Fun Facts
Here are the answers to the questions I get most often, along with a smattering of fun facts—answers to questions no one asks me, but I wish they would!
—Gillian
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I only do the words. I am very lucky to have had wonderful artists to make covers and interior art for my books. I could not be happier with their work. If you would like to know the name of the artist or cover designer, that information is on the page that is specific to that title. You can select the name of the book you are interested in under the "Books" menu.
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1. Kids are the best, most enthusiastic audience.
2. I remember being a kid very clearly, so it's easier to imagine what my characters might be thinking or feeling.
3. Books we read when we are kids can become a part of us forever.
4. Middle grade books tend to be hopeful in some way, and I like that.
P.S. Middle grade books are for everyone ... not just kids! Plenty of adults read them too, with their kids or on their own.
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My previous book When Sea Becomes Sky had some mystery elements that I really enjoyed, so it seemed natural to want to explore a more traditional mystery. Simon was modeled in part after my husband, who moved a lot when he was growing up--not quite as much as Simon, but close! I was also inspired by Karina Yan Glaser's quirky, lovable Vanderbeekers and the funny and exciting situations in the show Only Murders in the Building.
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In When Sea Becomes Sky, Bex says she doesn't like sad books. Davey argues that books are supposed to make us feel things--and that, anyway, most books aren't all happy or all sad, they're a mix of both.
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I personally am a Davey. But it's not wrong to be a Bex, either. Thankfully, there's a lot of room in the world for different kinds of readers.
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My brother Andy died when we were both kids. I wanted to write a story about loss that was more than a story about loss. I was very interested in the way grief affected me as a writer (both as a kid and now, as an adult) and I became interested in the idea of art and ephemeral art as a way of expressing certain aspects of life and permanence.
I was also inspired by beauty of the Carolina saltmarsh.
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I wrote this story at the beginning of the COVID pandemic. I was missing spending time with my family and friends, and the story of a boy who was also experiencing that "missing piece" came out of that feeling. I also wanted to write a book about ADHD and Celiac disease, which are both disabilities that I have.
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When I was in the early stages of this book, there were a lot of discussions on my neighborhood group about kids who had been spotted ringing doorbells and running away. It made me think about pranks gone wrong and the idea of being lucky or unlucky in general. I also wanted to write a book about unexpected friendships and mistaken first impressions, which are things I love writing about.
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A lot of books have been written about bullying, but I wanted to write a story where the main character was feeling conflicted in a best friend relationship that had a lot of history--some good, some bad. I was also inspired by a bee report I did when I was in third grade--they are so interesting and some of the dynamics fit the story perfectly.
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Caterpillar Summer is a love letter to my favorite season: summer! Two of major inspirations for the book were my relationship with my my middle brother, Andy, and my love of the North Carolina coast.
Andy and I were very close. He had multiple disabilities and needed extra support. As his big sister, I felt an extra responsibility to him. We also had a lot of fun together.
The beaches in North Carolina are very different from the ones I grew up with in southern California. They're both very special in their own way. I tried to capture that feeling of a summer on a North Carolina island.
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