For fans of Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly and The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss, a novel about one unadventurous girl who discovers she is anything but.
We chat with author Tricia Springstubb about her new release The Most Perfect Thing In The Universe, writing, book recommendations, what she’s working on next, and so much more! You can find Tricia at her website, and on Twitter and Instagram.
Hi, Tricia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hey! Thanks so much for inviting me.
I’m a writer of a certain age–I submitted my first work on actual paper. By now I’ve published nearly twenty books for young readers: picture books, chapter books, and middle grade novels. I especially love writing for ages 9-13, those cusp-y years between childhood and adolescence when kids really begin to assert their independence while still craving the comfort of familiar. It’s a wonderfully tender, fierce time of life and a rich place to grow story.
How has the first half of 2021 been for you?
The beginning of the year was such a dark time. I was grateful to be able to lose myself in my work–writing eased the worry and helplessness. Now I feel as if we’re all bulbs or seeds, pushing up into the light, spreading our leaves and getting ready to bloom again.
I’m so happy to be publishing The Most Perfect Thing right now–it’s a book about hope, courage and discovery, “perfect” for this moment!
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 remember was a picture book called “Where’s Patsy?”. My family didn’t own many books, but someone gave it to me for a present, because of my name. I remember there was a cat, and the dominant colors were deep blue and orange. Remembering how I pored over the pages, I think about how kids don’t just read books–they inhabit them. Knowing that inspires my own work.
No single book made me want to become an author–that was a very gradual process and to tell you the truth, I’m still astonished to find myself a published writer. But I clearly remember the summer day I read “To Kill a Mockingbird”. I sat under a tree in our backyard and didn’t move till I’d finished it. I was a naive, suburban white kid and that book was like being struck a blow.
A book I keep thinking about–anything by Alice Munro. If I were stranded on a desert island, any one of her story collections would keep me happy for years.
When did you first discover your love for writing?
I’m such a late bloomer. Though I’ve always loved stories–stories on paper, stories people told me, stories from my own imagination–I didn’t begin to craft my own till my late twenties. I was brought up in a very pragmatic household, where something as uncertain and fanciful as writing was out of the question. Now, whenever I visit schools, I urge students to raise their writing voices–they all have stories to share!
Your new novel, The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Some kind words reviewers have used (it’s gotten stars from Kirkus and PW!) are: tender, life-affirming, humorous, a perfect thing in the universe of juvenile fiction!
What can readers expect?
I’ve written lots of young heroes, but Loah Londonderry may be my favorite. She’s eleven years old and a shy homebody. By contrast, her mother, Dr. Londonderry, is an ornithologist who frequently goes on expeditions to save endangered species. As the story opens, Loah is home in their big, dilapidated house, anxiously awaiting her mother’s return for the summer, only to find out Dr. Londonderry is instead embarking on a perilous solo quest in the Arctic tundra. Then Loah’s elderly caretakers fall ill, and she suddenly finds herself on her own. A vindictive housing inspector begins snooping around, there are spooky noise emanating from the house’s turret, and Dr. Londonderry’s expedition goes all wrong…
What was the inspiration behind The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe?
I wanted to write about what might happen when a timid child finds her life turned, literally, inside out. One of Loah’s favorite games is Egg–curling up and pretending she’s a hatchling in a cozy nest. But now her home and her mother–the two things she loves best in the world–are in danger, and it’s up to her to figure out how to save them. What will she do? What will she discover about herself?
I like to think it’s a book about expeditions–bold, globe-spanning ones like Dr. Londonderry’s, but also quiet, close-to-home adventures of the heart, like Loah’s.
Also–I wanted to write about birds! (One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic is how many people have become amateur bird watchers–the internet brims with gorgeous photos people have posted!) Birds have flitted in and out of many of my novels, and I wanted to write one where these gravity-defying creatures had a starring role.
Can you tell us about any challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
Well, I knew next to nothing about the Arctic tundra or what it was like to be a working ornithologist. Also, I only knew what everyone knows about birds–nests, eggs, song, etc. So I had to do extensive research, something I always resist.
As it turned out, I discovered all sorts of things that became inextricable parts of the book. Climate change in the Arctic is happening at twice the rate of the rest of the globe, which makes Dr. Londonderry’s expeditions all the more urgent, which in turn makes Loah feel extra guilty for resenting her mother’s work. I also became acutely aware of how interdependent all Earth’s creatures are, a fact I echoed in how solitary Loah reaches out to others to both give and receive help.
An extra gift of the research was discovering the quote from which I took the title. It’s by the nineteenth century writer Thomas Wentworth Higginson who said: “I think that, if required on pain of death to name instantly the most perfect thing in the universe, I should risk my fate on…”
No, I’m not going to tell you what he said! Please read the book to find out!
My research was vetted by a real live ornithologist, who saved me from embarrassing errors.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Loah, of course, had my heart–she is so loyal and steadfast! But I also loved writing her old caretakers, sweet Theo and his acerbic sister Miss Rinker, as well as Loah’s friend Little Squirrel, AKA Ellis, who has an adorable baby goat named Aquaman. These characters came to feel anything but minor to me, as they formed the second family Loah so desperately needed.
What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?
Some of the best advice I ever heard was from Jason Reynolds, who said he likes to start his books a chapter late and end them a chapter early. Don’t discourage young readers with too much back story, and do honor their intelligence by letting them finish the story themselves.
The worst advice is of the Just Do It variety. How unhelpful is that??
What’s next for you?
I have a new middle grade novel, True Blue, coming out in fall of 2022. I’m especially excited because, after many failed attempts, I’ve finally written a boy main character. I can’t wait for readers to meet Jude and his funny dog True.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
There are SO many wonderful middle grade novels being written now. I recommend anything by Shelley Pearsall, Laura Shovan, Rita Williams Garcia, Sarah Pennypacker, Jason Reynolds, Karina Yan Glaser, Jasmine Warga, Erin Entrada Kelly…
