creative process look like? Do you have any particular rituals or routines?

Caroline: I try to stick to a vague schedule in terms of work projects, but I’m always thinking up stories in my mind. It’s so embedded in my life that there’s no removing it. Because of that, it’s hard to think of my actions as routines, but I suppose I draw almost every day. It’s not even something I try to do, it’s something I’m compelled to do. If I don’t draw for too long, I’ll get an itch under my skin.

Some people do warm-up drawings before starting important art pieces, but I usually don’t do that either, hah! If you draw often, it gets easier to jump right in. And if you draw comics, you’ll be compelled to practice depicting complicated backgrounds, props, and poses that you might normally avoid.

Melissa: What are you working on now, Caroline? Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a sneak peek?

Caroline: I have another pitch in the works, but I can’t share much about it now. Maybe soon! Aside from that, I’m still updating my long-running webcomic “Talent de Lune” on tumblr and webtoon. If you like action, consider checking it out!

Lightning Round!

Melissa: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? You can never go wrong with apples! I’ve also been snacking on these things called Yoggies from Costco.

Coffee or tea? Neither! But here’s my favorite soda–root beer!

Favorite piece for the viola? I’ve been chipping away at Suite Hébraïque by Ernest Bloch for ages. It’s very eerie and beautiful.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? I would be bitten, sadly. I would definitely be bitten.

Superpower? Bringing my drawings to life, of course!

Favorite place on earth? If I’m having a good time with friends or family, everywhere is fun! But I did get to visit Korea last year, and the food is delicious, no matter where you go.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? A fully stocked and manned ship to sail away on. Gotcha! (Or, if perhaps that’s unavailable…some sort of satellite radio, a fire-starting kit, and a pot?)

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Caroline. It’s been a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Caroline: Your questions were great! I had a lot of fun, thanks for inviting me!

About Caroline Palmer

Caroline Palmer (they/them) is a nonbinary comic creator who tells action-packed stories with heart. Visit them at CarolinePalmerComics.Weebly.com.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeenmagazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Interview with Author/Illustrator Caroline Palmer appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Plus…

A GIVEAWAY!

Don’t miss a chance to win not one but TWO books on this oh-so fabulous list: Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories, edited by Henry Herz and Jonathan Rosen, and Kat Greene Comes Clean by Melissa Roske. Scroll down for details!

MG BOOKS WITH JEWISH THEMES & CHARACTERS

Contemporary Fiction

Not So Shy

Noa Nimrodi

Shai, 12, hates everything about moving to America from Israel. Determined to get back home, she starts weighing her options, including living with her grandparents or winning a drawing competition that offers a plane ticket to anywhere in the world as the grand prize. Meanwhile, Shai is forced to navigate seventh grade in an unfamiliar language. She also faces antisemitism but gains support from unexpected sources.

The Dubious Pranks of Shaindy Goodman

Twelve-year-old Shaindy, an Orthodox Jewish girl who struggles academically and has few friends at school, is jealous of Gayil, a popular classmate who lives next door. Shaindy and Gayil have little to do with each other, until one evening when Shaindy looks out her window and sees Gayil holding up a sign that reads: “Want to know a secret?” It turns out that Gayil has a key fob that allows after-hours access to their school. Before long, the girls are scheming harmless pranks. But under Gayil’s leadership, the mischief turns malicious, with the pranks targeted at specific girls. Shaindy is desperate to stop Gayil from terrorizing their classmates, but if she does, could she be the next target?

Honey and Me

Meira Drazin

Honey and Milla, who live in close-knit Jewish community, have been best friends for as long as Milla can remember. The girls do everything together, including delivering meals to their elderly neighbor, shopping at a local thrift store, celebrating the holidays, and going to their first Bat Mitzvahs while studying for their own. But when Honey enrolls in Milla’s school for sixth grade, it’s not as great as Milla expected. Not only does Milla feel overshadowed by her charismatic friend, she’s also worried that their friendship won’t be able to survive the ups and downs the year has in store for them. Will Milla find the courage to step out of Honey’s shadow and into her own spotlight—or will jealousy and fear get the better of her?

Repairing the World

Linda Epstein

Twelve-year-old Daisy’s life is shattered when her best friend, Ruby, is killed in a tragic accident. Now Daisy finds herself having to face the major challenges in her life, like starting middle school and becoming a big sister, without Ruby by her side. Despite her sadness—and thanks to new friends, new insights, and supportive family members—Daisy is able to see what life after Ruby can look like, and that friendship is eternal.

Ellen Outside the Lines

A.J. Sass

Thirteen-year-old Ellen Katz is neurodivergent and feels most comfortable when her life is well planned out. She attends temple with her parents every Friday and Saturday, and relies on her best friend, Laurel, to help her navigate social situations at school. Laurel has always made Ellen feel like being autistic, and liking girls, is no big deal, but lately Laurel has started making new friends and cancelling weekend plans with Ellen. A school trip to Barcelona seems like the perfect opportunity for Ellen to reconnect with Laurel, but it doesn’t—especially when a nonbinary classmate makes Ellen question her own, very binary way of seeing the world.

The Magical Imperfect

Chris Baron

Etan stopped speaking when his mother went away, and his father and grandfather don’t know how to help him. Neither do his friends, who have given up on him. And then Etan meets Malia Agbayani, known as “The Creature,” due to her acute eczema. Malia stopped going to school when the bullying became too much. As the pair become friends, Etan believes he might have a cure for Malia’s condition—if only he can convince his family, and hers, to believe it, too.

Sorry for Your Loss

Joanne Levy

Twelve-year-old Evie Walman’s family runs a Jewish funeral home, and she knows she’ll be a funeral director when she grows up. She loves dusting caskets, polishing pews, and offering her condolences to mourners. Evie doesn’t deal with the grieving families directly, until one day when her parents ask her to help with Oren, a boy who was in a car accident that killed both his parents. Although Oren refuses to speak and Evie, who is dealing her own private grief, Evie is determined to find a way to help her new friend deal with his loss.

Going Rogue (at Hebrew School)

Casey Breton

Ten-year-old Avery Green loves science, football, and Star Wars, which he’s seen 400 times. What he’s not so crazy about? Hebrew school. He’s asked his parents a million times why he has to go, but they haven’t managed to convince him. (“It’s tradition” just doesn’t cut it.) And then one day, Rabbi Bob shows up. Piecing together some unusual clues, Avery begins to suspect that this new rabbi might be a Jedi master.

Kat Greene Comes Clean

Melissa Roske

Eleven-year-old Kat Greene attends fifth grade at the Village Humanity school, a hippie-dippy progressive school in New York’s Greenwich Village. At the moment, Kat has three major problems: dealing with her boy-crazy best friend, Halle; partnering with the overzealous Sam in the class production of Harriet the Spy; and coping with her mother’s preoccupation with cleanliness, a symptom of her worsening OCD. With nowhere to turn–and hesitant to tell her dad, who’s busy with his new family uptown–Kat reaches out to Olympia Rabinowitz, the free-spirited psychologist at her school. Later, after many  soul-searching sessions with Olympia, Kat realizes that asking for help is the best way to clean up life’s messes.

Fantasy and Magic Realsm

Finn and Ezra’s Bar Mitzvah Time Loop

Joshua S. Levy

Finn and Ezra are trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel, over and over (and over) again. Ezra comes from a big family, with four siblings who seem to get all the attention, and Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, particularly on his bar mitzvah weekend. Teaming up, the boys try to break the loop, but nothing works. As their frustrations mount, real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra figure out how to finally move forward?

The Color of Sound

Emily Barth Isler

Rebecca Reznik Reboots The Universe

Samara Shanker

Rebecca Reznik, 13, is knee deep in family drama. Her dad lost his job, her parents are fighting all the time, and her annoying brother, Jake, is acting out more than usual. Then, when a goblin turns her bedroom upside down—literally—Becca realizes that the bad juju in her house is more sinister, and more complicated, than she had first imagined. With her best friends, Naomi and Eitan, by her side—and armed with the lessons she learned from her last tussle with mythological creatures from Jewish lore in the 2022 sequel, Naomi Teitelbaum Ends the World—Becca will do whatever it takes to defend her family and save the Hanukkah.

Shira and Esther’s Double Dream Debut

Anna E. Jordan

Shira and Esther are shocked when they first meet: It’s like looking in a mirror! Despite the girls’ identical appearance, they couldn’t be more different. Shira dreams of singing and dancing onstage, but her father, a stern and pious rabbi, wants Shira to focus on her religious studies. Esther, on the other hand, dreams of studying Torah, but her glamorous, stage-performer mom, frowns on Esther’s studious ways. Then, thanks to Benny, a 14-year-old bellhop at Scheinfeld’s Resort and Cottages, the girls plan a Parent Trap-style switcheroo, to help the Shira and Esther make their dreams come true. Or sort of true…

Don’t Want to Be Your Monster

Deke Moulton

Adam and Victor are your average tweens… who happen to be vampires. Although Adam, 10, knows he has a higher purpose in life than drinking blood, his 14-year-old brother, Victor, enthusiastically accepts his vampirism. This is all well and good until bodies start appearing all over town, and the brothers realize that a vampire hunter may be on the lookout for their family. Can Adam and Victor work together to stop the killer before it’s too late—or will their differences get in the way?

The Witch of Woodland

Laurel Snyder

Life used to be simple for Zipporah “Zippy” Chava McConnell, a 13-year-old witch—that is, before her best friend, Bea, started acting funny and everyone at school thought she was weird. And to make matters worse, Zippy’s mom is making her prepare for a bat mitzvah, even though Zippy’s family barely goes to synagogue. But then one day Zippy finds a strange red book at the library and conjures a girl—a beautiful girl named Miriam, with no memory, and wings like an angel. Now it’s up to Zippy to help Miriam figure out what she is, and where she came from. And if can do that, maybe everything else in her life will make sense, too.

Black Bird, Blue Road

Sofiya Pasternack

Pesah has lived with leprosy for years, and he and his twin sister, Ziva, have spent most of that time working on a cure. Then Pesah has a vision: The Angel of Death will come for him on Rosh Hashanah, just one month away. So Ziva takes her brother and runs away to find doctors who can cure him. But when the twins meet and accidentally free a half-demon boy, he suggests paying his debt by leading them to the fabled city of Luz, where no one ever dies. It’s the one place Pesah will be safe. But can the twins run faster than The Angel of Death can fly?

The Button Box

Bridget Hodder and Fawzia Gilani-Williams; Harshad Marathe (illustrator)

In the aftermath of a bullying incident at school, where Jewish fifth-grader Ava and her cousin Nadeem, are called hateful names, the cousins’ Granny Buena shares with them a glittering crystal button box, packed with buttons that generations of Ava’s Sephardic ancestors have cherished. With the help of Granny’s mysterious cat, Sheba, the cousins discover that a button from the button box will take them back in time. Suddenly, they are in ancient Morocco, where Nadeem’s ancestor, Prince Abdur Rahman, is running for his life. Can the cousins help the prince escape to Spain and fulfill his destiny, creating a Golden Age for Muslims, Jews and Christians?

Historical Fiction

Code Name Kingfisher

Liz Kessler

When Liv finds a box hidden in her grandmother’s attic, saved from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland, circa 1943, she unearths a trove of family secrets—including the extraordinary story of her great-aunt Hannie, a Jewish undercover agent in the Dutch resistance. It’s a tale of bravery, betrayal, and daring defiance, and Liv wants to know more—starting with why her grandmother has kept Hannie a secret for so many years. (For more on Code Name KingFisher, check out Melissa Roske’s interview with Liz Kessler here.)

A Sky Full of Song

Susan Lynn Meyer

Eleven-year-old Shoshana and her family, Jewish immigrants who have fled persecution in the Russian Empire, start a new life on the North Dakota prairie. Shoshana is thrilled to forge a new American identity and hides her Jewish identity in the face of prejudice—unlike her older sister, Libke, who misses their Ukrainian village and insists they preserve their heritage. For the first time, Shoshana is at odds with her sister. But by listening to the music that lives in her heart, she finds new meaning in the Jewish expression, All beginnings are difficult.

The Summer We Found the Baby 

Amy Hest

In Belle Beach, Long Island, during World War Two, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. Meanwhile, Julie’s friend Bruno Ben-Eli, 12, is heading to the train station to catch a train to New York City, to carry out an important errand for his brother who is a soldier stationed overseas. When Bruno spies Julie leaving the library with a baby in her arms, he assumes she’s a kidnapper. But the truth is more complicated than what Bruno, Julie, or Martha know.

Anthologies

On All Other Nights: A Passover Celebration in 14 Stories

Edited by Chris Baron, Joshua S. Levy, and Naomi Milliner, with stories by Chris Baron, Ruth Behar, Adam Gidwitz, Veera Hiranandani, Amy Ignatow, Sarah Kapit, Joshua S. Levy, Mari Lowe, Naomi Milliner, Soifya Pasternack, R. M. Romero, A. J. Sass Laura Shovan, and Laurel Snyder

Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years, features the seder; a meal filled with rituals, special foods, and songs, where celebrants gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt. Yet the seder is about more than the ancient past. Its themes of freedom, joy, and tradition are timeless and universal. In this collection of short stories, 14 award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction.

Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories

Edited by Jonathan Rosen & Henry Herz, with stories by Sarah Aronsohn, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Barbara Bottner, Stacia Deutsch, Debbie Reed Fischer, Debra Green, Henry Herz, Alan Katz, Nancy Krulik, Stacie Ramey, Jonathan Rosen, Melissa Roske, Laura Shovan, and a poem by Jane Yolen

Join thirteen diverse characters as they experience anxiety, doubt, and self-discovery while preparing for their B’nai Mitzvah, the ceremony in which they become adults in their faith. whether celebrating with a lavish party or in a rabbi’s study, the Jewish rite of passage remains the same. Filled with humor, hope, and history, there’s something in this anthology for every reader.

Graphic Novels and Adaptations

Two Tribes

Emily Bowen Cohen

Mia is still adjusting to life with her mom and stepfather, whose Jewish identity plays a strong role in their home. She’s also struggling to adjust at her Jewish day school, where she feels like she doesn’t fit in. Meanwhile, Mia yearns for a deeper connection with her Muscogee father, who lives with his new family in Oklahoma. Her mom doesn’t want to talk about him, but Mia can’t help but feel like she’s missing a part of herself without him. Because of this, Mia uses her Bat Mitzvah money to take a bus to Oklahoma—without telling her mom—to visit her dad and find the connection to her Muscogee side, which she knows is just as important as her Jewish side.

The Unfinished Corner

Dani Colman (author); Whitney Cogar (colorist); Rachel Tuna Petrovicz (illustrator); Jim Campbell (letterer)

In Jewish mythology, God created the universe and left one corner unfinished. It’s unclear why, but the Unfinished Corner is dangerous, and filled with monsters. Twelve-year-old Miriam doesn’t know about the Unfinished Corner—she’s too busy preparing for her Bat Mitzvah and wrestling with whether she even wants to be Jewish–until an angel appears, whisking Miriam, her two best friends, and her worst frenemy off to this monstrous land, with one mission: finish the Unfinished Corner.

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944

When the Nazis invaded Max Rosen’s home country of Poland, all the Jewish people–including Max, his sister, Zena, and their papa–were forced to live in a ghetto. But two months ago, the Nazis took Pap away and now Max and Zena are on their own, with barely enough food to survive. Out of desperation, the siblings escape from Nazi soldiers into the nearby forest, where they are taken to a safe camp by Jewish resistance fighters. Soon, grenades are falling all around them. Can Max and Zena survive the fallout of the Nazi invasion?

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation

Anne Frank; adapted by Ari Folman; illustrated by David Polonsky

Authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, Anne Frank’s Diary captures the remarkable spirit of Anne Frank, who for a time survived the worst horror the modern world has seen yet remained heartbreakingly human, and remarkably optimistic, throughout her ordeal. Includes extensive quotations directly from the definitive edition.

GIVEAWAY!

 

For a chance to win Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories, edited by Jonathan Rosen & Henry Herz, PLUS a copy of Melissa Roske’s Kat Greene Comes Clean, comment on the blog–and, if you’re on X, on the Mixed-Up Files X account for an extra chance to win! (Giveaway ends May 28, 2024, at midnight. U.S. only, please.)

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post WNDMG Wednesday: A Celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome MG superstar Liz Kessler to the Mixed-Up Files! In addition to being the author of the wildly popular Emily Windsnap series—which has been translated into 25 languages, appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list, and has sold millions of copies—Liz has penned the Phillipa Fisher series, several MG stand-alones, two YA novels, and books for early readers. Liz’s latest MG novel, Code Name Kingfisher, hailed by School Library Journal as “overpoweringly emotional; an intense story, gorgeously told,” is out from Aladdin on May 7.

But before we chat with Liz…

Code Name Kingfisher: A Summary

When Liv finds a box hidden in her grandmother’s attic, saved from her childhood in Nazi-occupied Holland, circa 1943, she unearths a trove of family secrets—including the extraordinary story of her great-aunt Hannie, a Jewish undercover agent in the Dutch resistance. It’s a tale of bravery, betrayal, and daring defiance, and Liv wants to know more—starting with why her grandmother has kept Hannie a secret for so many years…

Interview with Liz Kessler

Melissa: Hi, Liz! It’s a pleasure to have you join us today. Before we begin, I must tell you how much I adored Code Name Kingfisher. I stayed up until the wee hours reading it and was sobbing by the end. It’s such a powerful book!

Liz: Thank you!

Melissa: Also, I also have a confession to make. My daughter, Chloe—who’s now 24—loved the Emily Windsnapseries so much, she went through a period of writing her homework assignments in British English! Her teachers were very confused.  

Liz: I have found it fascinating over the years of working with both UK and US editors to discover all the ways in which our languages both align and vary!

Pulled from the Headlines

Melissa: Your latest novel, Code Name Kingfisher, is inspired by true-life events: the story of two sisters, Truus and Freddie Oversteegen, and their friend Hannie Schaft. Can you give us some historical background? Also, what was your impetus to tell this particular story?

Liz: I was working on the research for my novel, When The World Was Ours, and in the course of my research I went to Amsterdam and discovered a lot about people in Holland who joined the Resistance movement during the war. Then I heard a program about these three girls and was keen to find out more. I read all about them and was so drawn to their story. I have always written about strong young women (as your daughter will tell you, because Emily Windsnap was the first of them!) and felt very inspired by these three.

Melissa: Your novel alternates between present-day England and Nazi-occupied Holland, circa 1942. It’s also told from four different perspectives: thirteen-year-old Liv, who’s getting bullied at school; Mila, 12, and Hannie, 15—two Jewish sisters who have assumed new identities and are living with a non-Jewish family in Amsterdam; and Willem, a neighbor boy with secrets of his own. How were you able to get inside each character’s head in such a genuine, authentic way? It’s not an easy feat to pull off!

Liz: Thank you for saying this. I’m glad that I pulled it off in a way that you found genuine and authentic. I think for me, the important thing is to know my characters as well as I possibly can. I spend a lot of time imagining what they are like, picturing them, planning and plotting their stories, and when I am writing, I just find that I naturally get inside their heads and try to experience the story from their point of view. It’s how I’ve always done it, and I think being someone who is quite a high-level over empathizer helps!

Lessons in Drafting

Melissa: As above, your novel is told from four different perspectives, past and present. What was your drafting technique like? Did you write each character’s narrative arc from start to finish and then weave the stories together? Or did you start with one character and then move on to the next one… and the next one?

Liz: I actually didn’t do either of these! I am quite an extreme planner. I plan and plan and plan and don’t start writing a word of the book until I have a chapter by chapter breakdown that works. So it was in the planning stage that I worked out how I wanted the story to unfold, who was the person to tell each part of the story, how the present and past narratives would work together, reflecting on each other and interweaving around each other. The planning was a lot of work with this book, particularly given the different viewpoints AND past and present settings. But once the groundwork of planning is done, it makes the writing easier!

It’s All in the Research

Melissa: Since a good portion of the novel takes place during World War II, in Nazi-occupied Holland, what sort of research did you do in order to ensure authenticity?

Liz: I spent several days in Amsterdam, visiting museums: in particular, the Anne Frank House and the Dutch Resistance Museum. I bought as many books as I could find on the subject, I scoured websites. And then when I’d completed a first draft, I found a couple of experts on Holland during the war who helped me to ensure I had gotten my facts right.

Writing about WWII

Melissa: As a follow-up, this is not your first middle-grade novel to be set in Nazi-occupied Europe. When the World Was Ours (Aladdin, 2022), which was also inspired by a true story, takes place in Vienna, in 1936. What impels you to write about this period in history? What makes it meaningful to you?

Liz: When The World Was Ours was inspired by an incident in my dad’s childhood that led to him being able to get away from the Nazis in 1939. I had wanted to write a book inspired by his experiences for many years. I am not a history fan normally, but these books have been about exploring issues that are always close to my heart: social justice, love, family and the power of kindness.

The Complexity of Secret Keeping

Melissa: An important theme in Code Name Kingfisher is secret keeping. Liv doesn’t tell her parents that she’s being bullied at school, and Liv’s grandmother never talks about her beloved sister, Hannie. She also had to keep her Jewish identity a secret when she was hiding from the Nazis. What is it about secret keeping that’s so complex and emotionally draining?

Liz: I’m actually not sure how to answer this one as I am not a big secret keeper myself. I am much more of an open book than any of these characters! But I think that when we allow ourselves to live freely and authentically, we are likely to be much happier in our lives. Living with secrets is the opposite of that, and will undoubtedly lead to living with an element of weight and stress.

Bullying and Human Persecution

Melissa: In Code Name Kingfisher, Liv is bullied by her classmates for no particular reason; the Jews were persecuted during WWII, just for being Jewish. What were you trying to say about the nature of bullying and human persecution in general?

Liz: With both of these books, I hope to show how easily people can be led into bullying or cruel behavior. How sometimes it’s about our own self-preservation – hoping that if we side with the persecutor we won’t be seen as weak and run the risk of being the bully’s next victim. I want young people to read these books and make links for themselves between current times and the fascism of World War Two. I hope to start conversations about kindness and strength and standing up for others. Beyond that, it’s up to the readers to draw their own conclusions and figure out for themselves where they choose to stand.

Liz’s Writing Routine

Melissa: Switching gears, let’s talk about your writing routine. Do you have a specific time of the day when you like to write? Any particular writing rituals?

Liz: I don’t really have rituals. I usually prefer to work in the mornings. I set targets with my work, rather than setting particular timings. I also love to be flexible so I can sometimes write all day and sometimes take the day off if the sun’s shining and the outside world is calling!

Melissa: What are you working on now, Liz? Also, are there any more Emily Windsnap books on the horizon?

Liz: Funny you should ask. I have just completed the final edit of a tenth Emily Windsnap book!

Lightning Round!

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Used to be chocolate, but I went cold turkey a month ago so I guess it will have to be fruit.

Plotter or Pantser? Major plotter!

Superpower? The superpower I have is empathy. The one I’d like to have is the ability to time travel.

Favorite place on earth? My home. I’m never happier than when I’m with my wife and my dog.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?Notebook, pen and some form of music.

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Liz. It was a pleasure to learn more about you and your book, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Liz: Thank you for having me. It’s been fun chatting with you!

About Liz

Liz Kessler has written over twenty books for children and young adults. Most of these are middle- grade books featuring mermaids, fairies, time travel, and superpowers. She also writes Early Readers about Poppy the Pirate Dog and Jenny the Pony, as well as two YA books about teenagers coming of age, falling in love, and discovering their identity. Learn more about Liz on her website.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Interview with New York Times bestselling author, Liz Kessler appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Today, please welcome critically acclaimed MG author Adam Borba to the Mixed-Up Files! In addition to being the author of Outside Nowhere—which was hailed by Publishers Weekly as an “intriguing novel with a strong emotional core”—and The Midnight Brigade, described by Booklist as a “tongue-in-cheek frolic,” Adam develops and produces movies, many based on beloved children’s books, such as A Wrinkle in Time and Peter Pan & Wendy.

His latest MG novel, This Again? has been praised by School Library Journal as “… charming… nostalgic and fresh” and is out now from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. But before I chat with Adam…

This Again? A Summary

Noah Nicholson has solid grades, great friends, and he’s finally becoming closer with Lucy Martinez, his crush since second grade. He might also have a chance to be elected class president. But despite all that, Noah fixates on the belief that he can make his life perfect—and comes upon an opportunity to do just that.

At the local bowling alley, Noah runs into someone most unexpected: himself, from nine days in the future. This lookalike—who Noah nicknames “Future”—insists that if Noah does every ridiculous thing he says—from quacking like a duck in science class to painting himself green—the two of them can achieve their dream of perfection. Unfortunately, fate has other plans.…

Interview with Adam Borba

Melissa: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Adam—and huge congratulations on the publication of your latest novel!

Adam: Thank you! And thanks so much for having me back! I love this place. It’s such a wonderful resource for discovering amazing new books.

Melissa: Could you tell MUF readers a bit about This Again? and the inspiration behind it?

Adam: It’s a story in the spirit of Groundhog Day or Back to the Future about the misadventures of a kid attempting to orchestrate the perfect day with the help of his future self and a time machine. But more importantly, it’s a book about a kid wrestling with anxiety and perfectionism, learning to accept that life doesn’t always go according to plan and that he’s good enough.

About ten years ago I had an idea about a kid creating a time machine out of a blender and an exercise bike. It was a fun concept, but it wasn’t really a story. A few years later, I began jotting notes for a book about a boy running for class president who is wildly unqualified for the job. I didn’t know where that idea was going until I decided those two concepts could be parts of the same book: a kid traveling back in time to coach himself in a misguided attempt to win an election. Shortly after, I realized that Noah, the main character, should (like so many kids) be struggling with self-doubt and anxiety. Combining all those aspects clicked the story into place for me.

The Many Faces of Noah

Melissa: Noah, the protagonist, is a study in contradictions. He maintains a neat-as-a-pin appearance but his room is a mess; his parents are physicists yet he struggles with math; he’s a self-described geek, with little confidence and shaky social skills, yet he runs for president of his seventh-grade class. Tell us, Adam: What’s the deal with Noah?

Adam: As Noah explains early in the novel, “People are complicated and I’m a person.” So often, we say one thing and do another—but that doesn’t mean we can’t always mean well and be true to who we are. We’re all contradictions doing our best. Noah’s big problem is that he takes on more than he can handle. He wants to do it all because he believes that’s what his parents and older brother did. And he thinks it’s expected of him. Along the way, he’ll discover that most of the pressure he’s feeling is self-inflicted and that sometimes others can seem to have their lives more together than they actually do.

Quest for Acceptance

Melissa: An overarching theme in This Again? is the craving for visibility and acceptance. Not only does Noah want to be accepted by his high-achieving parents and athletic, brainy older brother, he craves recognition from the popular crowd at school. Noah will do anything to get it, too, including turning his back on his best friends. What were you trying to say about popularity–and the need for acceptance in general?

Adam: One of the underlying ideas in the story is that the rules for who gets to be popular in middle school can be absurd. Life isn’t always fair and sometimes it can be downright silly. Noah learns that one of the keys to popularity, and much more importantly general happiness, is accepting yourself. Be who you are and do what you enjoy. Liking and believing in yourself can go a long way in getting others to take notice and appreciate you, too.

Oh, Brother!

Melissa: Let’s talk about Noah’s relationship with his older brother, Paul. Noah feels as if he’s in Paul’s shadow, which is something Noah tries to overcome by striving to be just like his brother. We later discover, though, that Paul’s life isn’t as charmed as Noah thinks. Is this a statement on the unreliability of perception, the nature of sibling rivalry—or both?

Adam: Both! So often sibling rivalries arise from siblings believing that the other had it easier. And (especially) younger siblings believing that they must do something because their sibling did. I think it’s fair to say that everyone in this world is struggling with things that others aren’t aware of. We often focus on the challenges we have in our own lives and overlook the hardships faced by others.

When Noah meets a future version of himself, he sees it as an opportunity to avoid life’s challenges all together. A way to orchestrate a perfect day and make his seventh-grade dreams come true by following the instructions of someone who has been there before.

Back to the Future

Melissa: Another prominent theme in the novel is time travel, when Noah’s parents invent a time machine and Noah meets his future self–aka “Future.” What is the significance of Noah’s relationship with Future, and Future’s with Noah? Also, what is it about time travel that most of us find so fascinating? 

Adam: Without giving too much away, one of the big questions that emerges is how similar are Noah and Future. Future is older than Noah, but only by a matter of days. Though those days have resulted in a more jaded person. As time goes on, Noah recognizes more and more flaws in Future, and he begins to wonder whether he’s been overlooking those issues in himself.

And time travel—is there anything cooler? For me, I think it’s the wish fulfillment. Breaking laws of physics sure does open amazing possibilities: Go back in time to fix a mistake. Relive something wonderful. Experience something before or after your time. Or like Noah Nicholson in This Again, pull strings in an attempt to create a perfect life.

It’s Just a Fantasy

Melissa: This isn’t your first novel to include a hearty dash of fantasy. Your previous novels, Outside Nowhereand The Midnight Brigade, have fantastical elements as well (i.e., flying cows, magical farmland, monsters and trolls). What is it about fantasy that floats your boat?

Adam: I’m drawn to stories that are driven by heart, humor, and magic. And for me, it really is that “dash” of magic that I love. Where everything in the story feels grounded, real, and relatable except for one wondrous element. Magical realism. It’s the wish fulfillment idea that we were just discussing. The feelings that come when a character in the “real world” experiences the seemingly impossible and a reader can daydream about what life would be like if that incredible thing happened to them.

The Extraordinary Within Reach

Adam: In This Again it’s the time machine, while the world around Noah and all the internal and external conflicts he faces are grounded. My first book, The Midnight Brigade, was about a shy kid in Pittsburgh who befriends a troll living under a bridge, but again, everything else is grounded. And in my second novel, Outside Nowhere, we follow a fish-out-of-water city kid, a Ferris Bueller-type, who is forced to navigate life working on a farm that just happens to have one secret, magical element. I love that when you paint everything else as real and relatable you can suggest that enchantment and miracles can be found anywhere, and make the extraordinary feel within reach.

(For more on Outside Nowhere and The Midnight Brigade, check out Adam’s past MUF interviews here and here.)

At the Movies

Melissa: As stated in the intro, when you’re not writing for kids you’re developing and producing movies (Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy, A Wrinkle in Time). How does your job as a movie producer influence your writing? And vice versa?

Adam: While filmmaking offers the luxury of telling stories with pictures, it all starts with a screenplay, which is a relatively short document with a lot of blank space. Because scripts are so short, the storytelling on the page needs to be efficient. Every word matters. I try to take that approach with my writing: Cut out the boring stuff and anything that isn’t essential. I also try to be as clear and economical as possible with character arcs, so readers understand how and why a character changes and grows as cleanly and efficiently as possible.

Variations on a Theme

Adam: Theme is also something I learned how to implement from filmmaking. When I’m developing a movie, one of the early goals I have is to get to a one sentence message. Something universal. Something that each scene in the movie builds to. Something that sums up what the movie is really about. It’s rarely a line that’s said out loud in the film, but it’s always something that my colleagues, the director, and the film’s writers have agreed to.

A few examples: In Pete’s Dragon it was “Everyone belongs somewhere.” In Peter Pan & Wendy it was “Everyone grows up at their own pace.” And in a Wrinkle in Time it was, “Everyone is deserving of love.”

When I’m writing, I try to figure out the theme before I begin a rough draft, so I can tie it to narrative and character as much as possible. Universal, clear, relatable. And not something you need to hit your audience or readers over the head with–again, often the exact line isn’t ever spoken or written in the story, but the subtext is clear because all the scenes in the piece build to that idea. For This Again, it’s “No one can do everything” (even with a time machine).

It’s All About Structure

Adam: Structure is also something I learned from film development. My initial outlines for a movie or a book are about three pages, and they’re in traditional three act structure. As I write and work with my editor to revise, my drafts become longer as subplots are added and we dive deeper into character. So, while my final manuscript isn’t quite a traditional feature structure, because I started the novel that way the story remains structurally sound for me.

And as a producer, I’m always hunting for ideas for movies. I’m biased, but I think adaptations of books tend to make the best movies.

Adam’s Writing Routine

Melissa: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular rituals?

Adam: I have a little office in my backyard that I sit in for eight to ten hours a day while I write, powered by green tea and diet soda. As I suggested, I like to begin a project with an outline, but I’m a strong believer in embracing the unexpected. I love being surprised by the details that emerge as characters and story lead the way.

My initial outlines will often have literal lines like, “And then something bad happens,” and that line could be followed by something like, “And then something happens that makes everything worse.” I’ll use those beats as placeholders to figure out the most unexpected ways to surprise myself (and my characters) to keep readers on their toes and turning pages. Because, hopefully, if I’m not entirely sure what’ll happen next, no one else will be either.

Adam’s Outlining Tips

When I start writing, my outline will be three pages of bullet points, but as I move forward, characters, subplots and drama will emerge, and that outline will grow with my manuscript. I keep both documents open while I’m writing to keep track of everything, make notes on things I want to call back to, and hopefully not go too far off the rails. So, what starts as a three-page outline is closer to twenty pages by the time I finish a draft of a manuscript. I also love listening to music while I write. I’ve found that lyrics can distract me, so often I’ll play movie scores from films with a similar feel to the project I’m working on.

Melissa: What are you working on now, Adam? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know…

Adam: Still early stages, but I’m working on a project about a girl who befriends an alien.

Lightning Round!

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Whatever my three-year-old is in the mood for. I pick her up from preschool around lunch and we’ll usually grab chicken nuggets or tacos.

Superpower?  Being about to fly would solve so many of life’s problems.

Time travel: Fact or fiction? Fact. I have a theoretical physicist friend who convinced me that someone will eventually figure it out. Depending on how you look at time they probably technically already have.

Favorite place on earth? A great bookstore.

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? If it doesn’t happen, I’ve wasted so much time and money on my bunker.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? My wife and kids. (Hopefully they won’t be too mad at me for bringing them along.)

Melissa: Thank you for chatting with us, Adam. It was a pleasure to learn more about you and your book, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Adam: Thanks again for having me! Hope everyone gets a chance to check out This Again and share it with their favorite young readers.

Bio

ADAM BORBA is the author of three middle-grade novels, This Again?, Outside Nowhere, and The Midnight Brigade. When he’s not writing, he spends his time developing and producing movies, most of which have been based on beloved children’s books like Pete’s Dragon, Peter Pan & Wendy, and A Wrinkle in Time. He is a graduate of Palm Springs High School, the University of Southern California, and the William Morris Agency mailroom. Adam lives in California with his wife and two young children. Learn more about Adam on his website and follow him on Instagram and Twitter.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean, Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories. Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, and Instagram.

The post Author Spotlight: Adam Borba appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Best known for his critically acclaimed, award-winning YA novels, including Freewill, a Printz Honor Book, and Iceman, Gypsy Davey, Shadow Boxer—all ALA Best Books for Young Adults—as well as Killing Time in Crystal City, Little Blue Lies, Pieces, Kill Switch, Angry Young Man, and Inexcusable, which was a National Book Award finalist, author Chris Lynch has ventured into the brave world of middle grade! His new middle grade novel, Walkin’ the Dog (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers), bounds into the world on March 12. So, SIT back, relax… and STAY for this treat-worthy interview!

But first…

A Summary

In a family of strong personalities with very strong points of view, Louis is what his mother lovingly calls “The Inactivist”–someone who’d rather kick back than stand out. He only hopes he can stay under the radar when he starts high school in the fall, his first experience with public school after years of homeschooling. But when a favor for a neighbor and his stinky canine companion unexpectedly turns into a bustling dog-walking business, Louis finds himself meeting an unprecedented number of new friends–both human and canine. But is Louis ready to learn the lesson he needs most: how to stop being a lone wolf and become part of a pack?

Interview with Chris Lynch

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Chris—and huge congratulations on your first middle-grade novel!

CL: Thank you very much. I should probably clarify, some of my earliest young adult titles from the 90s might be considered MG by today’s standards as well. But fair enough, I think YA would rightly be considered my wheelhouse for much of my career. As I tell my own students, I generally have one of two protagonists in my head when a story occurs to me. One is 13, and the other is 17. I mostly let those two fight it out for ownership of the story.

Walkin’ the Dog: Inspiration

MR: Could you tell MUF readers a bit about Walkin’ the Dog as well as the inspiration behind it?

CL: Walkin’ The Dog went through countless transformations since I signed the book up way back in 2015. At one point I shifted to wanting to tell the story of a kid who was merely a bystander in life, wanting to keep to himself. Obviously, that would make for a fairly dull storyline. My editor, Kendra Levin, was rather insistent that the book also have a vehicle for delivering my ideas and the character’s journey to eventually being a citizen of the world. As it happens, I have long held the notion that dog walkers make the world go round (“…the dead body/crime scene/burning vehicle/stranded swimmer etc was found by dog walkers early this morning…”) and thought I might build a narrative on that. So, what better way to get a guy out of the house, interacting with people and society and adventures and canines, than that?

Meet The Inactivist

MR: Louis, the main character of your novel, is a risk-averse, self-described bystander. Because of this, his mom—an advocate at a women’s shelter—has nicknamed him “The Inactivist.” At first glance, this would make Louis an unlikable protagonist—but he’s not. How did you pull this off?

CL: Did I pull it off? Thanks. I suppose it has to do with the fact that I recognize Louis’ approach to life, having never been much of an activist type myself. But also, I think he is more broadly identifiable than that. He knows his flaws and weaknesses, acknowledges them to other characters and readers, and even tries to rationalize them as much as he can before we see the tide of human existence (and dogs) drawing him irresistibly outward. We can see that his resistance and isolationism are doomed.

MR: Louis has a lot going on in his life, including worries about his mom. When we first meet her, she’s receiving in-patient treatment for an addiction to pain pills, brought on by an injury she sustained during an altercation at her workplace. This would be disturbing for any child, but it’s particularly hard on Louis. Can you tell us more about that?

CL: While Louis has largely been in retreat from the world and his mother has been much the opposite (she is the one who gave him the nickname, The Inactivist), he has always admired and counted on her activism. Her getting knocked down, and knocked back by events is deeply unsettling to his own sense of security and confidence.

Understanding Addiction

MR: As a follow-up, what kind of research did you do to better understand the impact of addiction on children and families?

CL: Even casual students of the human condition cannot help to see the variety and intensity of addictions tormenting our kind. I feel as if I have been writing about this in various forms for much of my professional life. I find it hard to imagine any novelist not being pulled right in by this topic. Murder stories have their obvious fascination, but for me they don’t have the same power as the drive of addiction, the need for us to get outside of ourselves, get away from ourselves somehow, by any means necessary. Gambling, cigarettes, opioids, all have that same skeleton inside them.

Sibling Rivalry

MR: Louis has two siblings with whom he often butts heads: his younger-but-acts-middle-aged sister, Faye, and his tough-guy older brother, Ike. Like Louis, both characters are flawed but endearing. What were you trying to say about the nature of sibling relationships in general—and this one in particular?

CL: I loved Faye from the start. Just felt I knew her, her hard outer shell and soft inside, her humor most of all. Ike was a tougher sell, to myself. I think it’s a mistake to attempt to write a character you completely dislike, and with Ike I came dangerously close. But in revision I looked for more of Ike’s humanity, of his own frailty, and of Louis’ appreciation of that. That is reality. That is the nuance of human relationships, and a novelist must never lose that. Also, I am one of seven siblings.

Doggy Love

MR: Let’s turn our attention to the co-stars of this novel… dogs! Clearly, you have a strong affection for our four-legged (and in one case, three-legged) friends. What is it about dogs that makes the human heart go mushy? And what prompted you to explore the theme of human-canine attachment? Are you a dog parent yourself?

CL: This one is hard. I am a dog parent. Dexter, my close pal of 13-plus years, who is in the book’s author photo with me, had to be put down a week ago. I feel like I can remember every minute of his whole life. So this human heart is pretty mushy. I have a theory that the reason, generally, why we are such saps for them is that they utterly convince us that they adore and need us unconditionally. They are brilliant at it. Even if the reality is that it’s a wholly treats-and-comforts based relationship on their part, they are geniuses at making us believe in this entirely. And you know, it’s my theory, after all, and I still fall for it over and over and over, every day.

MR: I’m so sorry about Dexter, Chris. Would you indulge me another dog-related question?According to Louis’s sister, Faye, “All dogs are guide dogs in the end.” What did she (okay, you) mean by this?

CL: Dexter and his main predecessor, Chunk, guided us on an almost unbroken twenty-eight-year journey through these lives. Chunk was originally acquired to help my kids with the transition from one country to another. She shepherded us from the kids’ first weeks in Irish primary school, all the way through to Scottish university, the empty nest, the first grandchild. One month into the new reality for all of us, Chunk slipped away, mission accomplished.

Three months later I shocked myself—and everybody else—by concluding that I needed a dog beside me through the days. I needed the rhythm of the walks, the warmth, goofiness, fun of it all. So Dexter signed on and saw me through everything the next decade plus brought—car accidents, eye operations, heart failure, and what might be considered a professional period in the wilderness. Whenever I reached, I found Dex. He earned that spot in the author photo, on the book with all the dogs in it. I’m not going to say that it’s a shame he died a month too early to see it. He was far too modest to have cared about all that. And he didn’t much like dogs the last few years, either.

Middle Grade: The Journey

MR: As stated in the intro, you are best known for your critically acclaimed, award-winning YA novels. With that in mind, what made you decide to try your hand at middle grade? What’s biggest challenge when writing for a younger readership? The greatest reward?

 CL: I suppose I have been doing both all along—such is the fluid nature of categories, I suppose. As I tell my students, the greatest challenge with MG is to be able to touch and move young readers just as deeply as adults, while working with a much more limited linguistic palette. Otherwise, you’re cheating. The greatest reward is that the young readers who are willing to come along on the journey care so much about your story. It is a great motivator, not wanting to let them down.

Write this Way

MR: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular rituals?

CL: I lost the most structured of my rituals when I became an empty nester. I used to write strictly around the kids’ school days. That was seriously helpful to my mental discipline. I drifted for a solid two years trying to adjust after that. My wife is a teacher, so I can sort of simulate that, still. But I’m onto my tricks. Even so, I have a lot of time and space to structure things to my liking, with dog walks and gym trips vital to keeping things ticking over. The early part of the day (my former strength) can be meandering now. But the odd nap is quite the tonic, after which I am newly charged. Between lunch and dinner hours are far and away my best these days.

Next Up…

MR: What are you working on now, Chris? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know…

 CL: Working on an adult novel which I cannot discuss too much because if it’s too early I tend to feel talking it out is the same as writing it out.

But I can talk about my next middle grade, since that’s more advanced. It’s called Badges, and it’s with Kendra Levin and Simon & Schuster again. It’s about a wild tearaway kid who finds himself in front of a judge who offers him an alternative sentence that requires him to achieve a certain number of Scout badges, directly related to the many offenses he has piled up.

Lightning Round!

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack?

Corn cakes and hot salsa.

Favorite breed of dog?

So many, honestly. I’m all over the place on that, because so many breeds appeal in so many different ways. But since my remaining pal, Selkie, is a Lurcher (Greyhound/Saluki cross), and she’s always looking over my shoulder, I’m going to say, Lurcher.

Superpower?

Depends on whether you mean, 1) superpower I possess, or 2) superpower I would opt for if given the choice.

1. I’m a good listener.
2. Every writer would benefit from invisibility.

Favorite place on earth?

Anyplace with a dog and a deserted seashore. Also, Edinburgh.

 Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay?

Yea, bring it on. Humanity needs a start-over.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

A solar powered radio with satellite or longwave or whatever I’d need for decent reception; a loaded eReader, likewise solar; a pizza.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Chris. It was a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

 CL: And thank you. It was tougher going than most of these things, but no less rewarding for that.

Bio:

Chris Lynch (pictured here with his dearly missed pal, Dexter) is the award–winning author of highly acclaimed young adult novels, including Printz Honor Book Freewill, Iceman, Gypsy Davey, and Shadow Boxer—all ALA Best Books for Young Adults—as well as Killing Time in Crystal City, Little Blue Lies, Pieces, Kill Switch, Angry Young Man, and Inexcusable, which was a National Book Award finalist and the recipient of six starred reviews. Walkin’ the Dog is his new middle-grade novel. Chris holds an MA from the writing program at Emerson College and teaches in the creative writing MFA program at Lesley University. He lives in Boston and in Scotland.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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As a huge fan of Linda Williams Jackson’s previous middle-grade novels (The Lucky Ones, Midnight without a Moon, A Sky Full of Stars), her latest book, Saving Jimmy, met—and exceeded—my expectations. With a flawed-but-endearing protagonist and a cast of memorable characters, both living and dead, the story won my heart from page one.

But before we chat with Linda, first…

Saving Jimmy: A Summary

Life isn’t easy for 12-year-old Jimmy Lee Easton. People are constantly mistaking her for a boy, and her mama hovers over her like the Secret Service. Her great-aunt Millie constantly hounds her to “get it right with Jesus before it’s everlastingly and eternally too late,” and Jimmy’s not sure whether her best friend really likes her or simply lets her tag along out of pity. But when Jimmy Lee suddenly finds herself facing eternity with a life-or-death choice to make, she questions whether her life on earth was so bad after all.

MR: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Linda. I’m so glad you could join us again!

LWJ: Thanks, Melissa! It’s always a pleasure!

The Story Behind the Story

MR: As stated above, Saving Jimmy is about a young girl’s journey to the afterlife. What was the inspiration behind the book?

LWJ:  In 2012, I had a friend die from cancer. She was a mother of three. One of her children was in elementary school, and another was in preschool. We prayed diligently that she would be healed from her cancer, and when she wasn’t, I was devastated. I remember having a conversation with her one very cold winter day, and she said that she thought about how much easier it would be to just go outside in the cold and freeze to death rather than keep fighting to live.

Then, right after she seemed to be getting better, she took a turn for the worse. After she died, I couldn’t help but wonder whether she had gotten an early glimpse of an afterlife and chosen that life instead of the one she was living: “What if” people on the brink of life or death get to choose which way to go? And “what if” if they choose the afterlife rather than the current life regardless of how much they know their loved ones will miss them? I know it’s farfetched, but isn’t that what fiction is all about—imagining the “what ifs”?

All About Jimmy Lee

MR: Can you tell us about the protagonist, Jimmy Lee Easton?

LWJ: I love writing (and reading) fiction from the perspective of middle-grade children, so I chose a 12-year-old girl as the storyteller. I also chose to give her a name that was a little offbeat because I have a friend with an offbeat name, and people often get her name wrong. In Jimmy Lee’s case, people assume she’s a boy, which doesn’t really bother her since she is named after her daddy—a fact that she is quite proud of—until she isn’t (no spoilers).

MR: A related question: What drives Jimmy Lee to make the choices she makes?

LWJ: For starters, Jimmy Lee wants so badly to be like her friend Danielle; to have a cool mama who lets her wear makeup, go to movies, and hang out with friends. In general, just be a kid. But she can’t because her mama is ruled by their aunt Millie, a religious zealot. Her mama is also ruled by fear that Jimmy Lee will make the same “mistake” she made and ruin her life. So, in the opening pages, Jimmy Lee is thrilled to finally have the chance to go on a school field trip without her mama tagging along. Of course, things don’t go as smoothly as she hoped, and Jimmy Lee finds herself in a predicament that she has to grapple with throughout the story.

Character Creation

MR: Speaking of Jimmy Lee, at the beginning of the story she’s not particularly likeable; she thinks her classmate A.J. is as ugly as a “twenty-year-old bulldog,” and refers to another classmate as “Poop Boy,” due to his rancid breath. As the novel progresses, though, Jimmy Lee transforms into a kinder, gentler person. How did you accomplish this writerly feat? 

LWJ: What? You didn’t like Jimmy Lee??? Fair enough. I didn’t like Gilly Hopkins either, but I loved the story told about her. Nor did I like Katniss Everdeen, but I read all three of The Hunger Games books. But I digress. About Jimmy Lee…

Hurt people hurt people. Although Jimmy Lee thinks that A. J. looks like a twenty-year-old bulldog, she never actually says it. A. J., on the other hand, doesn’t hold back her contempt for Jimmy Lee, and she insults her figure, which is a bit on the round side. So, Jimmy Lee is only responding to the antagonism directed toward her, and in her thoughts only.

The story of Poop Boy

As for Poop Boy, well, she could have been nicer. I’ll let you in on a little secret. Poop Boy was actually supposed to smell like bacon. One day I left my laptop open while I went to take a break from writing (I don’t usually do that), and my daughter began reading what was on the page and decided to change “bacon” to “poop.” When I saw it, I burst out laughing and said, “I can’t have her say that!” Then I thought, “Why not?” So that’s why Leonard is Poop Boy instead of Bacon Boy. Besides, I doubt someone smelling like bacon would have the same impact on the reader as someone smelling like poop. Sorry!

Going back to the saying, “Hurt people hurt people,” Jimmy Lee is frustrated by the close relationship that her best friend Danielle has with A. J. Plus, A. J. had tricked her. So how did she respond to being hurt? She dished out pain to someone else. This is not a good response, unfortunately, but she does learn her lesson. I am constantly around children of this age group. Some of them wear a permanent frown and are not friendly toward anyone. My first thought about these children is, “Who (or what) is hurting them?”

Imperfect but Lovable

MR: As a follow-up, is there a secret to creating flawed-but-lovable characters?

LWJ: How do you make a flawed character lovable? Why do we like Gilly Hopkins even though she’s meaner than a rattlesnake? Because Gilly Hopkins has been hurt. Why do we like Katniss Everdeen even though she treats her own mom with contempt? Because Katniss has been hurt. A flawed character has to have a reason for the flaws, and that reason is usually that they’ve been hurt by someone close to them, or by society as a whole.

MR: A central character in the book is Aunt Evangeline, Jimmy Lee’s flamboyant, Shakespeare-quoting guide in Paradise. Can you tell us about the significance of this character? What purpose does Aunt Evangeline serve in Jimmy Lee’s journey?

LWJ: Aunt Evangeline is the antithesis of Aunt Millie. Her purpose—besides ushering Jimmy Lee to Eternity—is to show Jimmy Lee that not every woman in her family is a lost cause. Aunt Evangeline had lived a fabulous life—unlike Aunt Millie and Jimmy Lee’s mama, Darlynn—and she gives Jimmy Lee hope that she can have a fabulous life too, if she chooses.

Shakespeare in Love

MR: In addition to Aunt Evangeline’s penchant for quoting Shakespeare, each chapter in the book begins with a Shakespeare quote from such plays as Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, As You Like It, King Lear, and more. What was your thinking behind this? Why Shakespeare? And why these particular plays?

LWJ: The story opens with Jimmy Lee telling the reader how she got her name. The “What’s in a name?” quote suddenly popped in my head as I was writing the chapter, and from there the idea formulated and stuck. After I knew what each chapter would entail, I searched for a Shakespeare quote to match. And, of course, Jimmy Lee’s parents almost have a Romeo and Juliet kind of thing going on. I wasn’t really choosing particular plays. I chose quotes to match the story. I found it interesting that there was a Shakespeare quote to match every situation each chapter presented. It was also a lot of fun, especially when the characters themselves began quoting Shakespeare.

Matters of Life and Death

MR: Let’s talk about the main theme of the book: life versus death. Death is a heavy topic for most adults, and perhaps more so for children. What was your approach when handling the subject with a young audience in mind? Also, what were you trying to say about death? About life?

LWJ: To quote Rick Warren in The Purpose Driven Life, “You may feel it’s morbid to think about death, but actually it’s unhealthy to live in denial of death and not consider what is inevitable.” I’m not saying you, in particular, Melissa; I’m speaking generally. We don’t like to talk about, nor think about, death. And we are especially shaken when someone dies suddenly. But children seem to be more resilient.

From a very young age I thought about death often. I remember at age five or six when I received the news that my grandfather had died. It didn’t bother me much because he was old, and it seemed natural that old people should die. But when I told my brother (who is two years older than I), he began to cry. I didn’t understand why he cried. To me it felt normal. Papa was old. Papa died. The end.

Live, Laugh, Love

Then a few years later, my neighbor—a young mother in her twenties—died suddenly. I bawled, because that was a death that wasn’t supposed to happen. I was also about the age my brother was when our grandfather died. I now understood death a bit more. But I also come from an environment where people believe strongly in an afterlife, and they claim to have been visited by deceased relatives. So belief in an afterlife feels as natural to me as death. It also feels hopeful. In fact, I have had my own experiences with deceased loved ones, which definitely gives me hope that life goes on and that what’s on the other side of death is a beautiful place. I want readers of Saving Jimmy to have that same hope. But I also want readers to take responsibility for their own happiness while living. Live, laugh, and love!

Indie Inspiration

MR: Turning our attention to the publishing side of things, unlike your previous MG novels, Saving Jimmy was published independently. What was the impetus behind going indie?

LWJ: Saving Jimmy is not my first self-published novel. I got into the self-publishing game twenty-two years ago, so I already knew the ups and downs of going that route. The choice to self-publish Saving Jimmy was for multiple reasons. One, I honestly wanted to create a book from start to finish—writing, formatting, and publishing it myself (minus printing and distribution, of course). Two, I was between literary agents, so I felt like I had the freedom to try something different after having been traditionally published for nearly seven years. I considered my completed manuscripts and chose this one because I felt like it didn’t fit neatly into a kidlit publishing box.

Surprisingly, I’ve been getting feedback from readers who, even though they own my other books, have never read them—and yet here they are, having conversations with me about this one. Also, I did it to supplement my meager author income. It’s my side gig, so to speak.

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to authors—established and newbies alike—who are thinking about going indie? What did you do right? And what do you wish you had done differently?

LWJ: To go indie, you need a thick skin. Since you will have to do your own marketing and publicity, you will have to be a shameless self-promoter. You’ll have to knock on doors and ask for reviews and support. Also, some of the doors that were open to you as a traditionally published author will be closed to you as a self-published author. To that I say, “Grin and bear it.” That’s just how the ball bounces. But there are still a few doors open to self-publishers. Walk through those doors instead of lamenting the ones that are closed. If you plan to go indie, go indie proudly or you won’t have the guts to promote your book.

It’s All in the Research

As far as doing it right or “wrong,” I say do your research and find indie authors (like Darcy Pattison) who are blogging about it and take their advice. I jumped back into the waters after more than twenty years, so I might not be the best person to take advice from.

MR: What are you working on now, Linda? Enquiring Mixed-Up Files readers want to know!

LWJ: I don’t want to jinx myself, so I’ll keep quiet about that for now. Whenever I speak publicly about what I’m currently working on, I always seem to switch gears and work on something else.

Lightning Round!

MR: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Coffee or tea?

Coffee, but occasionally tea

Heaven or Earth?

Heaven, when it’s time

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay?

Yea. Haven’t you noticed? We’re already in it.

Superpower?

X-ray vision. I can see right through most people.

Favorite place on earth?

My house.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

A magic coffee maker, an endless supply of coffee, and a cup

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Linda—and congratulations on the publication of Saving Jimmy. I absolutely loved it, and I know MUF readers will too!

LWJ: You’re welcome, Melissa! And thank you for reading Saving Jimmy!

Bio: Linda Williams Jackson

Linda Williams Jackson is the author of award-winning middle grade novels centered around some of Mississippi’s most important historical moments. Her first book, Midnight Without a Moon, which is centered around the Emmett Till murder, was an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, a Jane Addams Honor Book for Peace and Social Justice, and a Washington Post Summer Book Club Selection. Her second book, A Sky Full of Stars, the sequel to Midnight Without a Moon, received a Malka Penn Honor for an outstanding children’s book addressing human rights issues and was a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year.

Linda’s most recent novel, The Lucky Ones, was inspired by Robert Kennedy’s 1967 Poverty Tour of the Mississippi Delta and is loosely based on her own family’s experiences. The Lucky Ones was recently recognized by Good Housekeeping magazine as one of the best 50 kids’ books of all time. Additional accolades for The Lucky Ones include Mississippi Institute of Arts & Letters Youth Book Award Winner, Foreword Reviews Indies Award Winner, New-York Historical Society Children’s History Book Prize Finalist, Common Sense Media’s Best Six Kids’ Books of 2022, Week Junior Magazine Best Seven Kids’ Books of 2022, Cooperative Children’s Book Center Best Books of the Year, and a Bank Street College Best Books of the Year. Linda Williams Jackson is proud to still call Mississippi home. To connect with her online, visit her website at www.lindajacksonwrites.blogspot.com.

(For more on Linda Williams Jackson, check out my previous Mixed-Up Files interview here.)

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

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My friend Nicole—a fellow only child—recently sent me an article from The Atlantic entitled, “Why Are People Weird About Only Children?” Not surprisingly, the piece included the usual tropes associated with onlies: We’re spoiled, selfish, maladjusted weirdos who can’t get along with others or share our toys. We’re also bad at team sports, cooperative projects, and group-socialization in general. Why? Because it’s all about me, me, ME!

This got me thinking about my own only childhood, where I spent Saturday mornings alone in my room, watching TV and scarfing Pop Tarts while my parents slept in. I knew I was lucky to have my own TV, but the shows I watched—The Partridge Family, The Brady Bunch, Eight Is Enough, Good Times—all featured large, boisterous families whose lives seemed way more exciting than mine. The Partridge family had its own tour bus, for goodness’ sake! But as entertaining as those shows were, I couldn’t relate to them. Maybe that’s why I was drawn to books that featured only children.

Pippi, Fern, Mary, and Harriet…

My other favorite book, Judy Blume’s 1974 classic, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, was deeply relatable as well—and not just because the eponymous protagonist spent a lot of time alone in her room (although she spoke to God instead of watching TV). Like Harriet, Margaret had the ability to say what was on her mind, even when she thought no one was listening. The fact that she was flat-chested, had hard-to-manage hair, and yearned for her period was just icing on the cake.

Above all, these books offered me the “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” I craved as an only child. I felt seen, and less alone. Sure, reading books about fellow onlies wasn’t as exciting as crisscrossing the country in a rainbow-colored tour bus. But it came pretty darn close.

(For more on how Harriet the Spy shaped my identity, click here. And for my love for Judy Blume, the beloved author of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, click here.)

And now…

Books That Feature Only Children

J.R. Silver Writes Her World by Melissa Dassori

All Amara wants for her birthday is to visit her father’s family in Harlem. She can’t wait to finally meet Grandpa Earl and her cousins, and to stay in the brownstone where her father grew up. But New York City is not what Amara thought it would be. It’s crowded, with confusing subways, suffocating sidewalks, and her father is too busy  to spend time with her and too angry to spend time with Grandpa Earl. As she explores, asks questions, and learns more about Harlem and her father’s family history, she realizes how she connects with her dad, her home, and her family.

Birdie’s Billions by Edith Cohn

For as long as eleven-year-old Birdie can remember, it’s always been just her and her mom—which means there’s not a lot of extra money to spend on things like new clothes and batons from the fancy gymnastics store. Still, they always find a way to make ends meet. Then Birdie makes one silly mistake that has a big consequence: Mom loses her job. Now things are more dire than ever, and Birdie knows it’s up to her to fix it.

One Kid’s Trash by Jamie Sumner

Hugo is not happy about being dragged halfway across the state of Colorado just because his dad had a midlife crisis and decided to become a ski instructor. But when his fellow students discover his remarkable talent for garbology, the science of studying trash, Hugo becomes the cool kid for the first time in his life. But what happens when it all goes to his head?

Genesis Begins Again by Alica D. Williams

Thirteen-year-old Genesis dislikes herself for ninety-six reasons. She knows the exact number because she keeps a list: Her family is always being put out of their house; her dad has a gambling problem—and maybe a drinking problem, too—and Genesis is convinced this is all her fault. She also knows she wasn’t born looking like Mama, and that she is too Black. Genesis is determined to fix her family, and she’s willing to try anything to do so—even if it means harming herself in the process. But when Genesis starts to find a thing or two she actually likes about herself, she discovers that changing her own attitude is the first step in helping to change others.

My Dad’s Girlfriend and Other Anxieties by Kellye Crocker

Dad hasn’t been dating his new girlfriend that long, so Ava is sure nothing has to change in her life. Until the day after sixth grade ends and Dad whisks her away to meet The Girlfriend and her daughter in terrifying Colorado, where even the squirrels can kill you. Managing her anxiety while avoiding altitude sickness might take all of Ava’s strength, but at least this trip will only last two weeks. If she survives…

How to Win a Slime War by Mae Respicio

Alex Manalo and his dad have just moved back to Sacramento to revive their extended family’s struggling Filipino market. While Alex likes helping at the store, his true passion is making slime. Encouraged by a new friend at school, Alex begins to sell his creations, leading to a sell-off battle with a girl who previously had a slime-opoly. But Alex’s dad thinks Alex should focus on “traditional” boy pastimes like sports, since Dad is the new soccer coach. Alex is battling on multiple fronts, and it will be a sticky race to the finish to see who oozes out on top.

Taking Up Space by Alison Gerber

Sarah loves basketball more than anything. It’s the only thing that helps her ignore how much it hurts when her mom forgets to feed her. But lately Sarah can’t even play basketball right. She’s slower now, and missing shots. Her body doesn’t feel like it’s her own anymore. She’s worried that changing herself back to how she used to be is the only way she can take control over what’s happening. Then, when Sarah’s crush asks her to be partners in a cooking competition, she feels pulled in a million directions. She’ll have to dig deep to stand up for what she needs at home, be honest with her best friends, and accept that she doesn’t need to change to feel good about herself.

The Comeback by E.L. Shen

Twelve-year-old Maxine Chen is trying to nail that perfect landing: on the ice, in middle school, and at home, where her parents worry that competitive skating is too much pressure for a budding tween. Maxine isn’t concerned, however―she’s determined to glide to victory. But then a bully at school starts teasing Maxine for her Chinese heritage, leaving her stunned and speechless. And at the rink, she finds herself up against a stellar new skater named Hollie, whose grace and skill threaten to edge Maxine out of the competition. Will Maxine crash under the pressure? Or can she power her way to a comeback?

Life in the Balance by Jen Petro-Roy

Veronica Conway has been looking forward to trying out for the All-Star softball team for years. But right before tryouts, Veronica’s mom announces that she’s entering rehab for alcoholism, and her dad tells her that they may not be able to afford the fees needed to be on the team. Veronica decides to enter the town talent show in an effort to make her own money, but along the way discovers a new hobby that leads her to doubt her feelings for the game she thought she loved so much.

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

Reha feels torn between two worlds: school, where she’s the only Indian American student, and home, with her family’s traditions and strict expectations. Reha feels disconnected from her mother, or Amma, who doesn’t understand how conflicted she feels. Although their names are linked—Reha means “star” and Punam means “moon”—they are a universe apart. And then Amma is diagnosed with leukemia. Reha, who dreams of becoming a doctor one day despite her aversion to blood and guts, is determined to make her mother well again. She’ll be the perfect daughter, if it means saving Amma’s life.

Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles

Wes Henderson has the best style in sixth grade. That and hanging out with his best friends and playing video games is what Wes wants to be thinking about at the start of the school year–not the protests his parents are always dragging him to. But when a powerful real-estate developer makes an offer to buy Kensington Oaks, the neighborhood Wes has lived in his whole life, everything changes. And Wes isn’t about to give up the only home he’s ever known without a fight.

Many Points of Me by Caroline Gertler

Georgia Rosenbloom’s father was a famous artist. His most well-known paintings were a series of asterisms—patterns of stars. One represented a bird, one himself, and one Georgia’s mother. There was supposed to be a fourth asterism, but Georgia’s father died before he could paint it. Georgia’s mother and her best friend, Theo, are certain that the last asterism would’ve been of Georgia, but Georgia isn’t so sure. Then Georgia finds a sketch her father made of her. Could this finally be the proof that the last painting would have been of her?

The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

For the past five years, Coyote and her dad have been crisscrossing the country in an old school bus. It’s also how long Coyote lost her mom and two sisters in a car crash. Coyote hasn’t been home in all that time, but when she learns that the park in her old neighborhood is being demolished―the very same park where she, her mom, and her sisters buried a treasured memory box―she devises an elaborate plan to get her dad to drive 3,600 miles back to Washington state in four days…without him realizing it.

Brave Like That by Lindsey Stoddard

Cyrus Olson’s dad is a hero—Northfield’s former football star and now one of their finest firefighters. Everyone expects Cyrus to follow in his dad’s record-breaking footsteps, and he wishes they were right—except he’s never been brave like that. But this year, with the help of a stray dog, a few new friends, a little bit of rhythm, and a lot of nerve, he may just discover that actually…he is.

From the Desk of Zoe Washington by Janae Marks

Middle-school baking enthusiast Zoe Washington isn’t sure what to write. What does a girl say to the father she’s never met, hadn’t heard from until his letter arrived on her twelfth birthday, and who’s been in prison for a crime he says he didn’t commit? Could Marcus really be innocent? Zoe is determined to uncover the truth, even if it means hiding his letters and her investigation from the rest of her family.

The Miscalculations of Lightnight Girl by Stacy McAnulty

Lucy Callahan’s life was changed forever when she was struck by lightning. She doesn’t remember it, but the zap gave her genius-level math skills, and she’s been homeschooled ever since. Now, at the age of twelve, she’s technically ready for college. She just has to pass one more test–middle school.

Violet and the Pie of Life by Debra Green

Twelve-year-old Violet has two great loves in her life: math and pie. And she loves her parents, even though her mom never stops nagging and her dad can be unreliable. Mom plus Dad doesn’t equal perfection. Still, Violet knows her parents could solve their problems if they just applied simple math.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach from NYU. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Not (Always) the Lonely: Books About Only Children appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Known as the “Star Lady,” thanks to her interest in astronomy and outer space, Joan Marie Galat is an award winning and bestselling author of more than 25 books for kids, including the Dot to Dot in the Sky series, which combines the science of the night sky with the ancient myths that give the constellations, planets, and other night sky phenomena their names.

Joan has also written extensively on such topics as light pollution, ecology, volcanoes, nature and wildlife, printmaking, cultural traditions and history as well as a middle-grade novel, Mortimer: Rat Race to Space, and a biography on human rights activist Malala Yousafzai. Her latest book, Make Your Mark, Make A Difference: A Kid’s Guide to Standing Up for People, Animals, and the Planet, is a Junior Literary Guild selection and has been lauded by Kirkus as “a hands-on, practical, wide-ranging and information-packed handbook for budding activists.” It launches on February 13, 2024 from Beyond Words/Aladdin.

And now, without further ado…

Joan Marie Galat: The Interview

MR: Hi, Joan! Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files. We’re so happy to have you with us!

JMG: I’m delighted to spend this time with you!

MR: As stated in the intro, Make Your Mark, Make A Difference is a practical guide for kids who want to promote and stand up for issues that matter to them, whether it’s the environment, human rights, animal welfare, gun violence, and more. What inspired you to write this book, and why is the subject of social activism important to you?

JMG: The inspiration for this book came from my daughter after she became aware of the plight of child soldiers. She was ten years old when she learned that children in war-torn countries–her age and even younger–were being forced to carry and use guns. She wanted to help kids escape this tragedy, but it was difficult to determine how to help faraway children trapped in such a complicated situation. Since then, I became drawn to news about the many ways children, as well as adults, can find ways to tackle the causes they believe in. You might say this was early research for a book I didn’t yet know I’d write!

Fair Is Fair

JMG: Social activism is important to me because I value fairness. Activism delivers the opportunity to live one’s principles. It is not enough to hold beliefs for a better world; we must live our convictions and demonstrate the courage to lead change. Engaging this way inspires others to demonstrate their values and participate, too. My experience with my daughter showed me that while kids want to help, working out the best way can be tricky. I hope to make it easier for the compassionate kids who also care about people, animals, and the planet.

Support for the Reluctant Activist

MR: As you alluded to, engaging in social activism can feel daunting, particularly for kids who typically have limited access to power and resources. With this in mind, what would you say to a child who wants to get involved in a specific cause but feels reluctant or anxious to do so?

JMG: Reluctance sometimes stems from the belief that a problem must be fully solved, or change must be monumental, for it to matter. In fact, small steps can lead to meaningful and significant change. My advice for the child who feels reluctant or anxious is to look at the problem and find a way to make one part of it smaller. For example, you might find it difficult to make sure every child in your community has school supplies, but you might be able to make sure every student in your class has what is needed.

One of the best ways to reduce the anxiety that can come from doing things you’ve never done before is to set goals that are specific and achievable. Small or large, a success is a success, and making a difference in a smaller way will build the confidence and expertise needed to widen that circle of helping.

(For a list of MG books from the Mixed-Up archives that delve into the issues of activism, protest, and reform, click here.)

Social Activism: Let’s Get Started

MR: As a follow-up, what are five simple things a budding activist can do to get started?

JMG:

• Make a poster that highlights a few key points about an issue and includes a specific request for action. Place the poster where your audience will see it.
• Volunteer with a nonprofit organization, such as a shelter that needs help caring for animals, or take part in an event, such as a roadside cleanup. Bring a friend and double your impact!
• Help victims of bullying feel less isolated. Greet them by name when you cross paths. Issue an invitation to join you in an activity.
• Help the climate by preventing food waste. Take only the portion you will eat, and let others know how reducing the energy needed to produce and transport food helps the environment.
• Use recycling to create a sculpture that makes a statement about a cause that is important to you. Include a card with a title and explanation. Ask your school or public library to display your masterpiece.

Issues that Matter Most

MR: While researching the book, which social issues resonated most deeply with kids? On the flip side, which issues seem to be getting the short end of the stick?

JMG: Kids truly care about a diverse swath of problems. They are taking action to tackle everything from poverty, education, and gun violence to equality, the environment, and climate change. Social issues relating to animals, however, particularly resonate. Whether the issue is puppy mills, endangered species, habitat loss, wildlife in captivity, or other topic, children and teens want to see animals treated better.

Some concerns, however, are not on the average child’s radar. I’m thinking of outer-space issues—the threat of space becoming militarized, the risk of asteroids striking Earth, and the hazards of space junk. Make Your Mark, Make a Difference includes a full chapter on concerns about space. I hope it will help grow the understanding that the world above is an extension of our environment, and that it must be protected, managed, and explored for the benefit of all humankind, as promoted by the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).

Profiles in Courage

MR: Profiles of young social activists are included in the book, including Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani Nobel Prize-winner who stood up to the Taliban to defend girls’ education (and whose biography you wrote in 2020); Bana Alabed, a Syrian girl who wrote about the horrors she witnessed in war-torn Aleppo; and Alex Scott, who was diagnosed with cancer and started a lemonade stand to raise money for childhood cancer. (Sadly, Alex died in 2004, but Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, the non-profit that continues the work Alex started, has raised more than $250 million.) Besides finding inspiration in other kids’ stories, what are you hoping readers will take away from these profiles?

JMG: Along with providing inspiration, I wanted young readers to know that age need not deter them from tackling issues they care about. I also hope readers will discover that there are countless approaches to making a difference, and that they should choose the style that best fits with their personalities, interests, and circumstances. Activism can be loud, but it can also be quiet. Soft approaches, such as illuminating a cause through art, can be meaningful and effective. My wish is that readers grow comfortable with the idea that they can be themselves as they explore the best ways to make change.

Joan’s Causes

MR: Speaking of activism, which issues matter most to you on a personal level?

JMG: Thanks for asking! I do have a few fixations. Literacy and the environment are two big ones. The abilities to read and write are tied to so many issues including poverty, gender equality, employability, health, and safety. Reading makes it easier to solve problems, manage finances, and get job training. It builds responsibility, empathy, and creativity. It also enriches quality of life. My own experience reflects this. The nonfiction books I read as a child reflect the interests I still enjoy today, as well as the subjects I explore in my own writing. I want everyone to experience the benefits and pleasures!

And Now, the Environment…

JMG: I love to spend time outdoors and appreciate natural landscapes. I’ve been interested in wildlife and conservation since childhood, and I often use my writing to promote science, especially my love of nature and the night sky. Writing Make Your Mark, Make a Difference allowed me to spotlight concerns for animal welfare and the environment.

Author visits at schools, libraries, and other venues give me the opportunity to promote literacy and science. My message to kids is that there is a special book for every child, and that it is not enough to know how to read; you must actually do it. And if you do, you might find that reading leads to new interests and even adventure.

Joan’s Personal Shout-outs

JMG: My shout-outs are for Room to Read, which promotes literacy and gender equality, DarkSky International, which works to restore the night environment and protect people and animals from the negative effects of light pollution, and Plant-for-the-Planet, which leads a movement to plant trees and fight the climate crisis. You can learn more about their work in Make Your Mark, Make a Difference.

Secret to Success

MR: You’re an incredibly prolific writer, Joan, with more than 25 books under your belt. What’s the secret sauce to your success? Also, what are the biggest challenges when it comes to writing? The greatest rewards?

JMG:  My secret recipe is to write about topics I’m passionate about. If I’m going to spend months or longer on a project, my heart and attention must be fully engaged. When I discover amazing people, compelling facts, and irresistible stories, I want others to feel the same  interest and excitement I feel. Writing about talking about books gives me the opportunity to engage with others on the themes that compel me.

The biggest challenge is that it’s necessary to spend time on the administration of life—like paying bills and buying socks—when I’d rather be writing. The greatest reward is learning how my books impact readers. I also appreciate the new places I’ve been able to visit to share my book from Canada’s Arctic Circle to South Korea and Australia. Great perks!

Writing Process: It’s for the Birds

MR: What is your writing process like? Do you have a daily routine or does it vary from day to day? Also, do you have any special pre-writing rituals? 

JMG: My pre-writing ritual is to feed Peekaboo and Lollipop, the two budgies sharing my office. If I delay, they land on my computer screen or my head, which is as distracting as you might imagine. (Note: I’ve not yet needed to wash my hair as a result of serving as a landing pad.) Once everyone is fed, my daily routine is to turn to yesterday’s writing and revise it. It’s a relaxing warm-up that eases me toward getting creative with the new content I want to produce.

I set specific word-count goals. If a book is meant to be “x” number of words and I’m writing to a deadline, I’ll calculate how long that should take and add a healthy buffer to allow for life’s interruptions, as well as multiple passes. No decent book was ever written just once! When a day’s writing is going well, I continue beyond my goal. This helps me meet my weekly quota early and frees up time for my end-of-week reward—an afternoon swim and visit with my author buddies.

(For a video of Joan’s best writing tips, click here.)

Author on Stilts!

MR: Rumor has it that you have another talent besides writing: walking on stilts. Care to elaborate?

JMG: It all started with reading Juggling for the Complete Klutz, which led to taking my children to the annual Edmonton International Street Performers Festival. The stiltwalkers amazed me. How could they stay balanced on those tiny points? Years later, I read a story about the National Stiltwalkers of Canada in the Edmonton Journal. It said anyone could come and try it out. That’s all I needed to know. I found my balance and became a costumed stiltwalker at festivals and events, including a young authors conference. Upon request, I bring my stilts to author visits, and put them on for the Q & A portion. I make sure my student audience knows that I never would have acquired the skills of juggling and stiltwalking if I didn’t read. This is how I make my point: reading leads to new adventure!

Next Up…

MR: What are you working on now, Joan? Enquiring Mixed-Up readers want to know!

JMG: I’m immersed in writing captions and alternate text for the photos in my next middle grade release—Wildlife Crossings: Giving Animals the Right of Way (Orca Book Publishers). Roads provide essential human benefits, but they have a negative impact on animals, particularly those that need to cross roads to reach habitat. This book explores how roads impact wildlife, and shares innovative solutions from smart roads that can help reduce roadkill to landscaped overpasses and underpasses that help reconnect animal populations and boost biodiversity. Wildlife Crossings will be in bookstores October 15, 2024.

And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred snack? Chocolate! My current love is chili-flavored chocolate.

Favorite planet? I’m torn between Jupiter and Saturn. I love how I can see four of Jupiter’s moons with binoculars, but Saturn’s rings make me gasp in awe.

Favorite book? I couldn’t possibly pick!

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Nope, not worried.

Superpower? I can zip through a crowd without touching anyone.

Favorite place on earth? On or near water. Give me waves.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? A dictionary, a solar refrigerator that self-replenishes with chocolate and other necessities, and a satellite telephone.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Joan. It was a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readerswill agree!

JMG: Thanks for all the great questions. I might need to think more about that desert island.

Bio

Although she started making books at the age of nine, Joan Marie Galat wasn’t published until she was 12 years old, when she became a paid weekly newspaper columnist. Today she is the award-winning author of more than 25 books, with translations in eight languages. Recent titles include Mortimer: Rat Race to Space (DCB), Absolute Expert: Space (National Geographic Kids), Stars (Scholastic), and The Story of Malala Yousafzai (Rockridge Press).

Joan shares her love of the stars in the Dot to Dot in the Sky series which combines the science of the night sky with the ancient myths that give constellations and planets their names. Her first title, Dot to Dot in the Sky, Stories in the Stars, became a best seller within six weeks of its release. As well as astronomy and mythology, Joan’s books for children explore light pollution, ecology, nature, volcanoes, wildlife, engineering, printmaking, cultural traditions, and history. Her titles include both fiction and non-fiction, often with a focus on STEM or STEAM topics.

A prolific writer and relentless promoter of reading, Joan loves to use storytelling to connect with audiences. Speaking engagements have taken Joan across Canada, as well as to international events such as the United Nations Environment Programme in Seoul, South Korea (2016); the International Dark-Sky Conference in Snowbird, USA (2018), and an international book fair in Seoul (2005), where she presented Korean translations of her books. In Australia (2019), Joan spoke to child, family, and adult audiences. Closer to home, she has been part of the Jasper Dark Sky Festival (2015) and toured at schools and libraries across Canada. She is the 2018 recipient of the Martha Weston Grant, awarded annually to one member (worldwide) of the USA based Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

Joan operates MoonDot Media, a communications business offering writing and editing solutions in broadcast, print, and multi-media. Her freelance jobs have encompassed writing radio and video scripts, a cartoon, magazine articles, exhibit text, speechwriting, grant applications, annual reports, and other projects. She also provides corporate training and public workshops, as well as consults for writers on query letters, manuscripts, and the submission process. Follow Joan on Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and X, and find her on Moondotmedia and on her website. Oh, and if you’d like to follow Joan’s budgies, Peekaboo and Lollipop, they’re on X, too! (But only because it was formerly called Twitter! )

The post Interview with author Joan Marie Galat appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Like you, I’ve got a full lineup of goals for 2024. The new year offers a time to look at what’s most important. My most pressing and concrete goals are a home-run revision that grabs the reader (my writing world), and to meet help my son and daughter finish the school year strong (my personal world). However, my general goal is to make a difference on all fronts. If I tackle each goal with the idea of making a difference and thinking of others, good things tend to happen.

Here is my top 20 list of writing goals for 2024:

1. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. (This is the No. 1 rule from my amazing literary agent, Joyce Sweeney.)
2. Give the reader just enough detail so they’re dying to know what comes next.
3. Choose a setting that adds to suspense and advances the story.
4. Immerse myself in the main character so the reader feels like they’re experiencing the story through their five senses (think Avatar).
5. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
6. Each scene has urgency for the characters to reach their goals (or not).
7. Conflict. Every scene filled with conflict. Conflict between characters. Inner conflict. Think all the Rocky movies.
8. Transformation. How do the characters change? What do they learn? How do we journey through their transformation?
9. In revision, know what to take out and what to leave in. I know this one’s easier said than done. A mentor once told me to defend each word like a lawyer defends each client.
10. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
11. PPR. In fantasy football, it’s points per reception. In writing, it’s “Pitch, Polish, Repeat.” Got this one from author/illustrator Fred Koehler. PPR forces me to examine each piece of writing and whether it’s ready for the world.
12. Which stories are in my heart, and which stories are in my head? Put them together for a force of  words.
13. HUMOR. Use it to entertain and drive the story forward. Author Jonathan Rosen taught me a cool technique in which you state three things, and the third item is so bizarre it makes you laugh.
14. Self-deprecate. Readers love a character with flaws. Makes the character believable and relatable.
15. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.
16. Misdirection. Like a magician, surprise the reader in a delightful way.
17. The Ticking Click. Got this one from the head of the Seymour Agency, Nicole Resciniti. From the opening chapter, have the main character race against the clock to reach his or her goal.
18. Goal, Motivation, Conflict (GMC). Also from Nicole: What is the main character’s Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in each scene. (For more writing–and agenting–wisdom from Nicole, click here.)
19. Each chapter ends with a cliffhanger to leave the reader wanting more. R.L. Stine of Goosebumps is the master of this.
20. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page. Keep the reader turning the page.

That’s not all, folks!

The post Top 20 Writing Resolutions for 2024 appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Today, it is my absolute pleasure to chat with bestselling author Jennifer Weiner–yes, that Jennifer Weiner!–about her latest MG novel, The Bigfoot Queen. The final installment in the “cheerful” (The New York Times Book Review) and “charming” (People) trilogy about friendship, adventure, and celebrating your true self, is out tomorrow, October 24, from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

The Bigfoot Queen: A Summary

Alice Mayfair, Millie Maximus, Jessica Jarvis, and Jeremy Bigelow face their biggest challenge yet when a determined foe threatens to expose the secret, sacred world of the Yare. The fate of the tribe’s right to live peacefully out in the open is at stake. Impossible decisions are made, friendships are threatened, secrets are revealed, and tremendous courage is required. Alice, her friends, and her frenemies will have to work together and be stronger, smarter, and more accepting than ever. But can some betrayals ever be forgiven?

Interview with Jennifer Weiner

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Jennifer! Before we talk about The Bigfoot Queen, I must share that I’m a HUGE fan of your novels. I won’t reveal my favorite—it’s like asking Rose Feller to select her favorite pair of shoes ()—but let’s just say… I think you’re fab.

JW: Thank you so much! That’s always nice to hear.

MR: Most, if not all, Mixed-Up Files readers are familiar with your wildly popular novels for adults, many of which have appeared on The New York Times Best Sellers list and have sold millions (and millions!) of copies. With this in mind, what prompted you to switch gears and write MG? I’m guessing your daughters might have had a say in the matter…

JW: Yes, you can give my daughters some of the credit and/or blame for this. But I also was an avid reader as a child, and YA and middle-grade books were some of my favorites. (Shout-out to My Side of the Mountain!) When my younger daughter was six, she was obsessed with a TV show called “Finding Bigfoot.” This led to dinnertime discussions about the titular creatures, and how they’d interact with the human world. Would they want to be online? Make money selling stuff on Etsy? Which parts of the our world would they embrace, and which would they reject? And how would that play out within tribes and families?

Middle Grade: Challenges and Rewards

MR: What’s the biggest challenge for writing for a middle-grade audience? The greatest rewards?

JW: The challenges are remembering that writing for kids means keeping some of the themes (and all of the language) more, um, family-friendly than for an adult audience. The greatest rewards are telling a great story, and having readers along for the ride. And middle-grade readers are that perfect balance of knowledgeable and credulous. They know how the world works, and how people are, but they’re still willing to believe that they could open a closet door and find Narnia.

Millie Maximus: The Littlest Bigfoot

MR: Your MG trilogy, The Littlest Bigfoot, features a character named Millie Maximus, a member of the Bigfoot clan. What inspired you to craft a character like Millie—and to write about the topic of Bigfoot in general? 

JW: I don’t think there is a person alive who’s been through adolescence and can’t remember feeling like a monster. Whether it’s your body or  your personality that seems to put you on the outside–and gets you to believe that nobody’s ever been this freakish, or weird, or big, or little, or just wrong–I think that’s a universal experience.

In writing about Bigfoots, I wanted to explore the idea of monstrousness, especially as it applies to young women who get told, early and often, that their bodies are wrong, unruly–too big, too strong, too fat, too flabby, too hairy, too much–in some way. I wanted to turn some of the human world’s biases on their head, just to show how arbitrary the rules can be.

So, here’s Millie who is tiny and delicate in a world that does not prize those qualities in females, and who wants to be seen in a world that what she should want is to be invisible. And then she meets Alice, who’s big and strong with wild, impossible-to-tame hair, who’s been made to feel those things are wrong, when, to Millie, she’s the epitome of beauty.

Researching Bigfoot

MR: While we’re on the subject of Bigfoot, what kind of research did you do for the trilogy? I’m guessing it was more involved than watching grainy videos of large, hairy creatures running through the forest…

JW: I absolutely read all of the literature–such as it is–about Bigfoots, starting with the Patterson-Gimlin film, and continuing on to FINDING BIGFOOT and WHERE BIGFOOT WALKS…but, really, what I paid more attention to was Greek mythology, and those stories about nonhuman creatures, and how they interacted with mortals.

Cast of Characters

MR: In addition to Millie Maximus, “No-Fur” characters (aka humans) feature prominently in the series, including Alice Mayfair, a half-Bigfoot New Yorker with an unruly mane; Jeremy Bigelow, an amateur Bigfoot hunter; Jessica Jarvis, an ex-bully with a secret tail; and Charlotte Hughes, a hotelkeeper’s granddaughter with a dangerous secret. How did you come up with this incredible cast of characters? Which character stands out most for you, and why?

JW: I loved giving Alice and Millie a tribe of like-minded kids to support them and accompany them on their adventures, and I’ve got a soft spot for all of them: for Jeremy, who feels like he’s an afterthought in his family, because his two brothers are such standouts, and for Jessica, who’s not as shallow and vain as she seems, when we meet her in the first book.

But I especially loved writing about Charlotte. She comes into the trilogy later, and is a little older than the other kids, and she’s got a very different perspective on the world, due, in large part, to her economic circumstances. She’s a working-class kid in a dying town–or, rather, a town that was dying until it was revitalized by a mysterious scientist–and she’s not inclined to want to help the spoiled, rich, big-city girls who come to stay at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast.

It was interesting to look at the characters, and have them look at each other, through various lenses, and to think about different kinds of privilege. There’s the privilege conferred by wealth, and the privilege conferred by thinness and by meeting the current beauty standards–and, of course, the privilege of having loving, supportive parents. But money matters. Even to kids. Maybe especially to kids.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly!

MR: Letting your “freak flag” fly is a central theme in The Littlest Bigfoot trilogy. What is it about being an outsider that resonates so deeply with you? Also, what advice would you give to middle-grade readers who feel as if they don’t fit in? Advice for parents, teachers, or other trusted adults?

JW: I was an extremely weird little kid, and I was much more comfortable with books than other children. Books were my friends…but they also showed me people like me, and let me believe that I’d meet some of them, someday, if I could just make it out of elementary school. You never forget feeling like an outsider or an outcast, so those are the characters that speak to me, and their stories are the ones I want to tell. And I hope that kids who read them come away feeling a little less lonely, like they aren’t the only one who’s ever felt like a freak.

In terms of advice, I think the only thing worse than having been an outcast yourself is when you see it happening with your own children. I don’t know if there’s much parents can do, except to remind their kids that they are loved unconditionally, and that, whatever they are feeling, they won’t feel it forever.

Trilogy: Plot, Outline + “The End”

MR: What’s the secret to writing a successful trilogy, Jennifer? Also, how does it feel to write “The End,” knowing you (most likely) will not be spending time with these amazing characters in the future?

JW: I always imagined the Bigfoot stories as a trilogy, and I knew I had enough story for three books. It was just a matter of plotting everything out, of knowing, broadly, what each book would be about, and what ground it would cover. I had a big outline for the entire project, then specific outlines for each book…and I always knew how the story would end. Which isn’t always true with my adult books, but was absolutely true here. Saying goodbye was definitely bittersweet. I’m going to miss Alice and Millie and Jeremy a lot. (To order The Littlest Bigfoot boxed-set collection click here.)

MR: The film rights to The Littlest Bigfoot were sold to Fox 2000 in 2016. Any updates on when fans might be able to see Millie, and Alice, and Jeremy, and Jessica, and Charlotte on the silver screen?

JW: Sadly, no. As I’m writing this, the writer’s strike is just coming to an end. I think it will take a while before I know whether that project will move forward. But, honestly, I’m just so proud to have all three books out in the world, and to have kids using their imagination to bring the world to life.

MR: You are incredibly prolific writer, Jennifer. How do you continue to come up with so many original ideas for your novels, short stories, and works of non-fiction? Is there a secret sauce you can share with Mixed-Up Files readers?

JW: I think spending close to a decade as a newspaper reporter helped a lot. You get used to writing, on deadline, every day, and coming up with lots of ideas for stories. It teaches you to pay attention to the world. That seems to have worked for me.

Writing Rituals

MR: What does your writing routine look like? Do you have any particular rituals?

JW: I treat writing like a job, and I’m at my desk Monday through Friday, for at least four hours. I try to exercise first thing in the morning – it helps focus my mind, and helps me sit still. I walk my dog and do word games with my husband. Then I go for a slow run, or a bike ride, or a barre class. Then I come home, and I’m generally at my desk from 10 or 11 in the morning to 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

I don’t really have any rituals. Again, I give my past as a journalist credit. When you get used to writing in a newsroom, where it’s noisy, and there are always people talking, and police scanners going off and television sets turned on, you learn to focus, no matter where you are or what else is happening. I’ve got a tiny home office that used to be part of my closet, and I write there most of the time. But I’ve written in coffee shops, and on airplanes, and in hotel rooms, and in my minivan while waiting for my kids to finish at school or rehearsal.

MR: What are you working on now, Jennifer? 

JW: Another sister story, about two girls who were in a band, and how the band’s success and eventual breakup affected both of their lives.

Lightning Round!

MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Coconut-flavored rice crackers

Coffee or tea? Iced coffee

Bigfoot: Fact or fiction? Fact!

Superpower? Parallel parking

Best piece of writing advice? You can’t be a writer without being a reader.

Favorite place on earth? In my bed, with my dog curled up on a pillow by my head, and a great book.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? My Kindle, my Kindle charger, and a generator to keep my Kindle charged.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Jennifer. The Littlest Bigfoot trilogy was a pleasure to read, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Bio:

Jennifer Weiner, whose books have spent more than five years on the New York Times Best Seller list, with over 11 million copies in print in 36 countries, is the author of the novels Good in Bed (2001); In Her Shoes (2002), Little Earthquakes (2004); Goodnight Nobody (2005); the short story collection The Guy Not Taken (2006); Certain Girls (2008); Best Friends Forever (2009); Fly Away Home (2010); Then Came You (2011); The Next Best Thing (2012); All Fall Down (2014); Who Do You Love (2015); Mrs. Everything (2019); Big Summer (2020); That Summer (2021); The Summer Place (2022), and The Breakaway (2023).

She is also the author of three middle-grade novels, The Littlest Bigfoot (2016), Little Bigfoot, Big City (2017), and The Bigfoot Queen (2023), as well as the nonfiction collection Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing (2016).

Jennifer has appeared on many national television programs, including The Today Show and Good Morning America. Her essays, including “Mean Girls in the Retirement Home” and “First, I Cried; Then, I Rode My Bike,” have appeared in newspapers and media outlets across the world. Jennifer’s work has been published in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including Seventeen, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Allure, Ladies’ Home Journal, Time and Good Housekeeping. Learn more about Jennifer on her website and follow her on Instagram.

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