An illustrated reader just for first graders?  Yes, please!

Vicky Fang has visited my blog a few times before.  She is the author of the Layla and the Bots chapter books series, the Best Buddies early reader series, the I Can Code board book series, and the picture book Invent-a-Pet. She is the author-illustrator of Friendbots, AlphaBot, and the forthcoming Ava Lin series. A former Google product designer, she now writes and illustrates children’s books full-time. Vicky Fang lives in California. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Twitter, on Instagram, or on Facebook.

AVA LIN, BEST FRIEND! is a young reader introducing Ava Lin who is 6 and a half years old and just starting first grade.  She is sweet, funny, and just learning social etiquette that will have readers laughing along with her or recognizing their own foibles (like leaving crayons in the pockets of their clothes that go through the washing machine).  And the illustrations on nearly every page (sometimes telling part of the story themselves with speech bubbles) make this a very quick read.  I suspect young readers will gobble this book up and want more!

Welcome back Vicky!

Me: I love Ava Lin!  She’s sweet and funny.  She feels exactly like a first grader.  What inspired her character?

Vicky: Thank you! Ava Lin is very much inspired by my kids. Her personality is made up of bits and pieces of both of them—including her optimism, earnestness, dreams, and anxieties! I tried to find the elements that make their childhood experiences so relatable and funny and heartfelt, and pull them all into Ava Lin.

Me: I love that this book is perfect for first graders, just like Ava Lin.  It is easy to read.  Did you have to work hard to make sure the text wasn’t too difficult?  Did you have an editor help with the reading level of your vocabulary? 

Vicky: At this point, I feel pretty comfortable writing for young readers. My editor will point out when she thinks something feels difficult for the age range, either in concept or language, but it’s much more stringent in early readers than in chapter books. Writing early readers (like Friendbots or Best Buddies) was good training for me to simplify!

Me: You have both written and illustrated this one.  I love how the illustrations tell parts of the story.  What gave you the idea to include dialogue in speech bubbles like that?

Vicky: I was inspired by the books that my kids couldn’t get enough of! They love books where the illustrations are seamlessly integrated into the text—like Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, Dory Fantasmagory by Abby Hanlon, Cookie Chronicles by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr, Planet Omar by Zanib Mian and Kyan Cheng, Olga by Elisa Gravel, etc. I set out wanting to create a book like those, delivering lots of humor through text and illustrations.

Me: Now that you’ve illustrated a few books, was it easy to illustrate this one?  Or were there illustrating challenges with Ava Lin?

Vicky: I learn a LOT with each book that I illustrate! I love illustrating the Ava Lin books. They are particularly fun because Ava does so many fun and different things—plus I get to pick the moments to illustrate (vs a graphic novel where it’s all illustrated) so I know each illustration will be a treat to draw. However, because I feel like I’m getting better at illustrating every day, there are a million little things I would go back and change! I suppose it’s good that I can’t continually mess with it once it goes into print. I do feel like I successfully captured the spirit and the story that I wanted to tell, and I’m immensely proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished in this book.

Me: You should be proud!  This book looks great.  Now that you’ve written quite a few young reader series of different types (including early graphic readers), was it hard to write this one?  Or did it feel like second nature at this point?

Vicky: I feel pretty comfortable in this space now, but Ava Lin represents my growth in many ways as a writer and illustrator. I think these books combine my strongest voice, my most fluid storytelling, and my most genuine moments as a storyteller and illustrator to date. I’m excited about sharing it, and for what’s to come!

Me: What keeps drawing you back to early readers as a writing genre?  What is so enchanting for you about characters like Ava Lin and the hilarious moments in her young life?

Vicky: I think a lot of the stories that come to my head fit this age group really well. I think it’s because I love the openness of imagination and the thrill of discovery for kids this age. I enjoy the challenge of making things accessible to young audiences. And I love the empowerment that I see from this age group when they read by themselves, or figure something out, or identify with the story.

Me: I love that.  You have several young reader series out now.  Is this the start of another series?  Will we get to see more of Ava Lin? What’s next for you?

Vicky: Yes! This is the first book in a series, with two more books currently in the pipeline.  I just finished the art for Book 2, ONE OF A KIND, in the Ava Lin series, and I’m starting sketches for Book 3! I’m also working on a new early reader graphic novel with the same editor, called ONE MAD CAT, about an easily annoyed cat who steps out of her comfort zone to help solve problems for her friends.

That sounds like such fun!  I can’t wait to read them all.  Thanks for stopping by my blog again today Vicky.

Dear readers, if you haven’t had a chance yet to read this book, I highly recommend it.  Ava Lin is a treat to read.  She’s funny and enthusiastic about (almost) everything that comes her way.  You won’t want to miss it!