Photo by Leah Huebner
Miriam Chernick is the author of the middle grade novel The Zuzu Secret. She also has written the book A Kid's Guide to Washington, D.C. She lives in Maryland.
Q: What inspired you to write The Zuzu Secret, and how did you create your characters Josie and Abe?
A: Two events inspired The Zuzu Secret.
In March of 2020, my brother (born with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare disease) was designated high-risk for catching Covid, so during the lockdown, I brought him to live with me and my family. During his 15-month stay, we spent many hours talking and reminiscing.
When my brother’s distinctive voice started playing in my head like an earworm, I began to write our conversations down. This journaling inspired the sibling characters—Josie and Abe—and their respective interests—animals and baseball.
Also in 2020, an email popped up on my neighborhood listserv. “Did you lose a lizard?” Attached was a picture of a bearded dragon out on the street. I recognized this as an instance of the horrible practice of “dumping,” where owners abandon their no-longer-wanted pets outside.
Though I was able to rehome this lizard, what happened stayed with me, so I had Josie—whom I’d drawn as an animal lover—rescue a bearded dragon not unlike the one found on my neighbor’s street. That became one of the main plotlines of the story.
Q: How would you describe the relationship between the siblings?
A: Josie’s and Abe’s sibling relationship is typical in that sometimes they have fun together and sometimes they fight.
But because of Abe’s disability, Josie is and will always be Abe’s caregiver—which is unusual. Josie’s “parentification” creates an imbalance between the siblings and leads to a number of problems I highlight in the story.
Q: How much did your own family’s experience factor into the writing of this novel?
A: I could not have written this book if not for my experience growing up in a family with someone with PWS. I drew from my own memories and those of my three sisters. For example, my oldest sister was much more of a caregiver to our brother than I was. In that regard, she was most like Josie.
I also drew from the relationships that my children have developed with their uncle. We were all together during Covid, so as I drafted the novel, I was able to consider their perspectives, too.
Q: How was the novel’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?
A: Over the year it took to write The Zuzu Secret, I came up with lots of different titles. Some had Josie’s and Abe’s names in them, others had Zuzu’s name. But I did not like any of them.
Then, when I told my editor, Karen Boss, that I was underwhelmed by the options, she said, “What about The Zuzu Secret?” It was perfect! And this is a great example of the invaluable relationship between an author and their editor. Book publishing is truly a team effort.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on another contemporary middle grade story (for kids ages 8-12). It’s a family story, a school story and an animal story (of course!).
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Since The Zuzu Secret launch, I’ve been getting feedback from kids saying they like learning about lizards and Orioles baseball, and more broadly, about the challenges faced by a family with someone with a rare and awful disease. This story is making readers outside the disabled community feel empathy.
At the same time, kids born with Prader-Willi Syndrome or a similar disease, and their siblings, feel seen. Their own lives are reflected in the story of Abe and his family.
That kids both outside and within the PWS community are reading—and finishing—The Zuzu Secret is heartwarming. What more could I ask for?
Miriam Chernick and her brother, Daniel, at an Orioles game last summer.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Miriam Chernick will be appearing at the Temple Sinai (D.C.) Authors Roundtable on March 15, 2026.
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