From award-winning author Tanita S. Davis comes a nuanced exploration of the microaggressions of middle school and a young Black girl named Madalyn who learns that being a good friend means dealing with the blue skies and the rain—and having the tough conversations on days that are partly cloudy. Perfect for fans of A Good Kind of Trouble and From the Desk of Zoe Washington.
We chat with author Tanita S. Davis about her new middle grade novel, Partly Cloudy, along with book recommendations, writing, and more!
Hi, Tanita! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure, hi! I’m a California native, born in the Fog City, and lived in Cali all my life, except for five too-brief years in Glasgow, Scotland while Himself was doing his PhD. I am a rain-loving book fiend, a giant SFF-loving nerd, an introvert, and a semi-successful crafter, so likely to have stickers, ink, paint, thread, glitter, or glue on my person at any time.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
Being the youngest for a long time meant I got left out of a lot of things, and I wanted some entertainment. My mom decided not to die a slow death from being talked at, and told me to write down things I wanted to say. I discovered at six that I could entertain myself pretty well like that, and my writing (very bad but imaginative) stories grew from there.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
The first book I ever remember reading was Marvin K. Mooney, Will You Please Go Now! – I Can Read books were my jam. The book that made me want to become an author was The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis, which my third grade teacher read aloud to us – it was seriously weird, and I thought, “I could write stuff like that!?” and the book I can’t stop thinking about is Vivian Shaw’s Grave Importance, the third book in the Dr. Greta Helsing trilogy, and the last book I’ve finished (this week). The whole series is just excellent, and so worth reading.
Your new middle grade novel, Partly Cloudy, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Argh! This is asking a lot from a wordy person! But: Courageous communication can create friendship.
What can readers expect?
In Partly Cloudy readers can expect a story about the real challenges of being friends across different classes and races in a way that is respectful to everyone and has a repeatable example of a way to bridge the distances between us as human beings. First and foremost, it’s a story with funny parts and suspenseful parts, but it’s also got a little bit in there to help readers know how to be friends IRL.
Where did the inspiration for Partly Cloudy come from?
In the aftermath of the civil rights protest of 2020, a lot of news outlets and social media suggested that white and Black people talk to each other. I realized a lot of people wanted to be friends, but didn’t know how. I think this is something that affects kids, too – sure, you’re friends with the people in your group, but it’s hard to know how to reach out and make new friends with people who are different. It seems simplistic to say “just talk to them!” but it turns out that communication – and deciding what’s worth your time and what isn’t – is a bit part of that.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Talking about race, especially during a time when so many people were hurting and furious, felt really volatile. Race is rarely an easy topic! My editor and I had to do a lot of communicating to make sure that she understood where I was coming from, and I understood what concerned her, when she read some of what I said. I wanted to be sure that the things I wrote were something that kids in junior high could understand, and I tried to be sensitive to the things my editor worried about while still saying what I felt needed to be said. We had to compromise a bit, but I feel like it happened in a way that left both of us certain we’d created a better book than we would have otherwise.
What do you hope your readers take away from Partly Cloudy?
I want my readers to know that people are a lot the same, even people of different races or from different cultures. I want them to remember that if they have the courage to step out and have hard, honest conversations with their friends, they can make friendships that will last – and that’s a risk that’s worth the reward.
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m working on finishing up a book about a girl with a math and numbers disability – it’s called Go Figure, Henri Weldon, and it will be out in 2022!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
You might be sorry you asked! Check out Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero, by Saadia Faruqi, A Soft Place to Land by Janae Marks, and Opie’s Ghosts, by Justina Ireland. Some older books that I’ve really enjoyed are the entire Enola Holmes series by Nancy Springer, King and the Dragonflies by Kacen Callender, The Dark Lord Clementine, by Sarah Jean Horowitz, Goldmayne: A Fairy Tale, by Kate Stradling… I could go on, but I’m sure you have books to read!
Thanks for asking me to visit.
