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Author Interviews · May 19, 2021

Jasmine Warga on The Shape of Thunder (+ Giveaway!)

Jasmine Warga is the acclaimed author of Other Words for Home, a Newberry Honor book. Warga’s newest middle grade book, The Shape of Thunder is very different from her debut. It’s about two best friends, Cora and Quinn whose friendship stalls when Quinn’s brother kills Cora’s sister in a school shooting. Jasmine and I talk about why she wanted to write about school shootings, the magic of friendship, and writing about grief. I loved this interview and I know you will too. Plus, it comes with free books!

Jasmine is giving away THREE signed copies of her book The Shape of Thunder to THREE winners. You can enter the giveaway at the end of the interview.

Jasmine Warga - The Shape of Thunder - Author Interview

Hi Jasmine! I’m over the moon to be chatting with you about The Shape of Thunder (which I read in under 48 hours). What a book, and what a subject matter! Why did you decide to tackle school shootings in this book?

The idea first came to me to want to write a book about this subject when I was struggling to come up with how I was going to my oldest daughter about the fact her elementary school would have lockdown drills. I didn’t know what I was going to say to her. I didn’t have the emotional vocabulary to express how sad I was that this is the world our children are living in. And from this wondering and searching–The Shape of Thunder was born. 

Gun violence affects whole communities. Our kids are growing up in a world informed by this trauma. I know it is not an easy thing to talk about, but I believe so much that young people deserve books that reflect their experiences of the world, and this is an issue that is weighing on so many of our kids.

This story is about the aftermath of a school shooting in which the shooter’s brother and the victim’s sister happen to be best friends. My heart broke for Cora and Quinn so many times in this story. Their grief was palpable throughout this story. What helped you to write about grief so raw?

Oh–well thank you. I’m glad the rendering of the grief rang authentic to you. I suppose the first thing is that I’ve experienced a fair amount of grief in my life so I channel those emotions when I write about loss. I always try to put my whole heart onto the page. Readers, especially young readers, can tell when you aren’t being authentic or honest with them.

Cora and Quinn are so different and yet, their bond is almost unbreakable, especially now that their lives are forever interwoven. Why was it important for you to show readers their friendship? And what was your favorite thing to write about Cora and Quinn’s relationship?

my heart and other black holes - jasmine warga

Friendships are such foundational relationships when we are young. They are some of the first identity-forming we do outside of our family unit, right? And I wanted to show how Cora and Quinn’s sense of self was shaped by their friendship. 

When I was their age, I had a best friendship much like this. My best friend and I were very different, but in some ways we completed each other–we brought out the best in one another. But some of my insecurities were also born out of that friendship because I worried about the ways I lacked in comparison to my friend. I wanted to show all of that in its messy complexity and also render it with tons of love. And that brings me to my favorite thing to write about Cora and Quinn’s relationship which is that love. I loved (sorry! I know I keep using this word, but it’s kind of my favorite word) how their love for one another is its own kind of magic. 

Their friendship is able to serve as a bridge from the imperfect past to the infinite potential of the future, and I love that idea. That the love we give to others, and the love we receive, can help us to imagine and form a better future. 

I found Quinn’s letters to Parker to be a clever way of letting readers know him. Like anyone would do (like Quinn does), I kept searching in those letters for where things went wrong with him. I’m so curious as to why you included those letters to Parker.

other words for home

Oh, thank you! You know, the letters started off as a character writing exercise for Quinn. I wanted to get to know her better. And hopefully also uncover a better understanding of Parker. But then once I’d written a bunch of them, I realized that I thought they would be helpful for readers to see, too. Also, I love books that use alternative formats like letters and emails so I guess I was leaning into a device I like as a reader there, too.

I loved seeing you explore Cora’s relationship with Arab culture. Your last middle grade book, Other Words for Home features Jude, a hijab-wearing Arab girl. How similar would you say your relationship to your culture is to Cora’s?

So I’d say my relationship to my culture when I was a young person was somewhere between Jude’s and Cora’s, but certainly more similar to Cora’s. I didn’t feel as disconnected as she does, but I certainly had those moments of feeling not Arab enough when I was around other Arabs, and “too” (this is obviously a misguided and problematic feeling) Arab when I was at my predominantly white school. It’s taken me a while to understand that my identity doesn’t have to feel like a tug of war, that I can be a multitude of things, and that there is beauty in the hyphenated. 

There’s quite a bit of science, trivia, and time travel discourse in this book and it seems well-researched! Do you enjoy the research process?

I do! I’m a total nerd. I’m personally completely riveted by the magic of science so I love reading all types of scientific articles. I’m a lot like Cora in that way–a collector of facts, for sure. 

You’ve written young adult books and a middle grade novel-in-verse. Your language is always so beautiful to read. Do you have plans to return to YA, or do you feel like you’ve found your groove in middle grade? 

here we are now - jasmine warga

Thank you so much! I’m a huge lover of language. I love playing around with the order of words, constantly trying to figure out the best melody to say exactly what it is that I want to say, and to gift the reader a certain feeling. 

Right now, I don’t have any plans to return to YA, but I’m definitely not ruling it out–I just don’t have any active YA projects. I’m hard at work on my next middle grade novel, which has required lots of fun research since it’s about (and narrated by!) a Mars Rover. I’m so excited for all of you to meet Res! They might be my favorite character I’ve ever written. <3. 

I love hearing your daughters’ funny expressions when you share them on Twitter. What is your most cherished part about being a parent?

Awww, yay! I’m so glad you enjoy hearing those snippets. They say the most amazing things. Really my most cherished part of being a parent is just getting to bear witness to their creativity, imagination, and curiosity. The way they ponder about words, emotions, and the world–it’s so beautiful and inspiring. And I feel the same way about the young people who are my readers. 

Which wonderful books (middle grade or not) have you read recently?

Earlier this year, I was lucky enough to get an early read of Mariama Lockington’s next MG novel, which is coming out next year called In the Key of Us. It’s exquisite. If you love beautiful language, you will love this book. Mariama is one of my very favorite writers working in the MG space. 

Right now, I’m also reading an adult novel–The Arsonist’s City. A good friend lent it to me and told me I would love it, and they were so right. The language is STUNNING. It’s a multi-generational epic about an Arab family. I hope lots of people will pick it up.

Thank you so much for your time, Jasmine!

Enter the giveaway below. We’ll be choosing THREE winners. US Only!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Buy The Shape of Thunder

The Shape of Thunder
read my review

About Jasmine Warga

jasmine warga

Jasmine Warga is the author of the New York Times bestseller Other Words For Home. Other Words For Home earned multiple awards, including a John Newbery Honor, a Walter Honor for Young Readers, and a Charlotte Huck Honor. She is also the author of young adult books, My Heart and Other Black Holes and Here We Are Now, which have been translated into over twenty different languages. The Shape of Thunder, her next novel for middle grade readers, will be published in May 2021. Originally from Cincinnati, she now lives in the Chicago-area with her family.

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Posted In: Author Interviews · Tagged: author interviews

About the Author

Afoma Umesi is the founder and blogger at Reading Middle Grade. She's a writer and editor with a deep love for children's literature. Her favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction, but she'll never say no to a graphic novel. Read More…

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Comments

  1. Michelle M. says

    May 19, 2021 at 9:55 am

    I can’t wait to read this book!

    Reply
  2. Melanie Dulaney says

    May 19, 2021 at 2:00 pm

    Great interview and thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

    Reply
  3. Aubrey Jones says

    May 19, 2021 at 3:25 pm

    So excited for this book!

    Reply
  4. April Wallace says

    May 21, 2021 at 8:10 am

    Amazing interview! I LOVE Jasmine Warga and all of her books! The one I recommend most to teachers and students is Other Words for Home (although My Heart and Other Black Holes gets shoutouts from me to a lot of 8th graders, too). I cannot wait to read The Shape of Thunder! Thank you for the chance to win a copy!!

    Reply

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📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the 📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the truth 

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. 

After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. 

Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

Although, this book is closer to fantasy (but without magical elements), it’s set in a Renaissance-style Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.

Look out for it in November! Have you read this graphic novel? Thoughts? Is it on your radar already?

#graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

Looking for an upper middle grade book about ballet, friendships, and body image? Meet TURNING POINT. 

This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

At the ballet intensive, Mo comes face to face with her competitive attitude which is fueled by feelings of not “fitting in” with the mostly white, skinny ballet dancers. Even though she makes a couple of friends (who basically lovingly force her to befriend them), she’s insecure at times, afraid to be vulnerable because everything feels so different. On the other hand, Sheeda is desperate for something new. Unfortunately, she falls into a risky situation with Mo’s brother whom she happens to have a crush on.

Paula Chase is one of my favorite writers for this audience and this may be my favorite of hers so far. It’s in the same universe as two of her previous books, DOUGH BOYS and SO DONE but you don’t need to read them in order. 

I’d say her books are great for kids ages 12+
Have you read any books by this author? Which ones are your favorites?

#booksbooksbooks #mglit #bookstagram
🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

I’d seen this book floating around for ages but was never drawn to it (the cover maybe?) until I saw a review somewhere I can’t remember 🤪 I was pleasantly surprised!

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

I’d recommend this one to 6th graders and up (heads up for content warning: text mentions and depicts illicit drug use by a minor, although portrayed in a negative light) as a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

#kidlit #graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man An ♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man

Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. 

When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying.

There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.

If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. 

Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner).

I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

This book is perfect for family readalouds especially for kids in grades 3-5. Dog lovers and kids who like a good adventure with a sprinkle of mischief will love it too.

#mglit #summerbooks #booksforelementaryschoolkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
🎸 believe the hype I was very nervous about re 🎸 believe the hype

I was very nervous about reading a book about a kid with cancer, but there’s no better author than Rob Harrell to do this. 

When Ross is diagnosed with a rare lacrimal gland cancer (in his eye), it’s like a new trial for his seventh grade existence. Add to that the fact that his mom died from cancer years before, he’s going blind in one eye, his best friend is moving away soon, and mean kids at school are making terrible memes about his illness and you have a dumpster fire of a year waiting to happen. Or is it?

As heavy as everything I’ve mentioned above sounds, this book is more hopeful than anything else. We follow Ross through radiotherapy and the painful, sad side effects of cancer medications, but also through learning to play the guitar, an unlikely friendship with a school bully, and a closer relationship with his dad.

I especially loved the audiobook version which has fun interdissions featuring Will’s comic alter-ego BatPig (with a different narrator, background jingles and everything). 

I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up looking for funny books with male protagonists. It’s also a great one to hand to kids coping with cancer or chronic illnesses. 

If you’re in the WINK fan club, you just got a new member 😉

#mglit #books #bookstagram
🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction 🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction recovery

After years of dealing with opioid addiction, Franny’s mom is finally sober and on the right track with a cleaning job and a cozy apartment upstairs from a laundromat. But then she gets in an accident and has to be prescribed opioids again, sending Franny into a frenzy. 

Franny starts doing her mom’s cleaning jobs behind her back — even blackmailing a school rival into working with her — to ensure they don’t run out of money. But she soon learns that worrying about adult problems isn’t her job.

I read this book in one sitting and loved it—as I do everything Sumner writes. Maid for It is an informative, gripping, and accessible middle grade book about living with a parent recovering from addiction. This one is a page-turner.

Sumner does a great job tackling important issues like poverty, classism, and drug misuse and presenting everything in an age-appropriate fashion for middle schoolers. If you’re looking for books about parents with addiction, this is a great pick.

Have you read any books by this author? Which one is your favorite? I think this might be mine 🥰

#bookstagram #kidlit #mglit #bookworm #amreader
🦸‍♂️ a zippy new superhero series with pl 🦸‍♂️ a zippy new superhero series with plenty of charm

What if you woke up to new powers every day? Such is the fate of our protagonist in this graphic novel-prose hybrid (think PIE IN THE SKY format—swipe for photos). Daily, he develops and loses everything from potent superpowers like telekinesis and super speed to cute, but not-so-useful ones like bubbles and speaking cat. He’s even recruited by the city’s superhero to help fight the villains popping up everywhere. The one thing he can’t seem to figure out though is where his scientist mom is.

As each day passes, readers follow Switcheroo one step closer to the mystery of his mom’s whereabouts and why there are so many villains around all of a sudden. 

With illustrations on every page and graphic panels on nearly every other page, this book is bound to appeal to fans of graphic novels. I expected a wacky adventure, but this story has so much more heart than I anticipated—especially about judging people for how they look, a criteria that is often outside their control.

Hand this new release to kids ages 8+ particularly if they’re obsessed with superheroes, robots, graphic novels, and love a sensitive, funny protagonist.

#superherobooks #amreading #booksforkids #bookstagram #bookworm
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