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Interview & Giveaway: 5 Questions for Lindsey Stoddard, author, BRAVE LIKE THAT

By on May 18, 2020   /   Articles, Author Interviews, New Releases  

We’re happy to welcome Lindsey Stoddard, #kidlit author of the new middle-grade novel, BRAVE LIKE THAT, to the site for five fast questions PLUS a free giveaway of her book. Read on for our interview and details on how to win a copy! 

Mixed-Up Files: Can you give a summary on what your new title is about? 

Lindsey Stoddard: BRAVE LIKE THAT is the story of 11-year-old Cyrus Olson who was left on the step of a firehouse when he was a newborn and was adopted by one of the firefighters, who’s also a local football legend. Cyrus is expected to be the town’s next great wide receiver but he doesn’t know how to tell his dad he’s not brave like that. With the help of a stray dog, a new group of friends, and a kid who moves to town, Cyrus learns what kind of brave he is.

Brave Like That

MUF: I’ve been thinking quite a bit about kids and bravery during such a difficult and unsettling time. What can middle grade readers get from your book, particularly about bravery and feeling afraid, that might be relevant and helpful?

LS: I’ve been thinking of this too, and hoping that even through this isolating time, kids are finding ways to feel less alone. Books are always a great tool for that. In BRAVE LIKE THAT, Cyrus discovers that he’s not as alone as he thinks, that everyone has something that makes them feel different. He also uncovers the different types of bravery in the people around him, and that makes him feel stronger and more self-assured. To middle grade kids, right now, I’d say, gather courage from the courage you see around you. From the first responders, sure, but also of your family members, or a friend, or neighbor, a worker, and if you can’t find strength there, look for it in the pages of a good book and run away, as far as you can, with that character.

MUF: Since kids don’t have the same access to libraries at this moment, how will readers find out about your book? Can you talk a bit about releasing a new #kidlit book during such a different publishing landscape?

LS: The release of a new book is so exciting, and it was really hard to have school visits and launch events canceled FOR BRAVE LIKE THAT, but I’m very much hoping that they’ll just be postponed, and that when schools and libraries and bookstores can reopen safely, we’ll find a way to celebrate the novel and its readers. I hope the families that can, will support their local independent stores, or order a signed/personalized copy through my local indie, The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vermont. I’ll be doing some virtual visits with school groups and book clubs throughout the rest of May and June and will post some fun giveaways and sneak peeks on my social media accounts.

Lindsey Stoddard

Lindsey Stoddard, #kidlit author, BRAVE LIKE THAT

MUF: What’s next for you? Are you working on any new books or any other projects?

LS: My next novel, BEA IS FOR BLENDED, is due out in 2021 and I’m so excited for it! I’m in the beginning drafting stages of another idea and spending lots of time with my family while we’re all home. I think maybe I was really getting into the BRAVE LIKE THAT spirit because we just adopted a pup of our own!

MUF: What are a few of your favorite middle grade books of the past few years? What should kids add to their ‘to read’ pile if they’re looking for cool stuff to read?

LS: My favorite reads from the last couple years were:  THE BRIDGE HOME by Padma Venkatraman– I can still feel every little part of that world the author created. It’s a story about friendship and family and survival and it’s just so beautifully done. I loved every word. It was written in the 2nd person POV, which really helped to build the suspense. THE BRIDGE HOME

IVY ABERDEEN’S LETTER TO THE WORLD by Ashley Herring Blake– Ivy felt so very real. I was right there in her shoes for the whole book.

SOME PLACES MORE THAN OTHERS by Renee Watson– I love a good NYC book, and all of Renee Watson’s books are amazing. It’s a story about place and history and family and learning exactly where and who you come from.

NEW KID by Jerry Craft– Such big issues dealt with such honesty and humor.

New Kid Cover

LALANI OF THE DISTANT SEA by Erin Entrada Kelly– The world she built in this book was so magical and the story was so full of adventure and courage that I just couldn’t put it down.

Lalani of the Distant Sea Cover

Find Lindsey on Twitter: @lindseystoddard and Instagram: @lindseystoddardwrites

 

 

 

 

WIN BRAVE LIKE THAT

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Writing Prompts for a Pandemic

By on May 13, 2020   /   Writing  

When I first sat down to write this post, I said to myself, “How about writing something NOT about the pandemic?”

And then I laughed and laughed.

Because of course, every inch of our existences is about the pandemic–whether our state is opening or not, whether we’re wearing masks or not, whether we’re working from home or not. It’s also whether we feel safe, or been sick–or not. Maybe we’re worried about getting sick or taking care of loved ones who are sick or we’ve lost someone who was sick from Covid-19 or something completely different. It’s also about the fact that the politicization of a national emergency has introduced an additional stress beyond anything we’d ever imagined.

Books Help Us Process

And so, instead of trying to be clever and find something to say that doesn’t have the tang of pandemic to it in some way (there isn’t anything) what I will do is this: add to the body of thinking that explores ways for creators and book lovers to process this time. We are all writers, teachers, parents, librarians, and readers. We think and feel through our fingers when we write, we feel connected and supported when we read or when we share books with other people.  You don’t have to be a writer to find catharsis in the act of writing, though, just jotting down your thoughts in a journal can be a truly helpful, healthy expression.

((Have you thought about keeping a journal? Read here for some ideas about journaling in the time of Coronavirus ))

Writing as Catharsis

But maybe you’d rather not write about yourself. Maybe you’d rather find your healthy expression in the act of creating story. And many of you probably already are pecking away at your work-in-progress, or starting new ones. Some of you have discovered a superpower–the ability to focus deeply as a way of protecting yourself against too much pandemic thinking.

Others of us walk into the kitchen from our home offices and stand there for long minutes wondering why we are there. (Okay, yes, that happened before the pandemic too, but now it’s truly epic.) So, the act of organizing an actual book is perhaps not feeling like a mood-booster.

Writing Prompts for a Pandemic

Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum, writing prompts can be a soothing craft-building or venting exercise. Think of them as a mandala coloring book, only for writing. You can use them to explore your craft or just free write to release tension.

mandala writing prompts

I’ve provided a few prompts below; choose one that suits your fancy and let your fingers take over. It doesn’t have to be a book (but it may turn into one,) it doesn’t have to be anything more or less than what you want it to be: a character sketch, a short story, a one-act play, a scene, poetry, a letter, or a journal entry.

  1. You (or your main character) are taking a long, solitary drive to get a change of scenery. Most states are still recommending quarantine, so you are surprised to find a huge party happening in a secluded beach town, where they tell you they’ve managed to beat the coronavirus. DO you believe them? Do you stay?
  2. It’s one year from now: May 2021. Your main character overhears a conversation between two middle-school teenagers; they’re talking about quarantine. What are they saying? Where are they? What’s their backstory? What is the effect of their conversation on your main character?
  3. Write a letter to a teacher who has been part of your/your child’s distance learning during quarantine.
  4. You’re writing middle-grade historical fiction about a previous pandemic. Read this: and then write the backstory for one of the protestors in the article.
  5. Write a poem naming and exploring an emotion you’ve felt during the quarantine.
  6. Use the voice of your antagonist in your work-in-progress to describe a Zoom conference call or distance learning classroom.

 

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BookExpo and BookCon are ON

By on May 12, 2020   /   Oh MG News  

BookExpo and BookCon are on again! Online, that is.

At one point, both had been postponed from late May to late July. But because things still feel unstable and unsafe, organizers decided to move to a virtual format in order to ensure access to the popular events.

BookExpo

Book Expo is now from May 26-29, and will be presented on  BookExpo Facebook 

You can find the current schedule here. The children’s book event is now a Thursday night DINNER, with a panel featuring much loved middle-grade author Judy Blume, along with Misty Copeland, Raj Haldar, Marie Lu, Kwame Mbalia, and Natalie Portman.

BookCon

BookCon Online will be May 30 and 31, presented on the BookCon Facebook page. Here’s the current schedule–it looks amazing.

BOTH events will be free and open to the public. Be sure to “like” both of those Facebook pages, so that you can access their programming!

Organizers said an additional day will be added in July, with programming focused on booksellers.

 

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