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| Jacket illustration by Matt Rockefeller |
Claudia Mills interweaves several themes in her middle grade novel Calliope Callisto Clark and the Search for Wisdom which was published in 2026 by Holiday House. Dr. Mills covers grandparents raising a grandchild, middle school problems and friendships, prominent Greek philosophers and some hilarious mishaps. Matt Rockefeller illustrated the inviting jacket cover with blues and yellows.
Callie the main character does not like her plain name and renames herself Calliope after a Greek muse of epic poetry and Callisto after a nymph who eventually became the constellation Ursa Major, the Big Dipper. References to ancient Greece continue throughout the story. However, Calliope’s new name does not keep her out of trouble at school or home. After Calliope’s grandma breaks her wrist, Calliope must train her rescue dog, Archie or risk losing him. She enlists her best friend Peggy, the school librarian and eventually her intellectual arch enemy Phillip in her studies of Greek philosophy and dog training. The novel has a satisfying ending.
Dr. Mills accurately and kindly depicts the love and some of the difficulties encountered when elderly grandparents raise a grandchild and a rescue dog. This and the humor and the introduction to Greek philosophy make the novel multilayered and engaging.
Source: This novel was purchased by self and will be given away. The hardcover version contains 261 pages. Warning Socrates punishment of drinking hemlock is carefully discussed.
One Question Interview with Claudia Mills
ETC: Welcome. Thank you for visiting.
What advice would you give those in K - 12 who would like to write?
CM: MY ANSWER: Of course, the most obvious advice is also the most important: just start writing! And keep writing! The more you do it, the better you'll get. And the better you get, the more you will want to do it! For less obvious advice: make your writing time JOYOUS. I do this by lighting a candle... or brewing myself a pot of tea or a mug of my favorite Swiss Miss hot chocolate... and maybe having a tasty treat. Or sometimes going to write in a special place - a cozy nook in the library, or a park bench in summer. Give yourself writing joy!
ETC: Thank you for your answer and especially the suggestion to make writing time joyous.
Links:
Visit Claudia Mills .
Visit cover illustrator: Matt Rockefeller .
Visit jacket designer: Nicole Gureli .
Visit Greg Pattridge host of: Marvelous Middle Grade Monday .
Visit your local book store: Boulder Bookstore .
