Posts Tagged We Need Diverse MG

WNDMG Wednesday – Debut Author Noa Nimrodi

By Heather Murphy Capps on February 8, 2023 / Articles, WNDMG

Illustration by: Aixa Perez-Prado

WNDMG Wednesday – Debut Author Interview

Hello everyone, and happy WNDMG Wednesday to you. I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to debut author Noa Nimrodi today. Noa’s new book is NOT SO SHY (Kar-Ben/Lerner) and it launches on April 4, 2023. NOT SO SHY was a great read – I truly loved her well-realized characters and her gentle exploration of tough topics.

Full disclosure–Noa and I are in the same debut author cohort, and we also share a launch date for our books AND an editor, the fabulous Amy Fitzgerald!

About Not So Shy

Twelve-year-old Shai hates everything about moving to America from Israel. She’s determined to come up with a plan that will get her back home. Maybe she can go back with her grandparents when they come to visit. Or maybe she can win the drawing competition that’s offering a plane ticket to any destination in the world as a grand prize. Meanwhile, though, she’s stuck in seventh grade at an American school, where she has to communicate in English and get used to American ways of doing things. Worst of all, she faces antisemitism up close for the first time.

But she also finds support and friendship where she least expected it and starts to see her new life with different eyes. Maybe home doesn’t have to be the place she’s always lived. Maybe home is a place in the heart.

Interview with Noa Nimrodi

I loved getting to talk to Noa about her book, Not So Shy, and I think you will enjoy meeting her and Shai as well.

HMC: What is the origin story for Not So Shy?

NN: Not So Shy originated from personal experience (as you probably guessed…). The fictional Shai is loosely based on my middle child ,who was twelve-years old when we moved from Israel to the US. I also shamelessly stole her name for my main character (with her permission of course).

Although the story is fictional, it carries many emotional truths and a few based-on-a-true-story bits.Although the story is fictional, it carries many emotional truths and a few ‘based-on-a-true-story’ bits.

Drawing Courage

HMC: So many important and wonderful themes in your book – being Jewish in the United States, music, learning to live in a foreign country, making new friends, and an exploration of the issue of genetically modified food. Can you talk more about what it was like to write Shai’s experiences dealing with antisemitism?

NN: The main incident of blunt antisemitism that is described in the book is based on a true event that happened to my daughter. Shaping and incorporating that experience into a work of fiction helped me gain insight and in a way, like with other issues I tackled in the book, it was a cathartic process. In real life, Shai kept this incident from me and my husband for years. I hope young readers will draw courage to speak up when caught in similar unfortunate situations.

Tackling Misconceptions and Skewed Opinions

HMC: The subject of food and science is important to Shai—can you talk more about how you became inspired to write about food science?

NN: As writers, what we’re concerned/intrigued/passionate about, finds its way into our writing, and such was the case with GMOs in this book. I’ve always been intrigued with science, my husband has been in the biotech industry for many years and my dad is a scientist.

I worry when important issues, which are too nuanced to be summed into infographics, are shared and reposted carelessly on social media. The ease in which information (and misinformation) is spread these days allows for misconceptions and skewed opinions to be regarded as facts. This goes for how we view new inventions in science as much as it goes for how some perceive the state Israel, so it made sense to me to tie in the controversies of GMOs into the book.

Bridging the Gap Between People

HMC: One of my favorite lines in the book is, “Music is my favorite language now.” Do you play trumpet like your main character, Shai? Do you love the language of music as much as she?

NN: I do love the language of music! I believe it can bridge the gaps between people of all backgrounds. When we listen to music we tap into universal emotions. Music has the power to connect people in a magical way.

(and it’s pretty cool that music notes are the same all over the world).

I myself never played an instrument (I wish I did…), but my daughter Shai played the saxophone in the school band, and she still remembers how in her first tough months when English didn’t come easy, she eagerly waited for seventh period Band, where she felt less of an outsider when immersed in the language of music.

The fictional Shai plays the trumpet since (research has taught me) it’s the easiest instrument to play with a broken arm. (For those who haven’t read the book yet, Shai breaks her arm before the beginning of the school year).

HMC: Each of your chapters has three words. Is there a thematic or symbolic reason for that choice?

NN: Hmmmm. Thematic or symbolic reasoning would have been clever of me… but admittedly, it was a happy accident. I first used the words for myself, just to sum up what happens in each chapter as I wrote it, later deciding (with the support of my critique group) that it does a good job at hooking the reader and hinting what’s to come in each chapter. I suspected this might be cut out at the editing stages, but it remained as an integral part of the book.

Including Easter Eggs

HMC: Authors often include so-called “Easter eggs” in their books—do you have any in Not So Shy?

NN: I love this question! There are some “Easter eggs” in the book. Very few are consciously intentional (the name of the middle school Shai attends, for example, is a nod to the middle school my kids attended, I deliberately slightly distorted the name). Other surprise eggs (which my kids claim to have found) were woven in unintentionally, and so far I have yet to admit otherwise… 😉

((Enjoying this interview on WNDMG? Read this one from our vault, with contributors Jonathan Rosen and Melissa Roske))

Finding Personal Resonance

HMC: What part of writing this book was for you personally, for Noa Nimrodi?

NN: A pretty big part… When I began writing this book from the perspective of my daughter Shai, I believed I was drawing from the experiences of my three kids (we moved from Israel to the US when they were seven, twelve and fourteen). But as I tapped deeper into the emotions of my main character, It dawned on me that I was also writing about myself (by the age of twelve I’ve moved from Israel to the US and back, twice). I realized in hindsight that subconsciously I was uncovering layers of feelings and emotions that were tucked away for decades. (Maybe I was writing for twelve-year-old-me…)

Writing the Next Book

HMC: Can you tell us anything about your next project?

NN: I’m working on a middle grade novel which is pretty different than Not So Shy, but in a way also reflects my concern with misconceptions. I’ll vaguely say it has elements of mystery, bits of magic, a pet pig, a sassy parrot, twin sisters who’s older sister mysteriously disappears and a misunderstood elderly Holocaust-survivor neighbor facing Holocaust denial in the gossip-driven town they live in.

I’m a slow writer, and my agent hasn’t even seen any part of this one yet, so you probably won’t see it on shelves anytime soon.

Bonus!

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

NN: I’d love to share how much it means to me to belong to the 2023Debut group. There is such a great sense of comradery in this group, and such heartwarming interactions of likeminded people all rooting for each other. I’m so glad I got to meet you through this group, Heather, and I want to take this opportunity to recommend your fantastic debut Indigo and Ida to everyone reading this interview— I loved it. I’m thrilled that our books are coming out on the same day! (along with another excellent debut— Good Different, by the talented Meg Eden Kuyatt! Looking forward to the triple book-birthday on 4/4/23 !!)

Visiting Israel

HMC: For those of us who plan to visit Israel one day (HMC raises hand) what is one thing you (or Shai) would tell us we MUST do?

NN: Oooo! This is a tough one! Just one thing? Ok, besides the obvious touristy musts (you don’t need me for those), I’d say take a walk on the beach in Tel Aviv and have an Israeli breakfast in one of the restaurants located on the waterline with your bare feet in the sand. Continue to Shuk Ha’Carmel and take in the sounds, the colors, and the flavors of this one of a kind market. Get a freshly squeezed cup of juice (orange, carrot, pomegranate, or a mix!), and if you’re not too full from breakfast have some falafel, or shwarma. Ok, I’ll stop here, I can go on and on, especially about the food, because food in Israel is seriously the best in the world (and Shai would say the same).

Thank you so much, Noa! Best of luck to you with your debut … and I look forward to reading more titles by you one day soon.

About Noa Nimrodi

Noa Nimrodi is an Israeli-American author/illustrator living near the ocean in Southern California. As a designer, oa worked on displays in bookshops and gravitated most to children’s books, sparking her passion to create her own. Two of her Hebrew-language books, one which she also illustrated, have been published in Israel. When not writing, Noa can be found reading a variety of genres, creating all sorts of art, and running on the beach in Carlsbad (with or without her two dogs).

Preorder Not So Shy:

Bookshop

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

Stay in touch with Noa!

Twitter

Insta

WNDMG Wednesday – Holiday Gifts for MG Readers

By Heather Murphy Capps on December 14, 2022 / Articles, WNDMG

Illustration by: Aixa Perez-Prado

Holiday Gifts for MG Readers

Welcome to WNDMG Wednesday – the holiday edition! Looking for holiday gifts for your MG readers?

How about a video game or virtual reality goggles?

Ha.

Not April Fools yet, sorry, I got confused.

But seriously folks, how about books … and not just books, but a subscription book box? I’ve got the perfect idea: the Atlas Book Club, founded by Bunmi Emenanjo. The Atlas Book Club was created specifically with diversity in mind: to provide a way for kids to read in a way that builds global awareness, cultural consciousness, empathy, and understanding.

Lucky for us at WNDMG, we got to talk to Bunmi a little bit about the Atlast Book Club, and we can’t wait to introduce her.

Interview with Bunmi Emenanjo

WNDMG: What made you decide to start Atlas?

BE: In 2016, my husband and I moved with our kids to our current home in a lovely neighborhood with very little diversity. To ensure the kids remain connected to their heritage, I started a children’s book club initially focused on African books. This book club included kids from different backgrounds made up of kids of friends and from our neighborhood. Also, whenever I was a Guest Lucky forReader at the kids’ elementary school, I selected books from our diverse collection. This usually led to interesting conversations with kids who normally would not have exposure to books set in countries such as Uganda or Burkina Faso. I saw how these books set all over the world resonated with my kids and other kids. My observation was that kids need to see themselves in the books that they read! When they do it helps build their confidence and have a sense of belonging. I also observed that kids are yearning to learn about cultures different from their own! What started off as a home book club where we read books set in different parts of Africa eventually grew into an exploration of countries all over the world. Since launching Atlas Book Club as a business in 2019, we have explored over 25 countries through our book selections!

Atlas Book Club Focuses on Global Diversity

WNDMG: In a time when there’s so much choice in subscription book boxes—and some of those choices do include a focus on diversity—how does Atlas set itself apart from the rest?

EB: Atlas Book Club is different because our focus is on global diversity. We believe that cultural competence is an important aspect of a child’s education and development. We also believe that we do our kids a disservice by not introducing them to global culture when they are young because they will enter, as adults, a workforce that will be more globally diverse than ever.

Our focus, with our boxes, is to bring global culture to a child through a fun, engaging, and interesting book. We are also very intentional about the books that make it into our boxes. Every decision we make is towards fulfilling our mission – (1) to help children of color see themselves in the books that they read; (2) to help all children travel the world and experience global culture through the books we select; and (3) to help shatter single story narratives and stereotypes by showcasing diversity within cultures. Every single item in our box is designed to fulfill that mission. For example, our Fun Facts card typically contains facts that are not well known and that celebrate different parts of the culture of the country we are exploring. We also include a local sourced souvenir from the featured country, which in turn supports a local family or community in that country. We are very particular about the book select and they have to fit certain criteria – we feature books with protagonists of color in genres that do not typically have kids of color as the main character such as magical realism or historical fiction; we ensure that we include books that show kids just being regular kids; and we do not shy away from complex societal issues. Lastly, we explore countries that most people are not even thinking about including Turkey, Iran, Haiti, Botswana, Korea, Peru, and Australia with a focus on Aboriginal history and culture, just to name a few.

Diversity Within Race and Culture Too

WNDMG: You’ve committed to selecting a variety of books that showcase diversity “not just in race and culture, but also diversity within race and culture.” Can you talk a little bit about why that’s such an important distinction?

EB: This is one of the main parts of our mission and we take it very seriously. Often countries have a single story or a narrative that most people associate with that country which can end up fostering dangerous stereotypes. We believe that children are intelligent enough to understand that there are different aspects to every culture and country, we just have to teach them. When a child learns that diversity within cultures exist, they grow up with an awareness and sensitivity that will only serve them well as adults. Even more importantly, it helps them develop a level of respect for these cultures, and an understanding that to really know a person, you must seek to know who they are and where they are from and not simply assume certain things about them based on narratives that exist out in the world.

Furthermore, cultures and countries around the world have such rich, interesting histories and traditions that to boil them down to a single narrative is to lose out on so much richness and stories that could really broaden our understanding of people and of the world. A good example of this is the book You Bring the Distant Near which was featured in one of our YA boxes. This book exposed our readers to Indian Bengali culture. This nuance is important because we were able to dive into the diversity that exists within Indian culture and other South Asian countries. We learned, during our conversation with author Mitali Perkins, the difference between Indian Bengalis and Bangladesh Bengalis, and the history of the Bengal region. This is an example of what we mean by showcasing diversity within cultures through our book selections.

((Looking for additional holiday book suggestions? Check out Rosanne Parry’s latest Diverse Book List HERE))

Working with Parents, Schools, and Libraries

WNDMG: Do you have any partnerships with libraries or schools to support diversity and a global perspective in their collections?

EB: We offer a number of consulting packages to schools, libraries and parenting groups to help them build a book collection and curriculum that is diverse and inclusive in an intentional manner. It is extremely important to create an environment where ALL children can see themselves represented and feel like they truly belong.

WNDMG: Even though your books are curated for young readers, we know adults love to read middle-grade and young adult as well. What kind of responses have you had from parents of your readers?

EB: Ha! I love the parents that snatch up the books before their kids can get to it! The YA books and some of the middle grade ones have been a hit with the parents. You will find that YA books set in other parts of the world have stories that are deep, complex and quite satisfying. Atlas YA books are not all fluff! We have the occasional romance novels but these YA books are simply fantastic. My favorite book of 2020 was one of our YA selections called The Things She’s Seen which we featured when we explored the Aboriginal people of Australia, and it is incredible. And my favorite book this year so far is a middle-grade book called Other Words for Home that just hit me square in the gut. It is featured in our Syria Box.

Kids Feel Seen

WNDMG: Do you have a favorite story of an interaction you’ve had with your book subscribers?

EB: My favorite is a story a mom told me about her Nigerian-American son who attended a mostly white school. He read the book Ikenga by Nnedi Okorafor—a fantasy book with a Nigerian boy as the main character—and he loved the book so much he took it to his school librarian and advocated for the book to be added to his school library. He felt like the book represented so much of him and his culture that his classmates should get to read the book too. This really hit home because he validated what we have always believed – when kids see themselves represented in the books that they read, it helps with their sense of identity and belonging. They feel seen. This kid felt seen by reading the book Ikenga and felt his friends should see him, too.

Next for Atlas

WNDMG: What’s next for Atlas?

EB: Gosh! So much we would love to do! We would love to deepen our relationship with the homeschooling community. Our boxes have been such a hit with homeschooling families because they are perfect for social studies, geography and language arts with a focus on global culture. We also would like to grow our consulting clients because we feel that parents and schools do want to ensure that their libraries are diverse and inclusive, and they do want to provide these options to their students, but they do not know where to start! Our goal is to help schools, libraries and parents get there.

About Bunmi Emenanjo:

(Bio excerpted from Work With Me page on Atlas Website)

With over 17 years as an attorney, I have worked in spaces that span the spectrum from the think-tank Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, biotechnology companies, a number of federal agencies to the White House. The diversity of my work experience allows me to be able to communicate with individuals from different professional and personal backgrounds in a manner that resonates such that they feel seen and heard. As a student of vulnerability and authenticity, I bring all that I have learned to the table,

Stay in Touch with Atlas:

Instagram

Facebook

For more on subscriptions, homeschooling, and school visits, check out the Atlast website HERE.

WNDMG Wednesday — Call for Submissions

By Heather Murphy Capps on November 9, 2022 / Articles, WNDMG

Illustration by: Aixa Perez-Prado

WNDMG Wednesday Submissions

It’s a WNDMG Wednesday call for submissions! This month we’re excited to tell you that we’re looking to expand our team. We’ve been a fixture on the Mixed-Up Files blog for two years now, providing readers with once-a-month posts designed to center diverse writers, books, and readers.

Now it’s time to grow! We’re eager to add more voices to those to contribute content for this important series.

Who Should Apply?

Do you love middle-grade books as much as we do? Are you a middle-grade book writer, librarian, or media specialist from an underrepresented or marginalized community? We’re eager to add your voice to the ongoing conversation about diversifying our bookshelves!

WNDMG Contributor Responsibilities

Posting: WNDMG is part of the Mixed-Up Files blog team, which means our contributors work together with the whole blog to keep us running. As a WNDMG contributor, we would ask you to post 2-3 times a year for the series, plus possibly 1-2 times a year for the blog as well.

We value original, quality posts on discussion-invoking topics about diversifying our bookshelves and the publishing industry, unique book lists, or author interviews.

((What don’t we do? Book reviews or self-published books.))

Promotion: We need dedicated new members who will commit to regularly promoting our blog via their own social media pages as well as our own. We also urge you to share the good news when our members have a launch or great news to share!

Blog Upkeep: We ask EACH Mixed-Up Files/WNDMG contributor to take at least one blog maintenance job. A few examples of these jobs (there are more!) are:

Updating one of our social media pages
Keeping our Oh MG! sidebar news updated
Interview team (they rotate taking interview requests that come in…but Mixed-Up Files members are always welcome to coordinate interviews themselves!)

If you’re interested in joining us, click here to fill out an application.

Tip to help you prepare: Read some of our posts here: We Need Diverse Middle Grade. What would you like to see in this series? Use that to help you craft your submission sample.

Please spread the word to others who might be interested. If you applied a while back and would still like to join us, we’d be happy to receive a new application from you.

Applications will be open until December 1. We can’t wait to hear from you and will contact all applicants by mid December. If you have questions, we’re happy to answer them—leave a comment below.

Posts Tagged We Need Diverse MG

WNDMG Wednesday – Debut Author Noa Nimrodi