Fresh Voices: Q&A with Michelle Meadows
A rollicking, rhyming, magical adventure in this Step 1 Reader featuring a young wizard in training!
What inspired you to write Maxie Wiz and Her Dragon?
I have always loved magic. “Sabrina The Teenaged Witch” and “Charmed” are among my favorite shows. I try to write books I would have wanted to read when I was a little girl. Over the years, I have read a LOT of books about children doing magic, but I couldn’t find any young books featuring a Black girl doing magic. I really wanted to change that.
What was the most fun part of writing the book?
Maxie Wiz is a problem solver. So, the most fun part was coming up with solutions to the various challenges Dragon experiences. For example, when Dragon can’t get to sleep, Maxie Wiz casts a spell to give him some teddy bears to snuggle with. She wants to make Dragon happy.
What character or element of the story do you identify with the most and why?
Definitely Maxie! I named her Maxie because she does everything to the max. I like to do things to the max; I can’t help it. When I set a goal, I go all in. Maxie is ambitious and works hard to learn spells. She doesn’t like making mistakes, but of course, sometimes she does. Like me, Maxie dreams big. If I could do magic, I would totally cast a spell to get a dragon!
What do you want kids today to take away from this story?
I want kids to know that anything is possible with our imagination. And I want kids to enjoy the warm relationship between Maxie and Dragon.
What are you currently reading?
I’m reading Kindred by Octavia Butler for a book club I’m in; I’m looking forward to our discussion. And I’m re-reading a book by Robert McKee called Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting.
