July
Monthly Check-in with Ali Noël
Happy July, my friends!
Summer is officially in full swing, and what a summer it’s been!
It’s been so fun watching World Cup matches at various breweries and restaurants hosting viewings around town. Still salty about Balogun’s red card suspension, but ultimately excited to see USA continue forward! My extended family all have close ties to England, Croatia, and Germany, so the World Cup is always a fun time for all of us.
Anywho, what is on the docket today, you ask? Something extra special!
My good friend and fellow writer, Kris Ann Valdez , has graced us with a mini interview! Her middle-grade novel, Nathaniel and the Worst Project in the History of the Fourth Grade releases on July 21st through Twenty Hills Publishing.
An Interview with Kris Ann Valdez
Welcome, Kris Ann! For those readers who are new to you and your work, would you mind sharing a little about yourself?
Of course! I started writing novels about eight years ago when my two older children were little and I was staying home with them. To date, I have about five manuscripts in various stages of completion, but Nathaniel and the Worst Project in the History of the Fourth Grade is the first to go to print.
Interestingly, it’s not my first novel—it’s actually the most recent one I’ve written. My first novel is still on submission with my literary agent, which is why I opted for a pen name “Ann Val” with Twenty Hills. Another middle-grade novel will also be publishing with them in 2027.
By day, I’m a journalist and editor for a local print magazine in my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, so writing is both my hobby and my career of choice.
Your upcoming novel, Nathaniel and the Worst Project in the History of the Fourth Grade, releases this month. Can you tell us about it?
The elevator pitch: The story follows the misadventures of a fourth-grade boy named Nathaniel who wakes up late and must assemble a last-minute school diorama that winds up completely disassembling his life.
The long-winded answer: Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve thought the trope of killing off at least one parent was a little...silly? Unfair? Think of almost every great Disney story—the majority use the death of a parent to catapult the character into the plot.
I wanted to poke a little fun at that in a Roald Dahl sort of way by choosing a ridiculous way for my main character’s father to die and then building a story around it. But what I didn’t expect was how real Nathaniel’s grief would begin to feel as I wrote. Suddenly, I understood on a deeper level why the “dead parent trope” appears so often in children’s literature.
Nathaniel’s father has just died while attempting to set a Guinness World Record for the most laps swum in a giant pool of jelly. Needless to say, things are a bit off-kilter at the start of the book, and our main character has completely forgotten about an important science project due at school, which leads to some twists and turns.
Roald Dahl’s stories are a great source of inspiration. What led you to middle grade?
Middle grade is unashamedly my favorite genre to read, and, coincidentally, to write. I grew up obsessed with classics in the genre, from Beverly Cleary to Ann Rinaldi.
You can say so much in middle grade about life, truth, and goodness. It’s a genre full of quiet observations, ripe for both humor and depth.
What came first: Nathaniel or the initial story idea? Is this how you usually begin a novel?
Oh, definitely the story idea. It came to me while I was cooking dinner one night. A few opening lines simply popped into my head, and I ran to write them down. I read them aloud to my children, and when they started giggling, I knew I was onto something.
Without giving too much away, what do you hope readers glean from this story?
I hope readers come away knowing that none of our families are perfect—we’re all simply trying to make the best of this wild life we’ve been gifted.
Last but not least, what are four middle-grade novels that shaped you as an author?
Goodness, there are so many! The BFG by Roald Dahl, Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Jester, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, and truly, everything by Kate DiCamillo and Beverly Cleary.
If you’d like to get in touch or follow Kris Ann, you can head to her website or her Substack, Kris Ann Valdez !
You can pre-order Nathaniel and the Worst Project in the History of the Fourth Grade’s kindle edition here.
Writing Update
The Blind Knight Project: Undergoing edits/Going into Draft 2
Henry and the Ne'er Do-Well's: The last two chapters drop tonight and tomorrow!
Santiam State Forest — A Haiku
Colossal, wise pines Surround blue-green, secret depths Telling me stories
There you have it!
Once again, a big thanks to Kris Ann for her time! I can’t wait for Nathaniel to find his way into the hearts and hands of readers.
With hope,
Ali
Oooh this book sounds delightful! I added it to my TBR on Goodreads. My niece is also going into 4th grade! Maybe we can read it together :)
I think I will LOVE this book. Middle grade is such a great genre