We are delighted to welcome Alex Thayer, author of Happy & Sad & Everything True, for an author event Sunday, March 16 at 2pm at Hugh’s View, The Studios’ rooftop terrace. And don’t miss her next book, Bad Cheerleader, coming this fall.
Q: Tell us a little about Happy & Sad & Everything True and how you came to write it? If you’d like to share, we’d love to hear about how your debut came to be.
A: I came up with my main character first and I thought about her for a very long time. I knew her name (Dee), I knew her likes and dislikes, I knew the way she sounded, the way she looked, I knew the things she’d never tell anyone.
Then, I was in a yoga class. It was a very challenging class. The teacher said to stay still and focus on a single spot in the room. My eyes found a metal grate in the corner of the room, close to where the floor and the wall met. I stayed looking at the grate and I was supposed to be thinking about yoga, but my mind started to wander. I wondered if sounds ever came out of the grate. I wondered if there was a voice that spoke through the grate. I wondered if another voice spoke back.
Then I started to think about Dee, and I realized, that’s her! That’s Dee. She talks to kids through a grate at school. The rest of the story unfolded from there.
Q: What are the particular challenges and joys of writing for this age group?
A: There is so much happening in middle school. It’s a time when many things might be changing in a person’s life. Friendships, classrooms, teachers, families, home situations, bodies, beliefs… Which is why I think it’s such an interesting age to write about.
Q: What was your favorite book in middle school? Have you reread it? Does it hold up?
A: Charlotte’s Web is my favorite book. I loved it as a kid. I love it as an adult. The story is about friendship and love and loss. Just thinking about it now, my throat catches. The book will always hold up.
Q: Do you have any advice on how to encourage middle grade readers to keep reading?
A: Find books that are the right fit for you. If a book excites you, if you like the story, and/or the cover, and/or the illustrations, and/or the back cover, and/or the title, and/or the main character, if there is something that you like about the book, I hope you give it a whirl!
Q: What are you looking forward to doing in Key West?
A: My aunt lives in Key West and I’m looking forward to spending time with her.
I’m also looking forward to warm weather. I live in Boston. We currently have temperatures in the twenties, snow on the ground, and ice on the sidewalks.
Q: What are you reading and recommending these days?
My son and I recently finished A Work in Progress by Jarrett Lerner. We read it together and when we finished, I asked my son what he thought about the book. He said, “I really liked it.” I said, “Me too.” Then I asked, “What did you like about it?” He said, “It was deep and heartfelt.” I couldn’t agree more.