Jamie: This is such a fun question! Here we go: Speaking of characters, Mema is delightful! Such a pillar of the family! If Roll With It was ever made into a movie, who would you love to see cast as characters? I think I will always write for this age. They offer windows to worlds where characters are doing the same thing you are: trying to discover the truths about the universe and themselves. You feel out of whack and the ground under you seems to be shifting as you change. I want him to have his own story too.Īs for why I made these middle grade…I think that is the age when kids become really curious about what they read and begin to take ownership of their likes and dislikes. Jamie: Everybody wants a Bert spin-off! He is such a lovable guy. (I’m personally rooting for a spin-off story about Bert!) What made you first decide to set your story in middle school / to write middle grade books? I especially loved Ellie’s friends Coralee and Bert. You have a whole cast of incredible characters in this novel. I also love when a book comes out and I get to visit schools and speak with students and see their excited faces and hear all their wonderful and weird questions. Don’t ask me about the second and third and fourth drafts though! Those are much more like spackling drywall than making magic. It’s that season where time gets slippery and the characters become more real than reality and it feels like magic. And I take breaks only to feed myself and my family and to sleep (but even then I wake in the night and text myself things). My favorite part of writing is the all-encompassing thrall of the first draft. Jamie: First of all, thank you! It has been a whirlwind and I am so grateful. So first of all - congratulations! As an author, what is your favourite part of writing (or releasing) a new book? Roll With It has received a ton of well-deserved attention and awards. It’s about the ability to forget yourself for a few minutes and look outward at the people around you. It’s not just about teaching sympathy and empathy. I also think the BEST people are the ones who can step out of their own story and imagine themselves in someone else’s. And different certainly shouldn’t stop you from doing what you love and building a life that lets you thrive. Jamie: I hope we (kids and grownups alike) can see that different is special. What are some things that you hope readers (of all ages) take away from this story? The fact that kids can read your book and see themselves on the cover is amazing and so very needed. At the back of your book, you mention the statistic that 1 in 7 children are living with a disability. I didn’t want Charlie to feel like a secondary actor in his own life! Kids like him need to be the hero of the story because every kid wants, needs, and deserves to be celebrated and seen. There were a couple that had a child in a wheelchair as a side character, but they existed mainly as props for the main character. When he first began school, I looked in the library and noticed none of the books featured kids like him. My son Charlie who is nine, also has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair. Kids are always curious how I came to write her. Jamie: That’s a great question and the first one I get when I do school visits because Ellie, the main character in Roll With It, has cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair. For readers new to your story, can you share a little bit about your inspiration behind it all? I recently had the chance to read your MG debut novel, Roll With It, and absolutely loved it! There is so much heart and depth to this book. I’ve been following along with your journey ever since your non-fiction motherhood book, Unbound. 52 Book Club: Hi Jamie, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview!
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