The Children’s Book Review | April 10, 2019
Get To Know Roona Louise Mulroney from Shaunta Grimes’ The Astonishing Maybe, a middle grade novel that beautifully portrays the meaning of family and friendship.
The Children’s Book Review: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Roona Louis Mulroney: Scones. My mom bakes the most amazing scones. I love scones the most, because there isn’t a single bad thing about them. They always mean good stuff. Pie, though? Pie is iffy. Especially in the morning.
I see you have a bag with you. Will you tell us what you keep inside of it?
Oh. Just my regular stuff. My roller skates for later. The Hobbit—me and Gideon are reading it together. It’s our favorite. Oh! And some peanut butter cookies. I saved them in the freezer from a real good day. Want one?
I’d love one! Thanks for asking. Are you hungry right now? Can we fix you anything to eat? Maybe we could make you your favorite dish?
I love meatballs. Any kind of meatballs. Hamburger. Turkey. Chicken. I even had tofu meatballs at Gideon’s house one time. That’s weird, right? How can you have meatballs without meat? They were kind of gross.
It’s wonderful to hear that you are reading The Hobbit. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. Do you like to read?
Uh huh. I like comic books. And books with magic. Or science. They’re kind of the same thing, don’t you think?
Do you have a favorite song?
Anything by the Beatles. Do I have to pick one favorite? I think Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. I fell asleep listening to it one time and I dreamed about flying.
Are you a rule follower or rule breaker?
Some rules are bigger than others, aren’t they? Sometimes you have to break rules so that you don’t break more important ones. Some are unbreakable, though. Truth is truth. And only a real jerk breaks a pinky promise.
When was the last time you felt embarrassed?
Hmm . . . I guess the last time I had to tell someone about the last thing that embarrassed me. Next question!
If you weren’t answering the questions in this interview right now, what would you be doing?
When we’re done, I’m skating down to the park to meet Gideon. We’re going to teach his little sister how to hang upside down on the bars. So probably that.
Do you have any secrets you would like to share with us before you go?
Yeah. I’m a little scared of middle school. Don’t tell, though, okay? Pinky swear.
Pinky swear!
—
The Astonishing Maybe
Written by Shaunta Grimes
Publisher’s Synopsis: Friendship, heartbreak, and defining what family means are rarely as sensitively, beautifully portrayed in middle-grade fiction. Shaunta Grimes is an extraordinary new talent.
Gideon hates the idea of moving to Nevada from the East Coast. It’s so empty and hot in his new neighborhood. Only one person his age lives nearby: the girl next door, Roona.
Gid notices right away that Roona is . . . different. She wears roller skates and a blanket as a cape when she needs to feel strong. What he doesn’t bargain for, however, is how far outside his comfort zone Roona will take him as she enlists his help in finding her long-gone father. For a kid who’s not allowed to ride his bike more than a few blocks from home, this will be an adventure of a lifetime.
Ages 10-14 | Publisher: Feiwel & Friends | March 26, 2019 | ISBN-13: 978-1250191830
Available Here:
About the Author
Shaunta Grimes loves books. They are the holders of her favorite thing in the whole world: stories. She lives in Reno, Nevada with her family. You can visit her online at www.whatisaplot.com.
This interview with Roona Louis Mulroney, a character from The Astonishing Maybe, was conducted between Shaunta Grimes and Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Character Development, Character Interviews, Family, Friendship, and Middle Grade Books.
