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TALES TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT ~ An Interview With Author Dan Poblocki

By on August 18, 2022   /   Author Interviews  

Welcome to my interview with Author Dan Poblocki and his latest release *cue booming voice* TALES TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT. This book has it all – an endearing main character, a creepy attic, and a suspense-filled world made up of multiple tales!

**Make sure you scroll to the end of this interview to enter for your chance to win your very own copy of this book!

THE BOOK

TALES TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT by DAN POBLOCKI

Publisher: Penguin Random House

Release Date: August 16, 2022

Amelia is cleaning out her grandmother’s attic when she stumbles across a book: Tales to Keep You Up at Night. But when she goes to the library to return it, she’s told that the book never belonged there. Curious, she starts to read the stories: tales of strange incidents in nearby towns, journal entries chronicling endless, twisting pumpkin vines, birthday parties gone awry, and cursed tarot decks. At the center of the stories lies a family of witches. And witches, she’s told, can look like anyone. As elements from the stories begin to come to life around her, and their eerie connections become clear, Amelia begins to realize that she may be in a spooky story of her own.


TALES TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT is the perfect next–read for fans of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark!. An excellent addition to Halloween round ups, middle grade readers will be glued to the pages, up way past their bedtimes, reading with flashlights, as they explore each of these interconnected stories. With frightening artwork at the start of each chapter, this book keeps readers engaged and terrified from beginning to end.

THE INTERVIEW🎙️

Hello Dan! It’s wonderful to have you join us. I am a huge fan of spooky books, so when I saw this book I knew I just had to chat with you about it. How about we start with – Can you describe Tales To Keep You Up At Night in five words?

Five words? I’ll try. How about these: Amelia’s tales comes to life!

Haha! It sure does.

Share a few insights into the story world you’ve created for your main character Amelia.

Amelia’s world is very much based on my own childhood growing up in the northeastern US. There was a time when my friends and I would ride bikes around our neighborhoods after school, occasionally pausing to relay some kind of legend to one another about some particular place we’d stumbled upon. Ravines. Deep forests. Strangers in grumbling cars. Spooky old houses. All of these elements felt like classic elements of scary tales, so I used them to fill Amelia’s world and set the stage.

Ooh . . . I think we might have lived in similar neighborhoods.

Tales To Keep You Up At Night is like a story – well, more like a bunch of stories – within the main story. How did keep all the details that weave the inner stories to the main story straight?

I use writing software called Scrivener, which allows me to sort each chapter into its own file. While I was writing one story, the software allowed me to pull up the other stories. This helped me remember what was what. Also, keeping lists and notes of which characters appeared in each tale helped me keep things straight. It was a challenge!

That’s a fantastic writing tool. I’m sure some of our writing readers use it.

Okay, random question: Picture Amelia standing in a grocery store. What three snacky foods will she purchase to eat while she’s reading from the old book in the attic?

Mmm. Snacks and devouring a book go hand in hand. Amelia’s the type who would probably grab a pack of strawberry Twizzlers, some chocolate milk, and maybe some Teddy Grahams or a bunch of grapes. 🥛

STORY CHARM 🌟

Why will middle grade readers relate to Amelia and Tales To Keep You Up At Night?

I hope that the readers will see themselves in Amelia in the way she cares for and worries about her family. This part of her personality is what drives her to do what she does, to fight for them, and to try and survive the scary troubles that arise.

Aw, she definitely will touch the hearts of readers.💚💚💚

What do you hope readers will take with them after reading this tale?

A whole bunch of different ideas. But most important: To look closer. To question what’s presented as the Absolute Truth.

AUTHOR INSIGHT 🔍

What is it about writing stories that moves you to keep writing?

My brain just keeps demanding I put my ideas on the page, and so far, I’ve listened.

Were you a reader as a kid?

I liked reading. But even more, I loved exploring book stores and the library. All the possibilities of the worlds on the shelves made me curious. Early on, what I loved most were comic strips: Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side, The Family Circus. Anything that gave me a sense of accomplishment. This is kind of why I wanted to write in the short-story format – to appeal to readers (like myself) who might feel intimidated by longer work, but whose attention would be rewarded if they choose to read ALL the stories.

Did you have any favorite books to read when you were a kid?

I loved books by John Bellairs, Mary Downing Hahn, Bruce Coville, Shel Silverstein, and Zilpha Keatley Snyder. Favorites include The House With a Clock in Its Walls, Wait Till Helen Comes, The Monster’s Ring, Where the Sidewalk Ends, and The Headless Cupid. Then, of course, came RL Stine and Christopher Pike and Lois Duncan – whose books were like candy. I ate them right up.

Do you have any advice or suggestions to share with librarians, teachers, and parents of how to encourage a love of reading in their middle grader?

I’m not a librarian, teacher, or parent, but I have a distinct memory of being a middle grader. What I wanted at that time was access to books, all kinds of books, because I never knew what I might find myself in the mood for. Also, I loved when I was allowed to read what I wanted to read. I will say that I’ve gotten much mail from parents and teachers who’ve shared that kids who’ve never wanted to pick up a book before ended up LOVING some of mine. Scary stories can be a gateway for reluctant readers to step into worlds of literature, so maybe, start there!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Dan PoblockiDan Poblocki is the co–author with Neil Patrick Harris of the #1 New York Times
bestselling series The Magic Misfits (writing under the pen–name Alec Azam). He’s also the author of The
Stone Child, The Nightmarys, and the Mysterious Four series. His recent books, The Ghost of Graylock
and The Haunting of Gabriel Ashe, were Junior Library Guild selections and made the American Library
Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults list in 2013 and 2014. Dan lives in Saugerties, New York, with
two scaredy–cats and a growing collection of very creepy toys.


About the illustrator: Marie Bergeron was born and raised in Montreal. After studying cinematography,
she attended École de Design. Her style is inspired by many things, including films and games,
contrasting a more graphic approach with organic strokes. Her clients have included Marvel Studios,
Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros., Fox Entertainment, and more.

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Enter for your chanced to WIN a copy of TALES TO KEEP YOU UP AT NIGHT. Giveaway runs through August 24th. Winner will be announced on Twitter (and in the comments below) on August 25th. Good Luck!🍀🍀🍀And if you like spooky books, feel free to check out more HERE and HERE! Thank you for stopping by to support Dan. Your visits are always appreciated.

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Interview with Anika Fajardo, Author of MEET ME HALFWAY

By on August 17, 2022   /   books, kidlit, New Releases, WNDMG  


I’m excited to welcome Anika Fajardo back to  the blog today to talk about her new MG novel Meet Me Halfway, which releases on September 13 from Simon & Schuster. Anika was born in Colombia and
raised in Minnesota and is the author of a book about that experience: Magical Realism for Non-Believers: A Memoir of Finding Family. Her books for middle-grade readers include the award-winning What If a Fish, Meet Me Halfway, and the Disney tie-in novel Encanto: A Tale of Three Sisters.

Karen: Thanks for joining us today, Anika! Can you tell us about your new book?
Anika: Meet Me Halfway is the story of seventh-graders Mattie Gomez and Mercedes Miller. Despite looking alike, they have nothing in common, and finding out that they’re half-sisters, doesn’t help them get along. But when they discover that their Colombian father—whom neither has met—is a visiting professor at a nearby college, they have to figure out how to work together as they embark on a road trip/adventure to find him.

Karen: What was your inspiration for this story?
Anika: I’m endlessly fascinated by non-traditional families and the search for identity, but I also wanted to write a book for kids that had fun, adventure, and hijinks. I loved From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler when I was a kid, and I wanted to write a story that took readers someplace unexpected. I spent many years as an academic librarian at a liberal arts college, so setting the adventure at a college was really fun. During my years as a librarian, I also saw many first-generation college students, and I wanted to write a story that inspired kids to pursue higher education—especially for kids whose families might not be familiar with college life.

Karen: Oh, that book was the inspiration for this blog! How interesting! So, many of your stories seem to center around being displaced, with characters separated from their original culture or family. Can you tell me what drives you to write about this theme?
Anika: I first wrote about this in my memoir, Magical Realism for Non-Believers: A Memoir of Finding Family (University of Minnesota Press, 2019). That book is about my own experience as the only child of a Colombian father and American mother. When my parents got divorced when I was a toddler, I was separated from my birthplace in Colombia and my father, and we didn’t meet again until I was a young adult. Although not everyone has such a dramatic family background, I think the theme of lost and found family resonates with many readers.

Karen: What pieces of the characters are reflections of yourself?
Anika: Both Mattie and Mercedes have quirks that reflect my experience. Like me, Mattie struggles with anxiety, and Mercedes has a quick temper like I did when I was a child.

Karen: What message or idea do you hope readers will take away from Meet Me Halfway?
Anika: First, I really hope readers have fun reading about the girls’ adventure! I also hope readers see how families—and friendships—can look different and still be positive. Last, I hope that kids get a picture of what college might be like and that the story inspires kids who might not have been thinking about college to explore that option in the future.

Karen: We all know it can be a long path to becoming a published author. Can you tell us about your path to publication?
Anika: I always wanted to be a writer, but I took a few detours, first as an elementary teacher and then as a librarian. I started writing seriously about 15 years ago, taking classes and joining writing groups. My first full manuscript was a chick lit novel that luckily no one will ever read. But the exercise of writing a book length work helped when I was writing my memoir. My first publications were essays in literary magazines. Thanks to some awards and grant funding, I was able to stretch and learn. I published my first book, my memoir, almost a decade after I wrote the first pages. The manuscript of my middle-grade debut, What If a Fish, was chosen for #PitchWars (an online mentoring program) and helped me land my agent.

Karen: What are your top three pieces of writing advice for our Mixed-Up Files readers who’d like become published someday?
Anika: 1) Write like crazy. Write the best book you can and then work on it some more! 2) Be part of the writing community. Whether that means going to in-person readings or volunteering in your community or meeting other writers online, be open to connecting with people. 3) Persevere. Publishing is not in the writer’s control, so you have to be patient. If you’ve worked hard and written the best book you can, sometimes you just have to work and wait until it’s your turn.

Karen: Great advice, Anika. Can you tell us about the books Mixed-Up Files readers can expect to see from you in the future?
Anika: I’m currently working on both a middle-grade novel and a novel for adult readers.

Karen: How can we learn more about you?
Check out my website anikafajardo.com and follow me on social media @anikwriter

 

Thanks so much for joining us today, Anika! Be sure to check out Anika’s new book, Meet Me Halfway, which launches next month!

 

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STEM Tuesday — Ecosystem Recovery– Writing Tips & Resources

By on August 16, 2022   /   Ecosystems, STEM Tuesday  

STEM Tuesday – Ecosystem Recovery

Visual information is everywhere we look. Think about the bright red, octagonal stop sign the traffic guard holds. Everyone knows at a glance that means stop! Or, look at a set of assembly instructions for a desk or a LEGO set. They rely on pictures and few if any words to explain how to put things together.

Graphics are an important part of informational writing. Sometimes a graphic (a picture only or a combination of words and pictures) is a better choice than words alone.

This month, we’ll focus on reading, understanding, and creating info graphics, using mentor texts from this month’s book list. As they say, sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.

Comparisons

graphic of a burmese python's diet

First, let’s look at the Burmese Python Diet info graphic from Kate Messner’s TRACKING PYTHONS. The graphic itself uses hardly any words. Yet you can immediately see the devastating effect this non-native animal has on native species in Florida. Just look at all that it eats! That’s one hungry python.

Now imagine if Messner had chosen instead to convey this information using only words: 72 mice, 30 cotton rats, 15 rabbits, etc. It doesn’t have nearly the impact. Plus, it’s boring to read. In situations like these, graphics are a great choice.

Step-by-Step Processes

Trying to explain ocean acidification? What about how telemetry works? You can use graphics to break down complicated step-by-step processes. We have two great examples from this month’s book list: an ocean acidification graphic from Patricia Newman’s PLANET OCEAN and the telemetry graphic from Messner’s PYTHONS.

Ocean acidification graphic

This is an image of how telemetry works

Unlike the previous, wordless graphic, these use a combination of words and pictures to help us understand what’s going on.

To understand the impact of the pictures, cover them up, and look only at the words. Or you could even try typing them out into a document. How well do you understand what’s going on? Now uncover the pictures and “read” them. How do the images aid your understanding?

If you are explaining a step-by-step process in your writing, consider whether a graphic could help.

Descriptions/Labeled Diagrams

Like the step-by-step graphics above, labeled diagrams combine text and images. Let’s study this adorable otter graphic from Patricia Newman’s SEA OTTER HEROES.

This is a labeled graphic of a sea otter.What information do the text boxes provide on their own? Imagine if there was no picture of the otter at all, and this information was conveyed in writing only. Would it work? How does the image of the otter add to your understanding of how the otter is built to hunt?

If a reader isn’t familiar with an otter, it would be difficult for them to call to mind what an otter’s ears or whiskers look like. And even if they had seen an otter, their memory might be inaccurate. A picture ensures the reader gets all the information they need, both what the otter’s features look like and how they are used to hunt.

Your Turn

Now it’s time to put what we’ve learned into practice. Have students read through a piece of their own informational writing and identify an area where a graphic might help their audience gain a better understanding. It might be a comparison, a step-by-step process, a description like the otter, or something else.

Next, have them create the infographic. They can draw something by hand or use online tools like Google Slides to arrange photos, clip art, arrows, text boxes, or more.

Finally, have students inert their graphic, and then revise their text accordingly.

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headshot of Kirsten W. LarsonKirsten W. Larson used to work with rocket scientists at NASA and now writes about women in science and much more. Her books include the WOOD, WIRE, WINGS: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane, illus. Tracy Subisak and A TRUE WONDER: The Comic Book Hero Who Changed Everything, illus. Katy Wu. Learn more at kirsten-w-larson.com.

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