Eleven Up: Interview with Allan Woodrow

I’ll start with a terrible true confession.

The review of this book nearly did not happen. Shortly after I took my review copy out its envelope, my son (who is in third grade) took The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless away from me and began reading it himself.

“Hey, I need that,” I said. “I’m supposed to review it.”

“You can have it when I’m done,” he told me, then paused. “Maybe.”

So I asked him if it was any good, and he told me to be quiet and let him read.

He didn’t put The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless down until he was finished. And then he told me not to get too attached to the book, because he was planning on reading it again soon. Then he hid it in his room.

All of this is my way of saying that if you’re looking for a book that will instantly engage an elementary school-aged kid, you might want to check out The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless. And you might even want to check out my interview with author Allan Woodrow too, who is every bit as rotten and villainous as his main character.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Zachary Ruthless might look like a nice kid, but behind his innocently blinking eyes lies the heart of a true evildoer. Whether he’s putting snakes in a neighbor’s mailbox or making plans to melt the state capitol in a giant microwave, Zachary Ruthless makes sure that lots of bad things happen in his hometown of Plentyville.

Unfortunately for him, though, his evildoing backfires when his unsuspecting parents decide to send him to Sister Cecelia’s Good Samaritan School for the summer to keep him away from the town’s bad influences. Zachary knows the only way to save himself from this dire fate is to be selected as the newest member of the Society of Utterly Rotten, Beastly, and Loathsome Lawbreaking Scoundrels (SOURBALLS) and take up residence in SOURBALLS’ Fortress of Mayhem.

With the help of his sidekick Newt and a box of clearance sale evil goodies, Zachary sets out to hypnotize the mayor and cause chaos in the town of Plentyville. But soon he finds himself battling other evildoers who want to join SOURBALLS as much as he does…

THE INTERVIEW

1. So I’m working under the assumption that this book is autobiographical. Do you care to elaborate?

My book, Mr. Fuzzy Pants Goes To The Zoo, is the heartwarming story of Carl the Cockatoo who falls in love with a pair of pants. I love zoos and … wait! What’s this? They changed the title to The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless … (pulling out hair) … What the … (spitting and slamming fist) … This isn’t the book I wrote! How dare they! (howling and stomping) … They’ll be sorry! I’ll blast them with ray guns! Hide their notebook paper! Put spiders in their shoes! Eat their dessert! I’ll … I’ll … but to answer your question, no this story isn’t autobiographical at all. Why would you think that?

2. My follow-up questions: do you feel any remorse for having zombified a fellow wanna-be super villain?

First, I personally have never zombified a super villain, wanna-be or not, and I’m confident you can’t prove otherwise, nor can any villains reading this blog post. Now, if my characters want to go around zombie-frying people, I can hardly be held accountable for their actions.

3. Can you talk about what it’s like to be a middle-grade author? What kind of kids do you think will enjoy this book? What valuable lifelong lessons are you hoping to impart to them?

If only one kid is more evil after reading this book, I’ll feel like I’ve done my job. The book is filled with life lessons such as: rotten people hate puppies; all evildoers need an evil henchman; and you can do quite a bit of damage with only a penny. Anyone who wants to be evil will enjoy this book, but boy readers, even reluctant ones, will likely find it the most useful in terms of helping them plot their own evil escapades. Girls, in general, are able to plot evil escapades without my help.

To answer the other part of you question, I suppose being a MG author is somewhat the same as being any sort of author, although since I’ve never been any other sort of author, I can’t say for sure. We put our pants on just like everyone else – two legs at a time by jumping into them from a trampoline.

4. What is your writing process like? Did you experiment with super villainy as part of your research?

I’m well acquainted with villainy from my personal reign of terror from 1992-1998 (I once stole Abraham Lincoln’s mustache from Mount Rushmore. If you doubt me, just take a look – he has a beard, but his mustache has vanished! It’s in my garage, actually. It turns out no one wants to buy a giant rock mustache. I wish I had known that BEFORE I went about swiping it).

I was a comic book lover as a kid, so my overall super villain leanings are greatly inspired by my childhood and such big-name villains as The Joker, Lex Luther and Doctor Octopus. I have to admit, I didn’t find myself overly sympathetic with the bad guys back then. I rooted for the good guys. I suppose my rottenness is more of a later-in-life development. Like most adults, I grow more bitter as I age.

In terms of writing process, I’m an outliner. I need to map the story out or I’m hopelessly lost. I need to know where I’m going. In fact, I outlined this entire interview before I could answer a single question. That’s particularly impressive since I didn’t know the questions ahead of time and so, to be thorough, outlined 1,286 potential questions.

5. Can you talk a little about the process of getting your series published? Was any evildoing involved?

After finishing the first book, I was lucky enough to be offered representation from Joanna Volpe and the whole thing went pretty fast; about three months from the start of my agent hunt to our multiple-book offer from HarperCollins. It helped that we brainwashed Maria Gomez from HarperCollins first. I hope she’s not reading this; she’s still somewhat under our power and it might come as a shock to see that we are her all-encompassing puppet-masters. Maria: you will forget reading this interview. Your mind is getting hazy …. There, that should do it. Wait—Maria: you will now cluck like a chicken. Sorry, I like to toy with her a little. What’s the point of being a puppet-master if you can’t have a little fun with it?

6. How many Zachary Ruthless books can we look forward to seeing in the future? And when will they be released?

The Rotten Adventures of Zachary Ruthless Book Two: The Stench of Goodness comes out in December, and then there are two more planned after that, at least, every six months or so. Maybe more? We’ll see.

If not, we’ll just have to threaten to shrink the entire HarperCollins office to the size of a thimble. I suspect they’ll come around then. Bwa-ha-ha!

Claire Legrand: THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS

BIO: Claire Legrand writes fantasy and science fiction for all ages and is repped by Diana Fox of Fox Literary. She used to be a professional musician until she realized she could no longer ignore the stories in her head. Now she writes fantastical tales and works as a ninja librarian, which, let's be honest, is pretty rad for a day job. Her daemon is an ocelot but sometimes a unicorn. Claire is a born and raised Texas girl but for a while now has felt that she would like to leave Texas and wander the world armed only with her laptop and nunchucks, both of which she can forsooth wield mightily. When presented with the choice to high five or not to high five, she will always choose TO HIGH FIVE.

DEBUT: THE CAVENDISH HOME FOR BOYS AND GIRLS, (Simon & Schuster BFYR, Fall 2012)

Everything about 12-year-old Victoria Wright gleams, from her perfect grades to her perfect blond curls to all the labeled boxes in her spotless bedroom. But when her best friend Lawrence disappears, Victoria must quite unexpectedly -- and quickly -- learn how to lie, sneak, and break the rules to save herself, Lawrence, and her beloved hometown from the evil clutches of Mrs. Cavendish, who runs the local orphanage. Very Bad Things are afoot at the Cavendish Home. Trouble is, the citizens of perfect-on-the-surface Belleville seem to be in on it, including Victoria's parents. It's up to Victoria alone to uncover the mystery and stop Mrs. Cavendish's sinister plan -- even if it means getting a little bit messy.

DISCLAIMER: Claire's debut will probably give you nightmares. Or at the very least make you buy a nightlight. You have been warned.

5 FICTIONAL FRIENDS FOR THE APOCALYPSE: Lyra Silvertongue & Iorek Byrnison (His Dark Materials), Malcolm Reynolds (Firefly), Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire), Selene (Underworld)

Lynne Kelly: CHAINED

BIO: Lynne Kelly writes contemporary middle grade and young adult fiction and is represented by Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of Nancy Coffey Literary and Media Representation. She was born in Galesburg, Illinois, grew up in Houston, lived in some much colder places, then found her way back to the Houston area, where she works as a sign language interpreter. For a few years she also taught special education, a good career for someone with excellent organizational and planning skills. Lacking those skills, she quit teaching in 2006 and thankfully has more time for playing around on the Internet writing. But it was during those teaching years that she worked with some great kids and became interested in writing, so that all worked out.

DEBUT: CHAINED (Farrar, Straus, & Giroux, May 8, 2012)
The touching story of a boy and an elephant who have a friendship that’s stronger than any lock, shackle, or chain.
Ten-year-old Hastin’s sister has fallen ill, and his family must borrow money to pay for her care in the hospital. To work off the debt, Hastin leaves his village in northern India to work in a faraway jungle as an elephant keeper. He thinks it will be an adventure, but he isn’t prepared for the cruel circus owner. The crowds that come to the circus see a lively animal who plays soccer and balances on milk bottles, but Hastin sees Nandita, a sweet elephant and his best friend, who is chained when she’s not performing and punished until she learns her tricks perfectly. With the help of Ne Min, a wise old man who seems to know all about elephants, Hastin protects Nandita as best as he can. Still he wonders–will they both survive long enough to escape?

5 MOVIES FOR THE APOCALYPSE: I'm thinking we'll need some comic relief, since we'll have enough real-life drama, action, and zombies. So, for a little escape from the day-to-day adventures, I'd like to have these movies I can still laugh at after seeing them over and over again: Airplane, A Muppet Christmas Carol, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Hangover, Love Actually. Oh, and we'll need to grab a generator to charge the portable DVD player.

Marissa Burt: STORYBOUND

Marissa Burt writes middle grade fantasy and is represented by Laura Langlie of the Laura Langlie Literary Agency. She grew up in Portland, Oregon, and drifted eastward, living in Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and South Carolina, before coming back home to the Pacific Northwest.

Along the way, she studied Sociology, Ancient Languages, and Theology and clocked hours as a social worker, barista, 5th grade teacher, bookseller, faculty assistant, and reference librarian. But not all at the same time.

Marissa now lives in the Seattle area with her husband and three sons where she enjoys time spent around family, friends, and good books.

DEBUT: STORYBOUND (HarperCollins Children's, Winter 2012)

Una Fairchild, a shy twelve-year-old misfit, feels invisible most of the time. But when a mysterious book transports her to the Land of Story, she only wishes she could blend in.

In an otherworld where characters from books enroll at Perrault College with the hope of being cast into a Tale of their own, Una finds herself juggling classes like Villainy and Outdoor Experiential Questing and navigating the challenges of life with her snooty new roommate, all while dodging the notice of Story's rulers.

Una must unravel the realm's secret Backstory in order to discover who has written her in and why. Her quest lands her smack dab in an ongoing battle between good and evil as she unearths the real reason she's always been STORYBOUND.

FIVE PICTURE BOOKS FOR THE APOCALYPSE:

IF YOU GIVE A ZOMBIE A BRAIN
CURIOUS GEORGE GOES UNDERGROUND
THE VERY HUNGRY PERSON
PAT THE COCKROACH
GOODBYE MOON

Photography by: Barry Gregg

Sarvenaz Tash: THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST

BIO: Sarvenaz Tash was born in Tehran, Iran and grew up on Long Island, New York - therefore she can't pronounce water without putting an extra 'w' in there where it shouldn't be. She has a BFA in Film & Television from New York University and has dabbled in all sorts of writing including screenwriting, copy writing and professional tweeting. Currently she is focusing on middle grade fiction writing, which she loves. Sarvenaz lives in Brooklyn, NY. Here's how you pronounce her name: Sar (like the first part in Sara) - ve (rhymes with meh) - naz (like the rapper or rhymes with because).

DEBUT: THE MAPMAKER AND THE GHOST (Walker, April 24, 2012)
Goldenrod Moram loves nothing better than a good quest. Intrepid, curious, and full of a well-honed sense of adventure, she decides to start her own exploring team fashioned after her idols, the explorers Lewis and Clark, and to map the forest right behind her home. This task is complicated, however, by a series of unique events—a chance encounter with a mysterious old lady has her searching for a legendary blue rose. Another encounter lands her in the middle of a ragtag gang of brilliant troublemakers. And when she stumbles upon none other than the ghost of Meriwether Lewis himself, Goldenrod knows this will be anything but an ordinary summer . . . or an ordinary quest.

5 THINGS TO GRAB FROM HOGWARTS FOR THE APOCALYPSE:
- my wand (obvs) 
- Time-Turner, if any are within reach and intact (in case we want to go back and try to thwart the apocalypse. After all, what about the thirteensies?) 
-  Hogwarts: A History (if Hermione is always going on about it, it must be a good read. And we'll definitely need some good reads)
- Quick-Quotes Quill (it'd be nice if some of these first drafts wrote themselves)
- The Boy Who Lived (who I expect to, you know, live. And have some good survival tips)

Debra McArthur: A VOICE FOR KANZAS

BIO: Debra McArthur grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where her high school experience included church activities, choir, drum and bugle corps, and the kind of drama and angst that make a person really glad to grow up. She earned B.A. and M.A. degrees in English from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and an M.F.A. in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Hamline University.

These days, Debra lives with her husband in Kansas City, Missouri. She teaches college along the bluffs of the Missouri River, and she is still collecting nouns that describe her: student, teacher, wife, mother, reader, writer, Irish dancer, marathon runner.

DEBUT: A Voice for Kanzas will debut in January 2012 from Kane Miller.

Lucy Catherine Thomkins is looking for poetry when she discovers Information for Kanzas Immigrants in Papa’s coat pocket. Just another political paper, nothing a thirteen-year-old poet would care about. But before dinner is over that night, Lucy becomes one those immigrants. She feels as out of place in 1855 Kansas Territory as the sky-blue silk gown she has worn for the journey from Pennsylvania, and she seeks her own purpose in this strange place. When Lucy discovers that her best friend’s family is working with the Underground Railroad, Lucy must decide just what she stands for, and she must find her own true voice to express herself in a time and place where a young girl’s voice is seldom valued.

FIVE PAIRS OF SHOES FOR THE APOCALYPSE:

hiking boots,

UGG slippers,

flip flops,

ghillies, and my

Nike Free Run running shoes

Stephanie J. Blake: THE MARBLE QUEEN

BIO: Stephanie J. Blake writes middle grade. When Stephanie is not in front of her computer, which is nearly always, she can be found playing Yahtzee with her husband, hanging in the backyard with her three boys, reading in her bed, or chasing her dog.

If this writing thing doesn't work out, Stephanie might become a country singer. Or maybe a pastry chef.

DEBUT: THE MARBLE QUEEN (Marshall Cavendish, Fall 2012)

In 1959, ten-year-old, Freedom Jane McKenzie, longs to enter and win a local marble-shooting competition, even though everyone, including her difficult Mama, tells her that marbles are for boys.
FIVE FOODS FOR THE APOCALYPSE: Milk chocolate, white chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate covered gummy bears, and Chocolate Cheerios.

Caroline Starr Rose: MAY B.



BIO: Caroline Starr Rose spent her childhood in the deserts of Saudi Arabia and New Mexico, camping at the Red Sea in one and eating red chile in the other. As a girl she danced ballet, raced through books, composed poetry on an ancient typewriter, and put on magic shows in a homemade cape. She’s taught both social studies and English in New Mexico, Florida, Virginia, and Louisiana. In her classroom she worked to instill in her students a passion for books, the freedom to experiment with words, and a curiosity about the past.

Caroline has recently returned to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she lives with her husband and two sons.

DEBUT: MAY B., January 10, 2012 (Schwartz and Wade/Random House Children’s Books)

Mavis Elizabeth Betterly, or May B. as she is known, is helping out on a neighbor's Kansas prairie homestead, “Just until Christmas,” says her Pa. Twelve-year-old May wants to contribute, but it's hard to be separated from her family by fifteen long, unfamiliar miles.

Then the unthinkable happens: May is abandoned to the oncoming winter, trapped all alone in a tiny snow-covered sod house without any way to let her family know and no neighbors to turn to. In her solitude, she wavers between relishing her freedom and succumbing to utter despair, while trying to survive in the harshest conditions. Her physical struggle to first withstand and then to escape her prison is matched by tormenting memories of her failures at school. Only a very strong girl will be able to stand up to both and emerge alive and well.

In this debut novel written in gripping verse, Caroline Starr Rose has given readers a new heroine to root for, one who never, ever gives up.

FIVE BOOKS FOR THE APOCALYPSE: The Bible, Possession by AS Byatt, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Phantom Tollbooth, Katherine

Lucy Jones: THE NIGHTMARE FACTORY

BIO: Lucy Jones is a new author based in the UK. She has a vast imagination and is bursting with ideas. As a child she was fascinated by the supernatural, snakes and anything with eight legs. After completing her A-levels, she set about fulfilling her lifelong ambition of becoming a children's author. She has been writing stories since she can remember, although THE NIGHTMARE FACTORY is her first published novel.

DEBUT: The Nightmare Factory (Orchard Books/Hachette, 3rd May 2012)

There's a secret you need to know.
A secret about how nightmares are made.
Welcome to the Nightmare Factory.

When Andrew Lake and his twin sister Poppy are stolen from their dreams, they find themselves trapped in a strange realm parallel to our own. There, the evil Vesuvius rules over the Nightmare Factory with his army of Shadowmares, extracting fear from children to create nightmares all over the world. But Vesuvius wants more. He wants power. He wants Andrew...

A thrilling adventure story that will leave you gasping for more: compelling, exciting...and just a little bit scary...

5 HORROR FILMS FOR THE APOCALYPSE: Jun-On, Evil Dead, The Shining, Braindead, Alien