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WNDMG Author Interview: Seema Yasmin on her series Muslim Mavericks

By on April 8, 2026   /   Author Interviews, WNDMG   /   Leave a comment

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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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WNDMG Author Interview: Charlotte Watson Sherman

By on February 11, 2026   /   Articles, WNDMG  

Let’s give a warm welcome to Charlotte Watson Sherman, a former librarian and author of children’s picture and middle-grade books. She’s going to dish about her latest works and share her best librarian recommendations for middle-grade readers to enjoy during Black History Month and beyond. So, settle in and enjoy!

Author Charlotte Sherman

Tell me about This Opening Sky. How did the idea for the book come about?

This Opening Sky is a middle-grade verse novel about two 12-year-old girls – one Black, one White – coping with the end of the Civil War. Aurelia, the daughter of a plantation owner, has lost both parents. Halle, newly freed, is searching for her parents. The girls decide to travel North together and confront misconceptions about each other as they depend on each other for survival.

 

The book came about after my co-author, Kelly Hollman, submitted a manuscript to Bushel and Peck Books. They liked the story’s premise, but wanted to include a Black writer. I had previously submitted a co-written board book manuscript that Bushel and Peck rejected, but they reached out to see if I’d be interested in co-writing the book with Kelly. After I read the early draft, I was intrigued by Kelly’s plot and excited to get involved.

What was it like collaborating with another writer? How did the writing and revision process work?

Collaborating with another writer was a journey. Sometimes an emotional rollercoaster for both of us. I wanted to be respectful of Kelly’s vision as the originator of the story idea. I could see that she loved both characters. I also believed that together, we could produce something fresh that hadn’t been seen in children’s literature before.

We had difficult conversations about race and history and stereotypes. I felt like I was constantly battling tropes from Gone With the Wind, Birth of a Nation, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and Huckleberry Finn. I knew what it felt like to be a Black student in a classroom where the N-word was invoked dozens of times in a piece of literature. And I didn’t want a contemporary Black child to have to endure that type of trauma as a result of anything I’d helped bring into the world. Luckily, my co-author didn’t want to inflict that type of trauma either.

When we wrote the book, we alternated chapters. In early drafts, I solely focused on “my” character. I fleshed out her backstory and frontstory, gave her an inner life, and added scenes; my co-author did the same with “her” character. In later drafts, we needed to make sure chapters flowed seamlessly and revised to maintain the overall flow of the book. We set deadlines based on when the publisher needed the manuscript finished. Multiple sets of eyes provided feedback for revision.

When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?

I was hooked on books by third grade. I was a bookworm who read with a flashlight under the covers. The more adventurous the story, the better. I couldn’t wait to begin writing my own.

You’ve written for different age groups. What is your favorite part about writing for the middle-grade reader?

My favorite part about writing for middle-grade readers is how you can up the ante a little bit with subject matter and concepts and vocabulary. And fun. I also read books with my tween grandchild and enjoy the range of subjects we tackle. And the discussions about life that the stories allow us to have.

How (or does) being a former librarian impact what/how you write?

As a former librarian, I was exposed to a large swath of readers from different backgrounds and was able to see how different types of stories resonated with young readers. In library school, I focused on the information needs of youth and was able to immerse myself in reading children’s literature. That study informed the books I now write. I love research, so being a former librarian helps me use those research skills to write fiction and nonfiction about a variety of subjects. I never get tired of learning new things.

Also, leaning on your librarian experience, what middle-grade books would you recommend for readers during Black History Month?

Operation Sisterhood by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History and Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History by Vashti Harrison

One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson

Warrior on the Mound by Sandra W. Headen

28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith, Jr.

Treasure Island by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Rosa Parks & Claudette Colvin: Civil Rights Heroes by Tracey Baptiste, art by Shauna J. Grant

Black Star by Kwame Alexander

What’s next for you? Any more middle-grade books on the horizon?

Book cover for Learn Baby LearnLearn, Baby, Learn: The Shindana Toy Factory’s Legacy of Black Pride, a picture book illustrated by Esther Stimphat, publishes March 2026. It’s the story of the nation’s first Black toy factory established after the Watts Uprising. I’m also working on a middle-grade verse novel and a couple of middle-grade biographies.

Bonus question:

If you could hang out with any middle-grade character in literature, who would it be and why?

My grandchild and I had so much fun reading the Operation Sisterhood books; it would most likely be that family because they have so many fun things going on. My grands actually started their own dog-walking business due to that family.

 

Thank you, Charlotte! It was a pleasure learning about your work.

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