Posts Tagged Summer books

Interview with Cassidy Wasserman about Graphic Novel ON GUARD!

Today, we’re excited to have Cassidy Wasserman with us on the Mixed-Up Files. I had the pleasure of reading her graphic novel On Guard!, which is releasing tomorrow, June 10!  I also got to interview her about the book, her inspiration and process, and more. Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us, Cassidy!Cover of On Guard by Cassidy Wasserman

 

The author’s note in the book shares that the original seed for this story was about a friend breakup but slowly became about the relationship between mothers and daughters. The line you shared about the real story finding you along the way was lovely, and I wondered if you could talk more about how the story on the page came to be. How did you know when that shift needed to happen?

When I started writing On Guard!, I was focused on Grace and Ava, and how they grew apart. As I wrote, I dug deep into the feelings I experienced in middle school that were likely to be a more universal experience for readers. The story of my parents’ divorce was prevalent in my mind, and I realized that there was a natural through line between Grace, Ava, and Grace’s mom. I decided the shift in focus had to come from Grace starting that school year all on her own, where her struggles at home and school are now completely intertwined. Not only do we see her struggling at home while butting heads with her mother’s personality, but even at school she’s faced with how much she believes her mother liked Ava more than her.

 

There is a lot of your own story inside of Grace’s (and it’s awesome that you’re both artists!). How did you approach weaving parts of your own life into the narrative?

I feel the best stories come from personal experiences. I approached adding these parts of my life to Grace’s story by picking the ones that felt the most relatable, and the ones that I hadn’t yet seen told. I mention in my author’s note that I didn’t get to see relatable stories of mothers and daughters growing up, and it was important for me that this feeling of alienation from your maternal figure would come through. I wanted to ensure the story was true to my lived experience.

 

Relationships are handled deftly in your work, whether it’s Grace with her mom, Grace with her dad, or Grace with her friends, old and new. It was fascinating to see how you gave all of these relationships space in the book—both in the text and in the art itself. Could you tell us how you balanced these threads?

It all comes down to pacing, and making sure every story is intertwined with another. Grace is going through quite a lot, and all of those relationships need their time on the page. I like to let the art tell the story where I can. When you can let a reader sit with a silent panel or two, it can have a big impact. I found that when the plotlines organically developed to suit the needs of Grace and the story, they all started to naturally click into place.

 

One of my favorite lines was when Grace admitted she mostly just wants to hold a sword—who doesn’t? There were many other powerful moments that came through analogies to fencing, like when Grace realizes she can only control her own moves, not her opponent’s. Could you tell us about how you got into fencing? Did that experience give you the idea for this book?

I could talk about fencing all day! When I was a kid, I read The Spiderwick Chronicles, and the sister in that book fences. Ever since then, I’d hoped to be able to do it myself someday. I didn’t get to fence in school, but after college I joined a local club. Epee just happened to be the only weapon they taught, as my coach was a collegiate women’s epee coach. (Go, Wellesley!) It worked out nicely, because epee is the simplest weapon to explain. Foil and saber have a few more rules. I was in love with the sport from the moment I walked into the club and heard the bell guards ringing. I had been mulling over a story about my “Ava” for a while, and after I starting fencing, it became clear.

 

You mentioned you’ve always loved to draw and read. Are there any favorite books or artists that have profoundly shaped you as an author-illustrator?

Lucy Knisley is a big influence on me when it comes to graphic novels. Her travelogues were my favorite thing to bring around in art school. I’ve also pored over Jen Wang’s artwork in The Prince and the Dressmaker a million times, and anything from Tony DiTerlizzi. Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol is also one of my favorites. The biggest influence on me as a writer, though, has to be Rick Riordan. I am a Percy Jackson kid through and through—it holds such a special place in my heart.

 

You’re also passionate about video games and work as a UX/UI artist. Do video games influence your creative process or storytelling?

Yes! Some of my favorite plots and stories to study are video games. The Last of Us in particular is incredible—I love how it deals with difficult topics and gray areas. My coworkers teach me to be a better artist and listener every day. As a UX/UI artist, I care deeply about accessibility and inclusion, and that naturally follows me to creating comics. Things like: Are the colors on the page workable for someone who is color blind? What about the font—is it easy to read for those with dyslexia? These are important questions when it comes to both comics and video games!

 

It sounds like book two for Grace is already underway! Will we get to see more fencing as well as more of Asher and Nia?

Yes! I cannot wait to dive deeper into their stories.

 

Do you have any other projects in the works we can get excited for?

I can’t say just yet, but stay tuned—I’m excited to show the world what’s next.

Cassidy Wasserman

If you could give writers any advice on how to keep writing even in the face of rejection or overwhelming odds, what would it be?

Keep going! Your story is worth telling—we need new perspectives on life. Take breaks when you need to and be kind to yourself, but don’t give up. Getting your story out there is sometimes about having it resonate with the right person, so writing something that is meaningful to you will always be worth that initial rejection.

No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so here it is!

Favorite place to write? My office!

Coffee or tea? Coffee, coffee, coffee!

Superpower? I want the chalk zone powers, where whatever you draw becomes real. I would draw myself so many ice cream sundaes.

Dream vacation? The Australia Zoo!

Dream job when you were a kid? I specifically wanted to be a “veterinarian, and an artist on my lunch breaks.”

House pet? Dogs and cats

 

Learn more about Cassidy and her projects at her website: https://www.cassidywasserman.com/

School’s Out For Summer! 19 summery novels

School’s out–or almost out–for summer, so as your middle grade reader heads into the long, warm days of summer, let them check out these 19 books that all have something to say about this transitional season!

PenderwicksThe Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall
This award-winning novel is the charming story of four sisters and their summer adventures at a beautiful estate called Arundel.

 

 

 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul by Jeff Kinney
Kinney is a master at cracking kids up and getting them to read… and read… and read. In these two books, he covers Greg’s summertime blues in all sorts of side-splitting ways.

LumberjanesThe Lumberjanes Vol. 1: Beware The Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson, Brooke A Allen and Shannon Watters
The publisher calls this best-selling comic book series (soon to be a movie!), “Buffy the Vampire Slayer meets Gravity Falls [that] features five butt-kicking, rad teenage girls wailing on monsters and solving a mystery with the whole world at stake.” What else needs to be said? #Obsessed!

 

 

The Watsons Go to WatsonsBirmingham-

by Christopher Paul Curtis
An award-winning novel that weaves the fictional story about ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, Michigan along with the violent summer of 1963, this books is  both funny and deeply moving.

Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
This incredibly popular adventures series about a boy who discovers his magical powers all have scenes set at Camp Half-Blood (making s’mores is not an activity there, as you can probably imagine). Great for all sorts of readers with a range of interests.

Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Brother/sister duo Jennifer and Matthew also created the popular Babymouse series. In Sunny Side Up, Sunny is sent to live with her grandfather one summer–for reasons her family won’t tell her–and her days, which she’d imagined would be full of fun and amusement (parks), turn out to be way less fun than she’d dreamt, at least until she meets a cool boy from her grandfather’s neighborhood.

CampDorkCamp Dork (Pack of Dorks) by Beth Vrabel
In this brand-new title (and the sequel to Pack of Dorks) Vrabel sends her appealing characters off to Camp Paleo for a week-long adventure, where plenty of fun, drama and intrigue abound.

 

 

 

The Applewhites at Wit’s End by Stephanie S. Tolan
The hilarious sequel to Stephanie S. Tolan’s Newbery Honor Book, Surviving the Applewhites, the Applewhite family returns, with grand plans to make money by turning their family land into a camp.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
A historical novel set in 1899 about an 11-year-old who “comes up against just what it means to be a girl at the turn of the century.”

MillicentMinMillicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee
11-year-old genius and current high school student Millicent is having a lousy summer as a social outcast (what with being a genius who’s already in high school and all) until she meets a new friend. Will Millicent be able to pull off looking cool? Find out in this funny novel by popular author Lisa Yee.

 

The Hidden Summer by Gin Phillips
After a falling out between their mothers, 12-year-old best friends Nell and Lydia are forbidden from seeing each other for the whole summer. Determined to find a place of their own, Nell and Lydia spend the summer hiding out in an abandoned golf course where they find mysterious symbols scattered throughout the grounds. As they reveal the secret of the symbols, Nell discovers she isn’t the only one seeking an escape. She begins to uncover what’s really been hidden all along… both inside the golf course and within herself.

MiddleSchoolMiddle School: How I Survived Bullies, Broccoli, and Snake Hill by James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts
Rafe thinks he’s about to have an awesome time at summer camp, until he finds out it’s a summer SCHOOL camp! Ugh! For fans of the popular Middle School series by publishing giant James Patterson, expect more of the series trademark laughs, gross-outs (including a kid named Booger-Eater) and excitement.

 

Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
The incredible changes that happen to one 10-year-old girl over the course of a summer, all because of the addition of a stray dog she finds at her local supermarket. From the deft and incredible Kate DiCamillo, who can do no wrong.

The Summer I Saved the World…in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz
From a member of the Mixed-Up Files team, this novel is about a Nina, who finds out what happens when she decides that for every one of the 65 days of summer break, she’ll anonymously do one good thing for someone in her family or neighborhood.

Camp Rolling Hills: Book One by Stacy Davidowitz
Finally, it’s summer! Stephanie—aka Slimey—has been counting the days until she can return to her favorite place in the entire world, Camp Rolling Hills. New kid Bobby, on the other hand, is pretty sure he’s in for the worst summer of his life. He does not understand his weirdo cabinmates, the group singing, and the unfortunate nicknames (including his: Smelly). But he does understand Slimey, and the two soon fall in crush. This summer might not be so bad after all! But then a fight sets off an epic, campwide, girls-versus-boys prank war. And it’s up to Slimey and Smelly to keep the peace.

Maximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian AngelMaximilian & the Mystery of the Guardian Angel: A Bilingual Lucha Libre Thriller by Xavier Garza
Margarito acts like any other eleven-year-old aficionado of lucha libre. He worships all the players. But in the summer just before sixth grade, he tumbles over therailing at a match in San Antonio and makes a connection to the world of Mexican wrestling that will ultimately connect him—maybe by blood!—to the greatest hero of all time: the Guardian Angel. Written and illustrated by the talented Xavier Garza, this will pull in readers that love action, images and plenty of excitement.

LastFirstDayThe First Last Day by Dorian Cirrone
Another MUF-er novel! Cirrone’s 11-year-old protagonist Haleigh must find out, “What if you could get a do-over—a chance to relive a day in your life over and over again until you got it right? Would you?”

 

 

 

 

HiRes Cover TIDEThe Turn of the Tide by MUF member Rosanne Parry
This summer adventure puts two cousins one from Oregon and one from Japan on a quest to win a  sailboat race, the same race their fathers won years ago. The only thing standing in their way is a former best friend with the fastest boat in town and a deathly fear of the water.

Andrea Pyros is the author of My Year of Epic Rock, a middle grade novel about friends, crushes, food allergies, and a rock band named The EpiPens.