I love it when authors have a distinctive writing style that draws you in from the first page. Cathy Carr is one of such authors for me. I adored her debut, 365 Days to Alaska, and was thrilled to hear she had another book out this year. Lost Kites and Other Treasures is a warm, richly woven story about family, art, and finding a true sense of self. Cathy and I talked about why she’s drawn to strong female protagonists, why it’s important to write “complicated” stories for tweens, and the difference between secrecy and privacy (I love this!). Enjoy!
Interview with Author Cathy Carr on Lost Kites and Other Treasures
Hi Cathy, welcome to Reading Middle Grade! It’s a pleasure to have you here. I’ve loved both of your middle grade books. You have a knack for writing quirky, quietly strong-willing female leads. Why do you think that’s so?
There are a lot of quirky, strong-willed females in my life, and always have been, so perhaps that influences me. I think most people are quirky in one way or another, so if we are creating realistic, believable characters, the quirkiness tends to work its way in naturally. And I think, or perhaps hope, that most people can be strong-willed in pursuit of what they really want or need. So perhaps my characters come by that naturally as well.
Unlike Rigel in 365 Days to Alaska, Franny has a smaller family unit, living with just her Nana, but she yearns for more. Did you grow up in a large family, or were you more like Franny?
My family was in between those extremes. I lived with both my parents and had one brother. We lived far away from our relatives and didn’t see them often, meaning we didn’t get to know them all that well. Seeing the relationships that some of my friends had with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins, I regret that. I think those relationships would have added a lot of richness and dimension to my life. I suppose that’s part of the reason I like to explore them in fiction. It’s a sort of wish fulfillment.
Franny’s art style is unique. Why did you choose to have her collect and refurbish items?
I love found art and its cousin, outsider art. That was the strongest reason to include it. I was interested in it and knew something about it. But as so often happens when I write fiction, I found that Franny’s interest in found objects served the story well, thematically. Perhaps I also wanted to make a point about mindless consumption in some corners of modern society. Lately, when I’m on Facebook, I see more ads than posts from my friends! We’re constantly prompted to embrace the new and the perfect, but the truth is that the imperfect and the flawed are often so much more interesting and evocative. Franny understands this instinctively. She has an intelligence that way. Also, in spite of all her issues, she has self-confidence in her own taste and her creations.
This book is sweet yet tackles some tough issues, like family dysfunction and parental addiction. You do a great job of making things age-appropriate. What would you say are some tips for approaching mature issues in middle-grade literature?
Firstly, there should always be hope. A completely bleak outlook, no matter how realistic we adults may feel it is, isn’t going to work for middle-grade readers. Kids need to see that often, they can improve their circumstances by trying to do better themselves and focusing on the things they can change. Franny can’t control that her mother left her or that her nana is sometimes fearful and anxious. But she can take a deep breath when she’s about to blow up. She can walk away from someone who’s being cruel and insensitive, and she can cultivate relationships with kind, self-aware people.
But while you’re giving that hope and encouraging that resiliency, it’s also important to be honest. Middle-grade readers can spot fakery a mile away. This means that often the best middle-grade books are going to be bittersweet.
I present life as a complicated business because that’s how I see it. My readers are old enough to grasp that reality. Bad things happen by chance. Life is not always fair—in fact, it rarely is. Good people make bad mistakes. Sometimes, they give in to temptation. Sometimes they’re lured by something shiny down the wrong path. And sometimes they’re just having an awful day. It’s important to have some grace toward others—especially if you want to have healthy long-term relationships.
Lately, the world seems to be a frightening and chaotic place. Kids pick up on our fear and uncertainty. But there’s also a lot of beauty in the world. There’s a lot of faithfulness, there are a lot of people doing good things for no personal gain, and there are many true friends if you don’t give up looking for them. That beauty tends to get taken for granted, and it would be great if our kids could remember to pay attention to those little everyday wonders. Looking out for them and paying attention to them is a habit that we can develop and strengthen. I think this can be a good thing to remind our readers of.
Franny has some friendship issues in her life, one of which is with Ruben, who seems to care but can’t fully empathize with her family’s struggles. I was HURT by Ruben’s actions and impressed with your resolution of it. Why was this important for you to include?
No one can be everything to everyone. Ruben is the friend to call if your toilet is clogged and water is running all over the floor. But, when it comes to this tough time in Franny’s life, he’s busy with his own life and concerns and lets her down badly. Like a lot of middle-school kids, he hasn’t developed the empathy and awareness to look at Franny’s life and imagine how it might feel to be her. He doesn’t have that maturity yet. Luckily Ruben has his older sister to call him out and let him know he’s behaved badly, and he does apologize, the same way Franny apologizes for that dumb joke she made at his expense. This is what friendships are like. They fluctuate. People change, and not always for the better, but I think it can be important not to close the door and just write them off as bad people because they made some mistakes.
Although this is a book “for kids,” I like the way you examine the actions of many adults from Franny’s point of view. I loved the insight into Uncle Gabe’s behaviors, for example. Isn’t it amazing what we picked up on as kids? How much more so kids today!
This is part of the reason I write middle-grade fiction, so I can explore the relationships between kids and the important adults in their lives. Adults are important to kids. They have so much control. They model so many behaviors. Uncle Gabe opens some doors for Franny to look through, even though he does panic later and tries to slam them shut again. And then there’s Nana, whose personal growth surprises Franny. Sometimes kids forget that adults aren’t set in stone. Nana shows us that if you have the right community supporting you, you can make great strides. I hope kids pick up on that. I trust they will. Kids are observant, and I think it’s important for us adults to realize our kids are watching us closely. They’re not just listening to our words. They’re watching what we do.
What can we expect from your next middle grade book?
There will be more complicated relationships, more puzzling over other people’s motivations, more family squabbles, more fuming about the unfairness of life, but in a different context and with different characters, who will all hopefully come to life the way Franny did.
Is there anything else you wish I’d asked?
One issue I try to bring up in Lost Kites and Other Treasures is the difference between secrecy and privacy. The difference isn’t black and white, but it’s important. Lost Kites and Other Treasures shows that secrecy can be a negative thing, but I think it’s also suggests that people are entitled to their privacy. I suppose the big difference is that secrecy is motivated by our fear of other people’s reactions (“They’ll laugh at me if they know I sing in the shower!”) and privacy is motivated by our own feelings and desires. (“I like to sing, but so far only by myself in the shower. Please do not film it and put it up on TikTok.”)
Thanks so much, Cathy!
About Lost Kites and Other Treasures
Meet Cathy Carr
Cathy Carr was born in western Nebraska and grew up in Wisconsin. Since high school, she has lived in four different U.S. states, plus overseas, and worked a variety of jobs, from burger flipping to technical writing. Wherever she goes, her observations of the natural world give her inspiration. Her debut novel, 365 Days to Alaska, was called “a wonderful debut novel about compassion, belonging, and finding your way home” by Lynne Kelly. It was a Junior Library Guild selection and chosen for Bank Street’s Best Children’s Books of the Year 2021. Cathy lives in the New Jersey suburbs with her family and a semi-feral cat named Barnaby.
Joanne R. Fritz says
I loved this book! And I especially loved Franny and how she learns to navigate friendships and family relationships. She seems real to me. Congratulations, Cathy!