Posts Tagged mglit

Mixed-Up Files interview with Adam Borba, author of The Midnight Brigade!

By on September 21, 2021   /   Articles  

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

Hope that you’re enjoying the first few weeks of the school year as now dive into Fall!

In case you’re sad that summer is now officially over, we have a treat for you that we hope will cheer you up. We’re thrilled to have Adam Borba with us, the author of the recently-released, The Midnight Brigade from Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

Hi Adam, and welcome to Mixed-Up Files!

JR: To start with, can you tell us a little about The Midnight Brigade and the impetus for writing it?

AB: It started as a concept for a movie. My day job is to help develop and produce movies for a production company called Whitaker Entertainment which is based at Walt Disney Studios. I wanted to find a story about a troll to adapt but couldn’t find what I was looking for. Then on a trip to Pittsburgh, I fell in love with the city, and was wowed by the number of bridges – there are over four hundred. Statistically speaking, if you have four hundred bridges, there has to be a troll under at least one of them, right? So, I started making notes for a movie. Ideas about how great it would be to be a kid who found a troll. And how fun it would be to keep that troll secret with your friends. Usually, the outlines we do for films are about three pages, and then my colleagues and I will pass those outlines off to screenwriters who will work with us while making those stories their own. But my notes for this story became more and more detailed, and eventually I realized I had started writing a novel and I just kept going until I finished it.

JR: The book has a lot of humor in it, but there are also some more serious themes. How difficult did you find it to keep that balance when writing?

AB: It’s the only way I know how to do things. When we’re making movies – no matter what it is – I’m usually the one who says things like, “Hey, doesn’t it feel like a joke should go here?” Life is funny, right? Even during the tough times. And when I’m telling stories or having an important conversation, I just can’t be serious for too long. Conversely, I don’t think I’m funny enough to write or produce a traditional comedy. Plus, my story instincts tend to steer me away from big comedic set pieces and more towards emotional or dramatic moments.  

JR: Carl is an endearing main character and there’s a great dynamic between him, Teddy, and Bee, and actually, Frank, too, for that matter. How much of yourself or your experiences did you put into him?

Thank you! I think I’m a little like all of my characters. Like Carl, I was a quiet kid who spent a lot of time wanting to say more but worrying that I’d say the wrong thing. I think I was and am a dreamer like Teddy. And I was often a loner like Bee who took – occasionally too much – pride in my opinions. Lately, I’m feeling more like the troll, Frank – grumpy and tired, but I hope with my heart in the right place.

JR: Pittsburgh plays front and center in the book. What is it about that city that lends itself to stories with monsters and magic?

AB: Pittsburgh has so much character. It’s a beautiful city with over two hundred and fifty years of history, culture, and food. And its background with steel gives it a feeling of strength. But the big thing with this story is the bridges. Pittsburgh has so many bridges because three rivers flow through the city. The bridges are gorgeous, and it’s unusual for a city to have so many. And unusual leads to the possibility of the unexpected: monsters and magic, of course.

JR: So, what supernatural creatures do you believe in?

AB: I’m open to the possibility of any supernatural creature being real. Certainly trolls. And I’ve personally seen two ghosts, a griffin, and a leprechaun. Also, my cousin’s neighbor knows a guy who was trampled by a herd of unicorns.

JR: We’ll have to have you back to discuss the ghosts! You were one of the Producers on the Pete’s Dragon remake a few years ago. What were some of your other favorite movies or books with monsters in them when you were growing up?

Well, the original Pete’s Dragon was my favorite film as a four-year-old. E.T. was (and is) a big one for me. The Neverending Story, Gremlins, Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Willow, and The Flight of the Navigator were all on heavy rotation in my family’s VCR. In children’s literature, certainly The BFG. Alice in Wonderland, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. And I was a massive fan of rodent-lit: Mrs. Frisby & the Rats of NIMH, Stuart Little, Ralph S. Mouse, and the Redwall series.

JR: Loved all of those! Who were some of your influences?

AB: The list is constantly growing. But as a kid the big ones were Louis Sachar, Roald Dahl, Beverly Cleary, Jerry Spinelli, and Judy Blume for books, and Steven Spielberg, Joe Dante, Robert Zemeckis, and Tim Burton for films. Storytellers driven by a mix of wit, warmth, and wonder.

JR: So, The Midnight Brigade gets made into a movie. Who’s in your dream cast?

AB: The Muppets is always the correct answer to this question.

JR: I think it’s actually the answer to just about any question for that matter. Will there be a sequel to The Midnight Brigade?

AB: I like that the story stands on its own, with things wrapped up but still presenting threads for readers to guess what might happen next. But maybe someday if I come up with an idea that I just can’t keep to myself I’ll write another!

JR: What are you working on next?

AB: I’m working with my editor at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, Alexandra Hightower, on a new middle grade novel. It’s another nearly grounded story with a bit of magic. On the movie side, I’m currently in post-production on an epic live-action adaptation of Peter Pan & Wendy for Disney, which David Lowery directed. Both should be coming out towards the end of 2022.

JR: Can’t wait for both of those! How can people follow you on social media?

I’m on Twitter @adam_borba and Instagram @adamborba

To purchase The Midnight Brigade:

The Midnight Brigade

 

JR: Adam, thank you so much for joining us today, and good luck with The Midnight Brigade!

AB: Thanks so much for having me!

 

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Interview with Supriya Kelkar, author of THAT THING ABOUT BOLLYWOOD!

By on May 31, 2021   /   Author Interviews, Fiction  

Hello Mixed-Up Filers!

We are in for a treat today!  Today we have Supriya Kelkar, author of That Thing About Bollywood which is out now from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 

JR: Hi Supriya, and welcome to Mixed-Up Files!

SK: Thank you! It is so great to be back!

 

JR: First off, for those who don’t know, what can you tell us about the book and where the idea for the story came from?

SK: Yes! Bollywood is the nickname for the Hindi film industry. It is one of the largest film industries in the world. I grew up never getting to see myself in an American book, TV show, or movie so Bollywood gave me a little of the representation I was looking for. It was a space where my food and cultures and clothing, all of which were mocked daily in my small town that didn’t appreciate diversity, were celebrated. And it was a place where people who looked like me were heroes. I learned Hindi by watching 3 Hindi movies a week and even went on to become a Bollywood screenwriter as an adult, working on the writing teams for several big Bollywood films, including India’s entry into the Oscars, and another film which was the top grossing Bollywood movie of all time at that moment in time.

So as an adult, I tried for a very long time to put my love for Bollywood into a book. One day I realized most Bollywood films from the 80s and 90s were very obvious about what the characters were going through. Feelings were loud, things were exaggerated and colorful. So I thought what if there is a classic-Bollywood loving kid who is the opposite of that, not very good at showing her feelings?

And that’s how the idea for That Thing about Bollywood came to be. It is the story of Sonali, a Bollywood-loving kid who isn’t very good at expressing herself and showing her true feelings. One day a life-changing event causes her to get a magical condition called Bollywooditis, which makes her express herself in the most obvious way possible, through Bollywood song-and-dance numbers. As the magic spreads, Sonali must find out what is causing it and how to stop it before all her true memories and the feelings associated with them are gone forever.

 

JR: That really does sound amazing! Last time you were here, I told you that absolutely love Bollywood movies! What is it about the genre that makes for good storytelling?

SK: Bollywood, like many kinds of world cinema, is escapism at its finest. It’s full of joy and drama, striking colors and incredible dances. I think it can be a powerful way to tell really serious stories too, and sometimes the musical format can help deliver messages from your theme really easily.

I used some of that theory when it came to writing That Thing about Bollywood too. The fun of seeing your main character bursting out in big song-and-dance numbers let me go into really serious issues too like changing families and health issues.

JR: Last time you gave us some of your favorites, have there been any newer Bollywood films that you’d like to add to the list?

SK: I did not do a very good job at keeping up with the newer Bollywood movies over the past year and the ones I did see were not my favorites. But I did spend that time introducing my kids to older Hindi movies. The one movie we watched over and over again was Lagaan, streaming on Netflix. It was my favorite movie back in 2001, and was nominated for an Oscar. It is a historical epic with songs and dances and colonization and decolonization and my kids love to see it.

JR: I’m going to have to check that out! In your book, you deal with some heavy topics, like divorce. Was that tough to tackle and find the right balance for a Middle Grade audience?

SK: It was initially when I was outlining the book and thinking about its structure and the scenes. But when I started writing, the magic of Bollywooditis let me give readers a break when things were really tough in Sonali’s parents’ marriage, and those magical elements really helped me explore Sonali’s feelings in a way that felt right for a middle grade audience.

JR: I usually break out into song as well when dealing with tough topics. How much of you is in Sonali?

S: I am very much the opposite of Sonali, in that my emotions are very obvious to anyone who sees me. I will say at times I felt embarrassed of how easily I would cry when I felt for something I was going through, or even when I would cry because I’d really deeply feel what someone else is going through. I can still remember being a kid and having to sing prayers at a family friend’s grandparent’s memorial service. I don’t think I’d ever even met the grandparent because they lived in India. But something about seeing our family friends upset led me to sob throughout the singing. I remember some adults laughed in surprise, wondering why I was so upset, before trying to comfort me. I could still get a little embarrassed thinking about that moment as an adult, but thanks to writing this book and going on Sonali’s journey with her, I know that you are entitled to your feelings and it’s actually a great thing to care so deeply for others and have empathy.

JR: I agree. If you could escape into one film, which would it be?

SK: Could Jurassic Park be a Bollywood musical? I’d like to think it could be. I’d love to sing and dance about my feelings while dealing with those dinosaurs.

JR: I’ll count it as a musical for this. Many authors use local flavor to influence some of their books. Does where you live now lend anything to your books?

SK: It does! I grew up in Michigan and still live there so I loved setting American as Paneer Pie there and making the fictional town there as close to my hometown as possible. Similarly, because I lived in L.A. for a while and traveled there a lot for work and vacations, I felt like it was the perfect setting for That Thing about Bollywood because there are already magical elements about L.A. thanks to Hollywood, and it seemed like the best place for Sonali’s Bollywooditis to manifest.

JR: Read on your site that you have a purple belt in karate. How up to date is that?

SK: This question made me laugh for a really long time! It is sadly not very up-to-date. But it was clearly a bragging point in my childhood bio from 1989.

JR: I still would fear you! In that same vein, would you describe yourself as the toughest MG author out there?

SK: Well I didn’t see any other MG authors saying they could sing-and-dance their way out of dino trouble, so maybe?

JR: TRUE! What are you working on next?

SK: I’m working on my next middle grade novel, several picture books including my 2023 release, My Name, and I’m working on my illustrator debut for American Desi, a book by Jyoti Rajan Gopal that comes out in June 2022 from Little, Brown.

 

JR: I can’t wait to see all of them! Any upcoming appearances?

SK: I was at Books of Wonder in May and there is a replay of the panel in case you miss it, Cafe Con Libros on June 1st, and at Nerd Camp KS, Nerd Camp PA, and Nerd Camp CT this summer!

JR: You Aare definitely busy! How can people follow you on social media?

SK: Instagram: @supriya.kelkar
TikTok: @supriya.kelkar Twitter: @supriyakelkar_ 

 

JR: I’d like to once again thank Supriya for joining us here at Mixed-Up Files, and everyone else, make sure you go out and get a copy of THAT THING ABOUT BOLLYWOOD!

 

Until next time, Mixed-Up Filers, have a great start to summer!

 

Jonathan

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WNDMG: Jewish-American Heritage Month – Jewish Stories in MG

By on May 7, 2021   /   Articles  
We Need Diverse MG

Hello Mixed-Up Readers!

Hope you are all well!

If you haven’t been paying attention, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t have, but our own Heather Murphy Capps and Aixa Perez-Praido have brought a great new monthly feature to Mixed-Up Files, called WNDMG, which of course means, We Need Diverse Middle Grade. I know Heather, in particular, has been passionate about amplifying diverse voices, and hopefully, this year, she’ll have good news about her own book to share with everyone. She deserves it, especially since she has put in so much time to promote others.

Honestly, it’s an important item to feature, because every kid should be able to see themselves in books. Every child should be able to read about others just like them, and show those kids being the heroes of stories. Diversity is important, not just in real life, but also in books for kids. So, with all that being said, I was thrilled and honored when Heather asked me to write this month’s post for WNDMG, since May is Jewish-American Heritage Month.

I was even more thrilled, because, unfortunately, I haven’t always felt that warm and fuzzy feeling when it comes to including Jewish stories in kidlt. As a matter of fact, many years ago, when I first started trying to become a children’s book writer, I was told by a decision-maker in kidlit, to make a story less Jewish, so it would appeal to a broader audience. Oh, it happened to be a story based on Jewish mythology. From what I discovered later, I was not alone in that. Many other Jewish authors have told me of similar experiences, where agents or editors told them that their work wouldn’t sell because it was “Too Jewish”. While I do think that things are a little better now than then, I still see some pushback against including Jewish stories. And not just from decision-makers. Even see it from some who are dedicated to promoting diversity in kidlit. It’s not a great feeling when you’re told, we want to be inclusive, but just not to your group.

I’m not sure why that is, but it really needs to stop. Groups should all be trying to amplify each other instead of finding reasons why to exclude someone. Especially, if you’re a part of another group calling for more representation. And if you’re actively trying to exclude Jewish books, maybe ask yourself, why? On that topic, here are a few facts. You know, those pesky little things that get in the way of certain narratives. Jews make up only 2.4% of the population, yet account for an incredibly high percentage of hate crimes being perpetrated against them. Over the last ten years, antisemitism has steadily risen, and it’s not just coming from one political “side”. So, when you’re then told that you don’t qualify for inclusion in talk of books pushing diversity, that you’re not welcome in that club, it’s really mind-boggling, and incredibly hurtful. I’d use other words, but this is a site dedicated to kidlit, so will refrain.

With antisemitism being what it is, it is more important than ever for kids, all kids, not just Jewish ones, to see Jews represented in children’s books. We bridge gaps by not just letting Jewish kids see themselves, but also by letting other kids see Jews and realize that maybe the differences aren’t so great. And whatever differences there are, are to be embraced and learned from. It starts with children, and it’s also what any group would want for themselves.

To my shame, those many years ago, I changed my book to make it “Less Jewish”. Would never do that again. I’m older and wiser. Well, all right, just older. But, I now decided to put a Jewish character into anything that I write. Either the main character or at least, a supporting one. I think with things being the way they are around the world, it’s too important not to. Not going to lie, it’s gonna be tough when I write that sci/fi, alien race invading other dimensions story, but I’m sure going to try and figure out a way.

Maybe Klaatu Cohen? Hmmm, I’ll try and think of something better.

Anyway, with this being Jewish-American Heritage Month, I’m going to do my part to amplify Jewish voices. Jewish stories. Jewish authors. Not just Holocaust books, which are still important, but also books showing Jewish kids just being kids. So, if you’re a teacher, librarian, parent, caregiver, or anyone who helps make reading choices for kids, please seek out some Jewish-themed stories or even stories with Jewish characters to share with the children in your lives. It’d be a mitzvah!

If you need any recs, drop me a line. I’ll make time to answer anyone who writes. Honestly.

And next year, you can pick up a Bnai-Mitzvah-themed anthology that I helped put together called, Coming of Age. It has thirteen stories from twelve great Jewish authors and also one from me! Hey, I had to get some shameless self-promotion in here somewhere!

That’s all for now Mixed-Up Readers. Thank you all for reading, and until my next post, I bid each and every one of you, Shalom!

 

We Need Diverse MG

Artwork by Aixa Perez-Prado

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