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Interview with Kiyash Monsef, acclaimed author of Bird of a Thousand Stories!

Book cover of BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES by Kiyash Monsef

Kiyash Monsef’s much-heralded debut, ONCE THERE WAS, introduced a fascinating concept: what if mythical beasts existed, and they needed veterinary care to survive? That book also introduced the vet-in-training, Marjan, who undergoes a series of trials to find her path in this dangerous and mysterious world. Marjan is back in Kiyash’s incredible new book, BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES – but as he details here, readers can dive right in and be richly rewarded.

Kiyash also discusses his writing process, mythological inspirations, and what’s next for Marjan (and him)!

I loved how the back cover lists ONCE THEIR WAS as a “companion” book to BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES. While the rich backstory of the first book adds so much to this one, I found that a reader could pick up this book and dive right in. Was that important for you to do, and how did you work to accomplish it?

I call the two books siblings, and that’s always how I wanted to approach writing BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES. It was very important to me that each book could stand alone. I know that reading time is precious, and I don’t want to ask for too much of it. If a reader is willing to give their time, attention, and imagination to one of my books, I want to honor that gift by giving them an experience that is satisfying and complete, and doesn’t demand that they immediately read the next book. Or, conversely, I don’t want to demand that a reader first read three other books before they can understand what’s going on in my latest story.

To accomplish this, I had to ask myself what background information a reader would need in order to understand the events and the relationships in BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES, and then find elegant ways to briefly seed that information so that everything makes sense. The biggest challenge was making sure that a reader would know just enough at the right moment, without paragraphs of infodumping. I think there are one or two instances where you might come across a word or a reference that hasn’t been explained yet, but I actually like a bit of mild disorientation as part of the reading experience, as long as you get your answers eventually (which you will).

I’ve read that ONCE THERE WAS started as a series of loosely-connected episodic short stories, and I’m sure that initial approach impacted your writing of that book. How did writing BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES differ from that approach, and did you have a preference between the two? (Also – as a fellow pantser, your books give me hope!)

ONCE THERE WAS has episodic roots in its DNA, and I think you can still feel that cadence in its storytelling. I love that about that book, but I always knew that I wanted my second book to be a more tightly-woven and fast-moving story. My approach to writing BIRD was quite different from ONCE, and it had its own evolution. I came up with an outline of sorts, and then I blasted through a first draft very quickly. Very little of that first draft other than some characters and a general sense of narrative momentum made it into the final version. There were a few story beats that stuck around, and some broad strokes ideas about the finale, but the second draft was really a second first draft.

The second time around, my process was more measured. I had a solid outline before I started writing, and I more or less stuck to it, and I think it hews pretty closely to what’s in the actual book.

Which is not to say that I have abandoned the pantser approach. I actually think having that improvisational ethos to draw on was amazing in a more structured creative framework, and there are plenty of moments and scenes where I kind of waved my hands at some idea in my outline, and then let the pantser take over when it came to actually executing those ideas. I think I’m discovering that I’m happiest writing somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. Taking an early structural approach means you can build a deeper and more complex story, and you can write with intentionality. But I also believe that if I’m not surprising myself at least some of the time, it’s probably not interesting enough. So there is a plan, but there are also pants.

You have an incredible facility for creating fairy tales that feel as though they’ve existed forever. The acknowledgments section lists a few of your inspirations for these tales, and I especially loved your reference to the mythologist Michael Meade’s words: “It’s an old song. You can’t hurt it.” Have you thought about future writers taking your stories and running with them – and if so – how could you see them reimagined? In poems? Songs? Something else…?

First off, thank you for reading the acknowledgements! It warms any author’s heart to know that someone read those last couple pages. In ONCE THERE WAS, the fairy tales were all original creations, but the central fairy tale in BIRD is in fact drawn from a very old story with roots in many languages and cultures, and I wanted curious readers to know that. Particularly for a book that looks at the ways that stories endure and change over time, I thought it was important to pull back the curtain just a tiny bit to show that process at work.

As far as other writers retelling these stories, stories want to be told, and I think the stories in these books are no different. I do hope they can endure in some form or other, whether it’s poetry, song, or spoken by the light of a campfire. My secret, mischievous hope is that everyone forgets that I wrote them, and that they just kind of get added to the canon of stories that have always been around. That would be the coolest.

The relationships between Marjan and her friends feel heightened in this book, as do the stakes for Marjan’s actions. How did you work to deepen these connections throughout this book and raise the stakes for Marjan’s success (especially as they impact her friends)?

I have to give a lot of credit to my editor, Kendra Levin, who is THE BEST, for pushing me to raise the stakes from the start. Every time I got to a choice point, I had that note in my head, and so I was always asking, what’s the worst thing that could reasonably result from this choice? And because Marjan can be impulsive, we tend to see those stakes play out throughout the book. As far as Marjan’s friends, I just really like them all as people, so I really wanted to spend more time with them. As a result, the connections that Marjan has with them get deeper and more complex this time around.

In particular, her relationship with Malloryn, who’s Marjan’s roommate, confidante, and also possibly a witch, sort of took on a life of its own. Malloryn is so much fun to write, because she just comes very naturally to me, and her motivations and needs are always crystal clear in my mind. And as a writer, I think you need to trust your characters above all else, because they are the heart and soul of the story. So even if I think I know exactly where the story’s going, when Malloryn’s on the page, I kind of have to loosen the reins and let her cook, so to speak.

There’s a lot of talk among writers and teachers and librarians about older middle-grade books and the need for books that bridge the gap between MG and YA. Both of your books feel like they can be read and loved by readers of any age, but they seem especially perfect for those readers who can be overlooked in early MG and YA. Is that something you’ve thought about or are hearing from readers? Does that impact your writing?

I have heard this from a few people. I’m happy to know that these books fill a need, and hopefully they’re helping to keep young people engaged with the wonders of reading. At the same time, I try not to think too much about categories, or about writing to a particular subset of readers. My own middle grade reading was Stephen King and HP Lovecraft, so I’m not an authority on what defines the middle grade category. As a young reader, I was intuitively very conscious of when I was being “written to.” I always wanted to encounter a story on its own terms, and not filtered through what someone else thinks is age-appropriate, either in content or in complexity of language or story. I try very hard to write stories that I would have liked when I was younger, but also stories that I would read tomorrow, and that, more than the conventions of middle grade or young adult, is my guide.

You state that, to your surprise, you’ve now written two books. What’s next on the horizon for you and the incredibly rich world you’ve created?

I’ve got more stories to tell in the world of ONCE THERE WAS and BIRD, and I know I will get the chance to tell them at some point. At the moment, though, I’m poking at some different ideas — different worlds, different characters. It’s amazing to be in a position to be thinking about a third book, and I’m trying to approach this moment with openness to the wide range of possibility that it offers. But for fans of Marjan and her friends, fear not. There are more stories, and they’ll find their way into the world. Stories have a way of doing that.

Author photo for Kiyash Monsef

Kiyash Monsef is an Emmy Award–nominated producer and director; a writer of short stories, videos, comic books, and games; and a designer of innovative conversational and voice interface experiences. He’s the author of Once There Was, which was a finalist for the Morris Award, and Bird of a Thousand Stories.

BIRD OF A THOUSAND STORIES is available at bookstores everywhere.

You can see more purchase options at: Simon & Schuster.

Interview with Author Cindy Jenson-Elliot: The Doomsday Detectives

The Doomsday Detectives book

I always love bringing attention to new nonfiction books for kids and this is a GOOD one! I’m delighted to welcome author Cindy Jens0n-Elliott to the Mixed-Up Files Blog today.

Cindy Jensen-Elliott

 

She will be talking about her new book, The Doomsday Detectives

The Doomsday Detectives book

JLG Gold Standard

 

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection 2025

 

 

* “Packed with explanations of scientific terminology and methods of operation, this detailed and compelling book is a superb guide for curious STEM-focused readers. An outstanding resource that depicts the winding and complex journey of scientific exploration.” — Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* “This fascinating, informative volume highlights not only the people at the center of the discovery but the scientific processes by which they came to their conclusions….Perfect for kids who want to go all-in on dinosaurs.” — Booklist, starred review

 

 

 

 

JS: Welcome to the blog. I really loved this book. Let’s start with the first question: What drew you to writing about these two scientists?

Cindy J-E:   In summer 2017, I was driving to my first day at a new full-time teaching job when my agent, Stefanie Sanchez von Borstel, called to give me some updates: a rejection of a manuscript I had recently sent to her, and an opportunity. Cheryl Klein, an editor at Lee and Low Books, was seeking a picture book family biography of Walter and Luis Alvarez, the two scientists behind the discovery of evidence that an asteroid was responsible for the Cretaceous extinction. While I was intrigued – I LOVED my college geology classes and I LOVED teaching science — I was also feeling really overwhelmed. I was making a big career switch from holding five simultaneous but flexible low-paying part-time jobs in high-end communities, to holding one full-time teaching job in a low-income community. I was also switching from teaching grades 1 – 8 science and outdoor education to teaching middle school English to three different grades. As an introvert, full-time teaching has always been challenging for my psyche, especially when my kids were young. So I was especially nervous about the return to the classroom. However, writing, even in my most successful years writing for educational test companies, magazines, newspapers and publishers, has never been enough to pay the bills. But I could feel a spark of curiosity igniting.

I told Stefanie I would read Walter Alvarez’s book, T-Rex and the Crater of Doom, and see if I wanted to write a picture book biography. How long could that take, right? Over the next few months, I read Alvarez’s book before bed and on weekends, and contemplated how I might tackle a biography. By Christmas, I realized that this would have to be much more than a picture book biography. This story, involving everything in science from Paleontology and Earth Science to Astrophysics, was a science mystery much more complex than a simple biography suggested. For children to understand how scientists solved the mystery of the Cretaceous extinction, they would need to know the science that led to the discovery. I began working on a book proposal for a longer middle grade nonfiction book, and we submitted it to Cheryl in early 2018.

 

JS: How did you decide to turn this book from a “normal” biography focusing on the scientists, to a journey of discovery? 

Cindy J-E: By summer, Cheryl had rejected my first proposal — it’s hard to remember why — but she offered to let me rewrite it, along with a sample chapter, if I wanted to make another attempt. I spent the summer and fall of my second year at the school researching and writing a second draft of the proposal. This time around, I structured it as a long-form science mystery, and developed a structure that included elements I knew my students would appreciate — graphic elements, expository elements, narrative family biography and a narrative of science discovery. I would start it with the discovery of dinosaurs and the idea of extinction, and proceed to the discovery of the crater. In the proposal, I included samples of each type of writing – comic script, expository science, science and biographical narrative — as well as a 20-page outline. We turned the proposal in again and waited. Six months later – a contract!

 

JS: Whose idea was it to use graphic novel-like insets to explain the more complex science? (I think this is brilliant, by the way).

Cindy J-E: Thank you! It was my idea to use graphic nonfiction to explain some of the science through graphic narrative, and it came about because by 2019, I had been segued over to teaching science in my school instead of English, possibly because, in my very traditionally-minded school (at that time) I was teaching students to write comic narratives in English class, in addition to essays. Prepping for science teaching, however, is a lot more work than prepping for English class, so I asked my school if I could teach two grades instead of three, and two types of science – 6th grade Earth Science and 8th grade Physical Science – instead of three (Life Science). At this particular school, this was considered part-time teaching – two preps instead of three – and working 7 -2 instead of 7-4. The best way to learn science, for me, is to teach it and to have to write about it. So having my writing and teaching focused on the same topics was helpful. I wrote the book I wanted my students – 98% of whom were English-language learners – to use to learn science, so graphics were a great resource for them.

 

JS: Can you give us a couple of  intriguing fun facts that you learned while writing this book? 

Cindy J-E: Instead of  intriguing facts, I will give you some amazing facts and experiences I had in researching and writing this book.

Intriguing fact #1: I hadn’t realized how recently, in the grand scheme of things, dinosaurs were discovered at all, AND long it took people to realize that extinction was even possible. When there were parts of Earth that were still uncharted by Europeans, folks thought that maybe dinosaurs were hiding out in some deep, dark pocket of Earth.

This also points to my own realization of how often new and alternative hypotheses are ridiculed, often for decades, until enough data comes in. I tried to include a variety of voices and viewpoints with respect.

Intriguing fact #2: When I was scripting the first and last comics, I had written sound effects for the voices of dinosaurs. Then I came across a study by a scientist who studies animal sounds and the acoustics of their skulls. His work suggested that T-Rex probably sounded more like a hunting horn than a roar.

 

JS: What would you like readers to get out of this book?

Cindy J-E: I would like readers to understand the great joy, responsibility and gift science is to our world. As I say at the end, “Scientists – geologists, paleontologists, physicists, and every other researcher in every field – never stop digging for data, collecting evidence and retesting results. The scientific practices of asking questions, tossing around ideas with colleagues from around the world (who often become friends), developing a hypothesis, and testing to see if it is actually true are the eternal pleasures of doing science. Science presents a never-ending opportunity to learn and grow, and to expand the knowledge of civilization. Scientists don’t work for themselves; they work for everyone – everyone on the entire planet, now and in the future – to bring the truth to light and make it accessible and available to the whole world.” (p. 186)

I want readers to understand what the scientific process really is, how it is used, and how our knowledge changes as we gather more information. Science is not static. It is growth.

JS: How would you like teachers/librarians to use this book?

Cindy J-E: I would like this book to be used by teachers who want to collaborate across the curriculum – science and the humanities – as a class book to teaching middle school Earth science curriculum. Students can identify science processes used as the mystery is solved. They can teach students to use comics to explain their ideas.

Thanks so much for being on our blog today, Cindy. If you want to learn more about The Doomsday Detectives or Cindy, please go to her website: https://cindyjensonelliott.com/

 

Five Questions with Kortney Nash, Assistant Editor at Godwin Books

Kortney Nash

Kortney Nash, an assistant editor at Godwin Books/Henry Holt, pops in at From the Mixed-Up Files Of Middle-Grade Authors to share books and advice. She has an inextinguishable love for sci-fi. She was part of the editorial team for the middle-grade graphic novel, Oasis, published February 18, 2025, which has received seven-star reviews so far, as well as a shout-out in the New York Times. As an author, her picture book, Tell Me About Juneteenth, will be released in May 2025.

As a newish editor, tell us about your publishing journey. What types of books did you like to read while growing up and how does that impact the type of list you would like to build?
Growing up, I read all types of books! I think the first books I fell in love with while learning to read independently were the Junie B. Jones series. I remember there being a lot of humor in those, and they really drove home to me that reading can be fun––those books may be the reason I ended up in the publishing industry! That series turned me into an avid reader, and before you knew it I was devouring The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and pretty much all of the popular titles that dominated the pop culture landscape during my childhood and teenage years.

When I’m at work, I’m always thinking about these titles that nurtured my love of reading and what made them special for me. I found a lot of excitement in the high-octane fast paced series that I previously mentioned, but was also profoundly touched by books like The House On Mango Street and Walk Two Moons––stories that struck a deep chord within me emotionally. When I’m looking for titles to acquire, this is the balance I’m thinking about. I want a bit of everything, something for every reader out there.

Can you talk about what books you’re currently editing and what attracted you to those projects?
I can’t give too many details at this stage, but I most often find myself drawn to projects that center marginalized voices in multifaceted ways. I love stories with BIPOC and/or queer leads where the main characters are having fun or dealing with the paranormal or stepping into fantasy worlds. When I was growing up, most of the books that had Black main characters dealt with racism as a main focal point of the plot––and left a void for Black readers looking for stories that didn’t just focus on the struggles of Black life, but Black joy as well. I like books that achieve this in different ways, they heal my inner child!

What type of book would you love to acquire but haven’t read yet?
This is incredibly specific, but I’ll throw it into the void anyway: I want a sci-fi boarding school murder mystery! I’ve been putting this request out into the universe for a hot minute now, so I think the energy will (hopefully) come back to me soon. There are so many magic school books, but I haven’t seen a ton of sci-fi that drifts into that zone, which hurts my heart as a devoted Star Trek fan. I think there’s a lot of potential to do some fun stuff in that space, and I’ll be ready to acquire it as soon as it hits my inbox.

For those looking to build up their library of diverse reads, what middle-grade books would you recommend?
Oasis by GuojingI love this question! Middle grade is such a unique space in books, and I think that we can all benefit from reading middle-grade novels no matter how old we are. I seriously can’t recommend Oasis enough. The art is beyond stunning, and the story is just so incredibly moving. It’s one of those books that you wish would never end! I was very fortunate to get to watch things come together behind the scenes for that book, so there is some extra special sentimental value for me there, but even from an objective perspective, I think there’s no denying that it’s a really compelling read that brings something fresh to the sci-fi space. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you’re looking for something dystopian-leaning with themes about family and hope, then this book is for you! If you’re not looking for those things, this book is still for you. In short, read the book no matter who you are, you won’t regret it.

Otherwise, I’m also always recommending Genesis Begins Again by Alicia D. Williams whenever I can because I read it and just really adored it! I found the voice so compelling and appreciated the way the author tackled important issues like colorism and class head-on. I’d also be remiss if I didn’t throw Remy Lai into the mix––I loved the humor and heart in Pie in the Sky and have had Ghost Book on my TBR for a hot minute now! Remy’s art is so fantastic, and she really has a gift for drawing readers in on the very first page.

 

Kwame Crashes the Underworld by Craig Kofi FarmerThere’s also Kwame Crashes the Underworld, a middle-grade fantasy steeped in Ghanaian culture that just won the Coretta Scott King John Steptoe New Talent Award. And to round out my recommendation, I’m going to shout out The Haunted States of America, a middle-grade anthology I edited that features 52 different authors––one from every state in the US as well as DC and Puerto Rico. I could recommend books all day, but I’ll stop there for now!

 

 

Ghost Book by Remy Lai   Haunted Staes of America (Anthology)   Pie in the Sky by Remy Lai

 

 

 

 

 

What advice would you give to others looking for a career in publishing?
For those looking for a career in publishing, I’d recommend reading widely first and foremost! Besides that, pay attention to who published the books you’re reading––if you notice you’re reading a lot of books produced by the same imprint, try seeing if you can have an informational interview with someone who works there to learn more about their approach to book publishing. You only live once, so I would overall say don’t be afraid to reach out to folks (in a respectful way) to ask questions about what the day-to-day looks like in different departments. Everyone I’ve met has entered the industry from a different angle, so I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all method for beginning a career in publishing. However, persistence and patience go a long way!

Bonus Question:

If you could swap lives with any character from a novel, who would you choose?
I would swap lives with Mark from Andy Weir’s The Martian. I need some time to chill out on a different planet, even if it means getting stranded:) I would eventually work hard to get back to Earth though! Eventually!