Avi’s 2024 Summer Blog Series
Ellen Oh
From Avi: As I did in the summer of 2023 and the summer of 2022, I’ve invited 13 admired middle grade authors to write for my blog for the next three months. I hope you’ll tune in each Tuesday to see who has answered these two questions we’re frequently asked by readers. You should have a list of terrific books to read and share by the end of the summer … along with new authors to follow!
Where did you get your idea for a specific book of yours?
I love dogs. I have two of my own that I spoil more than my human children. Kiko is a very sweet golden doodle and Tokki is a grumpy coton. And their favorite thing to do is to sit very close to me and stare at me with their big adorable eyes whenever I’m eating anything, but particularly popcorn, which they love. One day as I was eating popcorn and Kiko and Tokki were sitting so close, they were literally in my lap, and I thought to myself, “If there was a zombie apocalypse, Kiko and Tokki would always protect me, even if they turned into zombies. As long as I had popcorn.”
And that is how the idea of Haru, Zombie Dog Hero came from. And even though it can be scary, I mean zombies are frightening!, at the heart of the book, it is really about that deep and mutual love between a boy and his dog best friend.
What’s your best writing advice for young writers?
If you really want to be a writer you have to persist and finish. Persist against all the self doubts and obstacles life can throw at you. And finish the story that you started to write. To be a writer, it isn’t just about writing, it’s about having a finished product whether it is a poem, a short story, or a novel. You must finish.
Particulars
Available Oct 22, 2024,
edited by Ellen Oh:
On the Block: Stories of Home
Welcome to the Entrada, home to these everyday Americans, including the new kid on the block, who is both homesick and curious; a Popsicle-bridge builder, a ghost hunter, and a lion dancer; their families, friends, and neighbors from all around the world!
Published in partnership with We Need Diverse Books, this anthology features award-winning authors Tracey Baptiste, David Bowles, Adrianna Cuevas, Sayantani DasGupta, Debbi Michiko Florence, Adam Gidwitz, Erin Entrada Kelly, Minh Lê, Ellen Oh, Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich, Andrea Wang, and Jasmine Warga. These inspiring stories celebrate family, friendship, culture, and American immigrant life today.