October 2023
Our October line-up includes interviews with R.L. Stine and Marc Brown (who interview each other!), Phoebe Sinclair, Dan Misdea, Michelle Houts, Benson Shum, AnneMarie Mazotti Gouveia, Nathan Bryon, and Laura Gehl!
Conrad Storad's column is for the birds, Judy Newman talks about her favorite monsters, and Nick Spake reviews A Million Miles Away!
Check out our newest book reviews and fall reading list! It's all inside!
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FEATURES
R.L. Stine and Marc Brown
Discuss Their Monster Mashup
From beloved, bestselling children’s book icons R.L. Stine and Marc Brown comes a spooktacular storybook filled with hilariously jokes and fun-loving monsters that will give everyone a case of the giggles. We had to know everything about it! So we asked them for a super exclusive interview … with each other!
R.L. Stine: You and I are kind of an unlikely duo for children’s books.
Marc Brown: Yes, let’s talk about how we got to work together—our third picture book just came out this past summer.
R.L.: We were having dinner with our wives. We had known each other for a number of years at that point. And you said to me at dinner, “You and I should do a book together.” And I said, “Marc, you have such a good reputation in children’s books. Why would you want to work with me?” And that’s how it got started. We got to work on a book called Little Shop of Monsters, and we had a great time.
Marc: And now we’ve got three books together. How did you decide to write Why Did the Monster Cross the Road?
R.L.: I wanted to do another book with you, Marc, and I was trying to think of a third book idea. And our editor at Scholastic said, “I have an idea for a book for you and Marc: a monster joke book.” And that was the start. I went home and started thinking.… And then I sat down and wrote, “Why did the monster cross the road? To bite someone on the other side?” There was the start, and then I tried to think of some nice characters for you to draw. And how would we work the jokes in. We loved doing it and I love working with you, Marc.
Marc: It’s mutual. We have a really good time.
R.L.: I’m going to ask you a question you’ve probably been asked a million times. But I’ve never asked. Why an aardvark? Was Arthur maybe a mouse when you started?
Marc: No. I was asked by my son to tell him a bedtime story about an animal. So, I thought alphabetically, and I stopped at aardvark. And they’re very underserved in the world of children’s literature, you know?
R.L.: So true.
Marc: Give the aardvark a break.
R.L.: And so that was it? It was just Arthur the Aardvark right from the start?
Marc: Right from the start.
Cover and interior illustrations ™/© Scholastic Inc. Art © 2023 by Marc Brown.
Phoebe Sinclair
Pens a Profoundly Relatable Middle Grade Novel
Confessions of a Candy Snatcher begins with a Halloween prank and becomes a story about the messiness of growing up. Sprinkled with zines that aid protagonist Jonas in a moral dilemma, this book will pull kids in with the allure of trick-or-treating chaos and keep them engaged to the last page. We asked Phoebe to tell us more!
Your website bio lists you as a “troublemaker,” which I find so delightful. So I guess it comes as no surprise that Confessions of a Candy Snatcher is rooted in pranks and tricks. How did you come up with this story?
Where I grew up in Coastal New Jersey, candy-snatching was a well-known threat on Halloween for middle-school age kids who went trick-or-treating without adult supervision. I always wondered why this experience didn’t show up in popular media—books, TV, music, etc. I thought it would be fun to write about it. Since completing the novel, I’ve discovered there are people who have never heard of candy snatching, and also adults who themselves were once candy snatchers! It seems like the Halloween-version might be a regional thing, but there’s clearly a universality to the experience of having your candy swiped!
What sort of trouble can you share with us that has personally become some of your all-time favorite stories about yourself?
I definitely identify as a troublemaker … less of the chaos-variety and more of having a penchant for speaking aloud what is often unspoken, and shining light on spaces, places, and conversations that can benefit from a little illumination.
The protagonist faces a moral dilemma in the book. Have you faced such a dilemma, and are you looking to, in a reachable way, guide your readers in and out of the gray areas of life’s moral dilemmas? Can you speak to this?
Great question! I can’t imagine moving through life without facing moral dilemmas. So, yes, I’ve faced them and, on occasion, even caused them. That said, I feel allergic to telling people how to be, “Afterschool Special”-style, where adults are supposedly dropping knowledge on kids. Confessions of a Candy Snatcher digs into questions and largely leaves the interpretation up to readers.
Who and what inspires you, in life and as a writer?
I grew up in a family that valued the arts, self-expression, culture, and the natural world. I’ve been known to collect tree bark and pinecones and keep piles of dried leaves on my work desk and in file folders. I’ve been following the career of the amazing Jacqueline Woodson since I was in high school. I’m a fan of Studio Ghibli and all forms of comics from indie to manga to superhero. I have a love for subversive/generative art movements like zines, graffiti, and fan fiction. Finally, I find inspiration in snippets of overheard conversations on Boston public transit.
Dan Misdea
Writes a Cozy Read for Halloween
How far would you go to find your very best toy if it went missing? Author Dan Misdea invites little readers to join a timid jack-o’-lantern on an adventure through an eerie forest in this sweet and quirky wordless picture book!
Let’s talk about going from economics and accounting to cartooning and writing fun books. How did this all happen? When did you realize what your path was, and was it difficult to let go of what and who you thought you were going to be? Tell us the whole story!
Well, I always wanted to be a cartoonist. My uncle, Patrick McDonnell (Mutts), was a huge inspiration, but I had many different interests outside of cartooning. Life ultimately pulled me in a different direction. After college, I took an accounting job and spent several years doing work that I didn’t necessarily love. I kept drawing in my spare time though. Eventually,
I decided to leave my job in 2020 to submit cartoons to The New Yorker and focus on writing a book. It was an exciting, yet terrifying, period of my life.
Since then, I’ve somehow contributed several cartoons to The New Yorker and had The Light Inside published. There were plenty of ups and downs on this weird path I chose, but I had a lot of support from my friends and family. I feel very lucky.
What advice would you give someone who was called to do something drastically out of line with their current lifestyle and work, but that they felt called to explore?
Don’t ignore it.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Be kind.
Michelle Houts
Weaves a Poignant Friendship Tale
“Hopefully” the scarecrow always stood in the garden, tall, proud, and smiling. Like most of us, he didn’t remember the very beginning of his days, but he did remember the first time his friend placed him on his perch. Every day the girl brought her favorite books to the garden to read to him, until one day, two different and unfamiliar hands picked him up and placed him in the garden. While waiting for the girl he grew fond of, he learned not to be discouraged. After all, he had all her stories nestled deep in the straw beneath his hate to keep him company. He would wait and wonder if she’d ever return, and it was then he learned the meaning of hope and courage…. We couldn’t wait to ask author Michelle Houts to tell us more about this heartwarming story.
You have an impressive lineup of books behind you already, and really seem to have covered and explored plenty of very different topics. Where do you get your inspiration?
I tell school children that ideas are everywhere, but writers do two things to capture them. First, we keep our eyes open. Just because ideas are everywhere, doesn’t mean we automatically see them. Orson Scott Card said, “Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” Second, we are curious. We ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. We want to know why and how, and we say “What if …” a lot!
In particular, how did you come across the story of Hopefully the Scarecrow? Are there any real-life experiences or moments that touched this book, and if so, would you be able to share any with us? For example, how did you learn what the scarecrow discovers in this story about hope and courage, etc.?
Hopefully is a reflection of many children I grew to know when I was an elementary speech-language pathologist. Most children, simply because they are kids, don’t have much control over their lives—they don’t choose where they live or with whom, they don’t choose their schools, teachers, or classmates. They don’t have control over whether or not they are safe or have enough to eat. Adults control those things. In some families, it all works wonderfully. In other families, there are struggles. So, I set out to explore what it’s like to have little more than one’s hopes, dreams, and thoughts to lean on when things don’t go as planned. And who is more limited than a scarecrow? That’s where Hopefully came from.
Benson Shum
Invites Little Students to Howlergarten
Most kids go to kindergarten, but there is a special place for those who turn into werewolves. Instead of attending school during the day, these supernatural students go to howlergarten at night! But when Sophie doesn’t seem to possess the basic skills, she worries she won’t become a werewolf at all. What will happen if she remains human when the full moon appears? Will she still be accepted as part of the pack, or will she be cast aside as an ordinary outsider? We asked author Benson Shum to tell us more about this special classroom for student werewolves.
How did you know you wanted to be a writer and artist/illustrator? When did it become clear to you that this was your path, and what influenced you to be who and what you are today?
I loved drawing as a kid. I gravitated toward anything that had pictures. The expression, the pose, the colors drew me in. Animation was also a big influence. Whether the drawings were moving or still, the feelings they brought were inspiring. And that’s when I learned about storytelling. I didn’t know I wanted to be a writer until later in life. I was never confident in my writing as a kid. But by going to the libraries and checking out all kinds of books, I got the courage to give it a try. And I loved it.
What brought you to choose youth literature as your focus? Is there a goal or bigger-picture reason behind your choice of audience?
Aside from writing and illustrating, I also work at the Walt Disney Animation Studios as an animator. Being surrounded by amazing artists and storytellers led me to focus on creating stories for a younger audience. I don’t feel children’s books are only for kids though. I believe adults can enjoy them just as much. There are many layers in children’s books that adults can connect with.
Would you say that most of your books have a special or important message you’d like younger generations to be exposed to?
I hope when people read my books, they’ll see there is kindness in the world, and how each and every one of us can bring that.
AnneMarie Mazotti Gouveia
Captivates Young Readers with New Fantasy Novel
Life Giver Roe, Sorcerer Ori, and Tamer Theo are three siblings with ancient backpack powers living in a mystical world. Together with their friends, they travel through forests, deserts, caves, and swamps in order to fight against the Guardians, a Storm Catcher named Tora, and her father, First City Leader Quinlan, in a battle between good and evil. The outcome of this conflict will have significant consequences for their world’s future…. We want to go too! We asked her to tell us about it.
You have been a high-tech executive at a multi-billion-dollar company … is it safe to assume creative writing is a rather big departure from that? Was there any crossover between your previous career and what you’re doing now?
Although writing for youth is clearly miles off the beaten path from being a high-tech executive, my role made me a better writer when you consider the aspects of planning and writing a magical adventure series with twists and turns like Drifters Realm. Working as an information technology senior executive at a high-tech, multi-billion-dollar company required vast amounts of creative problem-solving, organizational skills, and focusing on the details while simultaneously stepping back and looking at the bigger picture. The crossover can be found in the dedication and attention to detail required to be successful in each profession. Although I must admit, creative writing is a lot more fun!
If you don’t mind us asking, what was your previous career?
I was the Managing Director of Enterprise Applications, Development, and Integration at Lam Research Corporation, reporting to the CIO. I was the second-most senior executive in our information technology organization at the time. I have over 20 years of experience in the management of business processes, systems, application architectures, and technologies. In my position, I led various highly cross-functional global project implementation and multi-billion-dollar M&A integration teams to successful completion. It was a high-profile leadership position where I could thrive on challenges and constantly seek out opportunities to deliver business value.
What made you jump into writing for youth? Tell us your author’s journey, so to speak … is this new path a surprise to you or have you always longed to write and had an idea of what you wanted to write about? From your childhood as a “book nerd” (I was one too, and thoroughly enjoyed it), it would make sense that literature stuck with you deep in your soul and always remained an interest.
Once I set my heart on writing, there was no question in my mind that I would write for youth. Honestly, it’s the age group that intrigues me most when it comes to the books I’ve read throughout my life. I have a vivid imagination, and it gives me great joy to write magical adventure stories that take place in strange lands. Those types of stories are perfect for youth. There’s something about writing for that age group that is so compelling and fulfilling when I hear how much readers have enjoyed Drifters Realm and cannot wait for the next book.
MONTHLY COLUMNS
-
Monsters at the Movies
A Million Miles Away
by Nick Spake -
Life of a Reader
A Monster in My Book
by Judy Newman -
Q&A
Nathan Bryon
by Julianne Black DiBlasi -
The Book Bug
Laura Gehl
by Raven Howell -
Conrad‘s Classroom
The Osprey: A Raptor “Comeback Story”
by Conrad J. Storad -
Liv On Life
What Do You Care About?
by Olivia Amiri -
Kids Corner
Author Laura Gehl’s Rhymes
by Laura Gehl
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