Posts Tagged Author Interview

Monsters, Lockers, Burgers, and Beyonce: Jorge Aguirre answers the important questions

By Morgan Baden on October 17, 2024 / Author Interviews

Monster Locker: a book cover featuring a sixth grade boy looking fearful as a monster tries to escape a locker

True story: Jorge Aguirre throws a good party.

I had the pleasure of experiencing this firsthand one day last summer, when Jorge hosted a salon of local writers. We ate, we chatted, we enjoyed the starry sky–and when I saw he had a new middle grade novel, MONSTER LOCKER, coming out this month, I just had to ask him some questions.

First, a little about Jorge: He’s both an author and a television writer/producer, where he specializes in children’s shows. (He’s even been nominated for an Emmy…twice!) His latest book, MONSTER LOCKER, is a middle grade graphic novel series illustrated by Andrès Vera Martinez, in which a sixth-grader named Pablo and his friends must stop various monsters that emerge from a portal inside of his locker from destroying their entire grade school. Who can worry about homework at a time like that?

Interview with Jorge Aguirre

Morgan Baden: Jorge, thank you for being here today! If you could describe MONSTER LOCKER in just five words, what would you say?

Jorge Aguirre: Pablo kicks Aztec monsters butts.

MB: There are some mythology elements to this book that I really loved. And kids seem to love mythology, too! What do you think makes myths so enduring to generation after generation of readers?

JA: With monster tales, there is always a hero. I think we like to root for a valiant hero. And what’s a better foe for a valiant hero to face off against than a monster?

MB: You co-created MONSTER LOCKER with artist Andrés Vera Martinez. What was your favorite part of that collaboration?

JA: I love when Andrés surprises me with artwork that is better than I imagined. That’s the talent of an artist: to bring something fresh the table. The writer builds the airplane but the artist knows how to make it fly and do loop-de-loops (but not so many loop-de-loops that the passengers vomit).

MB: How did your partnership work?

JA: Andrés and I had a lot of conversations. I had the original story. Then he had a lot of, “What about this…” questions. And all those What Abouts lead your story to places you might not have gone if you were on the path alone.

MB: The iconic RL Stine often talks about how it’s important for kids to sometimes be scared by what they’re reading. What are your thoughts on that? Would you agree with that, and if so, why?

JA: Oh sure. I mean, I think the idea behind his view is it’s good to challenge readers. Emotionally and intellectually.

MB: You’re not just a writer of children’s books — you’re also an Emmy Award-nominated TV producer and writer. How does writing books like MONSTER LOCKER differ from your television writing?

JA: Structurally, process-wise, and creatively it’s nearly the same. But most of my animation writing work is for a younger audience. I get to tell more complex stories in my books. And I get to feature a reasonable amount of butt-kicking. Also, TV is a very collaborative process. There are teams of directors, networks, producers who all have strong opinions about how to tell a particular story. My job as an animation writer for TV is to execute my vision, but through the lens of all the other stakeholders. In graphic novels it’s only the writer, the artist, and your editor. And if you have a creative, talented book agent like we do, then she’s in the mix too. That’s still a much, much, muuuuuuuuuch smaller team.

MB: MONSTER LOCKER is out now! Do you have any rituals or traditions to celebrate the release of a book?

JA: I like to take my book off the shelf and look at it. I think about all the work it took to get this thing from an idea in my head to a published book on my shelf. I smile for about 4.5 seconds. And then I get back to work on the next one.

Photo Credit: Otero + Seclen Photography

Lightning round!

MB: Share your one-word answers to the following:

Early bird or night owl? Early.

Laptop or desktop? Laptop.

Coffee or tea? Coffee. (Soooooo much coffee!)

Winter or summer? Fall. (Okay, okay. Summer. But why isn’t Fall an option? What do you have against Fall?)

Plotter or pantser? Plotter! But a plotter who lets the work surprise me along the way.

Halloween or 4th of July? Halloween.

Binge-watch or savor a show? Savor.

Revise as you go, or churn out a messy draft? Messy! Always make a mess first and clean it up later. Because if you don’t, then you’ll never have something to clean up.

Pizza or burgers? Burgers. But ask me again tomorrow and I may say pizza.

Taylor or Beyonce? Beyoncé. Please don’t come after me, Swifties. I have total respect for TS, but the interviewer is forcing me to pick one! Blame her!

I will accept the blame. Readers, I hope you check out MONSTER LOCKER – it’s perfect not just for this spooky season, but all year long!

About Jorge:

Jorge Aguirre is an author and TV writer. Two-time Emmy nominated, he created, co-developed, and co-produced Disney Junior’s, Goldie & Bear. He’s the Head Writer and Co-Executive Producer of the PBS Kids/Fred Rogers Production show, Alma’s Way. He’s written preschool shows for Disney, Jr., Nick, Jr., PBS, Amazon, and Netflix. He wrote the graphic novel series The Chronicles of Claudette, which he co-created with artist Rafael Rosado (First Second Books/Macmillan). The first book, Giants Beware was called a “Rollicking fun story” by the New York Times; it received a starred review from Publisher’s Weekly and was a nominee for a Texas Bluebonnet Award. The sequels are Dragons Beware and Monsters Beware. His latest book with artist Rafael Rosado is Call Me Iggy, a middle-grade graphic novel about a Colombian kid in Columbus, Ohio. Kirkus gave the book a starred review and called it, “A pitch-perfect example of teenage explorations of cultural identity. (Graphic fiction. 13-18).” His new graphic novel series, Monster Locker, with artist Andrés Vera Martínez, comes out in October 2024. A Colombian-American born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, Aguirre calls the great state of New Jersey home.

Interview with New York Times Bestselling Author Michael P. Spradlin

By Melissa Roske on September 25, 2024 / Author Interviews

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome New York Times bestselling author Michael P. Spradlin to the Mixed-Up Files! Michael, who happens to be one of the most prolific authors on Earth–he’s written dozens of books for children, teens, and adults–is here to talk about his latest MG novel, Rise of the Spider, the first of a planned six-book series set in pre-World War II Germany. The novel, praised by Kirkus as “[A] fast-moving, stirring tale….Clear of stance and cogent of theme,” is out now from Margaret K. McElderry Books.

And now, without further ado…

Interview with Michael P. Spradlin

MR: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Michael! It’s a pleasure to have you here.

MPS: I’m happy to be here! Wherever here is! 🙂

Rise of the Spider: A Summary

MR: Your latest novel, Rise of the Spider, the first in a planned six-book series, is set in pre-World War II Germany during the Nazi Party’s rise to power. Can you tell MUF readers more about the book and its 11-year protagonist, Rolf?

MPS: Rise of the Spider takes place in 1929. Each book–which will feature a different protagonist and examine how the rapid, accelerating change in Germany affects all of them–will be set in a different year, leading up to 1934 and after Hitler is named Chancellor of Germany.

The first book features Rolf Von Huesen who lives in Heroldsberg, Germany, with his father and brother. Rolf’s older brother died in the Great War, and his mother passed during the Spanish Flu right after he was born.

MR: At the beginning of the novel, Rolf suspects that his older brother, Romer, is being courted by the Hitler Youth. What impact does this have on Rolf and the choices he makes throughout the novel?

MPS: Ultimately it nearly tears Rolf apart. Romer is Rolf’s idol, the person who has most taken care of him since his mother died during the Spanish Flu. Romer’s got it all: He’s smart, handsome, and athletic. To see him so easily seduced by Nazi ideology is devastating to Rolf.

The Role of Friendship

MR: While Rolf is struggling with his brother’s involvement in the Hitler Youth—and later, his role in the destruction of Jewish-owned shops in their small Bavarian town—he leans on his outspoken best friend, Ansel, for support. What role does friendship play in the novel? How does it help—and, in many ways, hinder—Rolf’s struggle?

MPS: I’ve been told by many readers and librarians that the central theme of my novels is often the true meaning of friendship. I guess that’s right. In this case, Ansel’s friendship helps by giving Rolf a sounding board. While Ansel is definitely a wiseacre, he is also a good listener. He’s just as puzzled by Rolf at what is happening. Yet he also pushes the envelope and likes poking the bear, which often leads to trouble. But, if nothing else, Ansel is loyal as all heck to his friends.

The Real Heroldsberg

MR: Since the novel takes place in pre-World War II Germany, in a small Bavarian town called Heroldsberg, what sort of research did you do in order to ensure authenticity? I know you traveled to Bavaria, and to Heroldsberg itself. How did the trip deepen your understanding of the historical events fictionalized in your novel?

MPS: I’m obsessed with Heroldsberg! What an idyllic, beautiful, and picturesque place. And like most of Europe it is just dripping with history. Major battles of the Thirty Years War were fought there. Bavaria is just stunning, and every time you turn around you think you are going to see Cinderella’s castle. Being there had a real influence on writing this book. Usually in my historical novels, I’m writing about a place that no longer exists. In this case, I could walk the streets and cobblestones that had been there since the middle ages.

The Long-lasting Impact of WWII

MR: This isn’t your first middle-grade novel set in Nazi-occupied Europe. Into the Killing Seas, The Enemy Above, and Prisoner of War all are set during WWII. What impels you to write about this historical period? What makes it meaningful to you?

MPS: I think it’s because I was deeply affected by the war. I say this because my dad was a veteran. Other than his children being born, I think it had to be the most profound experience of his life and it impacted his beliefs greatly. Notably, his brother was killed in action on Omaha Beach.

I grew up in a small town and every single man within five years of my father’s age had served. They were my teachers, coaches, scout leaders, bosses, and mentors. I know it had an impact on them, and therefore on me. I think my father, a quiet, sensitive man, was greatly influenced by his brother’s death. I think he had horrible survivor’s guilt.

I also believe that World War II is the most transformative event in human history thus far. We are still living with many of its outcomes today. First, it was truly a global conflict with more than eighty countries taking part. In our country, we saw women enter the workforce in large numbers as well as the beginnings of racial desegregation. We also made enormous technological advances in a very short time. While the war was a horrific loss of blood and treasure, it also served to propel humanity forward in many ways.

The Takeaway

MR: What do you hope readers will take away from the series?

MPS: I want them to understand that evil is insidious and can be presented in all kinds of promises and pretty packages. It can also be very hard to spot–especially at the beginning. It can even sound appealing. That’s why it’s important that kids understand how someone like Hitler came to power; how he tailored his message to the those who were disenfranchised by war, poverty and a lack of hope. But all along he was selling a pig in a poke.

Michael’s Writing Routine

MR: Switching gears, let’s talk about your writing routine. Do you have a specific time of the day when you like to write? Any particular writing rituals? Also, what’s the secret to being so prolific? You’ve published a gazillion books! (Well, 33 and counting.)

MPS: By and large, I write mostly at night–but sometimes during the day as well. Usually my computer is open to a manuscript all day and I am sitting down and tapping out a couple of sentences throughout the day.

As for being prolific, it is a blessing and a curse. I have a brain that doesn’t believe in downtime. I’m always thinking about new ideas and new projects, and I always have multiple projects in the works.

Planning and Organizing a Series

MR: As stated above, Rise of the Spider, is the first installment in a planned six-book series. How do you organize the writing process for such a big project? It seems like a herculean task!

MPS: I use a lot of spreadsheets. I keep them for continuity, and correctly spelling character names. And keeping track of physical descriptions. I have general outlines for all six books, but they aren’t strict so if the story takes me in a different, better direction I can adapt.

MR: In addition to MG, you also write picture books, YA, and books for adults, including a volume of haikus about pirates (!). What’s the key to writing books for different age groups?

MPS: I’m not sure there’s a key. Obviously with kids’ books there are things like language and themes you need to watch out for, but the main goal is to write as well as you can. Kids need to be the hero, and you can’t have them saved by adults at a critical moment. Other than that, I’d say to be honest… and treat your audience with respect.

Lessons from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

MR: Rumor has it that you’re a Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. I have questions…

MPS: OMG! DID WE JUST BECOME BEST FRIENDS? I was never so saddened to learn the truth about what happened to the creator of the show. It was so brilliantly written and acted. But I came to realize that a lot of art throughout history has been created by not so great people. In the case of a movie or television show, it takes far more than the writer to make it work.

Hundreds of people contribute from actors to cinematographers and their contributions also play a key role. I think you can still appreciate it from that perspective. If someone horrible did something behind the scenes, aren’t we further punishing the actors and the hundreds of other people involved in the show who can least afford to be punished by us no longer watching? That’s a rhetorical question. I’m not sure what the answer is. But in a vacuum: BTVS is a great accomplishment by all involved.

MR: What are you working on now, Michael? More books in the Web of the Spider series, I’m guessing?

MPS: Yes, more Web of the Spider books. Then I have a trilogy I’ll be shopping soon, but these books will be my main focus for the next couple of years.

Lightning Round!

MR: And finally, no MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Oatmeal schotchie cookie

Coffee or tea? Neither

Cat or dog? Love both. Own a dog. Allergic to cats

Plotter or Pantser? Total pantser

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Um. YES!

Superpower? I can melt an ice cube with my mind. It just takes a while. Also, I can do a killer Sean Connery impersonation, but no one knows who he is anymore.

Favorite place on earth? My house with my family present

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? Boats. Boats. Boats

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Michael—and congratulations on the publication of Rise of the Spider!

MPS: Thank you for having me! Watch for The Threat of the Spider coming in summer 25!

Bio

Michael P. Spradlin is the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award–nominated author of the Spy Goddess series, The Youngest Templar series, and the Web of the Spider series, as well as several works of historical fiction, including the Western Heritage Award–winning Off Like the Wind: The Story of the Pony Express. He currently resides in Lapeer, Michigan, with his wife, daughter, and his schnoodle, Sequoia. Learn more about Michael on his website and follow him on X, and Facebook.

STEM Tuesday — Inventions that Changed the World — Author Interview with Sarah Aronson

By STEM Tuesday on September 24, 2024 / Inventors / Inventions, 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’re interviewing Sarah Aronson, author of the award winning book: Just Like Rube Goldberg. The book is a fascinating look at the journey of a trained engineer who decides to take a job at a newspaper instead. His drawings of ridiculous inventions doing simple tasks became so popular, people use them as a starting point for creating their own “Goldberg” inventions.

“Aronson notes that Goldberg ‘drew comics to make us look closer’; fittingly, this thoughtful, playful picture-book biography does just that, with whimsical pencil, ink, and digital illustrations capturing the machines’ intricacies.” – The Horn Book

Christine Taylor-Butler: Sarah, you are a prolific writer for both children’s fiction and nonfiction. But you didn’t start out as a writer?

Sarah Aronson: I didn’t. I taught fitness then trained to become a physical therapist. When you are working with someone that has had a traumatic brain injury there is no book that explains how that individual person moves. You have to figure out the solution to helping that specific person being more functional. Now I think of writing and revision as rehab. When you take that sense of imagination and foresight and put it into whatever you are doing, you are doing STEM.

CTB: How did you get the idea for this book?

Sarah: When I was 7 years old, I was watching the movie, Chitty, Chitty Bang Bang. The breakfast machine is a Rube Goldberg contraption. I couldn’t believe how cool that was. I was a child with a lot of energy so I tried to make a breakfast machine with my mom’s best dishes. Here’s a tip – use plastic.

CTB: What happened to the dishes?

Sarah: I broke them all. Luckily mom wasn’t so found of that pattern. After seeing that, my dad began sharing Rube Goldberg cartoons with me. Later, while working for Jack La Lanne Health Clubs, I thought about those chain reactions when I was making my aerobics routines. How do we make a chain reaction with our bodies? How do we make ourselves stronger? I went back to college and got my Masters in Physical Therapy. I became a therapist and thought about physics while working. Once I became a writer I thought, who would I write about if I were going to write a biography? Ding! Why not Rube Goldberg?

CTB: He didn’t want to do an ordinary job.

Sarah: He loved drawing. But is father didn’t want him to be a starving artist. And I remembered thinking, I’m a lot like Rube. My Dad is an economist and when I switched to writing he said, “you’re supposed to take a job that makes more money.” He was speaking out of fear. But he ultimately understood what I was trying to do and that I had something to say. I didn’t study engineering but Rube did. When he looked around he was latching on to creativity. He was worried that giving people all these machines was going to give people less opportunities for ingenuity. For thinking out of the box. He lived in the industrial age and he worried what was happening to curiosity.

We see this with our laptops and AI. Rube would go bananas. He would say “why are you giving away your brain to a machine that will never be as creative as you are.

Rube errand boy

CTB: I once read that DaVinci suggested that everyone should create art because it was a way of developing the manual dexterity needed to do their jobs. We don’t get that when we allow machines to do it for us.

Sarah: Yes – when you look at Rube Goldberg’s cartoons, you see humor. You see his desire to have fun with this idea of making machines that make simple things complicated. He’s trying to say “Use your brain!”

He wanted to be an artist. But like many parents his father wanted him to have a steady job. So he went to college and studied engineering. But he didn’t want to do that kind of job. So he took a job at a newspaper and worked his way up creating cartoons of complicated machines.

rube newsroom

CTB: So that’s his superpower and his appeal. These unusual drawings of inventions that do more than needed to do a simple job.

Sarah: The power of Rube Goldberg inventions is that it’s not like the machines in engineering school. These complicated contraptions weren’t practical in the real world. They weren’t there to solve real world problems. They were to tickle the imagination. Rube drew comics to make us look closer. More important than any pile of nuts and bolts, it challenged people to use their brains. He was awarded a Pulitzer Prize and he’s included in the dictionary.

Rube_32-33SS

CTB: So his goal is to give people more freedom.

Sarah: Yes. This is what we need in education – a freedom to explore, discover, be curious and creative. And to try things where we don’t know what is going to happen in the end.

When we let go of the product and engage truly in the process, that’s why Rube’s concept of making something silly endures. It taps into what we are missing in education – to give kids a voice.

CTB: We want people to see, “Look at the joy, this person got from this process!” And also the author’s joy in writing this.

Sarah: I talk about that a lot. When we address writing with joy and openness and not being wedded to the ending. We then discover something. And we can apply it. All of the scientific models apply to everything in life. You’re thinking and connecting dots. That’s STEM. You’re dreaming about something that doesn’t feel obtainable. That’s STEM. I ask teachers to give their students 5 minutes a day to write in a curiosity journal. And I ask teachers not to look at it. To let students explore on their own. For example, if they are studying Abe Lincoln, they can ask questions, or just wonder what is inside that big hat.

Sarah at school session

CTB: That’s it. Just 5 minutes each day without rules.

Sarah: Yes. Give students a way to find their path to learning. That’s something 5 minutes a day can do. That’s how I start my own day. Writing in my curiosity journal. Lately, I’ve been drawing the view from my window. They’re not good. But they’re not for anyone but me and it gets my brain swirling. That sets me up for the day. That’s STEM. So that is what I try to help my writers get to. Don’t be so serious. Enjoy every step.

Celebrate when something works.

Celebrate when it doesn’t work.

CTB: One quick shout-out to your award winning illustrator, Robert Neubecker.

Sarah: Yes. His artwork is amazing. I tell authors not to get involved in the illustrations. You often get things back you can’t have imagined. Robert’s work is beautiful.

CTB: So what are you working on now? Anything we should be looking forward to?

Sarah: Right now I’m working on a picture book about Christopher Reeves. He was a superhero so I’m writing it about his super powers. But in the middle I am talking about spine injury and why he couldn’t recover and walk again. Thinking about the body I’m wearing my old physical therapy hat again.

There’s a movie coming out. It’s been 20 years since he died. He died young so he’s frozen in time. He would be in his 70’s now.

CTB: Christopher Reeve’s public outlook was so positive.

Sarah: I think how I go about writing a biography . It is because I loved how a person is. Reeves is so embedded in the miraculous. He’s almost unreal. When I wrote the book Head Case it was because my patients who had head injuries couldn’t get complete coverage. Christopher Reeves was able to get everything he needed. He was inspiring.

CTB: And you have a finished picture book coming out.

Sarah: I also have a book about Bella Abzug. It is gorgeous. It will be out in a few weeks. She was one of my childhood heroes. I was fascinated by this woman who was loud, and Jewish, and said what she wanted. That just blew my heart open. My first title was originally, “Bela knows everything.” She was an activist and lawyer before she ran for Congress at the age of 50. She was the first to run on a woman’s platform and she was a co-conspirator with Shirley Chisholm. They didn’t agree on everything but they worked together and that really inspired me. She was raised by parents who thought charity was good, but teaching people to help themselves is better.

“A woman’s place is in the house – the House of Representatives.” – Bela Abzug

Advice from Sarah:

The most important thing I want people to get is that STEM is learning, STEM is fun, STEM is discovery and it’s integral to everything we do. I was a kid who didn’t think I could ever do STEM. I thought it was about being a doctor, or being really smart. Even when I took physics for Physical Therapy. I didn’t get it until I dissected a human. Messing up with your hands is how we learn. Crumbling a piece of paper and throwing it in the garbage is how I grow. It means I had and idea, but now I have a better one.

“Strive for something that seems impossible. Like a yoga pose. When you are striving and reaching and losing your balance, you’re gaining strength.”

Sarah Aronson is the award-winning author of books for young people. She has earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work includes novels and picture books, fiction and nonfiction. She also teaches writing for Highlights Foundation.

She loves working with young writers in schools, and grown-up writers at the Highlights Foundation, and Writers on the Net (www.writers.com). Sarah has served as an SCBWI mentor in both Illinois and Michigan, and is now the PAL coordinator for Illinois. She loves sports, overuses exclamation points and when she’s excited, she talks with her hands.

author christine Taylor-butler

Photo by Kecia Stovall

Your host is Christine Taylor-Butler, a graduate of MIT and author of The Oasis, Save the… Tigers, Save the . . . Blue Whales, and many other nonfiction books for kids. She is also the author of the STEM based middle grade sci-fi series The Lost Tribes. Follow @ChristineTB on Twitter/X and or @ChristineTaylorButler on Instagram. She lives in Missouri with a tank of fish and cats that think they are dogs.