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Under the Mike-roscope: Sisters of the Neversea by Cynthia Leitich Smith

By on June 24, 2022   /   Articles, books, Diversity, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, kidlit  

If I were a book reviewer, I’d be the world’s worst book reviewer. Honestly, I stink at it. That said, I’m not a book reviewer; I’m a microbiologist. A scientist. I like to read and write middle-grade books not only for enjoyment but study them and learn from them as well. 

  • What techniques and skills do the author incorporate into their work?
  • What kept me turning pages?
  • Why did I forget to do my chores when reading this book?

And any additional questions as to why a book takes over my brain.

Today, I’m sharing Sisters of the Neverseas by Cynthia Leitich Smith, a book that has taken over my brain.

I’ll spare you my version of a summary of the book because it’ll sound a lot like my almost 4-year-old grandson describing the fireworks display on the Fourth of July. All over the place and delivered with terrific, over-the-top, and breathless enthusiasm. Instead, I’ll sum up my take on Sisters of the Neversea in three words.  

READ THIS BOOK!

As a fan of Cynthia Leitich Smith’s work, I admit I had high expectations for Sisters of the Neversea. It was on my reader radar for quite a while before its release. When I finally got my hands on a copy and read it, it did not disappoint. If fact, I’m currently listening to the audiobook immediately following a listen of J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan. 

One of the many things that blew my socks off with Sisters of the Neversea is in the Author’s Note at the end of the book. Being a middle-grade writer with an interest in how authors put together their books, I’ll often read the author’s notes or acknowledgments before I read the book. This time I was so stoked to start reading, that the thought to read anything but the book itself never crossed my mind. When I finished and read the Author’s Note, here’s that bit that caught my eye and hooked my storyteller radar.

“One of the most interesting and powerful things about Story is that it invites future storytellers to build on it, to reinvent, and to talk back. Like any other kind of magic, stories can harm or offer hope, even healing.”  

                                             – Cynthia Leitich Smith, Sisters of the Neversea Author’s Note

That’s money. Bulletin board material to post above the writing desk. I’m still bouncing it around in my brain.

Sisters of the Neversea is a masterclass on reinventing a classic story, especially a classic wrought with questionable representation. Cynthia Leitich Smith tells a better story than the traditional Peter Pan story. She expands the story world, and its characters, adding depth to both. The setting of Neverland itself becomes a player in the tale. Best of all, she “talks back” to the original work in a way that’s believable and imaginative.

She doesn’t hide, bury, or run from the questionable representation of the original. She addressed it and attacks it head-on. Her answer to the “redskins” and “injuns” and to the role of girls and women in Barrie’s creation, is to create fully-fleshed Native characters from different Nations and backgrounds and strong female characters throughout. 

She seamlessly weaves the reinvented narrative into the existing framework of Barrie’s work. It has this amazing way of feeling like Barrie’s original Peter Pan yet tells its own unique and contemporary story.  

One of the parts of Sisters of the Neversea I particularly enjoyed was the family dynamic. The weight and burden of the blended Roberts-Darling family’s problems seem insurmountable to Lily and Wendy. This leads to a lot of anger between them and a growing rift. Their home in Oklahoma, their parent’s marriage, and their future as sisters are all on the line. 

However, when they get separated and enter Neverland, Lily and Wendy begin to see each other and their family’s problems in a new light. By taking a step back from the day-to-day struggles at home, the step-sisters realize their problems, no matter how large, can be dealt with as a family. Talk about story magic bringing hope and healing!

Good literature makes the world a little brighter. Great literature transforms it. With Sisters of the Neversea, Cynthia Leitich Smith completely transforms the world we’ve come to associate with Peter Pan and Neverland with luminosity and truth. Under her skilled hand, the Neverland story becomes something entirely different. Something better. Much, much better.

I hope the Sister of the Neversea finds its way into the hands of young readers. I also hope it sparks them to read Barrie’s original and realize the attitudes and mindsets of yesteryear don’t have to be the attitudes and mindsets of today. Things can, and should, change as knowledge changes.

Finally, I can’t wind up this look at Sisters of the Neversea without admitting there’s a wide smile on my face. No, it’s not the amazing cover art by the late Floyd Cooper.* The smile is because I ran across a recent social media post from Cynthia about how she’s drafting a new middle-grade novel. This makes me happy for young readers. The potential for a new, transformative Cynthia Leitich Smith book has this reader on Cloud Nine.

*Judge a book by its cover, please! Floyd Cooper’s artwork captures the characters and the story in perfect fashion. No need for Peter Pan here! Lily, Wendy, and Michael beckon you to the adventure. Come on in for the ride, my friends! We are going to miss Floyd Cooper.

Note: In case you can’t tell,  I am a fan of Cynthia Leitich Smith. In the work she does on the page. In the work she does with and for the Native writing community. In the work she does for the We Need Diverse Books community and leading the Heartdrum Imprint at Harper Collins. She is a force in the kidlit industry while being one of the nicest people in the business. (Perhaps the most remarkable example of how skilled she is as a writer is the fact she had me riveted to her Tantalize YA vampire series back before I was even aware of her other work. Me! Reading YA vampire fantasy! Now that’s writing talent!)

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Interview with Edgar® Award-Winner Christina Diaz Gonzalez

By on June 20, 2022   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

Today, I’m particularly excited to introduce Mixed-Up Files readers to Christina Diaz Gonzalez. I’ve known Christina for many years and have followed her amazing career. In April, Christina was the recipient of the prestigious Edgar® Award, given by the Mystery Writers of America, for her novel Concealed. She is the author of several other award-winning books, including The Red Umbrella, A Thunderous Whisper, Moving Target, and others. Upcoming novels include: Invisible (a graphic novel available in August 2022) and The Bluest Sky (a historical fiction novel available in September 2022). Her books have received numerous honors including the Florida Book Award, the Nebraska Book Award, and the International Latino Book Award. Her work has also been designated as an American Library Association’s Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People, a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection, and as an International Reading Association’s Teachers’ Choice book. Christina currently lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband, sons, and a dog that can open doors.

(Mouse over the titles of books for purchase or preorder.)

 

About Concealed


Dorian: First, huge congratulations on all the accolades you’ve gotten for Concealed. Can you tell us a little about the book and what inspired the story?

Christina: Thank you … I’m so thrilled about the response Concealed has received. Concealed is the story of a girl (currently named Katrina) who believes she and her parents are in the Witness Protection Program … having to change their names and move every time their cover could be revealed. But when her parents disappear, Katrina discovers that living a life of lies has been the biggest lie of them all. She discovers that the only way to save her parents is to find out the truth about who she is and why they have been on the run … even if it means destroying everything she has ever believed about herself and her family.

As for what inspired the story … a news story sparked my imagination, but I can’t say much more without giving away a huge spoiler (although I do address it in an author’s note at the back of the book).

 

Dorian: That’s really intriguing. What kind of research did you have to do for the book?

Christina: There were various levels of research like delving into scientific journals, plotting out travel times between cities, and researching where dairy farms in Georgia might be located. I try to add a level authenticity to even my more outrageous twists and plot scenarios.

 

Dorian: Concealed has a lot of twists and turns. Did you know what they would be when you first sat down to write the book, or did they come to you as you wrote?

Christina: I knew what some of the BIG twists would be, but many of the smaller ones revealed themselves as I wrote the story. I am much more of a “pantser” (write by the seat of my pants) instead of a plotter who outlines the whole book before writing the first draft.

 

Books by Christina

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: What do you enjoy most about writing for the middle-grade audience?

Christina: I love writing (and reading) middle-grade books because it seems to be a time in a person’s life where the impossible can still be possible. There is no one path to follow because it’s a time of discovering who you are and who you want to be.

 

Writing Tips

Dorian: What are three of your best tips for our readers who are writers or would like to become writers?

Christina:

  • Write the story you would want to read.
  • Write from your heart.
  • Just write (you can always make it better when you revise).

 

Upcoming Books

Dorian: What do you have in the works that our readers can look forward to?

Christina: I have a graphic novel, Invisible (a Breakfast Club-inspired story set in middle school that is illustrated by Gabriela Epstein), coming out this August and a historical fiction novel, The Bluest Sky (set during Cuba’s 1980 Mariel boat lift where over 125,000 Cubans came to the US) that comes out in September. Needless to say, I am excited for the Fall!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, Christina, for taking the time out to share with MUF readers!

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Interview with Diane Magras, Author of Shadow Beasts

By on June 16, 2022   /   Articles  
Photo of author Diane Magras

credit — Michael Magras

We’re excited to have Diane Magras on here today to talk about her new release. Let’s start with learning a bit more about you, and then we’ll talk more about Shadow Beasts.

Did you have any childhood dreams for when you became an adult? If so, did they come true?

I’ve always wanted to be an author, so the publication of my first book, The Mad Wolf’s Daughter, was the fulfillment of that dream. I’d been telling stories for most of my life—beginning with the re-telling I treated my father to every time he attempted to read me a bedtime story—and wrote my first novel when I was in 7th grade. Seeing kids that age reading my books and finding fulfillment in them in an addition to that dream, one I didn’t expect when I was young.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would ask my younger self to write down ten things that she loves about herself, things that she’s proud of, and save that piece of paper to look at each year as she grows up. When you’re young, the world is wide open. The creative juices are flowing and you feel ready for anything. That’s a wonderful time in a kid’s life, and the enthusiasm they can muster about themselves would help a future self immensely.

Did you love to read as a child? Can you tell us some favorite books?

I’ve been quite an avid reader all my life. As a young child, I loved any story of magic and monsters (friendly monsters ideally, though). When I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, my favorite book was No Flying in the House by Betty Brock (I adored the idea of being able to fly, but I especially loved Gloria, the tiny white dog, who spoke and took care of the protagonist and was her beloved friend). When I was little older, my favorite book was The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper. The opening scenes on Will Stanton’s farm were so much like my own life in a rural place, and the magic and lore drew me in entirely. (I still think the climax in the woods with the hunt is one of the best scenes of its kind.) The Dark is Rising also inspired me to start writing longer and longer stories, which led to my first novel!

What was an early experience where you learned that written language had power?

I honestly can’t remember a time when I didn’t know that written language held power! I grew up in a remote, isolated place, and books—written language—made me feel so much bigger than my surroundings. Movies felt more distant to me and seemed out of reach of my own life; written language, however, was a direct link, and utterly real. That’s probably because the story was all in my own mind, a dialogue between me and the author.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I seriously thought about this as a career when I wrote my first novel in 7th grade. My English teacher, Ms. Plourde, had challenged to write a full-length novel (she’d read many of my stories), telling me that there were other people my age who had published books. It felt truly possible to me at that moment.

Have you had any careers besides writing?

I didn’t publish anything until many, many years later. I realized in college that it was nearly impossible to make a living from writing alone, and so I sought other work that could sustain me—yet not rob my imagination—while I wrote my novels in the mornings and evenings on weekends. I’ve worked in fundraising for most of my career, writing the stories of programs that I care about for letters and grant proposals. For almost two decades, I’ve been doing that for a nonprofit that brings books and discussion to marginalized communities around my state. I still have that day job (there’s no way I could make a living from writing alone, unfortunately), but I do love being involved in that kind of work.

Why do you write?

I write because it gives me a chance to escape from the world and create a world where I can do anything: model what I wish my world would be, conjure a fantasy world, meet amazing kids and watch them struggle and experience joy. But also, just to tell a story. That instinct has never left me.

It’s always nice to get to know a little about an author’s personality. So we asked Diane to answer a few fun questions about her writing habits.

What do you drink while writing?

Usually, it’s a nice cuppa. I am very big on strong black tea, and right now am a wee bit obsessed with the tea I’m buying from the Hebrides in Scotland (a special treat)!

Do you have any special things around your desk that help inspire you when you write?

I have quite a few things like that: four beautiful paper castles that my son designed and built; an incredible birthday card that looks like stained glass (he designed and created that for me this year); a pewter quaich from Scotland (a two-handed drinking bowl, meant to signify affection), which was a gift from my husband; and a small Lego sculpture with a golden flag that sits on a note: “Go Mommy!” When my son was in 3rd grade, he wrote that note and made that trophy for me to encourage me while I was working on my first book.

Book cover of Shadow Beasts

art by Vivienne To

And now that we know about more about Diane, let’s find out about more about her wonderful book, Shadow Beasts.

What inspired you to create this story and the unusual problem Nora faces?

I came up with the premise—near-invincible monsters that destroy human beings with their venom—as a response, in part, to the environmental degradation I was seeing around the world at the time. In one of my brainstorming moments, I asked: “What if the earth spawned something that would get back at people for all the horrible things we’ve done to it?” I wanted to make my monsters nearly invincible, so they’re shadow beasts—creatures that transform from solid to shadow in less than a second, and then back again when they’re beside their prey. Only kids can defeat them—my monsters falter before children, for reasons no one knows—and they turn into mist when they’re destroyed. My protagonist, Nora Kemp, came to mind right away: a rural girl on a sheep farm who was immune to the shadow beasts’ venom and wanted to train to fight them, but who was kept home by her father instead. I wanted to create a portrait of a kid who really struggled with that: knowing that she could be a hero, but being held back by someone she loved until much later.

Your book has been compared to Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. In what ways is it similar? And how is it different?

It has a similar fast pace and techno-fantasy vibe. And they both feature a conspiracy. The themes are different, though, and there’s a lot of pure evil in Dragon Pearl (which works really well for the story); Secret of the Shadow Beasts, though, looks at how bad choices from the past can fester within a society, and how individual people can make huge mistakes, but still try to do good. None of my characters—monsters included—are purely evil. And our fantasy cultures are quite different: Yoon Ha Lee’s is layered with Korean mythology, while my story has a Scottish tinge.

Did you base your characters on anyone you know?

Nora is based a little on bit me, actually! I was like her in many ways when I was her age: She has a huge imagination and a lot of talent, but is bullied for being different and weird, and doesn’t have a lot of friends. One friend sustains her, though, through their mutual love of gaming. I didn’t game much as a kid, but these days, I’m a casual gamer, so I totally get that part of her world now! And, like Nora, I knit strange caps (not as strange as hers, though) and I always need a cuppa (black tea with a splash of milk).

Have you had any experiences like those of your book character? I hope you haven’t any encounters with Shadow Beasts? But please let us know if you have.

Nora has memories of playing chasing games with her dogs. I was very close to my childhood dogs, and I based much of Nora’s knowledge of dog behavior on things I’d seen. In fact, when she screams voice commands at the Lupus umbrae, the wolf-like shadow beasts, she’s doing something that I’ve done with aggressive dogs!

After a scary encounter, Nora has to decide whether to find ways to make her life safer or step out or to take actions that might prove even more dangerous. How did you give your character the determination she needs to make her life-changing decisions?

This ties in with that psychological burden that Nora’s been carrying: wanting to train to fight the shadow beasts, then being prevented to by her beloved father. He told her that she wasn’t “that kind of person,” the right kind of person to be a knight, as they’re called—which she interpreted as meaning that she wasn’t good enough. She’s been carrying that belief for years—from age seven to 12—and so when she’s offered the chance to become a young knight, it seems like a wish come true. It’s something she longed for, lost (deservedly, she felt), and then regained because she’s worthy after all. Once she’s at Noye’s Hill, the headquarters and training grounds, she’s determined to be the brave young person that she’d always wanted to be, so that plays a big part in her decisions afterward.

But she’s also still a bit unsure of herself; that blow, of being told by her father that she wasn’t good enough, has stayed with her. Little kindnesses and signs of confidence from others—like her senior knight, Amar—make a huge difference. 

Do you have any advice for readers on how to face similar situations when they’re afraid?

I think the biggest parallel that readers might have with what Nora encountered was going to a new place where they don’t know anyone, like a new school or a summer camp. And that’s hard, and scary, especially when you feel that you’re totally different from everyone around you. I want those kids who are struggling with that to remember what they’re good at, and remember to value themselves. I hope they also realize that we’re all alone at some point in our lives until we find the people who will value us. And we will. Those people are out there. Just keep looking, and be yourself, and be proud of who are you.

What is your favorite part of the book?

That’s really hard. I love the battle scenes, the emotional bonding scenes, the discoveries, and humor. But I’ll talk about the chat scenes, because I love those too. For one, they were a lot of fun to write. They are literally the chat between Nora and her gaming friend Wilfred, which take place on Warriors of the Frozen Bog, the video game they play together. Nora is at Noye’s Hill, the headquarters, and she’s not supposed to have any possessions, but sneaks in Warriors of the Frozen Bog on a remote player. This allows her to remain connected to home through her contact with Wilfred. They were best friends, but he was always on top, being older, being cool, and having been a competitive gamer for a long time. Nora mattered to him, but he was kind of her mentor. When she becomes a knight, though, she’s suddenly far more important than Wilfred ever was or could be, and he struggles with that. And so their relationship strains. I really enjoyed showing that though a video game chat, and especially the last chat, after they’ve argued horribly, when Nora shares something incredibly vulnerable.

What do you hope readers will take away from the story?

While I hope that readers take away a fun, exciting story with characters who stay in their minds for a long time, I also I hope they think about questions in their own lives—about environmental threats in their areas and the truth behind history. I also hope they realize that you never know what kind of burden someone else is carrying. Near the end of this book, some of my characters share stories about their burdens. You may never hear those stories in real life, but everyone has one.

Please tell us about your other books.

My other two books are The Mad Wolf’s Daughter and its companion novel, The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter. They follow a girl named Drest through an adventure in medieval Scotland. In the first book, after her war-band family has been captured and taken to a castle to be hanged, she sets off to rescue them through a dangerous and unfamiliar landscape, hauling along an injured enemy knight to trade for her beloved brothers and father. In the second, she’s being chased by the same knights who captured her family, because someone’s framed her for a murder, and she has to decide if she’ll run away forever, or find a way to defeat this threat. They’re both fast-paced adventures with medieval insults, lots of swordplay (Drest carried a massive sword during both books), a colorful war-band of her brothers and father, and two traveling companions who become found family for her—the wounded knight and the quirky son of a so-called witch.

Can you share what you’re working on now?

I can’t share specifics until I’m done, but I can share that there’s a lot of warmth in what I’m working on now. Warmth, tension, and vivid characters you’d want to know in real life: I always love that combination in a middle grade novel!Shadow

I’m sure we’ll all be eagerly awaiting the next book once we finish Shadow Beasts! Thanks so much for joining us, Diane. And we look forward to seeing what you come up with next.

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