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Interview with Sarwat Chadda, Author of STORM SINGER

By Michael M. Jones on April 14, 2025 / Articles, Author Interviews

In Storm Singer, twelve-year-old Nargis, who has the ability to communicate with elementals, is caught up in an epic struggle for the fate of the land of Bharat after she encounters Mistral, prince of the eagle garudas who rule over the kingdom. He’s on the run after a coup which imprisoned his parents. Nargis reluctantly agrees to aid him, thus setting the unlikely allies on a dangerous adventure.

The cover of the book Storm Singer. A girl with a crutch and a bird-like boy with wings pose against a storm.

MUF: Thanks for taking the time to speak with us. Storm Singer is a fascinating story, and I’m excited to learn more. What inspired this story? What elements led to the creation of the world and the characters?

SC: Nargis inspired it. I wanted a hero that represented the weakest and the most downtrodden, and show how someone like her can rise up and overthrow a tyranny. Ultimately what inspired it was the awareness of how unjust the world is, that it is overflowing with resources, and yet those resources are horded by the few. I wanted to write about climate change, but in a fresh way, and fancied creating a cool magic system!

MUF: While taking place in a secondary world, Storm Singer invokes the Arabian Nights and Hindu mythology in the form of the birdlike garudas. Can you tell us more about your use of folklore and myth, and how you adapted it for this tale?

SC: I wanted to create a whole fantasy world that was entirely eastern, but not too bound to one setting or another, hence mixing Indian mythology with the Arabian Nights. Plus I wanted to fill the tale with magic that didn’t owe anything to western/European fantasy. Ironically the concept of elves, dwarves, knights, dragons, etc are now so common they no longer feel ‘fantastical’. I wanted to bring that feeling of the weird and wonderful back, hence creatures like garudas and rocs.

MUF: Courtesy of a childhood accident, Nargis now uses a crutch to walk. What can you tell us about this aspect of her character?

SC: There’s not much to tell. It is just part of who she is. I took a lot of advice on how to portray her in a matter-of-fact, day to day way. Thematically it magnified the difference between her and Mistral, who can after all fly but is, for the most of the story, trapped on the ground as well.

MUF: You like to travel and to incorporate your experiences into your work. Did any of that come into play with Storm Singer? What sort of research or references did you use in developing this?

SC: I recently went to Morocco, so that will flavour the writing. But the main theme, the vast gap between those with wealth and power and those without, comes from the news, and just seeing what the world is. Covid certainly exposed many injustices between the classes, and that inspired Nargis’s story. The garudas in many ways represent the 1%, those rich enough to ignore the troubles of the world, while often being responsible for them.

MUF: What do you hope readers will take away from this story?

SC: Two things, love of the characters, and the awareness of injustice.

MUF: You’ve released 16 books in 16 years. How do you maintain such an impressive output in so many different genres and themes?

SC: I always say ‘yes’! Ask any freelancer and they’ll all tell you the same thing. You don’t turn down work. Themes come as you write, often they’re based on what’s happening in the world, but viewed through the distorted lens of fantasy. My first novel, Devil’s Kiss (2009), was written in response to the Iraq War and Storm Singer was heavily influenced by Covid, and the disparity between the haves and have nots. On top of the novels I’ve written Legend of Hanuman and Baahubali: The Lost Tales for Disney Hotstar and Amazon in India, about 12 seasons all in all. Now that I’ve been around quite a bit I do get editors approaching me with projects, and recently I’ve got jobs based on pitches and sample chapters, rather than having to write the whole thing. There are times when I do get burnt out, I must admit. But in the end I really like writing. There are so many different stages of the process. Research, first drafts, revisions, getting the cover art!

MUF: You’ve said that the best way to learn storytelling is to play role-playing games. Can you expand on that thought? What other advice would you give fledgling writers?

SC: RPGs are pure story-telling. I wrote my own adventures for years for our group, I still do. You can use them as testing grounds to your plots! Also, you have a live audience, your players. You can see what works and what doesn’t. They will ruthlessly exploit any plot holes! My other advice is FINISH. There are no more important words in a manuscript than ‘The End’.

MUF: You wrote a fantastic, apocalyptic Mesopotamian myth-inspired duology, The Adventures of Sik Aziz,for Rick Riordan Presents. What was it like working with that imprint, and is there any chance you’ll do more with them?

SC: IT WAS AWESOME! Rick and I had crossed paths previously, he was an early fan of my Ash Mistry trilogy and a huge supporter of my work throughout, plus we shared an editor, so there was a lot of overlap prior to being invited to join. I knew I wanted to write a Muslim protagonist, but the Arabian Nights angle had been done to death. The whole RRP gang are a great bunch, I’ve never felt such camaraderie amongst writers before. First time in my life I got to hang out with the ‘cool kids’. I do have something coming up soon, not quite RR-related, but VERY CLOSELY connected!

MUF: What’s next for you? Do you have anything else planned for the world or the heroes of this book?

SC: The sequel, The Crow’s Revenge! Oh, Sickle, my beloved crow assassin from the first book, has not finished with Nargis quite yet.

MUF: Bonus question: You’ve expressed a love of dragons as “boss-level creatures.” Which dragon from any aspect of literature, myth, or popular culture is your favorite?

SC: Easy! Tiamat! The goddess of chaos from Mesopotamian mythology out of whose corpse the universe was created. And, cough cough, the big bad in my novel, Fury of the Dragon Goddess…

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Sarwat Chadda is the New York Times bestselling author of the City of the
Plague God duology, the Spiritstone Saga, the Ash Mistry trilogy, the Shadow
Magic trilogy, and the Devil’s Kiss duology. He has written for Star Wars and
Minecraft as well as the 39 Clues and Spirit Animals series. Sarwat is a first
generation Muslim immigrant of South Asian descent who loves writing over
the-top adventures. His work has received numerous starred reviews and was a
Goodreads Choice Best Middle Grade Award Nominee. He has been published
in over a dozen languages. Outside of novels, he’s written plays, comic books,
and TV shows, including The Legend of Hanuman for Disney+ Hotstar. Sarwat lives in
London. Feel free to drop him a line on X (previously known as Twitter) at @SarwatChadda
and Instagram at @Sarwat_Chadda or visit him at SarwatChadda.com.

Octopus Moon: Interview with author Bobbie Pyron

By Natalie Rompella on April 11, 2025 / Articles, Author Interviews

I’m a fan of Bobbie Pyron’s books, especially A Dog’s Way Home. When I learned she had a new book out, I asked her if I could read an advanced copy and interview her. When I got the book, I was intrigued by the cover art and title. And when I read the first page . . . I was hooked. I had no idea it was going to tackle the topic of depression. And through verse! So here is a behind-the-scenes interview with Bobbie about her wonderful new release Octopus Moon.

About the Book

Hi Bobbie! I thoroughly enjoyed reading Octopus Moon. As someone who has also written a book on mental illness (on OCD), I appreciate how you show the ups and downs of depression.

Can you give us a short summary about the book?

Octopus Moon is a middle grade verse novel about a ten-year-old girl and her struggle with depression and anxiety. For as long as Pearl can remember, she’s had times when a dark cloud descends upon her, and she also worries about everything. Still, she’s been able to manage these feelings by running, hanging out with her friends, and spending time at the aquarium where her mother works. But as fifth grade approaches, these coping mechanisms don’t work as well. And then, with all the changes fifth grade brings, Pearl becomes overwhelmed by depression. Octopus Moon follows Pearl’s journey from crippling depression to hope.

When you began writing Octopus Moon, do you intend it to be more of a window or a mirror?

Excellent question! I think when I began Octopus Moon, I was writing it for my ten-year-old self. Having struggled since about the age of five with chronic depression, it was a book that would have been incredibly reassuring to me: I would have felt less alone, and also felt a sense of hope. But as I took a deep dive into the second and even third drafts, I also wanted readers who don’t live with a mental illness, especially depression, to understand what it’s like. How it’s different from “being down,” or “having a bad day.” So yes, at the beginning, I intended for the book to be a mirror.

About the Author

I read in your Author’s Note that growing up, you experienced something similar to Pearl (I think it’s wonderful you share this with your readers). Did you set out to do this or did the story shape itself?

Photo by Todd Blackley

As a former librarian, I was all too aware of the lack of novels for middle grade readers in which the main character had chronic depression. They are abundant in the YA world. Middle grade, not so much. Yet, I knew from my own experience that children, even young children, can have chronic depression, and certainly anxiety too. Back in the ‘60s when I was a young kid, there was no concept of children having depression. As a matter of fact, back then, any kind of mental illness in anybody was not talked about! And taking a kid to therapy? Ridiculous! Needless to say, even though I was a passionate reader, I never saw myself reflected in a book. It took quite a few years (and having success as an author) to get up the courage to write such a personal book.

What books and movies have influenced your writing style and/or topic choices?

Hmmm…Well, I love novels in verse! So I thought I’d try to write Pearl’s story that way. I will say, it was much harder than I’d expected it to be! Still, I think it was the right choice for this story. I was also very impressed by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley’s novel FIGHTING WORDS, which is inspired by her childhood. It’s so very honest and beautiful, heartbreaking and hopeful.

Guess which one is Bobbie?

Do you share any personality traits with Pearl?

I also live with this insidious illness, depression, so I share that with her. And like her, I wanted to be a mermaid when I grew up. I love the sea and all of its wonders. I also had a very close relationship with my paternal grandfather.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

Like Pearl, I need to be physically active. I hike, kayak, bike. I love working in the garden. And like Pearl, I love being with my friends.

Research/Writing

Little Bobbie and her beagle, Puck

What is something FUN from your childhood that you snuck into the book?

When I was young, we had a wonderful beagle named Puck. He was the most patient, loving, gentle, non-judgemental soul on the planet. I loved having him in my book!

Addressing Mental Health

You tackle a number of tough topics in this book—the main one being depression. I know it can be difficult finding a balance on what to include in a middle grade novel. Did you have any difficulty deciding how in-depth you wanted to go on the topic? And did you contemplate where to have Pearl in her journey with depression (having the book address diagnosis vs starting the book in the middle of managing depression)?

LOL, my editor, Stacey Barney, will be soooo glad you asked this question! I originally started the book on the first day of fifth grade. So right out the gate, the readers sees Pearl being overwhelmed by anxiety and depression. But my editor wanted me to back it up so that we get a sense of Pearl before things become so difficult for her. I think that was a brilliant suggestion.

Yes, I did have some difficulty deciding how in-depth to go into depression. I wanted to be honest and I didn’t want to sugar coat what living with a mental illness is like. At the same time, I wanted the story to be gentle and hopeful. I hope I achieved that balance.

What did you learn while writing this book?

First of all, I learned that writing a whole book in verse is very hard! In my book, Stay, half of the chapters are written in verse. It was fun and not that hard, so I thought, “Let’s do a whole book that way!” Ha!

I also learned that, while Octopus Moon is inspired by my own experience with depression, this is really Pearl’s story. I gave her things I didn’t have at that age: a supportive family, and a wonderful therapist. But I did have a dog.

For Teachers

Are you doing school visits related to this book?

I love doing school visits! I can usually tailor my presentation to what the teachers would like me to talk about. My presentations are best suited for grades four and up.

How can we learn more about you?

You can visit me on my lovely website www.bobbiepyron.com

I can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter under Bobbie Pyron.

Thanks for your time, Bobbie.

Grab Your Boots and Go! — Cover Reveal for 3 Weeks in the Rainforest: A Rapid Inventory in the Amazon

By Jennifer Swanson on April 10, 2025 / Articles, STEM

What one place on the planet has 40,000 plant species, 1,300 bird species, 3,000 types of fish, 430 mammals and a whopping 2.5 million different insects? The Amazon Rainforest!

And I am lucky enough to write about some AWESOME scientists who have dedicated their lives to protecting it.

This is my NEW book coming from Charlesbridge Publishing, this fall to a bookstore near you! (October 14, 2025)

How did I get the idea for this story? I visited the world famous Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, Illinois. (See, museums not only have cool facts to learn, but you can also get ideas for a book there, too!)

The Field Museum is best known as being the home to Sue, the Tyrannosaurus Rex. According to their website, “Sue is the largest, most complete, and best-preserved T. rex. At 40.5 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip, SUE is physically the largest example of Tyrannosaurus rex out of the more than 30 less complete T. rex skeletons that have been discovered to date.”

But I didn’t want to write about Sue, instead I spent several hours in a different exhibit– one that showcased the awesome environmental efforts scientists at the Field Museum are doing to help preserve the Amazon Rainforest.

What is a Rapid Inventory?

“Field Museum rapid inventories are cooperative, rigorous surveys of the biological and cultural assets of a priority landscape for conservation.”– The Field Museum’s Rapid Inventory Website

Why should we care about the Amazon Rainforest?

There are SO many amazing products that we use every day that come from the Amazon Rainforest! Plus, there are more species of animals in the Amazon than in any other place on the planet!

The BEST part about a Rapid Inventory is that is involves SO many people collaborating to help protect the precious resource of the Amazon Rainforest.

“Broad collaboration forms the essence of our inventories. We work with stakeholders at all levels—from host-country and international scientists, to local villagers, to government agencies and civil society—to build on already-existing efforts, elevate local and regional expertise, and gather crucial biological and social information. Constructing the inventory with partners from the start is crucial for successful outcomes, as it cements common goals, provides clarity of roles, and ensures that the inventory results feed directly into action.”

What does the SOCIAL TEAM do?

The COOL part about a Rapid Inventory is that it’s not just about the biology of the area, but it’s also about the social aspect– the PEOPLE– that live there. They get a say in how the land is protected. This is a very important part of the process. Social scientists go into the villages and meet with the people who live there to understand how they are already living and protecting the areas.

Community members map their natural resources, sharing their deep knowledge of the territory.

I am SO excited about this book for many reasons!

First of all, I grew up going to the Field Museum as a kid. To be able to collaborate with them on a book, is just the stuff of dreams. Secondly, the Rapid Inventory team from the Field Museum has a lot of really AWESOME female scientists! And they do some really amazing things.

When I asked icthyologist Lesley de Souza if she was worried about there being anacondas in the waters in and around the Amazon. She said something to the effect of: “I don’t worry about them. You just have to be careful not to let them get too far up your legs.” 😮😮

This book is packed with many other escapades, including a night encounter with peccaries and meeting a snake in the makeshift restroom.

I hope you check it out! This book would be perfect for kids (of all ages) who love learning about animals, new cultures, conservation, and how to save our planet!

You can PREORDER the book HERE:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/3-weeks-in-the-rainforest-jennifer-swanson/1146960437?ean=9781623543167

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Interview with Sarwat Chadda, Author of STORM SINGER

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