Yay For Middle Grade Books! Interview With Lisa Stringfellow!

Hi, everyone! Today I'm happy to present an interview with Lisa Stringfellow, the author of A Comb of Wishes, which is out now!

1Would you please tell us a little about your book, A Comb of Wishes?

A Comb of Wishes is about twelve-year old Kela who is grieving her mother’s recent death when she stumbles on an ancient box in a coral cave. Inside is a beautiful hair comb and when she touches it, she opens a magical connection to a dangerous mermaid named Ophidia. The mermaid offers Kela a wish in exchange for her comb’s return, so Kela wishes for the thing she wants more than anything else...for her mother to come back.

Did you always want to write MG books?

When I decided to become a writer, middle grade is where I wanted to be. I am a veteran middle school English teacher and have taught 5th and 6th grade for almost 28 years. Middle grade readers are the age I love interacting with the most because students this age are curious and love a good story that touches on what they care about most. 

Random Question! What is your favorite time of year?

I love spring, so right now I am enjoying my favorite season. Flowers, growing plants, and not-to-warm weather are what I enjoy most.

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

My next book is another stand-alone middle grade fantasy. I like to think of it as my “girl in a tower” story with a twist. It is set in a West African inspired world where memory is closely connected to the land and its people.

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

This year I enjoyed reading The Barren Grounds by David A. Robertson. It is an Indigenous portal fantasy based on Cree star stories and is reminiscent of The Chronicles of Narnia. I also read The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson. I love how he wove together stories of the past and present, the history of racial injustice, and a thrilling puzzle mystery.

There are several middle grade novels I’m looking forward to reading this summer, including Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca, Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence by Sonja Thomas, The Marvellers by Dhonielle Clayton, and Cameron Battle and the Hidden Kingdom by Jamar J. Perry.

Thank you to Lisa Stringfellow for participating in this event! :)

Image credit: Carter Hasegawa

Author Bio: Lisa Stringfellow writes middle grade fiction and has a not-so-secret fondness for fantasy with a dark twist. Her debut fantasy A Comb of Wishes is published by HarperCollins/Quill Tree Books and was released on February 8, 2022. It was selected as an ABA Indie Introduce title for Winter/Spring 2022 and an Indie Next Kids' title for March/April 2022, and the book is listed on The Horn Book 2022 Summer Reading Recommendations list. Lisa received the inaugural Kweli Color of Children’s Literature Manuscript Award in 2019 for the novel manuscript. Her work often reflects her West Indian and Black southern heritage. Lisa is a middle school teacher and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with her children and two bossy cats.

Here are a few links:

Her Website

Her Twitter

Her Instagram