We chat with author Christina Li about Ruby Lost and Found, which is a touching middle grade novel and maps one girl’s quest to remember her grandfather through his scavenger hunts; reconnect with her family; and fight for her community in her rapidly changing hometown.
Hi, Christina! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! I’m Christina Li, and I’m a children’s book author! I’m from all over – I grew up in the Midwest, spent a couple years in California, and now live in New York.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I always grew up with a super active imagination! I remember spending a lot of summers in the library, and it was there that I fell in love with children’s books – Percy Jackson, The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Warrior Cats series. I loved reading so much. (When I got in trouble, my parents would actually take my books away as a form of punishment). But I ended up developing a lifetime love for reading, and the more I read, the more I thought about being a writer. And the rest is history!
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: The Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs After Dark by Mary Pope Osbourne
- The one that made me want to become an author: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin
- The book I can’t stop thinking about: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
Your latest novel, Ruby Lost and Found, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Five words: grandparents, scavenger hunts, friendships, desserts.
What can readers expect?
A lot of intergenerational family dynamics, wholesome moments with community, thoughts about grief and healing and love, and a lot of descriptions of Chinese bakery items. 😊
Where did the inspiration for Ruby Lost and Found come from?
I love this question! There are a few inspirations: I love my grandparents dearly, and so this book is inspired by my grandparents. My grandmother had dementia, and it was both cathartic and healing to write some of the scenes that Ruby spends with her grandmother. In a way, writing this book felt like a love letter to her. The scavenger hunt component is inspired by my time in San Francisco – my first year of college, one of the orientation activities for my dormitory was to spend the day doing a scavenger hunt in San Francisco. One of my fondest memories is walking around the Chinatown in that city, a place I’d find myself returning to many times again throughout my time in college. I loved the city, I loved the Chinatown there, and I loved the community.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
This is a great question! I loved writing the character of Liam Yeung, the friend she makes at the senior center who loves videogames and is the definition of sunshine. I also really loved writing the dynamic between Ruby and her older sister, Viv. I’m an older sibling myself, and although our dynamic is very different from Viv’s and her sister’s (I’m extremely close with him), there are some moments that I put in there that reminded me of what my little brother and I used to be like, and this anxiety that as we grow older, we will grow apart.
What do you hope your readers take away from reading Ruby Lost and Found?
I always say that I hope this book makes you want to call your grandparents 😊
Your debut novel Clues to the Universe published in 2021 at the age of 21! Have there been any key lessons learnt between writing the two?
Oh yes! That was a really fun and exciting time. There are so many things I would tell my debut self! I think key lessons learned would be to just to take care of myself, and to really try to give back to the community. It’s really easy to get stressed out about things that are out of control, but at the end of the day all I can and should do is to write my books and take care of myself so I can write my books. Another key lesson I’ve learned is to really value the community. My friends, my fellow debut year authors (#21ders, looking at you!), and readers have truly shown me so much kindness and support and that’s something I try to pay forward.
What’s next for you?
My college YA book, True Love and Other Impossible Odds, comes out next year! It’s about a mathematics major who invents what she thinks is a fail-safe algorithm to pair everyone on campus up with their ideal romantic match – until she realizes that things are a lot more complicated than they seem.
Lastly, are there any 2023 releases our readers should look out for?
YES. My favorite question.
Some MG releases: Lei and the Fire Goddess by Malia Maunakea, Between Monsters and Marvels by Alysa Wishingrad, Not an Easy Win by Chrystal D. Giles, The Many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier
Some YA releases: Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett, Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington, You Don’t Have a Shot by Racquel Marie
