Author Interviews

Writing and Illustrating Muslim characters in children’s literature: Interview and Giveaway with Author Saadia Faruqi and Illustrator Hatem Aly

By on August 10, 2018   /   Author Interviews, Book Lists, children's bookstores, Common Core & NGSS, Cross-Curricular, Diversity, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, For Writers, Giveaways, independent bookstores, MUF Contributor Books, New Releases, Publishing & Promotion, STEM, Writing  

I am thrilled to interview Author Saadia Faruqi and Illustrator Hatem Aly and discuss their new book – Meet Yasmin!  Saadia and Hatem talk about their experience developing a story with a Muslim main character and why diversity in children’s books matters.

 

Saadia, Yasmin is a brave girl who has a big imagination and loves adventure. Why is it important for you to write/illustrate the story of an empowering ethnic minority character?

 Saadia: So far we’ve seen brown characters mostly in issues books. They typically face a problem – or issue – that directly relates to their identity. For instance a Muslim main character facing Islamophobia, or an African American main character experiencing racism. Although I do believe that those sorts of books are helpful to our understanding of critical social and political issues, it also means that minority groups are otherized further, they’re seen as different, or only viewed in the context of that issue. Yasmin is the antidote to this problem: a Muslim girl in America, a brown first generation American, who is perfectly normal and average, facing all the issues every child her age faces, and having the same happy disposition we expect to see from all our children. It was really important to me not to make Yasmin or her family “the other” – someone different because of their skin color or their religion or ethnic background. There is a sort of empowerment in that normalization that only minority groups can truly understand.

 

Hatem, was it important for you to take the author’s background into consideration while creating the illustrations in the book?

Hatem: It is important, However, I didn’t have to work so hard on being familiar with Saadia’s background since I can relate to many elements of her background already being brought up in Egypt and Yasmin’s family seems so familiar to me in a broader sense. I did work on bringing up some Pakistani visual elements but illustrating Yasmin went organically harmonized with the author’s experience and my own as well.

 

In the recent times, literary agents and publishing houses for children and young adult books have made an open call for submissions from Muslim authors and illustrators. Can you explain why it matters to include diverse characters in children’s and young adult literature?

 Saadia: It’s really crucial to have as much diversity in all sorts of literature, not just in terms of characters but also stories. I actually come from an adult literary background, and I see the same calls for diversity in that age group as well, and it warms my heart to witness these changes in publishing. The reason this matters so much is two-fold (and something we in kidlit talk about constantly): mirrors and windows. My children need a mirror. They need to see themselves reflected in the pages of the books they read. Growing up in Pakistan I didn’t have that. I read exclusively white stories, by white authors, and my worldview was shaped with an extreme inferiority complex because of that. I don’t want my children to have the same, and I know nobody else does either. Also, other children need windows. They should be able to read and enjoy books that show a different sort of family than theirs, a different culture than theirs. This is the only way we can have a younger generation that’s more empathetic and understanding and aware than our previous generations were.

Hatem: It is critically necessary to show diversity in literature of all ages and to express a wider range of life elements in people’s lives. In my work I sometimes pay attention to some things that bothered me as a child but also that I found intriguing. For example, I remember almost all comics and story books took place in a sort of a suburban –house per family- neighborhood and I felt strange finding nobody living in an apartment like myself and most of the millions of people in Cairo alone or at least everyone I know. So I felt alienated but amused from a distance longing for something I can’t define. It seemed to me there was a generic way of living that needs to be challenged and I couldn’t put my finger on the issue exactly until I was older. It’s important for children to see themselves and to see others as well in books.

 

How can parents, librarians, and readers help support books like Meet Yasmin?

 Saadia: The key is not only to read the book but to discuss it. You could use the back matter which has some really good discussion guides for students, and there is also an educator’s guide for teachers. Finally, and for me most excitingly, Capstone has some very cool downloadable activities based on Yasmin, which kids are going to love. I encourage parents, librarians and teachers to take advantage of those as much as possible.

Hatem: The best thing is to read the book, and share it with others! Personally I feel that the most powerful way is to read it to students or story time at public libraries as well as parents to their younger children. I find that helps building bonds between children and books.  I love libraries, so I ask everyone to walk into their local public library and suggest that they buy a few copies for their shelves. Most libraries have book suggestion tools for their patrons, either online or in person. The same goes for your child’s school library.

 

Who are your personal author/illustrator idols?

 Hatem: It’s more of an emergence of inspiration fueled by a mix of interesting people. Many names come to mind, and many I will forget. Some whose work I enjoy and admire are Bill Watterson, Tove Jansson, Maurice Sendak, Jon Klassen, Luke Pearson, Marc Boutavant, Sempé, Zep, Jillian Tamaki, Lynda Barry, Vera Brosgol, Hayao Miyazaki, Naoki Urasawa, Edward Gorey, Kate Beaton, Carson Ellis, Oliver Jeffers and many more.

Saadia: Some of my favorite writers are my own peers, because I believe writing is best done as part of a community. In early reader and picture books I admire Hena Khan who’s been a trailblazer as far as Muslim representation in kidlit is concerned, and really carved a space not only for herself but for others as well. In terms of illustrators, I’m actually a big fan of Hatem Aly, haha! I feel very blessed that he’s part of Team Yasmin because it’s so important for me to have a person doing the art who really understands what it means to be Muslim, and first generation, and sometimes “the other”. He really gets my stories in a way that I think another illustrator wouldn’t have, and I’m very grateful for that.

 

What can readers take away from Meet Yasmin?

Saadia: Readers will enjoy seeing themselves in Meet Yasmin, even if they are very different in superficial ways to Yasmin and her family. Yasmin is literally the every-girl, and her family is the same as every other family. With everything that’s going on politically in our country at the moment, I hope that Yasmin can help readers understand that Americans come in all colors, and that there’s beauty and worth in diversity, despite what they may hear in the news sometimes.

Hatem: I believe that readers will have fun with Yasmin and recognize similarities despite some superficial differences. They will be inspired to be curious, creative, and believing in themselves all the way even if things go wrong sometimes. There are a lot of lessons a child can learn, but there’s also a lot of entertainment which is so important to develop in this age group of readers.

 

For more about Saadia and her work, visit her website. You can also connect with her on Twitter.

For more about Hatem and his work, visit his website. You can also connect with him on Twitter.

Thanks, Saadia and Hatem!

 

Want to own your very own copy of Meet Yasmin? Enter our giveaway by leaving a comment below! 

You may earn extra entries by blogging/tweeting/facebooking the interview and letting us know. The winner will be announced here on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 and will be contacted via email and asked to provide a mailing address (US/Canada only) to receive the book.

 

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“More Deadly than War:” Interview with author Kenneth C. Davis

By on July 20, 2018   /   Author Interviews  

I am delighted to share my conversation with middle-grade and bestselling author Kenneth C. Davis. Kenneth is well known for his book of Don’t Know Much About® History and other books in the Don’t Know Much About® series, but on this occasion, we focused on his most recent book, More Deadly than the War, which was published in May 2018.

I wanted to talk with Kenneth about his book because it commemorates the 100 years of one of the most devastating historic events that have affected the entire population of the planet. More Deadly than the War turned out to be a fascinating story that is about much more than just how a deadly disease killed millions of people.

What is More Deadly than War about?

The book is about the Spanish flu, the worst disease outbreak in modern history, which happened 100 years ago. The stories and voices of the people caught in this chaotic period in history tell us about what it was like to live in a time much like a zombie apocalypse scenario. This worldwide epidemic coincided with the last year of World War I, and the consequences of this coincidence were so dramatic that the entire world almost stood still. Corpses were piling up in hospitals. Doctors had never seen anything like it and didn’t know what to do. Business and life in general slowed down to a crawl. People were terrified and blaming each other. I found most terrifying that it can happen again.

If the Spanish flu had so much influence on world history, why most people don’t know much about it?

 One hundred million people around the world didn’t make it. There were 675,000 Americans who did not survive the Spanish flu. To put it in perspective, more Americans died from the flu in about one year than all the U.S. soldiers who died fighting in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. One of the reasons this story was forgotten is because many people thought that it was so terrible, so awful and tragic that they didn’t want to think about it, or talk about it, or write about it. They just wanted to forget it.

You were not deterred to tell this story. What inspired you to write this book?

 In a way, writing this book was a lucky accident. My editor had a bad cold, and mentioned that her grandmother had died of the Spanish flu and that she knew very little about this worldwide epidemic. I began researching and found an amazing story that connected science – the flu – and history – World War I – in more ways than I had anticipated.

This was a detective story because I had so many questions I wanted to answer about it. Where did this flu come from? How did it affect so many people? How did it affect the war? How did the war influence the spread of the flu? I discovered that all these things were completely interconnected and for me it was very important to show those connections. When you look back in history, you find that disease has been incredibly important in every phase of civilization, but we tend to push it to the side. “That’s science, that’s not history,” some people say.

Without giving anything away, tell us, of all the things you learned when you were doing research for this book, what surprised you the most?

 It surprised me to learn the tremendous consequences the Spanish flu had on the war, and the influence the war had on the Spanish flu. As a historian, I understood the causes of World War I, how dreadful the fighting was, and why America eventually got involved. But, I really didn’t understand the enormous effect that this pandemic also had on the war and that the two of them went together.

What else will readers discover in More Deadly than War?

Readers will discover how a real, end-of-the-world scenario can happen when two major powerful events come together; in this case a serious, easily spread disease and a merciless war. These catastrophic events transformed the world and taught us important lessons. The real reason we study history is to make sense of the world and to learn from it both the mistakes we made and what we got right.

For instance, in 1918 there was a lot of propaganda, the ultimate form of fake news. In World War I, Germany was the enemy to the U.S. Propaganda made Americans think that the Germans were causing the flu pandemic by poisoning the water or medications, which was not true. So, the idea that fear, ignorance and propaganda can influence what we think and how we behave, is an important part of this story.

Kenneth C. Davis. Photo by Nina Subin

Let’s learn about you a little bit. How did you become an author?

For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed reading both fiction and nonfiction books. I have always been very interested in biographies and history because they are about what real people did.

In middle school, I was stronger in English and history, not surprisingly, than I was in math or science, and I always enjoyed writing. Even though I loved to read and write, I never had the idea that I could be a writer. Fortunately, I was put in a position later on where I realized that I could do what I loved, to do research and to write and to talk about it, and actually make a living from it.

Becoming a writer was more of a lucky accident than evolution of my part. I was half way through college where I was a liberal arts and English major. I thought that I was in a track to become a teacher because I have always enjoyed being in front of a classroom speaking to a group of people, sharing information. But, then, I took some time off from college to work in a bookstore. Someone I was working with read some of the articles I had written for the college newspaper and she said, “You should be writing books, not selling them.”

That woman was so smart I married her. True story. My wife and I have worked together very closely for more than 40 years. She is a journalist and editor, a publisher in her own right, and our careers have been built completely around the book business and our love of books and the impact that they can have on people. And that is such an important idea. It’s wonderful to read books for pleasure or to escape to another world, but books also can shape who we are as people, our attitudes, and our lives. They also can change the world. I think that the highest calling for a writer is to fulfill a mission to bring people very important messages, and I hope that in my own way my books have done that.

Well, More Deadly than War has certainly opened my eyes about how a deadly combination disease and war can be, and I hope this amazing story can help us all prevent such a thing from happening again. Thank you very much for your time!

 

Thank you!

Follow Kenneth on Twitter and YouTube

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Marcus Emerson’s The Super Life of Ben Braver

By on July 16, 2018   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

I’m thrilled to have indie author Marcus Emerson join us here at The Files. Within the indie community, Marcus is a bit of an inspiration. His books often top the charts and his Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja series has over 2,500 Amazon reviews! I knew it would be invaluable to have him here as there’s much to learn from his success as an indie author.

My name is Chase Cooper, and I’m a 6th grade ninja. It’s my first day at a different school and the only person I know is my cousin, Zoe (but she might be a little too cool for me). I was just another scrawny kid until a group of ninjas recruited me into their clan. It was a world of trouble I wasn’t prepared for, which is why I kept this diary (or “chronicle” as my dad would call it) – to warn other kids about the dangers of becoming a ninja. They say history is destined to repeat itself… well, not if I can help it. Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja is a funny thriller that’s entertaining for kids, middle school students, and adults.

 

Amie: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Marcus! We’re so excited to have you here. Your publication journey is inspiring and I’m excited to share it with our readers. So let’s start with the basics. What inspired you to want to write MG books?

Marcus: It started with Recess Warriors – I wanted to create a comic book, but I wanted to create a comic book that I wouldn’t have to hide from my 3-year-old (at the time) daughter, so that meant no realistic violence, foul language, or anything of the sort. I was working on it for several hours a day at the kitchen table, and she would constantly sit with me during that process.

Once that was finished, I realized that MG was where my heart was the whole time so I just kept going. I can’t see ever writing anything outside of that.

Amie: I believe writing is a calling. Once you find your genre, it almost feels like a betrayal to write outside of it. So you wrote Recess Warriors and had a finished manuscript. Why not find an agent or publisher? Why choose to self-publish?

Marcus: I love working, especially on creating stories. If I could, I’d work all day on just that and nothing else, which was the reason why I chose to self-publish. I wanted to tell stories, and I wanted people to read my stories so I got to work and put them out. I was never against finding an agent or against traditional publishing – I just wanted to work without thinking about anything but the work, and self-publishing allowed me to do that.

Amie: There’s a lot of waiting in traditional publishing and, understandably, there can be some lag time between book releases, so I can appreciate the desire to create and publish on your own timeline. Indie authors tend to sell mostly ebooks. Are your sales mostly digital or physical books?

Marcus: I’m selling a lot more physical books these days. I’m definitely not an expert on why that’s the case though. I suspect more people like having physical copies in their hands? Personally, I do. I’ve probably bought a handful of ebooks in my life, but I’ve got a thousand physical books on my shelf.

I like a book where I can jot notes down on the paper, tear out pages and pin them up for reference, stick post-its in the margins, fold an edge to mark my place, to toss on the couch and know it’s waiting for me when I need it, and to stack on my bookshelves as beat up trophies.

My first love is actually comics, and nothing beats a physical comic book in your hands.

Amie: Unlike other indie authors who write for older audiences and can market directly to them, middle grade readers don’t always purchase their own books.  How were you able to reach this younger audience?

Marcus: Amazon.com takes care of all that for me. Parents shop the site, see that my books are popular or are recommended in the “customers also bought” section. I really don’t do much (if any) marketing at all.

Amie: That’s great! Amazon is essential to the indie author. Diary of a 6th grade Ninja is your first self pubbed middle grade book, correct? Ninjas are always popular for this age group, particularly boys. Do you think this has had some influence over the popularity of your books? 

Marcus: Correct. NINJA was my first self pubbed book. Ninjas are timeless. I’m 37 years old, and I grew up loving the Ninja Turtles, and kids today are still growing up loving those same turtles. I’m sure being part of pop culture definitely helped my books connect with young readers. 

Amie: I’m a *little* older than you but I recall my siblings watching TMNT. I can definitely understand the timeless kid appeal. From here you went on to write additional series, including The Super Life of Ben Braver. Was this also self-published? How did the popularity of your Ninja series affect the follow through sales of your other books? 

Ben Braver is an ordinary kid. All he wants to do is finish his summer watching awesome TV shows and eating his favorite candy. But when some kid screams for help, Ben, like his favorite comic book heroes, tries to save the day. Let’s just say it ends badly. But it does lead him to a secret school where kids with super abilities learn to control thier powers. Ben’s never had any powers—and never thought he could be special. So when he’s offered a spot at the school, Ben realizes this is his chance to become the superhero he’s always dreamed of.

Marcus: BEN BRAVER is not self-published. It’s published through Roaring Brook Press. It’s been out for a few months now and the response has been great, but I’m not exactly sure if the success of NINJA has anything to do with it.

Amie: You’re now represented by an agent. Tell us a bit about how you found your agent. Why’d you decide to seek representation?

Marcus: So one day I got an email from an agent (Dan Lazar at Writers House) who had read DIARY OF A 6TH GRADE NINJA. He thought the book was really fun and wanted to have a phone call with me. At the time, I was buried in my own work, writing and drawing another book in the NINJA series, so his email kind of slipped my mind.

Fast forward to several months later when I started getting inquiries from foreign countries about publishing the NINJA series in different languages. Foreign taxes and laws and all that was too staggering for my brain to understand, so I emailed Dan back for advice, which he generously offered, and I’ve been working with him and the awesome folks at Writers House ever since.

Amie: Fantastic news on both to your foreign rights interest and to your representation! Since some of your books have now been picked up by a publisher, what are your marketing plans? How have they changed?

Marcus: My marketing hasn’t changed too much, except that I’m trying my best to maintain a social media presence. It’s kind of exhausting for me and inevitably leads me back to burying myself in work because that’s what I love anyway.

Amie: Tell us a bit about your transition from indie to trad and what that’s been like.

Marcus: Self-publishing is a lonely process, for me at least. I outline alone. I write alone. I edit myself, then my wife edits, and then a third person edits. I make the final draft alone. I draw alone. And then I release the book quietly and wait for fans to start reviewing. This process takes 2-3 months per book.

Traditional publishing is much more friendly and a team effort. I outline with my editor and her assistant. I write a first draft. I work on illustrations while they edit. We have phone calls about the first draft and then I work on the second draft based on those notes. I work on covers with designers and the sales team while the second draft is edited. I sharpen the third draft. The book is laid out by the designer. We sharpen the layout until it’s nearly perfect. The book gets printed as an Advanced Reader Copy. The book is sharpened further until it’s perfect. The final book is ready and printed and released. This process takes almost 2 years, and I have a wonderful team of people at Roaring Brook Press working hard to make sure the book is the best it can be.

Amie: What do you like most about being an indie author? What’s the worst thing? Will you continue to self-publish?

 Marcus: Most? I get to write what I want. Worst? The stress of writing what I want. There’s nobody to tell me “That’s a bad idea,” or “This part sucks,” or “This part is almost good.” I’m extra hard on my self-pubbed stuff because of that.

I think self-publishing will always be there for me, like my own playground for story telling experiments – nothing major – just small ideas and thoughts.

Amie: Any other books you’re working on?

Marcus: Right now I’m working on the sequel to Ben Braver (actually I’ve been working on it for the last year and a half).

Amie: Spaghetti and meatballs or bean burritos? Snow pants or swim trunks? Dinosaurs or unicorns?

Marcus: Bean burritos! It’s like a meal wrapped in a blanket. I can’t walk while eating spaghetti and walking while eating is very important to me. It’s the most important thing of all.

Swim trunks, because snow pants make too much noise when you walk in them, and I don’t need all those people looking at me when I’m eating my burrito.

Dinosaurs! Because how cool would it be to strap a saddle to one and fight crime while riding it?? But on the other hand, it could be pretty cool to fight crime on a unicorn, too. This question is too hard. Pass.

Amie: Haha! These are the best answers ever! I can’t help imagining you in noisy snow pants, eating your meal-wrapped-in-a-blanket while fighting crime from the back of a unicorn. Thanks for the visual. And thanks so much for joining us at The Files, Marcus. Best of luck to you with Ben Braver as well as all of your other titles. 

 

Marcus Emerson is the author of the hit Diary of a 6th Grade Ninja   series, The Super Life of Ben Braver, and Recess Warriors. His career   started in 2nd grade when he discovered Garfield. He grew up playing   Super Mario Bros., watching Thundercats, and reading comics like   X-Men, and Wildcats. He lives in Iowa with his wife and children.

If you’d like to win a copy of The Super Life of Ben Braver just fill out the rafflecopter form below. We’ll select one lucky winner!

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