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WNDMG Author Interview: Getting to Know Crystal Allen

By on June 10, 2026   /   Articles, WNDMG   /   Leave a comment

Let’s welcome Crystal Allen to the Middle Grade Mixed-Up Files! She’s written five books for middle-graders, including The Magnificent Mya Tibbs series. Join us as she dishes on writing, her career and other fun stuff. Read on!

 

Author Crystal Allen holding her book, "Between Two Brothers."

You were born in a military hospital in Germany. How long did you live in Germany before moving to the States? Yes! My father was in the Army and was stationed for training at an Army base in Kitzingen, Germany. I was only there long enough to be born and ready to travel back to the States.

What are you working on now? I’m working on a paranormal MG story.

What was the inspiration for this story? It’s based on a true story that happened to me while doing a residency at the James Thurber House in Columbus, Ohio. It’s been difficult creating this story for a middle-grade audience, but I won’t give up! 😊

What is your writing process like? I enjoy writing early in the morning, and I always invite my characters to join me! They don’t always come, which makes me have to do more writing exercises or prompts and wait on them! LOL

Some writers tend to be on the introverted side (me, I’m talking about me), and you seem to be pretty extroverted, how/when did you start writing and why? My first memory of writing something significant was when I wrote a list of things I was good at and put it near my teacher’s desk. I was the new kid at school (being a military kid makes you travel and change schools more than you want), and was having trouble making friends. So, I created what ended up being an “about me” doc. Two girls in my class found the list and then asked me if I wanted to play with them! That was huge! (Note: Those two girls got in trouble a lot for being mouthy, rolling their necks when they spoke, and bragging. They may have unintentionally helped me with any sort of introverted issue I had.) LOL

How did you know writing for middle-schoolers was your jam? I kept getting feedback that my characters sounded older than their ages and that the plots were inappropriate for younger elementary school children. So, I upped the ages, and that put my characters in middle school! It worked out great for me and my characters!

Describe your writing space. A hot mess.  I clean it, and it stays organized for a few hours before I have papers and pens and highlighters and my phone, a plate of fruit and a coffee cup and a map I tried to draw for a scene…ugh. But I love all of it and wouldn’t change a thing!

What was your experience getting your first book published? It was educating. I was told by a few peers that no one would buy a book about a Black boy who loves to bowl because if publishers were interested, it would already be in the bookstores in other versions. I almost believed that lie. I took my first three chapters to an SCBWI event where Jen Rofe was speaking. She loved the chapters, asked for the entire manuscript, and eventually offered representation. That was back in 2008, and she is still my agent. She took my book to auction, and it sold to HarperCollins. That taught me to always follow my heart, use my gift as it was intended, and don’t listen to the negative chatter.

What was your favorite book from childhood, and why? I was in elementary school, and I ended up living on my grandparents’ farm in Indiana. Before I was smart enough to make that “About Me” list, our school librarian gave me Charlotte’s Web to read. Looking back, I’m sure she gave me that book because I was living on a farm, and she was trying to help me become a reader. Little did she know that I would relate to Fern, the little girl in the book, because she was so much like me—had only one friend, had brothers, and loved animals. I have four copies of Charlotte’s Web in my office, just in case a few grow legs and walk out of my house with my granddaughters. 😊

What do you like to do when not writing? I love to cruise, and I love to cook. Both are very relaxing to me.

What do you hope young readers will take away from your books? I write humor and heartache. They go hand-in-hand. My hope is to give young and older readers an opportunity to see themselves in stories, and to know that life is not perfect, and neither are we.

Bonus question: If you could be any character in a middle-grade book, who would you choose? I think Amari Peters from Amari and the Night Brothers!

 

      

 

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WNDMG Author Interview: Seema Yasmin on her series Muslim Mavericks

By on April 8, 2026   /   Author Interviews, WNDMG  

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Author Interview – Seema Yasmin

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Seema Yasmin today. We are going to be talking about the start of her new series, Muslim Mavericks, spotlighting actress and comedian Maysoon Zayid, and launching from Salaam Reads / Simon and Schuster Kids on February 10, 2026.

I am excited to discuss this series with Seema and encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their classrooms and libraries.

 

About MAYSOON ZAYID, THE GIRL WHO CAN CAN:

Description taken from online:

From the prolific Pulitzer Prize–nominated Muslim reporter Dr. Seema Yasmin comes an exciting nonfiction chapter book about one of America’s first female Muslim comedians—Maysoon Zayid—the first in the riveting and inspirational Muslim Mavericks.

This is the story of the girl who could!

Maysoon Zayid was just a girl from New Jersey. She might have sometimes felt like she was in the shadow of her three older sisters, but in her dreams, she was Mimi—an amazing actress, comedian, and dancer! The only problem? People kept telling Maysoon her dreams were impossible!

Achieving her goals certainly wasn’t easy; as a Palestinian Muslim girl born with cerebral palsy, Maysoon faced all sorts of challenges—both physical and societal. But Maysoon didn’t dare give up. Instead, she followed her heart all the way to the screen and stage to become one of America’s first ever women Muslim comedians and an actress on her favorite TV show.

 

 

Interview with Seema:

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

 

SSS: What a wonderful start to a series. Can you tell us why you picked Maysoon Zayid to be the first person to spotlight?

 

SY: I’ve been a big fan of Maysoon’s standup comedy and writing for a long time and once my agent, Lilly Ghahremani, and I had conceived of the Muslim Mavericks series and pitched it to Simon and Schuster, it was a no brainer to have Maysoon’s story launch the entire series. The way Maysoon uses her voice, her humor and humanity to connect with and move an audience is phenomenal. I’m excited for readers to get to know her.

SSS: How did you conduct your research for this book? Did you interview Maysoon and how was that? (I am assuming hilarious, just like her!)

SY: I had the privilege of interviewing Maysoon, watching her do standup comedy live in New York City, and spending hours researching her life story and calling it “work.” Being a writer is the best because you get to read and interview fascinating people for a living! Interviewing Maysoon was of course hilarious but it was also sobering and humbling; I was made aware of my ableism and how it shows up in my writing.

SSS: What surprised you most about Maysoon’s life?

SY: I loved learning about her mum and dad’s personalities and differing life philosophies. Maysoon’s dad said “Yes, you can can!” and her mum was perhaps ore pragmatic about life and the challenges her daughter would face. But both of them treated all of their kids equally.

 

SSS: How do you choose who to write about when you are planning this series out?

 

SY: I am spoiled for choice selecting iconic Muslims who are changing the world. The second volume in the series is about a legendary record-breaker who held a secret for most of his life. There are so many people to write about! As a doctor and artist myself, I want to include the breadth of Muslim changemakers, from vaccine scientists to dancers.

SSS: What is next for this series? Or rather, WHO?

 

SY: I can’t say just yet but watch this space!

Link to order here.

Thank you Seema for joining us- and I hope everyone gets a copy of this book!

 

About Seema Yasmin:

Seema Yasmin is an Emmy Award–winning journalist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, medical doctor, professor, and poet. She attended medical school at Cambridge University and worked as a disease detective for the US federal government’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. She currently teaches storytelling at Stanford University School of Medicine, and is a regular contributor to CNN, Self, and Scientific American, among others.

 

 

 

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Through the Eyes of Gen Z

By on March 11, 2026   /   Author Interviews, WNDMG  
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When we embark upon our journey as storytellers, we become part of the writing community at large. Each of us seeks to build relationships with not only our audiences, but also long to engage with other creatives across multiple mediums. As middle-grade authors, it is so important for us to stay connected with our readers and understand life through their eyes. People make sense of the world around them based on their own lived experiences, but if I have learned anything from my kids, it’s that the younger generation has just as much to offer us as we have to offer them.

That fact is the focus of this WNDMG post.

This month’s interview is with the co-founders of ProjectGenZWrites: Ruby Seidner and Boston Rohan. ProjectGenZWrites is a youth-led, nonprofit organization that offers free videos, tools, and resources for the next generation of creatives across multiple mediums. I had the pleasure of meeting these trailblazers several years ago when I volunteered to record a short video for their project. (To be honest, I was floored by the drive and dedication of these teens and could only regret not being half as motivated as they were in my youth.)

RESIST written in multiple colors. logo for project genZ writes

Project GenZ Writes

Their organization philosophy states:

ProjectGenZWrites is a fast-growing, youth-led, non-profit database that educates the next generation of novelists, poets, journalists, and creative visionaries. We believe in the power of communal nurturing and building a world that is kinder, stronger, and healthier due to the plethora of creative people in it. Yet, we recognized a gap that stood in the way of getting to that place. Money and its connection to accessibility of vital education. This is why we partner with published authors, who generously give us their time to create videos sharing their incredible knowledge with our viewers. Videos are about anything within the writing process, from publishing to creative exhaustion. They are available on the website free of charge, aligning with our goal to bridge the creative education gap and give everyone a chance to pursue their creative passions.

 

I had to find out more about these young founders and their mission to bridge the creative education gap, in between going to high school and working on their own writing projects! What better diverse perspective to focus on during Women’s History Month. Without further delay, here we go!

decorative cartoon lightbulb

Image by gstudioimagen on Freepik

My first question: What inspired you to start this project?

RUBY: I grew up privileged enough to have access to whatever creative writing education I needed to further my craft and I knew there were people who were so much more talented than me who didn’t have that and I wanted to use the privilege I was given to do something about that.

Amazing goal. This makes me wonder, what is your primary motivation for continuing this project?

RUBY: The fact that we’re growing, that people are taking notice and PGW actually seems to be helping the next generation become more literate, creative and inspired.

Nothing feels better than knowing you’re making a difference. Now, does working from the educational side help you as a creative?

RUBY: I watch all the videos that are submitted and I learn something new about not just craft, but myself as a person, as I watch every single one.

Video thumbnails from PGW

Courtesy of ProjectGenZWrites

So true! Listening to the experiences of others definitely helps me grow and I hope I never stop learning from others. Along the lines of experiences, what have you learned the most from this process of launching an online database?

BOSTON: The biggest thing I’ve learned is the importance of communication. We’ve made a real effort to communicate with all of the authors on our platform and make sure their work is represented correctly on the database. That’s meant coordinating with them about their videos, making sure everything is presented the right way, and keeping an open line of communication so everyone feels good about how their work is being shared.

Model of Communication

 

As a communication professor, this lesson is music to my ears! I love how you’re both dealing with real world issues at such a young age yourself. Given this unique experience, what advice do you have for young creatives?

RUBY: When you figure out the internal reason for doing what you do, the need to base your worth as a creative on only external validation (will still be there) but shall start to dim significantly. This way you’ll be able to learn from rejection and keep following your dreams without letting today’s no’s stand in the way of tomorrow’s yes.

Sage advice from one young creative to another! Last question, what’s next on your schedule — creative or nonprofit wise?

QC Family Tree Logo

BOSTON: Right now I’m working with QC Family Tree, a nonprofit in the Charlotte area focused on uplifting the local community. We’re continuing to build out the website by adding more ways for people to get connected with events, opportunities, and different parts of the community. The goal is to make the platform a place that really reflects the importance of community and helps people find ways to get involved.

Incredible work, both of you! Let’s give these teen founders a giant round of applause. It’s hard enough just trying to grow up grounded in this crazy world we live in. But, I feel proud knowing that the next generation is more determined and resilient than we know.

If you’d like to participate this project and show your support, check out their website at projectgenzwrites.com. Thank you both so much for taking the time to connect. You’re racking up karmic brownies to ensure your creative and professional success in the future. I wish you both the best of luck!

Project GenZ Writes – Founder Bios

Ruby Seidner

Ruby Seidner photo

ProjectGenZWrites Founder

Ruby Seidner is a poet, advocate, and activist. She’s been published thirty-four times in various literary journals, won the Running Start Political Simulation in 2023, and participated in a Jubilee Media video that garnered over one million views. She’s been a finalist for Sonoma County Youth Poet Laureate in 2024, a special awardee for the Bay Area Creative Youth Awards in 2025, and a finalist for the Sonoma County Office of Education’s Five Minute Film Festival in 2023. She has graduated from online creative writing programs at the Kenyon Review and the Iowa Writers Workshop. She is the co-founder of the creative writing education database ProjectGenZWrites.

Boston Rohan photo

Project GenZ Writes Founder

 

Boston Rohan

Self taught developer currently working at Elevation Church. code, listen to music, and watch anime.

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