Posts Tagged Middle Grade

WNDMG Wednesday- Author Interview with Marzieh Abbas

By Shifa Safadi on August 13, 2025 / Diversity, WNDMG

I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Marzieh Abbas. Marzieh is a celebrated award-winning author of so many books- from chapter books to picture books to beautiful board books. I have loved so many of her books, and my kids love them too!

And I am so excited to interview her about her debut gorgeous new middle grade novel in verse!

Her title is called “Aarzu All Around” which launched from Salaam reads/Simon Kids on July 29, 2025.

I love Muslim representation and verse novels, and I cannot wait to read this one!

About Aarzu All Around:

Description taken from online:

“Heartfelt and triumphant.” —Rajani LaRocca, Newbery Honor–winning Author of Red, White, and Whole

A cricket-loving Pakistani girl stifled by patriarchal expectations disguises herself as a boy to get a job to pay her sister’s medical bills in this “lyrical action-packed debut full of determination and grit” (Reem Faruqi, award-winning author of Golden Girl).

Living with her aunt and patriarchal uncle in Karachi, Pakistan, recently orphaned twelve-year-old Aarzu detests the way she and her younger sister get treated like extras and excluded from all the fun stuff. Aarzu dreams of playing cricket, just like her male cousins and the neighborhood boys in the streets, but her uncle will hear nothing of it. According to him, girls ought to master the art of making round rotis, not play sports.

When her sister requires urgent medical treatment but finances are tight, Aarzu decides to earn money herself. She hears of a part-time job at a bungalow near her school—but it’s only open to boys. Aarzu has no choice but to disguise herself as a turban-wearing boy to get the gig.

Now, Aarzu must find a way to balance school, work, chores, and secret cricket practices—all without burning out or getting caught by her uncle—or else her dreams of making the girls cricket team and her quest to save her sister will crumble around her.

Interview with Marzieh:

I loved getting to talk to Marzieh about her new book and I know you will enjoy meeting her and Aarzu as well.

MA: Thanks for having me, Shifa! I’m currently using one of your books as a mentor text, so it feels extra special to be here, chatting with you today!

SSS: Thank you!

First off- what a gorgeous cover. I loved how you included cricket. I actually don’t know anything about cricket, and I am sure so many readers will be learning a lot about it! Did you set off knowing you wanted to write a book about this sport? (side question: do you play!)

MA: I love the cover too! Chaaya Prabath is so talented, and I love that she read (and loved) the whole book despite having a brief for the elements I wanted on the cover. I’ve been extremely lucky with all the talented artists and teams I’ve gotten a chance to work with.

Coming to the second part of your question, I’ve been getting messages from readers about how much they enjoyed learning about cricket. There’s a short section where I explain how it’s played and who doesn’t love learning about a new sport?

Some background to why I chose to write about cricket: I was born, and grew up in the UAE till I was 12. When we moved to Pakistan I turned extremely patriotic— suddenly, I felt like I belonged and it wasn’t hard falling in love with cricket in a cricket-crazy nation. I mean, I used to watch the game with my Abu, my dad, even when we lived in Dubai, but experiencing the atmosphere in Karachi during a match is a completely different experience. The whole muhalla, or neighborhood, throbs with excitement! When I decided I wanted to set the book in Pakistan, I knew I wanted it to center around cricket. I never got to play, though. In school, we played baseball and netball, and growing up, there wasn’t a girls cricket team in Pakistan. I used to watch the neighborhood boys play and remember wanting to, but not being allowed (by the boys) to play. After I got married, I played with my nephews and nieces sometimes, but never with proper rules, always just for fun.

SSS: As a mom of three Muslim girls, I love Muslim representation to empower them and make them feel proud of themselves. And I love the hijab on the cover too! How was the process writing the hijabi and Muslim rep in the book?

MA: Oh, it came very naturally to me. I’ve been wearing the hijab since I was nine. Despite living in Muslim countries, I have often felt judged for my hijab. I purposely didn’t want all the girls in my novel to be hijabis, because I wanted to show we Muslims aren’t a monolith in our practices. I also wanted to show girls who were curious about Aarzu’s hijab, because not everyone understands the significance it holds in our faith, and this was an opportunity to showcase my faith and beliefs. I hated being questioned about my hijab when I was younger and honestly got tired of answering questions like ‘aren’t you hot in it?” or “can you hear us clearly?” Even though those questions sometimes came from a place of curiosity and concern. My favorite thing to do once I’ve finished a book is write the dedication and this is what I have down for Aarzu All Around:

For all the hijabis.

May our stories be celebrated,

Our voices heard,

And our dreams realized.

Ameen.

SSS: I love reading books set in other countries. How was it writing the book set in Pakistan? Was it fun to include details?

MA: It was! I found myself rediscovering sights and sounds I used to find fascinating when I was new to Pakistan. The bazaars and alleyways are a vibe and I wanted to capture all the beauty in the chaos for foreign readers! The flowers, the birds, the foods, the scents, everything!

SSS: I know your book is about girls overcoming misogyny, which is a problem not exclusive to Eastern society but is present unfortunately in different forms around the world! Can you tell us a little bit more about how Aarzu deals with this issue?

MA: Aarzu and her younger sister, Sukoon, have to deal with a misogynistic uncle, in whose house she stays after her parents pass away in an earthquake. While this may come across as a stereotype to readers who only read the book’s description, I go into a lot of detail in the book to make it clear that not all eastern men are the way that the media frames them to be. We often confuse cultural norms with religious rulings, which is really unfair to Islam. I wanted to make it clear that Islam gives a lot of respect to women, and our Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) lived this in his dealings with his daughter, Fatimah, and other women. I also draw upon other stories from the Quran and the strength of women mentioned in several chapters of the Quran, and significant women in Islamic history—- it is their stories of strength and resilience that Aarzu uses to eventually come clean… sure she makes some mistakes along the way, hiding her choices (and thus lying), but all along she feels the prick of guilt because she knows her religion teaches her better. But, I had to keep her character real, flawed, and believable.

Link to order here.

Writing Process

SSS: When did you start writing the story and was the process a long one?

MA: I took about six months to write this novel. I was also simultaneously learning how to write this longer form– learning about where which beats in the story should fall and how to weave in backstory and all that fun stuff. So, no, I wouldn’t say it took long to write. I did spend a lot of time revising once i got the bones of the story down.

SSS: How is the process of writing a novel in verse different from picture books and chapter books?

MA: I feel writing longer form is challenging because of the number of threads and themes you have to keep track of. You also need to significantly develop side characters and keep track of what you reveal when. Since I was coming from a background of writing picture books (which are just 500ish words) and early reader chapter books (my Nadia & Nadir series), I needed a way to keep myself more organized. I set up a spreadsheet to keep track of the timeline as I revised and also used a wall in my house to colorful sticky notes for each act in the novel. This way I could move things around and add and subtract scenes as I revised.

SSS: Any advice for fellow middle-grade authors?

MA: I’d say find yourself 3-4 beta readers and do get feedback on your premise before you begin writing– it always helps to know what people think of your initial idea and what parts aren’t making sense and what parts are working. Once you start writing, I feel it’s good to hold off on feedback until you’re done with a first draft. With my current WIP I got feedback too early and now feel torn about which direction to go in. It’s back to the drawing board and some journaling for me to figure out what I really want my story to be about–what message do I want my readers to takeaway? What discussions do I want my book to spur?

Bonus!

SSS: Bonus question! Is there anything I haven’t asked that you’d like to share with us?

MA:How is it living on the opposite side of the globe to where your book releases?

Answer: It’s so tough! I don’t get to physically see my book on bookshelves and don’t get to do readalouds or booksignings. It isn’t always convenient to travel and connect with your target audience. Everything has to be virtual and isn’t as special as it would be in-person! Marketing and getting booked for author visits is also a struggle, because it’s so much easier to reach out if you live/can travel to different libraries and schools in your vicinity. My books also take a while to become available locally and so even though I have friends wanting to support my work, there’s a big lag. But I’m so grateful to be doing what I do.

SSS: What else can we look forward to from you?

MA: I have a new nonfiction picture book, THE CAMEL LIBRARY, A TRUE STORY FROM PAKISTAN, and a board book, RADIANT RAMADAN, releasing this year.

Thank you Marzieh for joining us!

For more Pakistani rep in MG books check out these two interviews, here and here!

About Marzieh Abbas:

Marzieh Abbas is a baker turned award-winning author. She loves adding magic to her creations, from a seven-layered rainbow cake to the books she writes for children all over the world. Her work is inspired by her Pakistani culture and Muslim heritage. Marzieh is a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge and a graduate of the Lyrical Language Lab and Children’s Book Academy. She is the author of the popular chapter book series Nadia and Nadir and the middle grade novel Aarzu All Around. A Dupatta Is… is her debut picture book and she has several upcoming board and picture books. She occasionally writes under the name Marzieh A. Ali. Marzieh enjoys learning new skills, jumping rope, sipping chai, and observing nature. She dreams of owning a talking parrot someday. But until then, she lives in Pakistan with her husband and children who inspire her daily. You can find her on the web at MarziehAbbas.com.

Cool new releases for this hot summer!

By Julie K. Rubini on August 1, 2025 / Articles, New Releases

Check out these awesome reads to get middle-grade readers through these last hot days of summer!

The Library of Unruly Treasures, by Jeanne Birdsall, Knopf Books for Young Readers, 352 pp. Release Date: August 5

Gwen MacKinnon’s parents are dreadful. Truly, deeply, almost impressively dreadful. So Gwen’s not upset at all when she’s foisted onto her never-before-seen Uncle Matthew for two weeks. Especially when it turns out he has a very opinionated dog named Pumpkin.

Things take a turn for the weird when Gwen makes a discovery in the local library. A discovery that involves tiny creatures with wings. And no, they’re not birds. They’re called Lahdukan. But why can only Gwen and the youngest children, gathered for storytime, see them?

The Lahdukan insist that Gwen is destined to help them find a new home. But how can a girl as unwanted, uncourageous, and generally unheroic as Gwen possibly come to the rescue? Pumpkin has a few ideas…

The Memory Spinner by C.M. Cornell, Delacorte Press, 288 pp. Release Date: August 12

Since her mama died, thirteen-year-old Lavender has a disastrous memory problem. She forgets her lessons with her papa, an apothecary. She develops elaborate evasions to hide her lack of memory of the herbs and remedies she must learn to attain her dream of being an apothecary apprentice. Worst of all, she forgets memories of her mama.

Despite her papa’s disdain for magic, Lavender seeks a memory remedy from a clothing enchantress named Frey. As the two develop a friendship, Frey uses her spinning magic to help Lavender re-experience past moments with her mama. Lavender hears her mama’s laughter again, her singing voice, and how it felt to be wrapped in her hugs.

But when Lavender discovers the truth about Frey’s magic and its vengeful purpose she must decide whether to stay immersed in beloved memories with her mama or save the people she loves most in the present.

The Space Cat, by Nnedi Okorafor and Tana Ford, First Second, 176 pp. Release date: August 12

Ah, yes, the luxurious life of a well-loved cat. It’s the best. And Periwinkle has it the cushiest. But there’s more to this pampered pet than meets the eye. He’s not just a house cat. He’s a space cat. By day, he’s showered with scritches, cuddles, and delicious chicken fillets. By night, he races through the cosmos in his custom-built spaceship.

Between epic battles with squeaky toys and working on ways to improve his ship, Periwinkle is never bored. And when his humans decide to leave the United States and move to the small but bustling town of Kaleria, Nigeria, he’s excited to explore his new home—even after he learns that many Nigerians hate cats. After all, a born adventurer like Periwinkle doesn’t shy away from new experiences. But not everything in Kaleria is as it seems. Soon enough, Periwinkle finds himself on his most out-of-this-world adventure yet, right here on Earth.

Dive by John David Anderson, Walden Pond Press, 336 pp. Release date: August 19

From the moment Kassandra Conner leaps from the diving board to the moment she hits the water, everything feels in control.

The rest of her life does not.

St. Lawrence Academy is supposed to have everything Kass’s old school didn’t: safe hallways, small classes, and, most important, a chance to dive. But since transferring, all Kass can think about is what’s missing. Like her best friend, Aleah, who’s starting to pull away. Or the comfortable life so many of her classmates enjoy while Kass’s family’s restaurant struggles to stay afloat. Even the excitement she always felt in the pool, now that she’s on the same team as Amber Moore—the best diver in the state, who’s barely said two words to her all year.

Kass feels like she’s drowning, until she meets a boy named Miles. He’s a diver, too—someone who searches through dumpsters in the posh side of town for things he can salvage or sell. Miles knows what it’s like to be boxed in by things you can’t control, and as Kass spends more and more time with him, she starts to wonder what would happen if she tried to break out of her own box—and what she might lose by doing so.

space case The Graphic Novel by Stuart Gibbs, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 360 pp. Release Date: August 19

For twelve-year-old Dashiell Gibson, living on the moon is a dream come true. Except for the low-gravity lunar toilets. And the food. And the part where his best friend lives about 250,000 miles away. And how there are almost no other kids up here, except for his kid sister and a couple of billionaire bullies. Oh, right, and the fact that a fellow lunarnaut just died—and only Dashiell knows that his death wasn’t an accident.

Plenty of people on the moon base are hiding something, but which of them are capable of murder? It’s up to Dashiell to figure it out—before the killer strikes again.

An out-of-this-world full-color graphic novel!

Dream On by Shannon Hale and Marcela Cespedes, Roaring Brook Press, 240 pp. Release Date: August 26

Something is missing from Cassie’s life.

Her parents don’t have much money, she has to share her bedroom (and bed!) with her sisters, and her family never seem to have time for her. To make matters worse, her best friend Vali is always busy with a new friend.

When Cassie gets a letter from a magazine sweepstakes with the words “YOU’RE THE WINNER” stamped on the front, she thinks it’s the answer to all her problems.

She could buy new furniture to replace their shabby old sofa. Or maybe a car so her family doesn’t have to take two trips to go places. Or maybe she can make Vali her best friend forever by taking her on a fabulous vacation. The possibilities are endless, like an all-you-can-eat buffet!

But will prizes really solve Cassie’s problems?

And what will she lose if she doesn’t win anything at all?

With bright and charming illustrations by Marcela Cespedes and Lark Pien, Dream On is a joyful story filled with imagination, big dreams, and wonder. This book is perfect for readers who want to enjoy a gentle and accessible friendship story, as well as anyone looking for SEL themes about empathy, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

This story also features children experiencing high sensitivity, big emotions, and feelings of sadness, making it a helpful tool to spark conversations and connections with young readers.

The Forest of a Thousand Eyes by Frances Hardinge and Emily Gravett, Amulet Books, 128 pp. Release Date: August 26

One thing Feather knows to be true is that given the chance, the Forest will devour her home just like it’s devoured everything else in her world. Her small community lives in a section of the crumbling Wall that runs through and above the trees, doing everything they can to keep the Forest out.

When a stranger tricks Feather and makes off with her people’s precious spyglass, she has no choice but to go after him, coming face-to-face with the Forest’s dangers–and to revelations beyond her wildest imagination.

In the same stunning format as Island of Whispers, this story about perseverance and community from Costa Book Award winner Frances Hardinge and acclaimed illustrator Emily Gravett is sure to become a new classic.

Schooled, by Jamie Sumner, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 224 pp. Release Date: August 26

Eleven-year-old Lenny Syms is about to start college—sort of. As part of a brand-new experimental school, Lenny and four other students are starting sixth grade on a university campus, where they’ll be taught by the most brilliant professors and given every resource imaginable. This new school is pretty weird, though. Instead of hunkering down behind a desk to study math, science, and history, Lenny finds himself meditating, participating in discussions where you don’t even have to raise your hand, and spying on the campus population in the name of anthropology.

But Lenny just lost his mom, and his Latin professor dad is better with dead languages than actual human beings. Lenny doesn’t want to be part of some learning experiment. He just wants to be left alone. Yet if Lenny is going to make it as a middle schooler on a college campus, he’s going to need help. Is a group of misfit sixth graders and one particularly quirky professor enough to pull him out of his sadness and back into the world?

Getting Inventive with Authors Dylan Thuras & Jen Swanson

By Melissa Roske on July 31, 2025 / Articles, Author Interviews

Today, authors Dylan Thuras and Jen Swanson stop by to chat with Melissa Roske about their forthcoming collaboration, The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World (Workman Publishing, August 12, 2025), the highly anticipated follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid.

The book, illustrated by Ruby Fresson, is a STEM-oriented exploration of the planet’s 50 most interesting inventions and scientific discoveries, sending middle-grade readers on an unforgettable trip to 94 locations around the planet and across time.

About the Authors

Dylan Thuras is a New York Times bestselling author and cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, a travel database that gets over 8 million visits a month. Dylan’s Atlas Obscura podcast is the #1 travel podcast in the United States.

Jennifer Swanson is a long-time contributor to the Mixed-Up Files blog and an award-winning author of nonfiction STEM books for children. She’s also a science communicator, podcaster, and lifelong explorer.

Interview with Dylan Thuras and Jen Swanson

MR: Dylan and Jen: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files! It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dylan—and, of course, to host you on the blog, Jen.

As stated in the into, Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World is a follow-up to the wildly successful Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid. What was the inspiration behind the original book, Dylan? I’m guessing you were a curious, STEM-loving kid?

Dylan: I was! Growing up I loved books like The Way Things Work by David Macaulay or the cutaway and exploded diagram series by Stephen Biesty. These books still hold up 30 years later! I still find them fascinating to look at, as do my kids. I also loved a BBC series called Connections, by James L. Burke that was a kind of mad trip through the history of science. This book is a nod to all of those influences, and for any kid (or adult) who wants to understand, how the modern world came to be.

In a similar vein, Jen: You have written and lectured widely on all things STEM. What sparked your interest in science, technology, engineering, and math? Also, what motivates you to share your passion for STEM with middle-grade readers?

Jen: I was a very curious kid! As many people have heard me say before, I’ve loved science my whole life. I started a science club in my garage when I was seven years old. I am interested in everything and want to understand how things work, interact, and fit together. I think pretty much all kinds of technology are just cool. I hope to get kids (of all ages) to understand that science and STEM are all around them, all the time.

Picking and Choosing

MR: Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World offers a thoughtfully curated collection of scientific inventions from the printing press and gun powder to video games and artificial intelligence. With so many exciting inventions to choose from, how did you narrow it down to just 50? What did the selection process look like?

Dylan: Honestly you could do this book a thousand times, ha. (Jen you up for some sequels?) There are so many fun and surprising connections, it was painful not to be able to include them all. (The first pressure cooker was a precursor to the steam engine! Without ceramics you can’t make spark plugs!) Some of the main concerns in laying out the outline of connections was that it not get too obscure or technical and that the inventions be broad enough that people were familiar with them. It was also important that there were opportunities to reset the clock, so when we get to satellites we can go to maps, which effectively lets us jump back a few thousand years. Otherwise we get to the end too quickly! With all that in mind, this was the path that made the most sense and didn’t have any dead ends.

Jen: Ha! A sequel, DEFINITELY. Dylan is so right. There are tons of inventions that didn’t make it into the book. The brilliance of this book is how it is structured to take you down the pathway of some inventions but then backtracks to a different invention“path.” The vast majority of the inventions came from Dylan’s brain. He has a fabulous way of understanding the connections these inventions make with each other.

Making Connections

MR: Of all the inventions featured in the book, which fascinated you the most and why? On the flip side, what in your opinion is the most overrated invention and/or modern convenience you’ve come across?

Dylan: One connection that Jen clued me into was the link between particle physics and neuroscience. PET scans, MRI’s all come out of the hard physics fields, very often out of universities with particle accelerator labs. Even today the radio tracers we use to help diagnose diseases are made in a particle accelerator. I loved learning about that.

Most overrated invention… well, I really want this not to be the case, but fusion has been around the corner for a very long time. I really want it to work out but it seems like one of those things that might elude us for much longer to come. It’s an awfully hard problem!

Jen: That’s a tough question. At the moment, I am totally blown away by particle physics and space telescopes, so for me the invention path that humans took to get to both of these inventions is just amazing.

Most overrated invention in the book? Maybe the Hellbrunn Mechanical Theatre. The Archbishop of Salzburg commissioned an amazing clockwork display and also set up pranks with water to inconvenience his guests and make himself laugh. While the technology created was used for a frivolous purpose, it did allow humans to understand more about how objects can be automated, which eventually contributed to the building of robots farther down the invention path.

That’s Using Your Brain!

MR: There are SO many fascinating tidbits in your book, including the weight of the Da Vinci robot (1200 pounds), the size of the sundial at Jantar Mantah (over 88 feet), and the speed of the space shuttle Endeavour (17,400 mph or five times the speed of a bullet). I was particularly interested to learn about the Cushing Brain Center, in New Haven, Connecticut, where 2,200 human brains were donated to Dr. Harvey Cushing for his research. Can a person just walk in and check out the brains?

Dylan: You most certainly can! It’s not even the only brain collection in the U.S. Cornell has one, too! There really are brains in jars, but both collections and especially Dr. Cushing have been important to understanding the physical structures of the brain. We don’t get into this in the book, but that collection was mostly forgotten about and degrading in a hard to access part of the Yale basement. For years it was something the med students would dare each other to sneak into and look at. It’s much nicer now.

Jen: I wish! Learning about brains is soooo cool. I did a book about ten years ago called Brain Games by National Geographic Kids. That book is still around and going strong. Neurologists often give it to their adult patients to learn about how their brain works. I would love to visit the Cushing Brain Center one day.

MR: Also: As a person who’s afraid of heights, you couldn’t pay me enough to walk across the Zhangjiajie Glass Bridge, in Zhangjiajie, China (it’s 1400 feet long, suspended above a 1300-foot chasm). Have either of you crossed the bridge or want to?

Dylan: I haven’t been to that particular bridge but have crossed some other glass bridges. I dunno, I kind of like the thrill 🙂 I did get a chance to cross the Keshwa Chaca, or the last Incan bridge (and earliest suspension bridge we know of), which is a 100-foot-long bridge woven from grass that only lasts a year, at which point it is rewoven. That one is in the first book!

Jen: While I appreciate the amazing engineering and technology that it took to create this bridge, I, too, am afraid of heights, Melissa. There is NO way I would walk across it, or even put a toe on it. However, it might be fun to just see it in person. You know, safely, from one side.

Let’s Work Together

MR: Collaborating on a book of this magnitude must have been incredibly challenging, particularly with so many moving parts in play (see what I did there? ☺). Can you tell MUF readers how the two of you worked together to pull it off so beautifully? What was the research process like? Also, was travel involved?

Dylan: Not a ton of travel, sadly. I have been to some of the places, and Jen has been to a few, but mostly it was all done via email and Zoom. I had gotten the outline mostly together when Jen came on, and Jen was very game to try this very challenging exercise. It’s tough to explain internal combustion engines, much less quantum computing, in 150 words but we did our dang best. I am so grateful to have been able to make this book with Jen as my co-creator!

Jen: Oh, I wish there had been more travel! Now THAT would be an amazing task—to visit all of the places in the book. But as Dylan said, we did this mostly over Zoom. He had already created a fabulous outline and I helped with the research of filling in the spaces. We worked really well together and had a lot of fun. I’m honored to have been chosen to collaborate with Dylan on this. It’s a wonderful book and I hope one that will inspire many kids (again, of ALL ages).

Traveling the Globe

MR: Speaking of travel, Dylan, you are the personification of the word “globetrotter,” having traveled to more than 30 countries all over the world. When did you first get bitten by the travel bug? Also, of all the places you’ve visited, which ones stood out the most and why?

Dylan: Honestly, as a kid growing up in Minnesota it was all road trips around the Midwest. A trip up to Canada was very exotic! But those road trips made me fall in love with all the amazing and unusual roadside attractions. As I got older, I started saving my money and taking my own trips.

I did a big one all across Europe with a friend when I was 17 and then moved to Budapest when I was in my mid-twenties to teach English. Each trip made me realize how much more there was to see! It’s impossible to choose one favorite place, but I will say that on one of those road trips as a kid, we stopped by the House on the Rock, in Spring Green, Wisconsin. I was about 12 years old, and was the weirdest, most amazing place I had ever seen. 🙂

AI: Help or Hindrance?

MR: Changing gears, in the introduction to the book, you state that technology is “capable of harm.” Can you speak more to this? Similarly, what about A1? Should people be worried?

Dylan: Without question, technology is capable of harm. This has always been the case. Often technology is dual use, which is to say a spear can get you dinner or kill your neighbor. It has also been the primary driving force bringing people into better living standards, driving down childhood mortality, reducing disease, spreading information, and making room for creative pursuit. I do think if you look at the industrial revolution you see both the start of rising prosperity and a lot of environmental and human degradation as well. People have to fight and demand change to mitigate the ill effects.

I think we are somewhere similar in our own computing and information revolution. I think we like aspects of it and very rightly hate other aspects. I think AI, like the spear, is very much dual use. Possibly incredibly useful, especially in materials and biology research, and also potentially dangerous. But I am also a believer that these things are bit overhyped and diffuse a bit slower than people expect. It will change the world, but I don’t think things are going to change overnight. We are still undergoing the transition from a primary combustion world to a primary electrical world, and that will still be happening for our entire lifetimes. I also think the more you are worried about technology, the more having a deep understating of it helps you articulate what a positive vision of the future might look like!

Jen: Excellent answer, Dylan. I look at it in a similar but slightly different way. To me, technology is all about perspective. If you are the first to, say, create a satellite that can move anywhere in space, on the one hand that’s awesome! But the question is, how will you use that technology? Will it be for good in that you can move dead satellites to a “graveyard“ to get rid of the debris? That is a positive. Or will you move your satellite next to another country’s satellite so that you can push that one out of its orbit or destroy it. That perspective is not as positive. Technology is a dual-edged sword and to me, it’s the way it’s used that makes the difference. But as Dylan said, we could debate this for a long time.

MR: What are you guys working on now? Do you have another Atlas Obscura project on the horizon?

Dylan: Atlas Obscura has an adult book coming out in summer of 2026 called America Obscura, which is a journey through the places, people, and incredible road trips that make this country both beautiful, strange, and at times heartbreaking. Depending on how Inventing the World does, I am sure Jen and I would love to make a sequel, and Jen always has tons of exciting stuff in the works!

Jen: I’m totally game for a sequel, Dylan! My next book, Three Weeks in the Rainforest: A Rapid Inventory in the Amazon comes out this October. It follows the women-led team of scientists from the Field Museum in Chicago who work with Indigenous Peoples, local scientists, and non- governmental organizations to conduct a physical and social survey of certain areas of the Amazon rainforest. Readers get a firsthand account of real-life fieldwork in action and follow the scientists on their goal is to protect the Amazon rainforest from destruction.

Getting Inventive

MR: One last question: If you were to invent something in the future, what would it be?

Dylan: There are so many things we know how to do but fail to make happen for disappointing political- and resource-allocation reasons. So, I would invent better ways to get people the vitamins they are deficient in! A huge number of people remain deficient in iodine, for instance, so getting iodine into salt worldwide has been a huge effort. Getting people malaria nets! Stopping the advance of the screwworm fly! Vaccine access! All solved problems, except in actual application. It’s one thing to discover something and another to apply the good effects on the widest scale possible.

Jen: Great suggestions, Dylan; I agree with them all. This is a tough one because as I see it, we will keep inventing new and amazing things because we are innovative and curious to solve problems. But what we really need is perspective to make sure inventions are used in the best and most helpful ways. So, I would ask that we just keep creating more STEM-focused people that are curious, inventive, and also are great critical thinkers and problem solvers so that they can really think about how their invention can help people positively.

Lightning Round!

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

Preferred writing snack?

Dylan: Tortilla chips!

Jen: A cup of tea and an oatmeal raisin cookie

Coffee or tea?

Dylan: COFFEEEEEE

Jen: TEA!!!

Best invention of all time?

Dylan: Electricity generation. Insane.

Jen: Fire. Without it, we wouldn’t have survived to this point.

Robot takeover: Yea or nay?

Dylan: Robots everywhere, yea. Take over as in terminator? Nay.

Jen: Robots are COOL! But no takeover.

Superpower?

Dylan: General enthusiasm?

Jen: Flying! (which is funny, because I don’t like heights)

Favorite place on earth?

Dylan: In the heat of summer its my local swimming hole!

Jen: Edinburgh, Scotland. The view from the castle is one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

If you were stranded on a desert island with only three things, what would they be?

Dylan: A sailboat, a satellite phone, and a year’s supply of MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) haha. Be off that island in no time!

Jen: MRE’s? Ugh. I’ve had them. I’ll pass. But yes, a way to get off: a boat, a satellite phone, and a telescope. Seeing the night sky from an island would be incredible!

MR: Thank you for chatting with me today, Dylan and Jen. And congrats again on the forthcoming publication of Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World!

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.

Posts Tagged Middle Grade