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A Kid Interview with Chris Rylander, Author of The Hurricanes of Weakerville

We’re so excited to have an interview with author Chris Rylander on the blog today! Chris nicely agreed to sit for some hard-hitting questions from a budding journalist about his new middle grade novel THE HURRICANES OF WEAKERVILLE. Jack is a 10-year-old whose two favorite things in life are baseball and books, so he seemed like the perfect candidate to step in as a guest interviewer. Jack had a lot of questions about the plot of The Hurricanes of Weakerville, the writing of the book, as well as Chris’ baseball preferences in his own life. Read on to find out how The Hurricanes came to be, and which MLB team Chris loves so much he got a tattoo in their honor.

⚾️ The Hurricanes of Weakerville is on sale now! ⚾️

Hi Chris! Thank you for answering my questions about The Hurricanes of Weakerville. First up - How did you first come up with the idea for this book?

It came from talking to my editor, Jordan. We both love baseball and I particularly love fantasy baseball, and he was saying how he always thought the idea of a kid managing a real semi-pro baseball team could be a lot of fun. Almost like a Bad News Bears with the roles of manager and players reversed. When I heard that idea, I loved it!

How did you come with Tex's crazy stories?

They all came from somewhere different. It would take a while to explain each one, but one example is a story Tex tells that ends with a law making it illegal to change the weather in Texas. That came from a magazine article I was reading about absurd real-life laws. So, it’s actually true: It is illegal to attempt to change the weather in Texas. When I heard that, I knew it’d be a perfect story for Tex. I love that I was able to make his great grandpappy responsible for that law existing. And I even borrowed a little bit of the real-life story behind the law, too. In the end, I just love absurd stories with either multiple meanings or possibly no meaning at all.

Do you have a favorite baseball team? Do you have a least favorite baseball team?

My favorite team is definitely the Chicago Cubs. I even have a Cubs tattoo, which means now I have to be a fan forever, no matter what! Haha. And of course, as a Cubs fan, it is obviously my duty to root against the St. Louis Cardinals in every way possible.

How did you choose the town name Weakerville, and why did you set it in Iowa?

One of my favorite bands are The Weakerthans. So, it was kind of a nod to them. Also, I liked the idea of the main character, given the struggles he faces in the book, having this looming label of being “weak” literally attached to his name for rest of time. I chose Iowa because it’s a good baseball state, in the heart of the Midwest, with a lot of small towns the rest of the country has never heard of. I’m from North Dakota originally, so I can really relate to the small midwestern town experience.

Why did you choose the name The Hurricanes?

I went through a few different team names while writing/revising this book. They were originally the Mighty Pheasants, because nobody thinks of pheasants as actually being mighty. It was later changed to the Hurricanes to fit with a tale about Weakerville’s past.

Was the "potty sauce" based on something from real life?

Sadly, no. But now I sort of want to try and make the recipe as it appears in the book just to see if it really is that good…

Do you know how to score baseball games, like Alex?

Yes, I do. I even used to keep fake scorecards for a baseball video game I played. I still have several notebooks full of baseball stats for totally fictional baseball games that occurred only on my PlayStation.

How did you come up with Flumpo?

Alex as a character, struggled with his confidence from the very first draft. I knew I always wanted to present this idea that Alex has that some kids (and people in general) just seem to be inherently likeable, while some don’t. And, after a few revisions, it just became clear that this belief needed a concrete label/name, something that could literally be one of Alex’s worst enemies throughout much of the book.

How did Tex get so rich?

You know, like Alex, I have spent many hours Googling his name and trying to figure that out myself. Alas, in many ways, Tex seems to just be a man of mystery.

Do you have a favorite baseball stadium? Do you have a favorite game that you attended?

As a Cubs fan, my favorite stadium is of course Wrigley Field, and my favorite game was getting to go to a World Series game there in 2016, even though they lost that game. It was still unforgettable. Some other favorite stadiums I’ve been to: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Oracle Park (which was AT&T Park when I went), and I’ll always fondly remember the very first one I ever went to: Kauffman Stadium (which was called Royals Stadium back then).

Did you play baseball growing up? What position did you play?

I played until about 5th or 6th grade. I wish I had played longer. It’s definitely a regret I have, even though I wasn’t very good. I played second base and outfield and despite hitting many singles and doubles, I never once hit a homerun.

Did you have a favorite baseball player growing up? (I love Mookie Betts and Kiké Hernandez.)

Ryne Sandberg, hands down. Then later as a teenager it was Kerry Wood and Mark Prior. (Mookie Betts is great, though!)

The Hurricanes of Weakerville Synopsis:

Middle grade star author Chris Rylander brings his signature sense of humor, a compelling and original baseball story, and tons of heart to the story of The Hurricanes of Weakerville.

All his life, Alex Weakerman has had one passion: baseball. Specifically, the Hurricanes of Weakerville, Iowa—the scrappy independent-league team owned by his Grandpa Ira.

Even as team and the town have fallen on tough times, there's no place Alex would rather be than at the ballpark—a hot dog in one hand, a pencil and scorebook in the other, keeping track of each and every statistic. Alex has never been all that great at playing baseball, but that doesn’t matter. For someone as painfully awkward as Alex, being a fan—and a wiz with baseball stats—is all he needs.

When Grandpa Ira passes away, though, Alex is crushed. He's lost his best friend, and he doesn’t see any way that the team will survive. But Ira, it seems, has one last trick up his sleeve: his will names Alex the new manager of the Hurricanes.

Alex is as excited as he is terrified at the chance to finally put some of his fantasy baseball genius to use. But as he sets to work trying to win over the players, he soon learns that leading them to victory is about more than just stats. Will he be able to save his team, his hometown, and his family legacy?

From the author of The Fourth Stall, a SCBWI Sid Fleischman Humor Award winner and multiple state-award favorite, The Hurricanes of Weakerville is sure to appeal to middle grade readers looking for a funny book about real kids.

About the Author:

Chris Rylander is the author of the acclaimed and bestselling “Fourth Stall” saga, the “Codename Conspiracy” trilogy, and co-author of book three in the New York Times bestselling “House of Secrets” series. He lives in Chicago, where he eats a lot of raspberry jam and frequently tries to befriend the squirrels on his block.

#chris rylander #hurricanes of weakerville #middle grade #middle grade fiction #middle grad books #middle grade interview #baseball books #book birthday #walden pond press #walden media

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Claudia Kishi // Vice President ↬ The Baby-Sitters Club

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The Baby-Sitters Club is back in business for a brand new season! New friends and new adventures await! 

#babysitters club #the babysitters club #netflix #bsc season 2 #say hello to your friends

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The BSC has a big question for Kyndra Sanchez... does she want to join the club? 

 The Baby-Sitters Club, only on Netflix. 

#babysitters club #the babysitters club #The BSC #bscforever #BSC

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Say hello to your friends! The Baby-Sitters Club is getting a Season 2! 

 Season 1 is now streaming, only on Netflix.

#babysitters club #bscforever #BSC #say hello to your friends #netflix #bsc season 2

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“A poignant, necessary entry into the children’s literary canon, Root Magic brings to life the history and culture of Gullah people while highlighting the timeless plight of Black Americans. Add in a fun, magical adventure and you get everything I want in a book!”—Justina Ireland, New York Times bestselling author

Debut author Eden Royce arrives with a wondrous story of love, bravery, friendship, and family, filled to the brim with magic great and small.

It’s 1963, and things are changing for Jezebel Turner. Her beloved grandmother has just passed away. The local police deputy won’t stop harassing her family. With school integration arriving in South Carolina, Jez and her twin brother, Jay, are about to begin the school year with a bunch of new kids. But the biggest change comes when Jez and Jay turn eleven— and their uncle, Doc, tells them he’s going to train them in rootwork.

Jez and Jay have always been fascinated by the African American folk magic that has been the legacy of their family for generations—especially the curious potions and powders Doc and Gran would make for the people on their island. But Jez soon finds out that her family’s true power goes far beyond small charms and elixirs…and not a moment too soon. Because when evil both natural and supernatural comes to show itself in town, it’s going to take every bit of the magic she has inside her to see her through.

https://www.harpercollins.com/products/root-magic-eden-royce?variant=32126597070882

#eden royce #root magic #gullahgeechee #gullah #south carolina #middle grade fiction #middle grade books #middle grade #we need diverse books

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The most rebellious teen show of the year isn’t what you’d expect. Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club brought Ann M. Martin’s beloved tween entrepreneurs to 2020, updating their classic stories with progressive themes that would have ruffled the feathers of many an ’80s reader. However, the most subversive thing about The Baby-Sitters Club isn’t its inclusivity or aggressively liberal politics. It’s the assertion that the kids today are alright.

#babysitters club #the babysitters club #the bsc #sophie grace #malia baker #Momona Tamada #shay rudolph #xochitl gomez #netflix #walden media

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We love a year end list! Thanks Vulture for including The Baby-Sitter’s Club in your picks for the Best TV of 2020!

#tv #comedy #vulture recommends #vulture section lede #best of 2020 #babysitters club #the babysitters club #bsc #bscforever

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Do you need an adventure? 🛩 I think we could all use an escape this year, but let’s stay safe & keep our adventures imaginary for now. Luckily, THE FINAL GAMBIT by @christophrhealy – the third & final book in the A Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem series – is out now! This thrilling alternate history middle grade adventure series is a delight. And thanks to the folks at @waldenpondpress, I’ve got a finished copy up for grabs. Just visit the tour post on the blog to enter – link in bio! . . Here’s the official synopsis for THE FINAL GAMBIT: . . It is 1884, and Molly and Cassandra Pepper, Emmett Lee, and Emmett’s long-lost father are sailing back to New York following their death-defying adventure in Antarctica. Having discovered a subterranean world at the South Pole while saving the world from certain doom once again, surely their accomplishments will finally earn them the recognition they deserve. . . Unless, of course … well, you know by now. . . And so do the Peppers and Lees. They’re used to having their deeds covered up by the government in order to protect powerful men, and frankly, they’re sick of it. And when their return to New York doesn’t go the way they’d planned, they decide that maybe it’s best to go into hiding and accept that, perhaps, the forces aligned against them are just too great. . . As the 1884 presidential election approaches, however, our heroes discover a plot against leading candidate Thomas Edison that only they can stop. It’ll be up to them to decide whether to come out of hiding, make the perilous journey to Washington, DC, and do the right thing one last time. Even if it means risking everything they have left. . . #thefinalgambit #aperilousjourneyofdangerandmayhem #christopherhealy #middlegradebooks #bookgiveaway #bookcontest #middlegrade #kidlitbooks #kidlitblogger #waldenpondpress #harperkids #openbook #bookstoread #toberead https://www.instagram.com/p/CIl8ot_gY00/?igshid=i7jhglt5k675

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Get ready to feel old... The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was released fifteen years ago today.

#The Chronicles of Narnia #chronicles of narnia #narnia #the lion the witch and the wardrobe #For Narnia #aslan #susan pevensie #lucy pevensie #peter pevensie #edmond pevensie #white witch #mr tumnus

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A Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem: THE FINAL GAMBIT Blog Tour!

Calling all fans of A PERILOUS JOURNEY OF DANGER & MAYHEM! Molly Pepper, Cassandra Pepper, and Emmett Lee are back and better than ever in the third chapter of Christopher Healy’s series... THE FINAL GAMBIT! Read on after the jump for more information about the book, a look at the alt-history narrative of the Perilous Journey series, and some fun research activities for any middle grade readers in your life.

About A Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem: The Final Gambit

The thrilling conclusion to Christopher Healy’s funny, action-packed, acclaimed alt-history adventure!

It is 1884, and Molly and Cassandra Pepper, Emmett Lee, and Emmett’s long-lost father are sailing back to New York following their death-defying adventure in Antarctica. Having discovered a subterranean world at the South Pole while saving the world from certain doom once again, surely their accomplishments will finally earn them the recognition they deserve.

Unless, of course . . . well, you know by now.

And so do the Peppers and Lees. They’re used to havingtheir deeds covered up by the government in order toprotect powerful men, and frankly, they’re sick of it. Andwhen their return to New York doesn’t go the way they’dplanned, they decide that maybe it’s best to go into hidingand accept that, perhaps, the forces aligned against them are just too great.

As the 1884 presidential election approaches however, our heroes discover a plot against leading candidate Thomas Edison that only they can stop. It’ll be up to them to decide whether to come out of hiding, make the perilous journey to Washington, D.C., and do the right thing one last time. Even if it means risking everything they have left.

One of the most fun aspects of the Perilous Journey series is the alternative history that Christopher Healy intertwines with the adventurous plot and 1800s setting. While this book is peppered (no pun intended) with incredible inventions like talking robots, makeshift helicopters, and transforming motorized aqua-cars, it also contains historical figures, like Thomas Edison, historic events, like the presidential election of 1884, and real locations, like the Smithsonian Museum. So as well as being exciting and hysterical, like all Christopher Healy books are, the Perilous Journey series is also a great tool for teaching readers about American history. (Learn more about Healy’s outlook on world building in his Nerdy Book Club essay here.)

If any middle grade readers in your life are interested in learning more about some of the true stories behind the fictional stories (or the incredible true stories that Healy couldn’t find a way to fit into the series... it involves a real person named King of the Dudes. Enough said.) here are some fascinating tidbits that might be a good place to start!

Nellie Bly - Nellie Bly was a renowned novelist, journalist and inventor. In the book she is a friend of Molly Pepper and reporter extraordinaire, but it would be fun for students to also look into her fascinating true story. Start with her 72-day round-the-world trip, inventions, work with the Suffragettes, and involvement with “muckraking.”

Alexander Graham Bell - In the series, Bell is a (**spoiler alert**) villain who wants to destroy New York City, no big deal. Do some research on the more interesting parts of his life story. Look into his work with speedboats, the hearing impaired, and think hard about how he may have... invented the cell phone in the 1800s?? 

Hertha Marks - In the story, Hertha Marks is a member of the Mothers of Invention, an inventors guild started by female inventors of the time, (because the male inventors would not allow women into their societies). In real life, she was a British mathematician, engineer, physicist and inventor. She broke so many barriers and glass ceilings in the world of science, plus she was a suffragette, friends with Marie Curie, and an inventor for the war effort in World War I. Definitely worthy of a Google Deep Dive.

Thomas Edison - Another fictional bad guy in this series, Thomas Edison never really ran for President like he does in The Final Gambit. But he did basically invent the battery, founded a company that is now better known as General Electric, and helped found the film industry. He was also allegedly the reason we all say “hello” when we answer the phone, among many other interesting facts.

Margaret Knight - Another member of the Mothers of Invention in the story, Margaret Knight is responsible for inventing one of the more ubiquitous items in society today: the paper bag! Needless to say, that alone makes her an icon. But have interested students dig deeper into her backstory. For example, she was busy working at a factory... and inventing things to make the factory less dangerous... by the age of 12.

Eleanor Roosevelt - In real life, Eleanor was the First Lady of the United States, as wife of Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the story, however, (**spoiler alert**) she is sworn in as President herself at the end of the book. Look at some of her accomplishments around civil rights, journalism, gender equality, refugees, and her work with the United Nations, and think about what life would have been like with her as President.

Be sure to check out the rest of the stops along the blog tour for more Perilous Journey fun!

November 30 - Nerdy Book Club

December 2 - Novel Novice 

December 6 - Unleashing Readers

December 7 - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

December 9 - Walden Pond Press

#A Perilous Journey of Danger & Mayhem #Christopher Healy #the final gambit #Blog Tour #middle grade fiction #middle grade books #mglit

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A BABYSITTERS GUIDE TO MONSTER HUNTING clip featuring Tom Felton and Ian Ho

#a babysitter's guide to monster hunting #abgtmh #tom felton #ian ho #grand guignol #clip #netflix

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The Babysitters Club, a Netflix Original Series coming 2020

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Behind the scenes of A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting

#a babysitter's guide to monster hunting #abgtmh #tom felton #tamara smart #ashton arbab

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Behind the Scenes of A Babysitter's Guide to Monster Hunting with Tom Felton and cast

#a babysitter's guide to monster hunting #abgtmh #tom felton #tamara smart #oona laurence #grand guignol #liz lerue

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“There is power in allowing people to tell their own stories and not only power, but nuances that could never be captured by an outsider. Eden Royce gives us a radiant example of this needed phenomena in ROOT MAGIC.” https://www.fiyahlitmag.com/review/root-magic-by-eden-royce/

ROOT MAGIC by Eden Royce - https://www.walden.com/books/root-magic/

#root magic #eden royce

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The BSC is coming back for Season 2!

#babysitters club #BSC #babysitters club season 2