Posts Tagged From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

Author Interview: Goldy Moldavsky with Bubblegum Shoes

By on July 24, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

Goldy Moldavsky photoWe’re excited to have New York Times bestselling author Goldy Moldavsky on here today to talk about her new release: Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet. The title intrigues me so much, I can’t wait to find out more.

Hi, Goldy, thank you so much for joining us here today. We’d like to learn more about you, and then we’ll talk about your book.

Did you have any childhood dreams for when you became an adult? If so, did they come true?

As a child I wanted to become an archeologist. Partly inspired by my aunt, tia Becki, who was an archeologist and a professor, a little bit like Indiana Jones. But also because I dreamed of digging up something very valuable one day. I did not become an archeologist, but I have found cool things buried in sand!

Did you love to read as a child? If so, can you tell us some favorite books?

I was what you might call a reluctant reader. I think it may have had something to do with the fact that English was my second language when I came to America as a child. The first books that I ever read were Spanish picture books. But there were some books that my teachers introduced to me through reading assignments that have stuck with me. I adored Caddie Woodlawn, and I fell head over heels for From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.

Well, you’ve come to the right place for an interview. This whole blog is built around the book From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. It’s great to meet another fan.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

I would tell myself to keep a diary. I tried to a few times, but alas, I thought my day-to-day life was so boring. Looking back, I know it wasn’t at all, and I wish I could pore over my words and feelings about that time in my life.

Is your past woven into the story? If so, how?

My childhood experience is very different from the one portrayed in Bubblegum Shoes. I was a shy (though relatively well-liked!) kid who was deeply afraid of trouble and confrontation. and I never stuck my nose where it didn’t belong. Maya Mendoza, the main character in Bubblegum Shoes is the polar opposite. She chases trouble, thrives on confrontation, and is kind of a social pariah. But it was fun imagining a child who was so unlike me, standing up to authority and telling it like it is!

Would you be willing to share an embarrassing grade school moment?

So many embarrassing moments. The one that sticks out to me is when a middle school teacher invited everyone in the class over to her house for Sunday brunch. I walked over, was a few houses away, and my teacher saw me from her stoop. She waved at me, and I responded by turning around a running away. I don’t know why I had a fight or flight response, but there you go. Social situations totally frightened me.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I guess I realized I wanted to be a writer when I started writing fan fiction for my favorite shows as a teen. Fan fiction to me was just an upgrade on playing with dolls. The characters are already there, and all you had to do was bring more life into them. After that, I had so many ideas swirling around in my head that I had to get them down on paper.

What is your favorite or most challenging part of being a writer?

My favorite part of being a writer is the shiny new idea. There’s nothing like getting an idea so good that you’re willing to devote the next year of your life to making it into a reality. The most challenging part is closely related to that—getting the idea out of my head. Sometimes I’ll stall and actively avoid writing because I’m convinced that the idea is too pure, and the moment I try to put it on paper it won’t hold up. It will be messy, boring, hard. And at first it always is. But that’s also part of the process. I have to remember that a first draft is always going to be bad, but it’s an essential step.

Have you had any careers besides writing?

I wouldn’t call it a career, but before I was a writer, I was a nanny! I wrote part of my first book while waiting for those kids outside their dance/soccer/rock-climbing classes.

Can you tell us a little about the novel?Book cover: Bubblegum Shoes

In Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet, self-appointed investigator Maya Mendoza must solve the biggest mystery that ever hit her middle school—who stole all the precious items out of the school’s contraband closet—or risk getting expelled. Maya and three other misfit girls are the only suspects, so they band together to clear their names, and in doing so become the Bubblegum Shoes, a group of investigators-for-hire.

Are any characters based on anyone you know?

Nope!

Did you have to leave anything out of this book that you wished you could have included? If so, what?

Not specific scenes, but there is so much backstory I have in my head for the core four girls in the book. I dream of including some of their backstories in future books (this is a series, so hopefully I’ll get to!) but I love thinking of what the characters are like at home with their families. Here’s something that isn’t in the book: Jordan is named after Michael Jordan, and her four older brothers are also named after four great athletes, Ronaldo (Christiano), Brady (Tom), Williams (Serena), and James (Lebron).

I love this secret peek into your character names and the way you’ve honored great athletes. What fun!

Do you have any message or advice for the teachers and parents who will be sharing your book with their students and families?

My message for teachers and parents and librarians is first and foremost THANK YOU for putting books into kids’ hands. And then I’d tell them that this book is perfect for kids who want something lighthearted and funny, and also for kids who feel like they’re on the outside looking in. They might feel like they’re not the most popular, or they’re not that good at making friends, and in that way, Maya is a very relatable character. The great thing about her is that even though she’s a little rough around the edges socially, she’s still so confident and cool and someone who is self-assured and likes herself. I hope other kids can find themselves in her.

What do you hope readers will take away from your book?

The book is a who-dun-it caper, but at its core it’s really about friendship. It’s about a group of girls who are bobbing along in school by themselves until they find each other. And in forming their private eye group they also find a purpose. I hope readers can relate to the power of friendship and what it means to put your friends first.

Can you tell us about some of your other books?

Bubblegum Shoes is my middle grade debut! But I’ve written six other books before it, all for young adults. They range from dark comedy (Kill the Boy Band) to horror/thriller (The Mary Shelley Club) to satire (Lord of the Fly Fest) to romance (Just Say Yes; Of Earthly Delights.)

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on something I’ve put off for about ten years because the scope of it is so large. It’s a middle grade period piece based on a real-life institution in my hometown of Brooklyn. I’m still in the drafting stage and trying to wrestle the idea into something readable, so wish me luck!

We definitely wish you luck with getting that idea into book shape. Drafting and rewriting can be so challenging, and even more so when the project has been simmering for so long. It also sounds as if it will take a lot of research, but if it’s been in your heart this long, it must be very special. I hope you’ll let us know when it’s finished.

Thanks ever so much for agreeing to this interview, Goldy. I know our young readers, as well as teachers and librarians will enjoy learning more about you and Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Maya is a trouble-maker, but she never stops paying attention. She knows who’s passing notes. She can spot which teacher wore shoes a half-size too tight. And she certainly notices when her former best friend Jordan suddenly stops talking to her. But that’s because of The Incident.

Then, the legendary Contraband Closet is robbed. Every Hotwheels car, spray paint canister, bouncy ball, and other prized possession teachers have collected since the dawn of time are seemingly lost forever—including an item of Jordan’s. When Maya, along with the rest of the girls in detention, are accused of stealing the treasure, they band together and make a deal with their principal to find the missing items and the true culprit. If they do, they’ll be off the hook for their crimes. If they don’t, Maya will be suspended from Marlow Middle School. With the stakes so high, Maya is on a mission to solve her biggest case yet.

9:48 AM. Math class. Marlowe Middle School.

Life isn’t easy on the streets, er, hallways of Marlowe Middle School. Luckily, private eye Maya Mendoza never stops paying attention. She knows who is passing notes in class. Spots which teacher wore shoes a half-size too tight. And she certainly notices when her former best friend Jordan suddenly stops talking to her.

Then, the legendary Contraband Closet is robbed. Every Hotwheels car, spray paint canister, bouncy ball, and other prized possession teachers have collected since the dawn of time are seemingly lost forever–including an item of Jordan’s. Suddenly, Maya sees a case that may set things back to the way it used to be because contraband–and friendships–don’t vanish into thin air…right?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Goldy Moldavsky was born in Lima, Peru, and grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where she lives with her family. Her novels include the New York Times bestseller Kill the Boy Band, No Good Deed, The Mary Shelley Club, Lord of the Fly Fest, and Just Say Yes. Bubblegum Shoes: The Case of the Contraband Closet is her debut middle-grade title and was inspired by black-and-white noir movies.

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Editor Spotlight: Elizabeth Law at Holiday House

By on June 29, 2022   /   Articles, Editor / Agent Spotlight  

If you haven’t already met Elizabeth Law, by way of her website, social media, a writers conference, or a webinar, I’m delighted to be the one to introduce you to her. She is a fount of knowledge about children’s books (and Broadway), and recently took the time to tell us about herself and her career in publishing. Enjoy!

 

Dorian: Welcome, Elizabeth! It’s great to have you here at the Mixed-Up Files. Can you please tell us a bit about yourself and your career in children’s publishing?

Elizabeth: I’ve heard publishing called “the accidental career,” but it was anything but accidental for me. I loved to read as a kid, and when I was in high school, the librarian in my hometown of Belmont, Massachusetts, and I founded a children’s book discussion group. That really encouraged my passion. Then when I went to college, I took legendary critic Zena Sutherland’s course in Children’s Literature. She told stories about her friends who were editors in New York City, and who had worked on books such as Harriet the Spy, and I thought, “Oh, please, let that happen to me!” So I moved to New York after college, got a job as an editorial assistant at Viking Children’s Books, and have been in the field my whole post-college life.

 

Dorian: What middle-grade books influenced you the most as you were growing up?

Elizabeth: My sister is five years younger than I, and we lived in a big house. I had the third floor all to myself, and I idealized books about big, chaotic families and adventures. (The opposite of my small, WASPy, organized, and stable family.) I read the Elizabeth Enright books about the Melendys and Cheaper By the Dozen over and over again.  Today, Polly Horvath’s Pine Island Home and Rita Williams-Garcia’s Gaither sisters books still capture that feeling for me. Those are families I fantasize about being part of. So are the Penderwicks and Hilary McKay’s Cassons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still, that list barely scratches the surface of my childhood reading. I feel I need to give shout outs to Half Magic by Edward Eager, The Mixed-Up Files*, the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and anything by Beverly Cleary. Looking at this list now, I think, “Wow, that list is WHITE.” But that’s what we had in those days, and the books were great.

*Speaking of Mixed-Up Files, a kid asked me recently if there are more stories about Claudia and Jamie. These days Elaine Konigsburg would be under a lot of pressure from her fans and publisher to produce a sequel! I bet she would have resisted, though. But it shows how the business has changed.

 

Dorian: I know you’re one of Broadway’s biggest fans. What middle-grade novel or novels do you think would be great on Broadway?

Elizabeth: I love this question, Dorian! I would pick Jerry Craft’s New Kid because musicals set in high school are really trendy right now and it’s a great story. Also, I would love, LOVE to see Rita Williams-Garcia’s P.S. Be Eleven musicalized. It’s set in the sixties, and the music would be so hot, and Lilias White could play Big Ma and bring down the house with an 11 o’clock number. (Producers, are you paying attention?)

Dorian: What are some favorite middle-grade books you’ve worked on in the past? And what are some you’ve worked on recently that our readers should look out for?

Three I’m proud of in my past are No Talking by Andrew Clements, The False Princess by Eilis Oneal, and a book that might be hard to find by Christine McDonnell called Ballet Bug—it reminded me of a Scholastic paperback I had as a kid called On Your Toes, Suzie! (Why does ballet seem so magical to little girls?) I’m now working with an author named Polly Farquhar who is terrifically talented and whose characters are just so real. You can’t help but root for them as you read! Her debut novel is Itch, and she has a new novel next year called Lolo Weaver Swims upstream that I am really excited about.

Also, I’ve worked with Dan Gutman since his very first book for kids. I haven’t edited all his books—hardly—but one we just published, Houdini and Me, is super kid-pleasing—it’s the perfect, action-packed book for young middle graders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorian: I’m sure you have a plethora of stories about publishing. Anything else you’d like to tell us about middle grade?

Elizabeth: I have a neat story. I became good friends with Ann Durell, the legendary editor who edited The Westing Game, Judy Blume’s Fudge books, and many others. She told me a story about my beloved Chronicles of Prydain, a Welsh fantasy series by Lloyd Alexander, that I read countless times as a kid. In those days, people said, “Fantasy doesn’t sell.” But she and Lloyd had dinner and she’d had a lot to drink so she signed the first book up! The series became a big hit, and a few years later Lloyd turned in the manuscript for the final book in the series, The High King. It wrapped up all the threads with a wonderfully satisfying conclusion and went on to win the Newbery Medal. Ann read the manuscript and said, “There’s a book missing.” Wow. She knew that we needed to know more about the main character’s origins to really appreciate, and get the full impact of, the final book. That “missing” book became Taran Wanderer, the penultimate book in the series.  Of course, as a reader, I never knew any of that. I just read the books over and over. But boy, did that story teach me about the power of editorial collaboration. When an editor and a writer are really in sync, it’s magical.

 

Dorian: What genres, themes, etc. are you particularly looking for at Holiday House?

Elizabeth: I, personally, am looking hard for middle grade fiction, and your readers can submit to submissions@holidayhouse.com and put my name in the subject heading. And since we have an open submissions policy, if you’re writing a different genre, just send it to the same address and someone smart will read it.

 

Dorian: You teach writing workshops all over the country. What are three top pieces of advice you have for writers?

Elizabeth: Write what you care about—don’t write for trends. That’s my first, second, and third piece of advice. I’ve learned again and again that trying to write something you don’t care about because you think there’s a demand for it never works. It’s the same with being an editor—when I’ve tried to publish something “popular” that I didn’t personally like, it bombed.

Also, it really IS about writing a good book, not about having the right contact or getting someone’s name to submit to. If you can get your book to a house that has an open submissions policy, that book will be read, and passed on to the right editor.

Finally, I’d add that it’s ok to let your manuscript rest. I so often get manuscripts re-submitted very quickly, and I think, “Did the author have time to digest my comments?” Step away for a bit and you’ll be surprised what you see when you come back to it.

 

Dorian: How can our readers follow you on social media?

Elizabeth: I’m @Elawreads on Twitter and Instagram. And I also have a side hustle and will work with you to help get your book stronger, or to get a query in shape, or to help you break through and get an agent. Or just anything you need, writing-wise. Check out my website, Elawreads.com.  Thanks, Dorian!

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Celebrating Art Museums in Books

By on November 9, 2018   /   Articles, For Kids, For Librarians, For Parents, For Teachers  

Did you know that today is National Go to an Art Museum Day—and more than 30,000 museums around the world are participating by holding special activities and offering discounts? No? Well then, it’s probably too late to call in sick or play hooky. But you can still celebrate vicariously by going to your library, bookstore, or favorite online site to pick up a great book about art museums. Here are a few suggestions:

 

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg

Okay, you had to know I’d include this classic novel if you’re a fan of this blog. In E.L. Konigsberg’s 1968 Newbery winner, Claudia Kincaid decides to run away with her little brother to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. After spending their days wandering around the museum and their nights hiding in odd exhibits, the two become involved in solving a museum mystery concerning an angel statue, thought to be carved by Michelangelo himself. After some sleuthing, they track down Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, the woman who sold the statue to the museum. Will she help them solve the mystery? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

 

Framed by James Ponti

Florian is twelve years old and has just moved to Washington. He’s learning his way around using TOAST, which stands for the Theory of All Small Things. It’s a technique he invented to solve life’s little mysteries such as: where to sit on the first day of school or which Chinese restaurant has the best egg rolls. But when he attempts to teach the method to his new friend Margaret, they uncover a mystery at the National Gallery of Art that involves the theft of three paintings. Will Florian’s skills help the FBI solve the crime and help him escape from the clutches of a dangerous crime syndicate?

 

The Art of the Swap by Kristine Asselin and Jen Malone

Hannah Jordan lives in a museum…well, sort of. She is the daughter of the caretaker for mansion-turned-museum The Elms in Newport, Rhode Island. Hannah is captivated by stories of The Elms’s original occupants, especially Maggie Dunlap, the tween heiress who was the subject of a painting that went missing during a legendary art heist in 1905. When a mysterious mirror allows Hannah and Maggie to switch places in time, suddenly Hannah is racing to stop the heist from happening, while Maggie gets an introduction to iPhones, soccer, and freedoms like exploring without supervision. Not to mention the best invention of all: sweatpants (so long, corsets!). As the hours tick away toward the art heist, something’s not adding up. Can the girls work together against time—and across it—to set things right? Or will their temporary swap become a permanent trade?

 

Moxie and the Art of Rule Breaking by Erin Dionne

Moxie Fleece knows the rules and follows them—that is, until the day she opens her front door to a mysterious stranger. Suddenly Moxie is involved in Boston’s biggest unsolved mystery: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist. Moxie has two weeks to find the art, otherwise she and the people she loves will be in big-time danger. Her tools? Her best friend, Ollie, a geocaching addict who loves to find stuff; her Alzheimer’s suffering grandfather, Grumps, who knows lots more than he lets on; and a geometry proof that she sets up to sort out the clues. It’s a race against the clock through downtown Boston as Moxie and Ollie break every rule she’s ever lived by to find the art and save her family.

 

The Metropolitans by Carol Goodman

The day Japan bombs Pearl Harbor, four thirteen-year-olds converge at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where an eccentric curator is seeking four brave souls to track down the hidden pages of the Kelmsbury Manuscript, an ancient book of Arthurian legends that lies scattered within the museum’s collection, and that holds the key to preventing a second attack on American soil. When Madge, Joe, Kiku, and Walt agree to help, they have no idea that the Kelmsbury is already working its magic on them. They begin to develop extraordinary powers and experience the feelings of King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, Morgan le Fay, and Lancelot: courage, friendship, love…and betrayal. Are they playing out a legend that’s already been lived, over and over, across the ages? Or can the Metropolitans forge their own story?

 

The Sixty-Eight Rooms by Marianne Malone

Almost everybody who has grown up in Chicago knows about the Thorne Rooms. Housed deep inside the Chicago Art Institute, they are a collection of sixty-eight exquisitely crafted miniature rooms. Each room is set in a different historic period, and every detail is perfect. Some might even say, the rooms are magic. But what if on a field trip, you discovered a key that allowed you to shrink so that you could sneak inside and explore the secrets of the rooms? What if you discovered that others had done so before you? And that someone had left something important behind? Eleven-year-olds Jack and Ruthie are about to find out!

 

Behind the Museum Door: Poems to Celebrate the Wonders of Museums by Lee Bennett Hopkins, illus. by Stacey Dressen-McQueen

Fourteen poems on the many dazzling collections featured in museums. The art, artifacts, and anthropological treasures found in museum collections are coupled with stunning poetry by acclaimed writers Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Yolen, Myra Cohn Livingston, Rebecca Kai Dotlich, and many more. The lively verse captures the wonder and amazement of the exhibition experience, from mummies to medieval relics, and from fine art to fossils.

 

 

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