Posts Tagged kidlit

Author Spotlight: Jennifer Weiner

By on October 23, 2023   /   Articles  

Today, it is my absolute pleasure to chat with bestselling author Jennifer Weiner–yes, that Jennifer Weiner!–about her latest MG novel, The Bigfoot Queen. The final installment in the “cheerful” (The New York Times Book Review) and “charming” (People) trilogy about friendship, adventure, and celebrating your true self, is out tomorrow, October 24, from Aladdin/Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing.

The Bigfoot Queen: A Summary

Alice Mayfair, Millie Maximus, Jessica Jarvis, and Jeremy Bigelow face their biggest challenge yet when a determined foe threatens to expose the secret, sacred world of the Yare. The fate of the tribe’s right to live peacefully out in the open is at stake. Impossible decisions are made, friendships are threatened, secrets are revealed, and tremendous courage is required. Alice, her friends, and her frenemies will have to work together and be stronger, smarter, and more accepting than ever. But can some betrayals ever be forgiven?

Interview with Jennifer Weiner

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Jennifer! Before we talk about The Bigfoot Queen, I must share that I’m a HUGE fan of your novels. I won’t reveal my favorite—it’s like asking Rose Feller to select her favorite pair of shoes (😀)—but let’s just say… I think you’re fab.

JW: Thank you so much! That’s always nice to hear.

MR: Most, if not all, Mixed-Up Files readers are familiar with your wildly popular novels for adults, many of which have appeared on The New York Times Best Sellers list and have sold millions (and millions!) of copies. With this in mind, what prompted you to switch gears and write MG? I’m guessing your daughters might have had a say in the matter…

JW: Yes, you can give my daughters some of the credit and/or blame for this. But I also was an avid reader as a child, and YA and middle-grade books were some of my favorites. (Shout-out to My Side of the Mountain!) When my younger daughter was six, she was obsessed with a TV show called “Finding Bigfoot.” This led to dinnertime discussions about the titular creatures, and how they’d interact with the human world. Would they want to be online? Make money selling stuff on Etsy? Which parts of the our world would they embrace, and which would they reject? And how would that play out within tribes and families?

Middle Grade: Challenges and Rewards

MR: What’s the biggest challenge for writing for a middle-grade audience? The greatest rewards?

JW: The challenges are remembering that writing for kids means keeping some of the themes (and all of the language) more, um, family-friendly than for an adult audience. The greatest rewards are telling a great story, and having readers along for the ride. And middle-grade readers are that perfect balance of knowledgeable and credulous. They know how the world works, and how people are, but they’re still willing to believe that they could open a closet door and find Narnia.

Millie Maximus: The Littlest Bigfoot

MR: Your MG trilogy, The Littlest Bigfoot, features a character named Millie Maximus, a member of the Bigfoot clan. What inspired you to craft a character like Millie—and to write about the topic of Bigfoot in general? 

JW: I don’t think there is a person alive who’s been through adolescence and can’t remember feeling like a monster. Whether it’s your body or  your personality that seems to put you on the outside–and gets you to believe that nobody’s ever been this freakish, or weird, or big, or little, or just wrong–I think that’s a universal experience.

In writing about Bigfoots, I wanted to explore the idea of monstrousness, especially as it applies to young women who get told, early and often, that their bodies are wrong, unruly–too big, too strong, too fat, too flabby, too hairy, too much–in some way. I wanted to turn some of the human world’s biases on their head, just to show how arbitrary the rules can be.

So, here’s Millie who is tiny and delicate in a world that does not prize those qualities in females, and who wants to be seen in a world that what she should want is to be invisible. And then she meets Alice, who’s big and strong with wild, impossible-to-tame hair, who’s been made to feel those things are wrong, when, to Millie, she’s the epitome of beauty.

Researching Bigfoot

MR: While we’re on the subject of Bigfoot, what kind of research did you do for the trilogy? I’m guessing it was more involved than watching grainy videos of large, hairy creatures running through the forest…

JW: I absolutely read all of the literature–such as it is–about Bigfoots, starting with the Patterson-Gimlin film, and continuing on to FINDING BIGFOOT and WHERE BIGFOOT WALKS…but, really, what I paid more attention to was Greek mythology, and those stories about nonhuman creatures, and how they interacted with mortals.

Cast of Characters

MR: In addition to Millie Maximus, “No-Fur” characters (aka humans) feature prominently in the series, including Alice Mayfair, a half-Bigfoot New Yorker with an unruly mane; Jeremy Bigelow, an amateur Bigfoot hunter; Jessica Jarvis, an ex-bully with a secret tail; and Charlotte Hughes, a hotelkeeper’s granddaughter with a dangerous secret. How did you come up with this incredible cast of characters? Which character stands out most for you, and why?

JW: I loved giving Alice and Millie a tribe of like-minded kids to support them and accompany them on their adventures, and I’ve got a soft spot for all of them: for Jeremy, who feels like he’s an afterthought in his family, because his two brothers are such standouts, and for Jessica, who’s not as shallow and vain as she seems, when we meet her in the first book.

But I especially loved writing about Charlotte. She comes into the trilogy later, and is a little older than the other kids, and she’s got a very different perspective on the world, due, in large part, to her economic circumstances. She’s a working-class kid in a dying town–or, rather, a town that was dying until it was revitalized by a mysterious scientist–and she’s not inclined to want to help the spoiled, rich, big-city girls who come to stay at her grandmother’s bed and breakfast.

It was interesting to look at the characters, and have them look at each other, through various lenses, and to think about different kinds of privilege. There’s the privilege conferred by wealth, and the privilege conferred by thinness and by meeting the current beauty standards–and, of course, the privilege of having loving, supportive parents. But money matters. Even to kids. Maybe especially to kids.

Let Your Freak Flag Fly!

MR: Letting your “freak flag” fly is a central theme in The Littlest Bigfoot trilogy. What is it about being an outsider that resonates so deeply with you? Also, what advice would you give to middle-grade readers who feel as if they don’t fit in? Advice for parents, teachers, or other trusted adults?

JW: I was an extremely weird little kid, and I was much more comfortable with books than other children. Books were my friends…but they also showed me people like me, and let me believe that I’d meet some of them, someday, if I could just make it out of elementary school. You never forget feeling like an outsider or an outcast, so those are the characters that speak to me, and their stories are the ones I want to tell. And I hope that kids who read them come away feeling a little less lonely, like they aren’t the only one who’s ever felt like a freak.

In terms of advice, I think the only thing worse than having been an outcast yourself is when you see it happening with your own children. I don’t know if there’s much parents can do, except to remind their kids that they are loved unconditionally, and that, whatever they are feeling, they won’t feel it forever.

Trilogy: Plot, Outline + “The End”

MR: What’s the secret to writing a successful trilogy, Jennifer? Also, how does it feel to write “The End,” knowing you (most likely) will not be spending time with these amazing characters in the future?

JW: I always imagined the Bigfoot stories as a trilogy, and I knew I had enough story for three books. It was just a matter of plotting everything out, of knowing, broadly, what each book would be about, and what ground it would cover. I had a big outline for the entire project, then specific outlines for each book…and I always knew how the story would end. Which isn’t always true with my adult books, but was absolutely true here. Saying goodbye was definitely bittersweet. I’m going to miss Alice and Millie and Jeremy a lot. (To order The Littlest Bigfoot boxed-set collection click here.)

MR: The film rights to The Littlest Bigfoot were sold to Fox 2000 in 2016. Any updates on when fans might be able to see Millie, and Alice, and Jeremy, and Jessica, and Charlotte on the silver screen?

JW: Sadly, no. As I’m writing this, the writer’s strike is just coming to an end. I think it will take a while before I know whether that project will move forward. But, honestly, I’m just so proud to have all three books out in the world, and to have kids using their imagination to bring the world to life.

MR: You are incredibly prolific writer, Jennifer. How do you continue to come up with so many original ideas for your novels, short stories, and works of non-fiction? Is there a secret sauce you can share with Mixed-Up Files readers?

JW: I think spending close to a decade as a newspaper reporter helped a lot. You get used to writing, on deadline, every day, and coming up with lots of ideas for stories. It teaches you to pay attention to the world. That seems to have worked for me.

Writing Rituals

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

JW: I treat writing like a job, and I’m at my desk Monday through Friday, for at least four hours. I try to exercise first thing in the morning – it helps focus my mind, and helps me sit still. I walk my dog and do word games with my husband. Then I go for a slow run, or a bike ride, or a barre class. Then I come home, and I’m generally at my desk from 10 or 11 in the morning to 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

I don’t really have any rituals. Again, I give my past as a journalist credit. When you get used to writing in a newsroom, where it’s noisy, and there are always people talking, and police scanners going off and television sets turned on, you learn to focus, no matter where you are or what else is happening. I’ve got a tiny home office that used to be part of my closet, and I write there most of the time. But I’ve written in coffee shops, and on airplanes, and in hotel rooms, and in my minivan while waiting for my kids to finish at school or rehearsal.

MR: What are you working on now, Jennifer? 

JW: Another sister story, about two girls who were in a band, and how the band’s success and eventual breakup affected both of their lives.

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack? Coconut-flavored rice crackers

Coffee or tea? Iced coffee

Bigfoot: Fact or fiction? Fact!

Superpower? Parallel parking

Best piece of writing advice? You can’t be a writer without being a reader.

Favorite place on earth? In my bed, with my dog curled up on a pillow by my head, and a great book.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be? My Kindle, my Kindle charger, and a generator to keep my Kindle charged.

MR: Thank you for chatting with us, Jennifer. The Littlest Bigfoot trilogy was a pleasure to read, and I’m sure MUF readers will agree!

Bio:

Jennifer Weiner, whose books have spent more than five years on the New York Times Best Seller list, with over 11 million copies in print in 36 countries, is the author of the novels Good in Bed (2001); In Her Shoes (2002), Little Earthquakes (2004); Goodnight Nobody (2005); the short story collection The Guy Not Taken (2006); Certain Girls (2008); Best Friends Forever (2009); Fly Away Home (2010); Then Came You (2011); The Next Best Thing (2012); All Fall Down (2014); Who Do You Love (2015); Mrs. Everything (2019); Big Summer (2020); That Summer (2021); The Summer Place (2022), and The Breakaway (2023).

She is also the author of three middle-grade novels, The Littlest Bigfoot (2016), Little Bigfoot, Big City (2017), and The Bigfoot Queen (2023), as well as the nonfiction collection Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing (2016).

Jennifer has appeared on many national television programs, including The Today Show and Good Morning America. Her essays, including “Mean Girls in the Retirement Home” and “First, I Cried; Then, I Rode My Bike,” have appeared in newspapers and media outlets across the world. Jennifer’s work has been published in dozens of newspapers and magazines, including Seventeen, Redbook, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Allure, Ladies’ Home Journal, Time and Good Housekeeping. Learn more about Jennifer on her website and follow her on Instagram.

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The Scholastic Book Fair Situation

By on October 19, 2023   /   Oh MG News  
Middle Grade Authors
There are few school events that children look forward to as much as the annual Scholastic Book Fair. Library shelves get moved aside, and a big truck shows up to deliver boxes and boxes and boxes filled with all kinds of books. Children are excited, parents are nostalgic, and schools reap the benefits of a time-honored tradition. What could possibly go wrong?
red rectangle, white letters, scholastic logo

Well, in our current climate, books are being challenged in every state across the nation. Individuals are being empowered to call for the removal of books from library shelves, and children are losing access to books that are representative of many members of our diverse population. And now, the time-honored tradition of Scholastic Book Fairs has succumbed to the pressure created by the vocal minority who challenge diverse books.

 

The Controversy

 

In response to the growing number of book challenges across the country, Scholastic made the decision to separate books dealing with racism and sexuality from the rest of their merchandise. When planning their book fairs, schools could decide whether to “opt in” or “opt out” of making diverse books available.

Change Sings Amanda Gorman cover

The books that have been separated from the general inventory are being lumped together in a special collection called “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice.” According to Publisher’s Weekly, there are 64 books in the collection. If schools opt out, students are denied access to books like Amanda Gorman’s Change Sings, Kwame Alexander’s Booked, Denise Lewis Patrick’s Justice Ketanji, and Michael Hall’s Red: A Crayon’s Story.

 

Many librarians complained, and public outrage followed. Writers and educators used their social media platforms to reprimand Scholastic for bowing to political pressure and restricting access to diverse books. PEN America released a statement decrying Scholastic’s actions. Red Wine and Blue, a group of moms who stand against book banning, is circulating a petition that asks Scholastic to return the books to their regular collection.

 

PEN America says that the issue is “driven by a vocal minority demanding censorship.” The organization tracks book bans and has documented a significant rise in the number of books being challenged and restricted. According to NPR, book challenges and bans are most prevalent in Texas, Florida, Missouri, Utah, and South Carolina. However, no state is immune to restrictions being placed upon books.

 

The Statement

 

In response to public outcry, Scholastic released a statement providing a rationale for their decision to allow schools to opt out of the “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice” collection. Among their reasons, Scholastic states the following:

“There is now enacted or pending legislation in more than 30 U.S. states prohibiting certain kinds of books from being in schools – mostly LGBTQIA+ titles and books that engage with the presence of racism in our country. Because Scholastic Book Fairs are invited into schools, where books can be purchased by kids on their own, these laws create an almost impossible dilemma: back away from these titles or risk making teachers, librarians, and volunteers vulnerable to being fired, sued, or prosecuted.”

 

The main premise for their decision seems to be that book challenges are placing schools in a difficult position. In order to continue offering their popular book fairs, the company claims that they need to provide a way for schools to adhere to complex state and local laws. They acknowledge that this is not a perfect solution, but they claim that without the ability to opt out of certain books, schools would be unable to host book fairs.

 

The Reality

 

A fifth grade teacher in Georgia was recently fired because she shared a book about gender identity with her students. That book had been available at her school’s Scholastic Book Fair. A middle school teacher in Texas was fired for sharing a graphic novel about Anne Frank with her eighth grade students. A high school English teacher in Oklahoma received death threats after sharing a QR code with her students that enabled them to access the Brooklyn Public Library’s Books Unbanned project. 

a stack of books chained together

Teachers, librarians, and volunteers are being fired, sued, and threatened for sharing diverse books with their students. Scholastic claims they are trying to help schools navigate these threats and still provide book fairs that bring in needed funds and put books in the hands of children. Critics disagree.

 

Critics accuse Scholastic of putting profit over principle. They argue that publishers need to stand strong in support of their authors and books. Across social media platforms, there is a demand for Scholastic to reverse the opt-out option and support access to diverse books. After all, critics argue, if your goal is to truly “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice,” you cannot hide some stories and voices because a vocal minority denounces them.

 

The Alternatives

When we think of book fairs, we think of Scholastic. There’s a good reason for that. Over 100,000 Scholastic book fairs are hosted each year, and they provide schools with funds for books and other resources. Scholastic is so dominant in the book fair market that it’s difficult for many schools to find viable options. However, outrage over the isolation of the “Share Every Story, Celebrate Every Voice” collection has caused many librarians to look beyond Scholastic for book fair options.

 

While Scholastic is definitely the biggest player in the book fair market, there are other booksellers that host book fairs, including Literati and Barnes and Noble. Many publishers also host book fairs, but their collections might be more limited than what is offered by Scholastic.

shelves with books, red seats, people reading

Another option is the independent book store. During recent years, indie bookstores have seen a rise in popularity, and their followers have a deep sense of loyalty. Communities embrace them because they are known for promoting the open exchange of ideas and contributing to the local economy. They also usually provide access to a diverse collection of books and make their services available to local schools. 

 

Now, many communities are turning to their local bookstores as an option to book fairs hosted by the publishing giant. Independent bookstores have strong ties to their neighbors and understand the culture and needs of their communities. The personal attention they can offer is leading many librarians and schools to partner with their local indie bookstores. The indie alternative offers a personalized approach to hosting a book fair and a way to take a stand against Scholastic’s decision to give libraries and schools the choice to opt-out of including diverse books.

 

 

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Cover reveal! Lisa Schmid’s HART & SOULS

By on October 13, 2023   /   Articles  

A special treat today: A COVER REVEAL Hart & Souls, written by my friend and fellow Mixed-Up Files contributor, Lisa Schmid! Out 7/23/24!

Now, before we reveal the cover…

Hart & Souls: A summary

After getting bullied at Figueroa Elementary, Stix Hart wants nothing more than to be invisible as he starts middle school. He’s heard all the horror stories, but none involved ghosts.

On Stix’s first day of sixth grade, his anxiety is off the charts. It doesn’t help when he encounters an older kid who reminds him of his old nemesis, Xander Mack. Soon after, he encounters two other students who take a keen interest in him. He quickly learns the spooky truth—the trio are ghosts in need of a solid. They are stuck in middle school and cannot move on until they resolve their unfinished business. It’s up to Stix to figure out how to help these not-so-normal new friends. To succeed, he must use his unique abilities: drumming talent, a big heart, and anxiety to sort out this paranormal predicament.

COVER REVEAL!

(Isn’t it a beauty?)

Interview with Lisa Schmid

MR: Congrats on the upcoming publication of your spooky MG, Hart & Souls (7/23/24)! I’m honored to host your cover reveal—especially on Friday the 13th 🙂

LS: Thank you so much! I am giddy to share my new cover with the world. I’m especially delighted that you signed up for hosting duties. I feel like we’ve been on this author’s journey together and have so much in common—one might even say we are soul sisters.

 MR: Ooh, I LOVE that! Now, tell me: What was the inspiration behind Hart & Souls? 

LS: The idea for Hart & Souls came to me after encountering the local “school bully” at Target. He was on the phone at the front of the store, frightened and crying. After eavesdropping, I learned no one had picked him up from school, and he didn’t know where else to go. It was heartbreaking. I kept an eye on him until his dad arrived, but it got me thinking. An important lesson I’ve always taught my son is that when somebody is unkind, it usually means they’re fighting a battle we know nothing about.

At that moment, I knew I had my next book. By the time I finished shopping, the title HART & SOULS was swirling around my brain. While sitting in the parking lot, I figured out how the story would begin and end. I’ve never veered off course—I knew I had something special. I actually recreated the Target scene in my book through the eyes of Stix. It still makes me tear up when I read the chapter.

MR: How long did it take you to write the novel, Lisa?

LS: It took me about a year and a half to write. I am a card-carrying Pantser, so I work out the details as I go. Unfortunately, I always get stuck when I reach the “mushy” middle. Sometimes, I need to let things percolate before moving forward. I hit a couple of bumps in the road, but in the end, much like my lost souls, I found my way home.

About the Artist

MR: Since this is a cover reveal (!!!), I’d love to know more about your gorgeous cover—and about the artist, Carolina Vázquez.

LS: I am so in love with this cover! Carolina totally captured the heart and soul of this story. The expression on Stix’s face makes me giggle—it personifies his state of mind to a tee. And the three ghosts are just as I had imagined them to be. I want to hug each one and let them know everything will be all right.

I am also obsessed with the details that make it so extraordinary. Little nuances like the talent show flier on a backpack, and my favorite: the ghost’s individual auras reflecting off Stix. It makes my heart sing!

HART & SOULS is Carolina’s debut middle grade cover, and I think she knocked it out of the park.

Fun fact: her debut picture book cover, TANGO RED RIDING HOOD, was written by a local author, Rachel S. Hobbs. I recently connected the dots and will attend Rachel’s book signing next week.

What a small world—A fabulous illustrator from Argentina ends up working with a pair of California girls on her first two books.

I can hardly wait to take a picture of us together and share it with Carolina.

MR: What was the process like in choosing the cover? I know it’s different for every writer, and every artist.

LS: I am so lucky that my AMAZING agent, Leslie Zampetti, found the perfect home for my little ghost story. Andrews McMeel Kids is a fantastic publisher that encourages a collaborative experience. My wonderful editor, Hannah Dussold, and I threw out a couple of ideas for Carolina, and she came back with this gorgeous cover.

There were, of course, minor tweaks and changes, but overall, Carolina nailed it. I am so grateful for her patience and creativity. And the good news . . . she’s creating thirty interior illustrations, so you will be seeing a lot more of her art!

MR: Congrats again, Lisa, on Hart & Souls. I can’t wait to read it. And I encourage Mixed-Up Files readers to pre-order it!

LS: Thanks so much. And thank you to everybody for pre-ordering my book. I truly hope you enjoy my ghost story. I loved writing it for you.

Author bio

Lisa Schmid is an author and co-host of the podcast Writers With Wrinkles. When she’s not scaring up ghostly adventures, she’s most likely visiting schools to talk about writing and books. She lives in Northern California with her husband, son, two dogs, and one very sneaky hamster. Learn more about Lisa on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

Artist bio

Carolina Vázquez was born in 2000 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was endlessly inspired by books and animation from an early age and started taking drawing classes when she was thirteen. She graduated from Palermo University with a degree in Illustration Design in 2021. Since then, she has been working on children’s illustration projects such as picture books, magazines and board games. Learn more about Carolina on her website and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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