Debut You is an interview feature on Our Stories Matter blog. Debut authors, who have released or have upcoming releases in 2022, are given questions to answer about themselves and their book. Currently, the questions are the same for all authors. We hope you enjoy getting to know Sonja Thomas and can offer your support. Go here for past Debut You features.
Describe yourself in five words, then expound on one of them.
I’m a silly, analytical introvert, who’s passionate and persistent.
I’m incredibly grateful that I’m like the main character in my debut novel: stubbornly persistent! There are so many obstacles in this industry, from lots of rejection to self-doubt. But I’ve been a writer since I was little, whether making up songs or journaling. Being a writer is a part of who I am, and I will never stop. I may not be patient, but I know I have a gift that I want to share with kids of all ages, even if it only reaches just one. Despite the constant rejection and roadblocks, I’m the only one who decides whether to keep writing. And I choose to follow my passion and create stories.
Explain your book’s journey—how long did it take—from idea to publication?
It was an incredibly long and winding journey from idea to holding my debut middle-grade novel, Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence! The book is loosely based on the struggles my cat Whiskey and I went through when he was diagnosed with diabetes. A co-worker had shared with his young son about my cat having to get daily insulin shots. His son has Type 1 diabetes and had replied, “If a cat can get insulin shots, then so can I!” At that moment, I knew I had to write Whiskey’s story.
At first, I started writing this book around 2010 as a picture book, but it never quite worked. I set it aside, and three years later, while reading Kate DiCamilo’s Flora and Ulysses, I realized the story needed to be a middle-grade novel. That night, I wrote several scenes that are still in the book today!
It wasn’t until I won the 2016 Oregon Literary Fellowship for Young Readers Literature with the first 25 pages of an earlier version of this manuscript (formerly titled Mira & Whiskers) that I finally focused on revisions and eventually queried and signed with my amazing agent Ronald Gerber in 2019. We went on submission in late January 2020 and less than a month later received an offer from my wonderful editor at Aladdin.
Belief in oneself is important; besides you, who has been your cheerleader(s) throughout this process?
I’m so lucky to have such an amazing community—friends, family, co-workers, my writing community, and my agent—who’ve all supported my publishing dreams. But my biggest cheerleader has always been my mom. Her unwavering belief in me, during the highs and lows, has made it possible to never give up during this often difficult journey.
Understanding your audience is essential. What do you know for sure about the audience you are writing for?
The one thing I know for sure is that my audience wants to read honest, authentic stories. Nobody wants to be talked down to or told how to feel. Middle grade is that period when you’re really figuring out who you are while also navigating friendships and family life, both the good and bad. Adults often forget that young kids deal with difficult stuff and that it only hurts them to avoid addressing it. I want readers to know that they’re never alone and to never lose their hope, humor, and ability to celebrate the everyday beauty in life.
Tell us about your book.
Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence follows twelve-year-old scientist Mira Williams whose summer is looking pretty bleak. Her best friend Thomas just moved a billion and one miles away from Florida to Washington, D.C. Her dad is job searching, and he’s been super down lately. And Tamika, Mira’s know-it-all nemesis who’s kept her in second place at the school science fair four years running, just moved into Thomas’s old house.
Mira’s cat, Sir Fig Newton, now seems off, too. Her diagnosis that he has “the silent cat killer” diabetes is confirmed by the vet. But when her parents can’t afford his treatment, Mira insists she can earn the money needed within a month. Armed with ingenuity, determination, and one surprising ally, can Mira save her best (four-legged) friend before it’s too late?
This is a story about friendship, family, and the power of persistence.
YOU did it, congratulations! Your story is going to be read by children or teens, educators, parents, librarians, book bloggers, etc. How do you feel, and are there any other projects in the works—that you can discuss
Thanks so much! There are so many feelings overwhelming me at once, from fear to joy, but I mostly feel grateful.
I just wrapped up a fun freelance chapter book project and started another one, which, unfortunately, I can’t go into detail about yet. I’m also working on a proposal for my next middle-grade novel that I’ve been daydreaming about since 2020.
Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence
Sonja Thomas | Aladdin | March 22, 2022 | MG | Amazon | Bookshop | Indiebound
The cover photo was illustrated by Brittney Bond and designed by Tiara Iandiorio.
Sonja Thomas (she/her) writes stories for readers of all ages, often featuring brave, everyday girls doing extraordinary things. She’s a contributing author for Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Real-Life Tales of Black Girl Magic. Raised in Central Florida—home of the wonderful world of Disney, humidity, and hurricanes—and a Washington, D.C. transplant for 11 years (Go Nats!), she’s now “keeping it weird” in the Pacific Northwest.
Connect with Sonja Thomas
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