Interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman: Book Scavenger

Illustrations by Sarah Watts

 

Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman nods to Edgar Allan Poe and his short story The Gold-Bug. Ms. Bertman’s mystery includes ciphers, a game, school rivalry and a crime which begins with the shooting of an eccentric publisher in San Francisco. Illustrated by Sarah Watts complement the novel which was published in 2015 by Henry Holt and Company; today’s middle grade students would have been newborns and toddlers at the time and this engaging book will be new to them. Twelve year olds, Emily and James form a friendship and solve ciphers and puzzles while unaware that the publisher’s assailants are hunting them.

This is a lively mystery with vivid descriptions of San Francisco and memorable, humorous depictions of main and secondary characters.

At 343 pages long plus an author’s note with historical explanations, Book Scavenger is recommended for nine years and older.

One Question Interview with Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

ETC: Welcome Jennifer. What advice would you give to those in K - 12 school who would like to write?

JCB: My advice to young writers is to make it fun! Write as a form of play. Write to entertain yourself. Write yourself a story you want to read. If you're not sure where to start, try different writing prompts as a jumping off point. (You'll find many prompts in my Substack newsletter: https://jenniferchamblissbertman.substack.com/.) And remember, all writing counts. There are many different ways to tell a story. When I was young, I wrote plays for my Cabbage Patch Kids and skits with my friends. Once we even wrote a script for a murder mystery party!  You can tell stories in the form of comics or poetry or make a zine or create art to go along with your words--follow where your imagination leads you. And have fun!

ETC: What a nice suggestion, “Make it fun.” Thank you for visiting, Jennifer.

Links:

Visit author: Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

Visit illustrator: Sarah Watts 

Book design by: April Ward  

Visit Greg Pattridge host of:  Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Learn more about Edgar Allan Poe:

 Edgar Allan Poe Library Sullivan's Island, setting for The Gold-bug.

Richmond, Virginia Museum: Poe Museum 

Baltimore, Maryland Museum: Poe in Baltimore

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Edgar Allan Poe National Historic Site 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

Interview with Megan E. Freeman: Away

Cover art by Pascal Campion. Location Tattered Cover, Aspen Grove.

 

 

 

 

With Away the companion novel to Alone, Megan E. Freeman has written another New York Times bestselling novel. Away published by Aladdin an imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2025, caries one to a dystopian future with engaging, captivating characters.  

Pascal Campion’s cover art invites the reader into the novel in verse. Away is told from four points of view in a varied format which includes: newspaper articles, letters, and screenplays. Ms. Freeman demonstrates prescience with her depiction of evacuation scenes and camps. The main characters solve the puzzle and the novel concludes with hope and a satisfying ending.  

Clay Hobson rendered the interior illustrations and Heather Palisi designed the book jacket. The novel is 480 pages and was purchased and will be given to a grandchild.

 

One Question Interview with Megan E. Freeman

ETC: Welcome Megan. I loved the Pax character, vomit and all. What was your inspiration for her?

MEF: I knew when I was writing AWAY that I wanted to have multiple points of view and that the main characters would span a variety of ages and be from different parts of Colorado. But I also liked the idea that at least one of them would have a sibling. Making Pax quite a bit younger than Harmony opened the door for some levity, as well as created a proxy character who could ask questions and be curious about things the reader might also wonder about. Pax also introduced some occasional conflict, either directly with her sister or when the friends had to censor their conversations in front of her. Her maturation throughout the story also helped illustrate the passage of time.

ETC: Thank you for visiting, Megan.

Links:

Visit author: Megan E. Freeman

Visit cover illustrator here: Pascal Campion

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Previous interview with: Megan E. Freeman: Alone 

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

 

Interview with Stan Yan: The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang

 

Art by Stan Yan

 

Stan Yan’s middle grade, graphic novel, The Many Misfortunes of Eugenia Wang, with its flame red and embossed black cover, leaps out and catches the eye and was published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers an imprint of Simon & Schuster in 2025. The text and plot carry the reader through the travails of Eugenia, not least of which is the dreaded rope climb in physical education. Eugenia encounters parental pressure regarding grades and academic studies, an annoying younger brother and a dear friend who is accident prone. Humor stalks the pages. This book will engage reluctant and advanced readers with its action, hilarity and resolution.

Mr. Yan wrote, digitally illustrated and created a new font, Eugenia Wang for his novel. Greg Stadnyk designed the book. This novel was purchased by me and will be given to the grandson.

One Question Interview with Stan Yan

ETC: Welcome Stan. What advice would you give those in grades K-12 who would like to become writers, or illustrators or cartoonists?

SY: My advice would be to lean into your passions. The only guarantee in our pursuit is you will spend a lot of time doing it. There is no guarantee you will make money at it. Sometimes the only payment we get is in the enjoyment or satisfaction of the process. If you'd be willing to do something even if you're not getting paid, it's probably a passion. And regularly finding time for our passions is important.

ETC: Thank you, Stan for the realistic answer.

Links:

Visit author, illustrator and font designer: Stan Yan

Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore

 

Book Review Tara Lazar's FLAT CAT and FLAT CAT: THE CLASS PET

 

Flat Cat illustrated by Pete Oswald

 

 

With Flat Cat and Flat Cat:The Class Pet Tara Lazar has written a pair of quirky, funny picture books that one will want to read over and over again. Ms. Lazar’s imagination delights as Flat Cat flips and floats from one adventure to the next. New York Times best seller, Pete Oswald rendered Flat Cat’s amusing antics using painted textures and computer software. Ms. Lazar uses alliteration, rhyme and a varied vocabulary to tell Flat Cat’s stories.  

Both books were published by Flamingo Books an imprint of Penguin Random House in 2023 and 2025, respectively. These books were purchased, read and given to nieces who are far too young to read this blog.

In addition to writing humorous books, Ms. Lazar created, hosts and coordinates Storystorm, an online, picture book idea generating fest, which takes place in January. Storystorm doubles as a picture book masterclass with a variety of published authors as guest contributors.

 

Visit author: Tara Lazar

Visit illustrator: Pete Oswald 

Tara's Interview with Flat Cat:The Class Pet book designer: Opal Roengchai 

Visit book designer: Opal Roengchai 

Learn about Pete Oswald's character design for Madagascar 2

A post about collaboration: Leaving Room for the Illustrator 

Previous review of: Tara Lazar's Absurd Words  

Visit your local book store: Second Star to the Right

Interview with Mike Steele: Not Lucille and Giveaway

Not Lucille cover art by Kelsey Grass

 

 

Mike Steele’s debut middle grade novel, Not Lucille, is set in Trenton, New Jersey during the Great Depression and tells the friendship story of two fifth grade girls, Lucy and Florence. This story encompasses the financial and physical hardships of the 1930s and the attitudes of the time including those toward left handed people and deaf people.  Lucy and Florence meet when Lucy climbs the tall fence of the Academy for the Deaf, sneaks past some ball players and climbs through the window of a garden level classroom. The girls endure ongoing challenges that are not limited to meeting and communicating. Mr. Steele evokes the heat and humidity of late summer and later the bitter cold of winter in drafty houses without insulation. This empathetic novel depicts friendship and is recommended.

Kelsey Grass illustrated the engaging cover of Not Lucille which was published by Creative James Media in 2025. The novel is 236 pages long with additional pages devoted to history.

Giveaway!!! Leave a comment below by 11pm, EDT, September 18, 2025 to be entered to win a gently used ARC of Not Lucille. (U.S. addresses only.)

 

Two Question Interview with Mike Steele

ETC: Welcome Mike. Congratulations on the publication of your debut novel, Not Lucille. That is so exciting.

What advice would you give K-12 students on writing plays?

MS: See lots of plays. Pay attention to how the stories are structured. Note
how audiences respond to specific moments, specific dialogue, and
specific character types. You’ll find there are trends. You’ll discover
what works and doesn’t work onstage. Then start writing. You’ll never
know if you can do it until you try. When you’re stuck, ask a friend for
advice (preferably one who enjoys theater). Push forward. Keep writing.

ETC: What advice would you give K-12 students on getting their plays
produced?

MS: The first production is the hardest to get because you don’t have
evidence your work is good. After all, no one has ever seen one of your
plays. Write something you can produce yourself at your school or local
arts center. Invite everyone you know with an interest in theater. You
may have to repeat the process until the right person sees one of your
shows at the right time and recommends it to their community theater
troupe or some other organization that will want to mount a play you’ve
written. Writing talent is important, but luck and grit are just as
important.

ETC: Thank you, Mike.

    Visit author: Mike Steele

    Visit cover art illustrator: Kelsey Grass 

    Learn about: Kelsey Grass Cover Art Process for Not Lucille 

    Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday

    Short videos for common phrases, an online: American Sign Language Dictionary 

    National Association of the Deaf American: Learning American Sign Language 

    Learn about Leonardo da Vinci Museum of North America: Leonardo da Vinci   

    Visit your local book store: Second Star to the Right Bookstore

    Learn about insulation for houses: Energy Star Insulation and Energy Star Insulate