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WNDMG Author Interview: Pablo Cartaya

Let’s give a warm welcome to Pablo Cartaya for joining us at the Mixed-Up Files blog. Pablo is an internationally acclaimed author, screenwriter, speaker, and educator. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, and on Oprah’s Booklist. Thank you so much for joining us! It’s a pleasure to have you. Let’s talk about your books and writing!

Pablo! You have had some of the coolest jobs! Umm, Ricky Martin’s body double, for one? When do you find the time to write? Seriously, do you have a daily schedule, or is it buckle down because the book is due, or somewhere in between?

I’ve had some pretty fun, wild jobs (movie equipment truck driver, Spanish dubbing actor, hand model), there’ve been a lot of odd jobs. I think when you endeavor to work in a creative field, you have to figure out any way to keep working to support the dream you have to be a creative. I’ve learned over many years of working odd jobs that if I wanted to dedicate time to my craft, I had to compartmentalize myself and the responsibilities I had. I don’t really do daily schedules per se, but I do have “assignments” that I know I have to complete. Those assignments could be book deadlines, answering interview questions (which, by the way, thank you!), or any number of speaking gigs I may have. And I’ve learned to put each “assignment” into a category, and I set out to check them off one by one. That way, the amount of work never feels overwhelming. Can it get overwhelming even with this compartmentalized structure? Oh, for sure. But the guideline helps!

 

Speaking of writing schedules, let’s talk about how you write. You write all of your drafts in longhand. Do you just get the draft out, or do you also edit as you go in longhand? Once you type it into the computer, are you working in Word, or do you use a program like Scrivener?

I like the tactile process of writing longhand. Is it an efficient way to write when there are deadlines and loads of planning to do to organize a novel? Probably not. But I think artists need to find the way of working that suits them and go with that. I love the way a pen glides across a paper. I love doodles and scribbles and seeing words crossed out. Because of time constraints, I don’t try to write an entire draft longhand anymore, but I do begin every story I write with a pen and a pad. Then, I open Word and begin drafting what I call my messy draft. I actually call it something else, but this is a family blog. I don’t worry about that draft being perfect. I just need it to be on my computer. My long-time editor said to me once, “The purpose of a first draft is to merely exist.” I think that was a nice way of saying my draft was total garbage, but the idea stuck with me. I don’t need the draft to be perfect. I just need it to exist. From there, the revisions are where I uncover all the things I’m trying to say in the story. I love the art of discovering the story.

 

Having had all of these exciting life experiences, how many of them come into play when you’re writing? How much of your life shows up on the page?

There aren’t always direct life experiences that show up on the page. But there are amalgamations of feelings, family history, experiences, and things that I read that inspire the questions I’m trying to answer when I write a story. I read a great deal. Newspapers, magazines, books. Loads of books. I believe that’s a great way to understand what you like, what you’re questioning, and what you want to learn more about. From there, feelings take a central role in the process, and I guide my writing from that space. Then, my editor comes in and tells me to clean everything up. Haha.

 

Did you always want to be a writer? You have so many credits as a performer. Was that your first choice? How did you land your first credit as a professional writer?

I always wanted to be a storyteller. And that has taken many forms throughout my life. I played sports up to college and loved the drama and excitement of competition. As an actor, I was always drawn to the interiority of a role I was playing. Even if it was an extra in a commercial. I wanted to know the character’s story. Writing was a natural progression of that love of storytelling. I took a break from acting when my daughter was born. And I co-wrote a picture book with a pastry chef friend called Tina Cocolina: Queen of the Cupcakes. When the book came out, I visited schools and gave interactive performances, and loved how the kids responded to not only the book but the performance. After graduate school, I turned my focus to writing books about the middle-grade years and began to travel the country talking to middle schoolers about those books. But I did it in a performative way that spoke to the storytelling aspects of writing and being inspired by life’s experiences. Now I travel everywhere talking to kids, educators, and parents in communities all over the world about the power of storytelling. I’ve gotten to blend the performance side of me with the writing to be the kind of storyteller I always hoped to be. I even get to play ball sometimes with kids when I visit a school. It’s pretty dope.

 

Let’s talk about your latest book, A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation (Penguin May 2025). How did the idea for the book come about?

Remember my editor’s kind words about the purpose of a first draft is to merely exist? Yeah, well, the first draft of A Hero’s Guide to Summer Vacation had that kind of first draft. To be honest, it wasn’t good. I turned it in May 2020, and it didn’t have my very best work in it. Then, draft after draft, I kept dealing with many personal tragedies, and I just couldn’t find my way to finishing. But I was on a contract, and I had to deliver something. So, I started collecting all the iterations of drafts I had started and stopped, and tried to understand what I was trying to say with the variations of the story I was attempting to finish. I gave myself a guidepost (using the Hero’s Journey) to help frame the story. And then I began using different narrators to help guide the story along. Adding a road trip gave me a clear start and stop to work with. Gonzalo, the thirteen-year-old main character, starts in Mendocino, California, and has to drive cross-country with his ornery and very famous children’s book author grandfather, Alberto, down to Miami, Florida. By keeping them in a confined space like an old car with no air-conditioning, I was able to dive into what the characters were trying to tell me. From there, I discovered the characters were using their art to try and give a voice to their grief. And as my main character, Gonzalo, travels across the country, he discovers his own voice and becomes the hero of his own story. It wasn’t a straight line to get to the end, but we got there. Like any good road trip.

 

How much did the book change from inception to finished draft?

Like I mentioned above, the book changed quite a bit, but also didn’t really change at all. It became a journey. The variations of drafts became foundational pieces to the story that was ultimately trying to be told. I’m eternally grateful to my editor and the team at Kokila for their patience and faith in me to get it done.

 

What do you love about writing for middle graders (as opposed to YA or picture books)?

I love the blunt honesty of middle graders. They are emotional, rowdy, hilarious, and don’t suffer fools. I respect the heck out of them. I love the littles (the picture book ages). And I admire the YA readers tremendously. But there’s something about middle graders that I just love. Probably because I remember what it was like to be in middle school. I want to talk to them and write stories for them in a way I would’ve wanted someone doing for me at that age.

 

What advice would you give to those wanting to write for middle graders?

If you’re an adult writing for middle graders, keep your adult voice out of the story. Kids can tell when someone is trying to talk down to them. Be honest. Be respectful. Have a little fun. Don’t take yourself too seriously, but treat your story with respect.

 

What are you working on now? What big adventures do you have planned next?

Oh, I CANNOT WAIT to tell you!!! It’s gonna be super cool. Check back in with me in a bit. 😊

 

Bonus Question: What’s the most memorable comment you’ve received about your work?

I’ve received so many wonderful comments over the years. I’m grateful to every educator, parent, and kid who has ever honored me with reading or hearing and connecting with my stories. One time, my son’s principal called me into the office. She was crying while holding one of my books. The office staff was looking like, what the heck is happening? The principal approached and stretched out the book towards me, then said, “Thank you for this.” Then she said, and I’m paraphrasing, something like, “Our family used your book as a way to finally say goodbye to our grandmother.” It was very special. During one of my school visits, an educator said after a presentation, “He speaks middle school.” Heck yeah, I do. And I think one of my favorites is a kid standing up in the middle of one of my talks and saying, “Pero, like, why is your story exactly like mine??” I love my job.

The Scientific Method is Dead! (Sort Of) – Emphasizing the Science and Engineering Practices With Middle Grade Books

Raise your hand if you grew up learning the scientific method. Me too. In fact, for thousands of years, all the way back to Aristotle in Ancient Greece (and possibly earlier), the scientific method has been the way science is done. And it still is. Sort of.

When the Next Generation Science Standards were released in 2013, it was immediately apparent that they are very different than previous standards. The NGSS are written in three dimensions that work together to help students make sense of the world: the Disciplinary Core Ideas, the Crosscutting Concepts, and the Science and Engineering Practices.

What are the Science and Engineering Practices?

In this post, I’m going to address the Science and Engineering Practices because they describe the actions we want our students to be engaging in. In other words, what we want our students to be able to do. Take a look at a comparison between the scientific method and the practices. What similarities do you notice? What differences do you see?

A table comparing the science and engineering practices with the scientific method

One of the main reasons for the shift away from the scientific method is its representation of science as a series of sequential steps to be completed in order. But science isn’t sequential. It is messy, as shown in this fantastic video by the California Academy of Sciences. (It really is worth the six-minute time investment.)

According to the NGSS Appendix for the Science and Engineering Practices:

The Framework uses the term “practices,” rather than “science processes” or “inquiry” skills for a specific reason: “We use the term “practices” instead of a term such as “skills” to emphasize that engaging in scientific investigation requires not only skill but also knowledge that is specific to each practice. (NRC Framework, 2012, p. 30)”

Now that you have a bit of background on the practices, let’s take a look at how you can emphasize them using middle grade nonfiction.

DISCLAIMER! We want our students to be doing the science and engineering practices, not just reading about them. The following suggestions are in addition to time spent engaging in the practices through a high-quality curriculum during dedicated science time.

Emphasizing the Science and Engineering Practices With Middle Grade Books

Below are a few examples to spark ideas about how you can bring more scientific thinking into your ELA instruction by focusing on the science and engineering practices.

Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science From One End to the Other by Heather Montgomery

This is the #1 book for exploring the #2 process! Heather takes readers along on a feces field trip. From dissecting possums to trains full of sewage, Heather models for students how asking questions and conducting investigations can lead to amazing (and gross!) discoveries.

 

The Doomsday Detectives: How Walter and Luis Alvarez Solved the Mystery of Dinosaur Extinction by Cindy Jenson-Elliott

This book chronicles the father-son team that solved one of the greatest mysteries of all time: How did the dinosaurs die? This book gives readers a front row seat to the science behind the discovery. All of the science and engineering practices are modeled, yet I love to emphasize how they analyzed data, engaged in argument from evidence, used mathematics and computational thinking, and communicated information.

 

Where Are the Aliens? The Search for Life Beyond Earth by Stacy McAnulty

This book explores the scientific thinking behind the search for alien life. Readers have a front row seat to the calculations that help scientists think about the potential existence of extra-terrestrial life. How scientists use mathematics is on full display!

 

One Long Line: Marching Caterpillars and the Scientists Who Followed Them by Loree Griffin Burns

Loree’s opening perfectly describes this book: “This is a story about unusual caterpillars, curious people, and fascinating conversations.” It zooms in on a specific discovery involving pine processionary caterpillars and is perfect for spotlighting the practices of asking questions and conducting investigations.

As your students engage with the texts, you can ask them questions about the practices in three ways:

  1. Ask students to identify how a particular practice is represented.
    • Give an example from the book where Heather is conducting an investigation.
  2. Ask students to identify a practice of their choosing.
    • What practices do you notice in this book? Support your answer with examples from the text.
  3. Ask students a specific question about a particular practice.
    • How do Walter and Luis use data as evidence to explain phenomena?

Bottom line: The more we can model the practices for our students, the better they will understand and internalize them. After all, the practices, require practice!

More Than Mysteries

You don’t have to be a super sleuth to discover these recently published mysteries written by diverse authors. Readers will be intrigued trying to puzzle out whodunit in these page-turning stories. Yes, they will encounter clues, red herrings and action packed scenes, but, most importantly, they will be thrilled to meet relatable young detectives who will inspire them to care about the questions they are seeking to answer. What stands out about these titles is that they are layered with bigger questions – such as injustices in Black History, or the unresolved lives of supernatural spirits, class prejudices in resort towns, the difficulties of true friendship, or ethics in celebrity TV shows. Without a doubt, readers will be entertained.

THEIR JUST DESSERTS

 

Their Just Desserts by Tracy Badua

Laila is thrilled to be on the TV set of a kid’s bake show, while her best friend Lucy, inspiring journalist, would rather be investigating a news story. Both best friends are determined to solve the mystery of the stolen jewels to help their friend, whose father has been accused of this crime. The girls strong personalities, and friendship difficulties, matched with the delicious baking scenes and excitement of the investigation are captivating.

 

 

Billions to Burn

Billions to Burn by Taylor Banks

Clever puzzles, high jinx, and treasure maps, fuel Zeus’s cross country quest to find his grandfather. Along the way he and his three friends are chased by scary henchmen but also are presented with opportunities to learn about the Harlem Renaissance and other aspects of the injustices to Blacks in American History. The inclusion of these thought provoking themes are layered in a natural and fascinating way. The action escalates, and ends with a cliff hanger. Keep your eyes open for a sequel.

 

 

A STUDY IN SECRET

A Study in Secrets by Debbi Michiko Florence

Megumi ‘Meg’ Mizuno is an unwilling student at Leland Chase aka The Last Chance Academy. After her mother’s death two years ago, she has spiraled academically, and longs to spend more time with her busy and distracted father. When a silver envelope is slipped under her door she sees the chance to solve a scavenger hunt and win the luxury vacation prize that would bring her closer to her father. Meg, who has had difficulties making friends in the past, finds she needs to begin trusting her classmates, or else lose any chance of winning the hunt. The private school, shrouded in secrets, is the perfect backdrop for this series opener – as is the unexpected ending.

 

Blood in the Water by Tiffany D. Jackson

Kaylani is trying to make the best of her summer visiting her family’s hoity-toity friends. It shouldn’t be too hard, after all Martha’s Vineyard is full of beaches, kids her age and interesting Black History. When a young boy dies a shocking death, Kaylani is thrown into the role of detective. As Kaylani uncovers clues she’s confronted with secrets about her own life. Plot twists and emotional turns will keep readers on the edge of their seats.

 

 

 

THE LAST RESORT

Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly

Lila has never met her Grandpa Clem, and is not to thrilled when her parents uproot her to spend time at his Inn to sort things out after his death. On arrival, she begins to see and communicate with ghosts, who tell her that her grandfather was murdered. With the help of a boy next door, Lila sets out to find the truth so she can release the spirits and allow them to pass to the other world. This spine chilling spooky mystery includes interactive elements. Using a QR code, readers can connect with the ghosts and conduct investigations of their own.

 

 

Opal Watson: Private Eye by Brittany J.Thurman

Opal’s a confident detective who has solved many a case for her friends and family. Now that she’s moved to the Crescent, the new apartment building that her dad is managing in Chicago, she’s confronted with a super challenging mystery. When her best friend and neighbor, Madison hears a strange noise in her bathroom, Opal investigates and finds a much bigger mystery – one that may threaten the existence of the entire building. She and a reluctant partner are assigned a video project about The Great Migration, and discover more surprising secrets about their building.

 

 

Jen Kraar
Jen Kraar grew up chasing lizards in India, making up stories about the residents of the spirit houses in Thailand, and riding retired racehorses in Singapore. On occasion she would visit the Met in NYC, and, like Claudia and Jamie, dream of splashing among the muse statues in the cafeteria’s fountain. Jen explores themes of finding home in the middle grade novels and picture books she writes. Now, as a Manager at Pittsburgh’s beloved City of Asylum Bookstore, she builds a diverse collection of books, talks about kid lit with customers young and old, and reads every middle grade ARC (advanced reading copy) she can get her hands on. When Jen is not reading or writing she is baking scones, knitting while viewing French detective shows with her partner, or visiting her daughters in Brooklyn and Durham.