An interview with historical fiction middle grade author Anna Rose Johnson

I’m so fortunate that Anna Rose Johnson, the author of several wonderful and timeless middle grade historical fiction novels, agreed to answer my questions! I love both of Johnson’s books, The Star That Always Stays (2022) and The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry (2024). I especially adore Lucy Landry for its marvelous setting in a Lake Superior lighthouse in Michigan. I was eager to learn more about Johnson’s life and the stories behind her writing.

Kaela Noel: Thanks for agreeing to this interview! I know we share a love of vintage children’s literature. Can you speak about some of your favorites?

Anna Rose Johnson: Oh, it’s so hard to narrow it down to just a few! But some of my favorite vintage children’s authors are L.M. Montgomery (the Anne series and Jane of Lantern Hill), Maud Hart Lovelace (the Betsy-Tacy series), Elizabeth Enright (Spiderweb for Two and Gone-Away Lake), and Noel Streatfeild (The Bell Family, Theater Shoes, and The Growing Summer).

KN: I love several of those authors, too. I was a big fan of Noel Streatfeild as a child. I was fortunate my local library had all the Shoes books, and I read and re-read them many times. That said, so many wonderful vintage titles remain out of print. Would you share some that come to mind that you wish were still in print?

ARJ: I wish that Maggie Rose: Her Birthday Christmas by Ruth Sawyer would be reprinted—it’s such a marvelous story about a young girl trying to create a perfect celebration for herself and her family. It has elegant prose, captivating descriptions of the coast of Maine, and a magnificent ending!

KN: Are there any other authors you feel have been overlooked, or are especially due for a revival?

ARJ: Jean Little needs to be rediscovered! I absolutely love her duology about a German girl who moves to Canada in the 1930s, From Anna and Listen for the Singing. Little’s first novel, Mine for Keeps, has also been recently reprinted, so I hope more lovers of vintage books will discover her writing!

KN: Do you have any favorite publishing companies or projects that are re-issuing out-of-print children’s books?

ARJ: Purple House Press has reissued several books I’ve enjoyed, including Time at the Top by Edward Ormondroyd. I’m also excited about a new publisher called Renewed Books; they’re hoping to reprint some old vintage favorites!

KN: The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry includes a wonderfully positive and accurate depiction of homeschooling. I know you were a homeschooler yourself, too. Do you have any thoughts to share on your experience as a homeschooler? How did it influence your writing career?

ARJ: Homeschooling influenced me so much as a writer, because I was able to spend so much time on my craft. It fueled my creativity in general, because homeschooling allows you to focus on things you’re especially interested in—it’s a wonderful way to learn! With Lucy, I enjoyed depicting a homeschool family in the 1910s, because we need more homeschooling stories (and not just in contemporary settings)!

KN: You are a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, and the main characters in both your novels share this heritage. There are so many talented Ojibwe authors, including Louise Erdrich, of course, who wrote the Birchbark House series of books for younger readers. Do you have any favorite Ojibwe authors?

ARJ: The epigraph at the beginning of The Star That Always Stays is from a poem by Ojibwe writer Jane Johnston Schoolcraft, whose writing was so beautiful. I began doing research about Jane several years ago, and I had the amazing opportunity to read some of her handwritten journals from the 1820s. Because she was one of the first Ojibwe women authors, it meant a lot to me to be able to include that epigraph in TSTAS! I also want to recommend a sweet chapter book series called Liam Kingbird’s Kingdom, which features a young Ojibwe boy. They’re written by Ojibwe author Andrew Stark and illustrated by my sister, Emily Faith Johnson!

KN: Something I think is often overlooked in the current children’s writing field is a sense of place, and regionalism in general. There seems to be a trend for middle grade authors to often set their works in a kind of Anywhere, USA, maybe as a gesture toward reliability or universality…I’m not sure of the motive. Even with books that name a location, it feels rare for the location itself to be fully developed and distinct. This era of children’s literature seems to give little attention to setting. You successfully buck this trend in both of your books. They are set in Michigan in such a way that the place is integral to the story itself, and you make Michigan come to life on the page. Is a sense of place important to you? What is your relationship to Michigan? Have you considered writing books set elsewhere?

ARJ: A strong sense of place is so important to me as I write. I have to be able to picture what I'm writing about, and to know the setting so I can capture it in my descriptions. I’m from Wisconsin but I have deep family roots in Michigan and lots of family there. I’ve been fascinated by Michigan history for some time now, and I’ve done so much research on the area, which I’ve tried to make come alive in my manuscripts. I’m also working on a book set in Wisconsin now!

KN: Could you talk a bit about the lighthouse aspect of Lucy Landry? Your author’s note at the end of the book gave some great details about the research you did. Anything else you want to add or discuss? Do you have some favorite Michigan lighthouses you’ve visited? What are your favorite locations around Lake Superior?

ARJ: Researching lighthouse life for Lucy was one of the most delightful parts of the entire writing process. As I explain in the author’s note, it was a joy to watch videos of lighthouse tours and then create Harmony Lighthouse from those descriptions. But it was even more fun to be able to visit the Ontonagon Lighthouse in Upper Peninsula last summer, and I was able to insert a few cool details from that lighthouse. I ended up visiting it on a cold, rainy day, which was such an amazing experience because the waves were a bit wild! It’s now a favorite Lake Superior location, along with the Iroquois Point Lighthouse in Brimley.

The Ontonagon Lighthouse (credit: Anna Rose Johnson)

KN: I also love how your books have a subtle but strong message of Christian faith (it's never heavy-handed), which adds to the feeling of authenticity in time and place. I’m also a Christian (I currently attend an Eastern Orthodox Church). Would you be open to speaking about your own faith and how it informs your writing?

ARJ: I love including my faith in my writing. My faith has greatly impacted how I write—God is the best storyteller of all, and His inspiration has made me a better writer. I also love having my characters connect with certain Scripture verses—it’s very special to me and I hope other readers enjoy that element as well.

KN: Thank you so much, Anna Rose!

Publication day for The Cats of Silver Crescent!

It’s pub day! My children’s novel The Cats of Silver Crescent is now available wherever books are sold. If you like spooky small towns, talking cats, and cozy gothic mysteries, this is the book for you and the young people in your life!

I had so much fun writing this book. Partly because talking cats are inherently delightful, but also because Elsby, the 12-year-old main character, is me at that age. Just like her, I loved animals and wanted to be a writer. And just like her, I wrote first chapter after first chapter of novel drafts, without ever managing to complete my ideas. That detail in the book is based on actual stack of notebooks full of different first chapters I wrote during those years. Back then I truly thought I’d never manage to finish and publish a real book. But here I am! Twice over now.

Many thanks are due to my incomparable agent, Katie Grimm, who saw something in me and my work before I had accomplished much beyond a rough draft of my first book. Thank you, Katie! I shudder to think where I would be without you.

Gratitude also to my wise editor, Virginia Duncan, and the whole team at Greenwillow and HarperCollins Children’s.

I’m thrilled that The Cats of Silver Crescent got such a marvelous cover and interior illustrations from Jessica Roux! I have to pinch myself sometimes. I feel so fortunate. Thank you, Jessica!

Many thanks also to my dear friends, mostly fellow middle grade writers, who read early drafts of this book, gave vital feedback, and helped so much bring it to where it is now.

Most of all I’m grateful to have such a supportive family, including my wonderful husband Travess and my mother Leila, and great daughters Lucy and Alice, and extended family and in-laws Diana, Mark, Judy, Linda, and others who have cheered for me all the way.

I’m grateful for God for all these opportunities.

More blurbs!

I’m thrilled to share that another two wonderful middle grade authors have read and shared their thoughts on my upcoming novel about magical talking felines (and two human girls who befriend them), The Cats of Silver Crescent.

“Whimsical talking cats, dark magic, and a villain that will make your whiskers curl. I love The Cats of Silver Crescent and would have written so much fan fiction about these delightful creatures in my middle school days.” —Alyssa Colman, Author of The Gilded Girl 

“Warm, and witty, and filled with wonder, The Cats of Silver Crescent is a beautiful story brimming with tender hearts, and just enough peril and mystery to keep the reader eagerly turning pages.” —Alysa Wishingrad, author of The Verdigris Pawn and Between Monsters and Marvels

New York Times-bestselling author Jacqueline West's blurb for The Cats of Silver Crescent!

I’m so excited to share a blurb for The Cats of Silver Crescent from bestselling author Jacqueline West, who has written many books, including the wonderfully spooky and fun Long Lost and The Books of Elsewhere.

Jacqueline says:

“Charming, timeless, and wonderfully unique. This book is the kind of treasure you might find in a curio-cluttered attic, or tucked away on the shelves of a magical library. The Cats of Silver Crescent have enchanted me!”

I love Jacqueline’s work, so this is a big honor. If you haven’t read any of her books yet, you’re in for a treat!

The Cats of Silver Crescent pubs on April 30, 2024 and can be pre-ordered at your local bookstore, or Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or any other online retailers.

A blurb from Kate Albus!

I’m thrilled to share a blurb for The Cats of Silver Crescent from one of my favorite middle grade authors writing at the moment, the great Kate Albus. I can’t say enough good things about Kate’s books, A Place to Hang the Moon and Nothing Else But Miracles. Both books have top-notch prose combined with a cozy, old-fashioned sensibility and tenderness of heart. And they are FUN! Highly recommended. It’s a big honor for me that Kate liked The Cats of Silver Crescent so much. Thank you, Kate!

“Deliciously mysterious and utterly charming. The Cats of Silver Crescent is a book you just want to fall into, reveling in the lush and enchanting world Kaela Noel has imagined for us. This is the sort of fantasy I would have gobbled up as a child. An old-fashioned delight.”

—Kate Albus, author of A Place to Hang the Moon and Nothing Else But Miracles

Interview: Alysa Wishingrad, author of BETWEEN MONSTERS & MARVELS and the VERDIGRIS PAWN

I’m thrilled to share an interview with Alysa Wishingrad, author of the recently-released middle grade fantasy novel Between Monsters and Marvels. Both Monsters and Wishingrad’s previous middle grade novel, The Verdigris Pawn, are wonderfully written, gripping, and smart fantasy novels for kids (and grown-ups of all ages).

Kaela Noel: Between Monsters and Marvels is an epic, fantastical page-turner. It reminds me of a combination of various Charles Dickens novels and Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials, yet it is also completely its own book. It feels both classic and original. What were your main influences as you wrote, and your intentions?

Alysa Wishingrad: Hi Kaela, I am so excited to chat with you! And thank you for putting me in the same sentence with Pullman and Dickens, that’s a big wow! (Though I revile Dickens's point of view on many matters, I do still appreciate the craft in his writing.) And it’s also unthinkable goals, as both authors are major influences on me. I am so drawn the scope and depth of the worlds they weave (wove), and the complexity of their stories. Yet, the heart is always so universal.

As for my intentions, they were two-fold. First, I set out to tell a good story about a girl who refuses to try to fit in, and to explore how the judgement of others can break us inside.

Secondly, I got very curious about monsters, why they loom so large in our imaginations, what they symbolize, and how they can be used to both distract and manipulate us. Monsters come in all different forms, but whether they’re terrible beasts or people who threaten our way of life, the idea remains the same: something that is not like you is coming for you!

KN: What were your favorite books growing up? What kind of reader were you as a kid? What stuck with you or still seems influential from that time?

AW: I was a big reader as kid, always getting lost in stories. To be honest though, I would have also been happy to watch TV, lots and lots of it, but my parents didn’t like having a TV in the house. So, by default I became a big reader. I loved E.B. White, and still do, and Anne of Green Gables and every other story that transported me to the past. The Borrowers were a huge favorite. I just started re-reading the first book recently. I wanted to see how it compared to my memory, and so far, it absolutely does (not all older books do, as you know).

But then as I got a bit older there weren’t really many books for me out there, so I’d turn to my parent’s bookshelves. I’m not entirely sure what this says about me, but some of my favorite books when I was twelve and thirteen were the Rabbit books by John Updike. Although, if you think about it, a middle-aged man having a mid-life crisis and a thirteen-year-old girl do share an awful lot in terms of questioning life, reality, and the effect of their choices.

If there are any themes that have stuck from those years it’s my love of the possibility of the fantastical, and also these big existential questions about what it means to be a good person, our responsibility to each other, and how (and if) society can ever be equitable.

KN: What was your childhood like? Where did you grow up? How did it influence you as a writer? 

I grew up in NYC, and then we moved to a suburb north of the city. As soon as we moved, I was determined to move back as soon as I could. And I did. I lived there for many years, but now I’m up in the country about 90 minutes north.

I’m the youngest of three girls, and by the time I was ten my sisters were away at school and out of the house, so in many ways I grew up an only child. I was very independent, both my parents worked—latchkey all the way. I spent a lot of time alone—I didn’t live near my friends really, and there weren’t many neighborhood kids. So, my imagination was my best friend. It could also be my worst enemy, especially when it would take off if my parents were late coming home from work. But mostly it was my companion. I lived in my head a lot—not at school but at home, while I did my chores or made myself a snack—I was always pretending to be someone—a grand dame as she sipped her apple juice from a champagne glass. HA!

But I was also raised with a lot of Eastern philosophy influences, so there again is that constant questioning I have about what is real, what is true, and what does it take and mean to reach the fullness of our humanity.

KN: You have an extensive background in film and theater. What influence did that have on your craft as a writer?

AW: I came out of college a playwright and was very fortunate to fall right in with a young theater company that was just starting up then, The Atlantic Theater Company. Fast forward to today, and ATC is one of NY’s preeminent off-Broadway theaters. Anyway, Atlantic has a very specific way of approaching script analysis called Practical Aesthetics. In a very small nutshell, it’s about working from understanding what your character wants in each beat or scene, and what they’re willing to do to get it. Of course, the technique is about so much more, but it’s that central kernel that I work from.

But what’s interesting, is back then I wasn’t ready to do the hard work of writing. I think I was too results oriented. Too invested in: “look what I wrote,” “what do you think?” That’s not a good place to work from—at least not for me. So, I allowed myself to follow a different path for many years. But ... writing was always there on my shoulder, waiting for me to, well, grow-up, and get to work.

That vocabulary of theater and film still informs my work. I always look for the theatrical, those moments when you hold your breath unsure of what’s coming next. And also, I really have to see moments play out in my mind’s eye, to feel the impact in my bones. Only then can I figure out where the lens needs to be focused and why. 

KN: With Between Monsters and Marvels, where did you begin? With a character, setting, a flicker of a plot, or something else?

AW: Gosh, I wish I could remember.

That’s not a great answer, I know, but it’s hard to remember where a story starts because I tend to let them bake for a long time in the back of my head before I even begin to jot down notes.

In the interest of a useful answer, I will tell you how it began with Dare. I knew this girl of mine would be emotionally shut down, defensive, someone who’d go out of her way to push people away before they had the chance to push her. Yet I knew too that she is so full of love, and compassion, and honesty (maybe too much honesty at times). It’s not easy to get along in a world where you do not fit in, nor do you want to.

But how do you write someone like that and still make sure that the reader loves and understands them as well as you do? That was the trick with Dare. And that’s where the idea of writing monsters came from—they are the manifestation of what it feels like when we’re battling with the world.

KN: Dare is a bold, memorable, endearing character. Flawed, yet lovable, and so complex. Did she arrive fully formed as you began to write, or did the process of discovering her take longer?

AW: The core of Dare’s character arrived fairly intact, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have to keep writing to learn more about her, to flesh out the subtleties of her character and her heart. It’s one thing to write someone who is closed off and defensive, to give them snappy insults and witty insights. But that’s never the full flower of one’s character, it’s mining what lies beneath where they truly come to life.

KN: Dare’s care for her pet Beastie is such a sweet and compelling part of the novel. Do you have animals? What are they like?

AW: Dare and Beastie’s bond is so pure and complete, and I have been so lucky to share my life, love, and home with several animals. In fact, it is to all of them that I dedicated this book.

We live with two dogs and a cat-shaped dog now.

Lucy

Lucy (a shepard mix) and Cleo (a basenji, pharaoh hound mix) were rescued from the streets of Alexandria, Egypt when they were very young, and were brought to the states by a flight attendant. And yes, they have Egyptian passports.

Lucy is a cuddle bug, but also afraid of many things. We say of her that she doesn’t like when things happen. Things like rain, or foxes barking outside, or people coming up the driveway.

Cleo with some reading material.

Cleo is very funny, and also very loud! When she gets on a barking jag it can be a bit hard to get her to stop.

And then there’s Mae the cat (don’t tell her I called her that, please). She was found on the side of the road as a tiny baby, and so while she is very happy to curl up in a snuggly corner with you, she also likes to remind you that she decides when to be nice or not.

Mae the cat

It’s possible that one or two of the monsters were named after my friends here.

KN: I loved the setting. Was it based on any particular (real world) places?

AW: I very intentionally set Dare’s story at the turn of the 20th century, a time of tremendous change and innovation. Horse drawn carriages were suddenly sharing the road with those new- fangled automobiles. Gas lighting was slowly being replaced by electrical lights, photography was no longer in its infancy, and entertainment (where and what) was changing too. Information began traveling at much higher speeds, and innovation was everywhere.

But it was also a time of increasing inequity. There were some who were getting incredibly rich, but their wealth was being amassed on the backs of laborers. Unions began to rise in this time too, but this time period really set the blueprint for all too many of the issues we are facing today.

But to answer more specifically, City-on-the-Pike is an amalgamation of several cities from the turn of the 20th century that became hubs of industry like New York and London. But they weren’t the only places that were changed forever by the factories that popped up and began polluting their air, water, and way of life.

Barrow’s Bay was inspired by several islands in the states, although none are protected by trade winds, or have a history of monstrous inhabitants. There’s an island in Ohio called Put-in-Bay that was my starting point but Cumberland and Jekyll islands, both off the coast of Georgia, provided me with the real blueprint both in terms of the inhabitants and the topography. The inhabitants were driven off to make room for massive mansions built by the wealthiest industrialists of the time.

 KN: Thank you so much, Alysa!

THE CATS OF SILVER CRESCENT coming on April 30, 2024!

Hello! I wrote another book. The Cats of Silver Crescent is a spooky middle grade novel about Elsby, a girl who goes to visit her great-aunt in a strange Rhode Island small town…and finds a house full of magical talking cats secretly living next door. The cats desperately need Elsby’s help to survive—but she soon discovers every enchantment comes at a price.

If you like:

• magical, talking cats with very strong opinions on fashion and literature

• spooky small towns in New England

• cozy bookstores

• a mysterious great-aunt

• haunted libraries

• a young heroine who is just trying to finish writing her first novel

…this is the book for you!

You can preorder it here, and add it on Goodreads. It will be published on April 30, 2024 by Greenwillow Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s.

The cover and interior illustrations are by the incredible artist Jessica Roux. I’m completely in love with the artwork and over the moon that Jessica was able to lend her talents to making The Cats of Silver Crescent look so perfect.

I can’t wait for this story to be out in the world and available to all readers!

Coo is available in Persian!

I’m thrilled that Porteghal Publishers in Tehran have released a beautiful edition of Coo in Persian. It was translated by Ghazal Yazdanpanah, and its Persian title is In the Language of Pigeons. (Such a beautiful title!) It’s truly wondrous to think about Coo reaching readers in Iran. I’m so happy it’s a reality now.

I’m grateful to the people at Porteghal, and to Ghazal, as well as to my spectacular agent Katie Grimm and her foreign rights co-agent Amélie Cherlin, for making this happen.

Interview and Giveaway with Kate Albus, author of A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON

I’m so pleased to be sharing this recent interview I did with Kate Albus, a phenomenal writer whose debut middle grade historical fiction novel A Place to Hang the Moon arrived in the world in February. Moon is set during World War II in Britain, and follows the story of three orphaned London siblings who are evacuated to the countryside—where they struggle to adjust to strange new homes, difficult food rations, and the dangers of wartime, all while harboring a secret of their own. Albus’s book manages to combine coziness, suspense, and incredibly rich historic detail with humor, heart, and hope. I absolutely loved it, and I am so excited she agreed to answer some of my questions.

As a bonus, I will also be giving away a signed copy of the book! To enter, comment below and follow Kate Albus on Twitter.

What are your favorite historical novels, both for adults and kids?

Oh it’s so hard to choose! For adults, I’m a huge fan of Kate Atkinson in general, and her historicals—Life After Life and A God in Ruins —are some of my absolute favorites. I also adore Mary Doria Russell. Her Doc Holliday novels (Doc and Epitaph) are just so beautifully done. And Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys are extraordinary. As far as kids, Linda Sue Park is hard to beat, and I love Jonathan Auxier’s historical fantasy, Sweep: the Story of a Girl and Her Monster. For older MG/YA, Laurie Halse Anderson and Julie Berry are fantastic.

I know you did loads of research for A Place to Hang the Moon. Would you share one or two interesting facts or tidbits you found along the way?

One of the historical events that plays a part in the story is the bombing of Coventry—one of the truly horrific parts of the war, and one that Anna, Edmund, and William experience at a bit of a distance. I read a lot about Coventry in researching the novel. In November of 1940, in a matter of hours, bombs destroyed pretty much the whole city, including an extraordinary 14th-century cathedral. After the war, the cathedral community dedicated itself to the peace and reconciliation movement, and when it was re-built in the 60s, the ruins of the old structure were left standing and incorporated into the new cathedral design. Today, you can stand in the ruins, where there are shards of stained glass still attached to the window frames of the few remaining walls. I was lucky enough to visit with my family several years ago and it was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had… such a profound connection, not only to history, but to a community’s commitment to peace in the wake of violence. It’s a place that holds a mythical sort of significance in my heart, so I wanted very much to include it in some way in A Place to Hang the Moon.

Are there any details that you found during your research that did not make it into the book that you feel like sharing?

Oh gosh, this is such a good question. So many little bits and pieces get lost along the way, either because a section needs to be shortened or because a given historical detail just doesn’t feel meaningful enough to include. For example, there was a passage in the story that involved what people of the time referred to as the ‘phony war’—when the war was raging in places like France and Poland, but England hadn’t been bombed yet. In the end, it just felt like too much explanation, without enough meaning for a middle grade reader. Other details were removed because it turned out they weren’t historically accurate. For example, at some point I had the children reading one of the Little House books because I wanted a good food scene. Most of that series was published in the 30s, but somewhere along the way I learned that they weren’t published in the UK until the 1950s. So they wouldn’t have been available to Anna, Edmund, and William. The food scene that I used instead was from The Wind in the Willows… which is not a bad replacement… all dripping butter and toasty bread.

I adore The Wind in the Willows. What was your research process like? What books or resources did you consult?

I was so grateful for the memoirs of evacuees. I read a lot of those, as well as a lot of firsthand accounts made through Britain’s Mass Observation project. The scene where Edmund and William have to participate in the ‘ratting’ was made up, but the idea came from a very brief description in an actual evacuee memoir. I’m also an unapologetic lurker in used bookstores, so my shelves are full of odd volumes. Old books are great resources for everyday historical details. They also smell fabulous.

What is your personal relationship with Britain and the WW2 era? Did any of your own family history come into the book?

My beloved paternal grandmother emigrated from Belfast to New York in the 1920s, when she was about ten. I vividly remember her telling me stories about her own experiences as an adult during the war, like drawing a line down the backs of her legs to look like the seam on the nylon stockings that were hard to get at the time. That little tidbit made it into the book. I still have extended family in Belfast as well. As I was writing A Place to Hang the Moon I learned that my great aunt Florence was actually evacuated from Belfast as a ten-year-old. Aunt Florence makes an appearance in the book in a tiny way… both as the name of a minor character, and also in Mrs. Muller’s ‘snug.’ Aunt Florence had the coziest little room in her house, and that’s what she called it.

I have a maternal grandfather from Dublin who also emigrated in the 1920s. Did you grow up spending time in libraries like the siblings in your book?

So much time. Growing up before the internet, I did a lot of homework in the library. I have such fond memories of the World Book Encyclopedia! William, one of the characters in A Place to Hang the Moon, is on a mission to read the whole Encyclopedia Britannica, end to end, and while I never considered actually doing that as a kid, I adore William for attempting it.

What were your favorite books as a child?

I definitely grew up on the oldies —E.B. White, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Roald Dahl. And on the more contemporary books of my childhood—Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. Those were all authors I read and re-read as a kid. And I remember certain books being quoted routinely in my family… My grandmother used to say “the world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be as happy as kings” all the time, and I only realized as an adult that it was a quote from Robert Louis Stevenson and not something she made up. I’ve got a cross-stitch of that quote hanging on my wall today.

What kind of child were you?

I was—still am!—a voracious reader. And from a very young age I remember developing deep attachments to characters. I’d think about them as I went through my day, pretend they were my friends. At some point I dragged an old typewriter into my bedroom and went through a phase where I played ‘school’ by typing up elaborate class lists comprised of various storybook characters. I really wish I still had some of those lists, because I’d love to remember exactly who was on them. I know that Peter Hatcher and Charlie Bucket shared a classroom with the Pevensies, which is a thought that brings me no end of joy.

Where did you grow up?

Believe it or not, this is a slightly difficult question to answer! For the most part, I grew up in New York—first Staten Island, and then Oyster Bay, but my dad was a professional golfer who worked as a teaching pro in New York during the warmer months, and then played in tour events in Florida in the winter. Up until about seventh grade, I spent the first quarter in New York, the second and third in Florida, and then the last quarter of the school year back in New York again. I had friends in both places but always somehow felt like ‘the new kid.’ It did make me extremely close with my family, though, which is something I’m hugely grateful for.

Where do you live now? What is your community like and its library?

I live in rural Maryland, about forty-five miles northwest of Washington, DC. It’s a great location to be both a country mouse and a city mouse. There are cows next to my driveway, but I can be in DC or Baltimore in less than an hour. My family and I moved here about seven years ago, and I love the pace of life. It’s been a great place to raise children. My kids can (and do!) walk to the library from school, which I love.

How did you decide to pursue writing for children?

My first career was actually in child psychology. I finished my doctorate in 2000 and worked for many years as a research psychologist, writing scientific journal articles. I always assumed that creative writing was just like science writing—that you have the whole plot outlined in your head before you ever put pen to paper. But some years ago I attended a dear friend’s creative writing workshop and absolutely fell in love with the process of sitting down and getting lost in words. The writing-for-children part, specifically, came about through endless hours of reading to my own children—my favorite part of being a mom.

What is your day-to-day writing schedule like?

Well, like so many other things, I suppose my answer changed in 2020. In the past, I always worked best when I could completely immerse myself in writing for hours and hours, something that could only happen when my kids were at school and my husband was at work. Until this past year I would typically write a few days a week for six or seven hours at a stretch. Now, with my kids having been home in virtual school for the better part of a year, I find I’ve had to get better at taking smaller writing moments as they come. Which I guess is a good skill to learn.

What is the revision process like for you?

Honestly, while revision sometimes feels nit-picky, I try to look at it as a gift. When I’ve finished a story, I find myself almost mourning the loss of the characters that I’ve spent months and months with, so I see revisions as a fabulous opportunity to reunite with beloved people I’ve really missed.

Any upcoming releases in 2021 you are excited about?

Too many to name! Getting to know my debut group has been hands-down the best part of the publishing journey, and I’m so excited to cheer for these fabulous stories as they come into the world! I can’t say how much the friendship of the other 2021 debuts has meant to me.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on another middle grade historical—World War II, just like A Place to Hang the Moon—but this one is set in New York City. It’s been such a treat to immerse myself in old New York, a world that’s nostalgically familiar to me, having grown up hearing stories form my grandmother and father. Even though I haven’t lived there for years, I still think of New York as home, and it’s been such a pleasure to ‘travel’ there in a time when real life travel isn’t an option.

Thank you so much for chatting, Kate! I love A Place to Hang the Moon, and I’m so excited for whatever you write next.

Readers, don’t forget to enter to win a signed copy of Kate’s book! Leave a comment below and follow Kate on Twitter. The winner will be randomly selected on March 12, 2021 and notified by email.

UPDATE: Giveaway extended to March 15, 2021! You can also enter by commenting on this tweet by March 15: https://twitter.com/_kaelanoel_/status/1368928200684929033

Coo is available in paperback!

Coo is out in a beautiful new paperback edition from Greenwillow Books and HarperCollins. I’m thrilled it is now even more accessible to readers!

It’s available online and at bookstores in the USA, Canada, and the UK, or at your local library. Happy reading!

The first chapter of COO read aloud on YouTube!

I read the first chapter of Coo out loud on YouTube as part of Susan Tan’s wonderful Authors Everywhere! channel. Check it out, share with with your kids and students, and watch the other children’s author videos she has available. Happy viewing!

5 Tips for Reading in a Time of Pandemic

My family and I are four weeks into lockdown in New York City, one of the epicenters of the COVID-19 epidemic. Outside the sun is shining, cherry blossom trees are bursting into bloom, and the air coming through the window has the sweet-new-clean-fresh-floral smell of springtime. But there are also sirens—endless sirens, so many sirens, including several that blared through my neighborhood while I drafted this post. Each siren is the signal of another family’s sorrow and fear. My heart is heavy.

Reading is a balm for life’s big and small challenges for me even in the best of times, and especially now. But I’m hearing from many people who usually love to read that they are struggling to focus on books in the midst of all this. I can relate. During the first two weeks of quarantine, I was also in a serious reading slump. I managed to overcome it by trying a few different tactics.

1. Set a timer

   I love this method for many things. It’s really just the Pomodoro Technique, in which you set a relatively short timer (say, 25 minutes, but anything, even 5, would work) and focus on a single task during that time. I use this method frequently when my mind is wandering too much while writing. It really works for me.

2. Set goals

   This one is very satisfying. Decide on a certain number of pages and don’t stop reading until you get through them. You will feel like you accomplished something, and maybe you will even want to continue on past your goal.

3. Turn off your wifi, hide your phone

   Lest you be tempted to hit refresh on a pandemic live blog (or three), remove the conduits from easy reach.

4. Read short stories

   The shorter the better. You will feel great when you complete one, and they are usually easier to absorb if you’re too distracted to follow a long plot or a detail-heavy work of nonfiction.

5. Keep a list of books you’ve read

   I keep a very simple yearly list broken down by month, and it’s a lovely thing to look over as time passes. It’s also good motivation to finish books and keep adding to the list.

I hope you’ve found this list helpful! I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’re interested, you can also check out my middle grade novel, Coo, which came out in March from Greenwillow/HarperCollins.

Coo is out in the world!

Coo was officially published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins on March 3, 2020!

Two weeks have passed since then, and what strange weeks they have been. COVID-19 turned into a pandemic and the daily routines and structures of life have changed enormously.

I was lucky to be able to do the first two events planned for Coo before the infection became widespread. The first was at McNally Jackson in Williamsburg. It was lovely. My gratitude to Sam MacLaughlin and other employees of MJ—Miguel, Parrish, Sara, Yvonne—who made the evening so special, as well as my dear friends and colleagues who came out for the night.

My wonderful agent Katie Grimm, steadfast shepherd of COO for many years.

Kayla Ichikawa and me. She was working for my agent when I queried her with COO, and was the first in the office to read it. She loved it from the beginning. And she has had many uncanny links to the book and pigeons ever since!

It’s Sam MacLaughlin! Manager of McNally Jackson’s Williamsburg location and an old friend.

Cathleen Barnhart—fellow 2020 middle grade debut writer, and the author of That’s What Friends Do (HarperCollins).

Jasmine Lee and me!

Signing books, chatting with old friends like Sydney Shen about life and pigeons.

Jacquelynn Burke is my fantastic publicist at HarperCollins!

A few days later, on March 7, I did an event at Reads & Company bookstore in Phoenixville, PA. Such a lovely shop! The owner, Jason Hafer, did excellent outreach with the local schools and community, and it was a great audience full of both kids and grown-ups.

Erin Entrada Kelly, holding the side of Coo with her blurb on it!

And to make the afternoon even more magical, Erin Entrada Kelly (yes, THAT Erin Entrada Kelly—extraordinary middle grade author, lovely person, and winner of the Newbery Medal) came for it. I was able to thank her in person for the wonderful blurb she gave Coo.

It was a very special time, made even more so by what followed a few days later.

I’m now settling into this odd spring of social distancing, frantic refreshing of live news blogs on new cases, and new anxieties. Also, I’m at work on my next book. More soon!

Publishers Weekly Reviews Coo!

“The story conveys powerful messages about love and friendship, compassion and belonging. Sweetest of all is endearing Coo’s steadfast affection and loyalty for those she loves—pigeons and humans alike. With this troop of quirky pigeons whose rooftop world is both strange and familiar, Noel has written a debut replete with hope, humor, and heart.”

Read more of Publishers Weekly’s review of Coo.

Erin Entrada Kelly writes about Coo at Pop! Goes the Reader

The incredible Erin Entrada Kelly wrote about Coo over at Pop! Goes the Reader. And Coo and I are in wonderful company—she also wrote about E.L. Konigsberg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Anne Ursu’s The Lost Girl. Amazing! Read more here.

Interview & Cover Spotlight at Mr. Schu Reads!

Hello, dear readers! Is it feeling autumnal in your part of the world? It is in mine. Today cold rain is dribbling down outside my window, I’m inside drinking coffee, and everything feels gloomy in a deliciously cozy October kind of way.

I’m very excited to share an interview I did with John Schu over at Mr. Schu Reads. We discuss Coo and its wonderful cover, which is by Celia Krampien and which I am in love with, and I also discuss some of my favorite middle-grade reads, like Louise Erdrich’s Birchbark House series. I hope you enjoy it!