Q&A with Barbara Dee

  

Photo by doublevisionphotography

 

 

Barbara Dee is the author of the new middle grade novel Nothing to See Here. Her many other books include Tear This Down. She lives in Westchester County, New York.

 

Q: In your new book’s acknowledgments, you note that Nothing to See Here was loosely inspired by a group of kids in Texas--can you say more about that?

 

A: A few years ago, I heard a story on NPR about some eighth graders in Texas who posted fake gossip and rumors to show their classmates how misinformation spreads on social media.

 

I couldn’t stop thinking about these kids, wondering what motivated them, what challenges they faced, what sort of reaction they got, and what they learned from their project. I was so intrigued by the implications of this story that I decided to write a novel about it!  

 

Q: How did you create your four protagonists, and how would you describe the dynamic among them?

 

A: Nothing to See Here is told from the perspectives of four very different kids—two boys and two girls.

 

Mateo and Levi are best friends, but also opposites; Mateo is a popular, kind, but somewhat self-absorbed jock, while Levi is an unathletic introvert with family issues. Gia is a bright, driven student whose mom podcasts about her “genius” daughter—much to Gia’s chagrin. And Winnie is a talented fanfiction writer dealing with two challenges: the loss of a best friend and her parents’ confiscation of her phone.

 

These kids aren’t a natural friend group, but over the course of the story, they come together to right a wrong—until their project gets away from them.

 

Q: The librarian and author Amanda Jones said of the book, “Nothing to See Here will make readers think, feel, and look at online behavior in a whole new way, long after they turn the final page.” What do you think of that assessment?

 

A: It’s exactly what I was going for, because I think it’s so important to discuss digital literacy in an entertaining, kid-friendly way.

 

My hope is that Nothing to See Here will get readers thinking about the way certain stories grab their attention online—even when these stories are posted anonymously, and present little or no evidence.

 

I’m also hoping it gets them thinking about how they’re being manipulated by these stories, including by AI.

 

And I hope it gets them to pause before posting stories themselves, asking questions like: Am I sure this story is true? Even if it is, will it hurt anybody? Is this something that needs to be shared online--potentially forever?

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: The title has various meanings for the story. What incites the action is an anonymous post listing which kids in eighth grade are “hot” and which are “not.” Mateo and Gia find their names on the “hot” list; Levi and Winnie find themselves decreed “not.” Next to Winnie’s name, the anonymous poster has written “Nothing to see here”—which Winnie finds deeply humiliating.

 

I was also thinking about how when there’s a disaster like a car crash, police will say “Nothing to see here,” to get passersby to keep moving instead of gawking. Of course, telling them that there’s “nothing to see” only entices them to stare even more.

 

Finally, by “nothing to see here,” I wanted to suggest that a lot of what’s on social media is empty, unsubstantiated nonsense—literally nothing worth seeing.  

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently revising my next middle grade novel for Scholastic, a multi-POV hybrid verse novel about ChatGPT. It’s called Lost for Words, and I can’t wait for it to publish Fall 2027!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I’m delighted that Nothing to See Here will have an audiobook edition with four different voice actors. Also, the lovely folks at Scholastic have prepared an excellent discussion guide that I hope teachers and librarians will check out!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Barbara Dee.