Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

Congratulations to Mimi Olson on the release of Middle School is No Place for Magic

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

Several years ago, my husband and I took our daughter to a magic show at a summer festival. The magician had his young son in the show, acting as his assistant. That ignited my imagination. I couldn’t help but envision what it might be like to:

a. Have a dad who’s a magician,
b. Grow up helping in the magic business, and,
c. Enter middle school, a time when the smallest things can be mortifying.  

To be that age and have to perform, possibly in front of your peers…my brain was buzzing.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

I hope my middle grade readers will see that they can and should express themselves, whether that is about heavy expectations, worries, or other issues they need help with. I also think the novel shows a realistic vision of what life is like for a middle schooler today, through the trials and joys of being that age. Lastly, I hope they see a character who leans on his friends, grows, and chooses to be brave.

What inspires you to write?

The literary heroes that I grew up reading (and my current favorites) inspire me: Judy Blume, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Maya Angelou, John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, Kate DiCamillo, Shutta Crum, and so many more. The books I’ve read over the years have shaped me in so many ways. I grew up in a village of 800 people and books helped me see life through other’s eyes and glimpse new worlds. Books have always felt like friends to me. That is what I hope my writing will do, in some small way. And since I was very young, I’ve processed the world through writing, which often feels like joy. There are certainly times that have been difficult in my 20-year journey to become an author. Looking back, though, I appreciate all the direction, critique, and encouragement I’ve received from many people. Being published at this time in my life has the bonus of getting to experience this thrill with my daughter, who is 19. Every revision, and rejection, has been worth it!

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

Primarily, I’m planning to launch a “grassroots” marketing campaign visiting middle school classrooms virtually to give my Short Story/Author Talk Workshop. The workshop is geared toward encouraging middle schoolers to write their own fiction. I was able to pilot the workshop earlier this year with three sixth grade classes in Columbus, Ohio, and it is the best thing I’ve experienced since starting this publishing journey. I love connecting with youth and was delighted to hear from the teacher that they have since been very engaged in writing their own stories.

Other plans include:

An in-person book tour to various areas of Michigan and the Chicago area.

I was fortunate to find the very magician who inspired this novel, Boyer the Magic Guy! Jeff Boyer has been a consultant on my novel and we are developing a middle school assembly that will be a combination author talk and magic show.

I've been building my social media presence and will be sending out press releases, flyering, and attending as many book fairs and conferences as possible.

Fifth Avenue Press is hosting a Book Launch Party for their 2023 authors during this year’s Ann Arbor Community Bookfest (formerly Kerrytown Bookfest) at the district’s downtown library Sunday, Sept. 10th from 1-2 p.m. I’m also hosting a Zoom Book Launch Party Sept. 9th (email mimiolsonbooks@gmail.com for more information).

I have recruited a Book Launch Team to assist with publicity and provide reviews.

What's next for you?

I wrote a novel that’s been through many revisions before I started working on this one and, a few years ago, I decided to set it aside. Knowing what I do now about craft, I am going to complete another revision and start querying agents. I’m also working on the outline for a sequel to this novel titled High School’s No Joke. The main character of the sequel is introduced in the last chapter of Middle School is No Place for Magic, so the setting (Ann Arbor) will be the same and many of the characters will be reappearing. Having so much support from Fifth Avenue Press, my writing community, family, and friends through this publishing process has motivated me to move forward!

More about the book . . .

Eighth grader, Jay, has been his dad’s magician’s assistant for the last five years. He mastered spoon-bending by the age of eight, silk tricks by ten, and has become a talented cardician. But no matter how fun it used to be when he was younger, being in the family show business is growing OLD!

Jay wants to try out for the basketball team and spend more time with his friends. He wants to be his own person. However, with so much weighing on his family - his parent’s talk of separation, his grandpa’s bad health, money struggles – the last thing Jay wants to do is disappoint the people he loves.

The clock starts ticking when his dad signs them up to perform their magic act at his school’s talent show. Will Jay find the courage to speak his mind, or will he end up being the laughingstock of Barrington Middle School?

Sometimes, Jay wishes he could disappear for real!

Publisher: Fifth Avenue Press

The book will be listed with IngramSpark, Amazon, and Goodreads.

More about the author . . .

Melissa Cunningham is an award-winning writer, recipient of the Bear River Writers’ Merit Scholarship and recognized as Highlights Magazine’s Author of the Month. A former journalist and communications specialist, Melissa has been writing professionally for 30+ years. Publications include pieces in Metro Parent, Jack and Jill, High Five Magazine, Pulse and Highlights. Melissa lives in Ann Arbor with her husband, daughter, and two very spoiled cats. Middle School is No Place for Magic is her debut novel.

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