Posts Tagged middle-grade fiction

Interview with Author/Illustrator Maddie Frost

By on June 3, 2026   /   Articles, Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment
Today, let’s give a hearty Mixed-Up Files welcome to Maddie Frost. An award-winning author and illustrator, Maddie has been praised as a “powerhouse creator,” making over a dozen books for kids. Her first middle-grade novel, Really Rubie, which Kirkus hailed as: “Humorous, frank, and guaranteed to reassure,” is out now from Aladdin.

Really Rubie: A Summary

Eleven-year-old Rubie Fox can’t wait to go to sleepaway camp for the first time with her best friend, Riley. She and Riley will be at Camp Pineview for an entire month, and Riley’s crush, Owen Griffon, will be across the lake at the boys’ camp. But when Riley can’t go to camp because she broke her ankle, Rubie has to go by herself. How can she survive without Riley? But camp might be more eventful, and more exciting, than Rubie ever thought, including her first-ever crush on a boy.

Q&A with Maddie Frost

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Maddie. Huge congrats on the publication of Really Rubie. I went to sleepaway camp as a kid, so of course I loved your book. I gobbled it up in two sittings!

MF: That’s amazing. I hope it didn’t give you any gas.

MR: Um… 🙂 

Getting Campy with Rubie

MR: Your book is based on your own experience at sleepaway camp. How is Rubie’s experience similar to yours? How is it different? Also, what are the similarities and differences between you and Rubie?

MF: The biggest difference between me and Rubie’s camp experience is that my best friend came with me. Looking back, I always sort of wondered what kind of experience I would have had if I went alone. Rubie was the product of that curiosity.

All the fears, insecurities, and discomfort Rubie goes through at camp, I felt too. It was the first time I had left home for that long, and same for Rubie. It was like being flung onto another planet (with tons of woodchips). We both realized that a whole other world exists beyond the bubble of home. Amazing, and terrifying.

Rubie and I are both emotional and anxious, and we both try to find the humor in life’s struggles. Humor has always been a coping mechanism for me, especially in art. Rubie’s diary entries and doodles reflect that too. But we’re also super aware, and we take in everything all at once. Our feelings, our friends feelings, vibes and moods, exciting moments, awkward moments, people’s energy. I think all great writing comes from being hyper-aware to life.

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to 11-year-old Maddie?

MF: “Hey Maddie, it’s Maddie from the future. Listen, I know it’s rough seas out there in middle school. You’re probably feeling A LOT of things right now and it’s okay. What doesn’t make sense now will later. I promise. Oh, BTW, you turn it all into a book series. I know, right?! Keep going, you got this.

Dear Diary

MR: Really Rubie is written in diary form. What informed this stylistic decision? Did you keep diaries as a tween?

MF: Um, of course I did! I don’t know how you didn’t as a tween girl. There’s so much going on internally and you CAN’T talk to your parents about it. No way! A diary was the safest place to let my thoughts and feelings out. I’ve always wanted to try and make a middle-grade diary. My drawing style and personality lends itself well to this age group. I’m forever a tween at heart. I wrote in a diary at camp, so there was some “research” to be done before I started outlining this book.

I have always considered myself an artist first, author second. I came to writing books by illustrating them. The two art forms have operated like best friends throughout my career. They riff off of each other. What one lacks, the other makes up for. So I knew that if I wrote a middle grade novel, there 100% would be art. Ergo, a diary was the perfect format for me. Also it’s just so fun to write a stream of chaotic conscious and time travel back into my eleven-year-old brain.

Tween Friendships

MR: After Rubie’s BFF, Riley, breaks her ankle and has to withdraw from camp, Rubie is forced to navigate the experience on her own. Did something similar happen to you at Rubie’s age? Also, what were you trying to say about the nature of tween friendships?

MF: Often times, we stay “close to the pack” because we feel safe. But there isn’t much personal growth that happens when we are afraid to venture outside of our comfort zone. If I look back, my biggest personal growth happened when I was EXTREMELY uncomfortable; aka, trying anything new alone. There’s a big world out there, and when you’re a kid, it’s sooo hard to grasp that. Friendships will grow and change because you grow and change. It’s all part of your process and progress as a human. I wish what happened to Rubie happened to me much earlier in my life. I wish I had made a friend like Eliza back then, who proved that the Universe will always meet you halfway.

The Art of Creating a Graphic Novel

MR: In addition to writing the novel, you created the illustrations. What was the process like for you? Did you do both at the same time or add the illustrations later? Also, how does being an artist influence your writing—and vice-versa?

MF: I write the manuscripts for all my books before I do any art. This goes for picture books and graphic novels too. If the story stinks, it doesn’t matter how good the art is. Kind of like if the plot of a movie is horrible but the actors are award-worthy. Does not matter. The writer in me always trusts the artist in me. I never try to avoid writing something for the sake of having to draw it. Unless of course it’s something I don’t like drawing. Like large crowds, or realistic horses.

Jane of All Trades

MR: In addition to Rubie, you have written and illustrated a slew of popular picture books. What prompted your decision to write for a middle-grade audience? Did the creative process differ from your experience as a picture-book author/illustrator?

MF: I’m always craving the next challenge. The same thing happened when I went from picture books to graphic novels. I asked myself if I could do it, and then I tried. I’m not afraid of failing, so it makes the attempt super relaxed. Rubie came from a combination of that, plus being bored with the genre I had been working in for almost a decade. As artists, sometimes it feels like we need to put ourselves in a box to get more “recognized.” Like, oh this girl is a mystery writer, that guy only does THIS type of graphic novel. Ugh, it’s so suffocating as a creator to limit yourself. I don’t want to be type-casted! I want to be a Jane of all Trades, Master of all. I mean, all women are, right? Wink, wink.

Sharing the (School Visit) Love

MR: Rumor has it you enjoy doing school visits. Can you tell MUF readers more about this? 

 MF: The rumor is true. I love making it to the other side and sharing my work with readers. Authors work in a hole, we need the reward of humans engaging with us and our stories. We also have sensitive egos. It’s the best feeling when you connect with an audience.

Maddie’s “Aha!” Moment

MR: What has your path to publication been like? Smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

MF: My road to publication was an unexpected one, let’s say that. I really never thought about it when I was younger. I knew there we authors and illustrators that made books, but had no idea that it could be a career choice. I went to college for Animation because I loved cartoons. I’m a 90’s kid and grew up watching Nickelodeon in it’s prime. While I was there, I won a freelance contest to illustrate a picture book for a local hotel. It paid nothing but it was an aha moment for an alternate job path. It was everything I loved about cartoons, just in book format. After I graduated, I wanted to work at Disney. But being a New Englander, I had no idea how one does that. Do you just call up Mickey Mouse? “Yo, Mickey, you got a job for me?” (Said in Boston accent.)

So I started teaching elementary art until I couldn’t ignore the itch to make my own art any longer. I followed a few book illustrators on social media and reached out to find out how to get an agent. Long story long, I got an agent and took on small, boring book projects for babies (literally) while honing my craft, and my voice. I worked my way from the bottom up with zero training or direction. The only thing I knew I had to do was work hard. And I haven’t stopped working hard.

The Magic of Writing

MR: What is your writing and illustrating process like, Maddie? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MF: Writing process for Rubie always takes place somewhere in the morning after my daughter goes to school.  I can’t write Rubie on anything else but my tablet (I have a laptop and computer) but it MUST be on the tablet or the magic isn’t there. So weird, I know. I think I just like the sound of my keyboard, it must make me write better. Tap, tap, tap.

For illustrating, I work in my office at all/any times of the day on my computer. I make my art in Photoshop with a Wacom and stylus pen. No specific routine, since I have a three year old. What is a routine again? And when I’m cleaning it means I’m procrastinating.

What’s Next for Maddie

MR: Really Rubie is the first in a series. Would you mind sharing a bit about what readers can expect in the books that follow?

MF: In Really Rubie book two, she turns twelve and starts sixth grade. There’s a new girl in town and also the person Riley has spent half the summer with in secret. She also happens to be super annoying. Meanwhile, Mom is acting a little *sus* and Rubie is convinced she’s dating. I don’t want to say too much, but there’s a big art scandal, a new crush, breaking and entering a classroom, more sneaking out at night, and a whole lot more awkward drama.

Lightning Round!

Yellow graphic lightning bolt

MR: Last thing: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Is coffee a snack?

 Coffee or tea? Coffee because it’s a snack?

 Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Live it? Nay. Write it? Yea.

Favorite camp activity? Making friendship bracelets.

Most embarrassing moment at camp? Oh no not an MEM! Okay, this is true. I took sailing at the camp Rubie is based on, and one time I capsized the boat and it completely turtled over. Like it went upside down in the water. The “Hot Ben” in my situation had to come out on a motor boat and rescue me. Mega embarrassment viiiiibes.

 Superpower? Flying

Favorite place on earth? My home. And maybe Disney World I guesssss.

 You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? A sketchbook, pencil, and water. What more do you need?

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Maddie—and congratulations on the publication of Really Rubie. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

MF: Thanks for having me! Happy Reading! <3 Maddie

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AI in the News

By on June 1, 2026   /   Oh MG News   /   Leave a comment
One half of the image is a mechanical cog, and the other have is an AI screen

As the use of generative AI grows, concerns about its negative impacts grow as well. Most notably, Pope Leo XIV recently issued his Magnifica Humanitas, an appeal to safeguard humanity against the use of AI in a way that is detrimental to our collective future.

 

While concern is spread across industries, the publishing arena has become acquainted with a unique set of issues. Lawsuits are waged over the unauthorized use of intellectual property, and many literary agents and publishers now require authors to attest that AI was not used in the development of stories. 

 

And yet, AI is a growing part of the writing world, and we must remain informed about the issues surrounding its use. Here’s a rundown of a few recent news stories concerning AI and writing. Each item on the list is a link that will lead you to more information:

 

 

For some historical reflection, here at MUF, we have examined the use of AI in children’s literature from different perspectives. If you type “Artificial Intelligence” into the search bar, you will find multiple articles to explore.

AI is a growing part of every field, and it’s important to stay on top of the latest news as this tool continues its pervasive application in all areas of human endeavor.

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WNDMG Author Interview with Meg Eden Kuyatt

By on May 13, 2026   /   Articles  

WNDMG Author Interview with Meg Eden Kuyatt

We’ve got an author here today! And I had the esteemed pleasure of sitting down with MG Novel-in-Verse author Meg Eden Kuyatt. So, without further ado…

KATE: Our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love the inside scoop on your latest novel-in-verse, Perfect Enough. With the school year behind her, Selah is looking forward to a drama-free summer. (Spoiler alert – it won’t be as carefree as she’d like). Can you share with readers a bit about what Selah gets up to in summer?

MEG: Selah wants to prove to her mom–and herself–that she’ll be fine at summer camp, that she can do the same as any neurotypical kid if she has her tools. She wants to connect with her new dragon-loving friends. She wants to write, publish in the summer camp journal, and become a “real writer” (spoiler: she’s already a writer). Even though she has fun, that doesn’t mean she won’t have challenges–you’ll have to read more to find out!

KATE: I fell in love with Selah in Good Different and was naturally excited to see you were returning to her world in Perfect Enough. Did you always have plans to extend her story? And if so, in what ways did it shape how you’d end the first story?

MEG: No, actually! It’s funny. I was trying to write this summer camp story about learning to accept your limitations and ableism, but I kept getting stuck. I realized part of that might be that the main character was basically Selah with a different name. So I asked: what if it was Selah’s story? And the pieces began to click together!

KATE: Perfect Enough takes place the summer after book one. Here, we follow Selah at camp. How did you decide upon that timeline vs, say the start of a new school year?

MEG: Part of that is because I want to follow up on a well-meaning but troubling response I’ll get to Good Different that only focuses on Selah’s “superpowers” as an autistic person. I wanted to say, yes, there is great strength and joy in autism, but there are also challenges–let’s not forget both. Argument-wise, that really follows from Good Different. Plus, if I get to tell future stories with Selah, I think we’d need a whole separate book for that transition to public school. I know for me, the transition from private to public school was very hard. 

KATE: I love how you find ways to advocate for readers by giving them diverse characters to fall in love with and see themselves in. Followers of Selah know she is autistic, and we’ve witnessed how she navigates the world. In Perfect Enough we get to see her understanding of how others navigate the world – in particular through the lens of a character with ADHD. What inspired you to bring this storyline into your novel?

MEG: My husband is ADHD (or possibly AuDHD, we’re not sure) and that camp story I mentioned earlier, I knew a big part to me was about this autistic girl and ADHD boy learning to work together on a group project. My husband and I, we make a great team. In many ways we sync well. But in others, we are total opposites, and know how to get on each others’ nerves! We’ve only gotten to see Selah’s perspective so far, so I wanted to show that she’s only one neurodivergent person. In the story, we meet lots of neurodivergent folks, and see how we can have competing access needs–sometimes two people will need the complete opposite things! How do we navigate that? I don’t think there’s a simple answer, but I want all of us to think more about that question, and how we can all bend a little to make room so that everyone feels safe.

KATE: At Writer’s Camp, attendees are invited to team up for group projects. I’m not going to lie – I was reliving every anxiety and stress Selah was, thanks to past projects of my own childhood, lol. What a great universal idea for your school-aged characters to be put through. So, I’m super curious how easy it was for you to write the tension in these scenes? Were you tapping into your own experiences, or was this pure fiction for you?

MEG: Ha! Me too. Group projects can be quite unpleasant. I think that was part of why I wanted to write about it, because I’m so bad at plot, and that would create a great tension-generator! Writing Selah’s stories has been so easy. I know I mined lots of experiences with my husband, as well as roommates with college. 

KATE: Please tell us more about this writer’s camp. Is this something you had once attended, taught at, or always dreamed of being part of?

MEG: In high school, my friend attended Duke’s Young Writers Camp. I was so jealous! That was the starting inspiration. But I also sometimes teach at the Jimenez-Porter Writers House at the University of Maryland College Park, which offers a sort of summer program. Since I know the campus and the dormitories well, I sort of mixed the two in my imagination to make a writer’s camp where I could really feel the space like I was right there as Selah. 

KATE: Your dialogue exercise is one of my favorites. It starts off fun and silly, then Selah reveals how the other character makes her feel. The scene feels so effortless. I’m curious if this is something that got edited and edited, or if it simply wrote itself.

MEG: Nope, this was one of those things that wrote itself! I think that’s why it’s such a good exercise.

KATE: One of the camp teachers, Mr. Yi, discusses with Selah how poems are her voice. Selah responds by answering that poems give her courage to say things off the page too. I have witnessed you teach poetry to students, and love how you make it so easy to understand. What advice do you have for kids inspired by Selah who either currently write poetry or who wish to start writing it?

MEG: Thank you so much for your kind words, Kate! The biggest advice I give is to persist. Write, give yourself permission to take you and your writing seriously (you ARE a writer!), and if you want to, send out your work–but there’ll be rejection, so don’t lose heart! Just keep sending, writing, learning and growing!

KATE: Without revealing spoilers, can you describe your writing process and, can you give us an example of something you cut, changed, or reworked from draft to publication?

MEG: I’ll say generally, this idea was it’s own summer camp story at first, in dual POV, and more about combating ableism. But I kept getting stuck, until I realized–one of the main characters was basically Selah! So when I put Selah as the MC, everything came together perfectly. I know we did some changes between drafts, but I’m having trouble remembering anything too huge or radical. 

KATE: Thank you for taking the time to share the inside scoop on Perfect Enough. Is there something beyond Selah’s world you can hint at? Perhaps a new project in the works?

MEG: I have a YA with two autistic protagonists coming out from Scholastic in 2027–more soon! I’ve sent in some middle grade proposals to Scholastic, including an idea for a third Selah book. Fingers crossed to see what happens!

KATE: Where can readers best find you if they want to reach out?

MEG: I tend to not be on social media much anymore, to be honest. These companies have all proven to be exploitative and gross, and I’m wrestling with: is this edifying? Is it good for me or others? Do I want to be complicit in this system? I still haven’t fully let go, so you might see me occasionally on Instagram or updating my Facebook page, but the best ways to keep in touch with me are through my website and newsletter:

http://eepurl.com/buwBXX

www.megedenbooks.com

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