For Kids

Interview with Debut Author Kristi Wientge – KARMA KHULLAR’S MUSTACHE

By Jennifer Swanson on August 4, 2017 / Author Interviews, Diversity, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, Giveaways, New Releases

I recently got the chance to read a new debut, KARMA KHULLAR’S MUSTACHE , by the talented Kristi Wientge. It’s a wonderfully funny, thoughtful look into a subject you rarely see — female facial hair.

When 12-year-old Karma discovers seventeen hairs growing above her lip, she is mortified and determined to get rid of them. Karma’s path to hair removal includes navigating shifting relationships with her parents, her best friend, and her comfort level with being the only kid in school who brings sardine masala and chapatis for lunch.

This interview with Kristi was especially fun to do because my son and I read KARMA together, and he contributed a few questions:

How did you come up with the character of Karma? Is she modeled after someone you know? (From my son) (First of all, can I just say that I love that you read this and came up with some excellent questions!)

Karma evolved as a character. She started off as just a name and a problem: her mustache. Slowly, she became who you read in the book. Her situations mirror mine and things that have happened to my girls, but really she’s very much her own person. Much stronger than I ever was at her age!

How did you first get the idea to write this book? (Also from my son)

The idea for Karma has been bouncing around in my head since I was ten years old. I wanted to read a book about a hairy girl, but never found one. Once I had children of my own and saw them go through similar situations, I knew it was time to figure out how to make this idea of a hairy girl into a book.

Your main character, Karma, is so wonderful for so many reasons. She’s also very different from many of the tween girls in today’s children’s literature – facial hair and a dad who wears a turban are wonderful distinctions. Yet I also came away with the impression you intended to illustrate not just the lovely diversity in her family and life but also the commonalities that connect all girls this age?

Yes, you really nailed this! The world is so interconnected we can no longer remain ignorant to things outside our normal. The more we explore outside of our comfort zone, the more we find we have in common with everyone.

Madeleine L’Engle famously said that if a subject is too hard for adults, write it for children. You tackle some pretty heavy concepts in this book – karma, spirituality, what it means to be a good person. What are the themes you hope will most resonate with your readers?

All of the threads in my book really evolved naturally. I didn’t set out to make a statement on diversity or spirituality. I set out to write a book about a girl dealing with facial hair and the rest just layered on organically. I hope that whoever reads this book walks away with a broader horizon and more empathy. I hope that Karma is a springboard into conversations about female facial hair, something I didn’t talk candidly about until I was in my twenties. My last hope is that more facial hair stories get out there so girls can feel comfortable in their own skin. My readers should definitely check out Harnaam Kaur who actually blurbed the book. She has embraced her facial hair and is a fabulous example of self-acceptance.

How will you be celebrating your debut on August 15?

I’m delaying my celebration until November when my kids and I are traveling to the US. I hope to to meet my agent, Patricia Nelson—which will be a huge deal. Then, my kids and I are going to eat Chipotle like we haven’t had it in 2 years—which we haven’t! Oh yeah, and I can’t wait to down a jug of sweet tea from Chick-fil-a.

Have your children read KARMA?

No! And they call themselves my children! I really should punish them, but I’m actually relieved in a way. I get so, so nervous when people I know well read it.

What’s next for you – will we be seeing another book about Karma or do you have another book in the works?

For now, Karma’s story is done and I like where I left it. I’m excited to tell more stories with other characters. I’ve got a few things I’m playing with. One I hope Patricia, my agent, and I can get out there.

Is there anything I didn’t ask but you’d really like us to know about KARMA KHULLAR’S MUSTACHE?

You guys did a great job with these questions! I’ll let you in on a little secret about the book. You asked if Karma was based on anyone and I said mostly no. That’s true. But Daddy… don’t tell anyone, but he is HUGELY based on my husband!!! There are some word-for-word quotes from him. A few times during dinner, I’d run and get my notebook and chuckle to myself as I scribbled down something he said as I imagined the perfect scene to add it to! I LOVE that secret! Very funny – adds a whole new layer of fun to that character.

Thank you so much to Kristi for this wonderful interview. And because we had so much fun reading her book, we’re giving away a copy to one lucky winner.

Enter the Rafflecopter below!! Note: Rafflecopter will accept entries until August 8 at midnight.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

courtesy of Kristi Wientge

Kristi Wientge is originally from Ohio where she grew up writing stories about animals and, her favorite, a jet-setting mouse. After studying to become a teacher for children with special needs, she spent several years exploring the world from China to England, teaching her students everything from English to how to flip their eyelids inside out. She’s spent twelve years raising her family in her husband’s home country of Singapore, where she spends her days taking her four kids to school, Punjabi lessons, and music. With the help of her mother-in-law, she can now make a mean curry and a super-speedy saag. Karma Khullar’s Mustache is her debut novel.

August New Releases

By Jennifer Swanson on August 3, 2017 / For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers, MUF Contributor Books, New Releases

Can you believe it’s August already? Time to start thinking about gathering school supplies and shopping for clothes. Don’t forget to throw some new books into your basket. Here’s a few new releases that would add a whole lot of fun to your back-to-school purchases!

First off, a few of our very own MUF authors have new releases. Congratulations to Jonathon Rosen, and Dori Hillestad Butler!!

Night of the Living Cuddle Bunnies By Jonathan Rosen (Sky Pony Press)

Twelve-year-old Devin Dexter has a problem. Well, actually, many of them. His best friend, Tommy, sees conspiracies behind every corner. And Tommy thinks Devin’s new neighbor, Herb, is a warlock . . . but nobody believes him. Even Devin’s skeptical. But soon strange things start happening. Things like the hot new Christmas toy, the Cuddle Bunny, coming to life.That would be great, because, after all, who doesn’t love a cute bunny? But these aren’t the kind of bunnies you can cuddle with. These bunnies are dangerous. Devin and Tommy set out to prove Herb is a warlock and to stop the mob of bunnies, but will they have enough time before the whole town of Gravesend is overrun by the cutest little monsters ever? This is a very funny “scary” book for kids, in the same vein as the My Teacher books or Goosebumps.

The Underground Ghosts #10 A Super Special By Dori Hillestad Butler (Grosset & Dunlap)

It’s almost Halloween, and Kaz and Claire are off to Seattle to visit Claire’s cousins. They explore the local library…and find a ghost living there The ghost’s family has been missing, so Kaz and Claire decide to investigate. When they discover ghostly activity in the city’s subterranean passages, they put their detective skills to work. Kaz and Claire are on the case.

Laugh Out Loud By James Patterson; Chris Grabenstein (Jimmy Paterson Books)

Get ready to Laugh Out Loud (a lot ) with James Patterson’s newest illustrated middle grade story
Jimmy loves reading so much that he’s inspired to start a book company for kids–run by kids. It’s a bit dream for a twelve-year-old boy–some would even say it’s laugh-out-loud ridiculous
But that doesn’t stop Jimmy from dreaming even bigger His company will be as imaginative and fun as Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory…with a Ferris wheel instead of an elevator, a bowling alley in the break room, and a river filled with floating books He just has to believe in himself and his idea. (And maybe win the Lotto.)

Patina (Track) by Jason Reynolds (Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books)

A newbie to the track team, Patina must learn to rely on her teammates as she tries to outrun her personal demons in this follow-up to the National Book Award finalist Ghost by New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds.

Ghost. Lu. Patina. Sunny. Four kids from wildly different backgrounds with personalities that are explosive when they clash. But they are also four kids chosen for an elite middle school track team—a team that could qualify them for the Junior Olympics if they can get their acts together. They all have a lot to lose, but they also have a lot to prove, not only to each other, but to themselves.

Lucy & Andy Neanderthal: The Stone Cold Age by Jeffrey Brown (Crown BFYR)

Neanderthal siblings Lucy and Andy are back to their paleo pranks. This time, they have to put up with more than just each other—the cave is feeling awfully cramped since the humans moved in. They’re in the Ice Age, and legroom comes at a real premium!

Jeffrey Brown skillfully blends humor and history with paleontologist sections: Timeline of Key Discoveries, Ice Age Fact vs. Fiction, Silly Cavemen Myths, and more.

I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 By Lauren Tarshis (Scholastic Press)

The battlefield was soaked in blood. Screams of injured soldiers rang through the air. Eleven-year-old Nathaniel Knox knelt behind a rock, his gun clutched in his shaking hands. Nate had been heading to New York City to find his father. But now he was trapped in a terrible gunfight between American and British troops.
Thousands of American troops were either dead or dying in filthy British prison ships. General George Washington’s army was in tatters.
All Nate wanted was to find his father…and to get out of here alive.

Who Was Alexander Hamilton? by Pam Pollack and Meg Belviso (Penguin Workshop)

Born in the British West Indies and orphaned as a child, Alexander Hamilton made his way to the American Colonies and studied to become a lawyer. He joined a local militia during the American Revolution, rose to the rank of Major General, and became the chief aide to General George Washington. After the war, he became the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury. He founded the Bank of New York and The New York Post newspaper. He served as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and is also celebrated as a co-author of The Federalist Papers, a series of essays that are still used today to interpret the U.S. Constitution.

The Friendship Code #1 (Girls Who Code) by Stacia Deutsch (Penguin Workshop)

Loops, variables, input/output – Lucy can’t wait to get started with the new coding club at school. Finally, an after school activity that she’s really interested in. But Lucy’s excitement turns to disappointment when she’s put into a work group with girls she barely knows. All she wanted to do was make an app that she believes will help someone very special to her.

Suddenly, Lucy begins to get cryptic coding messages and needs some help translating them. She soon discovers that coding – and friendship – takes time, dedication, and some laughs!

Vanished! (Framed!) by James Ponti (Aladdin)

Florian Bates—the only kid on the FBI Director’s speed dial and several international criminals’ most wanted lists—must uncover the truth behind a series of middle school pranks that may or may not involve the daughter of the President of the United States in this hilarious second novel in the T.O.A.S.T. Mystery series.

Summer Scares

By Mike Hays on July 26, 2017 / Book Lists, Fiction, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents

Don’t we all have at least one fiber in us that loves a good, scary story? As a species, we’ve been telling scary stories almost from the time we stood up and began to walk upright on two legs. Stories that have become integral to our human existence. Our advancement as a species is built on the back of a story. We pass our experiences down from generation to generation through story.

Scary stories play an integral role in shaping our existence. From entertainment to cautionary tale, to moral plays, to simply visceral enjoyment, stories of ghosts, monsters, urban legends, and creatures of the night serve their purpose well. Frankenstein, Dracula, the Brothers Grimm, all use a scare to define our limits and our psychological fears.

When my siblings and I were growing up in the early 1970’s, my dad never failed to send a shiver down our spines with this one thing he did. He would cup his hands around his mouth to get a 1930’s radio special effect and mimic the introduction to The Shadow radio drama.

“Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!”

Even now, it brings a little smile to my face. The joy of remembering a dark hallway with us boys supposedly going to sleep in our bedroom and Dad, out in the living room, saying the Shadow’s introduction in his deep voice and with an emphasis on the word “evil”. I would smile as my heart raced and Mom would shush Dad about scaring us boys when we should be going to sleep. I would pull the covers tight and have visions of The Shadow with his black cape, hat, and mask. Scary (but not too scary) felt like a warm blanket. That’s one thing a good scary story does. It wraps around you and gives a familiar and slightly uncomfortable spine-tingling feeling.

Which brings me back to the beauty of a good middle-grade scare. These books are important. They do serve a purpose. Claire Quigley wrote a great blog post addressing scary books in June of 2016 at BookRiot.com. In the post, she nailed the explanation of why scary books belong in a prominent space in kidlit.

“These creepy stories have an important place in our literature, and our culture at large. Being a child is a scary, strange and unsettling time, and the stories that articulate these anxieties help children navigate the world, all the way through to adulthood. Life can be challenging, and at times upsetting, but you’ll also be equipped to battle through it, just like the heroes and heroines of those creepy tales. And let’s not forget, at the end of the day – those spine-chilling stories are always such good fun!”

Below is a list of my top 13 scary MG book recommendations. Books that are perfect for late summer nights when the warm, humid air calls for a creepy chill and reading by lantern or flashlight in a quiet, dark woods or on a windy nighttime beach is in peak season.