Jacqueline Davies is the author of the classic middle grade novel The Lemonade War, now available in a new graphic novel version. She lives in the Boston area and in Maine.
Q: How did this new graphic novel adaptation of your novel come about?
A: The short answer is that I’m a person who has always loved making something new out of something old!
But the more complete answer is that my long-time editor and I were both fascinated by the growing trend of adapting beloved middle-grade classics into the very modern graphic novel form.
Over several years we discussed the intricacies of such a transformation. How were nuanced emotions conveyed? Could pictures show as much as words? And what happened to the rich narration in a chapter book? Eventually, I decided to attend a four-day workshop on writing the graphic novel, and I was astonished by all I learned.
So, I took on the task as a personal challenge. Could I rewrite The Lemonade War—a book I know so well, with characters that live under my skin—in script form? I just wanted to see if I could do it. And in the end, I was able to make something new out of something old.
Q: What do you think Karen De la Vega’s illustrations add to the story?
A: Karen’s illustrations add tension, movement, and lots of conflict. She uses “camera angles” to great effect: closing in tight on a face or pulling far away to give a feeling of distance or wonder. She’s also a master at using light and dark to increase the tension in a single panel. Like any great graphic-novel illustrator, she’s very cinematic.
And she did a terrific job in bringing the various metaphors in the original book to life in the graphic novel: literal bats flying out of Evan’s chest; a nagging purple blob sits on Jessie’s shoulder; Evan is transformed into a hawk, ready to swoop down and steal away Jessie’s new friend.
It’s a wonderful part of graphic novels that they can combine reality and fantasy with such ease.
Q: What initially inspired you to write The Lemonade War, first published in 2007, and how did you create your characters Evan and Jessie?
A: My two sons got into an argument about a lemonade stand when they were Evan and Jessie’s ages, and that idea—of a Lemonade War—popped into my head and wouldn’t leave. Of course, the final story is entirely different than the real-life argument that inspired it. After all, the real-life argument fizzled out after just a few minutes.
But that’s how it is for writers of fiction who draw on events and ideas from everyday life. You keep the emotion or impulse that caused the spark, but then you have to use craft and experience to create a story that sustains the reader’s interest over an entire book.
To create the characters of Evan and Jessie, I mostly used my own childhood experience of being a middle child in a large family. I honestly don’t think I could have written the characters of Evan and Jessie if I hadn’t grown up experiencing what it’s like to be a younger sister and an older sister.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the graphic novel called it a “classic sibling rivalry tale that still satisfies to the last drop.” What do you think of that description?
A: I think the reviewer hit the nail on the head. It’s the sibling rivalry that makes this book a classic. Brothers and sisters have been fighting since the beginning of time, and they’ll continue until the end of time.
I visit a lot of schools and always ask the students if they’ve ever gotten into an argument with a brother or sister. Every time, the auditorium erupts with their response! They have so much to say about this particular aspect of their daily lives.
There are so many feelings that go along with sibling rivalry. It's a really important part of young people’s lives, and it’s a subject that never loses its emotional punch.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on a new middle-grade novel, but I won’t say more than that. I never talk about my books until I have a solid first draft. Not there yet!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I just finished a three-week book tour, where I got to visit with more than 4,000 kids all over the country. It was great to spend time with them and hear what they’re thinking and feeling.
It can be hard for authors to keep in touch with their readers, and going on the road is a terrific way to strengthen that connection. But readers can keep in touch with me in lots of ways:
Instagram: @jacquelinedaviesbooks_
YouTube: @jacquelinedavies9
Website: jacquelinedavies.net
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--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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