Posts Tagged middle-grade fiction

Interview with Author Melissa Dassori

By on August 18, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

The first time I met middle-grade author Melissa Dassori—for coffee at La Bomboniera, an Italian café in New York City—I was 12 minutes late. For those of you who know me, I am never late. And I do mean never. Although I can’t repay Melissa for the time she spent waiting for me (I offered ☺), I’m hoping this interview will get me back into her good graces. So… without further ado, please join me in welcoming Melissa Dassori to the Mixed-Up Files!

About the Author

Melissa Dassori is the author of J.R. Silver Writes Her World (Christy Ottaviano/Little, Brown BYR, 2022), which was praised by Publishers Weekly for “Balancing realistic relationship drama with magical undertones… with (deft) references to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.” The book was also an Owlcrate Jr. Book Club Selection, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and a Washington Post Kids Summer Book Club recommendation.

Melissa’s latest novel, Greta Ever After is a Junior Literary Guild Gold Standard selection and releases tomorrow from Christy Ottaviano/Little, Brown BYR. Melissa lives in New York City with her husband and three daughters, with whom she likes to share books, spend time outside, eat ice cream, and travel. Learn more about Melissa on her website and follow her on Instagram.

Q&A with Melissa Dassori

MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Melissa. I’m so happy to have you here. And again… my apologies for being late for our coffee date! ☺

MD: I’m excited to be here! I enjoyed our coffee so much, I didn’t even remember that you were late. It’s always a pleasure to meet another middle-grade author named Melissa, especially a fellow New Yorker!

About the Book

MR: Before we dive in, can you tell Mixed-Up Files readers a bit about Greta Ever After?

MD: Of course! Greta Ever After is about a seventh grader named Greta Starr who wants to make a name for herself as a student journalist but struggles to find scoops. She’s feeling pretty down when the biggest story she can imagine arrives at her doorstep—a cuckoo clock with an enchanted wooden figurine named Lulu inside. Lulu is not, of course, something Greta can report on, so she secretly sets in motion a series of events to write about, but her not-quite-honest stories get her in trouble with her friends. When Lulu offers her a tempting solution—to escape into the clock and enjoy a perpetual childhood—Greta has to choose between Lulu’s magical offer and embracing the challenges of growing up.

Character Study

MR: What inspired you to write Greta? How is the main character like you? How is she different?

MD: On the magical front, my husband’s distant-but-beloved German relative gave us a cuckoo clock from the Bavarian Forest for our wedding. It’s very charming, although we don’t always wind it because it’s also very loud! That clock, though, led me to Lulu.

And on the “real” part of the story, I think kids around Greta’s age, especially girls, can start to feel pressure to do things exceptionally well all the time. That sense of obligation can get in the way of taking appropriate risks, whether trying a new activity or raising a hand in class. But experimenting and making mistakes are so important to exploring oneself and the world, and to developing resilience, which we all need in life. I remember feeling afraid to fail as a kid—and more recently when starting to write!—and I wanted to explore that fear in this story.

Magic’s in the Air

MR: Like your debut novel, J.R. Silver Writes Her World, Greta Ever After includes magical undertones. What draws you to magical stories? Were you interested in magic as a child?

MD: Funny enough, I’ve always gravitated toward realistic fiction, both as a kid and an adult. That said, I’ve grown to love a hint of magic in middle-grade books and recently wrote a piece about ten of my favorites. I think a little magic adds fun to a story and can also offer a softer or more hopeful way to approach hard subjects.

As a writer, I’ve learned a lot about how to integrate magic into a novel effectively, like making sure the magical system is consistent and that the magical elements are truly integral to the story. Honing that storytelling ability has been a good professional challenge.

MR: As a follow-up, what about fairy tales? Grimms’ Fairy Tales gets a lot of airtime in this novel. Are you a fairy-tale fan? If so, do you have a favorite?

MD: I really enjoyed reading The Original Folk and Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm while drafting Greta. I also thought about how much I loved the Disney versions as a kid, and how their heroines have evolved in good ways since. As Greta Ever After unfolded, I tried to drop little Easter eggs for fairy-tale fans. Some are pretty obvious and others are very subtle—maybe too subtle! Hopefully readers will spot and enjoy the allusions.

Truth or Consequences

MR: An important theme in the book is striving for the truth. This comes into play when Greta fabricates stories for the school newspaper and the line between fact and fiction becomes blurry. Can you tell us more about this?

MD: My publishing team at Christy Ottaviano Books/Little, Brown came up with a great last line for the back cover about Greta learning that the key to being a good friend and journalist is “striving for truth, not perfection.” I think that sums up a lot of themes in the book nicely. Aiming for truth or honesty—in journalism, friendship, or even sense of self—might not be all roses, but it’s likely the better course.

What’s the Scoop?

MR: Speaking of the school newspaper, were you involved in journalism at Greta’s age? If so, what drew you to it? What were your most memorable scoops?

MD: I wrote a few articles for my school newspapers but wasn’t involved in a meaningful way. That said, I’ve worked with a lot of journalists later in life and really admire what they do.

When I was trying to figure out what type of misdeeds Greta would commit to get herself in trouble, I decided to have her violate ethical reporting standards for a few reasons. First, a lot of kids do write for their school papers and may relate to Greta’s extracurricular interest. Second, whether a reader is involved directly with a newspaper or not, there are interesting discussions to be had about journalism ethics, media literacy, and the role of the Fourth Estate that I hope might emerge from this story.

And finally, as I mentioned earlier, I wanted Greta to mess up badly, and I wanted her to recover from her mistakes. So I was looking for something that would be consequential but not, for purposes of this book, too hurtful for any one character to endure. Greta’s ethical breaches get her in trouble, but the harm is something that, hopefully, she can work her way back from to regain the trust of her friends and of my readers!

Into the Woods

MR: In addition to writing for the school newspaper, Greta is involved in a school production of the Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine iconic 1986 musical, Into the Woods. What is the significance of the musical in terms of Greta’s journey? Also, what is its significance to you on a personal level? 

MD: Into the Woods actually took on a bigger role as the book evolved. When I started writing, my first thought was to include a musical so Greta could try two new things, acting as well as reporting. But after reading the first draft, my editor encouraged me to lean into the fairy tale elements more, including through the show.

So as part of my research, I read and watched interviews in which Sondheim and Lapine talked about the show’s messages around growing up and understanding ways that we’re connected to other people. I tried to bring out those threads through Greta’s choice between a somewhat self-centered, never-ending childhood and the more complicated path of maturing, which comes with the challenges and rewards of community. I also appreciate how the show’s heroines take control of their destinies, like Cinderella leaving her initially-perfect prince and Rapunzel rebelling against the witch’s overprotective tower. Similarly, Greta must decide if she wants to retreat into the safety of Lulu’s clock or forge ahead through the scary woods of middle school!

MR: Your book features gorgeous illustrations by artist/graphic designer Dana SanMar. Did you have any say in the art-selection process? The illustrations couldn’t be more perfect for your book

MD: I love them as well! I think the illustrations add such a special touch to the book.

The art selection is mostly done by the editorial team, along with an in-house art director who works with Dana. Much of the vision is left to the illustrator, and I think of my job as similar to fact-checking. That could be something mundane, like catching that a character’s hair is a different length in the illustration than elsewhere in the text. Or occasionally I’ve offered comments that are a bit more abstract.

For example, in my first book, J.R. Silver Writes Her World, one of my favorite illustrations features a new teacher on her first day of school. She looked friendly in the initial sketch—as one might hope a teacher would look!—but we tweaked it so her facial expression became more neutral in a slightly-mysterious way to better fit her role in the story.

Perseverance vs. Perfectionism

MR: Rumor has it you enjoy doing author visits. One of the topics you cover is “Perseverance vs. Perfectionism: Getting from Plot to Page.” Can you tell MUF readers more about this? Also, what has your path to publication been like? Smooth sailing or bumpy seas?

MD: Sure! In the presentation you mention, I tease out some of the themes we’ve been talking about—trying new things and not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. It’s fun to hear all the ways kids are putting themselves out there, like picking up a new sport or trying out summer camp. One thing I did for the first time recently is get a dog, and they love telling me about their pets! We celebrate these adventures during my visits.

But I also emphasize that experimentation and disappointment happen even when you’ve got experience under your belt. So while I share some of the many reasons editors turned down my work before I got published, I also tell them about books I’ve drafted after debuting that will never see the light of day, which also goes to your question about my path to publication. I’d say it was somewhere in the middle. I got an agent pretty quickly, but it took a while to sell my first book. That said, it was worth the wait and I ended up with a fabulous editor who’s made my stories and storytelling so much better.

Melissa’s Writing Routine

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

MD: In terms of process, I try different things for different projects, and for different phases of projects, so I’m kind of all over the place! I have a group of writer friends with whom I chat regularly and have check-ins while writing, which is great for camaraderie and accountability.

Despite my lack of consistent process, there are a couple things I’m committed to when editing. The first is to re-outline once I have a start-to-finish draft and before making big changes. I don’t include much detail, but I go chapter by chapter, and it helps me figure out what to move or where to make additions.

Similarly, a friend introduced me to a great chart by Kate Messner that I use as a model. I put each chapter across the top, and on the side I list characters, settings, activities (e.g., musical rehearsals or newspaper-related scenes for Greta), etc. As I’m working on the above-mentioned outline, I check off items in the chart for the chapters in which they appear. Then I can see, for example, that a character I introduced in Chapter 2 didn’t appear again until Chapter 22, or that a thread I wanted to emphasize popped up too sporadically to pack much punch. The visual representation really helps.

Second Time Around

MR: As above, Greta Ever After is your second middle-grade novel. How will your experience as a previously published author affect your approach to launching and marketing novel #2? What will you do differently this time? What will remain the same?

MD: That’s a good question. I would say that I was kind of shy, for lack of a better word, about becoming an author. I hadn’t met a lot of writers and didn’t tell a lot of people about my interest in writing. When J.R. Silver came out, I’d just started making connections in the industry, particularly with a group of early-career authors who’ve since become important to me personally and professionally. I’m also more confident pitching myself. So, for example, my very first podcast interview is coming up soon. It’s the result of reaching out to the host of a show that I enjoy, and that’s something I didn’t have the confidence to do the first time around.

MR: Finally, what’s next on your writing agenda? Any new projects you can tell us about?

MD: I’m currently working on an upper middle grade story. This one doesn’t have a magical element, but I’m having fun so we’ll see where it goes.

LIGHTNING ROUND!

MR: Oh! One last thing. No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Black tea with milk and sugar.

Magic: Fact or fiction? Eternal question?

Coffee or tea? I think I gave away the answer already!

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Fully nay.

Superpower? Maternal multi-tasking, which can also be a flaw.

Favorite place on earth? I’m going to go with New York City. {Nice choice! — MR}

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? Oh gosh. I like the beach but hate the heat, so it would probably be something for shade, something to read, and something salty to snack on.

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Melissa—and congratulations on the forthcoming publication of Greta Ever After. I thought it was fab, and I know MUF readers will agree!

MD:

Thank you, and thanks for having me!

Author Melissa Roske smiling and signing a book at a bookstore event. She is seated at a wooden table in front of bookshelves, wearing a sleeveless purple dress.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines, selected jokes for Reader’s Digest (just the funny ones), and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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Author Spotlight: Barbara Carroll Roberts + a GIVEAWAY

By on July 17, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Landra Jennings chats with author Barbara Carroll Roberts about her new middle-grade novel, The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter (Holiday House, July 22). She’ll share her inspiration behind writing it, the passion for gardening and wildlife that informed it, and the lovely inspiration for the dog character. Plus, there’s a chance to win an ARC of The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter if you enter the giveaway!

 

Book Summary:

Bunny Baxter thinks nothing could be worse than starting seventh grade at a school where she knows no one. But after her first day, she realizes things can actually get much worse.

If Bunny Baxter were an insect, she’d have so many ways to slip through seventh grade unnoticed. But she’s tall instead of tiny, has flaming red Medusa hair instead of camouflage, and she suffers from social anxiety, which makes it hard to be part of a swarm. Worst of all, she’s been redistricted to a new middle school away from her best friend who she could always hide behind when her anxiety got the best of her.

The first day at E.D. Britt Middle School does not go well. Bunny trips on the steps, falls into the cutest boy in the school, and causes a kid domino pile-up. At lunch, she unintentionally causes an uproar in the cafeteria, which lands her and another girl in the principal’s office. Bunny decides there is only one option: to get expelled so she can transfer to the school her best friend attends.

She soon discovers that it isn’t that hard to get in trouble — don’t turn in your homework, walk around the track instead of run in P.E., pretend you deliberately hit someone with a badminton birdie. What isn’t so easy for Bunny is realizing she now has a reputation as a troublemaker. And even more confusing, when it looks like her plan to get expelled might work, she’s no longer sure what to do.

The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter is a heartfelt coming of age story about an insect-loving girl who is learning to grow into herself — quirks and all.

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection. Publishers Weekly Starred Review. Booklist Starred Review.

Interview with Barbara Carroll Roberts

LJ: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Barbara! Thanks for joining us today.

BR: Thank you so much for having me.

LJ:  First, I have to tell you how much I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. Bunny’s journey is so beautifully layered and nuanced. “Metamorphosis” is the perfect descriptor. Can you please tell us about your inspiration to write it?

BR: Thanks so much! I actually began this book with what it wouldn’t be about. While I was working on my MFA at Hamline University, one of the other students wrote her critical thesis about how few children’s books she’d found in which the main character had been adopted into their family. And of the books she did find, almost all of them focused on the character searching for a birth parent, or on another issue directly linked to the child’s adoption. The woman who wrote this essay had been adopted into her family, and she also adopted her own children. She felt that children who’d been adopted needed more books about kids like them, but more than that, they needed books in which the main character just happened to have been adopted, but that’s not what their story was about. Since my husband and I had adopted one of our children, I decided to write a book like that.

This isn’t a craft technique I’d recommend, though – starting a novel with what it won’t be about. I struggled through several really awful attempts to come up with a story before the main character and the vaguest idea of a plot began to take shape.

Gardens and Pollinators

LJ: You’re a gardener. How did your passion for gardening and pollinators influence the story? Did you have to do any additional research on that?

BR: This story actually came to me through research, though I initially didn’t realize I was doing research – I was just reading the magazines and websites of the gardening and wildlife organizations I belong to and seeing more and more articles about the need to protect insects, especially pollinators. Then I read two books by Douglas Tallamy, Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope, which also discuss the importance of insects in the natural world, as well as the difference individuals can make by planting native plants in their yards.

So, then I tore out a big planting bed in my yard that was filled with boring nonnative shrubs and replanted it with native flowering plants. And somewhere in all of that the story of a very shy girl who’s fascinated by insects began to take shape. I had to do a lot of research on insects and social anxiety, which Bunny experiences. There was much more research done than what ended up in the story!

Favorite Scene

LJ: The writing was so beautiful. My favorite scene to read was the lovely “hammock” scene. What was your favorite scene to write?

BR: Wow, this is a difficult question. It was really important to me to dig into the deep emotions of the characters in that scene. This was also true of the scene in which Bunny asks her sister, Bella, if she thinks it feels different to have been born into their family instead of having been adopted into the family, as Bunny was. But these scenes were also very difficult to write, because I had to dig deep into my own emotions, too. I’m sure I revised these scenes more than any others, trying to get them “right.” Scenes with broader humor, like the pandemonium in the cafeteria caused by Bunny’s emotional-support cicada, were definitely more enjoyable to work on.

Favorite Character

LJ: Your side characters were so well drawn out. Ralph was a personal favorite. Do you have a favorite secondary character?

Riley

BR: It’s funny you mention Ralph. My dog Riley was a real life inspiration!

In general this question is sort of like asking “Who’s your favorite child?” I grew very attached to all of the characters in this book, but the two I had the most fun with are Bunny’s dad – because he’s so talented and creative at garden design, but so absent-minded about all kinds of mundane things – and Sylvia Lester-Hewitt-Abruzzo-Fung – because she has no filter and says whatever comes into her head. Plus, I had a lot of fun thinking about all the goofy things she wears in her hair.

 

Cover Art

LJ: The cover by Erin McGuire is absolutely gorgeous. What was your reaction on seeing Bunny and her faithful counselor Ralph depicted for the first time?

BR: When my editor at Holiday House, Margaret Ferguson, told me they were considering Erin McGuire for the cover illustration, I went to Erin’s website to see her work. And I was thrilled to discover that she’d illustrated book covers that I’ve always loved, including the cover of The Real Boy, by Anne Ursu, and the cover of your book, Wand. I’m absolutely delighted with the cover Erin created for my book. She perfectly captured Bunny’s fascination with insects and the natural world, as well as the love and friendship she shares with Ralph.

To the Heart of Bunny

LJ: I was really touched by Kyle’s articulation of what seemed to be a major theme for the story—”You get to be who you are.” Can you tell us a little bit about that?

BR: I wish I could tell you that I had that scene all planned out from the beginning, but pretty much the opposite is true. Instead, it was one of those magical moments when your characters just start talking to you. I was probably on my fifth or sixth full revision of the manuscript when Kyle suddenly “said” those words to Bunny, and I realized I’d finally found the heart of the book.

LJ: What else do you hope readers take away from this story?

BR: You know, every reader sees a book through the lens of their own life experiences. So, I suspect readers will find a variety of take-aways. My main hope is that readers enjoy the book. And if they happen to be inspired to plant a pollinator garden at their own school or home – even just a small pot of native plants on their apartment balcony or windowsill – that would be lovely.

On Writing

LJ: What do you like best about being a writer?

BR: Oh boy, another difficult question. I very rarely find writing to be fun. More often it’s hard work. Trying to get a sentence to flow smoothly. Figuring out the logical steps of a conversation or a sequence of action. Developing an idea without smacking the reader over the head; finding the most evocative sensory details to bring a scene to life. I started writing Bunny in 2019 after my first book came out. It took some time to develop. But I’ve always enjoyed being alone with my thoughts – what my mother called daydreaming and my children call spacing-out-staring-at-nothing. I think it was E. L. Doctorow who said writers have to “re-dream the scene.” And I think this is what I like best about writing – the dreaming-it-up part.

Lightning Round

No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so. . . .

Coffee or tea?

Coffee.

Sunrise or sunset?

I do love seeing the sunrise. But since I’m a bit of a night owl and not at all a morning person, I don’t see too many sunrises. I’ve always loved the hour or so around sunset, when things start to go quiet and still. I also love the word that describes that hour – the gloaming.

Favorite city (besides the one you live in):

I’m not really a city person – I like being outside in nature too much. But I visited Paris for the first time last year, and it was fabulous.

Favorite childhood television show:

The Wonderful World of Disney. During the summer, Sunday evenings always presented a difficult choice: stay outside playing after dinner or come inside to watch Disney. No streaming shows in those days.

Favorite ice cream:

Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia

If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

I’d love to be able to talk with animals.

Favorite book from childhood:

I always loved animal books – Charlotte’s Web, Misty of Chincoteague, Black Beauty, My Friend Flicka. I particularly loved Rascal, by Sterling North.

LJ: How can readers obtain a copy of the book?

BR: The book can be preordered at your local independent bookstores, Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, or any place books are sold. Personalized copies can be shipped from Politics and Prose.

How to win!

For a chance to win an ARC of The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter, comment below! (Giveaway ends July 31, 2025, MIDNIGHT EST.) U.S. only, please. ARC will be mailed.

About the Author 

Barbara Carroll Roberts is a children’s author whose debut middle-grade novel, Nikki on the Line, was a finalist for two state children’s book awards and made numerous best-of-the-year lists. Her nonfiction picture book, A Rose Named Peace, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection and received a starred review from School Library Journal.

Barbara has had many careers: farm worker, video producer, freelance writer, mom. All of which she draws on in her work writing for children. She grew up in northern California and holds a BA in English from Occidental College in Los Angeles and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has two grown children and now lives in Virginia with her husband, two cats, and one very goofy springer spaniel.

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Author-Illustrator Spotlight: Jessixa Bagley

By on July 14, 2025   /   Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Landra Jennings chats with author-illustrator Jessixa Bagley about her new middle-grade graphic novel, Jazzy the Witch in Broom Doom (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, July 15). She’ll share her inspiration behind writing it, her creative process and a few hints about the next Jazzy book!

Book Summary:

“Whimsy abounds in this playful” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) middle grade graphic novel about a young witch who struggles to fit in—perfect for fans of The Okay Witch and Hooky!

In her town full of witches, Jazzy’s always been a little bit different. She’s not excited about magic. She forgets the steps to spells. And even though her parents run the town’s broom shop, she doesn’t want to fly.

Then, one day, she discovers what she was born to do: cycling! Now she just has to find a way to get a bicycle…and learn how to ride it. But will her new passion come between her and her best friend—and possibly get her in big trouble?

Interview with Jessixa Bagley

LJ: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Jessixa! Thanks for joining us today.

JB: Thank you so much for having me.

LJ:  First off, I want to tell you how much I enjoyed this novel. Your characters’ expressions—those nuances—really take us into the heads of the characters and into the story. There are so many laughs and so much heart. Can you tell us about your inspiration for writing this book?

JB: It’s a funny thing how the idea came about. I had a dream, and when I woke up in the morning, I drew a picture of a little witch that looked kind-of like me as a kid. It made me think of a lemonade stand or Lucy’s advice booth in Peanuts, but the kid in my dream was selling bicycle seats for broomsticks to witches. I posted it on Instagram and the feedback was: This needs to be a book!

Around that time, my son was learning how to ride a bike and I was reflecting on how I had a really hard time learning how to ride a bike myself. As I began developing my little witch character, I found myself putting more of “me” into her. I also added some snark and sass because I love characters with some texture. So, my inspiration was a mix of the unconscious, my childhood, and some bits from real life.

Developing Ideas

LJ: I’m always curious about how author-illustrators work. How do you develop your ideas?

JB: My process has changed over the years. Before I was published, I was looking everywhere for a story, trying really hard. I didn’t feel the ideas were coming to me very easily; the stories didn’t feel interesting or personal and I didn’t have much of a connection.

These days, as I’ve tuned more into my own experiences and my childhood, I might be inspired by something in a dream, I might get ideas while I’m meditating, or something in the world might catch my eye. I try to capture these moments. During school visits, I show the students the place in my sketchbook where I do just that—I jot down words or phrases or an animal that I like, because there’s something inside of those that was inspiring.

Writing and Illustrating

LJ: What’s your creative process like? Does the writing come first, or the pictures?

JB: These things are usually happening simultaneously. I jot down some ideas and then I’ll sketch a little and go back and forth.

For illustrations for Jazzy, I had my stylistic approach from that initial sketch. I was also inspired by Adrienne Adams’ The Woggle of Witches, which has a beautiful and moody quality to the artwork, and Norman Bridwell’s The Witch Next Door series, with those minimal illustrations and simple colors. I wasn’t intentionally creating something retro or vintage, but I was picking up on the things that I liked.

As far as the writing, my process is that after I get the initial concept, I outline the novel, considering total word count and what I plan to happen. Then I’ll reverse-engineer, writing the whole manuscript before I start sketching. My years of creating picture books (those page-turn moments!) and making comics really informs my work. For this project, I was focused on dialogue, because graphic novels are all dialogue.

Overall, making graphic novels is fun because there’s that sense of the unexpected that comes through during the process. I just try to go with the flow and stay loose and let things happen.

Creative Tools

LJ: What’s your medium? Do illustrators still use pen and paper or is everything software-driven now?

JB: I used to be much more of a traditionalist. Thumbnail, then pencil, ink, color. That’s how I did my comics. For most of my picture books there was very minimal involvement of digital tools. I created everything by hand and with watercolor. I loved doing that.

But making picture books the traditional way creates so much pressure because if you don’t get it right, you’re starting over. And an entire graphic novel done in traditional fashion can also take a real physical toll.

The newer tools allow for moving things around, changing things. They make the process easier and more fun. I’m trying to be freer with how I make art. For me, that’s allowing for the opportunity to work smarter. I enjoyed using Photoshop for iPad for this project, my first attempt to do an entire book digitally.

Character Expressions

JB: You mentioned the facial expressions that you loved. I created this postcard, as part of my pre-order goodies, reflecting Jazzy’s different moods.

LJ: Thank you so much for sharing the postcard! It really nails Jazzy’s feelings. For those interested in obtaining a copy, Books of Wonder may still have some of the pre-order goodies available with purchase.

Deep relationships

LJ: I love how you handled relationships, with Jazzy and her family, with her best friend Aggie, with her mentor Madame Melcha (even the bickering familiars got a relationship arc!). How did you balance all those threads?

JB: Collaborating on graphic novels for upper elementary with my husband Aaron had me thinking on character arcs for that slightly older reader. So, I was used to keeping an eye on what was happening with the different characters, building that muscle memory, like, “When’s the last time we saw Aggie or Madame Melcha?” And making sure that the characters all evolved a little bit differently.

One of the relationships I loved the most was that minimal arc that Aggie’s familiar, Cassie has with Jazzy’s familiar, Fiona. Cassie hates Fiona. Fiona likes to needle her. I enjoyed having a moment where they come together. So even though this novel is for a middle grade audience that’s a bit younger than the books I did with Aaron and the relationship arcs are simpler and more straightforward, I still wanted to make sure that they were there.

Favorite Scene(s)

LJ: There were so many scenes that were hilarious with a lot of fun details. There were also others like the “I found it” scene (where Jazzy stares into the television) that were simpler, but impactful. What was your favorite scene to create?

JB: There’s three that come to mind. I really love the conversation that Granny Titch has with Jazzy where she’s telling the family history over the course of a few pages. It was an opportunity for me to go outside the panels and do more of a flowy composition. I also liked being able to tuck in bits about the history of witches.

A similar moment occurs with Madame Melcha where she’s telling Jazzy about her past. Witches have a complicated history and I really liked the opportunity to acknowledge some of the things we know about witches and witchcraft, like, for instance, that relationship to nature and to the harvest, while also keeping the story sweet and joyful and age-appropriate

My other favorite scene is when Jazzy and Aggie go to the junkyard and they make the bike. We see Aggie coming prepared. She has her spell and Spellopedia and she’s very confident. But Jazzy has to bring her own magic to it too. And she’s a little unsure, but she makes it work because she really wants this and she really loves this. I loved that element—that when we really want something, we can bring a lot more of ourselves to it and we can actually make it happen.

On Learning How to Ride a Bike

LJ: There are actually quite a few panels about riding a bike after that scene. What was your thinking there?

JB: I mentioned that I was a very late learner to riding a bike and I fell a lot. I was very much like: Why can’t I just do this thing? Well, it takes practice. You have to form this energy force effectively between yourself and this object. You have to find your balance.

So, after Jazzy created a bike for herself, I found a really fun opportunity to have all that in there. What are the things you need to think about when riding a bike? Because maybe some of the kids who are going to read this novel don’t know how to ride a bike yet. I wanted that little tutorial and also the message: You’re going to fall and that’s part of it. It’s okay.

To the heart of Jazzy

LJ: The theme of being your own person is meaningful for so many. Can you share with us what drew you to that theme?

JB: If I were to have had a theme in mind from the beginning, I don’t think the book would’ve worked. I didn’t want to make a self-help book for kids or beat anyone over the head with theme. I wanted to create this as much from a “kid feeling” as I possibly could. So, I really just set out to create this little book about this witch and her world.

It was only when it was done that I realized this book actually speaks to larger themes that could apply to kids in so many different ways: You don’t have to be what others expect you to be. Jazzy perceives that she’s supposed to be a certain kind of witch. And her family just assumes she’ll be into witchcraft because it’s their whole world. These sorts of expectations come in so many forms in real life for kids, be it academic, athletic, religious, cultural, or community. And that can be very hard when you don’t feel those things are your identity.

What I absolutely love about making books, about making art in general, is that people will look at it and reflect and bring their own feelings to it. I don’t get to decide what this book means to somebody, the same way I don’t get to decide what a painting means.

On Creating

LJ: Anything else you want to share?

JB: I hope I’ve set a tone for Jazzy’s world. That it can feel real in people’s minds and these characters feel big and rich. Making graphic novels is not for the faint of heart, for sure. But I have loved every second of this, even the hard parts, because it was just so much fun. I would encourage anybody that has an interest in it to give it a try. I know that it can be daunting. But kids love graphic novels so much. I feel like I’m trying to make up for all the books that I didn’t get to have when I was a kid.

More Jazzy

LJ: What will the next Jazzy book be like?

JB: I have so many more of those big, full-page moments that really add emotional heft to the book. This next book is even more expressive, even more yelling, more faces.

LJ: I already know we’ll love it!

Lightning Round

No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so. . . .

Coffee or tea?

I drink tea, but I like the idea of coffee way better. Like, I love the ritual and the idea. My body just doesn’t love coffee as much.

Sunrise or sunset?

Oh, that’s really hard. I’ll say sunsets. But what I have learned in living in a place where I get to see the sunrise, is that it does give you a sense of hope.

Favorite city besides the one you live in?

I have two. I’m a bit of a Francophile. I love Paris. And I do really love New York. My dad was from there.

Favorite childhood television show?

Pee Wee’s Playhouse. I’m staring at things from the show right now!

Favorite ice cream.

I like inclusions. So, I’ll say Mint chocolate chip.

If you could choose a superpower, what would it be?

Teleportation, hands down.

Favorite book from childhood?

Beatrix Potter books. I was really steeped in those when I was a kid. And that definitely led me as an adult to making books that featured animals. They were “delicate,” those books, with whimsy before I knew what whimsy was.

LJ: How can readers obtain a copy of the book?

JB: The book can be ordered at your local independent bookstores, Books of Wonder, Bookshop.org, Barnes and Noble, or Amazon, or any place books are sold.

About the Author 

Jessixa Bagley is a children’s book author-illustrator with a background in fine art and comics. She has had work featured in publications such as New American Paintings, Highlights Magazine, The Stranger, and Illustoria Magazine. She’s also the author of the middle grade graphic novels Duel and Dear Jackie (illustrated by Aaron Bagley) and the author-illustrator of the middle grade graphic novel series Jazzy the Witch. Jessixa is a two-time Washington State Book Award recipient; first in 2016 for her debut picture book, Boats for Papa, and again in 2024 for her graphic novel, Duel. Jessixa also received a 2018 Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award for picture book Laundry Day. Many of her books are Junior Library Guild Selections. In her work, she’s drawn to animals and emotional themes often inspired by her own experiences. Jessixa also teaches and speaks about writing and illustration. She often illustrates for other writers and artistically collaborates with her husband, Aaron Bagley. Jessixa lives in Seattle with her husband and son.

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