Q&A with Sylvia Liu

 

Photo by K. Woodard Photography

 

 

Sylvia Liu is the author of the new middle grade novel Near and Deer. Her other books include Manatee's Best Friend. She lives in Virginia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Near and Deer, and how did you create your character Sienna?

 

A: My wonderful Scholastic editor Maya Marlette and I develop my animal friendship stories together.

 

She came up with the premise of a dog befriending an abandoned fawn and the girl who wants to take care of it, and I filled in the details of what Sienna is like, her family environment (her family running a bed and breakfast in central Virginia), and the new friends she makes (including a boy and his forest scientist mom).

 

Sienna’s main trait is her need to stay in control, which stems from some anxiety, and she has to learn to let go and trust others to help her with Persimmon, the fawn. I created Sienna by thinking about how someone like her would react to the situations I put her in, relying on my experiences, observation, and research.

 

Q: How would you describe the relationship between Sienna and her dog, Jules?

 

A: Sienna and Jules are best friends, as many kids are with their dogs. Because they live in a rural area with wild animals (like coyotes) that can threaten their goats, she also depends on Jules as a protector, while also taking care of him. 

 

Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started working on it, or did you make many changes along the way?

 

A: I made a general outline with major plot beats for this story (and I knew the basic ending), but as with every novel I write, the specifics tend to surprise me as I write. I ended up changing some of the plot to make it more exciting as I went along.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: First and foremost, I hope readers will enjoy a fun and heartwarming story about different kinds of friendships--between animals, between humans and animals, and between humans. I also want readers to enjoy Sienna’s growth as a person who learns she can rely on others instead of always trying to do things on her own.

 

Another theme I explore (that Sienna learns about from her new friend) is the interconnectedness of trees and how they communicate using fungal networks. I hope readers learn something about this relatively new science. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m in the final stages of edits on a new middle grade book, Stealing the Score, a World Cup-themed story about three 13-year-olds who will solve the mystery of a disappearing soccer star. It will come out from Scholastic in February 2026, in time for the Summer 2026 World Cup coming to the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

 

I’m also working on another as-yet-unannounced middle grade project and starting to think about a new novel project.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?
 

A: I love meeting readers around the country. I’ll be at a couple of festivals in the near future: the BAM! Books Art Music Festival taking place in West Palm Beach, Florida, on April 5 and the Chesapeake Children’s Book Festival in Talbot, Maryland, on June 7.

 

On April 22, I will be at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C., hosting an “In conversation” with middle grade author Katherine Marsh to celebrate the release of her middle grade fantasy, The Gods’ Revenge. If you’re near those areas, please stop by to say hello!  

 

You can find out more about me and my books at enjoyingplanetearth.com.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb