Juliana Brandt, author of Monsters in the Mist
Middle Grade Literature Category, sponsored by Education Minnesota
Each week leading up to the 35th annual Minnesota Book Awards, we are featuring exclusive interviews with our finalists. You can also watch the authors in conversation with their fellow category finalists here.
Would you tell us one or two things about your finalist book that you are particularly proud of, and why?
I’m very proud of how the make-believe and real-world intersect in Monsters in the Mist. This book tells the story of Glennon McCue, when he moves into a lighthouse on a mysterious island on Lake Superior. I’m immensely proud of the spooky story told around the lighthouse and the strange happenings on the island (including an otherworldly curse and monsters Glennon can’t identify), but more than that, I’m proud of the themes that underpin the novel.
Alongside the supernatural horror-story runs a parallel story of real-life monsters. Glennon learns that facing real life monsters can be more terrifying and require more bravery than facing any sort of scary creature on an island. While he’s learning this, he also discovers the true meaning of love, that the people who love us the most will love us carefully and kindly. No one ever deserves to be hurt by the people who are closest to them. I’m very proud of the power of those themes and the impact they can have on readers.
What advice would you give to an aspiring writer with an interest in your category?
Diana Wynne Jones has a fantastic article all about writing for children and in it, she makes a point to emphasize how clever kids are. Children spend their days not necessarily understanding what’s going on around them, which means they’re constantly having to solve puzzles. Kids are very adept at thinking through tricky storylines because of this. My best advice for writing kids’ literature is to keep this in mind! Kids’ lit authors have the opportunity to write powerful stories with fantastically clever plots, well-formed characters, and unique magic systems, and we get to do so with the whimsy and thick-atmosphere that comes with working with children’s imaginations. Have fun and remember exactly how smart young people are.
Tell us about a favorite book. Why did you find it moving, influential, or otherwise memorable?
I have so many books on my ‘favorites’ shelf! Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, Sabriel by Garth Nix, and Alanna by Tamora Pierce were entirely transformative when I was young, and I still have the first copy of those books that I bought. Now as an adult, books like Whichwood by Tahereh Mafi, Pet by Akwaeke Emezi, and The Wolf’s Curse by Jessica Vitalis are ones I return to for their breathtaking and heartfelt storytelling. They’re books where the authors must have been very brave while writing them, because they took risks with their craft and about writing current societal issues within fantasy settings.
Tell us something about yourself that is not widely known.
I love having any excuse to get outside! During the winter, I spend a lot of time snowshoeing, and in the summer, I love to hike. Spending time moving in the outdoors has always been one of the best brainstorming spots for my writing. In fact, that’s exactly where the very first inkling of Monsters in the Mist was born–in the middle of the woods in the middle of winter with snow all around.
The Minnesota Book Awards is a celebration of writers, readers – and libraries. We’d love if you would share thoughts about the role and value of libraries.
I spent many hours disappearing into the shelves of Dakota County Library in Apple Valley when I was young. It was often a haven for me and provided space from the stressors of growing up. It was a place I could daydream and disappear for a while. This is the place where my habit of using books as a self-care strategy was born. Truly, libraries are a place made for young introverts or young people who are struggling to find themselves. In our society, there really isn’t another place that can provide that same relief, especially not for children, where they have access to thousands of products but don’t have to actively pay for them. Libraries serve a vital role that can’t be replaced by anything else!
Juliana Brandt is a kindergarten teacher and author of the novel The Wolf of Cape Fen.