Articles

November 2020: New Releases

By Dorian Cirrone on November 2, 2020 / Articles, Book Lists

Whether it’s humor or history, fantasy or food, wizards or warriors, November has a book for you. Take a look and let us know in the comments section which ones you’re looking forward to. And don’t forget to click on the titles for links to Bookshop.org.

Serena Says

By Tanita S. Davis

JC shines like a 4th of July sparkler. She has the best ideas, the biggest, funniest laugh, and the party starts when she arrives. Serena St. John is proud to be known as her best friend.

Everything changes when JC returns from the hospital with a new kidney — and a new best friend. Out of the spotlight of JC’s friendship, suddenly things aren’t quite so sparkly in Serena’s world.

Lonely Serena works on perfecting her vlogs, hoping to earn a shot at becoming a classroom reporter. If she can be smart and funny on video, why can’t she manage that in real life? If only she could always pause, edit, or delete conversations. It would be so much easier to say the right thing at the right time . . . instead of not saying what she should, or, even worse, blurting out a secret that wasn’t hers to share. Life doesn’t have a pause button — but as Serena discovers her voice through vlogging, she learns that she’s not just there to reflect JC’s light — she’s fully capable of shining on her own.

The Ickabog

By J.K. Rowling

Once upon a time there was a tiny kingdom called Cornucopia, as rich in happiness as it was in gold, and famous for its food. From the delicate cream cheeses of Kurdsburg to the Hopes-of-Heaven pastries of Chouxville, each was so delicious that people wept with joy as they ate them.

But even in this happy kingdom, a monster lurks. Legend tells of a fearsome creature living far to the north in the Marshlands . . . the Ickabog. Some say it breathes fire, spits poison, and roars through the mist as it carries off wayward sheep and children alike. Some say it’s just a myth. And when that myth takes on a life of its own, casting a shadow over the kingdom, two children – best friends Bert and Daisy – embark on a great adventure to untangle the truth and find out where the real monster lies, bringing hope and happiness to Cornucopia once more.

Unlocked: Book 8.5 Keeper of the Lost Cities

By Shannon Messenger

In this extra special installment of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series, the story picks up right from Legacy’s particularly devastating cliffhanger. But chapters alternate between Sophie and Keefe’s perspectives to give readers deeper insights into both beloved characters. New powers will be discovered. Hard truths from the past will come to light. And all of your favorite characters will find themselves tested in ways they never imagined. And that’s not all!

Unlocked also includes a comprehensive guide to the world of the Lost Cities, featuring new character and world details that have never been revealed before — plus fun bonuses like Keeper-themed recipes, a detailed map of the Lost Cities, gorgeous full-color illustrations, and so much more!

The Wizards of Once: Never and Forever (The Wizards of Once #4)

By Cressida Cowell

Xar and Wish are on the final leg of their journey — first stop: The Mine of Happiness. Here, starvation is never far away for the Magical creatures who toil in its horrible depths. Xar and Wish must escape and fast; Xar needs to take control of his ever-growing Witchstain, and Wish must achieve her Destiny. But the Tazzelwurm is in their way, a grotesque monster who threatens to block every entrance.

Time is not on their side, but the forests are calling them. Will their combined strength be enough for the biggest quest so far: to defeat the Kingwitch once and for all?

Warriors: Darkness Within (The Broken Code #4)

By Erin Hunter

Exiled after a battle that left all five Clans devastated, ThunderClan’s loyal deputy, Squirrelflight, must bring to light an earth-shattering truth: the identity of the cat ruling ThunderClan while wearing Bramblestar’s face.

While the fate of his body hangs in the balance, the real Bramblestar’s spirit has vanished. Even Rootspring is powerless to reach him—and with tensions among the Clans at a breaking point, Squirrelflight may not be able to ensure Bramblestar has a body to return to. If he returns at all.

Packed with action and intrigue, this sixth Warriors series is the perfect introduction for readers new to the Warriors world, while dedicated fans will be thrilled to discover the new adventures that unfold after the events of A Vision of Shadows.

The Royal Ranger: The Missing Prince (Ranger’s Apprentice)

By John F. Flanagan

Will Treaty and his apprentice, Maddie, have been urgently summoned to Castle Araluen. When they arrive, they learn a shocking truth: the Prince of Gallica is missing – and the King of Gallica has asked for help. All reports suggest that the young prince has been taken prisoner by the dangerous and powerful Baron Joubert de Lassigny. King Duncan knows that sending troops to Gallica to rescue the prince could start a war, as could openly helping Gallica resolve internal convict. But there’s another way to save the prince: the Ranger Corps.

Soon, Will and Maddie are on the road to rescue the missing prince, disguised as father and daughter jongleurs. Maddie will have to use her knife-throwing skills to keep up her disguise, and her ranger’s apprentice training to complete the mission. But going undercover is dangerous – and the road presents its own hazards. Can she and Will use all their talents to save the prince, or will the arrogant Baron uncover their plans and put their lives, and their kingdom, at risk?

Dog Diaries: Curse of the Mystery Mutt – A Middle School Story (Dog Diaries #4)

By James Patterson and Steven Butler, illus. Richard Watson

Junior is loving his life with the Khatchadorian family. But his idyllic life soon turns to terror when a mysterious individual begins to make trouble in the neighborhood. It starts with a mysterious howling in the night. And when Junior’s pooch pals realize their favorite toys are missing, things get serious.

Junior thinks he knows what is happening. He’s heard of a mysterious creature called the Howly Wiener that visits town once a year and fills the street with monsters. With only a few days until the Night of the Howly Wiener, can Junior come up with a plan to protect himself and his pooch pals and stop the mischief for good?

Blades of Freedom: A Tale of Haiti, Napoleon, and the Louisiana Purchase (Hazardous Tales #10)

By Nathan Hale

The Louisiana Purchase (1803) is today seen as one of history’s greatest bargains. But why did Napoleon Bonaparte sell this seemingly prosperous territory? At the time, France controlled Haiti, and there, enslaved Africans were used to harvest sugar. But in 1791, Toussaint Louverture led the largest uprising of enslaved people in human history, the Haitian Revolution (1791–1804). Napoleon had originally wanted to use Louisiana for trade, but with Haiti out of his control, Napoleon’s dream of making a French empire in North America seemed doomed. So when Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe tried to buy New Orleans, Napoleon sold them the whole Louisiana Territory.

Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales are graphic novels that tell the thrilling, shocking, gruesome, and TRUE stories of American history. Read them all – if you dare!

Kid in the Kitchen: 100 Recipes and Tips for Young Home Cooks

By Melissa Clark and Daniel Gercke

In Kid in the Kitchen, Melissa Clark, who has been cooking with her own kid for years, takes you step-by-step through how to understand and create each dish. These recipes are fun, insanely delicious, and will help you become a confident cook. There are tons of tips and tweaks, too, so you can cook what you want with what you have. Make amped-up breakfasts, sandwiches that slay, noodles and pasta for every craving, plus sheet pan dinners, mix and match grain bowls and salads, one-pot meals, party classics, and the richest, gooiest desserts. This is the fun, easy way to awesome food.

Recipes include: Fresh Custardy French Toast • OMG, I Smell Bacon! (spicy and candied, too) • Granola Bar Remix, feat. Cranberry and Ginger • The. Last. Guacamole. Recipe. Ever. • Fast Pho • Garlicky, Crumb-y Pasta • Classic Caesar Salad with Unclassic Cheesy Croutons • Crispy Pork Carnitas Tacos • Mexican Chicken Soup & Chips • Shrimp Scampi Skillet Dinner • Korean Scallion and Veggie Pancakes (Pajeon) • Fluffy Buttermilk Biscuits Put a Spell on You • Rise & Dine Cinnamon Raisin Bread • Buttery Mashed Potato Cloud • Deep Dark Fudgy Brownies • Think Pink Lemonade Bars

Melissa will explain the most helpful kitchen tools and tips, from the proper way to hold a chef’s knife to why you need a Microplane grater right now. She’ll even clue you in on which recipe rules you can break and how to snap amazing food photos to share!

This Is Your Time

By Ruby Bridges

Written as a letter from civil rights activist and icon Ruby Bridges to the reader, This Is Your Time is both a recounting of Ruby’s experience as a child who had no choice but to be escorted to class by federal marshals when she was chosen as one of the first black students to integrate New Orleans’ all-white public school system and an appeal to generations to come to effect change.

This beautifully designed volume features historical photographs from the 1960s and from today, as well as stunning jacket art from The Problem We All Live With, the 1964 painting by Norman Rockwell of Ruby’s walk to school.

Ruby’s honest and impassioned words, imbued with love and grace, serve as a moving reminder that “what can inspire tomorrow often lies in our past.” This Is Your Time will electrify people of all ages as the struggle for liberty and justice for all continues, and the powerful legacy of Ruby Bridges endures.

The Lemon Tree : An Arab, A Jew and the Heart of the Middle East (Young Readers’ Edition)

By Sandy Tolan

In 1967, a twenty-five-year-old refugee named Bashir Khairi traveled from the Palestinian hill town of Ramallah to Ramla, Israel, with a goal: to see the beloved stone house with the lemon tree in its backyard that he and his family had been forced to leave nineteen years earlier. When he arrived, he was greeted by one of its new residents: Dalia Eshkenazi Landau, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student whose family had fled Europe following the Holocaust. She had lived in that house since she was eleven months old.

On the stoop of this shared house, Dalia and Bashir began a surprising friendship, forged in the aftermath of war and later tested as political tensions ran high and Israelis and Palestinians each asserted their own right to live on this land. Adapted from the award-winning adult book and based on Sandy Tolan’s extensive research and reporting, The Lemon Tree is a deeply personal story of two people seeking hope, transformation, and home.

7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up

By Jimmy Gownley

To the students at exclusive Greycliff Academy, Kirby seems to have it all: charm, brains, and a lucky streak that won’t quit. He’s also the notorious mastermind behind the snarky videos, “7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up,” which expose how being an adult isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Why would any kid want to become one of them?

But there’s also a mystery about Kirby. And when his best friend, Raja, finds out that Kirby isn’t the person he’s pretending to be, Kirby, Raja, and their friends may be forced to grow up sooner than they think and face the world head-on.

Homecoming Tales: 15 Inspiring Stories from Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary

By Old Friends Senior Dog Sanctuary and Tama Fortner

Meet Mack, Dog Bowl contestant and social media star; Marco, a scary tough dog—until someone gave him a second chance; Shaq, a gentle giant who is learning to leave his fears behind; Prince, a laid back dude who doesn’t let being blind steal his sunshine; and JuneBug, a spunky sweetheart who just wants to cuddle and keep you safe from the vacuum cleaner. Each chapter in Homecoming Tales focuses on one canine companion from the Tennessee-based dog rescue, with fun facts about his or her breed, stories of silly antics, and the meaningful tale of how this canine companion found a forever family. This delightful middle grade book entertains, teaches, and inspires and will be a favorite for fans of A Dog’s Purpose and the Puppy Tales series.

In this lighthearted, nonfiction chapter book, you’ll find

the true stories of how 15 dogs found a loving home
line drawing illustrations of each featured dog and a full-color photo insert
doggy stats, fun facts, and recipes for your own canine friend
information on adopting and owning pets, caring for aging animals, ideas for helping a pet with special needs, and ways kids can get involved with their local animal shelter or rescue

Homecoming Tales is a great gift for any eight to twelve-year-old who loves animals, enjoys volunteer work, or simply appreciates heartwarming stories. With information about care for older dogs, this educational book is also a helpful read for families who are interested in adopting a senior dog.

(And since it’s November, what better month to take another look at History Smashers: The Mayflower, by Kate Messner, for some little-known details behind the legends of the Mayflower and the first Thanksgiving.)

Happy Reading!

Kids on the March – Cover Reveal

By Jennifer Swanson on October 24, 2020 / Articles, New Releases

It’s Cover Reveal Saturday … and today we’re getting a sneak peek at the cover for Kids on the March (Algonquin), by Michael G. Long.

Seriously, I’m such a fan of this subject, I can’t even with the suspense. I’m going to reveal this cover right now…

…

Wait, what?

Just kidding. The real reveal is coming shortly, I promise. But I couldn’t resist having a little fun with the fabulous app Mindy Alyse Weiss showed me, the Blur Photo app. Good, right?

But before we see the real thing, we’ve got some goodies. An excerpt from Kids on the March, followed by a quick interview with author Michael G. Long.

Kids on the March Excerpt:

“Today, we march, we fight, we roar!”

Delaney Tarr, a student at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, spoke those powerful words at the student-led March for Our Lives in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2018.

“We know what we want, we know how to get it, and we are not waiting any longer!” she declared. The crowd thundered its support.

Many of the marchers on that chilly spring day were elementary, middle, and high school students from across the country. Called together by the Parkland students, they had gathered at the nation’s capital to protest for gun control legislation.

As Tarr continued her speech, countless kids raised their protest signs high: what do you like more, guns or kids?; protest guns, not kids; and #enough is enough!

A short while later, Yolanda Renee King, the nine-year-old granddaughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, also spoke. She said, “I have a dream that enough is enough and that this world should be a gun-free world, period!”

Marchers who had studied her grandfather in history class probably recognized that her words echoed Dr. King’s most famous speech, “I Have a Dream,” which he gave to 250,000 protestors at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963.

When we think of protests in US history, we often call to mind Dr. King and his adult colleagues. But do you know that many participants in the 1963 March on Washington were kids? Do you know, too, that several months before the March on Washington, thousands of young Black people marched against racial segregation in Birmingham, Alabama? Do you know that this was not the first time in US history that kids marched for justice?

Sixty years earlier, in 1903, child laborers marched from Philadelphia to New York to protest the dangerous working conditions in textile mills.

Even this early march was not the first of its kind.

Young people have led or participated in numerous marches throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Whether they led or followed, the kids in these historic marches were tough, bold, and brave. Some of these marches occurred in the face of violence, and others in relative safety, but all of them required courage.

The marches in which kids have participated are all deeply connected. They have sought to establish peace, justice, and freedom for all. Each has attempted to fulfill the civil rights identified in the US Constitution. Each has tried to hold the nation accountable to the beliefs and principles set forth in the Declaration of Independence.

As leaders and participants, kids have fought on the front lines of virtually every important march for first-class citizenship throughout US history. When democracy was threatened, kids were there. When people on the margins needed a voice of protest, kids were there. In some cases, kids were there, marching and chanting, long before adults even thought about protesting.

You, too, can march. If you don’t like a law that causes suffering, or if you would like a new policy that could help create a better world, you, like the kids in this book, can stand up. You can straighten your shoulders. You can throw back your chin. And you can shout what young people have been shouting for decades: “Let’s march!”

Interview with Kids on the March Author Michael G. Long

MUF: What’s your favorite element of the cover design?

Take a close look at the faces of the young activists, and you’ll see my favorite part of the cover: that beautiful display of pure passion in their fight for peace with justice. The image comes from a photograph taken at the historic March for Our Lives, a nonviolent protest against gun violence in our schools. Although I still get sad, and angry, about the event that fueled this protest—a horrific school shooting in Parkland, Florida—I also get chills when I look at the faces of the young people who stood up when adults failed them and organized their very own international protest for safe schools. What passion and power! It’s so inspiring for me to see kids standing up, speaking out, and protesting for other kids. I love that.

MUF: Did you do any political organizing as a child?

As a kid, I was not a political organizer. But when I was about ten years old, I sat at my family’s dining room table and wrote the Pennsylvania governor a letter expressing my opposition to the death penalty. That was probably the first time I protested for an issue I cared about so deeply. There wasn’t anything dramatic about it; it was just a simple act of using a pencil, lined white paper, and a stamped envelope. But that small act was a way for me to share my voice, and it set the stage for my later participation in numerous sit-ins, marches, and rallies for social justice. By the way, the governor sent me a reply, and I recall how thrilled I was that he’d heard my youthful voice and respected it enough to correspond with a kid who couldn’t vote at the time. I’ll never forget that.

MUF: Any personal reflections on youth activism?

Writing Kids on the March is my way of protesting the unfortunate exclusion of youth activism from our books and classes on US history. As a young student, I read history books that were organized by wars and presidents. Where were all the kids? Well, I later discovered that all the kids missing from my history books were helping to lead, organize, and support virtually every social movement that has secured and advanced the basic human rights we now enjoy. Kids have been at the vanguard of almost every social justice movement in US history. Today, my personal heroes aren’t US presidents or military generals; they’re the kids in this book, young people who care so deeply that they feel compelled to stand up, speak out, and protest for the rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. They’re leading us through the chaos of this new century, and I’m delighted to play a supporting role by sharing their voices.

((Like reading about socially conscious kids and political activism? See our booklist here.))

The Real Reveal

Okay … now I know your appetite is whetted, and you’re ready for the real reveal … drum roll, please!

Ta-da!

Kids on the March will be available in spring of 2021.

About Michael G. Long

Michael G. Long is the author and editor of many books on civil rights, peaceful protest, and politics. Kids on the March is his first book for younger readers.

Interview with Hena Khan, Author of More to the Story!

By JROSEN on October 21, 2020 / Articles

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

We are in for a treat today! Today we have Hena Khan, author of More to the Story, which came out in paperback on September 8^th, from Salaam Reads/ Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

JR: Hi Hena, thanks for joining us today.

HK: Thank YOU! It’s my pleasure!

JR: First off, for those who don’t know, what can you tell us about the book and where the idea for the story came from?

HK: The book is about Jameela, a girl with a big heart and a quick temper who is determined to be an award-winning journalist but is thrown off course by a mysterious and charming new friend, Ali. The idea came from my deep obsession with Little Women when I was growing up and wanting to write a similar type of book featuring a large, loving Pakistani American family that tackles some big life challenges. I wanted to draw readers into my work the same way I was captivated and wanted to live in that story, with that family, forever.

JR: This book is an interpretation of Little Women. What is it about that book that fascinated you to want to do an updated version?

HK: There’s so much to love about it, but I think I was most attracted to the well-developed characters, the focus on friendship and sisterly dynamics, and the very subtle romance. As a child of immigrants trying to find my way growing up, I connected strongly with Jo, who was fighting to be more than society allowed her to be. My goal was to write a story that was inspired by the one I loved, but to also change the parts of the book that didn’t go the way I would have wanted!

JR: Side question. Which movie version of Little Women was your favorite?

HK: The newest one! Before the Greta Gerwig film, I honestly never loved any of the movie adaptations and considered them all a betrayal of the book for one reason or another. Even after seeing the trailers for the newest version, I went in with low expectations. But then I was blown away and adored it! I think my reaction to the movies over the years is actually what prevented me from retelling the book or sticking closely to the narrative myself in More to the Story. Instead, I picked out some of my favorite themes and moments and wove them into an entirely new and fresh story. That way, I hoped loyalists to Little Women would see it the way I do, as a love letter or tribute more than an imitation.

JR: Your book deals with a lot of different emotions and difficult subjects, but still has a lot of humorous parts. How difficult was it for you to try and find the right balance in writing that?

HK: I’m so glad you said that, because I tried really hard to find that balance, to make the book fun to read, and to give readers some emotional relief when writing about tough moments. In real life, we find comfort and see beauty and receive support in different and sometimes unexpected ways, and I like to focus on the small ways we lift each other up when things are difficult. One of my favorite parts of the book is when Ali teases and makes her sister Bisma laugh, and how Jameela realizes how valuable that is.

JR: I read that you grew up in Maryland. What from the local customs/flavor, have you been able to incorporate, or has helped to influence your books?

HK: So much of what I write is based on my experiences growing up in a suburb of Maryland, outside of Washington DC. I draw on the diversity of the area, the strong Pakistani American community, and things like the tastes and scents of my favorite restaurants or the local Islamic Center, even if I set my stories in other places. More to the Story takes place in Atlanta suburbs because my sister lives there with her family, and I loved the idea of setting my book in the South and incorporating local flavors of another place I’ve come to appreciate over the years. I was also surprised to learn that there’s a very large Pakistani American community there, and even a Pakistani radio station!

JR: I also read how you felt that your children feel more comfortable in maintaining a balance between your Pakistani heritage/Muslim faith and living in Maryland, than you did at their same age. How did those feelings help contribute to your writing?

HK: These are such great questions! I’m so glad that my kids feel more comfortable in their skins than I was at their age. I make it a point to write characters who, like my own children, don’t struggle with their ethnicity or religion, and whose identities do not form the basis of their challenges. I think that they, both in their actual lives and in story, deserve to see themselves and be seen as they are, unapologetic and proud Pakistani American Muslims.

JR: I know every author puts something of themselves into their books, so what from you has been included into More to the Story, and which character are you most like and why?

HK: I sneak a lot about myself into my books, and most of my characters resemble someone from my life, and many of the details and small moments come from my own life or are stolen from the lives of people around me. A lot of Jameela’s personality and experiences are derived from my own. Like Jameela, I’m the second eldest child, I loved writing as a kid and wrote a family newspaper, I was an editor for my school newspaper, and I felt a lot of responsibility for my younger siblings. I also struggle with a quick temper, which is my default emotion when I’m stressed out or scared. So having her grapple with that was cathartic for me.

JR: More to the Story centers around four sisters. Did you come from a large family?

HK: Yes! There are four of us siblings in my family too, although we are two sisters and two brothers and much further apart in age. Probably because I come from a large family, it was fun to write the scenes of sibling banter and friendly competition, and I loved giving each of the girls a distinct personality. My siblings and I are all very different from each other but are still close.

JR: Okay, serious question. I read your bio on your site, https://www.henakhan.com/, and I would be remiss to not ask, just how great of a flamenco dancer are you?

HK: Haha, not great at all! I took lessons for several years, many years ago, and it is such a difficult form of dance to master. I don’t think I ever graduated past beginner to be honest. But I think it’s so beautiful and would love to take it up again one day. The good thing is that many of the best flamenco dancers in the world are older women, which is super cool, and still gives me time to go back and give it another try!

JR: You’ll have to give us an update if you do! You’ve traveled a lot. I read that you’ve been to over thirty-five countries. Wow! How has that helped your writing?

HK: In college, I studied international affairs and I’ve wanted to live in another country my entire life. But other than a semester studying abroad in Spain, I’ve lived in the same five mile area my entire life! I’m really grateful to have been able to travel as much as I have, to connect with different cultures and experience the joys of new foods, sights, and customs on different continents. And over the last few years, I’ve been able to visit a bunch of new states and parts of the US that I’ve never been to before, which was so much fun. I think travel overall has influenced my writing by reinforcing my belief that at our core we all share the same values, and I try to speak to the universal human experience through my specific background.

JR: Can you discuss with us your path to publication?

HK: Sure! I got my start in publishing as a writer-for-hire for several Scholastic book clubs, like Spy University, Space University and others. They served as a crash course for me to learn how to write for kids, since at the time I was a technical writer and editor focused on international health issues. I realized I loved writing for kids, and since I was a young mother reading to my toddler, also started to think about the books I didn’t have a kid, that I wanted my children to have. I started to write picture books that included characters who were like them, and my first was published in 2008. For a few years I continued to write picture books, and other writer-for-hire projects, while working in international health. I completed my first novel, Amina’s Voice, in 2013; it took me about six months to find an agent in 2014, and the book didn’t sell until early 2015. It’s been a long road, and I’m grateful for all the support I received over the years, especially in the beginning of my career when there wasn’t as much of a focus on representation and inclusion as today.

JR: What is your writing process like?

HK: I usually chew on an idea for a bit, and once I commit to it as a book, write a synopsis and then a pretty detailed chapter outline. While I write, I edit myself continually and agonize over my first drafts. In the beginning, I suffer though a lot of self-doubt and have to force myself to push through. I think I’m much more of a natural editor than writer, or at least it’s the part that I enjoy more! I write in fits and spurts, at different times of day, in different locations. And I write a lot in my head, while on walks, in the shower, even while trying to nap! But somehow, slowly, it gets done, and I love the process of going back and putting the shine on a story and cleaning up language.

JR: When I try to nap is always the time ideas start coming in for me! What’s the best piece of writing advice that you’ve ever received?

HK: Someone told me once that a full day’s work for a creative writer is three hours. And that makes me feel a lot better about my level of productivity! But seriously, I think the best advice I’ve gotten, which is very hard to do, is to not compare yourself to others. Your creative journey is unique, and there is no one path to what you consider a satisfying writing career. It’s a tricky industry to navigate for most people. And it takes both a tremendous amount of persistence and a commitment to continually grow and learn to do it better.

JR: And what advice can you give to writers looking to break through?

HK: I highly recommend joining or forming a writing group with people who read children’s books, and whose opinion you value. I can’t tell you what a difference having the support and feedback of other writers has made for me, and I still depend on it. If you don’t have a group, a single critique partner is great too. But it helps to be accountable, to get advice on how to strengthen your work, and to get used to the editorial process.

JR: What was your favorite childhood book?

HK: Apart from Little Women, I adored the Ramona Quimby series. She was my fictional hero, and Beverley Cleary is my real one.

JR: Favorite childhood movie?

HK: The Princess Bride! I loved the silliness, cast, the quotable lines, and everything about it. And it was even better that my sister had shared the book with me first.

JR: Your book gets made into a movie, who plays the lead?

HK: That is a hard one! I don’t know of too many young Pakistani American actors, and I would prefer for them to be if possible. I imagined Ali to look and sound like a young Zayn Malik when I was writing his character, so someone who looks like him!

JR: Something people would be surprised to learn about you?

HK: People who don’t know me are often surprised by my age (I’m not telling!) and that I struggle with a quick temper. People who do know me witness the way I walk super slowly and always carry around a back pillow, and they know to steer clear of me when I’m angry!

JR: Duly noted. How can people follow you on social media?

HK: You can find me on Instagram and Twitter @henakhanbooks. And I’m on Facebook too although I don’t check it as often. I recently took a bit of a social media break, but I’m back!

JR: What are you working on next?

HK: I’m working on the first book in a companion series to Zayd Saleem Chasing the Dream, that features his sister Zara. It’s been a blast to go back to the family I adore and write about them again! And I hope you’ll check out the sequel to Amina’s Voice, called Amina’s Song, which is coming out in March!

JR: Hena, I’d like to again thank you for joining us today!

HK: Thank you so much for having me!

Everyone, please make sure to go out and get a copy of, More to the Story!

Until next time Mixed-Up FIlers . . .

Jonathan