It’s always a thrill to discover an author who has a great talent, and Sandra Brown Lindstedt is one of them. Her chapter book My Perfectly Imperfect Summer, Growing Up In The Age Of Fireflies is the second of a trilogy, and although it’s a chapter book for middle readers I’m inspired to read the sequel. Written with great storytelling skill. The characters are vivid and the story is beautifully set in a period of time in our history when things weren’t always fair or equal, but that’s not the center of the plot, but an incidental reality dealt with in an honest and forthright way as being part of life. Her use of the vernacular of the time is masterfully done without any hint of affectation. I asked Sandra about why, when so many other chapter book authors are writing about fantasy and Sci-fi, she chose to write a period piece? To find out, read the full interview below.
1. In your book My Perfectly Imperfect Summer, Growing Up In The Age Of Fireflies, did you model any of the characters after people you know or knew?
Yes absolutely. I modeled the protagonist after me, and her grandmother embodied all of the qualities I remembered about my own grandmother.
2. What inspired you to write such a period piece while so many others are writing fantasy and sci-fi chapter books for our young audiences?
My mother was my greatest inspiration. When my sisters and I were little, she often recanted stories about her childhood, growing up in a backward rural town in Texas. There were often elements of the supernatural that intrigued me—stories about haints and ghosts that she and her siblings would encounter in the woods. And my mother would always tell my sisters and me these stories at night, making them even more frightening. So I suppose putting them in a book was very cathartic for me. I think this generation of readers will appreciate it just as much as the fantasy/sci-fi books that are so popular now.
3. In your opinion, what’s the most difficult aspect of writing for children?
Gauging their level of sophistication. Children today are exposed to so much information and realism in films and television as well as a myriad of online blips on TikTok. It’s tough to know what are age appropriate stories that would appeal to a fifth grader in middle school versus someone in high school. You don’t want to condescend, but on the other hand, you don’t want to be too shocking, either.
4. What do you enjoy most and least about being an author?
I enjoy the thrill of having others tell me what my books have meant to them. I hope to inspire and uplift while also bringing a little joy into the lives of the children who read my books. If I have done that, then I consider myself blessed. But, if I have somehow missed the mark, then, of course, I’m crestfallen.
5. Tell us something about yourself that nobody would ever guess! Like – your favorite food is escargo, or you once had a pet bear, or your ancestors include pirates and royalty… that sort of thing! 🙂
I am basically very dull; however, I do have a weird hobby that fills up a good part of my thought life. It has also driven my husband nuts over the past few years, resulting in many near-fatal standoffs. You see, I have a passion for collecting things that are only equaled by my love for anything Christmas. So you can see how this could become a dangerous mix, especially when paired with my fierce determination and willpower. The result is a giant Christmas town, the likes of which can only be appreciated on youtube. I have over 150 little townspeople, countless trains, houses, horses, and landscaping. I also make it a habit of buying at least five new ornaments/angels a year for my Christmas tree, which has resulted in days of hard labor trying to get it all up. I won’t go into the miles of twinkling lights strung up to illuminate this spectacle. My fame has even reached our local newspaper, who came and took pictures a few years back. I can still remember the astonishment on their faces!
Read Our Review of My Perfectly, Imperfect Summer, Growing Up in the Age of Fireflies