Indigo and Ida: An Interview with Author Heather Murphy Capps

In the brand new middle grade Indigo and Ida, Indigo is an eighth-grade investigative reporter, and she’s taking the world by storm. She breaks an important story, exposing an unfair school policy, she’s suddenly popular for the first time. But when she notices that the school’s disciplinary policies seem to be enforced especially harshly with students of color, her friends insist she’s imagining things. Indigo draws strength from the story of the trailblazing Ida B. Wells who fought for racial justice.

Today author Heather Murphy Capps joins us to discuss why she wrote this story, the origins of Indigo’s name, and the her hopes for young readers. Keep reading to download the free discussion guide and enter a Goodreads giveaway!

By Carole Boston Weatherford

“There is no greater gift than the truth.”
Floyd Cooper

I credit my two children with introducing me to Floyd Cooper—not the man but the artist. Their grandmother gave them the poetry book Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea by Joyce Carol Thomas. Floyd’s subjects’ faces glowed with warmth and love. I next encountered his work in Nikki Grimes’s Meet Danitra Brown. Floyd’s realistic illustrations invited my daughter into Danitra’s neighborhood and into her circle of friends.

With each volume of A House Divided, a captivating and creative fantasy graphic novel series, Haiko Hörnig and Marius Pawlitza have invited readers to make some creations of their own.

The books follow Henrietta Achilles, a big-hearted orphan who inherits the sizable and magical estate of her uncle, a notorious wizard. While Henrietta finds all sorts of motley creatures camped out inside the house, some of Henrietta’s most memorable encounters involve food and drink, from an early squabble over a hot quiche onward. Fittingly, each volume of the series includes a recipe as well, giving readers the steps to fictional culinary concoctions such as Swain’s Quiche, Moira’s Magical Dragon Blood Punch, and Henrietta’s Farewell Cake. When you collect the entire series you can make a complete meal using these recipes.

Readers have responded, sharing their results with the creators, and Hörnig was gracious enough to share some highlights with the Lerner Blog: