We chat with author Caroline Hickey about Ginny Off the Map, which is a heartfelt coming-of-age novel about trying to find one’s place in the world perfect for fans of Judy Blume, The Fourteenth Goldfish, and The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.
Hi, Caroline! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Sure! I’m a children’s book author living in Maryland, just outside DC. I have two daughters and a dog, and I love historical fiction, hydrangeas, screened porches, a good workout, and exploring new places.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I started writing poems in second or third grade and would give them to family members as gifts. I wrote poetry for years and even took a poetry workshop in college. A few years after I graduated, I enrolled in a creative writing class and wrote my first short story, then decided to take a class in Writing for Children. As soon as I began working on a middle grade novel, I knew I’d found what I wanted to do.
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: Martha’s Mad Day by Miranda Hapgood
- The one that made me want to become an author: The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
- The book I can’t stop thinking about: The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz
Your latest novel, Ginny Off the Map, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Summer, camp, friendship, maps, family.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect weird but true geography facts, sibling squabbles, neighborhood games, creative baking, and learning about what it means to be part of a military family.
Where did the inspiration for Ginny Off the Map come from?
When my older daughter was about eight, she asked me if she could attend geography camp. I searched high and low for one, but came up empty handed. My daughter was very disappointed and suggested I write a book about a girl who starts her own geography camp. As I began working on the book, I realized I wanted Ginny to be a traveler, someone who latched onto geography as a comforting anchor when her life was constantly changing, which is why I decided she should be in a military family. I was also inspired by a neighbor who is a doctor in the Army Medical Corps, and was deployed several times while his kids were small.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I’m a fact nerd in my heart, so it was a lot of fun to research Ginny’s facts. I also enjoyed writing Ginny’s mom, because she’s going through a tremendous period of upheaval, just like her daughter, but has to keep marching on as if everything is fine because she’s the parent.
What do you hope readers take away from Ginny Off the Map?
My goal is to encourage readers to be curious. I hope they’ll lean into their own love of something, whether it’s geography, sports, weather, horses, plants … whatever! It’s our passions and hobbies that make life colorful and interesting.
What’s next for you?
I am revising my next book now. However, I don’t usually talk about new projects until they’re finished, because I do many rounds of revision and so much of the story changes. So I’ll just say that it takes place in Florida, and it might include iguanas.
Lastly, do you have any middle grade book recommendations?
I’m very excited to read Kimberly Willis Holt’s new book The Hurricane Girls!
