Interview with Janet Tashjian for Sticker Girl
Sticker Girlby Janet Tashjian & Inga Wilmink
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Release Date: October 11th 2016
Genre: Middle Grade, Children
Synopsis:
Martina Rivera has a remarkable imagination. But with two extroverted brothers at home, she’s always struggled to make a big impression on those around her. Life soon takes an exciting turn when Martina discovers the secret power of her sticker collection: They come to life! Among her magical sticker friends are Craig, a rambunctious talking cupcake; Nora, a karaoke-singing ladybug; and Lucinda, a very sleepy fairy. Will her new sticker friends help her overcome her shyness? Or will they get Martina in lots of trouble? Or both?! It’s time to meet Sticker Girl!
Bonus feature: sticker sheet featuring all the magic stickers from Book 1 packaged with the book!
Hello Janet! We are super excited to have you in our FFBC tours.
Favorite Book?
Really? I could name a dozen but if I had to pick one, it would be THE THINGS THEY CARRIED by Tim O’Brien. A masterpiece.
Favorite TV show?
Also impossible to choose. The original British Cracker, Breaking Bad, The Night Of..too many to name.
Favorite movie?
Chinatown, hands down.
Your Favorite Song?
I could name fifty, but Hejira by Joni Mitchell might have to top the list.
Favorite Food?
No decision – chocolate.
Name 3 fictional places you would move to in a heartbeat.
The only one that comes to mind is the island in THE MAGUS. Confusion, beaches, and mystery – sign me up.
Who is your perfect fictional boyfriend?
Jordan Catalano!
Favorite Quote?
I barely work out and don’t wear Nikes (too narrow for my feet) but ‘Just Do It’ are pretty good words to live by.
What do you find yourself “Fangirling” over?
Vintage earrings, paint by number art, old Simplicity sewing patterns.
If you could meet one author, dead or alive, who would it be?
Virginia Woolf.
Something to say to our Book Addicts?
The only people who think books are dead don’t read anyway. So it just means more books for us.
Could you tell our Book Addicts a little bit about Sticker Girl?
Martina Rivera is a shy girl who’s obsessed with stickers. Her father brings home a new sheet as a gift, but this time when she peels them off, the stickers come to life. At first, she’s thrilled – but, of course, the stickers ending up getting her into trouble.
How did you come up with the story? Did you find inspiration in any other story/movie/show and how has this affected your writing?
My longtime editor, Christy Ottaviano, has put stickers on every bit of correspondence she’s ever sent me. Considering we’ve been working together for almost twenty years, that’s a lot of stickers. I guess over time, they just seeped into my imagination, very much the way they seeped into Martina’s.
Is there a specific scene that you had the most fun to write?
There were many fun scenes but certainly flying over the Observatory at Griffith Park on sunset on a Pegasus would be one of them.
If you had to pick one song to be the Theme Song for Sticker Girl – Which one would you pick?
For me, it would be the late, great Gene Wilder singing “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. But my friend’s twelve-year-old daughter Sophie says it should be Katy Perry’s “Firework.”
Is there any recommendations you could give your readers to be in the “perfect mood” to read Sticker Girl (specific music, snacks…)?
For me, laying in bed reading with your kids is the best thing on the planet. Of course, a dark chocolate snack is a must!
What’s next for you?
A national book tour visiting lots of schools and bookstores then finishing Sticker Girl Two!
Thank you so much for everything, Janet!
You’re welcome; the pleasure was mine!
Follow the Sticker Girl by Janet Tashjian Blog Tour and don't miss anything! Click on the banner to see the tour schedule.
Janet Tashjian is a middle-grade and young adult novelist who’s been writing books for children for fifteen years. Her first novel Tru Confessions was made into a critically acclaimed Disney TV movie starring Clara Bryant and Shia LaBeouf. The Gospel According to Larry is a cult favorite and Fault Line is taught in many middle and high schools. Her novels My Life As a Book, My Life As a Stuntboy, and My Life As a Cartoonist are all illustrated by her teenage son, Jake. Their collaboration continues with Einstein the Class Hamster coming in August.
Janet lives with her family in Los Angeles, enjoying her respite from the long Boston winters. When she isn’t writing, she’s rewriting.
Janet has been doing school visits for fifteen years; you can email her at spatulaproductions@mac.com for details.
0 comments