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WNDMG Wednesday – Celebrating Juneteenth

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Illustration by: Aixa Perez-Prado 

Celebrating Juneteenth

School is out for most students around the nation, which means that for many, learning about and celebrating Juneteenth won’t happen as organically as, say, Martin Luther King Day does.  But for families and educators committed to embracing the fulness of our history and the holidays that mark it, we’ve put together some resources for teaching and talking about Juneteenth.

image of the juneteenth flag- blue and red with star in the middle

About Juneteenth Independence Day

Juneteenth just became a national holiday in 2021, but Black Texans have been celebrating it since 1866. The holiday gets its name from the day enslaved Texans learned of their freedom – June 19, 1865 – more than two months after the April 9 end of the Civil War freed all enslaved people. At first, the holiday was confined mostly to Texas. But as families moved to other states, they took their traditions with them, highlighting the day with picnics, music festivals, and family gatherings.

Today it remains a celebration not just of emancipation but of Black culture and tradition. Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Day was recognized in 1983.

crossed flags - US and Juneteenth

Reasons to Study Juneteenth

In addition to celebrating emancipation, Juneteenth is an opportunity for all Americans to learn about the twin legacies of slavery and segregation, as well as the construction of institutional racism. While the story of racism and bias in this country is painful, it is an intrinsic part of who we are as a country. We can empower future generations by teaching them the truth about where we started and urging them to do better than we did, to imagine a better future. We tell our children to make good choices when it comes to behavior, school, and morality, it seems reasonable that we could encourage them to make better choices to create a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable world.

Juneteenth Resources:

If you’re interested in guiding your middle-grade readers to learn what Juneteenth is all about and what the day symbolizes for our country, take a look at these booklists and lesson plans.

Booklists

The New York Public Library

Feminist Books for Kids (Blog)

Harper Collins Publishers

Teaching for Change (multiple booklists arranged by category)

From the Mixed-Up Files …of Middle-Grade Authors

Lesson Plans

The National Museum of African-American History and Culture

Brave Writer (Blog)

We Are Teachers

Care.com

 

text Juneteenth in red black and green with flying birds graphic underneath

Interview With Debut Author, Catherine Arguelles

I always love to interview authors, but this one is especially near and dear to me. Catherine is not only my critique partner and a good friend, but her debut novel, FLIP TURNS is with Jolly Fish Press. So we are now pub-sisters!

I am so happy for Catherine and delighted the world gets to read her book. She is an incredibly gifted writer, and I am positive this is just the beginning of a very successful career.

I already know she’s fabulous, now it’s time you do, too!

Lisa: Tell us about Flip Turns.

Catherine: Okay! Flip Turns is a Middle Grade mystery featuring Maddie, a thirteen-year-old girl with anxiety who is struggling with the unwanted attention of a boy at school. When her family’s community pool is vandalized, threatening Maddie’s swim team, Maddie and her best friend Ez search for the culprit while dealing with friend and family dynamics, competitive swimming, and crushes.

Flip Turns comes out on September 13!

Lisa: What inspired the idea for this book?

Catherine: I swam on a summer swim team (Go Piranhas!) like Maddie’s while I was growing up. In the 14 summers on that team, we had our share of pranks and catastrophes. When my daughter started swimming on a team a few years ago, I got to thinking, what if those “pranks” and “accidents” weren’t really accidents or weren’t just pranks? What would make someone want to cause problems at a pool?

Lisa: Did you base any characters on people you know?

Catherine: Heh. Yeah. But I can’t tell you some of them to protect the people involved! I can tell you that both my middle school daughter and I have anxiety, so a lot of Maddie’s feelings and reactions are based on our experiences. But the closest to real-life character is Maddie’s big brother Jack who’s teasing yet loving personality is much like my own brother’s. And like Jack, my brother was a lifeguard adored by all the girls!

Lisa: How much of your real-life experiences play a role in the stories you tell?

Catherine: A lot! In Flip Turns, the swim meets and practices came straight out of my own memory. Also, I had an unwanted admirer in middle school and heard a lot of “Just be nice to him.” I wanted that inappropriate attention to be something we talk about instead of something we try to ignore.

Lisa: What was your hardest scene to write, and why?

Catherine: There’s a scene at the first swim meet where Lucas (the unwanted admirer) tries to hug Maddie. She’s only wearing her bathing suit and shorts and gets very uncomfortable. Every time I worked on that scene, I got the creeps. It’s a super cringey moment. But I think it’s authentic. Hugging is a big thing in middle school, but not everyone likes it.

Lisa: Which of your characters are most likely to be an activist, and what kind?

Catherine: I think Maddie’s best friend Ez would be an activist. She’s very driven and persistent in reaching her swimming goals, and she acts like a bit of an activist towards Maddie, encouraging her to stand up for herself and what she wants. Ez is the person throughout Flip Turns who keeps reminding Maddie that the attention from Lucas is inappropriate. I could see her being an activist for sexual harassment awareness and policy.

Lisa: Which of the characters do you relate to the most and why?

Catherine: I definitely relate to Maddie, the main character. Like I said above, we both have anxiety, and we’re both little sisters. We also both struggled to deal with the attention of that unwanted admirer, while at the same time enjoying crushes on nice boys. We have some differences though—Maddie loves art while I was more interested in reading and writing.

Lisa: What books did you like to read when you were a kid?

Catherine: I loved mysteries – Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, this wonderful series called T.A.C.K. that I’m pretty sure is sadly out of print now. I definitely wanted to be an amateur sleuth like the characters in those books. I’m also a fan of Astrid Lindgren – I loved Pippi Longstocking, but her lesser-known book Ronia the Robber’s Daughter is one of my favorite MG’s of all time.

Lisa: If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?

Catherine: I really enjoy Erin Entrada Kelly’s books, and I’d love to watch her do school visits and meet readers.

Lisa: What advice would you give twelve-year-old, Catherine?

Catherine: I would encourage 12yo me to be more assertive in dealing with that unwanted admirer. I’d tell her to be clear about the discomfort, not just with him but also with adults and friends. And I’d tell her to worry less about what other people thought. Both of my kids have so much more confidence than I did as a middle schooler, and it’s a joy to watch them navigate the drama and social situations without a lot of the hurt and awkwardness I felt. I want to be more like my kids!

Lisa: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me. I can hardly wait to celebrate your Book Birthday! 

Catherine: Thanks, friend.

 

About Catherine Arguelles 

Before writing novels, Catherine earned a BA in English with a minor in Women’s Studies and a MA in Psychology and Counseling. She has worked as a counselor with middle school students, a fundraiser for non-profits, and is the proud parent of two feminist readers. She lives in Northern California, and her favorite event was once the 100-yard backstroke.

Pre-Order Flip Turns

 

 

 

 

Agent Spotlight: Kristin Ostby from The Greenhouse Agency

Today, I’m thrilled to introduce our readers to agent Kristin Ostby from The Greenhouse Literary Agency. Now an agent, Kristin has been an editor, as well as a writer, of children’s books for many years. Check out the books she’s edited here and the books she’s written here.

Dorian: Welcome, Kristin!

Kristin: Thank you so much for having me at Mixed-Up Files! Middle-grade is the age category closest to my heart, and I’m so glad to have the opportunity to introduce myself to your readership.

 

Dorian: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your path to becoming a literary agent?

Kristin: I spent many years as a children’s book editor, most notably at Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, and becoming a literary agent always seemed like an interesting opportunity. During my time as an editor, a couple of agents indicated there was a place for me should I be interested in the job, and a former boss encouraged agenting at one point as well. I spoke to agent friends and gathered information, but the right opportunity didn’t come my way until Greenhouse came calling and everything clicked into place.

 

Dorian: Please tell us a bit about The Greenhouse Literary Agency?

Kristin: Greenhouse is an editorial agency. It was founded by a former publisher and is led by another former editor—the phenomenal Chelsea Eberly—so it was a fantastic fit for me, not to mention a golden opportunity. Greenhouse’s sterling reputation and remarkable track record speak for themselves. It’s a fabulous place to be an agent, and I’m really looking forward to what’s to come.

 

Dorian: What middle-grade books inspired you as a child?

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech is, for me, the gold standard, and I’ll always be looking for middle-grade novels that affect me the way that book did as a child. It’s lyrical, it’s off-beat, the voice jumps off the page, and the surprise ending sincerely pulled the rug out from underneath me when I first read it.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because I was a voracious reader as a kid, it’s hard to narrow down the books that inspired me, but I remember being impacted by the honesty of Judy Blume, the whimsy and weirdness of Roald Dahl, the grounded friendships of the Babysitters Club, the devourable mysteries of Nancy Drew, the delightfully trippy qualities of A Wrinkle in Time, and the depth and nuance of Number the Stars.

 

Dorian: What are some of your favorite contemporary middle-grade novels?

Kristin: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead, Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, Flora and Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo, El Deafo by Cece Bell, and The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: All great books! What genres, subjects, or themes do you wish to see in your inbox?

Kristin: I would love to see high concept stories with hooky premises, preferably by BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled creators. I would particularly love to see more stories from Native American authors. I’m a sucker for observational humor and wit, and I would love to see clever humor in all stories including mysteries, contemporary literary fiction, speculative fiction, magical stories, supernatural stories, horror or spooky stories, and light fantasy and sci-fi with a focused set of characters and minimal world building.

 

Dorian: Do you have any hobbies or special interests that most people don’t know about?

Kristin: I love to downhill ski. My guilty pleasure is celebrity gossip. I religiously write in a journal. I also enjoy reading tarot!

 

Dorian: Interesting! What tips do you have for writers in the querying stages?

Kristin: If you’re reading Mixed-Up Files, there’s a good chance you’re doing your homework as far as nailing a query letter. But I would still emphasize being sure to hit agents at the top of your query letter with an impactful elevator pitch, including your comp titles. This is the most important part of your query letter, so don’t be afraid to get right to it. Agents get so many queries each day that it’s important to hook them as soon as you can, and to demonstrate your knowledge of the marketplace.

Beyond that, good luck! What you’re doing is really hard, and I wish you all the best finding a great advocate for your story.

 

Dorian: How can people follow you on social media or query you?

Kristin: You can occasionally find me on Twitter at @kristinostby. Learn more about me at kristinostby.com and about Greenhouse at greenhouseliterary.com.

Thanks so much, Kristin, for taking the time out to tell us about yourself and Greenhouse!