In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Paige Classey about her middle-grade novel, Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer, an “enemies-to-first-crushes” story published by Penguin Random House and chosen as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.

All About the Book!

Anna-Jane couldn’t wait for camp. But when the outside world goes dark, she and her friends soon realize they’re in for the adventure of their lives this summer—and maybe even beyond.

Captured in Anna-Jane’s diary, discover the poignant journey of a young girl’s fight to survive in the face of the unknown.

Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer released April 28, 2026, from Random House Books for Young Readers. The book has earned a starred review from School Library Journal, and Kirkus Reviews called it “an intense and riveting read.” It is also a Junior Library Guild selection.

Interview with Paige Classey

Welcome, Paige! Thank you so much for being a guest on the Mixed-up Files!

Thanks so much for having me, Sydney!

Inspiration

It is my pleasure! I absolutely loved Anna-Jane and the Endless Summer! What a beautifully written, compelling survival story—I found it impossible to put down. It is sure to be a huge hit among young readers. Can you tell us a little about the inspiration behind it?

I am so honored! This novel grew from a convergence of both childhood and adult experiences. I spent many summers at YMCA camps throughout Connecticut; those summers remain so vivid and nearly magical in my mind. The onset of the pandemic caused me to start toying with the question of what might happen to a group of children and teens left to their own devices at camp. Finally, the censorship efforts we’ve seen sweeping the nation sparked the layer regarding the necessity of the arts.

Craft

You do such a great job maintaining the element of mystery in the story about what exactly is going on outside the camp. The thread pulled strongly all the way to the very end. Was it difficult to craft this novel? What was your biggest challenge in writing it?

Pacing was my greatest challenge. Anna-Jane’s story runs for a lengthy time period, and I wanted to make sure that the sense of danger and suspense never flagged. My agent, Rebecca Rodd, and my editor, Elizabeth Stranahan, made a number of extremely helpful suggestions to maintain the tension throughout.

Point of View

You describe the experience of going through a frightening time of separation from family and so many unknowns with grace, care, and sensitivity. I loved the way the story was written in verse in Anna-Jane’s journal. How did you decide the format?

From the very beginning, Anna-Jane’s voice came to me in verse, in first person, and in present tense. In a way, she decided the format!

Characters

I enjoyed your other characters a lot too. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?

I love the other campers and counselors for all different reasons. I love Amaya’s sense of loyalty, Pooja’s genuine kindness, and Morgan’s passion for science. Bryce is the camp romance I wanted at that age and didn’t have! But my answer has to be Jojo. She is the kind of tough I’ve always wanted to be.

Takeaways

The story moves so quickly, yet contains wonderful layering and thematic elements regarding peer relationships that will be so relatable to kids everywhere. What do you hope readers take away from this book?

I hope readers walk away feeling empowered. Children can make and have been making a difference in their homes, communities, and the world at large. You don’t need to wait until you’re an adult to start making positive changes.

I also hope the story plants or reinforces an appreciation for the arts. Music, art, literature, theater, film . . . these pursuits are so essential to the human spirit. “Grow work,” as Anna-Jane’s teacher would call it.

Research

This story is one that will stay with me for a long time, and it gave me so much to think about. Can you describe the research that went into crafting this novel?

I don’t want to give away any spoilers here, so I’m going to tread lightly! I needed to research different reasons a community or region might shut down, how daily life would be disrupted, how government agencies and others might respond, and so forth.

Writing Process

Will you tell us a little about your writing process? Are you a plotter or pantser? Where and when do you prefer to write?

Can I go with “middle-of-the-roader”? I definitely do not plot out an entire novel chapter by chapter beforehand. But as I write, I keep a list of plot points and ideas I want to return to. I keep this list at the end of my document, then erase points as I address them in the story. It’s in my nature to make lists and check off as I go, and I feel like my writing process mirrors that tendency.

I find my best ideas come when I’m taking long walks. Walking gives my mind the space to roam, and I usually end my walk with a new idea or two for my work in progress.

As a mom of two small children and a full-time school librarian, I write whenever I can find pockets of time (generally when my children are asleep!). I usually write at home, but sometimes at local coffee shops or libraries. I recently won an Artist Fellowship grant from Connecticut’s Office of the Arts, which made it possible for me to attend a writing retreat at the Highlights Foundation (now called Boyds Mills) in PA.

Influences

What are some current books that have influenced you as a kid-lit writer?

I noticed my students flocking to novels-in-verse by Jason Reynolds, Elizabeth Acevedo, Rajani LaRocca, and Megan E. Freeman, so I read them too, along with Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson. In a sense, I never put them back down.

Advice

What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Write what you care about. And read, read, read. I know this is “typical” advice, but it is truly the best way to learn more about style, the market, your target audience, and more. My work as a librarian has fed my writing, and vice versa.

I also recommend sharing your writing with others who will give you serious and constructive feedback. I saw an ad in my local paper and entered Connecticut’s Tassy Walden Award for New Voices in Children’s Literature in 2020. Throughout that process, my friend and mentor (author Doe Boyle) recommended joining a writers’ group through SCBWI. That community has provided so much support and has been instrumental in elevating my writing.

Upcoming Projects

Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

I’m currently editing my YA thriller-in-verse, SURVIVING THE MADISONS, forthcoming from Delacorte in summer 2027. The story follows a toxic trio determined to right perceived wrongs at their high school . . . until the line between right and wrong blurs, leaving them to face dire consequences.

I’m also fascinated by the mixed-media format I’m seeing in books like A GOOD GIRL’S GUIDE TO MURDER by Holly Jackson and GAME CHANGER by Tommy Greenwald, and I’d love to craft a story that uses mixed-media in a meaningful way in the future.

And for the lightning round:

Coffee or tea?

Coffee! I wish I liked tea—it seems so refined! But if I’m being true to myself, I’m a latte girl.

Sunrise or sunset?

Sunset. I like to sleep.

Favorite place to travel:

I love traveling to places I’ve never been before, but Newport, Rhode Island, is a forever favorite. I also spent a college summer in Florence that remains alive in my memory.

Favorite dessert:

Mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Superpower:

I am intrigued by the idea of time travel, but worry too much about the potential consequences! So I’m going to go with teleportation.

Favorite music:

Wow, how do people answer this?! Everything from Led Zeppelin to the Gilmore Girls soundtrack. We also play a lot of Disney music in our house. Lately, I can’t stop listening to Chappell Roan.

Favorite book from childhood:

Again, how can I answer this? I loved Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes when I was very small. As I grew older, I devoured the Harry Potter series, the American Girl series, the Dear America series, and R. L. Stine’s Fear Street novels—can you tell I grew up in the ’90s and early 2000s?

Thanks again, Paige! It was so much fun to learn about you, your writing journey, and your amazing novel! Learn more about Paige on her website and follow her on Instagram.

Sydney Dunlap

As a kid in the Washington, DC area, Sydney Dunlap looked around for potential places to sleep every time she went on a field trip to a museum, just in case . . . a habit which continued when she was a teacher taking her students to museums! Now she is an author writing heartfelt, hopeful books that explore tough topics not often addressed in middle grade literature. Her 2023 debut novel, IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, tackles social media safety and has received several medals and a Crystal Kite Honor. It is featured on multiple state reading lists and has also been selected for all-community and all-school reads. Her subsequent novel, RACING THE CLOUDS, delves into addiction in the family and released in February 2025. It received a starred review from School Library Journal and is included on a Highlights Foundation list of books providing outstanding mental health representation. A lifelong animal lover, Sydney lives with her husband and their two dogs and three cats, all rescues. You can find out more about her at sydneydunlap.com.