My next interview is with Debbi Michiko Florence, author of the upcoming middle grade novel Keep It Together, Keiko Carter. It is a book about middle school drama, friendship, and boys. I certainly loved reading this story. It is funny and sweet, and even though the girls are learning some tough things, there’s lots of positivity sprinkled throughout the story. Also, lots of fun humour. If you are looking for something that will make you smile, this is certainly a book to add to your TBR.
Could you please tell us a bit about yourself, and about Keep It Together, Keiko Carter?
Sure! I was born in San Francisco and raised in Los Angeles, got my B.S. in Zoology and minor in English at UC Davis and my K-8 teaching certificate from Cal State Northridge. I am a born and bred Californian, but as an adult I have moved quite a bit, living in the Midwest, on the East Coast, Mexico, China, and now New England where I hope to stay. Through it all, I wrote stories, at first just for myself, but then in the early 2000s with the hope of getting published. I joined critique groups, the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, took workshops and attended conferences, read many middle grade and young adult novels and craft books, and all the while wrote, revised, submitted, collected rejections, and kept learning and growing.
I am a third generation Japanese American, which means both sets of grandparents were born in Japan and came to the States. I have always gravitated toward MG and YA novels about friendship and romance, however, back then, I didn’t find contemporary novels with characters that looked like me and had shared experiences. There were some books with Japanese main characters, but often they were depicted as the enemy (books set during WWII), full of stereotypes, or as characters dealing with issues of immigration or assimilation, as “the other.” I grew up in Los Angeles at a time when there was a good-sized Japanese American/Asian American population, both in my neighborhood and at my middle school and high school. I was fortunate that I didn’t deal with overt racism or feeling like I was the only Asian. (That’s unfortunately not the case as an adult, but that’s a story for another day.) By the time my daughter was born, there were more books with contemporary Asian American characters like Project Mulberry by Linda Sue Park and Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee. My daughter loved Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata, about a Japanese American family living in Georgia.
So, when I sat down to write Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, I knew it was going to be a story about changing friendships and first crushes in middle school, and I was determined to write it with a hafu main character, half Japanese American half Caucasian, as my daughter is. I recall a conversation we had back then about lack of representation. She said when she was younger, “Mom, Japanese Americans can fall in love, have fights with their friends, and issues with their family. Where are those books?” I am so thrilled that Keep It Together, Keiko Carter found a home at Scholastic and I hope in the hearts of readers.
Keiko is a bit of a chocolate connoisseur, but are you also a chocoholic? And do you have a preferred way of eating/drinking it? (Personally, I love a nice steaming mug of chocolate abuelita!)
Mmmm chocolate! I do love chocolate, and while I am partial to dark with maple or caramel flavors, I will eat any chocolate. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to visit a local chocolate shop (and independent bookstore). I used to love hot chocolate, but these days I can’t drink milk anymore.
What drew you to writing this story for a middle grade audience?
By the time I sit down to write a story, I have already spent time with the character (in my head). I knew Keiko was 12 years old, dealing with her two best friends who were not getting along, and starting to notice boys. All perfect for a middle grade audience. For me, the story premise and the character come first and then from there, I can write with a general audience in mind. Plus, of my childhood, middle school stands out the strongest in my memory.
What is one of the strongest memories of the 7th grade that you have?
I have so many – a lot of friend drama and boy drama. But I’m going to share a funny one. Back in the day, gold belts wrapped around a loose tunic top/blouse were all the rage. I had to beg my mom for one, but finally wore her down. The day I wore it, I was so pleased. Then in third period, I looked down and IT WAS GONE! My mom was going to be upset that I’d lost it! I got permission from my teacher to look for it. I wandered the school grounds but it wasn’t anywhere I looked. I was getting panicky. I went to one of my best friend’s classroom and asked the teacher if my friend could help me look for my belt. Miraculously, the teacher gave us permission. We spent the rest of the period looking for it everywhere, but it was nowhere to be found. I was sad and anxious. Then during lunch, I felt something cold against my skin on my stomach. I lifted my shirt and THERE WAS MY BELT! It had slipped under my shirt. This memory still makes me laugh. (Hi, Shelly!)
The girls (Keiko, Jenna, and Audrey) are learning some tough lessons in this book, and I’m curious to know which lesson resonated the most with you as you were writing the book? Was it something you learned in 7th grade, or later in life?
Keiko Carter is a people-pleaser and conflict-avoider. She wants everyone around her to be happy, even if that means she has to put her own happiness aside. She learns the hard way that she can’t please everyone all of the time. I am very similar to Keiko. I didn’t even realize that I was a people-pleaser until adulthood. It’s something I’m constantly trying to balance, being generous and kind, but not to the point where I ignore my own wants and dreams and mental well-being. I’m still learning how to do this.
What was different about publishing for middle grade than your previous books?
In writing them, the biggest difference for me was the length of the books and how that affected my process. My chapter books have been between 3,500 and 10,000 words long. Keep It Together, Keiko Carter is about 50,000 words. When writing and revising and copyediting the chapter books, it was fairly easy to keep everything in my head. But for Keep It Together, Keiko Carter, it was a challenge. I had to keep a detailed “cheat sheet” of all of the characters names and what their relationship was to Keiko as well as a timeline that reminded me what day it was for each scene. Although at a school visit last year for one of my chapter books, a student asked me the last name of one of the secondary characters and I drew a complete blank. Maybe I should keep a cheat sheet on me at all times!
If you could sit down with your 7th grade self, what is something you would tell them?
That everything is going to be okay. Back then, as with many middle schoolers, I felt my emotions in huge ways. If I was sad, I was devastated. If I was angry, I was furious beyond belief. If I was upset, it felt like the end of the world. But things did get better and there were always the happy and joyful times that balanced out the not so great times. In fact, I have to remind myself of that still when I’m going through a rough time. I’d also like to add that it’s important to have friends/family you can talk to about these feelings. It helps a lot to have safe spaces to share without judgement.
I feel like the middle grade landscape has changed so much, but what are some of your “oldie but goodie” reads that might have inspired your writing?
I loved all of Judy Blume’s books when I was growing up. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret; Deenie, and Blubber dealt with friendships, changing bodies and confusion emotions, first crushes, and bullying in ways that my 11 – 12 year old self could relate to. I read those books over and over.
The landscape of publishing has changed quite a bit since March, but how can we support you as we get closer to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter?
Thank you! I appreciate you taking time to interview me. People can purchase my books online and from their favorite independent bookstores, but if they would like personalized signed copies, they can order from my local independent bookstore. Just put to whom they would like the book signed in the comments when checking out. I also have a list of my upcoming appearances (these days virtual appearances) on my website. I update often.
After this wonderful story, what is currently or soon to be in the works?
There will be a sequel to Keep It Together, Keiko Carter coming out next year! Just Be Cool, Jenna Sakai is about Keiko’s best friend Jenna who decides that heartbreak is for suckers as she attempts to get over a crush and her parents’ divorce. I’m so thrilled to write another story set in Keiko’s world with these characters I’ve grown to love.
