Author Interviews

Christina Diaz Gonzalez Discusses Her New Book: OFFSIDE

By Susan Koehler on July 2, 2026 / Articles, Author Interviews / Leave a comment

Book Cover: OFFSIDE, by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

What a treat it is to welcome author Christina Diaz Gonzalez to the MUF blog! You may recognize Christina as the creator of gripping historical fiction novels and an Edgar Award-winning mystery.

Christina Diaz Gonzalez

In more recent years, you may have been introduced to Christina’s English-Spanish graphic novel Invisible. This groundbreaking bilingual book debuted in 2022 to high acclaim, including three starred reviews and spots on a couple of bestseller lists.

Well, Christina Diaz Gonzales is back with Offside (Graphix; July 7, 2026; Ages 8–12), a new English-Spanish bilingual graphic novel that is sure to delight middle grade readers.

Jackson Middle School soccer team is going co-ed, but not everyone is happy about this change. When tensions threaten to destroy their season, the kids must discover the only true way to win is to work together as a team. With text in English and Spanish, Offside creates a unique reading experience and puts a spotlight on Latine characters throughout. We’re excited about this new work and grateful that Christina Diaz Gonzalez carved out some time to share with us.

SK: You’ve established yourself as a prolific and successful middle grade author. Looking back to the days when you were the age of your current readers, is this what you imagined your adult life would be like? Are there dreams that have come true, dreams that you’ve abandoned, or dreams that you’re still working to achieve?

CDG: Growing up I had a “secret” dream of being an author, but I had never met a writer and didn’t think people like me or my friends could have their stories published in a book. It was for this reason that I didn’t immediately pursue a writing career… Instead I chose to study accounting and then became a lawyer (which required a very different type of writing). Eventually it was my sons who reminded me how much I loved middle grade novels and I began pursuing the dream of sharing stories from my own imagination.

SK: As a kid with a secret dream of being an author, I’d guess you were probably a reader. If so, what were some of the books you enjoyed?

CDG: I was a HUGE reader as a kid (even won a Read-a-Thon) and the book that opened my eyes to the vast array of impactful stories was Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time.

SK: You established a track record of narrative prose in several genres before branching out into graphic novels. What have been the biggest challenges and greatest delights in moving to the graphic novel form?

CDG: I love the graphic novel format (as a kid I was a big fan of the Archie Digest comic books) and it is a wonderful way to highlight different languages side-by-side (like Spanish and English) because the art can be a third “language” which adds so much to the understanding of the story. I am always delighted to see the illustrator’s interpretation of a story that solely existed in my imagination… although it can be a challenge to “let go” of my own preconceived notions of what the page might have looked like. Lucky for me my illustrators have far exceeded anything I could have imagined!

SK: Tell us about your process of collaborating with illustrator Mari Costa. How was your narrative development influenced by her visual story-telling, and what are the benefits and challenges of working with an illustrator in this format?

CDG: One of the surprising aspects of working with an illustrator on a graphic novel is that there isn’t as much collaboration as you might expect. We each bring our own imagination and creativity to the project at separate times. I create the story and write the manuscript breaking it up into suggested panels and, once that is complete, I hand it all over to the illustrator to bring it to life as they see fit. Mari Costa took my manuscript and crafted incredible characters that blew me away when I saw how she had imagined them.

SK: Offside is about a middle school soccer team going co-ed. You obviously know a lot about soccer and team dynamics. What experiences do you have as a soccer player and/or fan?

CDG: I didn’t grow up playing soccer or even being a fan of the sport, but my sons played highly competitive soccer, and I became the team mom/team manager. I saw how soccer brings people together, but I also witnessed some of the disparities within youth sports.

SK: This new book uses the same bilingual (English/Spanish) format as Invisible. How do you balance these two languages while developing your narrative, and why is this format important to you?

CDG: I love how the graphic novel format allows for more bilingual narration which would be more limited in traditional prose novels. This is important because we live in a multi-cultural/multi-lingual world, and kids deserve to see themselves and their classmates featured as main characters. I try to balance the languages by being true to the characters (and their language fluency) while making sure that the English-dominant reader can understand everything that is happening in the book.

SK: Do you have a favorite character from Offside? If so, what makes this character special to you?

CDG: My favorite character is Palmer as he is named after someone I know who is also a fantastic soccer player… and an even better kid!

SK: You refer to Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot in part of this story. Can you tell us about other middle grade authors or books that you particularly enjoy right now?

CDG: There are so many books that I am loving such as James Ponti’s Sherlock Society series, Alyson Gerber’s The Liar Society series, Jen Calonita’s The Isle of Ever series, and Donna Barba Higuera’s The Last Cuentista series. Hmm… I’m now seeing a pattern of reading series and yet I primarily write stand-alone books!

SK: Do you have another idea in the pipeline right now? Any hints to what your next book might involve?

CDG: I have a new mystery/spy novel book coming in March 2027 called UNIDENTIFIED. It follows Alex, a middle schooler desperate to save his family’s struggling UFO-themed mini golf park located in Gulf Breeze, Florida. When Alex overhears a retired military colonel talking about spies in the area, he and his best friend, Nora, jump into action hoping a reward will save the park. But each clue pulls them deeper into a mystery that hits far too close to home… one that suggests Alex’s parents may be involved in a plot to wipe out all of Earth’s technology.

SK: That sounds fantastic! Christina, we so appreciate your time, and we love knowing that you are hard at work creating more books that middle grade readers will love. We’ll be sure to watch for Offside, available July 7, and we look forward to learning more about UNIDENTIFIED next year.

If readers would like to learn more about Christina Diaz Gonzalez, her books, and her author visits, a great place to start is her website: christinagonzalez.com. You can find her on various social media platforms as well, including Instagram and Threads: @christinadiazgonzalez; Facebook: Christina Diaz Gonzalez; and Bluesky: @christinadg.bsky.social.

STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Author Interview

By STEM Tuesday on June 23, 2026 / Architecture, Author Interviews, Bridges, Engineering, STEM Tuesday / Leave a comment

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, we are thrilled to travel to the Czech Republic to interview Magda Garguláková, author of Bridges (April 2025, Post Wave). Explore the amazing world of bridges—from ancient stone arches to modern marvels—and discover how they connect us all! This illustrated 64-page hardcover book delves into the history, engineering, and construction of bridges. Intricate illustrations by Jakub Bachorík invite readers to follow roads and rivers and stumble upon tiny details: a cyclist, a stroller, a leashed dog, and more.

About the book:

Imagine a world without bridges, where every journey takes longer, rivers become obstacles, and valleys are nearly impossible to cross. Bridges don’t just make travel easier—they connect us to extraordinary places, too.

Take a journey through the fascinating world of bridges, exploring their awe-inspiring structures and the visionary architects who brought them to life. Uncover the secrets of bridge-building and marvel at some of the most famous designs from around the globe. Along the way, enjoy captivating comic strips, fun facts, and hands-on engineering activities.

Bridges

Linda: Tell us about your book, Bridges.

Magda: Bridges is a large-format, illustrated non-fiction book that invites readers into the world of bridges. It is richly illustrated with Jakub Bachorík’s distinctive, playful, and original—yet highly precise—artwork.

I like topics that can be explored from many different angles, and bridges are perfect in this respect. In the book, I don’t look at them strictly as architectural structures, engineering constructions, or from the perspective of how they are built. I also ask why people started building bridges in the first place, how they influenced history and technological progress, how they have evolved, how they have changed our everyday lives, why they are such powerful symbols, and what surprising kinds of “bridges” we can find outside architecture.

The book is intended primarily for children aged nine to eleven. It is fact-based but playful, and the amount of text is just right. I tried to draw readers into the topic and spark curiosity about bridges. Although it is designed for children, it also works very well as an all-age book. I’m really happy with readers’ responses, as it turns out that it resonates across generations and appeals to adults as well.

Linda: That’s wonderful. What inspired you to write about this topic?

Magda: It’s actually quite simple. I’ve been fascinated by bridges since childhood. I don’t even really know why, but they’ve always drawn me in and sparked my curiosity. I’m also an amateur admirer of architecture, especially modern architecture, and I love concrete as a building material as well as riveted steel structures.

What fascinates me about bridges is not only their technical side; I’m equally drawn to how multilayered a symbol they are—how they can bring hope and expectation, how important a role they play in our lives, and, at the same time, how ordinary and invisible they often feel in everyday life. I enjoy the overlaps they offer—into history, art, culture, and everyday experience.

And then there’s one more thing: I’m afraid of heights. So bridges are also a bit of a challenge for me. I actually prefer looking at them rather than from them—and quite often, that turns out to be a more interesting view anyway. 😊

All of this together makes them a perfect subject for a book. It also invites rich illustration, which can communicate with readers in its own way, which is why I like to give illustrations a very important role in my books.

Linda: The textured maze-like illustrations complement the text. How did you organize the material in this book, and why did you choose to present it this way?

Magda: Let me start a bit broadly. When I begin working on a book, the first thing I look for is its overall arc: where I start and where I want to arrive. The flow of the book—how individual pieces of information and thematic sections are arranged—is essential to me. I constantly think about what follows what, why it should be that way, and to what extent I need to follow the logic of the subject. These are questions I return to again and again. During the process, I create several versions of dummy layouts where I test and rearrange the order and structure of the content. It’s one of the most important parts of my creative process.

At the same time, I enjoy when the reader is occasionally surprised, and the expected flow is interrupted—when the rhythm of the book shifts or something unexpected appears.

Bridges reflects all of this. It follows a logical structure of the topic, but it also allows for occasional detours. I wanted the book to flow like a river—one idea leading to another, layering and complementing each other.

It was also important to me that the book works even when read non-linearly. In other words, you can open it almost anywhere and immediately find something that grabs your attention. In this respect, Jakub Bachorík’s illustrations are essential—I knew from the very beginning that they would not just accompany the text, but become an equal part of the storytelling. Thanks to them, the book gains its unique atmosphere and appeal.

Linda: In the book blurb, there is a statement that “bridges connect us to extraordinary places.” Can you tell us about some of these places?

Magda: When I say that bridges connect us to extraordinary places, I don’t mean only specific destinations on a map or in our surroundings, but also different kinds of experiences and meanings. Some bridges lead into dramatic natural landscapes, places that would otherwise be very difficult to reach. Other bridges become destinations in themselves—iconic landmarks and architectural highlights that people travel to see.

At the same time, we also use the word “bridge” in much broader contexts. Metaphorically, a bridge can take us anywhere we can imagine. We perceive it very positively as a symbol of change or transition, and it can even signify passage into another world. It is a very powerful symbol on many levels.

And then, there is also a more playful aspect where we encounter “bridges” in unexpected places—such as in dentistry or in a yoga class.

Linda: By looking at the word “bridge,” and its many meanings and its symbolism, you added depth to this work. What would you like readers to get out of this book?

Magda: I often think about this. If I keep it to the most basic wish, it is simply that I want my book to inspire enthusiasm for bridges, encouraging us to notice, explore, and appreciate them.

If a reader, thanks to my book, decides to stop on a bridge and enjoy the view, remembers the complexity involved in bridge construction, or, with joy and an awareness of their importance, appreciates a bridge expansion joint, that would already be enough.

The book is quite intense, so it is good to take breaks while reading it, come back to it, and discover things that may have escaped you the first time. I would therefore be very happy if the book worked this way and readers enjoyed returning to it—either on their own or when reading it together.

I have also personally found that it is a great travel companion; it presents a large number of bridges from all over the world, many of which you will simply want to see in real life (or at least some of them).

Linda: This book includes fun engineering activities. I’m intrigued. How can parents, teachers, and librarians use this material?

Magda: The book includes a challenge to build your own bridge out of dried spaghetti. It’s a playful activity, but it also works as a small test of engineering thinking and technical skills. The task is to build a bridge—of any size and design you dare to attempt—that can hold a load without collapsing.

This activity can be used at home, in schools, or in libraries as a simple project or even a small competition. It is a lot of fun, but also requires real thinking. I’ve tried building several of these bridges myself—and you can probably guess how that went…

Linda: Lol! Instead of building a bridge, it might be easier to boil the spaghetti and toss it with some pasta sauce. Magda, thank you so much for joining us!

Magda Garguláková studied Art History at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno, in the Czech Republic. She works as a curator and producer at the Brno-based art gallery OFF/FORMAT. After spending some time in marketing, she eventually found her way back to books, which she has loved since childhood. She collaborates with Albatros Media and its foreign rights editorial team, writing and editing mainly nonfiction illustrated books for children. She is the author of more than ten books, which have been translated into numerous languages around the world. Her The Hand Book was selected among the 100 most beautiful books at the 2022 Bologna Children’s Book Fair and was nominated for several prestigious awards in the Czech Republic and Italy. For older readers, she also wrote the acclaimed Bridges, whose illustrations by Jakub Bachorík received the Golden Ribbon Award and which was honored with the Open Book Award in Taiwan. She lives in Brno, Czech Republic, with her husband and their two daughters. Her books have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and several other languages.

Linda Zajac is the author of Robo-Motion: Robots That Move Like Animals and eight Minecraft books for kids. She is an award-winning science writer who gained an appreciation for bridges after a stream crossing that involved straddling an iced log. Find her at www.lindarosezajac.com

Interview with Author/Illustrator Maddie Frost

By Melissa Roske on June 3, 2026 / Articles, Author Interviews

Today, let’s give a hearty Mixed-Up Files welcome to Maddie Frost. An award-winning author and illustrator, Maddie has been praised as a “powerhouse creator,” making over a dozen books for kids. Her first middle-grade novel, Really Rubie, which Kirkus hailed as: “Humorous, frank, and guaranteed to reassure,” is out now from Aladdin.

Really Rubie: A Summary

Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the first time with her best friend, Riley. She and Riley will be at Camp Pineview for an entire month, and Riley’s crush, Owen Griffon, will be across the lake at the boys’ camp. But when Riley can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle, Rubie has to go by herself. How can she survive without Riley? But camp might be more eventful, and more exciting, than Rubie ever thought, including her first-ever crush on a boy.

Q&A with Maddie Frost

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Maddie. Huge congrats on the publication of Really Rubie. I went to sleepaway camp as a kid, so of course I loved your book. I gobbled it up in two sittings!

MF: That’s amazing. I hope it didn’t give you any gas.

MR: Um… 🙂

Getting Campy with Rubie

MR: Your book is based on your own experience at sleepaway camp. How is Rubie’s experience similar to yours? How is it different? Also, what are the similarities and differences between you and Rubie?

MF: The biggest difference between me and Rubie’s camp experience is that my best friend came with me. Looking back, I always sort of wondered what kind of experience I would have had if I went alone. Rubie was the product of that curiosity.

All the fears, insecurities, and discomfort Rubie goes through at camp, I felt too. It was the first time I had left home for that long, and same for Rubie. It was like being flung onto another planet (with tons of woodchips). We both realized that a whole other world exists beyond the bubble of home. Amazing, and terrifying.

Rubie and I are both emotional and anxious, and we both try to find the humor in life’s struggles. Humor has always been a coping mechanism for me, especially in art. Rubie’s diary entries and doodles reflect that too. But we’re also super aware, and we take in everything all at once. Our feelings, our friends feelings, vibes and moods, exciting moments, awkward moments, people’s energy. I think all great writing comes from being hyper-aware to life.

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to 11-year-old Maddie?

MF: “Hey Maddie, it’s Maddie from the future. Listen, I know it’s rough seas out there in middle school. You’re probably feeling A LOT of things right now and it’s okay. What doesn’t make sense now will later. I promise. Oh, BTW, you turn it all into a book series. I know, right?! Keep going, you got this.

Dear Diary

MR: Really Rubie is written in diary form. What informed this stylistic decision? Did you keep diaries as a tween?

MF: Um, of course I did! I don’t know how you didn’t as a tween girl. There’s so much going on internally and you CAN’T talk to your parents about it. No way! A diary was the safest place to let my thoughts and feelings out. I’ve always wanted to try and make a middle-grade diary. My drawing style and personality lends itself well to this age group. I’m forever a tween at heart. I wrote in a diary at camp, so there was some “research” to be done before I started outlining this book.

I have always considered myself an artist first, author second. I came to writing books by illustrating them. The two art forms have operated like best friends throughout my career. They riff off of each other. What one lacks, the other makes up for. So I knew that if I wrote a middle grade novel, there 100% would be art. Ergo, a diary was the perfect format for me. Also it’s just so fun to write a stream of chaotic conscious and time travel back into my eleven-year-old brain.

Tween Friendships

MR: After Rubie’s BFF, Riley, breaks her ankle and has to withdraw from camp, Rubie is forced to navigate the experience on her own. Did something similar happen to you at Rubie’s age? Also, what were you trying to say about the nature of tween friendships?

MF: Often times, we stay “close to the pack” because we feel safe. But there isn’t much personal growth that happens when we are afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone. If I look back, my biggest personal growth happened when I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable; aka, trying anything new alone. There’s a big world out there, and when you’re a kid, it’s sooo hard to grasp that. Friendships will grow and change because you grow and change. It’s all part of your process and progress as a human. I wish what happened to Rubie happened to me much earlier in my life. I wish I had made a friend like Eliza back then, who proved that the Universe will always meet you halfway.

The Art of Creating a Graphic Novel

MR: In addition to writing the novel, you created the illustrations. What was the process like for you? Did you do both at the same time or add the illustrations later? Also, how does being an artist influence your writing—and vice-versa?

MF: I write the manuscripts for all my books before I do any art. This goes for picture books and graphic novels too. If the story stinks, it doesn’t matter how good the art is. Kind of like if the plot of a movie is horrible but the actors are award-worthy. Does not matter. The writer in me always trusts the artist in me. I never try to avoid writing something for the sake of having to draw it. Unless of course it’s something I don’t like drawing. Like large crowds, or realistic horses.

Jane of All Trades

MR: In addition to Rubie, you have written and illustrated a slew of popular picture books. What prompted your decision to write for a middle-grade audience? Did the creative process differ from your experience as a picture-book author/illustrator?

MF: I’m always craving the next challenge. The same thing happened when I went from picture books to graphic novels. I asked myself if I could do it, and then I tried. I’m not afraid of failing, so it makes the attempt super relaxed. Rubie came from a combination of that, plus being bored with the genre I had been working in for almost a decade. As artists, sometimes it feels like we need to put ourselves in a box to get more “recognized.” Like, oh this girl is a mystery writer, that guy only does THIS type of graphic novel. Ugh, it’s so suffocating as a creator to limit yourself. I don’t want to be type-casted! I want to be a Jane of all Trades, Master of all. I mean, all women are, right? Wink, wink.

Sharing the (School Visit) Love

MR: Rumor has it you enjoy doing school visits. Can you tell MUF readers more about this?

MF: The rumor is true. I love making it to the other side and sharing my work with readers. Authors work in a hole, we need the reward of humans engaging with us and our stories. We also have sensitive egos. It’s the best feeling when you connect with an audience.

Maddie’s “Aha!” Moment

MR: What has your path to publication been like? Smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

MF: My road to publication was an unexpected one, let’s say that. I really never thought about it when I was younger. I knew there we authors and illustrators that made books, but had no idea that it could be a career choice. I went to college for Animation because I loved cartoons. I’m a 90’s kid and grew up watching Nickelodeon in it’s prime. While I was there, I won a freelance contest to illustrate a picture book for a local hotel. It paid nothing but it was an aha moment for an alternate job path. It was everything I loved about cartoons, just in book format. After I graduated, I wanted to work at Disney. But being a New Englander, I had no idea how one does that. Do you just call up Mickey Mouse? “Yo, Mickey, you got a job for me?” (Said in Boston accent.)

So I started teaching elementary art until I couldn’t ignore the itch to make my own art any longer. I followed a few book illustrators on social media and reached out to find out how to get an agent. Long story long, I got an agent and took on small, boring book projects for babies (literally) while honing my craft, and my voice. I worked my way from the bottom up with zero training or direction. The only thing I knew I had to do was work hard. And I haven’t stopped working hard.

The Magic of Writing

MR: What is your writing and illustrating process like, Maddie? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MF: Writing process for Rubie always takes place somewhere in the morning after my daughter goes to school. I can’t write Rubie on anything else but my tablet (I have a laptop and computer) but it MUST be on the tablet or the magic isn’t there. So weird, I know. I think I just like the sound of my keyboard, it must make me write better. Tap, tap, tap.

For illustrating, I work in my office at all/any times of the day on my computer. I make my art in Photoshop with a Wacom and stylus pen. No specific routine, since I have a three year old. What is a routine again? And when I’m cleaning it means I’m procrastinating.

What’s Next for Maddie

MR: Really Rubie is the first in a series. Would you mind sharing a bit about what readers can expect in the books that follow?

MF: In Really Rubie book two, she turns twelve and starts sixth grade. There’s a new girl in town and also the person Riley has spent half the summer with in secret. She also happens to be super annoying. Meanwhile, Mom is acting a little *sus* and Rubie is convinced she’s dating. I don’t want to say too much, but there’s a big art scandal, a new crush, breaking and entering a classroom, more sneaking out at night, and a whole lot more awkward drama.

Lightning Round!

MR: Last thing: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Is coffee a snack?

Coffee or tea? Coffee because it’s a snack?

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Live it? Nay. Write it? Yea.

Favorite camp activity? Making friendship bracelets.

Most embarrassing moment at camp? Oh no not an MEM! Okay, this is true. I took sailing at the camp Rubie is based on, and one time I capsized the boat and it completely turtled over. Like it went upside down in the water. The “Hot Ben” in my situation had to come out on a motor boat and rescue me. Mega embarrassment viiiiibes.

Superpower? Flying

Favorite place on earth? My home. And maybe Disney World I guesssss.

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? A sketchbook, pencil, and water. What more do you need?

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Maddie—and congratulations on the publication of Really Rubie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

MF: Thanks for having me! Happy Reading! <3 Maddie

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