Author Interviews

WNDMG Author Interview with Lynnette Mawhinney about her New Book

By on October 9, 2024   /   Articles, Author Interviews, Diversity, WNDMG  

WNDMG Author Interview with Lynnette Mawhinney about her New Book

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Lynnette Mawhinney today. Lynnette’s book is titled Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children (Magination Press), which is was published February 6, 2024.

I absolutely love graphic novels, and this one is nonfiction too! It is so important, with themes of fighting against segregation, of historical events in America like the Brown vs. Board of Education case, and an amazing Black woman who can inspire all of us.

I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

About Mamie Phipps Clark, Champion for Children:

Description taken from online:

This inspiring graphic novel tells the story of groundbreaking psychologist and civil rights activist Mamie Phipps Clark, PhD and her research in the racial identity and development of self in Black children, the work that ultimately played a vital role in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case.

Part of American Psychological Association’s Extraordinary Women in Psychology series.

Mamie was born and raised in Hot Springs, Arkansas, during a time when United States laws intentionally disadvantaged Black people and permitted racial segregation. This profoundly impacted her life and work and instilled in her an unstoppable force to champion for Black children. Mamie made a difference with science – she studied math and psychology at Howard University. She was first the Black woman to graduate from Columbia University with a doctorate degree in psychology. Mamie expanded her earlier master’s research into the famous black-doll/white-doll experiments that exposed the negative effects of racial segregation in children. Along with her research partner and husband, Kenneth Clark, Mamie became expert witnesses in several school desegregation cases, including Brown vs. Board of Education in 1954, which effectively ended racial segregation in school. Mamie dedicated her life to advocate for children who deserved more than what society offered them and she built the Northside Center in Harlem, NY to support children with special needs, academic programs, and mental health services.

Filled with interesting news stories and thought-provoking activities, this book encourages readers to carry on Mamie’s legacy and become champions for themselves and others in their community.

Interview with Lynnette:

I loved getting to talk to Lynnette about her new book and I think you will enjoy meeting her as well.

 

SSS: What a description! This book sounds SO important, and I cannot wait to read Mamie’s inspiring story. What inspired you to write about Mamie?

 

LM: Magination Press approached me to write this book, as it was the next in the series Extraordinary Women in Psychology. I knew about Dr. Clark from the doll test, but after that, I didn’t know much about here. Deep diving into the research to bring her to life, I was just taken aback as to how much her work has influenced all of us—even today. The more I learned about her, the more, the more she inspired me, and the more motivated I was to bring her story to light.

SSS: How do historical events and laws impact society today? What can Mamie teach us about the world today?

LM: Dr. Clark’s story teaches us that change can be a long process, but it also has lasting impacts. I think Dr. Clark teaches us to stay the course, keep justice and youth at the forefront. When we advocate for justice-oriented change, the historical events and laws need to be simultaneously embraced, analyzed, and challenged for continued and lasting change.

SSS: I love graphic novels. How was it like to collaborate with an artist on this project?

LM: In this world, I don’t get to collaborate directly with the illustrator, as all requests go through our editor. But working with Neil was great, as he graciously took any feedback I had given the editor. His artwork and truly gift was the key to bringing Dr. Clark’s story to life, and I am forever grateful.

 

SSS: The subject of segregation is so important, and teaching anti-racism is a must in classrooms. How can nonfiction help teach students to advocate for justice?

 

LM: My immediate response is, “when we know better, we do better.” That, I hope, is one of the lessons that history teaches us. We can learn from our past in order to do better for and with humanity in the future. Dr. Clark’s story tells us how youth can continue to be advocates for change, and how being a visionary can help to change make a difference for justice.

SSS: Do you have any more incredible book recs for us?

LM: I am currently in the middle of reading When the Stars are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed. It is also a non-fiction graphic novel/memoir about Omar’s life growing up as a refugee in Kenya. I haven’t finished reading it yet, but so far, the book has been wonderfully done! It’s a compelling read. 

SSS: Thank you so much for this beautiful rec.

 

Link to order Lynnette’s Book here.

Writing Process

SSS: When did you start writing this book? How do you think your background of being a Professor of Urban Education help you in writing?

LM: I stared the research process in 2021. Dr. Clark was NOT easy to research, as she was often pushed to the side because she was a woman. I often joked that this research process was like “Where’s Waldo” and trying to find Dr. Clark’s legacy and story.

As a scholar, I honestly had to use all my research skills I have been trained in with this process. I interviewed people, spent LOTS of hours in libraries, and went to museums to collect data. As a matter of fact, this project pushed me to learn new research skills with exploring archival research and helped to build me up as a researcher.

 

SSS: How is the process of writing a graphic novel different from writing a picture book, or an adult book in prose? (I noticed you are so prolific!)

LM: This was an extremely new and different process of writing. For a graphic novel, I would say it is equal to writing a screenplay. In a graphic novel, I had to not only write the story and dialogue, but I also had to write out each scene. It was like writing “stage direction” or in this case “visual direction” along with the dialogue. It was fun, as it really got to push my visualization of Dr. Clark’s life.

SSS: Any advice for fellow authors?

 

LM: Keep writing and keep exploring. Don’t be afraid to try new ways of writing or contributing your voice to this world because what we all have to say and share with the world matters.

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

LM: Dr. Clark was a visionary and way before her time. I hope that readers enjoy the book and get to see just how her work continued to influence all our daily lives.

Thank you so much Lynnette for answering my questions! I hope everyone picks up a copy of your beautiful book.

About Lynnette Mawhinney PhD:

LYNNETTE MAWHINNEY, PhD, is an award-winning writer, creator, and long-time educator. Dr. Mawhinney was a former high school English teacher at the School District of Philadelphia and transitioned into teacher education. She has conducted teacher trainings in the U.S., Vietnam, Taiwan, Thailand, South Africa, Bahrain, and Egypt. Dr. Mawhinney is Professor of Urban Education and Senior Associate Dean for Strategic Academic Initiatives at Rutgers University-Newark. As a secret artist, she applies her craft of visual-based approaches to her research and scholarship on the recruitment and retention of teachers of Color. She is the author and editor of five academic books.

In 2020, Dr. Mawhinney was the recipient of the American Educational Studies Association’s Critics Choice Book Award for her co-written book, There Has to be a Better Way: Lessons from Former Urban Teachers.

 

Aside from academic books, Dr. Mawhinney is a children’s book author. Her first book, Lulu the One and Only, received an acclaimed starred Kirkus Review, along with awards such as the Notable Social Studies Trade Book Award by the National Council for Social Studies and the Children’s Book Council. Her new book, Mamie Phipps Clark: Champion for Children, is a biography graphic novel for youth.

Dr. Mawhinney is also the Founder and President of Gaen Knowledge, LLC, a consultancy firm that performs traditional and visual-based evaluation and equity audits for organizations (e.g. PreK-12 schools, higher education institutions, and clinical health settings).

Links:

Website: www.lynnettemawhinney.com

Instagram: @lkmawhinney

 

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Matt De La Pena looking down court with middle grade novel as picture book sets to release

By on September 26, 2024   /   Author Interviews, Fiction  

By Faran Fagen

Acclaimed author Matt De La Pena’s newest picture book, Home, is coming out in March. However, his little-kept secret is that he’s working on his first middle grade novel in many years that comes out in 2026. Matt zoomed in with the Mixed-Up-Files to tell us about his dive into middle grade amid the release of his latest picture book and other adventures.

Q: Where did your travels take you just before this interview?

A: Well, I just visited the Galapagos Islands on family vacation. Just before that, however, I was in author mode at the Juvenile Detention Center in Fresno, California. I had some powerful interactions with young children there. What I found most interesting about that visit was that the children on the inside are even deeper into the reading world than children on the outside. One kid said to me, ‘When I’m in my cell and reading one of your books it’s like I have a TV on inside my head.’ I’ll never forget that.

Q: What’s happening with your latest project, Home, which comes out March 11?

A: My newest picture book, Home, is a follow-up to LOVE, which is also illustrated by Loren Long. I set out to write this book during the pandemic. One of the things I was curious about during this time was what’s important to you when you’re stuck at home. The natural world relates what is ours. Home is the place we live. But the Earth is our home too. Home contemplates the idea that family is home. That’s how we connect to love. The spiritual aspect of home is what’s most important. Over the course of time, love is interrupted by adversity. But home is safe.

Q: Your books are full of metaphors for love and other key elements of our lives. Can you point out a powerful metaphor in Home?

A: A lot of people encounter the possibility of losing their home, whether it’s a natural disaster or losing a job, or other things. Probably the most important metaphor in Home is a big tree just outside the house. The tree is damaged in a severe storm. The neighborhood is rebuilt, but the injured tree remains among new plants and continues to grow. The tree is a symbol of resilience – the resilience of the human population. Home is the intersection of the natural world and the human world.

Q: You have such strong themes in your books, whether it’s love, home or resilience. Even going back to your YA books such as Sticky’s resilience in Ball Don’t Lie. Do you write with the intention of exploring these themes?

A: It’s an accident. Basically, I write each book by thinking ‘what am I most curious about’, and then go on that journey with my character. The ultimate crime in fiction is to let the message outpace the story. It’s more along the lines that my books are the things I’m curious about. This goes back to the idea that authors write about the same things in a different way.

Q: I’m sure our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love to hear about your Middle Grade book coming out in 2026. Can you talk about it?

A: I spent the last one-and-a-half years on this middle grade, and I probably had more fun writing it than any other book. It’s about an eighth-grader whose basketball skills get noticed by a powerhouse program in a distant neighborhood. They want him as the starting point guard, but he has to move in with a new family, away from his rough neighborhood. He has to choose at a young age whether to follow ambition or family, and every chapter explores that decision. The book is about the father and son relationship as well as what it means to be a boy/man. Just about all my books are about class and what it means to be a man, and this is no different.

Q: What’s it like writing middle grade after spending so much time with picture books?

A: I feel like a rookie. I’m learning so much about Middle Grade. What I love is there’s so much depth in Middle Grade even though at times it’s not as edgy as YA.

Q: Speaking of picture books, what was it like promoting Milo Imagines the World on Good Morning America?

A: It was amazing. The coolest thing about it was that I got messages from people outside of the book world. People who knew nothing about the book sent me all sorts of emails.

Q: I know you can’t pick a favorite book of yours, but which one of your books is speaking to you right now?

A: We Were Here is probably my favorite YA of mine right now. Everything I learned in writing Mexican Whiteboy I applied to We Were Here. A couple of moments hit me hard just thinking about them. Like when Mong walks into the water and we see him disappear. Mong wants to be in control of how he dies. It’s so sad. He leaves the message ‘We Were Here’. ‘We Were Here’ explores marginal people and how they want the world to know they exist.

Q: What’s the biggest difference writing Middle Grader as opposed to Young Adult and Picture Book?

A: When you first become an author, some people survive by reading. I wasn’t a huge reader. I came into this world as a writer

 

N

first. I often experience books in the world I’m writing for the first time. I’m blown away by the Middle Grade books I’m reading while writing my own Middle Grade. These books make me feel so lucky that I can do this too.

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Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Michael P. Spradlin

By on September 25, 2024   /   Author Interviews  

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author Michael P. Spradlin to the Mixed-Up Files! Michael, who happens to be one of the most prolific authors on Earth–he’s written dozens of books for children, teens, and adults–is here to talk about his latest MG novel, Rise of the Spider, the first of a planned six-book series set in pre-World War II Germany. The novel, praised by Kirkus as “[A] fast-moving, stirring tale….Clear of stance and cogent of theme,” is out now from Margaret K. McElderry Books.

And now, without further ado…

Interview with Michael P. Spradlin

MR: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Michael! It’s a pleasure to have you here.

MPS: I’m happy to be here! Wherever here is! 🙂

Rise of the Spider: A Summary

MR: Your latest novel, Rise of the Spider, the first in a planned six-book series, is set in pre-World War II Germany during the Nazi Party’s rise to power. Can you tell MUF readers more about the book and its 11-year protagonist, Rolf?

MPS: Rise of the Spider takes place in 1929. Each book–which will feature a different protagonist and examine how the rapid, accelerating change in Germany affects all of them–will be set in a different year, leading up to 1934 and after Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany.

The first book features Rolf Von Huesen who lives in Heroldsberg, Germany, with his father and brother. Rolf’s older brother died in the Great War, and his mother passed during the Spanish Flu right after he was born.

MR: At the beginning of the novel, Rolf suspects that his older brother, Romer, is being courted by the Hitler Youth. What impact does this have on Rolf and the choices he makes throughout the novel?

MPS: Ultimately it nearly tears Rolf apart. Romer is Rolf’s idol, the person who has most taken care of him since his mother died during the Spanish Flu. Romer’s got it all: He’s smart, handsome, and athletic. To see him so easily seduced by Nazi ideology is devastating to Rolf.

The Role of Friendship

MR: While Rolf is struggling with his brother’s involvement in the Hitler Youth—and later, his role in the destruction of Jewish-owned shops in their small Bavarian town—he leans on his outspoken best friend, Ansel, for support. What role does friendship play in the novel? How does it help—and, in many ways, hinder—Rolf’s struggle?

MPS: I’ve been told by many readers and librarians that the central theme of my novels is often the true meaning of friendship. I guess that’s right. In this case, Ansel’s friendship helps by giving Rolf a sounding board. While Ansel is definitely a wiseacre, he is also a good listener. He’s just as puzzled by Rolf at what is happening. Yet he also pushes the envelope and likes poking the bear, which often leads to trouble. But, if nothing else, Ansel is loyal as all heck to his friends.

The Real Heroldsberg

MR: Since the novel takes place in pre-World War II Germany, in a small Bavarian town called Heroldsberg, what sort of research did you do in order to ensure authenticity? I know you traveled to Bavaria, and to Heroldsberg itself. How did the trip deepen your understanding of the historical events fictionalized in your novel?

MPS: I’m obsessed with Heroldsberg! What an idyllic, beautiful, and picturesque place. And like most of Europe it is just dripping with history. Major battles of the Thirty Years War were fought there. Bavaria is just stunning, and every time you turn around you think you are going to see Cinderella’s castle. Being there had a real influence on writing this book. Usually in my historical novels, I’m writing about a place that no longer exists. In this case, I could walk the streets and cobblestones that had been there since the middle ages.

The Long-lasting Impact of WWII

MR: This isn’t your first middle-grade novel set in Nazi-occupied Europe. Into the Killing Seas, The Enemy Above, and Prisoner of War all are set during WWII. What impels you to write about this historical period? What makes it meaningful to you?

MPS: I think it’s because I was deeply affected by the war. I say this because my dad was a veteran. Other than his children being born, I think it had to be the most profound experience of his life and it impacted his beliefs greatly. Notably, his brother was killed in action on Omaha Beach.

I grew up in a small town and every single man within five years of my father’s age had served. They were my teachers, coaches, scout leaders, bosses, and mentors. I know it had an impact on them, and therefore on me. I think my father, a quiet, sensitive man, was greatly influenced by his brother’s death. I think he had horrible survivor’s guilt.

I also believe that World War II is the most transformative event in human history thus far. We are still living with many of its outcomes today. First, it was truly a global conflict with more than eighty countries taking part. In our country, we saw women enter the workforce in large numbers as well as the beginnings of racial desegregation. We also made enormous technological advances in a very short time. While the war was a horrific loss of blood and treasure, it also served to propel humanity forward in many ways.

The Takeaway

MR: What do you hope readers will take away from the series?

MPS: I want them to understand that evil is insidious and can be presented in all kinds of promises and pretty packages. It can also be very hard to spot–especially at the beginning. It can even sound appealing. That’s why it’s important that kids understand how someone like Hitler came to power; how he tailored his message to the those who were disenfranchised by war, poverty and a lack of hope. But all along he was selling a pig in a poke.

Michael’s Writing Routine

MR: Switching gears, let’s talk about your writing routine. Do you have a specific time of the day when you like to write? Any particular writing rituals? Also, what’s the secret to being so prolific? You’ve published a gazillion books! (Well, 33 and counting.)

MPS: By and large, I write mostly at night–but sometimes during the day as well. Usually my computer is open to a manuscript all day and I am sitting down and tapping out a couple of sentences throughout the day.

As for being prolific, it is a blessing and a curse. I have a brain that doesn’t believe in downtime. I’m always thinking about new ideas and new projects, and I always have multiple projects in the works.

Planning and Organizing a Series

MR: As stated above, Rise of the Spider, is the first installment in a planned six-book series. How do you organize the writing process for such a big project? It seems like a herculean task!

MPS: I use a lot of spreadsheets. I keep them for continuity, and correctly spelling character names. And keeping track of physical descriptions. I have general outlines for all six books, but they aren’t strict so if the story takes me in a different, better direction I can adapt.

MR: In addition to MG, you also write picture books, YA, and books for adults, including a volume of haikus about pirates (!). What’s the key to writing books for different age groups? 

MPS: I’m not sure there’s a key. Obviously with kids’ books there are things like language and themes you need to watch out for, but the main goal is to write as well as you can. Kids need to be the hero, and you can’t have them saved by adults at a critical moment. Other than that, I’d say to be honest… and treat your audience with respect.

Lessons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

MR: Rumor has it that you’re a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I have questions…

MPS: OMG! DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS? I was never so saddened to learn the truth about what happened to the creator of the show. It was so brilliantly written and acted. But I came to realize that a lot of art throughout history has been created by not so great people. In the case of a movie or television show, it takes far more than the writer to make it work.

Hundreds of people contribute from actors to cinematographers and their contributions also play a key role. I think you can still appreciate it from that perspective. If someone horrible did something behind the scenes, aren’t we further punishing the actors and the hundreds of other people involved in the show who can least afford to be punished by us no longer watching? That’s a rhetorical question. I’m not sure what the answer is. But in a vacuum: BTVS is a great accomplishment by all involved.

MR: What are you working on now, Michael? More books in the Web of the Spider series, I’m guessing?

MPS: Yes, more Web of the Spider books. Then I have a trilogy I’ll be shopping soon, but these books will be my main focus for the next couple of years.

Lightning Round!

MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Oatmeal schotchie cookie

Coffee or tea? Neither

Cat or dog?  Love both. Own a dog. Allergic to cats

Plotter or Pantser?  Total pantser

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Um. YES!

Superpower? I can melt an ice cube with my mind. It just takes a while. Also, I can do a killer Sean Connery impersonation, but no one knows who he is anymore.

Favorite place on earth? My house with my family present

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? Boats. Boats. Boats

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Michael—and congratulations on the publication of Rise of the Spider!

MPS: Thank you for having me! Watch for The Threat of the Spider coming in summer 25!

Bio

Michael P. Spradlin is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author of the Spy Goddess series, The Youngest Templar series, and the Web of the Spider series, as well as several works of historical fiction, including the Western Heritage Award–winning Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express. He currently resides in Lapeer, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, and his schnoodle, Sequoia. Learn more about Michael on his website and follow him on X, and Facebook.

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