Posts Tagged writing tips

Agency: The Dilemma for the Middle Grade Sleuth

By on January 17, 2025   /   Articles, Writing   /   Leave a comment

By C. M. Surrisi on January 17, 2025

Picture of children looking at a map

The Dilemma

Many authors who love middle grade mysteries would like to write one. Hurrah! We always welcome new mysteries. However, it is not uncommon in this endeavor to dive in with a clever idea and then at about page fifty, give up. Why? Because it’s darn hard for a kid to solve a mystery.

Why is that? To solve a crime, a sleuth needs the ability to take action that affects the investigation and outcome, or in a word: agency. The youth-sleuth has some inherent handicaps in this regard. So when writing the middle grade mystery, how do you deal with these obstacles, and what can you do to make the most of them?

Fortunately, there is an established model which appeared in the earliest middle grade mysteries (e.g., Emil and the Detectives, Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden) and endures in today’s kid-crime novels.

The model has three parts.

  • First, you should understand the kid-sleuth’s unique problems. For example:

    • They usually can’t drive.
    • They have curfews.
    • They have parents watching over them.
    • They have little or no money.
    • They do/don’t carry phones.
    • They lack life experience.
    • They can disagree and bicker among themselves (true of adults, also!).
    • They are told to stay out of the way.
    • They are discredited when they offer advice and evidence.
    • They are prone to misunderstand things they have no experience with and thus can misinterpret clues.

In other words, they’re kids.

  • Second, you need to create a story world where they can investigate successfully. For example:

    • A location they can navigate, e.g., a boarding school, a small town, a camp, etc.
    • A season that allows them access to the outdoors. This will vastly expand your opportunity for unique scenes.
    • A lack of constant, immediate oversight. In other words, a single parent, working parent(s), deceased parent(s), no parent(s), inattentive oversight by teachers, camp counselors, etc.
    • A knowledge of the law (however misguided) through TV, movies, parental jobs, the police station next door, etc.

  • Finally, turn their disadvantages into superpowers. For example, here are some ways to work around a few of the issues mentioned above:

There you have some pointers on creating a successful middle grade sleuth. If you can think of items you would add to these lists, please add them to the comments below. Happy writing!

(c)cmsurrisi

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Interview with Nashae Jones, Author of AS YOU WISH

By on January 16, 2025   /   Articles, Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment

In As You Wish, thirteen-year-old Birdie’s plans for an awesome eighth grade are disrupted when the West African trickster god Anansi offers her three wishes, as part of a debt he owes her family. Naturally, nothing goes as expected, and Birdie is forced to reexamine her priorities, goals, and friendships, especially where her long-time best friend Deve is concerned…

MUF: Thanks for speaking with us, Nashae. This book is absolutely delightful. I’m a sucker for trickster figures, and Anansi is such a chaotic presence. What inspired this story?

NJ: Hi, I’m so excited to be doing this interview. I’ve been a huge fan of From the Mixed-Up Files for years now. I’ve always loved trickster characters, and Anansi is by far my favorite. In fact, the idea for the book started with Anansi and evolved from there.

MUF: You’ve also written Courtesy of Cupid, another story in which a mythological figure wreaks havoc on an unsuspecting mortal’s life. I’m sensing a pattern here. What about this theme appeals to you?

NJ: I have always been in awe of high-fantasy writers and their ability to weave together elements to create new, inventive worlds.  But as an author, I like to write stories grounded in reality with just a touch of magic. I love weaving in the idea that magic is something fantastical and otherworldly, but not a crutch for my characters to use to fix their real-world problems.

MUF: On a related tangent, you’ve played around with several different mythologies. What other gods or pantheons would you like to explore, given a chance?

NJ: I love this question!  I have a couple of different mythologies/folklores I want to take a go at including: the golem, Baba Yaga, and ciguapas (mermaids).

 MUF: I understand that Courtesy of Cupid and As You Wish are loosely connected; do you want to write more in this setting, or try something unrelated in the future?

NJ: I think for right now, I really enjoy writing these type of middle grade books. I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue to write more of these interconnected, magical stories.

MUF: Deve’s little sister Mishti is hearing impaired. Not only do Birdie and Deve use ASL to communicate with her, they use it as a secret way to talk to each other. What prompted you to include this in your story?

NJ: Growing up, I had a friend that was partially deaf, and I remember learning basic ASL signs so that we could communicate. It very much felt like we had our own secret language. I wanted to find a way to integrate that part of my childhood into the story.

 MUF: Birdie’s mother struggles with anxiety, and her resultant overprotectiveness has a profound impact upon Birdie’s own everyday life. What do you hope readers will take away from this element of the story, especially in terms of the mother-daughter relationship?

NJ: Birdie’s mother’s anxiety is a catalyst to why many of the events unfold in the story. Birdie desperately wants to be normal, and she feels like her mom is a road block to achieving that goal. The middle school years are rough, and that can be especially so for mothers and daughters. While middle schoolers are trying to figure out who they are and where they belong, they have parents who are trying to adjust to their kids’ burgeoning need for independence. I hope readers will take away the fact that they aren’t alone in feeling this way about parental relationships—and that all relationships take work.

MUF: You make a point of noting that Birdie and her cousin Erin are Black in a small town where there aren’t that many people of color. Meanwhile, Deve and his family are Indian. Can you tell us more about your choice of characters and setting?  

NJ: This was more of a personal choice. I live in a rural county where my family is one of the small number of Black families that live here. I wanted to write a story reflecting the town my children grew up and went to school in.

MUF: Your author bio says you’re passionate about diversity initiatives in children’s literature. Can you tell us more about that? Are you involved with any in particular, or any you’d like to recommend?

NJ: I’m a huge advocate for diversifying the children’s literary canon, so that we can include a variety of people and experiences for people to read about. Right now, the biggest initiative I am apart of is the Authors Against Book Bans. Book bans target BIPOC and LGBTQ+ stories, and they seek to silence the authors of these stories. I always recommend this coalition to any fellow authors or illustrators.

MUF: I see that you teach AP English in high school. What do your students think about your publications? Are they helpful when it comes to capturing authentic teenage voices and experiences?

NJ: My students love my stories. They’re very supportive, and they love the fact that a fictionalized version of their town is being centered in my stories. My experience as a teacher brings with it a wealth of insight into the teenage psyche and behaviors, and they are always informing my writing.

MUF: Not to spoil anything, but I saw that Courtesy of Cupid was inspired by Pride and Prejudice, while As You Wish was inspired by the movie Bedazzled. What other influences would you like to share with us? 

MJ: Courtesy of Cupid is also lightly influenced by the 90s TV show Sabrina the Teenage Witch. I really liked the concept of a teenager with new powers who messes things up sometimes. With As You Wish, one of my favorite things I got to include as sort of an Easter egg was the title itself. As You Wish is based on the famous line from The Princess Bride.

MUF: If Anansi popped into your life and offered you a wish, would you accept? If so, what would you wish for, knowing his talent for chaos? Or would you run away, very quickly?

NJ: I would love to say I would turn my nose up at Anansi, but I don’t think my curiosity would let me turn him down. Haha. I think that I would wish for a lifetime supply of warm chocolate chip cookies. Surely, he couldn’t mess that up…

MUF: What’s next for you as an author? 

NJ: Right now, I’m working on some books in the young adult age group. I’m hoping  to share more information soon.

 

FURTHER INFORMATION:

Nashae Jones is a freelance writer and an educator. Her fiction and nonfiction pieces have appeared in publications such as HuffPost, McSweeney’s, Yahoo Voices, and October Hill Magazine, among others. She lives in Virginia with her husband, two kids, two cats, and one dog. She is passionate about diversity initiatives, especially in children’s literature.

Website: www.nashaejones.com
Instagram: @nashae.jones

 

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STEM Tuesday– Fossils– In the Classroom

By on January 14, 2025   /   Fossils, STEM Tuesday   /   Leave a comment

Fossils are like time capsules that preserve clues about life on Earth millions of years ago. They help us reconstruct the planet’s past, including ancient environments, climate conditions, and ecosystems. By studying fossils, we learn how the Earth has changed and how life has evolved in response to these changes. These books explore fossils and how they tell Earth’s story. They make a great starting point for fossil classroom discussions and activities!  

 
Tales of the Prehistoric World: Adventures from the Land of the Dinosaurs by Kallie Moore, illustrated by Becky Thorns

How do stromatolites in Australia connect to Mars? Starting with the answer provided by these oldest known fossils (3.5 billion years old), we are led on an engaging journey through time. Detailed discussions of the life found in each period are sandwiched between captivating accounts of the intrigues, adventures, and conflicts of scientists, kids, farmers, and miners who discovered some unique and surprising fossils.

 

Classroom Activity

We can understand the history of life on Earth through fossils. Have students create a timeline of Earth’s history showing the different eras (Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic). Use pictures of fossils that were found in each period. What types of organisms lived in each era? How did they evolve over time? How do fossils tell these stories?

 

The Illustrated Guide to Fossils & Fossil Collecting by Steve Kelly

Amazing photographs of fossils combine with reconstruction illustrations to give the reader a sense of what each animal or plant might have looked like. Following a discussion of fossils, geologic timeline, and reconstruction challenges, the detailed directory of 375 plant and animal fossils includes an additional fact file, and the relationship of the fossil to its current relatives and their role in the environment.

 

Classroom Activity

Can you identify the fossil? Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of fossil images. Have each group research and identify their fossils, then share what they have learned about each one with the class. Students can then create a board game using the images of different fossils. What are the rules of the game? How do you play? How do you determine the winner?

 

Kid Paleontologist: Explore the Remarkable Dinosaurs, Fossils Finds, and Discoveries of the Prehistoric Era by Thomas Nelson, illustrated by Julius Csotonyi

A great discussion of the field of paleontology is followed by an introduction to “10 Famous Paleontologists,” a list of “10 Famous Fossil Sites” in the world, and an engaging dinosaur classification chart. Stunning “true-life” illustrations and a conversational narrative first explore ten dinosaurs which defy classification (including one that was a burrower) and then examine many other familiar and lesser-known dinosaurs from the perspective of what their fossils, imprints, CT scans, and stomach contents have taught paleontologists about each species and what is still unknown. Highlighting where initial guesses or information has been corrected by subsequent fossil discoveries. A great book to inspire future fossil hunters.

 

Classroom Activity

Paleontologists use trace fossils to learn about ancient animals. Footprints, burrows, and trails are examples of trace fossils. Gather several toy animals of different shapes and sizes. Divide students into small groups and give each group a set of toy animals. Each group of students should create fossilized footprints by pressing the animals’ feet into clay. Then, have students trade fossils with another group. Students should analyze the footprints and measure their size, shape, and depth. What can they tell about the animal that made the footprints? What can fossils reveal about an animal’s size, behavior, and environment?

 
 
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Carla Mooney loves to explore the world around us and discover the details about how it works. An award-winning author of numerous nonfiction science books for kids and teens, she hopes to spark a healthy curiosity and love of science in today’s young people. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and dog. Find her at http://www.carlamooney.com, on Facebook @carlamooneyauthor, or on X @carlawrites.

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