Break out your top-secret notepad and get ready to crack the case of what happens behind the book! 

Time to investigate the man behind the heist . . .

Lisa: The premise of True Crime Files: Heist at the Museum! almost sounds too wild to be true. How did you first discover the real 1964 theft of the Star of India, and when did you realize it could become a story for young readers?

Sam: That “too wild to be true” feeling is exactly what drew me to it! When I first came across this heist in a true crime podcast, I did a sort of mental doubletake. You’ve got surfers who moonlight as small-time jewel thieves and decide almost on a whim to pull off the biggest jewel heist in history, laughable museum security, and the death-defying way they got into the jewel exhibit. But as I dug into the research, I discovered the podcast hadn’t embellished any of the details. Plus there was the museum setting that reminded me of the popular “Night at the Museum” movies, which were the inspiration for the book’s title. The story practically begged to be told.

Lisa: Charlie is fictional, but the heist really happened. How did you decide which parts of the true story to keep and where to take creative liberties?

Sam: It always bothers me when I read a book or watch a movie that’s supposedly based on historical events, only to find that it’s a very loose interpretation of what actually happened. Because of that, it was important to me to preserve all the major historical facts as they occurred to avoid confusing young readers about what was real and what wasn’t. I then imagined those facts like a large room set up with furniture that I could drop my main character Charlie into, where he could do things like sit on the couch or turn on a lamp but ultimately leave it undisturbed.

Lisa: Writing fiction based on real events comes with an extra layer of responsibility. How did you balance historical accuracy with creating a fast-paced adventure?

Sam: The heist was already plenty fascinating all by itself, but I think adding the side plot of Charlie racing to figure out the thieves’ plan before it’s too late really added the extra drama to keep readers glued to the page without actually changing the history of what happened. To further help separate fact from fiction, I included an appendix at the end of the book that tells the “rest of the story,” like what became of the thieves and the jewels, and several readers have reached out to let me know that was their favorite part of the book.

Lisa: What was the most fun scene to write, and which was the most challenging?

Sam: Most true crime stories for kids play out from the perspective of an adult or a sort of detached, clinical narrator. But I wanted to do something different with the True Crime Files series and tell these stories mostly through the eyes of a kid main character…while occasionally also getting into the head of the “bad guy” so you get to see their side too.

The scenes that ended up being the most fun to write were those that switch between these two POVs because I could play with how much each side knows. For example, Charlie overhears the thieves scheming and they have no idea that he’s right there listening. And, of course, the thieves and the reader know the thieves’ target, but we get to root for Charlie as he tries to piece together what it is. These were also the most challenging scenes because I had to constantly remind myself what each side knew and when. Most people probably don’t associate spreadsheets with writing, but in this case I needed a spreadsheet to help me keep it all straight!

Lisa: What was your research process like? Did you uncover any details about the actual heist that made you stop and think, “Wait…that really happened?”

Sam: Oh yes, there were lots of really fun research angles for this story, from the colorful background of the thieves, to the fascinating lore of the American Museum of Natural History, and the cool surf culture of the 1960s. But maybe the most surprising thing I found is that, even with today’s technology, very similar types of heists still happen all around the world. From major museums like the Louvre heist in October 2025 to small local galleries almost every month, thieves are repeatedly proving that our most irreplaceable artifacts are often woefully under protected.

Lisa: If Charlie could visit the American Museum of Natural History today, where do you think he’d head first?

Sam: One of the main tensions in the story is between Charlie’s father who likes rocks and gems—basically what Charlie considers “stuff from the past”—and Charlie himself who’s more interested in the future, which includes robots, technology, and space travel. So his favorite place in the museum is the Hayden Planetarium, and you’d definitely find him making a beeline for it on every visit.

Lisa: Is there a middle-grade book from your childhood that influenced you as a writer?

Sam: I always tell kids at school visits that the reason I’m a writer is because of Shel Silverstein. My parents bought me a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends when I was a kid, and at first I was like, “Ew, poetry!” But from the very first poem, “The Invitation,” I felt like he was talking directly to me, and I knew I wanted to write stories too. It’s always cool to see that kids still know that book all these years later.

Lisa: When creating a middle-grade protagonist, what do you think matters most to help young readers connect with them?

Sam: I think one of the key elements is authenticity—does the protagonist act, think, and talk like a kid? That’s the main reason I wanted to tell the True Crime Files from a kid’s perspective, because there aren’t many true crime stories that drop kids right into the action and encourage them to think about—Wow, if I overheard some guys talking about robbing a museum, what would I do? Another part of that authenticity is making the character feel real and not just a vehicle for telling the story, which is why I wanted Charlie to be dealing with his own problems, like always struggling to get his dad’s attention, beyond the whole heist plot.

Lisa: How has the middle-grade market changed since you first started writing, and has that affected the kinds of stories you want to tell?

Sam: The last few years in particular have seen a significant increase in the call for shorter middle grade books with more art. At 91 pages with several full-page illustrations, I think Heist at the Museum answers that call. And while I love writing and reading longer fantasy novels, I grew up reading mostly shorter stuff like Encyclopedia Brown and Bunnicula, so writing more in that page count range feels the most true to my 10-year-old self.

10. Is there anything else you want to share about True Crime Files: Heist at the Museum! for our audience of teachers and librarians?

Sam: hope teachers and librarians will take a moment to check out the book’s website where I partnered with educator Julie DenOuden to create a full Educator’s Guide with activities tied to Common Core. The site also features puzzles for kids, scripts for a Readers Theater (original and “silly”versions), and super fun logic puzzles called Heistograms where kids can explore other real heists like stolen maple syrup in Canada and a missing toilet made of solid gold in England.

Author Bio

Sam Subity loves writing stories that explore the magic and wonder of being a kid and is thrilled to share his writing with readers everywhere—both the young in age and the young at heart. When he’s not writing, you might find him running the trails of northern Ohio where the endless, winding miles past rivers and Buckeye trees inspire stories of adventure and mystery.  Or he might be mowing his lawn. Because that’s what adults sometimes have to do.

The post Plotting the Perfect Middle Grade Novel with Sam Subity appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

In recent news, the Guiness Book of World Records just named Advay Jain as the youngest person to publish a book at the tender age of 3 years and 345 days old! This news caught my eye since it takes me longer than that to simply finish a draft for my novels. However, this record-breaking news had me thinking about what makes an author an author and what makes a story a story. 

We all have narratives to share and everyone has the ability to write. With busy schedules and shrinking attention spans, readers may turn to short stories instead of full length novels. So this month’s post highlights some notable anthologies from recent years that put diverse authors at the forefront. Reluctant readers and busy bibliophiles alike can find themselves within the pages of these anthologies. 

Lit Kids Magazine 2024 Anthology

LitKids Magazine 2024 Anthology  Edited by Rebecca Weber. Lit Kids Magazine 2024 Anthology is filled with stories, poetry, art, and photography made by children who noticed something, wondered about it, and shaped it into their own creation. Inside, you’ll find small things and big things, funny things and serious things, imaginative things and thoughtful things. Each piece is proof that creating is an adventure, full of risks, surprises, and discoveries. Together, these pieces tell an important story: creativity is alive, powerful, and worth nurturing, especially in childhood.

Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids  Edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith and published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books. Featuring sixteen Native American authors—including Joseph Bruchac and Traci Sorell— this anthology weaves fantastic stories centered around a single intertribal powwow in Michigan. An incredible celebration of stories and poetry filled with humor, family joy, and contemporary Indigenous resilience.

The Door Is Open  Edited by Hena Khan. This anthology includes delightful stories written entirely by South Asian and Desi-American voices. Focusing on the diversity and of South Asian American experiences in a bustling community center in a fictional New Jersey town, your reader will love this exploration of  identity, new crushes, and cultural pride.

Once Upon an Eid: Stories of Hope and Joy by 15 Muslim Voices  Edited by S.K. Ali and Aisha Saeed. The more we read, the more we know and what better way to experience the joy of Eid al-Fitr than with this incredible anthology. Showcasing fifteen different Muslim authors writing about the universal spirit of this holiday, this collection highlights a massive spectrum of global cultures, covering Shia and Sunni traditions, West African perspectives, and convert experiences. 

Black Boy Joy: 17 Stories Celebrating Black Boyhood  Edited by Kwame Mbalia. If you’ve never heard of this uplifting collection of sci-fi, fantasy, and realistic stories, you are missing out! Seventeen Black male and non-binary authors (including Jason Reynolds and Jerry Craft) share moving stories that celebrate triumph and happiness to challenge heavy media stereotypes.

On the Block  Edited by Ellen Oh (published October 2024). This anthology explores the lives of immigrant families living in a single apartment building. From beautifully honest looks at culture and family structures, this collection features twelve stories from authors like Jasmine Warga, Erin Entrada Kelly, Debbi Michiko Florence, Minh Le, and so many more!

You Are Here: Connecting Flights  Edited by Ellen Oh (published March 2023). A star-studded anthology of concurrent, interwoven stories following twelve Asian American kids embarking on a massive international airport terminal during a single incident. What could possibly go wrong? Find out through the work of Linda Sue Park, Grace Lin, Traci Chee, and Christina Soontornvat.

Black Girl Power  Edited by Leah Johnson (published 2024). A vibrant, heartwarming collection of 15 middle grade stories and poems that celebrates the joy, strength, and experience of Black girlhood, including stories from Ibi Zoboi, Sharon M. Draper, and Leah Johnson, as well as cover art from Caldecott winner Vashti Harrison.

The post A Story’s A Story, No Matter How Small appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

You probably already know Sherri L. Smith. She has written scores of books, most of which  have been selected for various “it book” lists including JLG Best Books For Children. Sherri’s book The Blossom and the Firefly was the Golden Kite winner, and Flygirl was the California Book Award Gold Medalist. So when I had the chance to interview her about her beautiful new book, Candace, the Universe, and Everything, I was over the moon. The book is a touching, generational book that will be perfect for moms and daughters to share. It mixes science and fantasy seamlessly.  Sherri and her work are inspirational.

Sherri, the book connected with me on so many different levels. As a middle aged woman trying to figure it all out…and as a mom watching my own 13 year old deal with similar issues, this book really speaks to girls and women. Thank you for a book I can read with my daughter! 

1. In today’s society, the importance of science and the strength and voices of women, especially women of color, are being silenced. The book is skillfully written as a thoughtful yet complex middle grade book, while still giving voice to the voiceless. When you were working on the manuscript, was this your intent? 

I knew from the beginning that this would be a multigeneration book building on the idea that we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us.  I think it’s important to recognize how we are uplifted, and who we can uplift in return.  It’s how humans grow, even when the noise of the world would say different.

2. A wormhole in a school locker is such a wild idea. How did it come to you?

Who doesn’t love a surprise portal to another place?  Narnia is the ultimate, but since I was a kid I was curious about (and sometimes terrified of) hidden doors.  And lockers are the least intriguing, most commonplace doors we open a million times in school without ever going through (barring a bully coming along), so it just made sense.

3. The three characters and their gifts: Candace is an artist, Tracy is a writer who becomes a scientist, Loretta is a scientist who becomes a writer. I love the connection with Window in the Sky.  I love that it was made into a bad movie. 

Ha ha!  It happens all the time, doesn’t it?  And yet a book being made into a movie is seen as a sign of success.  I mean, I wouldn’t knock it!  But hopefully it lets moviegoers discover the books, too.

Weaving a story and mixing up the timelines must have been very complicated. How did you manage to weave it all together so seamlessly? 

If it’s seamless, we have to thank my editor, Stephanie Pitts, who has wrangled me through several woven timeline books by now.  I knew from the start that the story would take place mostly in Candace’s timeline, but I think it’s really interesting to see how people become who they are as adults.  It’s not a perspective you get to have that often when you are young.  So looking for key instances in Tracey and Loretta’s lives was the starting point.  And then creating snippets from Loretta’s book, Window in the Sky, that resonated with their storylines came next.  There was some back and forth and tears over it all before it was done, but it sounds like it works!

4. Tracy’s friend tells her she’s a bad writer. Have you ever had a moment where you almost gave up? 

A moment?  Let’s say moments, multiple times, sometimes in just trying to get the words right, or finish, or figure out what’s next, quitting is always a handy option, but not one I’ve ever taken.  Simply because I know in a day or a week or a few minutes, I’ll just keep writing anyway.  So you might as well stay the course.  That said, I’ve learned that there are great writers, and writers who are learning.  Even the greats are still learning.  So if someone tells you your work is no good, ask for constructive, not destructive, criticism.  If they can’t give useful feedback, move on and get back to work.

5. Was there another version to the ending of the book? Did you always want Candace to go through? 

What a good question!  Without giving too much away, I’ll say I tend to protect my protagonists in early drafts.  I love Candace and wanted her to stay safe.  I also didn’t want her modeling reckless behavior.  But a dear friend who is also a brilliant writer pointed out it was the biggest question in the book.  And books can go where we can’t, so why not let them?  It reminded me that where we feel resistance in our writing is usually where we need to go.  That’s where the story is waiting. 

The post INTERVIEW with Award Winning Author Sherri L. Smith: New Book Alert! Candace, The Universe, and Everything appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

I read the following books from this month’s list as the basis of the activities below.

The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army
by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Anne Lambelet

Have you ever heard of the woman who harvested spider silk to help U.S. efforts during WWII? I hadn’t until I read The Spider Lady. This book explores how Nan Songer developed a fascination of spiders. It then follows her path to delivering spider silk that was used for the crosshairs in many different military devices.

The Secret World of Spiderwebs
by Jan Beccaloni, illustrated by Namasri Niumim

To learn how different spiders use webs, read The Secret World of Spiderwebs. Using impressive illustrations, this book provides detailed descriptions of how spiders spin their webs. This includes both the architecture of the various webs and the biomechanics needed to spin them. The spiders in the book come from a wide variety of locations around the world.

Spiders: We’re Not Scary, We’re Amazing
by Ruth Owen

Like the previous book, Spiders: We’re Not Scary, We’re Amazing covers a wide variety of spiders from around the world. This book provides lots of information, fun facts, and amazing photos of spiders. It also includes some thoughts on where the fear of spiders comes from.

As with every other month, there are many different activities that would pair well with these books. Here are a few.

Spin Some Webs

When people think of spiders, their first thoughts are often of spider webs. In fact, several of the books I read focused on spiders’ webs. There are some great activities surrounding spider webs, ranging from art projects to engineering challenges. Here are links to some activities you may want to try.

Spider Web Engineering Challenge lesson plans from Georgia Youth Science & Technology Centers: https://gystc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Spider-Web-Engineering-STEM-Challenge-Lesson-Plan.pdf

Designing Like a Spider activity guide from Hofstra’s Center for STEM Research: https://www.hofstracsr.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Designing_Like_a_Spider_Activity_Guide.pdf

How to draw a spider web: https://artprojectsforkids.org/drawing-spiderwebs

Watercolor spider web art:

• https://letslassothemoon.com/spider-web-art-project
• https://virtualbgc.org/halloween-art-project-wax-resist-spider-web-painting

Search for Spiders

One of the best ways to learn about the natural world is to see it for yourself. I’ve encountered many different spiders as I wander around my native plant-filled backyard. Here are some resources to use, preferably in a naturalized area like an outdoor classroom.

Spider Web Scavenger Hunt: https://www.primarythemepark.com/2017/09/spider-web-scavenger-hunt

This activity guide from the Lawrence Hall of Science in California is great to use while searching for spiders: https://lawrencehallofscience.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Spider-Exploration-1.pdf

Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources has this great collection of spider activities for a variety of ages: https://dnr.maryland.gov/wildlife/Documents/Learn-at-Home_SpiderActivities.pdf

(If you don’t have an outdoor classroom, here’s a guide that helps with creating one: https://npsnj.org/native-plants/schoolguide – while designed for New Jersey, it can be modified based on your location.)

Create a Food Web

Create a food web around a local spider. This will require a fair amount of research. Review how to evaluate sources to determine whether or not they are trustworthy.

First, find a spider that is local to your area. Here are some resource ideas for finding a local spider:

• Use a spider seen in the wild.
• Use iNaturalist – enter your zip code and filter on arachnids. This will show you sightings from your location.
• Search for your location on this website: https://spideridentifications.com. A search for New York took me to this page: https://spideridentifications.com/spiders-in-us/spiders-in-new-york – you can see other states listed on the right

List several things your spider eats. You may be able to find this information on the Animal Diversity Web – https://animaldiversity.org – or you may need to search for other sources.

When searching for information about species, it’s best to use the scientific name as several species may share a common name. For instance to search for information regarding the grayish jumping spider I saw in my yard (you can see this on iNaturalist), I would search for “Phidippus princeps.” This page from Bugs With Mike, an enthusiastic amateur entomologist, provides lots of information and includes additional sources: https://bugswithmike.com/guide/arthropoda/chelicerata/arachnida/araneae/araneomorphae/salticidae/phidippus/princeps

For each thing your spider eats, try to determine at least one thing it eats.

List a few species that prey on your spider species. (This might include other spiders. Some spider species will eat other spiders within their own species.)

Lay out this information on a piece of paper using drawn or printed images for each of the species identified. You can see an example food web here: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-is-a-food-web.html. The Alabama Wildlife Federation has a food web activity and presentation here: https://alabamawildlife.org/wp-content/uploads/uploadedFiles/File/OC_Field_Investigation-Create_a_Food_Web_Interactive_PowerPoint.pdf

Compare Spider Sizes

The size of spiders varies widely. Peacock spiders (a type of jumping spider) can fit on a person’s fingernail. The goliath bird-eating tarantula is about the size of a dinner plate.

Create a visual that shows how different spiders’ sizes compare.

Where in the World

The spiders covered in the books are from all over the world. Print out a world map. Pick out some of your favorite spiders from the books and color in the different areas where those spiders are found. Use a different color or other visual representation for each spider.

Janet Slingerland has written over 2 dozen books for young readers. To find out more about Janet and her books, check out her website: http://janetsbooks.com

The post STEM Tuesday — Spiders– In the Classroom appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Her Alice in Wonderland series of pieces are a fresh and fantastic interpretation of a classic story that is familiar in both story and visuals. It is an honor to host Katya for a From the Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors interview and have the chance to take a closer look at her wonderful illustration work.

Alice in Wonderland. Watercolors, color pencils

Katya, welcome and thank you for being our guest today. Can you give us a glimpse into your origin story and background as a creator?

I am a San Francisco-based artist, children’s book illustrator, and author (this title I am still getting used to). I was born and raised in Moscow, Russia, and moved to the U.S. in the mid-1990s. I got a degree in theatrical set design, but then learned traditional drawn animation and worked as an animator here and there for a while. However, when traditional animation jobs gradually started moving overseas, I ultimately decided to devote myself fully to the art of bookmaking.

When did art first show up in your life?

I grew up in an artistic family, surrounded by my parents’ brushes and paints – the smells, the textures, and the sound of a pencil on paper. So I didn’t think much about choosing my career path and went straight to art school.

WIND IN THE WILLOWS, Procreate, watercolor textures

Did you have a support structure for your talent and interests when you were young?

Being an artist’s child gives you one benefit: unlike many other parents who think art is just a hobby and their child should get “a real job,” my parents were very supportive and encouraging.

At the same time, they were very busy with their own projects and very successful in their endeavors, so they didn’t bother to give their child any formal art lessons. That’s why, even after graduating from art school, I felt like an impostor for many years. It only went away recently.

What is your formal training in art?

I graduated from the famous Moscow Art Theater School with an MA in Theatrical Set Design. Can we also consider years of working in traditional drawn animation as formal art training? There were hours and hours of drawing and redrawing characters in different poses.

Can you share some of your art and cultural influences?

Frankly, there are too many. I am lucky that I was taught art and art history, which “calibrated” my eye for good visual art.

There are artists I keep returning to when I’m looking for answers to my questions. I have three fine art books on my desk right now: Bruegel, Paul Klee, and contemporary Russian illustrator and painter Evgeny Revyakov.

When did narrative illustration blossom and take hold in your creative life?

I got my first book illustration offer out of nowhere – and it was for a Japanese publisher’s YA edition of Chekhov. I ended up making three books with them. It was the most liberating project I had ever done at that point.

Pivoting from animation to book illustration gave me much more freedom, because as an animator, you need to adapt to the very different artistic visions of art directors. I now illustrate children’s books for all ages, from toddlers to young adult readers.

WIND IN THE WILLOWS, Procreate, watercolor textures

What are some of your favorite children’s books and stories?

The classics: Astrid Lindgren’s books, Winnie-the-Pooh, Mary Poppins, and Lewis Carroll’s Alice series (dah!). I can also mention a great Russian children’s book writer, Yuri Koval.

These are my favorites – the books my grandma read to me as a child and that I read to my own kids many years later.

Of all your fabulous work, my personal favorite is your Alice In Wonderland series. Can you walk us through your process on these exceptional pieces?

Alice in Wonderland. Watercolors, color pencils

Genesis of the idea.

The project itself started as a collection of drawings for a small art gallery. An artist friend asked if I could do a series of Alice in Wonderland works for their Mad Tea Party room.

The first artwork was not what you see now, but I enjoyed the process so much that it pushed me toward one of the greatest classic children’s books of all time. And I was free to draw whatever I wanted. Isn’t it fabulous?

Concept development.

Basically, I create illustrations that I would have liked to see as a child. I feel a little bit like Alice myself. Doesn’t everyone need to be Alice sometimes?

At the same time, this is probably the hardest part of every illustration project for me. Sometimes I can sit for hours and days drawing things that look like doodles. My sketchbooks are filled with these scribbles – not like the beautiful sketches I see on some artists’ Instagram accounts.

The phantasmagorical nature of the text gives an illustrator the widest range of possibilities. I think thousands of illustrations for this book have already been created. So I need to close my eyes and listen only to myself.

I can’t describe the moment when the scribbles turn into something real. I think every artist knows that feeling. It’s like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. And then you only need to draw that butterfly on a piece of paper.

When I started this project, I knew I wanted to give Carroll’s amazing original narrative as much space as possible. I also love doing hand-lettering, so I got the idea to incorporate handwritten quotes into the illustrations. That brought me to the final concept: the text behaves as a texture and as one of the book’s characters.

Design choices.

The design I use is rather classical, although I would love to be a bit more wild sometimes.

Alice in Wonderland. Watercolors, color pencils

Execution (media, color palette, etc.)

I work on Canson Canva Artboards – pretty big ones, 12” x 16”. First, I tone the surface a little with ochre watercolor. I love the warm undertone it gives me.

The artboard’s surface is very sturdy, so I can lift that yellowish undertone with an eraser wherever I need pure white. Then I draw the design with a yellow colored pencil. I love drawing with colored pencils instead of graphite, so the final colors stay purer and more interesting.

After that, I use watercolors and finish with another layer of colored pencils. I can also add some final touches with white acrylic gouache.

By the way, you can see my whole process in this IG post:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CyONmPcLzWT/

What’s your favorite subject matter or sweet spot for your illustration work?

I generally love drawing kids. Any kids – big and small.

Planets: Stories of Ajudaris

What challenges, if any, do you find in illustrating material for the older reader in the middle-grade space? Does your visual approach change with the target audience?

Of course, the visual approach changes with every book because different texts require different art concepts! I think a more mature audience demands more accurate and visually precise illustration. With younger kids, you can be more liberal and add more fantasy to the visual side of the story. The research usually takes more time in the illustration process for middle-grade and YA books.

Are there some past projects that you want to highlight?

Well, I’d like to mention not a project, but one single drawing that I did for the SCBWI Tomie dePaola Award, which brought me that national award in 2017. It was a pivotal point in my career as an illustrator. I am so fortunate that I had the opportunity to meet Tomie dePaola in person and hear his stories, humor, and enthusiasm for his craft.

SCBWI 2017 Tomie dePaola Illustration Award: First Snow, Tree. Watercolor and sepia pen

What is on the horizon for your illustration career?

I am currently quite busy with a project that is actually related to my Alice in Wonderland pilot illustrations, but it’s too early to tell you all the details. We’ll see how it goes.

Can you briefly share how you navigate the business end of your illustration practice?

I do my own projects, which usually don’t bring in much money. For everything else, I’m lucky to be represented by a literary agent.

Unfortunately, it’s virtually impossible to make ends meet solely from freelance book illustration unless you are really famous. So, my husband and I also run a small art business: we do fine-art printing, provide children’s book publishing services, work with some art galleries, etc.

I also teach children’s art and craft classes – and enjoy it very much.

Are you available for commissions? If so, how does a prospective client contact you about a project?

Yes, I always welcome new projects and illustration opportunities. I am represented by Jen Newens at Martin-Newens Literary Management, so for inquiries, please contact her directly at Jen@MartinLit.com.

Please share your website, portfolio, and social media information so we can follow your career.

My website/portfolio is at www.KatArtist.com.

You can find me on Instagram as @katya_tabakh

Thank you for being our guest on From the Mixed-Up Files…of Middle-Grade Authors! This opportunity to learn more about you and your work has been incredible. I hope people can discover your work and enjoy it as much as I do.

The pleasure is mine! Thank you so much for this opportunity to talk about my creative endeavors.

Take care and keep creating the fabulous work you create.

Same to you, and all the best wishes to your platform and your audience!

The post Under the Mike-croscope: Illustrator-Author Katya Tabakh appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

About the Book

To start, can you give us a short summary of Film Nerds?

Film Nerds is about two best friends who make movies together. There’s nothing Ami and Ivy love more than getting together and making their epic sci-fi. . . that is, until the stressors of middle school start creeping into their project. Ami is having a hard time at school, but is trying to hide this fact from Ivy: what if Ivy sees her differently, and doesn’t want to be friends anymore? Ami’s convinced that if she can just show the movie to her classmates, things will get better, but Ivy doesn’t agree. What will Ami do? Will their collaboration survive? And more importantly: will their friendship?

Who would especially enjoy this book?

Film Nerds is for creative kids— which is to say, all kids! It deals with themes of friendship, belonging, creativity, and overcoming hardship. Fans of Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, and Kayla Miller will enjoy spending time with Ami and Ivy.

About the Author

What was your connection to cartoons and graphic novels growing up? What were some of your favorites?

I loved comics! I mostly read comic strips and syndicated cartoons, like Calvin and Hobbes, Zits, The Far Side, and For Better or For Worse. I also loved Asterix and Tintin. I didn’t really read graphic novels until after college, but once I discovered them in the library, I totally devoured them.

How did you become a cartoonist for The New Yorker? (To see some of her cartoons, check out her Instagram page).

New Yorker cartoonists (myself included) just pitch our work to the editor, and she either takes it or she doesn’t. I started submitting cartoons almost a decade ago after a friend explained the process to me, and I’ve been sending work in regularly ever since.

Tell us about the film you created as a tween: As the Moon Orbits.

I loved making movies! My two major projects were Mary-Kate and Ashley and the Sorcerer’s Scone, (a feature-length satire of Harry Potter) and As The Moon Orbits, a soap opera in which every character was played by either my friend Christen or myself. They may not be Oscar-worthy, but I learned so much and as a shy, awkward kid, I’m so grateful for the experience: making movies made me feel confident and energized. I wish I could show you a clip of these masterpieces, but sadly the soap was on a hard drive that got damaged, and I don’t want to share clips of the others without the consent of the other players.

Do you make films anymore? Have you dived into the world of animation?

I miss making movies, but I haven’t done so in a while— my main creative outlet is comics now. I did go to film school for college, and spent my first few years as an adult working on film sets (both professionally and with friends). I also worked in animation for a number of years, and still animate on occasion!

What was most relatable to me was the uncontrollable blushing—and it getting worse the more you try to stop it. Is this from personal experience? What else did you draw on to write Film Nerds?

Definitely! I was a big blusher. This book is certainly fiction, but much of it is pulled from my own experience: like Ami, making movies with my friends was my favorite thing to do, and like Ami, I was worried that I’d lose my best friend if she discovered my low standing in the popularity hierarchy. The events in the book aren’t real, but the feelings very much are.

What is something from your childhood that you snuck into the book?

I love the movie Waterworld, because it’s one of the few movies we had on VHS when I was a kid. I managed to sneak a reference to it into a fantasy sequence, and I’m very happy about that.

Graphic Novels

With graphic novels, it can be difficult to get the page turns to work. How did you plan the storyline with panels? What challenges did you face?

I wrote all of Film Nerds as a script first, which was broken down by panel and page. Because I’ve been making comics for a while, I had a pretty good sense of how much I could visually fit on each page before it started to feel rushed or dense. That said, I left room in the process to draw out a rough draft, and I did move things around at that stage: for instance, sometimes a particular story beat needed more space for emphasis. I drew things out in spreads, rather than pages, because I find that gives me a better overall picture of the pacing of the book.

Was it difficult to go from creating single-panel cartoons to writing a middle-grade graphic novel?

A lot of what I learned by making single-panel cartoons translates into longer-form work: drawing in a simplified style, and composing panels with an emphasis on clarity, humor, and efficient storytelling, for instance. That said, they’re very different processes. I wouldn’t say it was difficult to go from one to the other, because I’ve always worked in longer-form work alongside the cartoons, but it does require a different kind of approach with a lot more planning and less spontaneity.

I liked the use of the film strip Rovers of Time and Space and how it parallels what’s happening in the story. You ended up having to write a story within a story! Was this hard to do?

Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing the girls’ movie within the story. I wanted the stories to feel related without mapping exactly one-to-one, so I did make a chart with the big story beats to make sure they were lining up the way I wanted. Once I settled on the overall conceit of their sci-fi, I found it pretty organic to write the story for it.

For Teachers

Are you doing school visits related to this book?

I have a few visits planned, and would love to do more! I have different presentations and workshops planned for different age groups, which show art from the book talk about the process of making it. I’ll also be doing some comics workshops oriented for middle schoolers.

How can we learn more about you?

Thanks for asking! I’m online at sofiawarren.com and @sofiawarrenart on Instagram.

Thanks for your time, Sofia!

The post Interview with Film Nerds author Sofia Warren appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

About the Book

Hi Tehlor! Give us a short summary of The Creeps.

Hi! The Creeps is a book about a middle school boy named Dylan who has to move into a motel for a while when his mom gets sick. Only this isn’t a normal motel. It’s a motel with a lot of rules to follow, and when people don’t follow them, those people tend to disappear…

Who did you have in mind when you wrote it?
First and foremost I wanted to write this book for kids who have experienced housing insecurity—which is a lot more kids than we sometimes realize. Stable housing is such a given in most books for this age group, but that doesn’t reflect the lived experience of a lot of readers, especially as our economy continues to recess.

What came first, the rules or the storyline?

The rules were first! I was thinking about how folks who need to access housing support often have to jump through a lot of hoops to access it, and how sometimes people use their desperation as a way to push a particular agenda. I wondered how a slightly rebellious middle schooler would react to all those extra rules and Dylan’s story grew from there.

You address some serious topics in the book, including a child coping with a chronically sick parent as well as money issues. Unfortunately, there will be many children who relate to both of these. May I ask why you chose to tackle these issues?

Sure. As people in book publishing we’re always talking about the importance of kids seeing themselves in the stories they read. A lot of times being represented by the books you love can be the spark that makes a kid a lifelong reader. But for some kids, representation is pretty sparse. We seem to be pretty scared as a society of talking about poverty and illness. Maybe we’re so afraid of these things happening to us that we want to pretend they don’t exist. But this is reality for a lot of kids, and I believe those kids deserve to see themselves and their experiences in the books they read too.

About the Author

What horror films or books did you grow up liking? (Is “like” the right word for our relationship with horror?)

I’ll be honest, I’m a total scaredy-cat. I was barely able to watch any horror as a kid without getting terrified (this is pretty much still the case). But I did love Are You Afraid of the Dark, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, and some of the less visceral kids horror. You’ll never catch me writing something scary enough for adults, that’s for sure.

What parts of Dylan can you relate to?
I shared Dylan’s experience of housing insecurity for periods of my own childhood. I never lived in a creepy motel run by [REDACTED], but my family had times where we stayed with friends or had to move to new places due to money issues. It was an experience that wasn’t shared by many of my friends, so it sometimes felt shameful and isolating to be dealing with stuff like that as a kid.

Writing Horror for Middle Grade

I’d imagine writing horror for middle graders is tough as there’s a fine line between not-enough-scare and too much. What rules do you have for yourself on this?
Honestly this one is pretty easy for me since I have about the same scare-tolerance as a ten-year-old. If it’s too scary for me, it’s probably too scary for them.

You’ve written adult, young adult (YA), and middle grade novels. Tell us a little about what you do differently for middle grade versus YA.
Yeah, there are so many cool things about writing for all age groups, but I’ll always have a soft spot for middle grade. I think in YA we’re often dealing with a character’s first time experiencing the world on their own, and having to navigate new situations without parents or guardians guiding them every step of the way. Middle grade is a little different because middle schoolers are really feeling the urge to separate from the adults in their lives and prove that they can handle things, but they’re still a long way from adulthood. So for YA I try to focus on the moment of separation and stepping into your own authority, while in middle grade I like to explore what happens when you feellike you want that freedom and independence but you might not quite be ready to separate entirely from the adults in your life.

I see you have a new book coming out: According to Vero. Can you give a brief description? It sounds really scary—evil AI is scarier than Freddy Krueger, for sure!
Thank you, yeah! According to Vero is about a boy who struggles to make new friends in school until he finds a mysterious device that seems to give him all the answers. It works great at first, until he starts to realize the device has an agenda of its own, and that the price for its corrupted advice might be higher than he was willing to pay.

For Teachers

Are you doing school visits related to this book?
I’m always happy to consider school visits for elementary and middle school. I can do book talks, talk about horror for kids, talk about the craft of writing scary stories, etc. Anyone interested can reach out through the contact form on my website.

How can we learn more about you?

I’m on Instagram at @tehlormejia and my website is tehlormejia.com

Thanks for your time, Tehlor!
Thank you so much! This was fun

The post Interview with The Creeps Author Tehlor Mejia appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

It doesn’t matter where you are, inside or outside, there’s a good chance that a spider is watching you! Unless you are in Antarctica. For the most part, those spiders are perfectly content to go about their day eating garden pests and leaving cobwebby silk strands in the corner of your bathroom. But somehow, spiders get a “spooky” reputation. So, let’s take a closer look at them!

Spi-ku: A Clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs by Leslie Bulion

From leafy treetop to forest floor, this book introduces readers to happy spiders, diving spiders, social spiders, and more. Each spread features poems and information about how they kill and digest their prey, engage in foolery – and even how they become prey themselves. Back matter includes hands-on spider activities and how to write your own spider poems.

Jumping Spiders (Creepy Crawlers in Action: Augmented Reality series) by Sandra Markle

Six chapters introduce the jumping spider’s world, with information on the spider from the inside out.  Because jumping spiders spend a lot of time hunting, readers are invited on a hunting expedition – from the spider’s point of view. Readers with smart phones and the appropriate app can scan Augmented Reality icons to watch the spiders “come to life.”

Super Spider Series (Black Widow, Cave, Funnel-Web, Tarantulas, Trapdoor, & Wolf Spiders) by Lisa J. Amstutz

These hi-low or younger MG books each focus on a specific spider and combine fascinating photographs, wonderfully concise, detailed information on each spider’s life-cycle and unique characteristics, a warning (when necessary), as well as a fun activity, jokes, glossary, and additional resources.

The Secret of the Scuba Diving Spider … and more! by Ana Maria Rodriguez

Readers are taken into the field with animal biologists to find the diving bell spider, the only spider that lives underwater. Only as long as a grain of rice, they’re hard to find in the water and they are becoming rare because of habitat loss and pollution.  In addition to diving bell spiders, readers meet whistling caterpillars, signal-jamming bats, and zombie ladybugs. https://archimedesnotebook.blogspot.com/2018/01/scuba-diving-spiders-and-hugs.html

Spiders! Strange and Wonderful by Laurence Pringle

At this very moment there may be several spiders lurking close to you. The good news: they are so focused on living their own lives that they really don’t want to have anything to do with us. An attitude that has served spiders well for the past 380 million years or so. Close-up portraits reveal things you usually don’t get close enough to see.

Spiders: We’re Not Scary, We’re Amazing by Ruth Owen

Written as an address to the readers, this ingenious hi-low or younger MG book uses amazing photographs, microscopic images, and illustrations, along with an illustrated, lab coat-wearing “spider-scientist,” and bite sized bars of text to examine the physiology, special traits, life cycle, actual danger, science behind our fears of spiders, and some absolutely amazing spiders.

The Secret World of Spiderwebs by Jan Beccaloni, illustrated by Namasri Niumim

Using conversational text and visually and tactilely engaging close-up illustrations (with a couple of stunning rotated spreads), this book highlights the beauty, strength and mysteries of thirteen types of webs and the 20 spiders (listed in the “spider spotters guide” at the end) who build these special webs. Like the Amazon social spider’s colony web or a lampshade web in a cave. A step-by-step guide walks the reader through web building, and a series of close-ups explore spider anatomy, how spiders make silk, and some of the different types of spider silk. 

Spidermania: Friends on the Web, by Alexandra Siy

This is a great book for younger MG readers. It begins by clarifying the differences between spiders and insects and then dives into spider lives. The book introduces readers to a diversity of spiders, and shows off their web skills. Stunning photographs and brightly colored electron micrographs show spider eyes and claws up close.

BIOGRAPHY

The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army, by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Anne Lambelet

Entomologist, Nan Songer collected butterflies and moths, beetles, caterpillars and spiders. But instead of killing and mounting them in display boxes, she kept a living collection in jars all over her house. When a friend mentioned he used spider silk to replace the crosshairs in his surveying scope, Nan wondered whether she could harvest spider silk and sell it. This book takes readers into her lab, showing her experimental process and the important role her research played as the US headed to war.

GREAT GUIDES 

Spiders (North American Field Guide) by Samantha S. Bell

A browsable guide containing the spider’s common and scientific names, “Fun Fact” blocks, extra information sidebars on webs, diving, and vision, amazing photographs, “How to Spot” sections with individual spider statistics, and succinct paragraphs about eighteen categories of spiders. Including crab spiders, a cat-faced spider, and a hammock spider.

Spiders of the World: A Natural History edited by Norman I. Platnick

Beginning with a detailed diagram and electron microscope images of a spider’s anatomy, it explores specific orders and subgroup of spiders. Stunning photographs accompany short descriptions, world-wide distribution maps, and characteristics lists for well over hundreds of spiders, including Spitting, Ogre-faced, Pirate, Diving Bell, Green Lynx, Beach Wolf, and ant-mimicking and beetle-mimicking Jumping spiders. It is a fascinating read, with a glossary, additional readings, and an index.

 This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Sue Heavenrich is an award-winning author, blogger, and bug-watcher. A long line of ants marching across the kitchen counter inspired her first article for kids. When not writing, she’s either in the garden or tromping through the woods. Her books for middle-grade readers include Funky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More and Diet for a Changing Climate. Visit her https://www.sueheavenrich.com/

Maria is a children’s author, blogger, and poet who is passionate about making nature and reading fun for children. She was a judge for the Cybils Awards since 2017 and a judge for the #50PreciousWords competition since its inception. Two of her poems are published in The Best of Today’s Little Ditty 2016 and 2014-2015 anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. Visit her at https://www.mariacmarshall.com

The post STEM Tuesday — Spiders– Book List appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Life After Kat Greene

After my debut novel, Kat Greene Comes Clean, came out in 2017, I was on cloud nine. Becoming a published author had been a long-held dream, and I felt like I’d won the lottery. Until my sales numbers came in. Understandably, my publisher turned down my second book, and my agent tried to find a new home for it. Things didn’t pan out, and eventually we parted ways. I found a new agent, and wrote a third book.

Disappointment and Despair

Despite my new agent’s enthusiasm, editors weren’t feeling the love. “The voice feels too young,” some would say. “The voice feels too old,” said others. Sometimes, editors wouldn’t respond at all. Hopefulness gave way to hopelessness, and it got harder and harder to stay optimistic. I knew I wasn’t a failure, but I definitely felt like one.

My daughter, Chloe, saw me struggling and gave me a book called Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself. I appreciated the gesture, but I felt too deflated to read it. At the same time, I  knew that if I didn’t make some serious changes, I’d be stuck in a never-ending loop of disappointment and despair.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

The first step was breaking up with my agent. We had formed a strong professional bond over the years, filled with trust and mutual respect, and I worried that pulling the plug would feel like a personal betrayal. Thankfully, my agent didn’t see it that way. They admired my courage to forge my own path, and promised to remain friends. It felt like a burden had lifted, perhaps for both of us.

But after I terminated my contract, reality hit. I had no agent, and no clear way forward. Although I knew indie publishing was an option, I doubted it was right for me. Sure, many authors were doing it, but as someone who’s worked in publishing for more than thirty years, it still carried a stigma I couldn’t shake. Plus, all that hard work! All the uncertainty! And all the decisions I’d have to make, from hiring a cover designer to securing an ISBN number, and everything in between. For a risk-averse person with fair to middling decision-making skills, this was my worst nightmare.

Snowy Wings Publishing

And then I discovered Snowy Wings, a group of MG and YA authors who banded together to form their own publishing house. It’s a cooperative model, which means the authors in the collective share resources and advice, and help to cross-promote each other’s books. What could be better than that? So, I contacted the founder, Lyssa Chiavari, and bombarded her with questions. Lyssa patiently answered them, and then invited me to join the group.

My first novel with Snowy Wings, Camp, Crushes, and Other Catastrophes—an epistolary novel that focuses on two thirteen-year-old BFFs, Maddie, who’s getting bullied at sleepaway camp, and Kenzi, who’s back home in NYC, babysitting her bratty little brother—will be published on May 4, 2027.

I’d be lying if I said I’m not freaked out by going indie, and the learning curve is steep. But the thought of having more control over the publishing process is worth the price of admission. And then some. Watch this space!

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, and received certification as a life coach. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean, Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish MG anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories. Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on  Facebook and Instagram.

The post The Leap to Indie: One Author’s Story appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

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Thank you so much for joining us here at the Mixed-Up Files, Tony! As a reader of the Spiderwick Chronicles and many of your other works, I was so excited to hear about your new book, The Wump, and thrilled to have the chance to read it early. This story shows us a boy who lets a monster eat his darkest thoughts and feelings so he can stand up to the bullies in his life before he realizes the protection and revenge the wump gives him come at a cost. Though this dark supernatural coming-of-age story leans into the scary side of our emotions and the steep consequences of our choices, it offers a bright contrast with hard-won friendship and the power of forgiveness. This exploration of light and dark makes for an engrossing read that blends illustrations and prose in a perfectly creepy way.

Your illustrations always add such richness and depth to the stories they help build, and that was certainly true for this book. The two-color illustrations are fabulous.

Tony DiTerlizzi: Thank you for noticing! Whether I am illustrating my own words or working with another author, I consider all aspects of bookmaking when bringing a story to life: how does the trim size attract a reader? Typeface? Art style? Color palette, etc.

I strive for a visceral feeling that entices the reader to pick the book up from the shelf (or select it from an endless stream of online images). Once I get them intrigued, how do I delight the reader when they crack open that cover? It’s a lot of trial and error, discussion with my team and the publisher to arrive at the best visual presentation of the story.

Could you tell us about the spark for this book? Did you think of the creature first or a character like Timothy?

Tony DiTerlizzi: “Timothy B. Tibblesworth was a strange lad. He had no friends for everyone thought he was strange indeed.”

I wrote that in January of 2001 when a rush of inspiration for a story flooded my imagination. Scribbled on several spreads of my sketchbook are notes about an oddball outcast and his shadowy monster companion, the wump.

Over the next year I developed the plot, characters and the rules of the monster but I was not satisfied. Regardless, I was obsessed with the idea of a middle grade story about a shadowy beast. I knew there was something special, something honest, there…but I believed then that I did not possess the technical skills to write the story I saw in my mind.

Over the years, I would tinker on the manuscript but still felt it wasn’t up to snuff. It wasn’t until I finished working on the WondLatelevision series that I felt confident enough to tell Timothy’s story at last.

The wump is so powerful, both as a character in its own right and as a concept. In many ways, the wump gets even scarier the more we see how it represents the very real anxieties and challenges of being a kid (and even an adult). Did you have a good sense of how Timothy was going to overcome it when you started writing the book? As a reader, I started having serious doubts that he was going to be able to do it!

Tony DiTerlizzi: Sometimes you get lucky and you just know how a story is going to end. It doesn’t always work out so easy with other books I’ve written.

I’ve been intrigued with the idea of monsters eating children since I first cracked open Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are. Further, the concept of hate and anger consuming a person goes back centuries in storytelling, from The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to Star Wars.

As you’ve pointed out, the wump is Tim’s manifestation of suppressed anger and anxiety. In the wump’s final, most volatile phase, I wondered if I could show it literally eat our hero—when Tim is at his weakest, most vulnerable state.

In this story, devouring a victim is a symbol for control: Tim’s pet praying mantis eats beef, Tim and Logan have a pepper eating contest, the wump eats Tim…so Tim has to eat the wump to gain control of it. I’m simply using the symbology I’ve established to arrive at the only conclusion there is.

The wump isn’t destroyed because you can destroy your shadow self. You cannot fully repress anger or anxiety. All Tim can do is reign it in and control it. Which he acknowledges in the epilogue.

 

You mentioned that you often read for inspiration when it comes to tone while you’re working on a book as well as listen to music. Were there specific influences for The Wump? I might guess there were some threads of a few of your favorite authors, like Stephen King and Roald Dahl.

Tony DiTerlizzi: I do like to read certain authors or books to help inspire tonally what I am working on. As you guessed, Roald Dahl’s stories, like Matilda, with its unreliable adults, was super exciting to me.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the page turners I ripped through in middle school. In the mid-1980s Stephen King was everywhere. I enjoyed his short story collections with Cycle of the Werewolf as one of my favorites. In preparation for this story, I returned to King to see how he conveyed the feeling of creepiness. All the primal sensations Tim experiences throughout the story—cold, heat, shivers, trembling—comes from reading King.

And do Timothy and Alberto have their own theme songs?

Tony DiTerlizzi: As for theme songs, Tim’s is right there in the story. He is a fan of his dad’s old cassette tapes from the 1970s-80s. But it’s The Beatles’ medley on side 2 of Abbey Road that is his favorite. Alberto likes dramatic epic soundtracks because that is what plays in his mind when he’s reading his comics or pretending to be a superhero.

Timothy’s love and knowledge of bugs are tremendous and make him such a relatable kid for this age of reader. Did you have to do a lot of research into entomology to ground his passion, or did you already have knowledge of cicadas, Hercules beetles, and other Things Small but Important?

Tony DiTerlizzi: Tim is an exaggerated mirror of me during middle school with many similar traits: anxious, a bullied victim with dark revenge fantasies, bookish and a deep abiding love of insects.

I grew up in Florida and enjoyed exploring my backyard, scrubby woods or the local beach. I caught lizards, snakes, tropical fish and loads and loads of insects. I even made a little field guide out of a spiral-bound notebook (a few images are used for Tim’s journal in The Wump). Looking back on it now, I think I was drawn to our six-legged friends because so many consider insects weird, ugly and gross…which is how I saw myself in middle school. I could relate to them.

In middle grade, we don’t often get to see as far into the future as we do with the epilogue to this story, but it seems like this one needed the jump forward to see how things resolved—and maybe even hint that the wump might reappear. Can you talk about why you decided to give readers a glimpse into Timothy’s adult years?

Tony DiTerlizzi: The epilogue is an aspect of this story that I could only understand from my experiences being a parent. Helping my daughter go through the ups and downs of middle and high school, I was reminded how immediate, how life encompassing, the day-to-day drama of our tween and teen years are.

At that age, we have limited real-life experiences. There’s no wisdom. No perspective. So, I wanted to offer some of that to my readers. I wanted them to know that, regardless of whatever they were going through, “this, too, shall pass.”

Life is nothing but change and adaptation. Sometimes it’s for the better, sometimes for the worse, but we learn and grow from these chapters on our journey through this world. Hopefully it’s to become better versions of ourselves. That’s really what this story is about.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

Tony DiTerlizzi: All of us cope with anger, frustration and anxiety. None of us have a perfect life. You are not alone in those struggles, dear reader. I see you. I’ve been there.

“Never abandon imagination” is a striking call to action for readers and writers alike. What advice would you give to someone who might be struggling to be imaginative, either as part of growing up or as a result of reading too much news?

Tony DiTerlizzi: I feel like imagination is more endangered now than ever: with addictive, attention-sucking technology and unregulated AI expanding at an alarming rate.

When I adopted “Never abandon imagination” as my mantra decades ago, I was thinking of the playful imagination that I tapped into as an adult so that I could remain youthful, hopeful and optimistic for the future. Those was the halcyon days of the 1980s and ‘90s—before social media took over. Before devices were in every hand and the internet was not something we felt compelled to access multiple times throughout a single day.

As a child, I often escaped into fantasy worlds to cope with reality. Books were my silent teachers. For example, “The Hobbit” wasn’t a story about defeating dragons and outwitting Gollum, it was a story that showed me the smallest of us can make a difference. It meant something bigger inside me than just enjoying Tolkien’s exquisite words on a page.

That’s the type of stories I want to put out in the world. That’s what I want to tell the next generation. Imagination, fantasy, daydreams…sometimes it’s not just escapism. It’s another way of seeing and coping with the difficult world we live in and we need it now, more than ever.

Because no MUF interview is complete without one, here is the 

Lightning Round: 

• Coffee or tea?
  • Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon.
• Sunrise or sunset?
  • Depends on where I am. Sunrise in Florida over the Atlantic is something you won’t soon forget, especially if the sea turtles are hatching. Sunset over the hills of western Massachusetts reminds me daily of why we chose to live here.
• What is your trademark look?
  • Glasses and nerd wear, with vintage sneakers. I have more pairs of ‘80s-style Nikes than I care to admit.
• Favorite city (besides the one you live in)?
  • I heart NY
• Favorite insect?
  • I’m still fascinated by mantids. Devil’s Flower Mantis, Ghost Mantis, European Mantis, Malaysian Orchid Mantis, Unicorn mantis…I love’em all!
• If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
  • Innocuous time travel.

Intrigued by what we’ve talked about here? You can grab your own copy of The Whump today!

The post Talking Monsters, Wumps, and Inspiration with Tony DiTerlizzi appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.