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Agency: The Dilemma for the Middle Grade Sleuth

By on January 17, 2025   /   Articles, Writing  

By C. M. Surrisi on January 17, 2025

Picture of children looking at a map

The Dilemma

Many authors who love middle grade mysteries would like to write one. Hurrah! We always welcome new mysteries. However, it is not uncommon in this endeavor to dive in with a clever idea and then at about page fifty, give up. Why? Because it’s darn hard for a kid to solve a mystery.

Why is that? To solve a crime, a sleuth needs the ability to take action that affects the investigation and outcome, or in a word: agency. The youth-sleuth has some inherent handicaps in this regard. So when writing the middle grade mystery, how do you deal with these obstacles, and what can you do to make the most of them?

Fortunately, there is an established model which appeared in the earliest middle grade mysteries (e.g., Emil and the Detectives, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden) and endures in today’s kid-crime novels.

The model has three parts.

  • First, you should understand the kid-sleuth’s unique problems. For example:

    • They usually can’t drive.
    • They have curfews.
    • They have parents watching over them.
    • They have little or no money.
    • They do/don’t carry phones.
    • They lack life experience.
    • They can disagree and bicker among themselves (true of adults, also!).
    • They are told to stay out of the way.
    • They are discredited when they offer advice and evidence.
    • They are prone to misunderstand things they have no experience with and thus can misinterpret clues.

In other words, they’re kids.

  • Second, you need to create a story world where they can investigate successfully. For example:

    • A location they can navigate, e.g., a boarding school, a small town, a camp, etc.
    • A season that allows them access to the outdoors. This will vastly expand your opportunity for unique scenes.
    • A lack of constant, immediate oversight. In other words, a single parent, working parent(s), deceased parent(s), no parent(s), inattentive oversight by teachers, camp counselors, etc.
    • A knowledge of the law (however misguided) through TV, movies, parental jobs, the police station next door, etc.

  • Finally, turn their disadvantages into superpowers. For example, here are some ways to work around a few of the issues mentioned above:

There you have some pointers on creating a successful middle grade sleuth. If you can think of items you would add to these lists, please add them to the comments below. Happy writing!

(c)cmsurrisi

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Interview with Nashae Jones, Author of AS YOU WISH

By on January 16, 2025   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

In As You Wish, thirteen-year-old Birdie’s plans for an awesome eighth grade are disrupted when the West African trickster god Anansi offers her three wishes, as part of a debt he owes her family. Naturally, nothing goes as expected, and Birdie is forced to reexamine her priorities, goals, and friendships, especially where her long-time best friend Deve is concerned…

MUF: Thanks for speaking with us, Nashae. This book is absolutely delightful. I’m a sucker for trickster figures, and Anansi is such a chaotic presence. What inspired this story?

NJ: Hi, I’m so excited to be doing this interview. I’ve been a huge fan of From the Mixed-Up Files for years now. I’ve always loved trickster characters, and Anansi is by far my favorite. In fact, the idea for the book started with Anansi and evolved from there.

MUF: You’ve also written Courtesy of Cupid, another story in which a mythological figure wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting mortal’s life. I’m sensing a pattern here. What about this theme appeals to you?

NJ: I have always been in awe of high-fantasy writers and their ability to weave together elements to create new, inventive worlds.  But as an author, I like to write stories grounded in reality with just a touch of magic. I love weaving in the idea that magic is something fantastical and otherworldly, but not a crutch for my characters to use to fix their real-world problems.

MUF: On a related tangent, you’ve played around with several different mythologies. What other gods or pantheons would you like to explore, given a chance?

NJ: I love this question!  I have a couple of different mythologies/folklores I want to take a go at including: the golem, Baba Yaga, and ciguapas (mermaids).

 MUF: I understand that Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish are loosely connected; do you want to write more in this setting, or try something unrelated in the future?

NJ: I think for right now, I really enjoy writing these type of middle grade books. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue to write more of these interconnected, magical stories.

MUF: Deve’s little sister Mishti is hearing impaired. Not only do Birdie and Deve use ASL to communicate with her, they use it as a secret way to talk to each other. What prompted you to include this in your story?

NJ: Growing up, I had a friend that was partially deaf, and I remember learning basic ASL signs so that we could communicate. It very much felt like we had our own secret language. I wanted to find a way to integrate that part of my childhood into the story.

 MUF: Birdie’s mother struggles with anxiety, and her resultant overprotectiveness has a profound impact upon Birdie’s own everyday life. What do you hope readers will take away from this element of the story, especially in terms of the mother-daughter relationship?

NJ: Birdie’s mother’s anxiety is a catalyst to why many of the events unfold in the story. Birdie desperately wants to be normal, and she feels like her mom is a road block to achieving that goal. The middle school years are rough, and that can be especially so for mothers and daughters. While middle schoolers are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, they have parents who are trying to adjust to their kids’ burgeoning need for independence. I hope readers will take away the fact that they aren’t alone in feeling this way about parental relationships—and that all relationships take work.

MUF: You make a point of noting that Birdie and her cousin Erin are Black in a small town where there aren’t that many people of color. Meanwhile, Deve and his family are Indian. Can you tell us more about your choice of characters and setting?  

NJ: This was more of a personal choice. I live in a rural county where my family is one of the small number of Black families that live here. I wanted to write a story reflecting the town my children grew up and went to school in.

MUF: Your author bio says you’re passionate about diversity initiatives in children’s literature. Can you tell us more about that? Are you involved with any in particular, or any you’d like to recommend?

NJ: I’m a huge advocate for diversifying the children’s literary canon, so that we can include a variety of people and experiences for people to read about. Right now, the biggest initiative I am apart of is the Authors Against Book Bans. Book bans target BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, and they seek to silence the authors of these stories. I always recommend this coalition to any fellow authors or illustrators.

MUF: I see that you teach AP English in high school. What do your students think about your publications? Are they helpful when it comes to capturing authentic teenage voices and experiences?

NJ: My students love my stories. They’re very supportive, and they love the fact that a fictionalized version of their town is being centered in my stories. My experience as a teacher brings with it a wealth of insight into the teenage psyche and behaviors, and they are always informing my writing.

MUF: Not to spoil anything, but I saw that Courtesy of Cupid was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, while As You Wish was inspired by the movie Bedazzled. What other influences would you like to share with us? 

MJ: Courtesy of Cupid is also lightly influenced by the 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I really liked the concept of a teenager with new powers who messes things up sometimes. With As You Wish, one of my favorite things I got to include as sort of an Easter egg was the title itself. As You Wish is based on the famous line from The Princess Bride.

MUF: If Anansi popped into your life and offered you a wish, would you accept? If so, what would you wish for, knowing his talent for chaos? Or would you run away, very quickly?

NJ: I would love to say I would turn my nose up at Anansi, but I don’t think my curiosity would let me turn him down. Haha. I think that I would wish for a lifetime supply of warm chocolate chip cookies. Surely, he couldn’t mess that up…

MUF: What’s next for you as an author? 

NJ: Right now, I’m working on some books in the young adult age group. I’m hoping  to share more information soon.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.

Website: www.nashaejones.com
Instagram: @nashae.jones

 

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Mixed-Up Files Member Spotlight: Jen Swanson

By on January 13, 2025   /   Articles, Author Interviews  
Author Jennifer Swanson

NEW Post Series for The Mixed Up Files!

We have started a new post series to highlight our amazing Mixed-Up Files Blog members. Take a look, check out their websites, follow them on their social media, and look up their books.  We are very proud of our members and can’t wait to show them off!

It is my pleasure to write the first post and get to feature a very prolific author who has been a part of MUF for over ten years.

About the AuthorAuthor Jennifer Swanson

I’m excited to interview From the Mixed-Up Files’ own Jennifer (Jen) Swanson. Jen is the author of over 50 nonfiction books for children, mostly about STEM and technology. She is also the creator and co-host of the Solve It! For Kids Science Podcast, the creator of STEM Tuesday (on our own MUF blog) and STEAMTeamBooks a yearly book promotion group highlighting STEAM books for kids. Finally, Jen has been a member of the MUF blog since 2012 and has been an administrator of the Mixed-Up Files blog for the last 8 years.

 

Jen, can you give us five interesting facts about you, your books, and/or your writing?

  1. I have loved science my whole life, as I started a science club in my garage when I was 7.
  2. I am a curious person! My books take complex topics and break them down into easily understandable—and intriguing—concepts.
  3. I graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1990 and was in the 11th class to have women there.
  4. I have three brothers, so I’ve either watched or played practically every sport there is.
  5. I am a huge reader! When I was a kid, I use to win the summer reading program every summer by reading the most books in my age group.

 

Tell us about middle grade Jen. What were your interests? How have you changed since then?

When I was in middle school, I had the best 7th grade science teacher. Her name was Mrs. Roth and she had a full skeleton in her classroom. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. I was also a cheerleader when I was in 8th grade, and ran track in middle school and got second in state in the 200m dash.

I still love science, I’m no longer a cheerleader. But I love sports, and although I’m a bit slower, I still run.

 

What other jobs/careers have you had and how did they influence what you choose to write about?

I was on active duty as an officer in the U. S. Navy for 5 years. During that time, I taught chemistry at the Naval Academy Preparatory School, and also worked for the Commander-in-Chief of the US Atlantic Fleet providing the ship readiness reports for the morning meeting. For fourteen years, I was a middle school science teacher for Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth.

All of those jobs helped me to be a dedicated, hardworking independent author. To be self-motivated to meet deadlines and to communicate effectively and network with people.

 

You head the fabulous STEM Tuesday column. Tell us about it. What is your motivation for it? Who is the intended audience?

I created STEM Tuesday to help teachers. The goal is to provide easily activities with high- interest STEM topics for teachers to use immediately in the classroom. Many of these include using STEM/STEAM books for a combination of science and literacy. The STEM Tuesday team is composed of an awesome mix of children’s authors, teachers, STEM advocates and literacy lovers. We have a huge database of activities, as we’ve been doing this for 7 years. And it’s completely searchable! Please check it out.

About Jen Swanson’s Books

If you were to sum up your books/style of writing in four words, what would it be?

Engaging, exciting, exploring resources

 

As I am a huge alien fan. I’d love to learn more about your upcoming book How to Talk to An Alien! Is this categorized as sci fi or nonfiction?

It is nonfiction middle grade. This book is chock full of astrobiology, linguistics, and a whole lot of science, this book is for the curious kid of all ages who wants to see our universe in a new light and (maybe) even discover how they would talk to an alien, if they should ever meet one!

 

Do you have any other new books coming out? 

The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World by Dylan Thuras and Jennifer Swanson, illustrated by Ruby Fresson  link, August 12, 2025 (Workman Publishing)

3 WEEKS IN THE RAINFOREST: A Rapid Inventory in the Amazon (Charlesbridge Publishing)  September 30, 2025. This middle grade STEM book follows the Rapid Inventory scientists of Chicago’s Field Museum as they conduct an inventory of everything that crawls, creeps, walks, or flies while they  explore some of the ecologically and culturally richest places on Earth.

 

Research/Writing

Have you done any strange/surprising research for a book?

I got my own private underground tour of CERN, where the Large Hadron Collider is located. It’s where scientists are trying to understand how our  universe began. I’ve also been to multiple rocket launches, been behind the scenes at NASA Johnson and NASA Kennedy Space Centers. Basically, wherever I travel, I do research for a book!

 

For Teachers

What advice do you have for teaching children to write nonfiction?

  •   Let them follow their own curiosity
  •   Think outside the box—have them describe how to do something and then make it
  •   Read a lot of nonfiction in your classroom and have discussions about it.
  •   Have fun with it!

 

Do you do virtual/in person school visits?

Yes, I love to interact with students and teachers. You can find more information about my school visits here: https://jenniferswansonbooks.com/about/author-visits/

 

Where can we learn more about you?

I also have an award-winning science podcast for kids:

Solve It! Science Podcast for Kids—Check it out!

You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Bluesky

 

Thanks for sharing your background with us!

Readers, feel free to drop a comment or question for Jen below!

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