Q:
Tell us about your book, specifically the story behind the titles (Finding
Perfect, Smart Cookie, Give and Take).
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GIVE AND TAKE
In GIVE AND TAKE (FSG/Macmillan 10/15/19), you meet
twelve-year-old Maggie who knows her new baby sister who smells like powder isn’t her sister for keeps. Izzie is a foster baby awaiting adoption. So in a
day or a week, she’ll go to her forever family and all that sweetness will be gone. Except for those things Maggie’s secretly saving in the cardboard boxes in her closet and under her bed. Baby socks, binkies, and a button from Bud the Bear. Rocks, sticks, and candy wrappers. Maggie holds on tight. To her things. Her pet turtle. Her memories of Nana. And her friends. But when
Maggie has to say goodbye to Izzie, and her friend gets bumped from their
all-girl trapshooting squad to make room for a boy, Maggie’s hoarding grows
far beyond her control, and she learns that sometimes love means letting go.
SMART COOKIE
Who’s got my back? How many people do I get in my life? Those
are the questions that eleven-year-old Frankie asks in SMART COOKIE (Scholastic 2018). Frankie’s mom died many years ago,
and she feels like a piece of her is missing. So, she secretly puts an ad online to find her dad a wife.
No spoilers, but what she finds instead, with the help of her
ghost-hunting best friend Elliot and Jess, her friend-turned-not-turned-something-else, is her herd. The people in her life who love her and all of her idiosyncrasies unconditionally. Her teacher, her neighbors, the people at Mills Senior Center, even Mabel, her gram’s best friend who cheats at cards. We all have one. And this herd is often so much
bigger and wider than those with whom you share a name or childhood.
FINDING PERFECT
To Molly Nathans, perfect is:
•
The number four
•
The tip of a newly
sharpened number two pencil
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A crisp, white pad of
paper
•
Her neatly aligned
glass animal figurines
What’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving
the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year.
Molly knows promises are often broken and hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the Lakeville Middle School Slam Poetry Contest. The winner’s honored at a fancy banquet. Molly’s sure her mother would never miss that.
Right…?
But
as time goes on, writing and reciting slam poetry become harder. Actually,
everything becomes harder as new habits appear, and counting, cleaning, and
organizing are not enough to keep Molly’s world from spinning out of control.
Ultimately,
Molly learns there’s no such thing as perfect.
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Q; What is your inspiration behind Give and Take storyline?
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A:
GIVE AND
TAKE is about loving big because it is the most beautiful gift we have to give. Maggie learns that loving Izzie, the foster baby her family cares for,
is not about being remembered. In a world filled with manicured moments memorialized in Snap stories, filtered selfies on Instagram and curated videos for TikToc, there are some experiences that are simply about digging deep and loving big. Fostering Izzie is one of those moments.
With Maggie’s big heart also comes a heap
of anxiety. The same anxiety that has crept into the lives of so many of our
kids. For Maggie, this anxiety takes the form of hoarding. She collects knickknacks
and saves objects that most would toss and many would call garbage. She fears
if she throws these items away, the memories tied to these keepsakes will
disappear forever. Like they did for Nana. Who forgot her love of chocolate
donuts, where she lived, and even her granddaughter, Maggie, when her
dementia worsened.
Kids hoard. And kids have anxiety. The
more we talk about it. The more we share their experiences on the page. The
more we breakdown the stigmas and stereotypes associated with mental health.
And the sooner all kids, can feel seen, heard, and respected.
I want my readers to know they’re strong.
Empowered. And I want them to know they’re not alone.
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Q:
What are some challenges unique to writing realistic fiction?
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A:
When I write realistic fiction, it’s so important to me that the story stems
from a place of true authenticity. And to do that well, I need to wrap myself
around my character, embody her emotions, and connect to her heart. And when she’s
in a dark place or her heart is shattered into a million tiny pieces, I need
to embrace that, too. Like when Maggie’s nana forgot her. Or the day Maggie said
a forever goodbye to Izzie, the foster baby she loved like a sister for
keeps. Or the times she had to let go of the objects she cherished and
hoarded. If I’m doing it right, those moments should feel hard. Because if
I’m honoring Maggie’s true emotions, those moments are hard.
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Q;
What makes this book a perfect fit for middle-grade classrooms?
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A:
GIVE AND TAKE touches on topics of fostering and dementia and hoarding, as
well, as universal themes of love and family, loss and anxiety. Maggie’s
story is a way in. A way to talk about topics that can, at times, feel
difficult or scary or emotional to discuss. Her story can give kids the
language they need to identify what’s tugging on their hearts. The truth is, kids
feel deeply. Hurt deeply. Experience deeply. Maggie’s journey honors that. And
allows readers to connect through Maggie’s experiences. To see themselves in
Maggie’s life or to better understand and empathize with others.
Middle
grade is a time of change and self-discovery. A time to honor our readers.
All of our readers. And all of their experiences. Maggie’s story can be a
catalyst for conversation, connection, and change.
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Q:
What does your daily writing life look like? (Do you set a word count for
yourself daily? Or a page goal? Where do you write? How often if not daily?)
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A:
I try to write every day. I write wherever and whenever I can. To me, writing
is a gift. A huge gift I give myself. So, I take my laptop with me
everywhere. When my sons were younger, I’d write in the parking lot of their
schools, on the side lines of their games, in doctors’ offices waiting rooms.
When I’m at conferences or away for school visits, I write in the hotel room
in the morning. And when I’m home, I write with my beagle Lucy.
I
don’t write by word count. I write until the words stop flowing and feeling
authentic. My best writing days are when I feel wholly connected to my
character and the line between my emotions and thoughts is blurred with my
character’s emotions and thoughts. When my heart and her heart are one.
Meet Lucy – My
writing partner!
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Q:
What’s the best thing about being a writer?
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A:
Everything! I love writing. I love being in the schools. I love connecting
with readers and educators and librarians.
But,
maybe most of all, I love hearing from young readers who so bravely share
their heart with me. What an honor to be trusted with those emotions. To be
told the words I put on the page have changed their life, made them feel
seen, heard and respected. Made them feel like they belonged. Like they were
not alone. That is a true privilege. One I am most grateful for. Every day.
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Q:
Future projects you are working on?
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A:
I have a few projects in the works. And I’m super excited about both. One is
a new middle grade. And while it’s a work-in-progress, what I can share is
that there will be a guinea pig named Cheetos, a girl named Autumn, and a lot
of heart.
The
other project is a nonfiction book about bravery. How bravery is found in the
small moments of our lives. How kids are brave every day. When they walk into
school, raise their hand, speak in class, step into the cafeteria. I’m
collaborating with schools around the globe on this project. Truly, it’s all
about the kids. I want them to see what I see – the superhero within all of
them.
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Q:
What else would you like us to know?
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A:
I love connecting with readers. And love school visits. Community reads,
large assemblies, smaller writing workshops, I love it all. Want more
information about what I offer, head over to my site at https://ellyswartz.com/school-visits
And I love hearing from
you. So let’s stay in touch! You can find me at ellyswartz.com, on Twitter @ellyswartz, on Instagram
@ellyswartzbooks or on my webseries #BooksintheKitchen with Victoria J. Coe.
I
also wanted to share that in GIVE AND TAKE, Maggie’s dad has a podcast
called, Go On, Change the World! I’m partnering with Bonnie Thomas of Indigo
North Counseling, a licensed, clinical, social worker, to create a journaling
activity for readers and educators. The activity will prepare educators to
talk about the book, anxiety, making change despite anxiety, and journaling,
as well as, provide what’s needed to transform any notebook into a “Go On,
Change the World!” journal. Like Maggie, I want readers to see they are
strong, brave, and not alone. I want them to love big. And then, to Go On,
Change the World!
So,
if you want a sneak peek of Give and Take, check out this clip of me reading
chapter 1: https://youtu.be/_wG1tkSKwXg
I can’t wait for you to meet Maggie, Baby Izzie, and Bert the Turtle. And, happy news – you can pre-order it
today. https://ellyswartz.com/give-and-take
Before
I say goodbye, I want to thank all the teachers and librarians for making a
huge difference in the lives of young readers every day. You are my heroes.
With
so much admiration, respect, and gratitude,
Elly
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My review for Other Words for Home: Beautiful. Necessary. A book that all kids need to read and familiarize with. This will be a read aloud for my 5th graders this next year. Loved every page. 
Q: Tell us about
your book, specifically the story behind the title.
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A: THE HOTEL BETWEEN is a MG
fantasy/adventure about a boy who joins the staff at a magic hotel that has
doors that lead all over the world, and uses those doors to search for his
long-lost father. The titular Hotel Between (which is the name of the organization
in the book) has a tagline: “halfway between here, there, and everywhere,”
which inspired the title. I really liked the idea too that the name of the
Hotel has the inherent question, “Between what?” Though, I suspect that’s why
so many people can’t stop calling it the Hotel In-Between, haha.
Book two, which is coming out
in September, is titled THE KEY OF LOST THINGS, and carries through the idea
of searching for someone. I don’t want to give too much away, but it’ll
suffice to say that there are magic keys that all have different functions,
and a very specific key--the Key of Lost Things--plays an important role in
our protagonist uncovering even more secrets in the Hotel, and possibly even
losing a few more. ;)
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Q; What is your inspiration behind Hotel Between
storyline?
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A; It’s always hard to answer
this one, because I’m convinced that stories come from everywhere. There’s no
one thing that inspires these worlds. I could point to a dream I had where my
wife and I moved into an apartment building that was a mixture of a hundred
different architecture styles, or to my foreign language teacher mother, or
my world-traveling athlete father, or my time working with a diverse group of
students over the years… so many components all conspired together to plant
the seeds of the garden that became this book, and they’re all of equal
importance.
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Q; What are some
challenges unique to writing fantasy?
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A; I think part of what makes
fantasy so intriguing to me is the ability to look at life through a
different lens, but sometimes the act of crafting that lens can be a bit
cumbersome. As much as I love world building, it can be very difficult to
communicate these various twists on the rules of the world to your audience
in a way they can fully grasp it.
I think this is especially true
when writing for a younger audience. There’s a necessary economy of words--a
budget, that has to be spent sparingly--to hold young people’s attention
while laying out the sometimes complex rules and systems for your world. That
can lead to under-explaining to keep the pace going, which is typically fine
for middle-grade readers but not as readily accepted by some older readers.
Young people will often simply accept the rules given to them as true without
argument, but older readers and adults will sometimes be frustrated by the
fact that they don’t understand fully
how the systems work. Add to that the reality that those older gatekeepers
are the ones putting the book into young readers’ hands, and it’s easy to
find myself walking a tightrope, afraid I might fall off either side at any
moment.
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Q; What makes
this book a perfect fit for middle grade classrooms?
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A: Geography has always been a
fascination of mine. I loved it as a kid when we started diving into what
life looks like in other countries. My grandfather always had stacks and
stacks of National Geographic magazine around his house, and he would give me
all the maps from the inside.
It’s easy to use The Hotel
Between and The Key of Lost Things as a jumping off point to talk about the
various places in our ever-shrinking world. Those middle grade years are
where students start to really grasp that there’s an outside world that
they’re not a part of yet.
Kids these days are interacting
more and more with students overseas through the Internet, video games, etc..
But developmentally, abstract thinking is still brewing in its infancy.
Students need concrete examples of the world that they’re rapidly becoming a
part of in order to start forming their rubric for those borderless
interactions that are coming at them so quickly. Examples of visiting these
other places, and meeting people from all over the world, can lay out
patterns that eases the need for abstract extrapolation when they end up in a
video game matchmaking lobby with someone from a country they’ve never
visited, or encounter a person of an unfamiliar ethnic origin wearing what
they might consider “unusual” clothing at the store, or have a person from
the far side of the globe comment on their social media post.
Understanding that the global
community is not as different from us than we might think is incredibly
important, and giving these students the opportunity to imagine themselves in
these different places and interacting positively with people of all cultures
will go a long way toward helping them become good global and digital
citizens.
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Q: What’s the
best thing about being a writer?
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A; I get to work with my cat.
But really, I love what the
written word does to a reader’s brain. We become more like the people whose
eyes we see through every time we read narrative fiction. We understand
humanity better with every perspective we experience. It’s phenomenal to me
that I get to nudge others toward goodness and empowerment and balance every
time I sit down to write. What a humbling privilege that is, and what a
harrowing responsibility.
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Q: Future
projects you are working on?
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A: I can’t say too much about
my books in the oven, but I’m currently working on both a new YA standalone
and a new MG adventure series that I’m so very excited about and can’t wait
to share!!
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Q: What else
would you like us know?
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A: The paperback release of THE
HOTEL BETWEEN is coming August 6, and then it’s one short month before the
hardback of THE KEY OF LOST THINGS hits shelves! I can’t wait for y’all to
see what trouble Cam and Cass get into!
Also, don’t forget to connect
with me on Twitter and Instagram (@authoreasley). I’m scheduling school
visits for the fall season too, so be sure to check out https://www.seaneasley.com/educators and leave me a message so we
can start talking about scheduling an author talk!
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