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DOUBLE DOSE of WNDMG!!! Author Interviews with Raidah Shah Idil and Yxavel Magna Dino!

WNDMG Reads

November’s typically filled with so much to do! Some households just finished celebrating Dia de Los Muertos, while others are saluting the veterans in their lives. Others are already planning Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or any other -Givings Day dinners!

Yet those in the bookish community simply wait for all the incredible new releases that embrace the family spirit. And what better way to celebrate family this month than with a double dose of WNDMG book releases!

We recognize that publishing is an incredibly difficult pursuit and that journey can be even harder for international authors. Yet, despite all odds, I have had the pleasure of sharing the virtual stage with not one, but two amazing MG authors who both have US/CANADA releases this month!

Without further ado, I present Raidah Shah Idil and Yxavel Magna Diño! Welcome ot the Mixed Up Files – We Need Diverse MG feature!

 

How to Free a Jinn by Raidah Shah Idil

Raidah Shah Idil is the author of HOW TO FREE A JINN which released in the US and Canada on November 4! Here’s a summary of her Malaysian fantasy novel!

Insyirah’s calm, orderly world falls into chaos when her proud nenek (grandmother) has a bad fall, and Insyirah and her mother must move back to Malaysia to take care of her.

Her new home holds wild and dangerous mysteries, and while finding her feet, Insyirah discovers a shocking secret: the women in her family can control jinn—powerful, ancient jungle spirits—and, one day, she will inherit one of her own. What’s more, her new school is haunted by an evil spirit determined to force her out of Malaysia.

As Insyirah discovers the fascinating ways of the seen and unseen worlds, she finds danger around every corner. And when her family situation grows perilous, she must gather all her resilience to overcome unexpected obstacles and make a life-changing decision.

 

 

 

The Firefly Crown by Yxavel Magna Dino

Yxavel Magna Diño is the author of two amazing Filipino fantasy novels THE SERPENT RIDER (2024) and THE FIREFLY CROWN released in the states yesterday, November 11! Focusing on her sophomore novel for this interview, here’s the blurb for THE FIREFLY CROWN:

An unlucky sorcerer must learn to wield her insect magic in this charming middle grade fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Impossible Creatures and Witchlings.

In the empire, magic determines your fate. But Yumi is tired of being a failed Cricket. Their magic is lousy and boring. She dreams instead of the sparkling magic of Fireflies, whose powers rival the sun. If only she could harness her talents like other magicians . . . For now, Yumi is ignored by even the crickets who are supposed to follow her spells.

Then, Yumi gets a chance to prove herself sooner than expected when all sorcerers are summoned for the princess’s coronation. But everything falls apart when the Firefly Crown is stolen, leaving the empire defenseless against the Ghost Swarm, a horde of undead bugs. Worse, Yumi is blamed. Suddenly this lowly Cricket is the empire’s most wanted. To clear her name and protect her loved ones, Yumi must find the real thief. But can a Cricket really save the day?

 

Now enough with the pleasantries, let’s jump into this interview!

 

CHILDHOOD DREAMS

 

My first question for both of you: did you always want to become an author?

RAIDAH: Yes! I was always that kid who found socialization far too tricky, so I sought refuge in reading and writing books. I’ve lost track of the number of stories I’ve written, and all my unfinished manuscripts. I wrote fanfiction for years, too, which really helped me improve my writing craft.

YXAVEL: Yes! Ever since I was really young, “author” was always my answer whenever people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I was the kid who would rather read books in the library at lunchtime rather than hang out with the other students (thank you to everyone who still talked to me even though I was super shy and quiet, haha!) I once told someone that if I could only publish one book, and have even just one person read and love it, I would be a very happy writer. So, I feel extremely blessed and lucky to be able to live out my dream of being a published author right now, and very grateful to all the family, friends, and industry professionals who made it possible.

So determined! This of course has me asking you to tell us a bit about your publication journey.

YXAVEL: Since fantasy novels were the books that first sparked my obsession with reading and writing, I knew I wanted to be a fantasy author first and foremost. However, when I started writing my own ideas, I struggled with discipline and sticking to a single idea. Back then it was super difficult for me to write a thousand words, let alone the tens of thousands that were needed for a full-length novel.

After high school, I decided to write a story that was truer to my identity than any of the Western fantasy-inspired novels I’d ever tried writing before: a story inspired by my Filipino heritage, its myths, and its folklore. In my first year of university, I started writing what would become my debut middle-grade fantasy novel, THE SERPENT RIDER. I finished the manuscript and started querying by the start of the following year and got an offer of representation, and my wonderful agent sold the book the year after that. After several rounds of edits, THE SERPENT RIDER released in September 2024 and my sophomore novel, THE FIREFLY CROWN, just landed this month!

RAIDAH: Buckle up, because it took YEARS! I had attended Hanna Alkaf’s author event, and her advice to me was to finish my first draft. I completed the first draft of HOW TO FREE A JINN while I was pregnant with my son. I knew I needed a solid draft before he was born, before I got swallowed up by the newborn haze all over again. My two daughters were both under 4 at the time, so while my oldest was in preschool and my middle daughter was with her grandmother, I’d go from restaurant to restaurant and write. It was such a fun process, especially because I’m a panster and had no idea where my story was going until I wrote THE END. I polished it as best I could, hired an editor to help me polish it even further, then started the arduous process of querying….two months after I gave birth to my son! I gave myself a deadline of a year – if I didn’t secure representation by then, I would shelve my book and write another. I had about 100 rejections by the time I secured a single agent offer. In October 2020, when my son was one year old, I signed with my agent, Alli Hellegers of Stimola Literary. After some edits with her, in 2021, she sent the then-YA version of my book to US editors, and we had a lot of complimentary rejections. I spent 2022 revising my book down from YA to MG. We finally landed my Australian book deal in late 2023, and then got published in Sept 2024!

I’m not worthy to be in the presence of two agented international PHENOMES! Now, do you both strictly write fantasy? Or do you dabble across genres? Is there one genre you would (probably) NEVER try?

 

RAIDAH: Not at all! I read very widely and reflect that in my own writing practice e.g. I also write non-fiction, poems, romance, mysteries, adventures….One genre I would probably never try is straight up horror. Suspense and psychological thrillers are something I’d love to experiment with, but I’m far too squeamish for gore and horror.

 

 

 

YXAVEL: I’m a fantasy writer at heart, but I love consuming media in all different genres including sci-fi, horror, psychological thrillers, and literary! I’d love to be a multi-genre author one day. Although I don’t think I could ever write a purely romance-oriented book, as that requires a skillset which I doubt I currently have (for now at least … but hey maybe one day!)

REPRESENTATION GOALS

 

As a Thai-American MG author, I personally love discovering the commonalities between different Southeast Asian cultures. What are some key cultural elements or traditions from Malaysia and the Philippines you knew you had to include in your stories?

RAIDAH: I wanted to include tasty Malaysian food and our obsession with jinn stories. I also wanted to include spiritual practices like reading Ayatul Kursi for protection. My intention was to always weave these seamlessly into my narrative, as a way to invite the reader into Insyirah’s lived experience.

YXAVEL: It’s super fascinating how Southeast Asia is so diverse yet there are so many values our cultures share! THE SERPENT RIDER features several mythical creatures from Filipino folklore, while THE FIREFLY CROWN’s magic system is inspired by the mambabarang, or traditional Filipino insect magicians. Aside from these aspects, one element of Philippine culture I knew I had to include in my stories is the concept of bayanihan: the deep bonds of family, friends, community, and the sense of “we’re all in this together” that permeates Filipino society even today. The importance of community and connection across Southeast Asian cultures is something you also explore very well in your own books, Patchree!

Thanks for kind words, Yxavel! Borrowing the sentiment from our colleague, Annie McCann, do you feel like a trailblazer for your culture when it comes to representation?

YXAVEL: In writing my novels, my goal was to spread the word about Filipino myths and hopefully encourage young readers to want to learn more about them! I’m so glad to be a fellow author alongside Annie, whose book MY HARIMAU KING does this with Indonesian legends; with Raidah Shah Idil whose novel HOW TO FREE A JINN explores Malaysian culture; and with you, who absolutely blew me away with your Thai-inspired SKYLIGHT! Since there’s an underrepresentation of Filipino-inspired books in the kidlit space, writing about our culture does make me feel like a trailblazer in that sense—although I’m definitely not the first person to do it!

An amazing writer-sister of mine, Caris Avendaño Cruz, wrote MARIKIT AND THE OCEAN OF STARS, as well as her second novel released earlier this year, THE BOY, THE MOUNTAIN, AND THE SERPENT WHO ATE THE MOON (which features the Filipino moon-eating sea serpent that also appears in my book THE SERPENT RIDER). Caris is a brilliant author who writes our myths with a poetry and charm I can only dream of. I’ll always recommend those books!

RAIDAH: I think so. I’d like to think that I’m building on the foundation set by Southeast Asian authors who have been published before me, like Hanna Alkaf and Jesse Sutanto. I admire Hanna Alkaf’s books, which reflect a deep love for Malaysian families, food and culture. My experience is different because of my returnee diaspora experience. I’m Malay, but not Malaysian. I’m Australian, but I’m definitely not white. I still occupy this liminal space of being between worlds. I wanted to emphasize the healing power of coming back to my ancestral home after struggling with a lot of anti-Islam, anti-Asian sentiment growing up as a minority in the West.

Representation matters so much and ALL children need to see themselves in the stories they read. We’ve still got a long way toward balancing our libraries, but at least we’re taking up the challenge to make our cultures present and accounted for!

Designed by FreePik

Now, I’ve got a question just for Raidah! While most writers feel like we can revise forever (some begrudgingly!), what did the revision process look like for you between the original version of HOW TO FREE A JINN and the upcoming US/Canadian release?

RAIDAH: Where do I even start? The original version of HOW TO FREE A JINN was actually a YA novel! Insyirah started off as being 16. One of my American beta readers said that she sounded closer to 12, and that was the winning tweak that I suggested to my agent, who enthusiastically agreed. I had to brutally cut out many subplots and characters (including Insyirah’s dad, stepmother and stepsister haha) to get to the heart of my story. That was the version that landed my first book deal with Allen and Unwin.

Once my book got acquired by my Australian publisher, I had a little bit more polishing to do with my Australian editor, Kate Whitcher. Once I got my American book deal with Salaam Reads (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), I fleshed out my story even more with my American editor, Deeba Zargapur. I hope to get a UK book deal too, and I’m looking forward to strengthening my book with my UK editor.

 

Who knew the process was so complicated! Now, Yxavel, here’s a question just for you! Since all writers dream of getting every story published, how did the publishing journey of THE FIREFLY CROWN differ from THE SERPENT RIDER? Did you experience any sophomore release nerves?

YXAVEL: With THE SERPENT RIDER, I had all the time in the world to come up with the initial draft, but THE FIREFLY CROWN was the first book I’ve ever had to write on deadline and I really felt the challenge! It helped that I decided to write a main character who shares a lot of traits with me—Yumi is a quiet Cricket magician who comes from humble beginnings, but is forced to prove her innocence when the empire’s most treasured possession, the magical Firefly Crown, goes missing and the blame lands on her. My initial attempt at a manuscript was pretty messy, so I’m thankful to my editor for being very forgiving with the first draft, and for writing a brilliant edit letter that helped me improve the story so much!

A lot of people who enjoyed THE SERPENT RIDER are Filipino readers who know our myths exceptionally well, so I’m a little (read: EXTREMELY) nervous about what they will think of THE FIREFLY CROWN. Here’s hoping you all will enjoy it too!

 

My goodness! I am blown away but both of your journeys! Last question, what’s one key takeaway you want readers to take away from your work?

RAIDAH: I hope that Insyirah’s story, and all of my future stories, will show the complexity and humanity of Muslim families, and how we deserve to go on fun adventures too. The dehumanization and demonisation of Muslims in mainstream media has real-life harmful and often fatal consequences. Writing joyful Muslim stories is my resistance.

YXAVEL: A recurrent theme across both my novels is having the courage to forge your own path, no matter who or what may stand in your way. I sincerely hope that anyone who reads my work will feel inspired to do just that.

 

Here, here! I love these messages and agree with both of you wholeheartedly. Publishing takes courage and joy is resistance! Thank you both so much for sharing with us today! Be sure to support these amazing authors and grab their books today! Check out their socials and book links below!

Raidah Shah Idil

 

Author Bio:Raidah Shah Idil was born in Singapore; grew up in Sydney, Australia; worked in Amman, Jordan; and now lives in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, with her husband, three children, and mother-in-law. Raidah earned her BA in English and BSc in Psychology from the University of New South Wales and her Diploma of Counselling from the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. Raidah loves ginger tea and noodle soup and dreams of uninterrupted sleep. HOW TO FREE A JINN is her first book.

https://linktr.ee/raidahshahidilhttps://www.instagram.com/raidahwrites/https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/How-to-Free-a-Jinn/Raidah-Shah-Idil/9781665982627

 

 

Yxavel Magna Dino

 

Author Bio: Yxavel Magno Diño is the author of The Serpent Rider and The Firefly Crown. She was born in the Philippines before moving to Australia at a young age, where she soon discovered that almost nobody there knew how to say her name. To make up for it, she spent her time daydreaming about fantasy worlds filled with characters who had more unusual names than she did. Now, she writes stories about her Filipino heritage and its fantastical folklore. When she’s not writing, you can find her drinking copious amounts of black tea or getting lost in the pages of a book.

https://linktr.ee/ymdinohttps://instagram.com/yxavel_writeshttps://ymdino.com/#thefireflycrown

The post DOUBLE DOSE of WNDMG!!! Author Interviews with Raidah Shah Idil and Yxavel Magna Dino! appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

STEM Tuesday– Transportation– In the Classroom

Books Read

From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves
by Vivian Kirkfield and Gilbert Ford

This book highlights some of the key inventions that changed how people and things move around the world. Rather than explaining the science of these inventions, it contains mini-biographies about the inventors who created these ground-breaking devices. I learned a lot about how and when different modes of transportation came about, in addition to learning about the people who made them happen.

 

Since I didn’t have easy access to many of the books on this month’s list, I chose to read some other books that also fit into this theme. These “bonus” books are:

Great Train Designs (Engineering Wonders of the 21st Century)
by Sophie Washburne

I’m a big fan of trains, so I was really interested to learn more about them. Great Train Designs focuses on the science and innovations that have improved train travel over the years. It also explores some of the issues surrounding train travel and takes a brief peak into what the future of train travel might include.

Vehicle & Transportation Tech (Marvels of Technology)
by Anita Loughley and Alex Woolf

Like the first book, this one highlights many different types of transportation. Unlike From Here to There, Vehicle & Transportation Tech takes a closer look at the science and technology behind the different transportation achievements rather than the people who made them.

Whichever books you choose to read, here are some activities you can pair with them.

Explore Transportation Science and Engineering

Pick a type of transportation that interests you. Now think of a specific mechanism or idea that it uses. Find an experiment to conduct or activity to do that explores this topic. Here are a few you might want to try.

How do train wheels stay on train tracks? Conduct this experiment from Science Buddies: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/stem-activities/train-wheel-scienceInvestigate the science around floating boats with Buoyant Boats from Teach Engineering. https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/duk_boat_mary_actExplore airplanes using Paper Airplanes (Teach Engineering): https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_airplanes_lesson06_activity1Explore Drag and Aircraft Design (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/drag-and-aircraft-designMake a hovercraft (NASA JPL): https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/resources/project/make-a-hovercraftBuild a bubble-powered rocket – activity from NASA’s SpacePlace: https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/pop-rocket/enOr Make a Straw Rocket (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/make-a-straw-rocketOr make a stomp rocket (Exploratorium): https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/bottle-blast-offDesign tires that would move well on Mars in Gaining Traction on Mars Activity (NASA): https://www.nasa.gov/stem-content/gaining-traction-on-mars-hands-on-activityOr explore when you can use square wheels (Exploratorium): https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/square-wheels

Here are some other collections of activities to explore:

University of Minnesota Center for Transportation: https://www.cts.umn.edu/education/k-12/lessonsInstitute of Transportation Engineers (ITE): https://www.ite.org/technical-resources/transportation-science-technology-engineering-math-stem-resources/curated-resources/prek-12-stem-activitiesNational Network for the Transportation Workforce (NNTW): https://www.nntw.org/lesson-plansVermont Tech transportation-related activities: https://cewd.vtc.edu/vtrans-career-exploration/lesson-plansDiscover Engineering: https://discovere.org/engineering-activitiesNASCAR topics on NSTA: https://www.nsta.org/nascar-kidsCreate a Timeline

Did you notice the dates that different inventions were made? Did any of them surprise you? Create a timeline to track when different transportation innovations came about.

Decide if you want to focus on one type of transportation (like automobiles/cars) or if you want to include all different types of transportation on one timeline.

Think about how you can make the timeline easier to understand. Perhaps all car events are shown in red, boat in blue, and plane in green. If you’re focusing on one type of transportation, maybe safety items are red, movement (including engines and tires/tracks) is blue, and comfort is yellow.

You could break up into teams, with each team focusing on one type of transportation or area within that transportation.
Create a giant timeline that goes around the room. Include images and brief text to highlight each point on the timeline.

Once everyone has completed their part of the timeline, present it. Decide who is going to present each item and how much time they have.

Alternatively, create a video that walks viewers through your timeline.

Research Current News

Do some research to see what’s happening in transportation science and technology these days. There are a few sites that are dedicated to reporting on science news. You may want to start there.

https://www.livescience.comhttps://phys.orghttps://www.snexplores.org

Try different search words and parameters to find transportation-related news stories. You may want to focus on a specific type of transportation that interests you. Report on what you have found.

——-

Janet Slingerland has written over 2 dozen books for young readers, including Superfast Motorcycle Racing. To learn more about Janet and her books, go to janetsbooks.com

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Interview with Graphic Novelist Liza N. Cooper

I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Liza Cooper, author of Meems and Feefs, to the blog today! I can’t wait to hear how these adorable characters came to life. As someone who once had a ferret named Fern, I’m especially excited to learn what sparked the idea for this charming story.

Lisa: Tell us about MEEMS & FEEFS.

Liza: Meems and Feefs are two ferret brothers from a planet called Ferretonia, more specifically , from Dook Dook Island. They’re mischievous, adventurous, and always getting into trouble –but their friendship is at the heart of everything they do.

Feefs, the darker ferret, is calm and loyal. He’s great at navigation, can sniff out anything, and always follows Meems into adventure, usually without thinking twice. 

Meems, the lighter one, is a curious inventor. He’s always tinkering with tools and experiments – usually things he probably shouldn’t be touching. He wears a little tool belt, carries his red screwdriver everywhere, and keeps goggles on hand for when things inevitably blow up.

Lisa: What sparked the creation of these lovable characters?

Liza: That’s a great question! I actually had two ferrets, Meemoo and Feefoo, nicknamed Meems and Feefs, and they were the direct inspiration for the series. When we first got them, my husband and I each got to name one. I chose the lighter one and called him Meemoo. My husband, being the copycat he is, named his Feefoo. And that’s how the names of the two ferret brothers were born. They even shared the same colours and personalities as the characters in the books.

Feefoo was the laid-back one, but incredibly skilled at finding hidden stashes and snacks—so his navigation talents made their way into the stories. He was very loyal and sweet, always following me from room to room. Meemoo, on the other hand, was more independent and mischievous. He loved stashing things and getting into trouble. He was also half-Angora, so he had longer fur with little tufts around his face, which you can see in his character design.

I started drawing ferret comics because, when I first got them, I realised there were loads of cat and dog comics – but almost nothing about ferrets. As an artist, I thought, “Why not make my own?” My first comic, Ferret Anatomy, went viral right away, and I think it proved my theory that ferrets were seriously underrepresented online. It’s been amazing seeing how much more love ferrets get now. Honestly, I like to think of it as a bit of ferret propaganda.

Lisa: Do you start with words, images or a mix of both?

Liza: I always start with words. That’s how I’ve written all my comics, even the short ones on Instagram. More specifically, I usually begin with the punchline or the ending. It’s much easier to build a story when I know where it’s going. I like to think of it like planning a trip – once you’ve booked the destination, you can handle any detours along the way, but you still always know where you’re headed.

So once I have my ending, I work backwards: where does it start, how do we get there, and what happens in between? For Instagram comics, I keep it casual, but for the books, I write full scripts, almost like movie scripts, so I can visualise the pacing, the setting, and how the characters interact.

I also break the story down by pages so I know how much text and action fits on each one. I try to make every page end on a small “cliffhanger” or a moment that makes you want to keep reading. After that, I move on to sketching, layouts, and panels – but it all starts with words first.

Lisa: How do you balance the storytelling between text and art?

Liza: My goal is always to show, not tell – but I’m quite a chatty person, so naturally, my characters end up being quite chatty too. I always try to balance that by showing as much as I can through expressions, little visual easter eggs, props, and the environment. Anything that CAN
be conveyed visually, I prefer to draw rather than explain.

That said, because Meems and Feefs is a middle-grade graphic novel, I can’t make everything too subtle or rely entirely on visual cues – kids still need the story to be clear. So the challenge for me is making sure the dialogue feels natural and fun, but trimming it down enough that the visuals still carry the story. Honestly, it’s the same struggle I have in life – trying to talk less and be more concise, haha!

Lisa: Were there any graphic novels or comics that made you want to create your own? 

Liza: When I was growing up, there weren’t many graphic novels around, but I was always drawn to books with pictures. I’m a very visual person, so even a few illustrated pages helped me connect with the story more deeply. Graphic novels just felt like a natural fit for me. What really pushed me to create my own, though, were webcomics. I loved their accessibility and creativity – people just putting their stories out there. And beyond that, I was heavily influenced by the cartoons I grew up with. To name a few, and to give away my age a little – Courage the Cowardly Dog, Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, Rugrats, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers. Sonic the Hedgehog was my absolute favourite, and you can probably see some of that energy in Meems and Feefs.

I’ve always been drawn to small, scrappy characters thrown into big adventures. I love that sense of scale, tiny heroes facing enormous odds, and I think that’s something I’ve carried into my own work. The anthropomorphic side came naturally; animal characters are expressive, fun, and full of fluff.

I was also deeply inspired by Simon’s Cat, where I worked as an Art Director for several years. Simon Tofield, who created it, really shaped how I approach storytelling through observational humour and grounded character moments – and he even kindly provided a quote for my first book!

Lisa: Is there something you wish more people understood about making graphic novels?

Liza: I think a lot of people don’t realise that most graphic novels are made by just one person. You’re writing, sketching, inking, colouring, editing, basically doing the work of an entire studio on your own. It’s a huge process that takes a lot of time, patience, and organisation. On top of that, many creators, myself in luded, also handle their own marketing – creating previews, social posts, and reaching out to readers so the book actually gets seen. So you’re not just the artist; you’re the writer, project manager, and marketing team all in one. People are usually very supportive, which means a lot, but it does make it hard to reply to everyone or take on every collaboration. I always try my best, though, it just takes time when you’re a one-person studio.

Lisa: Is there a panel or page in the book that was especially fun or challenging to draw?

Liza: There are several pages like that, but one that stands out is when Liza arrives at Ferryway Hall for the trial, and all of the ferrets from the Dook Dook Island are there. I included some of my patrons’ ferrets as background characters, which was really fun to draw. It was tricky to give each little ferret a hint of personality without pulling focus from the main story, while also making the hall feel grand and slightly intimidating to Liza. Getting that sense of scale, architecture and atmosphere right was challenging – but really rewarding once it all came together.

Another scene I loved working on was the chase sequence. You’ll see it in the book: Liza, Meems, Feefs, and Leeloo are sprinting through the halls of the Citadel of Ferrets. I wanted it to feel fast-paced and energetic, so I angled the panels diagonally and varied the environments to make their escape feel alive.

Throughout the book, I’ve really focused on keeping each page visually exciting. One thing I’ve enjoyed most is experimenting with perspective, moving the “camera,” changing angles, and showing the characters from new viewpoints. It helps with the mood and storytelling flow, but
it also makes the artwork feel more dynamic. Of course, that means a lot of perspective lines in my sketches, but it’s worth it when it all comes together.

Lisa: How long does it take to complete a graphic novel from start to finish?

Liza: It definitely takes a long time. My first book took about a year to complete, and the second one took closer to two, partly because I had a baby in the middle of it. Adjusting to life with a newborn, then a toddler, meant I had to pace myself and take a bit of a maternity break. Even with some help on the colouring, creating nearly 200 pages – writing, illustrating, and designing the world – was a huge task. Thankfully, my publisher was really understanding, and my editor, Erinn Pascal, has been just incredible. She’s helped me grow so much as a writer and has been supportive every step of the way.

The next book is already in progress, and I’m hoping to have it out within a year, so hopefully readers won’t have to wait too long this time!

Lisa: Do you have any upcoming projects you’re excited about?

Liza: Right now, I’m working on Book 3 of the Meems and Feefs series. I’m actually sketching potential cover designs as we speak! This book will wrap up the trilogy, explore more of Ferretonia’s lore, and reveal a few surprises I’m really excited about. It’s a huge project, so I’m trying to stay focused and not overload myself with too many side ideas – though I do have a Quest Based pet board game concept waiting in the wings for after it’s done.

I’m also planning to pitch a few new book ideas soon, with the help of my amazing agent, Kathleen Ortiz of KOMedia Management. She has a real gift for shaping stories and making them stronger. Meems and Feefs actually became a trilogy because of her, she saw the potential for a bigger adventure when it was originally just one ferret story.

Lisa: What advice would you give 12-year-old Liza?

Liza: I’d tell 12-year-old Liza to stop worrying so much about the future and just enjoy where she is. You don’t need to have everything figured out yet – things fall into place when you trust yourself and keep going. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, take chances, and most importantly, keep drawing and imagining stories. And I promise, you DO get to own a ferret one day. Actually… more than just one!

Lisa: Thank you so much for visiting the blog and for taking the time to share with us! It was a real treat to learn more about your writing journey and the inspiration behind your work. Your insights were both encouraging and inspiring, and I know our readers truly enjoyed hearing from you. We’re grateful you stopped by. 

About: 

Liza N. Cooper is an artist and digital content creator who goes by the pen name Siberian Lizard online. Originally born in the wild and frosty Siberia, she has since settled down in a much warmer (and wetter) London, where she lives with her two naughty ferrets and a Pomeranian puppy. 

For more information, please visit her website. 

The post Interview with Graphic Novelist Liza N. Cooper appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

STEM Tuesday– Transportation– Book List

 

 

 

Explore transportation on land, sky, space, and sea with these great STEM reads.

 

 

 

Big Bertha by Amanda Abler and illustrated by Katy Wu

This is the true story of the enormous tunnel boring machine that was used to dig and build the longest and widest road tunnel in the continental United States. It explores how the machine worked and the real-world problem-solving involved in constructing a nearly two-mile long earthquake-safe highway underneath the city of Seattle.

 

 

Ultimate Trains (Machines of the Future) by Peter McMahon and illustrated by Andy Mora 

Think of the many train tracks and the aerodynamic, fast trains that carry goods and passengers on those tracks in today’s world. Discover the history of trains from their beginnings to the present, and even where they could be heading in the future. This book includes accessible experiments that can be conducted at home or school to discover how STEM is involved in train movements.

 

From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves by Vivian Kirkfield and Gilbert Ford

This book celebrates the inventors who transformed how we travel by land, air, and water. It highlights groundbreaking innovations like the passenger steam locomotive, hot air balloon, and automobile, and the visionary creators behind them. The book chronicles the experiments, failures, and successes that changed the way the world moves.

 

 

 

Means of Transport That Almost Changed the World by Tom Velcovsky and Stepanka Sekanivova, illustrated by Martin Sodomka

Many people are familiar with the vehicles that we see on a daily basis. But what about all the transportation inventions that were never duplicated? Complete with illustrations, this book takes us from 1900 onwards to see what STEM creations helped us progress to the types of transportation we do use today, despite not reaching the market.  These ideas can be a launching pad to create our own invention, perhaps something that we will use for  travel in the future!

 

 

 

 

Everything Tesla: From How They Work to How Fast They Go and All the Fun In Between! by Aiden Miao and Eliana Miao

Discover how social media and engineering worked together to reach a world market for Tesla products. Told through two children’s perspectives, this book provides diagrams and bite-sized details with analogies that support the science concepts along the way. The book shares the history, present, and future of Tesla innovations.

 

 

Means of Transport That Changed The World by Tom Velcovsky, Stepanka Sekaninova, and illustrated by Martin Sodomka

This book shares the sensationalized history of cars, trains, and planes through text and detailed illustrations. The authors include information about the history of well-known and less-known vehicles. The focus is on the tales told about various transportation.

 

 

 

 

Aircraft: The Definitive Visual History by DK Definitive Transport Guides

A guide on the history and evolution of aviation, this book showcases over 800 aircraft from early flying machines to modern jets. The book covers military and commercial planes decade by decade and includes the stories of the engineers and manufacturers, such as Boeing and Airbus, who shaped the aviation industry.

 

 

Transported: 50 Vehicles that Changed the World Matt Ralphs and Rui Ricardo

Explore fifty groundbreaking vehicles that have shaped history, from ancient chariots to solar-powered planes. The book showcases land, water, air and space transportation and includes details about how these inventions have changed the world and may shape the future.

 

 

Working Boats: An Inside Look at Ten Amazing Watercraft by Tom Crestodina

This book explores vessels like Coast Guard ships, research boats, and crabbing vessels, showing how they operate, the equipment they use, and what life is like for the crews on board. Using detailed cross sections and exploded views of ten working boats, revealing their inner mechanics and the jobs they’re built to do. It provides information on maritime instruments, safety gear, diesel engines, and more.

 

 

Save the Crash-Test Dummies by Jennifer Swanson

There’s lots to explore when it comes to the science of car safety and engineering. In this book, winner of the NSTA Best Stem Award, Jennifer Swanson, shares just the right amount of history about cars and how they work. Find out about the variety of crash-test dummies in the many experiments that have brought us to today’s remarkable level of car safety.

 

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

 

Bev Schellenberg is an author (A Prince Among Dragons; A Princess Among Dragons), as well as a writer of creative nonfiction, poetry, and picture books. She’s an advocate of STEM who was a science fair national winner and high school robotics club sponsor, and passionate about young people discovering, following the passion inside them and flourishing. She’s taught grades kindergarten to grade 12 and is currently an academic advisor, careers teacher, and armchair futurist. Learn more about Bev at BevSchellenberg.com.

 

 

Carolyn Pfister is a STEM Content Developer, writer/illustrator, and coordinator of the California Early Math Project. She is interested in encouraging family and community STEM opportunities and maintaining children’s early love and success with math and science. Carolyn writes a monthly Substack on behalf of the California Early Math Project – https://carolynpfister.substack.com/. Learn more  about Carolyn at Carolynpfister.com

 

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New Releases for November 2025

Happy Autumn! When you get tired of raking leaves, escape with one of these new releases coming out during the month of November. Lots of adventure and mystery.

Chris Makes a Friend  by Alex Gino. 240 pp. (November 4, 2025)

Chris does not want to be spending the summer with her grandparents and her little sister. Her grandparents don’t let her do what she wants to do, which is sit around and read all day. And her sister, Becca, is the opposite, never sitting still and never being quiet.

The good part is that Chris’s grandparents are always telling her to go outside and “get some air.” So she escapes into the woods with a book to get some alone time. Or at least it’s alone time until Mia comes along. Mia is also in town for the summer, and she understands Chris in a way that Chris’s family just can’t.

Soon Chris is sneaking off to spend as much time with her new friend as possible. But is there more to Mia than Mia is saying?

Darkstalker: A Graphic Novel  by Tui T. Sutherland. 256 pp. (November 4, 2025)

Three dragons. One unavoidable, unpredictable destiny. This is the beginning … of the end.

In the SeaWing kingdom, a young prince learns he is an animus―capable of wonderful magic that comes with a terrible price.

In the mind of a NightWing dragonet, a thousand futures unfold―and almost all of them, she knows, lead to disaster and destruction.

And under three full moons and the watchful eyes of his NightWing mother and IceWing father, the most powerful dragon Pyrhhia will ever know is clawing his way out of his egg: Darkstalker, the dragon who will change the world forever.

Long before the SandWing war, lifetimes before the Dragonet Prophecy … darkness is born.

Farrah Noorzad and the Realm of Nightmares  by Deeba Zargarpur. 320 pp. (November 4, 2025)

On her twelfth birthday, Farrah Noorzad found out her father was one of the seven jinn kings. One epic quest and a whole lot of adventure later, she hasn’t seen her father since she saved him from a cursed ring. And her place in the jinn world as a forbidden half-human is still more up in the air than a cloud. Not to mention, she’s moved away from her best friend, Arzu, when her mother decided they needed a fresh start.

So when Farrah is summoned by the kings after months with no word from her father or her half-brother, Yaseen, she jumps at the chance to return to the floating jinn city and attend the magical Al Qalam Academy for the Exceptional. Farrah has to prove she belongs at her father’s side, and maybe even help a friend uncover his missing memories along the way.

But when the City of Jewels is threatened, fate steps in once again, with a prophecy that claims Farrah might be the one to save the jinn world … or destroy it.

How to Free a Jinn  by Raidah Shah Idil. 256 pp. (November 4, 2025)

Insyirah’s calm, orderly world falls into chaos when her proud nenek (grandmother) has a bad fall, and Insyirah and her mother must move back to Malaysia to take care of her.

Her new home holds wild and dangerous mysteries, and while finding her feet, Insyirah discovers a shocking secret: the women in her family can control jinn, powerful, ancient jungle spirits, and one day, she will inherit a jinn of her own. What’s more, her new school is haunted by an evil spirit determined to force her out of Malaysia.

As Insyirah discovers the fascinating ways of the seen and unseen worlds, she finds danger around every corner. And when her family situation grows perilous, she must gather all her resilience to overcome unexpected obstacles and make a life-changing decision.

The Last Kids on Earth and the Destructor’s Lair  by Max Brallier. 272 pp. (November 4, 2025)

Jack and Quint become trapped in the Monster Dimension! Their mission: prevent Rezzoch, the Ancient Destructor of Worlds, from reaching Earth and annihilating civilization. To do this, they must secure an audience with a creature more mysterious than any other.

It’s a race against time—and a race through the monster dimension! But before they can get back home to June and Dirk, Jack will find himself in a confrontation that will change everything. . . .

Rune: Tale of the Obsidian Maze  by Carlos Sánchez. 160 pp. (November 4, 2025)

After defeating the Shadow King, Chiri and Dai are settling into their new lives in the magical land of Puddin’. However, there is always more evil to fight against, and this time, the evil is coming to them.

After being invited to the Obsidian Maze to fight the sinister MidKnight, Chiri and Dai are about to encounter the deepest darkness there ever was, and they’re not sure if they’re both going to make it safely back to their friends.

Barker’s Doghouse 2: Leave It!  by Maria Bea Alfano. 144 pp. (November 11, 2025)

The doghouse dogs are NOT happy when they hear that Gio’s mom is taking in a foster puppy. Puppies destroy everything. Their tiny teeth are lethal!

Luckily, Gio has a special power to help Bean feel at home—he can talk to puppies! Pretty soon, Gio’s mom thinks he’s some kind of genius dog trainer. Gio’s sure this means he’ll get everything he wants for his birthday this year, including a special birthday trip back to his old neighborhood.

But what happens when the puppy chews up Gio’s perfect birthday plans?

Dog Man: Big Jim Believes: A Graphic Novel  by Dav Pilkey. 224 pp. (November 11, 2025)

The celebration comes to a halt for our heroes in Dog Man: Big Jim Believes when the mischievous Space Cuties From Space return. Our caped crusaders — Dog Man (aka Scarlet Shedder), Commander Cupcake, and Sprinkles — along with Mecha Molly discover that the city has changed, and nothing is how it should be.

Can Big Jim’s positivity and innocence help our heroes? Will Dog Man, Big Jim, Grampa, and Molly have the courage to trust each other and save the day? How does the past help shape the future? And who is the chosen one?

The Firefly Crown  by Yxavel Magno Diño. 288 pp. (November 11, 2025)

In the empire, magic determines your fate. But Yumi is tired of being a failed Cricket. Their magic is lousy and boring. She dreams instead of the sparkling magic of Fireflies, whose powers rival the sun. If only she could harness her talents like other magicians. But, for now, even the crickets who are supposed to follow her spells ignore her.

Then, she gets a chance to prove herself sooner than expected when all sorcerers are summoned for the princess’s coronation. But everything falls apart when someone steals the Firefly Crown, leaving the empire defenseless against the Ghost Swarm, a horde of undead bugs. Worse, blame falls upon Yumi. Suddenly this lowly Cricket is the empire’s most wanted. To clear her name and protect her loved ones, Yumi must find the real thief. But can a Cricket really save the day?

Firefox Moon: A Juniper Lane Adventure  by Eoin Colfer.  368 pp. (November 11, 2025)

Juniper and her loyal flying reindeer Skära are the first ever Guardians of Cedar Wood. With Juniper’s mentor Niko back in the North Pole, they’re entrusted with protecting the magical forest hidden in the middle of London because there’s a teeny-tiny chance that he left behind a few sparks of magic. Hopefully, not enough to attract any dangerous magical creatures.

But it turns out Niko left behind a lot of magic, transforming the entire forest into a haven for powerful creatures. A witch wielding a flaming dagger, a cursed queen desperate for a cure, and a pack of wolves out for revenge are all in pursuit of a legendary fox with the power to grant a wish under the midsummer Blood Moon. The very fate of the Cedar Wood, and possibly all of Britain, hangs in the balance. Protecting the forest from these dreadful newcomers will be a lot of work for the thirteen-year-old and her reindeer, but Juniper is determined to save the world.

The First Unicorn Rider: A World of Skandar Story  by A.F. Steadman. 256 pp. (November 11, 2025)

George Penhaligon has only ever wanted adventure. And when he finds himself shipwrecked and alone on a mysterious island, he makes an incredible discovery. Unicorns are real … and they’re bloodthirsty.

Slowly, George gains one unicorn’s trust, and together, they explore the island’s magical secrets. But there is a dark presence lurking in his new home, more deadly than any unicorn.

Can George fulfill his destiny and free the island from a terrible fate?

The Great Puppypalooza (The Great Pet Heist)  by Emily Ecton. 288 pp. (November 11, 2025)

Butterbean is in a funk. After watching a documentary of famous dogs in history, she wants to be a real dog. Real dogs have jobs. Real dogs are heroes. But Butterbean is nothing but a house pet. Never mind that she and her friends have been super spies, ghost hunters, and part of an International Crime Syndicate. There’s nothing to spy on and no more ghosts to hunt.

A chance to be a real dog comes when Butterbean rescues a puppy cornered by the nefarious Animal Control Man. But she may have gotten more than she bargained for when that one puppy turns out to be part of a whole pack. Now it’s up to Butterbean and the gang to find these puppies new homes before their owner, Mrs. Food, finds out that they’ve been hiding their new furry friends in the apartment!

 

Rapunzel and the Sea Witch (or) The Little Mermaid and the Tower (The Princess Swap series)  by Kim Bussing. 320 pp. (November 11, 2025)

All Rapunzel wants is to explore, but she can’t set foot outside her tower without triggering her curse. At least, that’s what her mother tells her, and she has no reason not to listen to her mother, right? But when Rapunzel suddenly winds up in a sea witch’s lair, she wonders if this could be her chance: not only to see the world, but also to break the curse hanging over her.

Princess Hana, meanwhile, has her hands full with this mysterious storm wreaking havoc under the sea. As a mermaid, she’s pretty sure humans are at fault—especially after sailors capture her best friend. But how is Hana supposed to save him when she suddenly finds herself stuck in a very tall tower with no door?

Happily-ever-after couldn’t feel farther away. Can Rapunzel break her curse before it’s triggered? And can Hana escape the tower in time to save her kingdom?

The Treasure of Ocean Parkway  by Sarvenaz Tash. 244 pp. (November 11, 2025)

Two podcasting sleuths help their neighbor solve a cold case—one that’s literally etched into the walls of their Brooklyn apartment building—in this cozy, twisty-turny middle grade whodunnit.

Twelve-year-old globetrotter Thea Lim-Lambert is spending the summer at home in Brooklyn, when she discovers a secret room in the back of her closet. There, among her grandfather Errol’s old diaries and peculiar carvings, is a clue Errol left to a massive hidden treasure. But to find it, she’ll need the help of two experienced sleuths—lucky for her, two of the best live in her building!

Roya and Amin’s mystery podcast has earned them a stellar reputation, but they never could have guessed that their latest case would send them on a wild scavenger hunt in their own building. Clue by clue, the trio search the building from roof to cellar. But just when a solution seems near, they discover an essential piece missing—locked away where none of them can reach it. And unless Thea finds the courage to stand up to her family the treasure of Ocean Parkway may be lost forever. . .

Harper and the Horse Show Sabotage (Windy Creek Stables)  by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson. 176 pp. (November 11, 2025)

Every year, the team at Windy Creek Stables packs up the trailer and makes the trip to Kentucky Horse Park for the best and biggest horse show of the year. Usually, the competition is Harper’s favorite thing in the world, and she can’t wait to show off for her new best friend, Presley, who is competing for the first time.

But this year, she’s more than a little nervous. It’s her first time competing against her old barn, Foxcroft Equestrian Center, and she isn’t looking forward to seeing the mean girls who still ride there. Her anxiety only increases when she gets a midnight call that Isolde, her beautiful Andalusian mare, is sick.

Luckily, Isolde recovers, but when another Windy Creek Stables horse starts to show signs of illness, Harper and Presley know something is up. One sick horse is just a sick horse, but two sick horses are a mystery. The girls must don their detective hats and figure out who’s sabotaging the stables before anything else happens … and ace their competition as well!

How to Save a Library  by Colleen Nelson. 224 pp. (November 18, 2025)

It’s tiring for Casey to always be the new kid at school. Now, for the first time in his life, he finally feels settled—that is until his dad’s job at the library is threatened.

Every year Casey’s life seems to be boxed up and shipped to a new city. His dad thinks moving is an adventure, but at this point Casey is so over it. In Armstrong’s Point, Casey’s life finally feels stable. His talent on the soccer field has made him a natural fit with the popular kids and he loves the apartment he shares with his dad.

But when Casey discovers the local library, where his dad works, is in need of extensive restorative repairs, his future once again feels uncertain. In order to save the one place in the world that feels like home, Casey joins the Kids Community Action Network (C.A.N) where his team will compete for community funding. Unfortunately, this means working with Addison—a former friend, turned not-so-friend—who isn’t going to make it easy on him.

The Last Ember: The Aerimander Chronicles Book  by Lily Berlin Dodd. 352 pp. (November 18, 2025)

The government says that aerimanders are extinct. Centuries ago, the Kingdom of Glaucus decreed the destruction of these dangerous, dragon-like creatures whose deadly flame could destroy entire cities.

But when Eva Alexander, a twelve-year-old living in the city of Porttown, walks into a fashionable department store and accidentally walks out with the world’s last aerimander egg, everything changes. Suddenly, Eva is the target of unwanted attention―including from the Thieves’ Union, a mysterious and rebellious organization in Porttown. The Union orders its youngest member, the orphaned dairy delivery boy Dusty St. Ichabod, to steal the egg from Eva.

When Eva and Dusty meet one autumn night, an epic game of cat and mouse unfolds across the Kingdom. Initially at odds, the unlikely pair comes together to navigate a maze of sinister crime syndicates, elite boarding schools, and an incredibly slow getaway pony named Gourd. All the while, they fight to keep the egg out of the hands of power-hungry Eoin Parnassus, Director of Kingdom Secrets. As the duo races against time, their fates and that of the world are at stake. Because who knows what will happen when the egg hatches.

In the mood for nonfiction? Check out these new titles:

 

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Book Bans Impact School Visits Around the Country

In just the past few weeks, multiple kidlit authors have seen their author visits canceled.

Talk on the True Story of the First Woman to Bike Around the World: CANCELED

According to author Mary Boone’s piece in The Seattle Times, she was scheduled to talk about her book Pedal Pusher: How One Woman’s Bicycle Adventure Helped Change the World at the Tacoma Children’s Museum site on the U.S. Army base Joint Base Lewis-McChord. The book tells the true story of Annie Cohen Kopchovsky, the first woman to bike around the world.

However, a few days before the event, Boone was told the planned talk was off because it “violated the administration’s executive order restricting so-called “radical” Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs across federal institutions.”

Book Talk Celebrating Freedom to Read: CANCELED 

According to BookRiot, Joanna Ho and Caroline Kusin Pritchard showed up at the Country Club Elementary School in San Ramon, California to talk about the current landscape of book bans and their book The Day The Books Disappeared, a picture book that celebrates the freedom to read. Upon arrival, the authors were told by the school’s principal they could not talk about book bans, nor could they mention “queer-centered stories at all.”

Ho and Kusin Pritchard said they didn’t plan on changing their talk, so they were sent home, and the students who’d been waiting for the talk to start were sent back into their classrooms.

What Can You Do?Sign up for Authors Against Book Bans to be notified about actions you can take against book bans in your state.Join PEN America protect the freedom to read.  They offer actions you can take to lend a hand.Learn more about banned books from the American Library Association.According to Unite Against Book Bans, attending your local library board, school board, and city council meetings is “one of the most critical actions you can take to fend off book bans.” Attending these events in support of the freedom to read is a powerful statement.MUF contributor Patricia Bailey has other suggestions, too. Remember, most people do not want book bans, research shows. Don’t lose hope!

 

 

 

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INTERVIEW with CAROLINE CARLSON, author of THE TINKERERS (Giveaway too!)

I am thrilled to welcome Caroline Carlson to the Mixed Up Files blog. We met years ago when she mentored a group of writers in a Story Guild meeting. I was immediately struck with her generous nature and ability to create plots arcs and shape distinct characters. It is no surprise that this middle grade author crafted a brilliant new novel which is both heartfelt and thrilling.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Caroline Carlson is the author of funny and fantastical books for young readers, including The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy, The World’s Greatest Detective, The Door at the End of the World, and Wicked Marigold. Her novels have won accolades from the New York Times, the American Booksellers Association, Bank Street College of Education, the American Library Association, and Junior Library Guild, among others. She is the children’s book columnist for the website Literary Hub.

Caroline holds a BA from Swarthmore College and an MFA in Writing for Children from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She grew up in Massachusetts and now lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with her family.

 

 

SUMMARY OF THE TINKERERS

When Peter leads two Tinkerers to his family’s inn in Stargazers Valley, he imagines they’re like other astromancers, researchers from the Imperial College who study starstuff. The valley is a special place, where the magical aurora called the Skeins appear in the sky and starstuff falls in their wake, as thin and wispy as fluff from a seed pod. But starstuff is powerful, and astromancers are the only people allowed to handle it—a law enforced by the strict and stealthy Outbounder Task Force. When Peter discovers the Tinkerers have used starstuff to invent an incredible not-a-clock that can turn back time for a few minutes, he realizes it’s his
chance to undo his mistakes: if he can go back and put away his new boots, he doesn’t need to add their destruction by falcons to his list of ten worst mistakes (#7: stepping on a star-eating newt). But while using the not-a-clock is easy, stopping using it is hard. And maybe not everything that feels like a mistake at the time actually is.
In a starred review, The Horn Book describes The Tinkerers as “a brilliant synthesis of plot,
theme, and good-natured chaos.”

INSPIRATION

Jen Kraar: Tell me about the seed that sparked The Tinkerers. Was it character, plot or setting?

Caroline Carlson: The Tinkerers was the first story I’ve ever written, published or unpublished, that didn’t start with a seed of character, plot, or setting. The seed of this story was actually theme—an element
that usually comes much later in the writing process for me. I had been thinking about my own
perfectionistic tendencies and my own almost magical belief that if I could somehow get
through life without making any mistakes, nothing bad would happen to me or the people I
loved. I recognized, of course, that that was a ridiculous thing to believe. “Even if you never
made any mistakes,” I told myself, “terrible things could still happen.” And then I ran to my
desk and wrote that sentence down, because I could tell there was a good story hiding inside it.

Jen: Did you draw on your own life to tell this story?

Caroline: Since The Tinkerers is a fantasy novel set in a world apart from our own, its plot doesn’t borrow
many elements from my actual life. I’ve never found a magical device that could turn back time,
uncovered a spy network, or tried to pull the aurora down from the sky (although, like Peter,
my protagonist, I am pretty bad at hiking). But all of the emotions on the page are
real—particularly Peter’s anxiety and his struggle to figure out the “right” way to act in a world
that’s more complex and messy than he’d previously realized.

WRITING PROCESS

Jen: How did your story change as you revised it? What was something that surprised you as you wrote this story?

Caroline: I’m usually a writer who focuses on plot and worldbuilding before character, so when I finished
the first draft of The Tinkerers, I was surprised to realize that my characters and their emotions
were already working in the way I’d hoped they would. It often takes me several drafts to get
my characters to feel things, so this writing experience was a happy anomaly! The tradeoff, of
course, was that while my characters’ emotional arcs were strong, my worldbuilding needed
some help. When I revised my first draft with my editor, I added almost 20,000 words of
material to give readers more context and explanation for the events of the story.

STARGAZING

Peter lives in a country governed by an authoritarian empress, and a group of lawbreaking“outbounders” has been challenging the empress’s control over both the land and the magical
starstuff that falls from the sky. The broad outlines of this conflict are crucial to the events of the story, but since twelve-year-old Peter isn’t directly involved in the conflict, it mostly
happens off the page while readers are experiencing Peter’s daily life at home, at school, and in his community. My first draft focused on the story events that happen directly to Peter, while
my major revisions focused more on explaining and clarifying the events in Peter’s larger world. I hope that the final version of The Tinkerers feels like a fully formed world that you might really be able to visit—at least in your imagination.

CRAFTING

Jen: You tell your story in a unique way. How did the structure of your story come about? Were you inspired by any other multi-modal books?

Caroline: I love writing stories told in collections of documents, and this isn’t the first time I’ve done it.
My entire Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates trilogy is also written partly in letters,
newspaper clippings, and a mishmash of other formats. One reason why I decided to return to
this form in The Tinkerers was that it’s a lot of fun. My brain really thrives on a good structural
writing challenge. (In college, I wrote a lot of formal poetry—things like sestinas and
triolets—and I loved trying to make my words follow the rules of each form.) Figuring out which
parts of a novel can be told in different media and how all those pieces might fit together into
an understandable narrative is a tricky puzzle, but it’s also immensely satisfying. And I don’t
want to write a book that bores me! I’d never get through the first draft!

The other reason why I like writing multi-modal books is that it allows me to share multiple
perspectives with readers. I’m not entirely limited by my protagonist’s viewpoint; I’m able to
give readers crucial pieces of information that my protagonist will never have. In a book like The
Tinkerers that contains a few different mysteries to solve, those crucial pieces of information let
readers start to see how the mysteries are unfolding a little bit before Peter does.
As for other multi-modal books, my all-time favorites are by Australian novelist Jaclyn Moriarty.
Her books are much more ambitious in form than mine, and I’m completely in awe of her
talent.

Jen: How was this novel different than your other novels?

Caroline: The Tinkerers is stylistically pretty different from my previous books. It’s still a fantasy novel,
but its setting has a contemporary feel, while my other work has more of an old-fashioned or“storybook” vibe. The other stylistic difference is that when I wrote The Tinkerers, I wasn’t consciously trying to be funny (although early reviewers have mentioned the book’s humor, so some of that must have seeped through the cracks!). There’s still magic in this book, as there is in most of my other novels, but the magic here is a little more subtle, and in many ways the fantastic elements of the book take a backseat to the friendships and relationships that are at the heart of the story.

Jen: Which scene was your favorite to write? Hardest to write?

Caroline: Toward the end of the book, there’s a climactic scene in the school gym that I’d been picturing
in my head for years before I got to write it, so I was really satisfied when I reached that point
of the story and it actually worked out the way I’d hoped. That doesn’t always happen with
scenes you’ve been imagining for years! I also loved writing the star tales, which are folktales or
myths that I created for the world of the story. I’d been listening to a lot of real folktales on
public radio’s Circle Round podcast with my kids, and the rhythms of those old stories had
worked their way into my head, so I found it really satisfying to create my own tapestry of
mythic figures and pseudo-ancient legends.

The hardest scenes to write were actually ones that I ended up cutting from the book entirely.
Over the years, I’ve learned that when a scene is very difficult for me to write, that’s a red flag
that the scene is not working properly and needs to be re-evaluated, re-imagined, or set aside
for good. It can be tough to remove a scene you’ve spent so much time working on, but now
that the book is finished, I’m so relieved those scenes are gone!

AUTHOR LIFE

Jen: Have you always been a writer?

Caroline: I’ve always been a reader, but it took me many years of wanting to be a writer before I had
enough bravery and discipline to sit down and write a story from beginning to end. Even now,
with seven published novels behind me, I think writing is often ridiculously hard work. But all of
the imagining and plotting and world-dreaming that goes into the creation of a new story? All
of the joke-crafting and word-fussing and structure-building, all of the fiddling with every single
syllable on every single page until it sounds just so? I really do love that, and I think I always
will.

Jen: What keeps you writing?

Caroline: Hearing from readers whose lives have been touched by my work is the most tremendous
motivation to keep telling stories. I hope I’m able to continue writing for as long as I have
something I want to say to the world, and for as long as I want to laugh.

Jen: What draws you to writing fantasy?

Caroline: I think I’m supposed to say something about how the fantastic uses metaphor to illuminate the
challenges of our own world, and I know that’s true—but honestly, I just like having the chance
to escape into another world for a while. And if readers want to come along, too, I’m glad for
them to join me!

Thank you for joining us here at the Mixed up Files blog to share the story behind the story of The Tinkerers. I also found the craft details you included in your newsletter, The Scuttlebutt, to be intriguing and helpful for my own writing.

If you are a writer, I encourage you to subscribe:
https://carolinecarlson.substack.com/

Connect with Caroline Carlson

Website: https://carolinecarlsonbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carolinecarlsonbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/carolinecarlsonbooks
Bluesky: https://carolinecarlson.bsky.social
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GIVEAWAYFor a chance to win a copy of THE TINKERERS, signed by the author, leave a comment on this interview post. Giveaway ends November 6, 2025, MIDNIGHT EST. U.S. only, please.

 

 

 

 

 

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STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Kim Long interview

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re exploring the intersection of science and spooky with Kim Long, author of Catching Cryptids: The Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures (May 6, 2025) by Running Press Kids, illustrated by Nicole Miles. Catching Cryptids explores various technological advances in a fun way by pairing them with mythical creatures and discussing how modern technology could be used to locate or “catch” these beasts. Let’s learn more about Kim and her cryptids!

Want to win a copy of Catching Cryptids? Leave a comment or email Andi Diehn (andi@diehn.net) to be entered into a random drawing! U.S. addresses only, please.

 

Andi Diehn: This seems like a really fun topic to research! How and when did your fascination with cryptids begin?

Kim Long: I’ve always been a huge fan of the strange and weird! When I was a kid I devoured books on the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, Atlantis, and other oddities. I’m also a huge animal lover, so stories about scientists discovering new species are always on my radar. Squid are one of my favorites, and it’s only been in the last twenty years that scientists have been able to even view a squid in its natural habitat. It really makes me think about what else is out there that we haven’t found or been able to verify.

What was your research process like?

 

 

Kim: I think I’ve read every book, magazine article, and blog about cryptids! There are some great texts out there by cryptozoologists who have organized expeditions to find the Mongolian Death Worm and other cryptids. Even more fascinating in some respectsis the work wildlife scientists are doing with the latest tech. For the most part, I’d read an article or blurb in an Internet news story and then track down the actual scientific paper that served as the source for the story. Scientific journal articles list all of their sources (i.e. more articles), which sent me down many a rabbit hole as I pieced together what type of tech could partner with which cryptids.

I love how you explored the technology used in identifying new species and searching for cryptids. Do you think we’ll find even more species every year as technology improves?

Kim: Absolutely! It wasn’t until March 2025 (MARCH 2025!!!) that scientists captured the very first image of a colossal squid in its natural habitat! And it was such a baby! I can’t wait for pics of a full-size colossal squid. There is so much more of the ocean to explore. We haven’t scratched the surface. For land animals, drones make it so much easier to explore hard-to-reach places. And as airborne DNA collection advances, we’ll be able to identify species without even seeing them. That’s huge. Right now, so much is based on eyesight and catching a glimpse, but environmental DNA and airborne DNA open the door to discover where super secretive animals may be hiding.

You manage to pull a lot of threads into this book – climate change, technology, species discovery, sociology, psychology – what is it about cryptids that invites such a layered approach to examination?

Kim: I think the mysterious nature of cryptids opens the door to discussing some aspects that might not lend themselves to traditional wildlife research. If someone says they saw a dog running down the street, there’s no reason to question their opinion. But if someone says they saw a 6-foot bird screeching at them, our eyebrows raise. So, if we assume the person saw something, let’s take a look at what factors might be affecting their opinion, and then we can get into the traditional wildlife science of habitat and what technologies can help figure out what that something is.

Love the career connections in the last chapter! Why include this section?

Kim: When I was a kid, I loved animals and science and the only job I heard about was a veterinarian, which didn’t interest me. I want kids to know that there are tons of fields related to wildlife research, and not all jobs require higher education. Perhaps a kid who’s into computers never thought wildlife coding or programming was an option and will be thrilled to discover that these opportunities exist.

What’s your favorite cryptid – and why?

Kim: Ooooh. This is a tough one!! I love the kraken because WHO KNOWS WHAT’S IN THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN??? Plus, so many characteristics of the kraken match the giant squid. But, I also love the Mongolian Death Worm because there absolutely could be a worm/snake creature that lives in the sand. Then there’s Mothman, who’s been sighted in five different states and for over 50 years. And the Loch Ness monster is . . .

OK, I guess it’s fair to say I don’t have a favorite!

Want to win a copy of Catching Cryptids? Leave a comment or email Andi Diehn (andi@diehn.net) to be entered into a random drawing! U.S. addresses only, please.

 

Kim Long is a children’s book author and former attorney. She studied environmental management in college and environmental law in law school. Her love of science, nature, and animals is reflected in her books. While she has not yet spotted a cryptid, she keeps her eyes peeled at all times, waiting for Mothman to make a guest appearance as she bikes along Illinois’s trails.

The post STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Kim Long interview appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Interview with Author Sara Shacter

I have known author Sara Shacter since we were both on the newer side to writing for children. I am so excited that I got a first-look at her debut novel Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign which just came out October 14, 2025.

About the Book

Hi Sara! Congrats on your debut middle grade novel! Can you give us a short summary about the book?

After years of moving, Georgia’s family is staying put. What’s the best part of her new forever home? Fellow science fan Izzy! Georgia feels lucky to be starting sixth grade with her first true friend. But when Georgia’s science project accidentally reveals a secret—one Izzy trusted her to keep—their friendship unravels. Even worse, Georgia’s archenemy swoops in to steal Izzy away, leaving Georgia cut off and lonely. How can Georgia fix her mess? She’s surprised to find the answer in a science fact: genetically, all human beings are more than 99 percent the same. Really? Georgia can’t believe she and the friend-stealer are even 1 percent the same! But as Georgia fights to win Izzy back, she discovers that enemies can struggle with loneliness too—and Georgia is stunned to discover why. It will take a 99 percent campaign to make things right.

Who did you have in mind when you got the idea for this book?

Honestly, this book started out as a completely different story. I don’t even remember when it began to morph into what it is today. So I guess my answer is that I just told the story in my head and trusted it would speak to kids.

 

About the Author

Did anything from your childhood/school experience help shape this book?

The photo of the writing is evidence of a series of stories I wrote as a kid: The Adventures of Inspector Toenail. He was a giant toe who (that?) solved crimes. Why was he a toe? I have no idea.

In third grade, I dealt with a girl who constantly picked fights with me and tried to get the other girls to stop talking to me. Georgia’s nemesis arose from these memories. With an adult’s hindsight, I understand that my tormenter was unhappy and made herself feel better by picking on me. Wish I had known that back in the day! But at least I’m able to make that point in my book: most unkindness comes from others’ unhappiness.

Do you share any personality traits with Georgia (or one of the other characters)?

Definitely. I enjoy science, just like Georgia, and I like asking questions. As an elementary school kid, I had many, many friend worries.

Is there anything in particular from your childhood that you snuck into the book?)

When I was at music camp, there was a big, muscle bound jock of a counselor who loved to yell at kids. I always tried to avoid him. Then one night, we had a faculty concert. The counselors and music teachers could perform for the campers. To my surprise, he walked out on stage. He sat down with his baritone horn and began to play. His eyes closed. He swayed to the melody and melted into the music. Everything about the moment was beautiful. I sat in my seat gobsmacked. In Georgia’s story, the character Zelco is modeled after that counselor, though Zelco is a visual artist, not a musician.

What authors (and/or books) would you say influenced your writing style and/or this book?

Judy Blume. I loved her books when I was growing up: contemporary, realistic, honest. (Don’t do any math if you know when most of her books were published…)

You shared with me that you began writing this book over fifteen years ago. (I had a similar experience with my first novel!) For those writers who are surprised, can you explain why it sometimes can take years for a novel (or even picture book) to go from start to finish? And can you explain why this could also be a good thing?

I started this book when my twin boys were in 1st grade. Now they’re seniors in college! One reason it took so long was that there’s a steep learning curve when one writes a novel. I had to learn how to juggle characterization, pacing, theme, etc. After the 7th draft, I found an agent and she submitted to four editors. They all had the same critique: the emotional stakes weren’t high enough and there wasn’t a marketing hook. I knew pretty quickly how to solve the first problem but it took five months to find my hook. At that point, I deleted half of the book and rewrote it from the ground up. Then my agent and I parted ways (amicably). So I started submitting to editors on my own. Two years later, Regal House Publishing bought it! Most publishing houses take about two years from contract to publishing day. And that’s how this project took fifteen years from start to finish.

Having it take so long wasn’t all bad. The book that’s now out in the world is exactly what I had hoped it would be. In addition, I’ve met many writers along the way, been to many conferences, and I know what to expect post-publication. I have PR/marketing ideas, school visit contacts, and relationships with people throughout the industry.

Besides, during those 15 years I wasn’t just writing. I was teaching, raising my kids, helping my parents, and volunteering. We all have many identities, and that’s essential in this business. No matter how thrilling the writing life can be, it can also be unbelievably frustrating. Everyone needs other outlets to achieve balance.

 

Research/Writing

What was your original spark for Georgia Watson and the 99 Percent Campaign?

I have no idea! The first scene I wrote was about people who aren’t in the book doing things that don’t happen in my story. I don’t remember when it started to resemble what young readers will actually be reading.

Did you need to do any research for this book?

Yes. I needed to delve into genetics/heredity, spiders, and the life of Thomas A. Watson.

 Any scenes that you cut out? And why did you (or your editor) remove them?

Oh, yes! So many, and for so many reasons. One reason was that the external goal I had originally chosen for Georgia proved to be underwhelming. So all of that material got scratched. Her antagonist was also too mean at the outset. Unrealistically so. Hence those scenes got deleted and replaced. As Georgia’s character deepened over multiple drafts, I realized her actions were no longer true to her new self. More deleting and rewriting. I have to say, revision is my jam. The spark of creation is fun, but the molding and shaping is what I enjoy most.

  I like how your antagonist is multi-layered. Any words of advice for writers on shaping antagonists?

There are few villains who believe they are villains. From their perspective, their actions make perfect sense. So crawl into your antagonist’s world and look around. What has shaped that person? What does that person value? What are that person’s goals?

 

For Teachers

Do you have a curriculum guide or discussion questions posted online?

Coming soon on my website!

  Are you doing school visits related to this book?

Yes, and I LOVE school visits. I make sure there are good doses of active participation and humor. My presentation for Georgia is geared toward grades 3-6 and covers revision, genetics/heredity, the power of human connection, and the importance of believing in yourself.

How can we learn more about you?

Instagram/Bluesky/Twitter: @SaraShacter

Website: www.sarafshacter.com

 

Thanks for your time, Sara!

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STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– In the Classroom

 

Monsters, zombies, and other scary creatures star in tales throughout the year, but especially near Halloween! These books explore a wide range of creatures, both real and imagined, to get imaginations flowing. They make a great starting point for classroom discussions and activities!

 

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead

by Rebecca L. Johnson

Zombies are real … but so far, the zombie-makers don’t attack humans. Yet. They do take over the brains and bodies of spiders, ants, flies, snails, and even rats. Not only that, some of these zombies are too small to avoid until it’s too late, like the teeny tiny wasps and fungal spores, and the totally invisible viruses. And then there are the brain worms! A must-read for anyone planning to hunt for zombies in their backyard!

 

Classroom Activity – Nature’s Mind Controllers

How do parasites, fungi, and viruses “take over” animal behavior? Divide students into small groups. Each group should choose a “zombie-maker” to explore. The students should research how their chosen parasite/fungus/virus infects its host and how it changes the host’s behavior. They can create a poster illustrating the life cycle of the zombie-maker, including infection, control, and transmission. They can be creative with labels, arrows, or thought bubbles to show how the host is being controlled. How does this strange behavior help the parasite survive? Each group can present its “zombie story” to the class.

 

Catching Cryptids: The Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures

by Kim Long

The Loch Ness monster. Kraken. Giant turtles. What some people call monsters, others call cryptids: an animal whose existence is not yet substantiated by science. The emergence of DNA technology, SONAR, bioacoustics, and other advancements has enabled cryptozoologists of every stripe to seek – and sometimes discover – the species behind the monster myth.

 

Classroom Activity – Design Your Own Cryptid

Students can use their imaginations to design a brand-new cryptid, a mysterious creature that people might believe exists but hasn’t been proven by science. Students should describe:

What it looks likeWhere it lives and how it survivesTypical diet and behaviorHow it hides from humansWhat real animal or adaptation could explain itWhat scientific tests could be used to prove this creature’s existence

Once students have designed their cryptid, have them draw or create a 3D model of it. Students can also write a short newspaper article or “eyewitness report” about their cryptid discovery.

 

Secrets of the Dead: Mummies and Other Human Remains From Around the World

by Matt Ralphs

In most environments, when someone dies, their flesh decays, leaving only bones. But not mummies. With mummified remains, we can learn about the person and their culture, including the foods they ate and the diseases they suffered from. This book brings nearly 20 mummies to life – so to speak.

 

Classroom Activity – Mummy Lessons

Scientists can learn a lot about the past from mummies, including diet, health, clothing, and burial customs. Have students select one real mummy from the book and create a Mummy Fact Card that summarizes where it was found, how it was preserved, and what scientists learned. Next, it is the students’ turn to become archaeologists. Have them imagine they just discovered a mummy. What clues would they look for to understand its story? Have the students write a diary entry from the archaeologist’s perspective about the discovery.

 

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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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