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WNDMG Author Interview with H.D. Hunter About New Novel Futureland

By on November 20, 2024   /   Articles, WNDMG  

 

Say hello to author H.D. Hunter! His book, Futureland: The Architect Games, was published on November 19, 2024, by Random House Books for Young Readers. This is the last book in the Futureland trilogy about the adventures of Cam Walker and a flying theme park created by his parents. Today we’re going to talk about his latest book, his revision process, and more, so let’s get into it!

 

       

Interview with H.D.:

SN: What was the process like collaborating with Cake Literary on Futureland? What drew you to the premise and was it like hammering out a plot and beats together, or did you get an outline and go away and do your thing?

HDH: Futureland is so complicated! What initially drew me to the premise was that the story seemed so fun. I wanted to write something fun and exciting for kids. The worldbuilding across Futureland feels boundless, the characters are many and varied, and we had to find a good way to plot a cohesive mystery in three parts across three different locations. But somehow, make it all flow together! Working with CAKE required a lot of sharing insights and opinions and many more rounds of revision than usual. Still, each book was different. By the time I was ready to draft The Architect Games, I was pretty much doing my own thing with outlining, plotting beats, genre-bending, and all that. But when we started, it was very much a lock-step collaborative process.

 

SN: You’re known as the fastest reviser, what’s that process like for you? How many drafts do you usually write, and how do you know when you’re done?

HDH: Haha! I look at revising as a system. I like to be super organized. So, I know what revisions I’m going to make on which round of reviewing the manuscripts. Sometimes I’ll go through just for character changes. Sometimes I’m just adding scenes. Other times I’m just removing them. Each round through has its own focus so I can keep my eye trained on one thing, and that helps me move swiftly. Revising is like nurturing a plant to me. The “fast” part is that you show up every day and make your deposit. You water and fertilize, and it feels like it takes forever, but eventually, your seed sprouts and the blooms come after that.

I usually will have between five and seven drafts, but I think I’m getting better—I’m needing lighter revisions from start to end on some of my newer projects. Personally, I love my work. I’m a little delusional in that I don’t hate my first drafts or really struggle with imposter system. And I really enjoy reading my writing. So, I know I’m “done” with a book when I get bored of reading it, haha. It’s like okay, it’s good, there’s nothing left to change, I’m not having fun polishing anymore. Must be time to publish!

 

SN: You’ve written across genres; what do you enjoy the most when writing for a middle-grade audience?

HDH: My favorite thing about writing middle grade is the comedy. No matter what sort of story you’re writing, there’s a whimsy that plays in middle grade, unlike any other category. I write about a lot of serious things—but when I’m writing in middle grade, I feel the freedom to be silly and fun, and it makes me excited that I can meet readers with that version of my writing.

 

SN: What was your a-ha moment when you knew, “Yes, I want to be a writer!”

HDH: I was in fourth grade! I had fallen in love with the poem Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe, and my teacher, Miss Green, explained to me what it meant to be an author. She told me I could write my ideas and stories and end up in somebody’s textbook one day, maybe even 100 years later, just like Edgar Allan Poe. That was all I needed to hear.

 

SN: Growing up, what was the book that made you become a reader and why?

HDH: According to my parents, I came out reading! I started to read very early, around age two, which was a big tip-off to my neurodivergence. I always had books in hand and I enjoyed horror, fantasy, and stories about history. I can’t really name just one book, but I was enthralled with things like Goosebumps and Louis Sachar’s Wayside series.

 

SN: You’ve self-published and you’ve had multiple books published traditionally, what advice would you give new writers who are deciding what route to take in getting their stories out in the world?

HDH: I would encourage writers to define success on their own terms. There are many ways to have an incredibly fulfilling career, whether you’re indie or traditional, and most authors I know aspire to do some sort of hybrid career. Prioritizing what’s important to you is a good first step. Do you care more about creative control or reach? Do you want an easier path to recognizable legitimacy, or are you more eager about building connections from the ground up? Both sides of my career have given me amazing experiences, and they truly aren’t interchangeable for me. So, have your cake and eat it, too! But which route you start with will likely be determined by what you imagine your ideal publishing experience to look like.

 

SN: People tend to romanticize the writing life. You’ve been a full-time writer since 2019; what was the most surprising aspect of writing full-time that you didn’t expect? What’s your writing routine like?

HDH: When I’m in project, I’m writing in hour-long sprints at least 4-6 times a day. I write mid-length novels, so I’m trying to get to a first draft of between sixty-five and seventy-five thousand words. If I can clock six thousand words in a day, I can finish up a first draft relatively quickly and then take my sweet time to revise and polish. This speed also helps me stay engaged with the piece, and not lose the pulse due to other life obligations or project fatigue. I have the privilege of writing full-time as a career—so this volume isn’t possible for everybody. But I think a daily writing practice, even if it’s only fifty words, can be good for anyone committed to finishing a project.

I think the most surprising part about taking on writing as a full-time career is how similar it is to any other full-time career. I didn’t escape the corporate world, or bureaucracy, or some of the other factors that can sometimes make business challenging. That was probably a bit naïve of me, but if I could do it all over, I’d just be a bit more intentional about preparing how to navigate a version of the corporate world where art is the main product, especially with so high a personal stake in my art.

 

SN: What’s next for you?

HDH: I’ve got a lot cooking! The Futureland series ends with The Architect Games in November 2024. I’m out on sub soon with a YA Fantasy. I’m drafting a YA apocalyptic-adventure-romance. My next scheduled release is in 2026; it’s a YA horror about Georgia’s very own haunted lake, Lake Lanier. Search for the lake on Tik-Tok or Google if you haven’t heard of it!

Book Recs

SN: Young black boys are an often overlooked/underserved demographic in publishing. Do you have a few middle-grade books you could recommend for them?

HDH: The Last Last-Day-of-Summer by Lamar Giles

Nothing Interesting Ever Happens to Ethan Fairmont by Nick Brooks

Alex Wise vs the End of the World by Terry J. Benton-Walker

Fun question:

SN: If you could have two superhero powers, what would they be?

HDH: Teleportation, easy. And I’d want to be able to speak every language known to existence.

 

Thank you H.D. for such a fun interview! Wishing you much success with your latest book!

About H.D. Hunter

Author H.D. Hunter

Hugh “H.D.” Hunter is a storyteller, teaching artist, and community organizer from Atlanta, Georgia. He’s the author of Torment: A Novella and Something Like Right, as well as the winner of several international indie book awards for multicultural fiction. You can find his work online in Porter House Review.

Hugh is also the author of the Futureland series, including Battle for the Park, which was named a Georgia Center for the Book 2023 Book All Young Georgians Should Read. Battle for the Park is also a 2024 selection for the CORE Excellence in Children’s Science Fiction Notable list. Futureland: The Nightmare Hour and Futureland: The Architect Games are the second and third books in the series.

Website: www.hughhdhunter.com

Instagram: @hdhunterbooks

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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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Round up of Black-authored MG titles in honor of Juneteenth

By on June 19, 2024   /   Articles, Book Lists, Diversity, WNDMG  

Juneteenth is upon us, and in honor of this day, we are recommending some beautiful Black-authored MG titles to read.

June 19th marks a Federal day of Independence in American history, an important day commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. And what better way to celebrate this day than to educate children about history, inform them of the importance of striving for freedom and justice, and recognize the harm that was perpetuated on African Americans, both during slavery, and afterwards, through Jim Crow laws and years of systemic racism (that impacts Black Americans to this day).

The following books would make perfect additions to classrooms and libraries, as well as informative and important summer reads.

Check them out, get them at your library, make an order- each title is linked below!

  1. FREEWATER by Amina Luqman-Dawson: (this one is one of my favorite reads ever)

Winner of the John Newbery Medal
Winner of the Coretta Scott King Author Award
An Indiebound Bestseller
A New York Times Bestseller

Award-winning author Amina Luqman-Dawson pens a lyrical, accessible historical middle-grade novel about two enslaved children’s escape from a plantation and the many ways they find freedom.

Under the cover of night, twelve-year-old Homer flees Southerland Plantation with his little sister Ada, unwillingly leaving their beloved mother behind. Much as he adores her and fears for her life, Homer knows there’s no turning back, not with the overseer on their trail. Through tangled vines, secret doorways, and over a sky bridge, the two find a secret community called Freewater, deep in the swamp.

In this society created by formerly enslaved people and some freeborn children, Homer finds new friends, almost forgetting where he came from. But when he learns of a threat that could destroy Freewater, he crafts a plan to find his mother and help his new home.

Deeply inspiring and loosely based on the history of maroon communities in the South, this is a striking tale of survival, adventure, friendship, and courage.

2. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Jacqueline Woodson’s National Book Award and Newbery Honor winner is a powerful memoir that tells the moving story of her childhood in mesmerizing verse.

A President Obama “O” Book Club pick

Raised in South Carolina and New York, Woodson always felt halfway home in each place. In vivid poems, she shares what it was like to grow up as an African American in the 1960s and 1970s, living with the remnants of Jim Crow and her growing awareness of the Civil Rights movement. Touching and powerful, each poem is both accessible and emotionally charged, each line a glimpse into a child’s soul as she searches for her place in the world. Woodson’s eloquent poetry also reflects the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, despite the fact that she struggled with reading as a child. Her love of stories inspired her and stayed with her, creating the first sparks of the gifted writer she was to become.

3. One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

In this Newbery Honor novel, New York Times bestselling author Rita Williams-Garcia tells the story of three sisters who travel to Oakland, California, in 1968 to meet the mother who abandoned them. A strong option for summer reading–take this book along on a family road trip or enjoy it at home.

In One Crazy Summer, eleven-year-old Delphine is like a mother to her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern. She’s had to be, ever since their mother, Cecile, left them seven years ago for a radical new life in California. But when the sisters arrive from Brooklyn to spend the summer with their mother, Cecile is nothing like they imagined.

While the girls hope to go to Disneyland and meet Tinker Bell, their mother sends them to a day camp run by the Black Panthers. Unexpectedly, Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern learn much about their family, their country, and themselves during one truly crazy summer.

This novel was the first featured title for Marley D’s Reading Party, launched after the success of #1000BlackGirlBooks. Maria Russo, in a New York Times list of “great kids’ books with diverse characters,” called it “witty and original.”

4. Ghost by Jason Reynolds

A National Book Award Finalist for Young People’s Literature.
Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Ghost wants to be the fastest sprinter on his elite middle school track team, but his past is slowing him down in this first electrifying novel of the acclaimed Track series from Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe Award-winning 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.

Running. That’s all Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But Ghost has been running for the wrong reasons–it all started with running away from his father, who, when Ghost was a very little boy, chased him and his mother through their apartment, then down the street, with a loaded gun, aiming to kill. Since then, Ghost has been the one causing problems–and running away from them–until he meets Coach, an ex-Olympic Medalist who sees something in Ghost: crazy natural talent. If Ghost can stay on track, literally and figuratively, he could be the best sprinter in the city. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed, or will his past finally catch up to him?

5. The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander

rom the Newbery Medal and Coretta Scott King Award winning author Kwame Alexander, comes the first book in a searing, breathtaking trilogy that tells the story of a boy, a village, and the epic odyssey of an African family.

In his village in Upper Kwanta, 11-year-old Kofi loves his family, playing oware with his grandfather and swimming in the river Offin. He’s warned though, to never go to the river at night. His brother tells him “There are things about the water you do not know. ” Like what?Kofi asks. “The beasts.” His brother answers.

One fateful night, the unthinkable happens and in a flash, Kofi’s world turns upside down. Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life and what happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.

This spellbinding novel by the author of The Crossover and Booked will take you on an unforgettable adventure that will open your eyes and break your heart.

The Door of No Return is an excellent choice for independent reading, sharing in the classroom, book groups, and homeschooling.

6. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon

Travel through time with National Book Award Finalist Kekla Magoon in a page-turning fantasy adventure about family secrets and finding the courage to plot your own life story.

Since Grandpa died, Dally’s days are dull and restricted. She’s eleven and a half years old, and her exacting single mother is already preparing her to take over the family business. Starved for adventure and release, Dally rescues a mysterious envelope from her mother’s clutches, an envelope Grandpa had earmarked for her. The map she finds inside leads straight to an ancient vault, a library of secrets where each book is a portal to a precise moment in time. As Dally “checks out” adventure after adventure–including an exhilarating outing with pirates–she begins to dive deep into her family’s hidden history. Soon she’s visiting every day to escape the demands of the present. But the library has secrets of its own, intentions that would shape her life as surely as her mother’s meticulous plans. What will Dally choose? Equal parts mystery and adventure–with a biracial child puzzling out her identity alongside the legacy of the past–this masterful middle-grade fantasy rivets with crackling prose, playful plot twists, and timeless themes. A satisfying choice for fans of Kindred and When You Reach Me.

7. The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton

Dhonielle Clayton makes her middle-grade debut with a fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky —an instant New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller!

“The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world.” –Rick Riordan, #1 New York Times bestselling-author

Eleven-year-old Ella Durand is the first Conjuror to attend the Arcanum Training Institute, a magic school in the clouds where Marvellers from around the world practice their cultural arts, like brewing Indian spice elixirs and bartering with pesky Irish pixies.

Despite her excitement, Ella discovers that being the first isn’t easy–some Marvellers mistrust her magic, which they deem “bad and unnatural.” But eventually, she finds friends in elixirs teacher, Masterji Thakur, and fellow misfits Brigit, a girl who hates magic, and Jason, a boy with a fondness for magical creatures.

When a dangerous criminal known as the Ace of Anarchy escapes prison, supposedly with a Conjuror’s aid, tensions grow in the Marvellian world and Ella becomes the target of suspicion. Worse, Masterji Thakur mysteriously disappears while away on a research trip. With the help of her friends and her own growing powers, Ella must find a way to clear her family’s name and track down her mentor before it’s too late.

 

 

Make sure to check out this previous Mixed up Files post for more information about Juneteenth.

 

Happy Reading!

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