Author Interviews

Author Spotlight: Deborah Hopkinson + a two-book GIVEAWAY!

By on April 5, 2021   /   Author Interviews, Giveaways  

When I was approached to interview Deborah Hopkinson, I jumped at the chance. Deborah, who has enjoyed an illustrious career as a children’s book author, has penned more than 50 award-winning books for young people: picture books, MG fiction and nonfiction. Her latest book, We Must Not Forget: Holocaust Stories of Survival and Resistance, was released on February 2 from Scholastic. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Deborah to the Mixed-Up Files.

Meet Deborah Hopkinson

MR: Hi, Deborah. Thank you for joining us on the Mixed-Up Files blog. It’s an honor to have you here.

DH: Thank you for having me, and for all you do to support young readers and authors.

MR: As stated in the introduction, you have written more than 50 books for children in different genres and on a wide variety of topics, from the Kindertransport of World War II to Dolly Parton and Michelle Obama. What draws you to a specific project, and what keeps you riveted?

DH: During in-person (and now virtual) author visits, I always tell young readers that I’m a lot like them: I get curious and want to know about things. And so I start researching and digging. I’m often spurred by the question: “How come I never knew about this?”

Stories of the Holocaust

MR: Your latest book, We Must Not Forget: Holocaust Stories of Survival and Resistance, chronicles the stories of Holocaust survivors from Western- and Eastern European countries, including, Germany, The Netherlands, Poland, and Hungary. With so many varied and important stories to share, how did you choose which ones to highlight? It must have been a herculean task.

DH: There are so many stories that need to be told. In We Must Not Forget and its companion, We Had to be Brave, I tried to be a curator of sorts. I began with a long list, and many oral histories and memoirs. The final books took shape as I tried to convey the varieties of what people experienced in different places and siuations. I also tried to include as many children and teens as possible. Lisa Sandell, my wonderful editor at Scholastic Focus, also encouraged me to round out sections to provide a fuller picture.

The historian’s role

 (Dr. Jacob Presser, author of Ashes in the Wind: The Destruction of Dutch Jewry)

MR:  As above, the stories in We Must Not Forget are extremely raw and painful to read: Jews chased by dogs and shot in the streets; children separated from their parents and siblings; the deportation of Jews and other marginalized groups to Nazi death camps; scientific experimentation on Jews, mass murder… How do you do the important work of sharing these stories without getting sucked under by grief and despair? Do you have any specific coping mechanisms in your author’s toolbox?

DH:  I try to always remind myself that writing, preserving, and passing these stories on is a very small thing. Early on in We Must Not Forget, I quote Dr. Jacob Presser, Holocaust survivor and Dutch historian, who spent fifteen years writing about the Jewish experience in the Netherlands under the Nazis. He said that working with scraps of messages thrown out from trains leaving the Netherlands gave him an awareness that one of the roles of the historian is “to give the dead a voice.”  I am an amateur historian only, but I tried to be guided by this when writing the book.

Strength in the face of despair

(Vlada Meed, who lost her parents, brother, and sister in the Warsaw Ghetto, and later joined the resistance)

MR: Fortitude and resilience are reoccurring themes in your books, particularly in your titles about World War II and the Holocaust. From your many years of research—including interviews with dozens of Holocaust survivors, which readers can access online via the links provided in your books—what do you think gives a person strength in the face of unspeakable ugliness and despair?

DH:  One thing that came up again and again was family. That’s not a surprise, of course. But the love of a parent, a sibling, a grandparent or a spouse gave people strength.

Yet it’s important to realize that often strength grew out of intense despair and hopelessness. Vladka Meed lost her parents, brother, and sister in the Warsaw Ghetto. She reflected that she had nothing left to lose and so willingly risked her life and joined the resistance. Vladka saved others, fell in love, and survived. After immigrating to the United States, Vladka and Benjamin Meed were among the key voices in founding the United States Holocaust Memorial as a living memorial to those who were killed.

Many of these stories center on brothers and sisters who kept going and tried to endure the unendurable for their siblings, or for the memory of their parents who had been murdered. I was struck by how many stories include mention of the impact of small acts of kindness from others. Although these were, sadly, rare, it is something that we can all remember to do better at.

Definition of a hero

MR: Altruism is another powerful theme in your books. As described in We Must Not Forget, a great number of non-Jews participated in the resistance movement by hiding Jews in their homes, bribing police and public officials, and smuggling Jews out of the country. As above, what gave these heroes the strength to take such extraordinary risks at the possible expense of their own lives? Also, in your eyes, what defines a “hero”?

DH: I don’t know that there is one answer to this, or an easy answer. And I don’t feel at all qualified to know what it was like to face those risks and choices. But I hope that as young people read these stories, they will ask themselves, as we all must do, how we stand up to unfairness, injustice, bullying, racism, and evil in our own lives.

I don’t know that I can define a hero either. But I do know that as I’ve read accounts of health-care workers fighting to save lives during this pandemic that these people are heroes.

The ugly rise of antisemitism

MR: On a separate but related note, antisemitism is on the rise. According to the American Defense League, assault, harassment and vandalism against Jews remain at near-historic levels in the U.S. and in Europe. Additionally, an 2018 survey by the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency revealed that 89% of European Jews living across the Continent feel antisemitism has increased in their country over the past decade. Almost half worried about being insulted or harassed in public because they are Jewish, and more than a third feared being physically attacked. I know this question can’t be answered definitively—and in the space allotted here—but in your opinion as an historian, what is the explanation for this uptick in antisemitism?

DH:  Yes, this rise in antisemitism and white supremacy is exceptionally disturbing. And the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was a sobering reminder of how extremism can take hold and how rhetoric and disinformation can fuel it. My books include links to the Anti-Defamation League for resources on antisemitism.

I researched and wrote We Had to be Brave and We Must Not Forget during the previous administration. And it was often very disturbing to see statistics on the rise of bullying and antisemitism today, while reading about young Kindertransport survivors, whose first inklings of what was happening after Hitler’s rise to power was being bullied and harassed by classmates and those they considered friends.

I am not a trained historian or scholar, of course. Nor am I Jewish; I am lucky to have an editor who is, and both We Must Not Forget and We Had to be Brave were also vetted by Jewish experts from the museum world.

In my writing and presentations for young readers to focus on historical thinking skills: sourcing, close reading, corroboration, and contextualization. I do this because I believe young children and teens need these tools to understand disinformation, propaganda, and misinformation to help counter the negative effects of rhetoric like this. I read recently that society needs to take this effort to combat extremism more fully, and I believe that is true.

The importance of empathy

MR: And finally, what would you like young readers to take away with them after reading your books—especially the ones about World War II and the Holocaust?

DH: I believe empathy is the most important thing I hope readers discover in these stories. It is a cliché, but true nevertheless: Reading about the past through the voices of real, ordinary people makes history come alive.

Another essential element to reading is discovering the power to make up your own mind and think for yourself about what is happening in the world.

In addition to fighting prejudice, racism, and discrimination in their everyday lives, I hope young people will be inspired to learn about the past—and feel empowered to become involved in their communities now and in the future.

Finally, I hope my books encourage readers to be brave enough to ask questions, follow evidence, and use their skills and knowledge to make up their own minds. I have a lot of hope young people can do just that.

MR: Thank you for joining us on the Mixed-Up Files, Deborah. We appreciate your participation hugely!

And now… 

a two-book GIVEAWAY!!!

For a chance to win WE HAD TO BE BRAVE and WE MUST NOT FORGET,  comment on the blog–and, if you’re on Twitter, on the Mixed-Up Files Twitter account, for an extra chance to win! 

Deborah Hopkinson’s bio

DEBORAH HOPKINSON is an award-winning author of picture books, middle-grade fiction, and nonfiction. Her nonfiction titles include We Had to Be Brave: Escaping the Nazis on the Kindertransport; Titanic: Voices from the Disaster; Courage & Defiance: Stories of Spies, Saboteurs, and Survivors in World War II Denmark; Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific; and D-Day: The World War II Invasion That Changed History. Deborah lives with her family near Portland, Oregon, along with an eclectic assortment of pets. Learn more about Deborah on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Back to Top

VIOLET AND THE PIE OF LIFE by Debra Green: Interview + Giveaway

By on March 24, 2021   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

Today, I’m thrilled to present my interview with Debra Green, author of Violet and the Pie of Life and many more books for kids. Debra is known for writing with both humor and heart, and her new middle-grade novel is no exception. Plus, there’s pie! What’s not to love? Debby has generously offered to send an autographed copy of her book to a lucky winner. Read all about her and her new book and then scroll down to click on the Rafflecopter for a chance to win. (U.S. only).

All About the Author

In addition to Violet and the Pie of Life, Debra Green, AKA D.L. Green, AKA Debra Garfinkle, is the author of several humorous chapter book series such as Zeke Meeks, Silver Pony Ranch, and The Funny Girl.

She lives in Southern California and spends her mornings writing fiction before her day job as a lawyer. She loves giving writing workshops and talks at libraries, schools, and conferences.

To learn more about Debra, visit her website.

 

 

All About the Book

Tell us about Violet and the Pie of Life.

It’s a contemporary middle grade novel with humor and heart, about a math-loving seventh grade girl named Violet Summers who uses charts, graphs, and equations to try to fix her life. She has a lot to calculate after her father leaves and she wins the part in the school play that her best friend wanted. There’s pi, pie, laughs, and a cry.

 

What was the inspiration behind the novel?

Me, she says narcissistically. My parents went through a messy separation and divorce when I was about Violet’s age. Also, I was in the same play, The Wizard of Oz, that Violet is in. And I’ve always liked math; it’s so clear-cut, with only one right answer. Finally, like Violet, I love pie.

  

I loved all the mathematical diagrams. Was it difficult coming up with the drawings that reflect Vi’s problems (and solutions) in life?

Thank you. It wasn’t hard coming up with the diagrams. That was very fun. My brother is a math professor, and I think I have a little of that math gene. But I am not good at drawing, so it wasn’t easy trying to convey my vision to the artist at my publisher, Holiday House. I asked three twelve-year-old girls (my friends’ daughters) to look through all the charts and graphs and equations to inform me which ones were boring, hard to figure out, etc. Then I revised and deleted the ones that weren’t working. The girls were very helpful. I wanted the math diagrams to be entertaining and not resemble pages from a math textbook in any way. I think the artist at Holiday House carried that off really well.

 

I agree. As a kid, were you involved in school plays like Vi?

I was the Wicked Witch in The Wizard of Oz. I loved playing the villain. I also played the nurse in Romeo and Juliet, which was the one funny part in that tragedy, and the wacky woman in The Madwomen of Chaillot. Even as a kid, I always got the comic relief roles.

 

Writing Middle-Grade Fiction

You write for many age groups. What aspect of writing for the middle-grade audience makes it special for you? 

My preteen years were the hardest of my life. When I was ten, my parents separated, my best friend died of leukemia, my grandfather had a fatal heart attack, and my dog died after getting hit by a car. I was like Job Junior. Many decades later, I may still be still processing some of that pain through fiction. Books have always helped get me through bad times. I hope to bring some cheer to a middle-grade reader who might need it.

 

Wow! That had to be so difficult for you. What else do you hope readers take away from Violet and the Pie of Life?          

I hope readers see that math can be fun, interesting, and useful. I hope they’ll open themselves up to new friendships. Most of all, I hope readers will find my novel entertaining.

 

What is your best tip for those interested in writing for the middle-grade audience?

Keep asking yourself whether you’re writing honestly. Even if you’re writing humor or fantasy, characters’ motivations, actions, reactions, and emotions should ring true so that readers will care about them and their stories.

Click here for an archived Mixed-Up Files post on Debra’s tips for writing funny.

 

What can readers look forward to seeing from you in the future?

I’m excited to have a story in the anthology coming out next March called Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories.

 

We here at The Mixed-Up Files are looking forward to that book, too. Congratulations, Debra, and thanks for talking to us and offering to send a signed copy of your novel to a lucky winner! 

For a chance to win, click the link below before Saturday midnight:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Back to Top

Interview with Lisa Fipps, Debut Author of Starfish

By on March 19, 2021   /   Articles, Author Interviews, New Releases  

People are buzzing about Lisa Fipps and her debut novel, STARFISH! For good reason, it’s bound to be a classic. This poignant novel in free verse has already earned numerous starred reviews and a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. Wow! And she is just getting started.

I met Lisa via Twitter and immediately fell in love with her kind spirit and sensitive soul. Also, we share a love of all things British and pugs!

My kind of gal.

Please grab a cup of tea and join us for a bit of chitchat.

          About the Author

Lisa Fipps is a graduate of Ball State University, award-winning former journalist, current director of marketing for a public library (where she won the Sara Laughlin marketing award), and an author of middle-grade books. Starfish is her debut novel. She’s working on her next novel and several others. She currently lives in Indiana and lived in Texas. 

  1. Tell us about Starfish. 

Starfish is a middle-grade novel in free verse about a fat girl named Ellie. Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules—like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and “don’t move so fast that your body jiggles.”

She’s found her safe space—her swimming pool—where she feels weightless in a fat-obsessed world. At the bottom of the pool, she starfishes. Stretches out. Takes up all the room she wants, instead of living by the fat girl rules society taught her.  The pool is also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor, Catalina, who love Ellie for who she is. With this support buoying her, Ellie is able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life—by unapologetically being her own fabulous self.

 

  1. How did you come up with the idea?

Starfish is the book I wish I had when I was a fat kid trying to cope with the bullying. I never told anyone what I was going through. I never reached out for help with the emotions: sadness, anger, shame. I never stood up for myself. I thought I deserved to be treated badly because society teaches us that if we’re fat, it’s our fault. If we truly hated being bullied, we’d just lose the weight.

 

  1. Do you base your characters on people you know? If yes, spill the beans!

Starfish is not based on people I know, but it’s based on experiences I had. The names of characters are based on people I know. For example, Sonya, Catalina’s mom, is named after author Sonya Sones, a mentor and friend. The school librarian is named after my elementary-school librarian, Mrs. Pochon. She was the best!

 

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

Not everything that happens to Ellie happened to me, but a version of everything that happens to Ellie happened to me. So, yes, real-life experiences play a huge role in Starfish. As far as future works, I think there’s a bit of every author in every story they tell. Sometimes authors draw on real-life experiences. Other times they dip into their emotional wells when characters need to authentically express feelings. a

 

5. What books did you like to read when you were a kid? Do those books influence your writing? 

I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I grew up poor. So that meant reading cereal boxes, recipe books, newspapers, magazines, my mom’s books – hence my love for Erma Bombeck when I was a kid – the entire World Book Encyclopedia, and library books. Authors have influenced my writing more than specific books. Once I like a book by an author, I read all their books. Authors who influenced me the most when I was a kid and teen include DuBose Heyward (because of The Country Bunny and the Little Gold Shoes), E.B. White, Norman Bridwell, Beverly Cleary, and Ernest Hemingway.

 

   6. What are you working on now? 

I’m always working on something. Well, actually, several somethings. Sometimes a scene or a character trait for a novel comes to me when I’m writing my work in progress. So, I stop, write it, and go back to my WIP.

 

  1. What is your writing process? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I see what I call video clips in my head of scenes, things that help reveal a character’s personality, etc. I watch them and make note of them. It’s kind of odd. I’m a total pantser. I think that’s because I was a journalist for years. But I do plan the overall book. I just don’t do detailed outlines. That totally zaps me of my creative energy. I like to let the story tell itself through me rather than control it so much.

 

  1. Loaded question: How long was your road to publishing and what happened along the way?

Starfish took a while because of personal commitments. I started it while working six part-time jobs for three years as I transitioned from journalism to marketing. Then I got a full-time marketing job – right before my mother almost died in a car accident and needed a lot of care, which is right after she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I was working full-time, being a full-time caregiver, and writing Starfish. I’m not a patient person by any stretch of the imagination. So, I was frustrated that I couldn’t just devote all my time to Starfish. But the process taught me that you make the time and find a way to focus on what’s important to you.

 

  1. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

I give aspiring authors the same advice Norman Bridwell gave me. He’s from my hometown. I interviewed him several times when I was journalist. I mentioned to him that I was writing a book. He told me to keep going, even if I got rejections along the way. He wrote me the sweetest letter on Clifford the Big Red Dog stationery. I still have it. If you want it – really want it – don’t stop. Just keep going.

 

  1. Do you have a favorite middle-grade book?

Hmm. There are far too many favorites for me to name them all. But some of my favorite middle-grade authors include Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Linda Sue Park, Karen Hesse, Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Jerry Spinelli, Gary Schmidt, and Andrew Clements. I could go on. And on. And on.

For more information about Lisa, please visit her website.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top