Posts Tagged Author Interview

Author Spotlight: Alexandra Diaz

By on July 23, 2026   /   Articles, Author Interviews, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers   /   Leave a comment

In today’s Author Spotlight, Jo Hackl chats with Alexandra Diaz, the award winning author of multiple books, including The Only Road (Pura Belpré Honor and Américas Award), The Crossroads (New Mexico’s Great Read at the National Book Festival), Santiago’s Road Home (ALA Notable Children’s Books), and Farewell Cuba, mi isla (recipient of two starred reviews), all of which she translated into Spanish with her mother. Her current book, Camp Big Top, was selected as a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard. An overactive imagination had her making up stories at an early age and led to getting an MA in Writing for Young People from Bath Spa University. The daughter of Cuban refugees, she is a native Spanish speaker who currently lives in Santa Fe, NM.

 

All about the book:

Book Cover

Four kids overcome challenges and form a strong friendship while trying to save their circus camp from closing in this new coming-of-age story.

Mario has been banished, to circus camp of all places, after stealing his parents’ credit card.

Luna is an aerial artist, but her body seems to have grown curvier overnight, making it harder to perform on the silks.

Ricky is destined to be a stilt-walking star, but his attention span keeps him from safely learning the basics.

Betina has a natural talent for clowning comedy, so long as no one is watching her.

When the landlord threatens to close down Camp Big Top forever, these four kids must join forces to save it. But first, they will have to build trust in each other… and in themselves.

 

The Background of Camp Big Top

JH: You are not only a writer, but also a certified aerial instructor and circus coach. Can you tell us what drew you to this field?

Alexandra Diaz teaching stilts

AD: Coming from a life-long desire to fly, I have always been fascinated by circus arts, thinking that the people who performed them were the epitome of “cool.” Yet for the longest time, I didn’t think I could ever be that “cool.” I was too big, and too tall, and too heavy. People said so. There was a local circus where I live. I drove two different kids I was babysitting to their classes and I still thought it was inaccessible to me. I didn’t have the time or the money. Still, I watched from the wings, secretly wishing I could do these things too until I decided that was enough. I was always going to be too big and too poor so I might as well do it anyway. Without the pressure of seeking stardom and fame (which never interested me), I learned to do “cool” things for myself with my “too” whatever body. I have come as close as I will probably get to flying and it’s great up here.

JH: How did your experience in circus training inspire Camp Big Top?

AD: A few years after joining the circus world, I was asked to teach some classes and that led to teaching regularly. Years of teaching circus camp and school programs and seeing the dynamics that take place in the circus world led to great inspiration. The circus world quickly became my home. A place where I belonged and more importantly, could be myself. This is the book I would have loved to have read as a youth and I’m so pleased I was able to write it as an adult. How could I not write about this world I know and love? The best part is that everything my characters do are things real kids can learn to do for themselves.

 

The Characters

JH: Camp Big Top features a diverse cast of characters who must come together to save the camp. How did you go about creating the characters?

AD: The characters were already there when I started writing this version. The initial idea was for a picture book. After a bazillion drafts and rewrites that never got sent out, I thought it would make a great chapter book series where each kid had to overcome a personal challenge (like smelly feet insecurity) and a circus challenge (performing acrobatics barefooted). I had a pretty good idea of who my characters were and what each book would be about. When my editor asked me what middle grade I was working on next, I easily adapted the chapter book series idea into a middle grade. I had been thinking about these characters so much already, that aging them to middle school age just meant maturing their desires and insecurities.

 

JH: To which character do you most relate?

AD: There is a part of me in each of my characters and things that each has experienced that have happened to me. In general, I would say that I relate most to Luna and Ricky. Luna’s body positivity journey is definitely something that strikes a chord though, I admit, she’s much more accepting of her curves than I am of mine. Ricky is the love-child of my neuro-divergent brain. So many of his thought-tangents are thoughts I’ve had. He’s just a lot more optimistic than I am. With all of them, it’s nice to know that my characters handle their inherited traits better than me.

 

JH: Did any character surprise you at any point while you were writing the book?

AD: Mario surprised me and himself all the time. He has this indifferent air to hide his insecurities but he does care and just wants to be accepted. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t mind when the dogs slobber on him: the pups love him regardless and he needed that.

 

Themes and Scenes

Alexandra Diaz Photo Credit: Owen Benson

JH: Your book masterfully balances humor and serious subjects such as family relationships, economic pressures, body positivity, neurodivergence, and the sense of feeling invisible. How did you go about finding the balance between seriousness and humor?

AD: No idea! I don’t try to be funny and I certainly didn’t edit thinking that I had to add more humor. My best guess is that it’s part of how my brain works and how it popcorns and goes in random directions. I have been known to laugh out loud at something I thought of (much to the puzzlement of surrounding people). It’s nice to know that not only can I entertain myself, my humor comes across on the page as well.

 

JH: If you could drop yourself into one scene from the book, which would you choose—and why?

 AD: I love the dress rehearsal and the show. I think it brings back those feelings of being an outsider who has finally been allowed to be one of the “cool” kids. Being backstage and privy to all the offstage drama and happenings the audience doesn’t know or see is just as much fun as the show itself. I think it’s part of being a writer—that desire to explore and observe things from all angles.

 

Writing for Middle Grade Readers

JH: What draws you to writing for middle-grade readers?

 AD: I never stopped reading middle grade and young adult, and writing for children and teens has always been my desired genre. I feel it’s a world I know and understand (and remember from my childhood so therefore can relate to it better). Most books written for adults bore me so I see it unlikely that I would want to write for that audience. I like the fast pace of children’s books and the common themes—friendship, acceptance, and empowerment—are topics I’ll never grow out of.

 

JH: Were there any books you loved growing up that influenced your storytelling?

 AD: My early writing was definitely influenced by Babysitters’ Club, Sweet Valley, and Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, though I wished it was more like Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. But even then, there were aspects to all those writing styles and formats that never resonated with me and I knew I wouldn’t write that way. In order to grow as a writer, I had to make my writing my own.

 

Writing Craft

JH: Did this book begin with a character, a plot idea, or your irresistible title?

 AD: For this book, it was definitely plot, quickly followed by characters. The title was all my agent’s idea!

 

JH: Were there any scenes that were especially fun—or especially difficult—to write?

 AD: I love Ricky’s introduction to the circus world and his enthusiasm for everything circus related. I likewise really felt sorry for him when things didn’t work out as he planned. Luna’s issues with her parent weren’t particularly difficult to write per se, but they did bring up feelings of resentment and judgment that were surprisingly real despite not having gone through the same arguments.

 

JH: How long did it take from the first spark of the idea to the finished manuscript?

AD: Hard to say. It was a multi-incarnation picture book for several years. Then it was an idea with notes for a chapter book series. Even when it became a middle grade novel, the publication date was moved back several months. During that time it felt like it was taking ages. As a middle grade book, I think it took about two and a half years

 

JH: What was the biggest revision you made to the story during the editing process?

AD: Probably making the circus terms and moves less circus-nerdy and more universal for a non-circus reader to understand. The reader didn’t need to know the exact position of a hand or foot to get the general gist of what was happening.

 

JH: What advice would you give to writers trying to write for middle-grade readers?

AD: Try to remember what it was like at that age and put yourself into the shoes of your characters. What were you feelings? How did you act? What deductions/assumptions did you falsely make? That said, it’s also important to remember that unless you’re writing a memoir, your characters aren’t you so they have to make their own mistakes and have their own character arcs.

 

What’s Next

JH: What projects are you currently working on?

AD: I always have several things on the go with ideas for many more. I’m excited to see what comes to play next!

 

————

Lightning Round: 

JH: No interview is complete without a lightning round, so here we go:

 

Favorite place to write:
On my sofa, in my pajamas.

 

Plotter or pantser?
Neither and both. There isn’t a label that describes my style.

 

 If you were not a writer, what might you do for a living?
Teach circus arts (oh, wait. That’s what I already do)!

 

Favorite musical group or artist:

It depends on my mood. Joan Jett, ABBA, Beatles, Def Leppard, Beauty and the Beast (animated version) soundtrack

 

Favorite fictional hero:

Cassie Logan or Charlotte Doyle

 

Favorite fictional villain:

Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

 

Favorite childhood TV show:

Full House

 

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

If you want to read the story, write it.

 

What advice would you give to other writers?

If writing is what you’re passionate about, do it regardless of what everyone else tells you.

 

Jo: Thanks for chatting with us, Alexandra!

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STEM Tuesday– Bridges and Skyscrapers– Author Interview

By on June 23, 2026   /   Architecture, Author Interviews, Bridges, Engineering, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today, we are thrilled to travel to the Czech Republic to interview Magda Garguláková, author of Bridges (April 2025, Post Wave). Explore the amazing world of bridges—from ancient stone arches to modern marvels—and discover how they connect us all! This illustrated 64-page hardcover book delves into the history, engineering, and construction of bridges. Intricate illustrations by Jakub Bachorík invite readers to follow roads and rivers and stumble upon tiny details: a cyclist, a stroller, a leashed dog, and more. 

About the book:

Imagine a world without bridges, where every journey takes longer, rivers become obstacles, and valleys are nearly impossible to cross. Bridges don’t just make travel easier—they connect us to extraordinary places, too.

Take a journey through the fascinating world of bridges, exploring their awe-inspiring structures and the visionary architects who brought them to life. Uncover the secrets of bridge-building and marvel at some of the most famous designs from around the globe. Along the way, enjoy captivating comic strips, fun facts, and hands-on engineering activities.

Bridges

Linda: Tell us about your book, Bridges.

Magda: Bridges is a large-format, illustrated non-fiction book that invites readers into the world of bridges. It is richly illustrated with Jakub Bachorík’s distinctive, playful, and original—yet highly precise—artwork.

I like topics that can be explored from many different angles, and bridges are perfect in this respect. In the book, I don’t look at them strictly as architectural structures, engineering constructions, or from the perspective of how they are built. I also ask why people started building bridges in the first place, how they influenced history and technological progress, how they have evolved, how they have changed our everyday lives, why they are such powerful symbols, and what surprising kinds of “bridges” we can find outside architecture.

The book is intended primarily for children aged nine to eleven. It is fact-based but playful, and the amount of text is just right. I tried to draw readers into the topic and spark curiosity about bridges. Although it is designed for children, it also works very well as an all-age book. I’m really happy with readers’ responses, as it turns out that it resonates across generations and appeals to adults as well.

Linda: That’s wonderful. What inspired you to write about this topic?

Magda: It’s actually quite simple. I’ve been fascinated by bridges since childhood. I don’t even really know why, but they’ve always drawn me in and sparked my curiosity. I’m also an amateur admirer of architecture, especially modern architecture, and I love concrete as a building material as well as riveted steel structures.

What fascinates me about bridges is not only their technical side; I’m equally drawn to how multilayered a symbol they are—how they can bring hope and expectation, how important a role they play in our lives, and, at the same time, how ordinary and invisible they often feel in everyday life. I enjoy the overlaps they offer—into history, art, culture, and everyday experience.

And then there’s one more thing: I’m afraid of heights. So bridges are also a bit of a challenge for me. I actually prefer looking at them rather than from them—and quite often, that turns out to be a more interesting view anyway. 😊

All of this together makes them a perfect subject for a book. It also invites rich illustration, which can communicate with readers in its own way, which is why I like to give illustrations a very important role in my books.

Linda: The textured maze-like illustrations complement the text. How did you organize the material in this book, and why did you choose to present it this way?

Magda: Let me start a bit broadly. When I begin working on a book, the first thing I look for is its overall arc: where I start and where I want to arrive. The flow of the book—how individual pieces of information and thematic sections are arranged—is essential to me. I constantly think about what follows what, why it should be that way, and to what extent I need to follow the logic of the subject. These are questions I return to again and again. During the process, I create several versions of dummy layouts where I test and rearrange the order and structure of the content. It’s one of the most important parts of my creative process.

At the same time, I enjoy when the reader is occasionally surprised, and the expected flow is interrupted—when the rhythm of the book shifts or something unexpected appears.

Bridges reflects all of this. It follows a logical structure of the topic, but it also allows for occasional detours. I wanted the book to flow like a river—one idea leading to another, layering and complementing each other.

It was also important to me that the book works even when read non-linearly. In other words, you can open it almost anywhere and immediately find something that grabs your attention. In this respect, Jakub Bachorík’s illustrations are essential—I knew from the very beginning that they would not just accompany the text, but become an equal part of the storytelling. Thanks to them, the book gains its unique atmosphere and appeal.

Linda: In the book blurb, there is a statement that “bridges connect us to extraordinary places.” Can you tell us about some of these places?

Magda: When I say that bridges connect us to extraordinary places, I don’t mean only specific destinations on a map or in our surroundings, but also different kinds of experiences and meanings. Some bridges lead into dramatic natural landscapes, places that would otherwise be very difficult to reach. Other bridges become destinations in themselves—iconic landmarks and architectural highlights that people travel to see.

At the same time, we also use the word “bridge” in much broader contexts. Metaphorically, a bridge can take us anywhere we can imagine. We perceive it very positively as a symbol of change or transition, and it can even signify passage into another world. It is a very powerful symbol on many levels.

And then, there is also a more playful aspect where we encounter “bridges” in unexpected places—such as in dentistry or in a yoga class.

Linda: By looking at the word “bridge,” and its many meanings and its symbolism, you added depth to this work. What would you like readers to get out of this book?

Magda: I often think about this. If I keep it to the most basic wish, it is simply that I want my book to inspire enthusiasm for bridges, encouraging us to notice, explore, and appreciate them.

If a reader, thanks to my book, decides to stop on a bridge and enjoy the view, remembers the complexity involved in bridge construction, or, with joy and an awareness of their importance, appreciates a bridge expansion joint, that would already be enough.

The book is quite intense, so it is good to take breaks while reading it, come back to it, and discover things that may have escaped you the first time. I would therefore be very happy if the book worked this way and readers enjoyed returning to it—either on their own or when reading it together.

I have also personally found that it is a great travel companion; it presents a large number of bridges from all over the world, many of which you will simply want to see in real life (or at least some of them). 

Linda: This book includes fun engineering activities. I’m intrigued. How can parents, teachers, and librarians use this material?

Magda: The book includes a challenge to build your own bridge out of dried spaghetti. It’s a playful activity, but it also works as a small test of engineering thinking and technical skills. The task is to build a bridge—of any size and design you dare to attempt—that can hold a load without collapsing.

This activity can be used at home, in schools, or in libraries as a simple project or even a small competition. It is a lot of fun, but also requires real thinking. I’ve tried building several of these bridges myself—and you can probably guess how that went…

Linda: Lol! Instead of building a bridge, it might be easier to boil the spaghetti and toss it with some pasta sauce. Magda, thank you so much for joining us!

Magda Garguláková studied Art History at the Faculty of Arts of Masaryk University in Brno, in the Czech Republic. She works as a curator and producer at the Brno-based art gallery OFF/FORMAT. After spending some time in marketing, she eventually found her way back to books, which she has loved since childhood. She collaborates with Albatros Media and its foreign rights editorial team, writing and editing mainly nonfiction illustrated books for children. She is the author of more than ten books, which have been translated into numerous languages around the world. Her The Hand Book was selected among the 100 most beautiful books at the 2022 Bologna Children’s Book Fair and was nominated for several prestigious awards in the Czech Republic and Italy. For older readers, she also wrote the acclaimed Bridges, whose illustrations by Jakub Bachorík received the Golden Ribbon Award and which was honored with the Open Book Award in Taiwan. She lives in Brno, Czech Republic, with her husband and their two daughters. Her books have been translated into English, French, German, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and several other languages.

Linda Zajac is the author of Robo-Motion: Robots That Move Like Animals and eight Minecraft books for kids. She is an award-winning science writer who gained an appreciation for bridges after a stream crossing that involved straddling an iced log. Find her at www.lindarosezajac.com

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Interview with Author/Illustrator Maddie Frost

By on June 3, 2026   /   Articles, Author Interviews  
Today, let’s give a hearty Mixed-Up Files welcome to Maddie Frost. An award-winning author and illustrator, Maddie has been praised as a “powerhouse creator,” making over a dozen books for kids. Her first middle-grade novel, Really Rubie, which Kirkus hailed as: “Humorous, frank, and guaranteed to reassure,” is out now from Aladdin.

Really Rubie: A Summary

Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the first time with her best friend, Riley. She and Riley will be at Camp Pineview for an entire month, and Riley’s crush, Owen Griffon, will be across the lake at the boys’ camp. But when Riley can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle, Rubie has to go by herself. How can she survive without Riley? But camp might be more eventful, and more exciting, than Rubie ever thought, including her first-ever crush on a boy.

Q&A with Maddie Frost

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Maddie. Huge congrats on the publication of Really Rubie. I went to sleepaway camp as a kid, so of course I loved your book. I gobbled it up in two sittings!

MF: That’s amazing. I hope it didn’t give you any gas.

MR: Um… 🙂 

Getting Campy with Rubie

MR: Your book is based on your own experience at sleepaway camp. How is Rubie’s experience similar to yours? How is it different? Also, what are the similarities and differences between you and Rubie?

MF: The biggest difference between me and Rubie’s camp experience is that my best friend came with me. Looking back, I always sort of wondered what kind of experience I would have had if I went alone. Rubie was the product of that curiosity.

All the fears, insecurities, and discomfort Rubie goes through at camp, I felt too. It was the first time I had left home for that long, and same for Rubie. It was like being flung onto another planet (with tons of woodchips). We both realized that a whole other world exists beyond the bubble of home. Amazing, and terrifying.

Rubie and I are both emotional and anxious, and we both try to find the humor in life’s struggles. Humor has always been a coping mechanism for me, especially in art. Rubie’s diary entries and doodles reflect that too. But we’re also super aware, and we take in everything all at once. Our feelings, our friends feelings, vibes and moods, exciting moments, awkward moments, people’s energy. I think all great writing comes from being hyper-aware to life.

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to 11-year-old Maddie?

MF: “Hey Maddie, it’s Maddie from the future. Listen, I know it’s rough seas out there in middle school. You’re probably feeling A LOT of things right now and it’s okay. What doesn’t make sense now will later. I promise. Oh, BTW, you turn it all into a book series. I know, right?! Keep going, you got this.

Dear Diary

MR: Really Rubie is written in diary form. What informed this stylistic decision? Did you keep diaries as a tween?

MF: Um, of course I did! I don’t know how you didn’t as a tween girl. There’s so much going on internally and you CAN’T talk to your parents about it. No way! A diary was the safest place to let my thoughts and feelings out. I’ve always wanted to try and make a middle-grade diary. My drawing style and personality lends itself well to this age group. I’m forever a tween at heart. I wrote in a diary at camp, so there was some “research” to be done before I started outlining this book.

I have always considered myself an artist first, author second. I came to writing books by illustrating them. The two art forms have operated like best friends throughout my career. They riff off of each other. What one lacks, the other makes up for. So I knew that if I wrote a middle grade novel, there 100% would be art. Ergo, a diary was the perfect format for me. Also it’s just so fun to write a stream of chaotic conscious and time travel back into my eleven-year-old brain.

Tween Friendships

MR: After Rubie’s BFF, Riley, breaks her ankle and has to withdraw from camp, Rubie is forced to navigate the experience on her own. Did something similar happen to you at Rubie’s age? Also, what were you trying to say about the nature of tween friendships?

MF: Often times, we stay “close to the pack” because we feel safe. But there isn’t much personal growth that happens when we are afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone. If I look back, my biggest personal growth happened when I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable; aka, trying anything new alone. There’s a big world out there, and when you’re a kid, it’s sooo hard to grasp that. Friendships will grow and change because you grow and change. It’s all part of your process and progress as a human. I wish what happened to Rubie happened to me much earlier in my life. I wish I had made a friend like Eliza back then, who proved that the Universe will always meet you halfway.

The Art of Creating a Graphic Novel

MR: In addition to writing the novel, you created the illustrations. What was the process like for you? Did you do both at the same time or add the illustrations later? Also, how does being an artist influence your writing—and vice-versa?

MF: I write the manuscripts for all my books before I do any art. This goes for picture books and graphic novels too. If the story stinks, it doesn’t matter how good the art is. Kind of like if the plot of a movie is horrible but the actors are award-worthy. Does not matter. The writer in me always trusts the artist in me. I never try to avoid writing something for the sake of having to draw it. Unless of course it’s something I don’t like drawing. Like large crowds, or realistic horses.

Jane of All Trades

MR: In addition to Rubie, you have written and illustrated a slew of popular picture books. What prompted your decision to write for a middle-grade audience? Did the creative process differ from your experience as a picture-book author/illustrator?

MF: I’m always craving the next challenge. The same thing happened when I went from picture books to graphic novels. I asked myself if I could do it, and then I tried. I’m not afraid of failing, so it makes the attempt super relaxed. Rubie came from a combination of that, plus being bored with the genre I had been working in for almost a decade. As artists, sometimes it feels like we need to put ourselves in a box to get more “recognized.” Like, oh this girl is a mystery writer, that guy only does THIS type of graphic novel. Ugh, it’s so suffocating as a creator to limit yourself. I don’t want to be type-casted! I want to be a Jane of all Trades, Master of all. I mean, all women are, right? Wink, wink.

Sharing the (School Visit) Love

MR: Rumor has it you enjoy doing school visits. Can you tell MUF readers more about this? 

 MF: The rumor is true. I love making it to the other side and sharing my work with readers. Authors work in a hole, we need the reward of humans engaging with us and our stories. We also have sensitive egos. It’s the best feeling when you connect with an audience.

Maddie’s “Aha!” Moment

MR: What has your path to publication been like? Smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

MF: My road to publication was an unexpected one, let’s say that. I really never thought about it when I was younger. I knew there we authors and illustrators that made books, but had no idea that it could be a career choice. I went to college for Animation because I loved cartoons. I’m a 90’s kid and grew up watching Nickelodeon in it’s prime. While I was there, I won a freelance contest to illustrate a picture book for a local hotel. It paid nothing but it was an aha moment for an alternate job path. It was everything I loved about cartoons, just in book format. After I graduated, I wanted to work at Disney. But being a New Englander, I had no idea how one does that. Do you just call up Mickey Mouse? “Yo, Mickey, you got a job for me?” (Said in Boston accent.)

So I started teaching elementary art until I couldn’t ignore the itch to make my own art any longer. I followed a few book illustrators on social media and reached out to find out how to get an agent. Long story long, I got an agent and took on small, boring book projects for babies (literally) while honing my craft, and my voice. I worked my way from the bottom up with zero training or direction. The only thing I knew I had to do was work hard. And I haven’t stopped working hard.

The Magic of Writing

MR: What is your writing and illustrating process like, Maddie? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MF: Writing process for Rubie always takes place somewhere in the morning after my daughter goes to school.  I can’t write Rubie on anything else but my tablet (I have a laptop and computer) but it MUST be on the tablet or the magic isn’t there. So weird, I know. I think I just like the sound of my keyboard, it must make me write better. Tap, tap, tap.

For illustrating, I work in my office at all/any times of the day on my computer. I make my art in Photoshop with a Wacom and stylus pen. No specific routine, since I have a three year old. What is a routine again? And when I’m cleaning it means I’m procrastinating.

What’s Next for Maddie

MR: Really Rubie is the first in a series. Would you mind sharing a bit about what readers can expect in the books that follow?

MF: In Really Rubie book two, she turns twelve and starts sixth grade. There’s a new girl in town and also the person Riley has spent half the summer with in secret. She also happens to be super annoying. Meanwhile, Mom is acting a little *sus* and Rubie is convinced she’s dating. I don’t want to say too much, but there’s a big art scandal, a new crush, breaking and entering a classroom, more sneaking out at night, and a whole lot more awkward drama.

Lightning Round!

Yellow graphic lightning bolt

MR: Last thing: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Is coffee a snack?

 Coffee or tea? Coffee because it’s a snack?

 Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Live it? Nay. Write it? Yea.

Favorite camp activity? Making friendship bracelets.

Most embarrassing moment at camp? Oh no not an MEM! Okay, this is true. I took sailing at the camp Rubie is based on, and one time I capsized the boat and it completely turtled over. Like it went upside down in the water. The “Hot Ben” in my situation had to come out on a motor boat and rescue me. Mega embarrassment viiiiibes.

 Superpower? Flying

Favorite place on earth? My home. And maybe Disney World I guesssss.

 You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? A sketchbook, pencil, and water. What more do you need?

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Maddie—and congratulations on the publication of Really Rubie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

MF: Thanks for having me! Happy Reading! <3 Maddie

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