Posts Tagged contemporary realistic middle-grade fiction

Children’s Books to Honor Arab American Heritage Month

By on April 14, 2023   /   Articles, Book Lists, Diversity, Fiction, For Librarians, For Teachers, MUF Contributor Books, Nonfiction  

In honor of Arab American Heritage month, I wanted to offer a half dozen children’s books that shed a spotlight on Arab Americans as well as an understanding of the Arab world. In particular, the books selected are geared towards elementary school children and focus on various experiences of Arab American migration as well as a celebration of the achievements of Arab women. A diversity of Arab American faiths is also represented.

1) The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

This moving middle grade novel shines a light on the struggles of moving (in this case from Oman to Ann Arbor, Michigan) and leaving behind family and friends. It is ultimately a warm tribute to the love between a boy and his grandfather. The exploration of what it means to feels like to relocate are handled with nuance and levity.

Aref’s father had checked a large blue suitcase. He’d been urging Aref to get rid of extra possessions for weeks now, so Aref wouldn’t try to pack too much. But Aref didn’t like letting go of his things.

–from The Turtle of Oman

2) Spell it Like Samar by Shifa Safadi and illustrated by Saliha Caliskan

When Samar moves the United States from Syria, she confronts new challenges. While at first Samar is intimidated by Jenna, a class bully, as well as her new surroundings, she learns to stand up for herself. An uplifting story about the importance of persistence and resilience. And as a bonus, it’s by MUF member Shifa Safadi!

Samar’s face turned red. “I can’t do it, Ms. Bryan!” she said. In Syria, she had been the best student in her class. But here, it felt like she was the worst.
–from Spell it Like Samar

3) Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj and illustrated by Ruaida Mannaa

This is the first in a series of chapter books about 10 year-old Farrah Hajjar, a Palestinian American who deals with sibling relationships (her brother Samir has special needs), and stands up to bullying. The family is part of a tight knit community that goes to St. Jude’s Orthodox Church and supports Farah’s journey to attend a magnet school. Throughout the narrative, it is evident that Farah loves learning.

Even though I don’t like the word gifted, I’m thrilled about going to Magnet.
–from Farah Rocks Fifth Grade

4) Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

The story of Jude’s relocation from Syria to Cincinnati is poignant and relatable. The novel-in-verse, which was awarded a Newbery Honor in 2021, is accessible and beautiful. It also will challenge stereotypical ideas of Syria.

But our city does not look like Aleppo, before, or after./ It is not sprawling and noisy with buildings/pressed up against/one another/like they are crammed together in an elevator/with no room to breathe. 
–from Other Words for Home 

 

5) Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time by Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel

This compilation of 21st century Muslim women who are leaders is inspirational. Nineteen women are profiled in this upper elementary picture book, from Amani Al-Khatahbeh, the creator of the website, Muslim Gir,l to NASA’s Hiba Rahmani Kuwait to Dalia Mogahed, an advisor to President Barack Obama.

Mogahed tells girls to be: “Be bold, be fearless and be confident, because you matter”

–from Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time 

6) If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World by Hillary Homzie and illustrated by Udayana Lugo

I’m thrilled to include my newest release, a nonfiction picture book aimed at elementary school students. If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World features the stories of actual princesses who have made a difference in their community. Several princesses are from the Arab world, including Princess Alia of Jordan who established a wildlife sanctuary, Princess Rema of Saudi Arabia who has trekked up Mount Everest in honor of cancer patients (who is on the cover of the book) and Princess Nisreen el-Hashemite from Iraq, an MD/PHD researcher who worked at Harvard Medical school and established the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

After Princess Haya of Jordan’s mother died, her father presented a young horse to the princess to help her heal. This gift inspired a passion for show jumping. Princess Haya became the first Arab woman to compete in the Olympics, and then served on the International Olympic Committee

–from If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World

Hillary Homzie is the author of the Ellie May chapter book series (Charlesbridge, 2018), Apple Pie Promises (Sky Pony/Swirl, 2018), Pumpkin Spice Secrets (Sky Pony/Swirl, 2017), Queen of Likes (Simon & Schuster MIX 2016), The Hot List (Simon & Schuster MIX 2011) and Things Are Gonna Be Ugly (Simon & Schuster, 2009) as well as the Alien Clones From Outer Space (Simon & Schuster Aladdin 2002) chapter book series. She’s also a contributor to the Kate the Chemist middle grade series (Philomel Books/Penguin Random House). And her nonfiction picture book, If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders From Around the World is a look at historical and current princesses from many diverse lands who have made their mark (Simon & Schuster, August 2022). During the year, Hillary teaches at Sonoma State University. In the summer, she teaches in the graduate program in children’s literature, writing and illustration at Hollins University. She also is an instructor for the Children’s Book Academy.

She can be found at hillaryhomzie.com and on Instagram, her Facebook page as well as on Twitter

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Author Spotlight: Heather Murphy Capps + a GIVEAWAY

By on April 10, 2023   /   Author Interviews  

Today, I’m bubbling over with excitement to chat with Mixed-Up Files contributor Heather Murphy Capps about her middle-grade debut, Indigo & Ida. Hailed by Kirkus as “… A satisfying story that demonstrates how the past can shed light on the present,” and by author Chad Lucas as “brimming with passion on every page,” the novel–which earned a star from Booklist–is out now from Carolrhoda Books/Lerner. Want a chance to win a copy? Details below! 👇

But first…

A Summary of Indigo & Ida

When eighth grader and aspiring journalist Indigo breaks an important story, exposing an unfair school policy, she’s suddenly popular for the first time. 

The friends who’ve recently drifted away from her want to hang out again. Then Indigo notices that the school’s disciplinary policies seem to be enforced especially harshly with students of color, like her. She wants to keep investigating, but her friends insist she’s imagining things.

Meanwhile, Indigo stumbles upon a book by Black journalist and activist Ida B. Wells―with private letters written by Ida tucked inside. As she reads about Ida’s lifelong battle against racism, Indigo realizes she must choose between keeping quiet and fighting for justice.

Interview with Heather Murphy Capps

MR: Before we start Heather, I’m beyond thrilled to welcome you to the Mixed-Up Files as a published author! Woohoo!

HMC: Thank you so much! Those words … “published author” … will never get old and positively send delicious thrills down my back!

Inspiration: Ida B. Wells

MR: First, I have to tell you how much I enjoyed Indigo & Ida. What was your inspiration behind this wonderful book?

HMC: I’m so excited and grateful you like Indigo and Ida … thank you! My inspiration came from several different places, but this book truly began as an exploration of the themes of friendship and finding the courage to speak your truth.

First, I wanted to investigate friendship from the perspective of a girl who’s seeing for the first time that sometimes friends you thought you’d keep for a lifetime turn out to be friends you keep for just a season.

The grounding in history came from a story I learned about Ida B. Wells: that she helped Alice Paul and her team organize and prepare for the Woman’s Suffrage Parade in 1913. But when the big day arrived, Paul told Wells that she would have to march in the back of the parade with the other Black women, because to march up front alongside the white women would anger Southerners. Paul didn’t want to risk losing the strong political power of the Southern women.

When I learned this story, I was overwhelmed. I felt so deeply, so viscerally, a sorrowful connection to Ida in that moment when she realized her friend wasn’t the person she thought she was. We’ve all been there, and even when the stakes aren’t as high as these, it still hurts, and the betrayal is still very real. I couldn’t stop thinking about Ida and about other questions that percolated up in the next few days: Why had I never learned this particular fact before, when I learned about the Woman’s Suffrage Parade? Why was this story omitted from the teaching of that important milestone for women’s suffrage?

That was when Indigo—a journalist like Ida—was born, along with the idea that I wanted to write a story that would connect the two across the centuries.

Speak Your Truth

I also wanted to carve out my own space within the Black American literary tradition that illustrates the concept of the two voices—public and private. (W. E. B. DuBois’s “double consciousness.”) For me, that idea is similar to “code switching.” There’s the outward voice, the public-facing personality that covers up the parts of us that don’t fit in a default white society, and then there’s the private personality and voice, which is the one where we feel safe being ourselves within our own community. Indigo has two voices—the one she uses at school where she’s trying to fit in and where she’s shushed when she tries to speak out about the injustice she finds, and her private voice, which is empowered by Ida’s voice urging her to speak her truth.

Crusade for Justice

MR: Indigo discovers a copy of Crusade for Justice, the autobiography of Black journalist and civil-rights activist Ida B. Wells, during a stint in school detention. What is it about Wells’ autobiography that inspires Indigo to investigate the injustice experienced by Black and brown kids at her school? Also, can you tell readers what impact Wells’ autobiography has had on you personally?

HMC:  Wells’s autobiography is wonderful reading. She’s fearless and dogged in her investigations—as one of the first investigative journalists in this country, she set the bar high. I’m in awe of her work and want to honor her by doing my best to follow in her footsteps, even though I am no longer a reporter.

One key word in her autobiography that stands out to Indigo–and to me too—is the word “outrage.” Ida is outraged by rampant injustice and by all who willfully ignored or perpetrated these injustices. That word galvanizes Indigo’s desire to push for the truth. I don’t necessarily want to live a life of constant outrage, but I do want to be vigilant about speaking up and fighting injustice.

Letters from Ida

MR: Indigo finds letters written by Ida B. Wells tucked inside the pages of Wells’ autobiography. What made you choose this device to tell Ida’s story—and, as an extension, Indigo’s?

HMC: The sheaf of letters Indigo discovers inside the autobiography are from Ida B. Wells to an unidentified recipient. In these letters, Ida tells the story of her life and narrates some of the challenges she faces—and it’s these stories that empower Indigo to use her voice like Ida did, to shine a light of truth on the injustices of the world.

Key moments in Indigo’s story develop as she reads about the pivotal moments in Ida’s life, and we see many parallels between these two characters who live in completely different times but are connected by a desire for justice as well as by evidence of this country’s ongoing struggle with bias and racism.

Originally, I wanted to show Ida’s life story through quotes from her own body of work, including her autobiography. But even though Ida was a gifted writer, her style is from another century. I needed to ensure her story was accessible to a 21st century audience, so I wrote the letters myself, doing my best to reflect Ida’s distinctive voice.

Fact Versus Fiction

MR: I loved how you wove in real-life events from Wells’ life—including an incident in which, at age 20, Wells bit a white train conductor who forcibly removed her from her seat in a “whites only” car. (She later sued the railroad for violating equal accommodation statutes and won $500 in damages.) This letter, among others, is fictionalized but sounds incredibly authentic. How did you achieve this feat?

HMC: Isn’t that an amazing story? It’s one of my favorites, even though it doesn’t end well. The $500 in damages was later clawed back, and Wells was accused of harassment for pursuing the lawsuit.

To find Wells’ voice, I read her work as deeply as I could to educate myself. To articulate her voice, I talked out loud to myself. (If anyone were to observe me, they’d seriously have a good laugh–ha!) So, I walked around my living room, talking out loud, and listening for Ida’s voice. I tried to live various moments through her eyes, and play out how she must have felt. I then translated those reactions, along with her own observations, into her letter.

The Source of the Matter

MR: What did your research process look like? I know you used Wells’ autobiography as a starting point, but what other sources did you find useful? (For more on the life of Ida B. Wells, check out Heather’s Mixed-Up Files post here.)

HMC: I read as much of her work as I could lay my hands on! I researched during Covid, which meant I wasn’t able to research beyond what I could access online and in physical copies of her books and pamphlets. That said, we are extremely fortunate in that so much of her work does still exist, and I was able to read her seminal investigative reports: Southern Horrors and The Red Record (both on the lynching crisis in America). I also read collections of her newspaper columns and her Memphis diary.

The “Double Consciousness”

MR: In addition to Indigo’s quest for the equal treatment of Black and brown students, the theme of popularity looms large. How does Indigo’s need for popularity bump up against her quest for social justice?

HMC: This internal struggle she faces is part of my exploration of the “double consciousness.” Indigo—like so many of us—just wants to be liked and to hang onto dear friends she thought she’d have for a lifetime. This quest for popularity is her public voice, the one that craves acceptance and assimilation. Her private voice is the one she usually hides because it’s not the one she thinks will serve her quest for popularity. But it’s the one that deeply feels outrage at the unfairness of her school’s discipline policy, and ultimately, it’s the one she feels empowered to use because of Ida’s letters.

MR: Indigo is a strong, resourceful, and highly relatable character. How were you like Indigo as a child? How were you different?

HMC: I wish I’d been as brave as Indigo! I definitely struggled with the desire to be popular. I wasn’t one of the popular kids, not by a long shot. I often felt like I was hiding large parts of myself just to fit in with the rest of the students at my school, and Indigo feels that way too.

Heather Murphy Capps Reporting

brown skinned female tv reporter on a US Navy carrier

MR: You were a television news journalist for almost two decades. How did your career in journalism prepare you to be a novelist? Also, what was the most exciting (or weirdest!) story you ever reported?

HMC: I loved being a reporter; it was so interesting and edifying to get such a close view of the major events that tell the stories of our times. An invaluable skill I honed over the years was being able to research deeply and narrate nuanced concepts for a general audience. I draw on that when I write.

The weirdest or most exciting story I ever reported… WOW. Great question. There are a few I can’t mention in a middle-grade blog (!!), but I’d have to say the greatest opportunity I had to tell important stories came when I was embedded on three different Navy ships in the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. On the opening night of the war, I was flown to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, which launched the first F-14’s and F-18’s of the conflict. While I personally opposed our country’s involvement, I was committed to honoring the work and sacrifice of our service members.

Path to Publication

MR: As a follow-up, can you tell us about your path to publication? Was it smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

HMC: Aaahhh I love being able to be transparent about the fact that Indigo and Ida is my FIFTH book. Not smooth sailing! I faced a lot of rejection, but I kept working hard to improve my craft, and I am still working hard.

I often joke about the fact that I must have something karmic I am trying to learn in that my two primary life occupations—news reporting and novel writing—are both notoriously hard to break into and full of rejection!

Writing Rituals

MR: What does your writing routine look like, Heather? Do you have any particular writing rituals?

HMC: I like to light a candle and, if it’s cold out, light a fire. In the summertime, I write on my sunporch and take breaks to watch the birds outside (and walk around my backyard talking to myself, ha!) It’s a wonderful view, truly my happy place. Sometimes when the timing works out, I also check in with some of my writing friends and we sprint together. On days when I am pressed for time (kids! Day job!) I just jump in at odd moments and do as much as I can, even if it’s not perfect.

#WNDMG: The Backstory

MR: You curate the popular Mixed-Up Files series, “We Need Diverse Middle Grade” (#WNDMG). What was the impetus for this series? How can interested MG authors contribute?

HMC: I started the series because I felt that, while we have a team of truly inclusive, equity-minded contributors who value and work toward diversity in publishing, we needed to do more. We needed a dedicated space on the blog that centered diverse voices and spaces—and in the days following George Floyd, that need felt crucial to me. So, our admin team collaborated on ways to best make this happen, and here we are—WNDMG is about to celebrate its third anniversary and now has a dedicated team of four contributing authors! We do accept guest posts from diverse authors but rely mostly on the diverse voices from our WNDMG and MUF teams.

Next Up: Magical Realism

MR: Your next MG novel, The Rule of Three (out Fall 2024 from Carolrhoda/Lerner), features a biracial seventh-grade boy who conjures smoke in stressful moments. Can you tell us a bit more about the novel? Also, what is it about magical realism that sparks your imagination?

HMC: The novel follows Wyatt and his father as they navigate the discovery of and healing from a unique genetic expression of generational trauma—they literally create smoke. It’s a tough subject, and I tried to honor all its inherent complexity but also tried to embed moments of lightness. Talking about generational trauma is painful and if you’re Wyatt, you can only take so much before you have to just throw a baseball or crack a joke.

What I love about magical realism is that this literary style is historically unique—used only by storytellers coming from marginalized communities with the intent to use everyday magic as a way to cope with the tragedy of oppression.

MR: What are you working on now? Can you give us a hint?

HMC:  I am working on TWO things right now, believe it or not! One is an exciting adventure, and the other is not middle grade … but that’s all I can tell you. 🙂

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack?  

Tea with almonds or Twizzlers or jellybeans or cookies. I have a HUGE sweet tooth!!

Coffee or tea?

Both!

Cat or dog?

I have two cats, so I guess cat. But I love dogs too!

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay?

Sure, why not? Lots to write about, but honestly I’d personally become a vampire or a witch instead. I like the idea of being able to run fast and have super-attuned senses.

Superpower?

Teleporting!

Favorite place on earth?

In front of a fireplace or a lake with all my people.

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

My laptop, a grape vine I could cultivate to start a vineyard, and a pair of running shoes.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Heather—and congratulations on the publication of Indigo & Ida. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too!

HMC: Thank you so much, Melissa—what a fun interview! I so appreciate the chance to chat! I hope our readers will consider buying Indigo and Ida or recommending it to their local public and school libraries!

Bio

Heather Murphy Capps writes about history, social justice, science, and magic. She is a mother of two, an Army wife, and an education equity activist. As a biracial author, Heather is passionate about creating diversity in publishing. Learn more about Heather on her website and follow her on Instagram and Twitter. To join Heather’s mailing list, click here.

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Author Spotlight: Interview with Meg Eden Kuyatt

By on April 7, 2023   /   Author Interviews  

Today, we’re thrilled to welcome Meg Eden Kuykatt, author of the MG novel in verse, Good Different. Praised by Laura Shovan as “a powerful addition to literature about the autism experience,” as well as “funny, insightful, and poetic,” the novel–Meg’s MG debut!–is out now from Scholastic.

Summary of Good Different

Selah knows her rules for being normal.

She always, always sticks to them. This means keeping her feelings locked tightly inside, despite the way they build up inside her as each school day goes on, so that she has to run to the bathroom and hide in the stall until she can calm down. So that she has to tear off her normal-person mask the second she gets home from school, and listen to her favorite pop song on repeat, trying to recharge. Selah feels like a dragon stuck in a world of humans, but she knows how to hide it.

Until the day she explodes and hits a fellow student.

Selah’s friends pull away from her, her school threatens expulsion, and her comfortable, familiar world starts to crumble.

But as Selah starts to figure out more about who she is, she comes to understand that different doesn’t mean damaged. Can she get her school to understand that, too, before it’s too late?

Interview with Meg Eden Kykatt

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Meg! It’s great to have you here.

MEK: Thanks so much for having me!

Inspiration Station

MR: Could you please share your inspiration behind Good Different? Also, what made you choose the novel-in-verse form for this particular novel?

MEK: Selah’s poems came out in the worst of COVID lockdowns, when my autism and anxiety had no more places to hide. I felt so overwhelmed, attacked and scared, and as I wrote, I dug up an old memory of a classmate braiding my hair without my consent. But then the speaker was no longer me but this other girl, Selah. And Selah took action. She hit her classmate! I was in shock, but then also I knew I needed to write a novel to figure out why she hit her classmate and what would happen from there.

We come to poetry when prose is inadequate, when the content can only be in verse. I heard this quote for musical theater—I think it’s from Bob Fosse—how the characters sing when the emotion’s too strong for spoken word. They dance when the emotion’s too strong for music. Poetry’s like that. The emotion has to be so strong that it comes out in poetry. And writing about discovering my neurodivergence in a neurotypical world, all the exhaustion and overstimulation and confusion of not being able to keep up, the feelings were too big for prose. They just made sense in poetry.

Rules for Being “Normal”

MR: Selah, the main character of your novel, knows she’s different and follows certain rules for being “normal.” Was this something you had to do as a child? If so, how did it affect you?

MEK: Yes, absolutely! But I don’t think I consciously realized it until adulthood. I think home was so restorative and safe as a child that I put up with the challenges of the public sphere without even realizing the toll it was taking on me. Only in college did I hit a melting point of trying to just “put up” with everything around me. Shortly after, I began to wonder if I might be autistic. So, to be honest, I’m not sure how to answer how it affected me as a child—at least not yet. There’s probably things I still need to explore and unpack.

Poetry in the Spotlight

MR: Selah takes great comfort in poetry. What is it about poetry that appeals to Selah—and, by extension, to you?

MEK: Poetry is about big feelings. It’s also about the little moments and details that often go overlooked. Like Pablo Neruda’s “Odes to Common Things”—in poetry, even the small things can be in the spotlight. As an autistic person, I really resonate with the possibilities of poetry, and the space for those big feelings over things the neurotypical world will often call “small.” I also think in little episodes—less in plot, more in the details and surprises of the everyday—which makes me keep coming back to poetry. It’s also less daunting than setting out to write a whole novel!

Dealing with a Diagnosis

MR: Unlike Selah, who was diagnosed with autism as a middle schooler, you were diagnosed as an adult. Can you tell us about this experience? Also, did your diagnosis in any way change how you viewed yourself—or how others viewed you?

MEK: I always knew I was different, but in college, I realized I wasn’t just a fun quirky different, but that my differences made it difficult for me to keep up with others. I burned out on summer mission trips and had a meltdown at my roommate who kept her light on all night. I didn’t understand why the summer schedules were so relentlessly long with no breaks, or why my roommate would leave a light on at night. It seemed rude and obvious to me that you just don’t do things like that.

That’s when I realized people are different, and that just because something’s obvious to me doesn’t mean it is to someone else; that just because it bothers me doesn’t mean it bothers everyone. As a kid, I just ignored or put up with the things I didn’t like, but in college I hit a roadblock; I couldn’t just put up with things that I used to. When I tried, I exploded and burned out. This wasn’t an effective system for dealing with conflict, but I didn’t have the tools to deal with conflict. So I hit a real crisis.

And then, a breakthrough…

In college, I read a book with an autistic-coded protagonist, and though that book is controversial—and I’d probably go back and find all sorts of things that I find problematic about it—it was a gateway for me. I cried, realizing that I hadn’t felt so represented before on the page that way; that I understood this protagonist. I began to learn more about autism, and really connected—but it took me years to go from “I relate to autistic kids—maybe I can help them” to “I relate to autistic kids because I am autistic too.”

Finally during the pandemic, I sought a formal diagnosis. I think for a while I didn’t feel like I needed it, but a combo of starting to write about my autism and the exhaustion of the pandemic made me realize that a formal confirmation of what I’m dealing with would be incredibly helpful.

The diagnosis is a huge relief to me! It changed how I view myself in that it gave me permission to be kinder to myself. In college and my twenties, I wondered if I couldn’t keep up with “normal” because I was lazy or weak, that I wasn’t trying hard enough to be an “adult.” I pushed myself to burn out over and over again. But now I realize I am just wired differently and have a spiky skill set. While I don’t always do well with a traditional full-time job, I excel at self-employment: teaching online and at conferences, and writing. I’m very intrinsically motivated and do well working from home, where if needed, I can work from bed with a hot pack. Instead of shaming myself for what I can’t do, I can now see where I excel, and look for ways to capitalize on what I do well. I now have language to explain what’s going on to not just others but myself. I used to get overstimulated and have a complete panicked meltdown—why was I panicking? Where was it coming from? Now I understand what’s going on, and that helps calm me down.

Most people have been really kind when I explain that I’m autistic. Many people are surprised. I don’t know if it’s necessarily changed how people view me (I’d be curious to know if that’s the case!). But it’s been freeing for me to have that language when I’m struggling. It’s a shorthand that helps people get that I might need more help than it seems on the surface.

Restorative Power of Gaming

MR: Rumor has it that you’re a huge fan of video games. You also write extensively on gaming. What is it about video games that captures your imagination?

MEK: Video games are about play, possibilities and control. When you feel like you have no control, or things are happening at a pace that’s overwhelming, games give you a space to slow down, or try things until you get the outcome you want. As someone with an anxiety disorder, I often overthink what I’ve said and ruminate and wonder what it would’ve been like if I did something else. Games allow me to play through those possibilities and provide relief and satisfaction. I often go to games when I’m really stressed or burned out, and they’re restorative. They also give space for other parts of my brain to work and get ideas on new stories.

Anne of Green Gables: Pokémon Fan

MR: While we’re on the subject of video games, you’ve famously said that Anne of Green Gables would have been a Pokémon [fan] had she been a kid in the early 2000s. Please elaborate.

MEK: Ha! This is maybe more of a wish than a founded theory! Anne was my best friend in fifth grade, when everything was changing and I felt so alone. That’s also when I really fell into my special interest of Pokemon. I always felt a kinship with Anne, who found joy in her imagination, strong emotions and differences. I think fifth-grade me wanted Anne to love the things I love, so that I could connect with her more deeply. But the companionship and magic of Pokemon… I think Anne might resonate with those ideas 🙂

Path to Publication

MR: You wrote your first novel, a YA, in tenth grade and signed with an agent the following year. Your first book was published when you were 26. Can you tell us about your path to publication, especially at such a young age? It’s deeply impressive.

MEK: Oof, we could be here all day if I talk too much about my path! I think it’s kind that you call it impressive, Melissa. It’s felt so embarrassing to me, that it’s taken me so long when there are people for whom it all happens so fast.

In high school I was so full of myself, thinking, “Oh, now I’m going to be a career writer, and it’s all going to be easy from this point forward.” I hate to break it to folks, but it doesn’t usually work out like that! I know writers who say things like: “It took TWO WHOLE YEARS from the first idea of this book until it was published,” and if I’m honest, I really struggle with this. I’m so jealous of those folks, but also I’m reminded that that is very much not the norm.

My path has been lots of encouragement but also lots of bumps. I got an agent, as you said, in high school. We almost sold that book when I was in college. Then silence. My agent wasn’t really engaging with my other projects, so we parted ways and I went the small-press route. I think this was the right fit for the specific project; Post-High School Reality Quest is a weird book and I knew it wouldn’t have been picked up by a big press. That said, I think I should’ve tried to get an agent again to have an advocate, even for the small-press experience (my editor agrees).

Enter Pitch Wars…

I went through an MFA program in poetry, published individual pieces and small chapbooks of poems, tried to get another agent, and had quite a bit of silence–until 2020 when I got into Pitch Wars! From Pitch Wars I got a lot of agent interest, and we quickly sold my book to Scholastic. That gave me a lot of time for my craft to get stronger; for me to collect ideas, and learn how to focus a plot.

I’ve gotten a lot of humble pie on my journey—and I’d suspect there’s much more on the menu for the future. I thought I was an amazing writer, that I had “earned” a career with my hard work. Nope! There is ALWAYS more to learn, and you never “earn” anything, even if you give it your all. Writing is an incredibly unfair profession in that way. I still have so much to learn, and humility is still NOT my strong point. But I’m learning to always have my eyes open, and to be grateful for whatever I have because I do not deserve it. All I have is because of God’s grace, not because of me.

The Waiting Game

I’m also still learning to wait. There is still waiting! Even when you get a publishing deal! Even when your press expresses interest in more proposals! I have several manuscripts I’d love to have out in the world, including a rewrite of that first book you mentioned, but they are in the waiting room. For now. I refuse to believe in manuscripts being locked in a drawer for good. I love these stories and I believe so fiercely in them. They will find homes in the right time, I’m sure.

MR: Speaking of Pitch Wars, I noticed that your bio leads with the fact that you were a 2020 Pitch Wars mentee. What influence did Pitch Wars have on your journey to be a published writer?

MEK: HUGE. I might still be in the query trenches, slowly dying if it wasn’t for Pitch Wars. I’m so beyond grateful to Eric Bell for seeing Selah and choosing me. I had the story, but Pitch Wars gave it lots of eyes that weren’t seeing it yet. And of course, working with Eric made the manuscript so much tighter, and shine so much more.

Switching it Up

MR: In addition to MG, you also write poetry and YA. Is it tricky to switch from one genre to another?

MEK: It’s getting easier. I think I’m learning what each form and medium brings to the table. Each of them has tools that are best for certain content or material, and I go to whichever one will help me convey what I’m trying to convey. It’s not too hard to switch between them, I don’t think, but sometimes it takes a few tries to find the right medium. Many of my old YA drafts are now becoming middle grade, because I’m realizing that age range and the tools of that form are going to help me create the experience I want more than YA.

Write What You Know

MR: As a college-level creative writing instructor, what’s your go-to advice for writers? Also, are you a proponent of the common wisdom of “Write what you know”?

MEK: Yes! I actually just wrote a five-minute memoir for Writer’s Digest on writing what you know (Jan/Feb 2023 issue). I ran away from that advice for so long. First, I didn’t know what I knew, but second, I think I thought my life was boring, but also I love to learn, so writing outside of my experience let me explore so much. I think writing outside your experience can be a helpful personal exercise for empathy building but is rarely a good idea to publish. Writing what we know isn’t constricting; it’s an opening up of the gates! I’m learning how freeing it is to write what I know.

My go-to advice is to persist, read, and always be willing to learn. Try new things. Take courses in writing that you’ve never tried. Maybe that means taking some poetry courses or a workshop on Op-Eds—or maybe even a completely different art, like assemblage! Whatever we learn will give us tools in our toolbox. Also, a spirit of humility–and doing this because you love it. All these things will aid you in the long run. A writing career is not a sprint; it’s a marathon. (For more thoughts from Meg on the writing process/journey, click here.)

Writing Rituals

MR: What does your writing routine look like, Meg? Do you have any particular rituals?

MEK: I have playlists for each project. Usually video game soundtracks. The first track has conditioned me to fall into that world, to tell me: It’s go time! The last track usually tells me to take a break.

Sneak Peek

MR: What are you working on now, Meg? Can you give Mixed-Up Files readers a sneak peek?

MEK: I am in the middle of a few projects. I’m waiting for feedback on a possible middle grade project, and am taking a little bit of a breather to play with new ideas until I hear more. I’m also editing a YA manuscript that has taken me at least 20 drafts at this point, but I think (hope) we’re starting to go in the right direction…

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack?

Fruit gummies!

Coffee or tea?

Tea!

Favorite video game?

Fire Emblem

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay?

Nay?

Superpower?

Time travel

Favorite place on earth?

Okinawa

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

A Bible would be in there. Probably something to write with, and something to make music with.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Meg. It a pleasure, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Bio

A 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, Meg received her MFA in creative writing from the University of Maryland College Park. She teaches college-level creative writing courses and is the author of the YA novel Post-High School Reality Quest (2017) as well as five poetry chapbooks and a poetry collection, Drowning in the Floating World (2020). She is also a participating author with the PEN/Faulkner Writers in Schools program. Her debut MG novel, Good Different, a JLG Gold Standard Selection, is out from Scholastic now.

In addition to being a writer, Meg has worked as an advertising manager, eBay seller, research assistant in linguistics and neuroscience, and publishing and marketing contact for a small press. She is the webinar coordinator for the SCBWI MD/DE/WV region, and runs the Magfest MAGES Library blog, which posts accessible academic articles about video games.

Meg is neurodivergent (autistic and anxiety disorder), an extroverted-introvert, and a complete nerd for all things Pokémon and Fire Emblem. She lives with her husband and two cats, Chaos Theory (CT) and Hazel, also known as “Floaf” (the fluffy loaf). Learn more about Meg on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. (And if you missed Meg’s cover reveal for Good Different, click here for an encore!)

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