Author Interviews – The Lerner Blog

Lullabies for the Insomniacs: An Interview with Author Ella Grace Foutz

In Lullabies for the Insomniacs: A Memoir in Verse, Ella Grace Foutz weaves an intimate and gripping chronicle of her experience with mental illness. Amidst the turbulence of manic and depressive episodes, often accompanied by insomnia, she relentlessly pursues stability and self-understanding. Balancing poignancy with moments of levity, Foutz invites the reader along for her journey as she navigates the complex terrain of mental health to forge her path forward.

Today Ella Grace Foutz joins us to share her journey as a writer, the beginning stages of her memoir, and more.

Author Interviews

The Writing Room: An Interview with Author Marcia Argueta Mickelson

The Writing Room is a slice-of-life coming-of-age story that gracefully addresses larger themes of immigration, economic disparity, and familial struggles. Immediately after high school graduation, eighteen-year-old Maya is kicked out of her wealthy dad’s NYC home.
She struggles to find her footing until she gets access to a “writing room,” a shared workspace where she can focus—and get to know the intriguing neighbor, Jake, who’s often there. When she discovers her dad is bankrolling a virulently anti-immigrant candidate for governor, Maya―the daughter of an immigrant―realizes she can’t continue quietly accepting his choices. She’ll have to take a stand, using the voice she’s found in the writing room.

Award-winning author Marcia Argueta Mickelson joins us today to share why she loves writing stories, how real life inspires her work, and more. Read on to download a free discussion guide to spark conversation after reading.

Author Interviews

So Rude!: An Interview with Author Jessica Fries-Gaither

Humans have rules for how to behave, but sometimes animals need to break those rules to survive. So Rude!: Animals Behaving Badly introduces seven human behavior rules and the animals that break them! Scarlet kingsnakes lie; they pretend to be venomous coral snakes to scare off predators. And hippos make a mess; they spray waste to defend their territories.

Today author Jessica Fries-Gaither joins us to share why she writes about animals, how she chose the creatures she featured, and her biggest pet peeve.

Author Interviews

Absolutely Everything: An Interview with Author Damian Alexander

Lately, life feels like a lot for Marcella. Sixth grade seems complicated on purpose. She keeps forgetting her homework or getting distracted while she’s doing it. Plus, her bestie has new friends, and her parents even want to move apartments. She’s trying to keep track of the changes—but absolutely everything is stressing her out! Absolutely Everything is a funny, thoughtful graphic novel about growing up, ADHD, and focusing on what makes you who you are.

Today author Damian Alexander joins us to share what inspired him to create this story, why he chose the graphic novel format, and more. Read on to find more interviews and exclusive previews!

Author Interviews

Arm in Arm: An Interview with Author Angelica Shirley Carpenter

As historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich said, “Well-behaved women seldom make history,” and the Grimké sisters were anything but well-behaved. Born into a family of enslavers in the South, Sarah Grimké and Angelina Grimké Weld were some of the first women to speak out about abolition and women’s rights. Arm in Arm: The Grimké Sisters’ Fight for Abolition and Women’s Rights explores the mostly forgotten lives of these complex women leaders.

Today author Angelica Shirley Carpenter joins us to share her source of inspiration for this YA nonfiction, her research process, and some of the most surprising finds.

Author Interviews

Wild Song: An Interview with Author Candy Gourlay

In 1904, sixteen-year-old Luki travels from the US-controlled Philippines to the World’s Fair in Saint Louis, Missouri, where she discovers a wider world. But even as Luki makes friends and discovers intriguing things, she learns dangerous secrets and difficult truths. Facing pressures from all sides, she must decide what kind of future she wants after the fair. Wild Song is Luki’s personal journey of self-discovery set against a little-known, but pivotal moment in US. history.

Today author Candy Gourlay joins us to share her own writing journey and what the story meant to her. Read on to download the free teaching guide to accompany the text!

Author Interviews

Rewriting the Rules: An Interview with Author Danna Zeiger

As someone with cerebral palsy who runs a lab to help others with cerebral palsy, Dr. Kathleen Friel is rewriting the rules, defying expectations, and opening up new possibilities for herself and others. Rewriting the Rules: How Dr. Kathleen Friel Created New Possibilities for Brain Research and Disability is the incredible true story of how a determined scientist rewrote the rules and followed her dreams. Clever illustrations from Josée Bisaillon accompany the first ever picture book about Dr. Kathleen Friel.

Today author Danna Zeiger shares what it was like to accompany Dr. Friel in the lab, her motivations for writing the book, and more.

Author Interviews

Speaking Out Loud: The Voices Behind the New YA Nonfiction Ban This!

What would you do if your school removed books from the library—books that reflected your identity, your history, your reality? In Ban This!: How One School Fought Two Book Bans and Won (and How You Can Too), a powerful group of students and educators from Central York High School in Pennsylvania show exactly how they turned protest into progress. When their school board voted to ban a long list of books—many by or about people of color—the Panther Anti-Racist Union (PARU) refused to stay silent.

Written by PARU members Christina Ellis, Renee Ellis, Edha Gupta, Ben Hodge, Patricia Jackson, and Olivia Pituch, Ban This! breaks down the arguments often used to justify censorship and gives students the tools they need to stand up for their right to read. It’s more than a story—it’s a guidebook for young activists everywhere.

In this blog post, we’re thrilled to share answers from all six authors. Each one discusses their unique perspective on writing the book, youth activism, and why student voices matter now more than ever. Whether you’re a student, educator, or advocate, these insights will fuel passion to protect intellectual freedom. Read on to download the free educator guide and spark meaningful conversation.

Author Interviews

Ultrawild: An Interview with Author Steve Mushin

What if submarines could filter sewer water? What if compost cannons could blast seed bombs over half a mile? Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth takes readers through an avalanche of scientifically plausible inventions to fight climate change, rewild cities, and save the planet. Maverick inventor Steve Mushin creates a tour de force of extreme problem-solving for kids and teens (and anyone else) who love big ideas and want to save the world.

Today Steve joins us to share some of the coolest invention ideas in Ultrawild as well as some of the things he has learned while creating the book. Read on to find sneak peeks, interviews with Fanbase Press, and more!