| Celine Kiernan is the author of numerous award-winning young adult and middle-grade novels. Her most recent books, the middle-grade fantasy Wild Magic Trilogy (Begone the Raggedy Witches, The Little Grey Girl, and The Promise Witch) tell the story of Mup Taylor's discovery of a world of strange and powerful magic--a world her mam is from. We love this series for its whimsical story, realistic characters, and fairy tale atmosphere, so we were thrilled to interview her for this month's feature! Rapunzel Reads: What inspired Begone the Raggedy Witches? Celine Kiernan: The Raggedy Witches books had a few different inspirations. The opening scene, as the witches leap from tree to tree hunting Mup’s family through the moonlit Irish countryside, is actually something that happened to me as a child. I have vivid memories of looking up through the window as my parents drove me home from somewhere, and seeing those very same witches leaping from branch to branch, exactly as I describe it. In the intervening years my grown up brain has concocted all sorts of logical explanations for it (Plastic bags caught in the branches? A particularly vivid waking dream?) Nevertheless, when I close my eyes and remember that | 
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 Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
Jasmine Warga is the author of three acclaimed novels, as well as the upcoming novel The Shape of Thunder. Other Words for Home (one of our favorites from 2020), which centers around Jude’s journey to finding a new home in an unfamiliar country, is the recipient of many starred reviews and awards, including the John Newbery Honor. We were thrilled to interview her for this month’s post! RapunzelReads: Other Words for Home is written in (gorgeous!) free verse—what made you choose that style of writing? Jasmine Warga: Thank you! Initially, the book was written in prose, but I didn't feel like Jude's voice felt right. Verse helped me to capture the immediacy and rawness that I wanted her narration to have. RR: Jude is both inspiring and deeply relatable—what inspired her character? JW: She is loosely based upon my own cousin who is also named Jude! I borrowed my cousin's love of American movies, specifically, and her large heart. That said, Jude is an entirely fictional character, and I built her the way I build all my characters--through lots of brainstorming and daydreaming. RR: Who is your favorite character in Other Words for Home, and why?  Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
Jennifer Swender is the author of several picture books and early readers. Her debut novel, Solving for M, tells the story of Mika, a girl whose new math class helps her deal with her mother’s cancer diagnosis. We loved this book for its elements of realism and the unique, sympathetic characters. We were thrilled to interview Jennifer Swender about Solving for M for this month’s feature. RapunzelReads: Who is your favorite character in Solving for M, and why? Jennifer Swender: Hmmm. That's a tough one. My favorite character can change depending on how I'm feeling or what I'm thinking about, and I like them all for so many different reasons. I like Mika's honesty and willingness to grapple with tough ideas. I enjoy Mr. Vann's wackiness, but also his quiet understanding of how best to reach his students. I love Dee Dee's confidence and Chelsea's thoughtfulness. I like Mika's mom's quiet logic and her friend Jeannie's flair for the dramatic. I love the way illustrator Jennifer Naalchigar drew Mika's Math Journal #22 where we see how the various people in Mika's life would approach a “real life problem.” They are all different. They are all right. They are all necessary. RR: What inspired you to write Solving for M?  Interview by Piranha T. and Super Kitty
Hayley Chewins writes books about magical girls with secrets. We read and loved her debut, The Turnaway Girls (one of our favorites from 2020), for its lyrical writing and vivid worldbuilding. Her second novel, The Sisters of Straygarden Place, will be released in September 2020. Her books are outstanding for their beautiful prose and interesting characters. We were thrilled to get the chance to interview her for this month’s post. RapunzelReads: Who is your favorite character in The Turnaway Girls, and why? Hayley Chewins: I adore Linna. She’s just so full of joy and light. And she’s kind. I like kind. RR: The Turnaway Girls takes place in a vivid, detailed world—what inspired it? HC: It was mostly inspired by language. What I mean by that is: I didn’t think up a place, and then find words to describe it. I wrote, and the world sprang up. RR: What is your favorite part of the world of The Turnaway Girls? HC: I love the cloister, even though it’s a dark, scary place. I just love the idea of a |
Book Reviews By & For KidsEveryone knows that Rapunzel spent her early years locked up in a tower. We’d like to think she had plenty of books to while away the time, and that she’d appreciate our own favorites. Tweet, tweet!Get notified via Twitter every time we post a review! Follow: @RapunzelReads New Reviews:
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