Yay For Middle Grade Books! Interview With Daisy May Johnson!

 

Hi, everyone! today I'm happy to present an interview with Daisy May Johnson, whose debut Middle Grade novel, How to Be Brave, releases in the US in July.

The bold font are the questions I asked, the regular font are her answers, and the bold italic font are my comments about her answers.

Would you please tell us a little about How to Be Brave?

When Calla North's mum, Elizabeth, is offered the job opportunity of a lifetime - researching ducks in the Amazon rainforest - Calla heads off to boarding school. But The School of The Good Sisters is no ordinary boarding school - there's a horrible new headmistress who's far too fond of kale and the pupils are ready to revolt. As Calla settles into her strange new world, something terrible happens to Elizabeth - and it's up to Calla and her new friends to figure out how to save the day. There's a lot of cake, a lot of nuns, a lot of puns, a whole world of adventure.... and ducks!

What was the inspiration for the book?

I call How To Be Brave my 'indulgent' book - it's built on everything I love. For example, I'm a passionate fan of the British school story genre, and have read a lot of them in my time - ranging from things published in the 1900s right through to the present day. I love how empowering the genre is and how they unapologetically centre girls and women in their own adventures. When I came to write How To Be Brave, I was thinking a lot about how you could play with those ideas in a modern context - and that's what got me started...

Random Question! What is your favorite dessert?

I'm very fond of a good slice of cake! It has to be the right slice of cake for the right occasion though - it's a fine art :)

I agree! :)

If you're able to talk about it, what are you currently working on?

I am working on the sequel to How To Be Brave which is *very* exciting times. I'm not sure I'm allowed to say much at the moment about it, but I will say that it features a character I absolutely fell in love with whilst writing HTBB. Turns out that I couldn't let them go without telling more of their story...

What are some of your favorite MG books you've read? And what are some that you're looking forward to reading?

Wow, where to begin! Okay - I love everything that Susie Day does, ditto Hilary McKay, Katherine Rundell, and Sita Brahmachari. I can't wait to read Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds, as I've loved his other work - and I've also got my eyes on a graphic novel adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by Mariah Marsden. I love seeing graphic novels playing around with classics. 

Graphic Novel adaptions of classics are always fun! :)

Thank you to Daisy May Johnson for participating in this event! :)

Here Are a Few Links:

Her Website

Her Twitter