What would you do if you were told at five years old that your destiny was to save the world? 13-year old Kyta has been wrestling with that question for a long time, but now he finally sees an opportunity to fulfill that destiny. But it may involve a lot more complications—and a lot more cooperation—than he bargained for.
Mythspeaker, the debut middle grade novel from Christopher Roubique, arrived in bookstores yesterday! Publishers Weekly called it “a rousing action-packed adventure” in their starred review. Please join me in welcoming author Christopher Roubique to From the Mixed-Up Files.
Interview with Debut Middle Grade Author Christopher Roubique
Katie: Christopher, thank you so much for joining us at From the Mixed-Up Files to chat about your debut middle grade book, Mythspeaker. It’s always a delight to chat with a fellow Wisconsinite!
First question, if you were at a school visit with a roomful of upper elementary kids, what would be your quick elevator pitch for why they should read this story?
Christopher: Hi Katie! Absolutely a pleasure to be here and with a Wisconsin neighbor no less!
As far as a quick elevator pitch just for kids:
Imagine that back when you were five years old, a living myth—a being as old as time itself—came to you and said you would have to save the world someday. That’s exactly what happened to Kyta. His whole childhood, he’s been stressing. Alone. Searching for a destiny he can’t predict. But now that he’s 13, it’s happening. Invaders have stolen the egg of the huge World Turtle he and all the tribes live on. So he’s going to steal it back. He has to before the turtle falls from the sky in grief.
There’s just one problem: he can’t do it alone. So Kyta has to make a team of other kids—misfits like him—and somehow lead them on the heist of a lifetime, past monsters and men, to save everyone. No pressure.
Katie: Kyta is such an interesting character, given the heavy weight of the prophecy he received when he was only five, and his desire to serve his community. Does Kyta have much in common with you as a kid? If not, where did you find inspiration for their personality?
Christopher: He absolutely does. As far back as I can remember, people called me special. It’s nice, in a way, but “special” is also really hard to carry as a kid. What exactly does special mean? Sometimes, it felt like adults really wanted me to save the world—to be or become something big and impressive and powerful that I had no idea how to be. I have this vivid memory of one of my elementary teachers telling my mom that I would be president one day. They were dead serious. And I remember thinking, “Oh no, I don’t know how to do that. I don’t know if I can do that.”
That feeling—that old burden—became a core part of Kyta. I loved the idea of telling a story where we get to honestly see how the “destined hero” actually feels. How he grapples with living up to something so much bigger than him. And I’m incredibly gratified that people seem to click with it. Most people—kids especially—have had that moment where they suddenly feel entirely out of their depth. I’m glad Kyta’s journey can be there for them because the answer he finds is the same answer I did: you don’t have to do it alone. (Also, I have no plans of becoming president. Sorry, Mr. K!)
Katie: Teachers often tell students to “Write what you know?” You mention in your opening author’s note that you created the culture and mythology of your story yourself. How have you been able to use “what you know” and your own life experiences to write creative fantasy?
Christopher: I love this question for a fantasy book because it’s complicated! How can any fantasy author be writing “what they know” when we’re out here describing fantastical creatures and ancient magics and worlds that have never been? But the answer is simple: for all their amazing trappings, even the most fantastic story is still about us. People. What connects us and allows us to live and learn and grow. Or what divides us and gets in our way. Sure, Kyta lives on a giant flying turtle and his best friend is a large hare made of branches and brambles older than dirt. But he’s also a kid determined to do something important and afraid he’ll mess it up. He’s excited and cocky and anxious. No matter what I’m writing, I always try to keep those very real feelings in mind because they’re what make even the most outlandish fantasies meaningful.
More specifically to the culture and mythology of Mythspeaker, I’ve always been fascinated with Indigenous American mythology as an exploration of my own heritage. There’s such beauty to how the tribes that have long called this continent home understood and explained the world around them. How some still do. Inspired by the spirit of those myths, the grandeur and wonder of them—I created something new that celebrates this piece of myself I adore.
Katie: Since this is your first middle grade novel, can you tell us a little about your path to publication? What led you to write for kids?
Christopher: Sure! Even though I’ve been writing for almost my entire life, I actually didn’t start writing books until just after college. I was a poet. Didn’t even think I could write a book. But my first job after graduating was so boring that I started writing an adult fantasy novel bit by bit on used fax cover sheets (which may be the oldest-sounding thing I’ve ever said). I tried querying that novel, and no agent wanted to read it.
That was 13 or 14 years ago.
Between then and finally landing my agent, Melanie Figueroa, I wrote six other books including a few middle grade novels. I started getting full requests from agents, but though I was often told my work was beautiful . . . none of them wanted to represent me. In the end, after querying for more than 8 years across 7 manuscripts and 200+ rejections, Melanie offered to represent me. She’d read 2 of my books and though she didn’t feel they would sell to a publisher, she couldn’t get my writing style and voice out of her head. So she took a leap of faith, choosing to believe in me and my potential. And I will always be grateful.
I wrote two more books—one of them middle grade—before everything finally clicked. The thing I’d been missing was a “high concept;” one of those terms that gets thrown around a lot in publishing but always felt arcane to me. The moment I finally cracked how to make a high concept, everything changed. The very first one I thought of was a high fantasy heist that I fused with my desire to write an Indigenous fantasy novel, which became Mythspeaker!
As for what led me to writing for kids, that’s easy. Pretty much all my favorite books ARE kids books. I firmly believe the books we read as kids, especially that middle grade range, are the most important books we ever read. I love writing middle grade books. And even though I’m working on some young adult and adult novels, too, I don’t intend to ever leave middle grade behind.
Katie: What advice would you give to fledgling MG authors?
Christopher: Don’t write to get famous or make money or be successful; that’s not really how this journey goes. Write stories that bring you joy. Stories that satisfy you. Learn from your mistakes and from the lessons others share. Ask other authors! Find your community. But the biggest thing to writing books—and getting into publishing, if that’s what you want to do—is perseverance. Don’t give up. Even when it’s hard. Grit and determination make an unbelievable difference. And when you pair grit with a willingness to learn, you can do a lot.
(But seriously, write things you would love to read. Writing a book is hard enough without trying to write something you don’t even enjoy.)
Katie: What are some of your favorite middle grade books or series?
Christopher: How much time do you have? My all-time favorite middle grade series is Broken Sky by Chris Wooding. I got the first book from a Scholastic book order in 5th grade and it made me want to write fantasy. I still have that copy on a shelf right next to me. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Chronicles of Narnia (especially The Magician’s Nephew) by C.S. Lewis, Red Bird Danced by Dawn Quigley, the Wilderlore series by Amanda Foody, The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, and (this might be cheating) anything related to Gravity Falls by Alex Hirsch.
*takes deep breath* Okay, I’ll stop now.
Katie: Great list! The Girl who Drank the Moon remains one of my all-time favorites. Is there anything else that you would like readers to know about the book or about your upcoming projects?
Christopher: As far as Mythspeaker, this book is a love letter to the kid I was. It’s wondrous and whimsical, funny and exciting. I hope it reaches other kids out there looking for the same things I was, whether that’s an Indigenous fantasy or misfits finding where they belong or just really big, cool monsters. Mythspeaker has all that covered in spades.
And as for other projects, well, I can’t get into specifics, but let’s just say that this won’t be the last middle grade fantasy you see from me. In fact, if I have it my way, you’ll be seeing more from me for a long time!
No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round so …
Best jewel for a jewel horse?
White opal. That prism sheen in sunlight is too pretty. Garnet is second place.
Favorite fictional character you would include if planning a heist?
If I want it to go well, Joker from Persona 5. If I want it to go well but also completely off the rails, Gandalf.
Dream job when you were a kid?
Briefly archaeologist. Then writer all the way.
Superpower?
Controlling electricity.
Katie: Finally, where can readers find you if they want to reach out?
I’m on Bluesky and X as @Dreamertide.
You can also find me on my website: christopherroubique.com
Official bio for Christopher Roubique
Christopher Roubique grew up in rural Wisconsin and filled his time—and his heart—with the joys of fantasy and science fiction. His own books leap from those same joys, folding in his Cajun and Indigenous heritage, passion for mental health, and plenty of fantastical creatures. He still lives in Wisconsin and has squeezed his wife and daughter beside all those stories in his heart too.
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