Q&A with Elana Rubinstein

  

 

Elana Rubinstein is the author of the new middle grade novel The Big Hatch. She also has written the Saralee Siegel series. She lives in Northern Virginia.

 

Q: What inspired you to write The Big Hatch, and how did you create your character Della?

 

A: The idea of a fancy, sparkly pink dinosaur came to me one day at school, back when I was a pre-K teacher. I'm not exactly sure where it came from, but I couldn't stop thinking about it because I found it so funny. A few days later, I came up with the Design Your Own Dinosaur kit.

 

Della's character took much longer to figure out. At first, I thought I might write about a super genius girl who invented the Design Your Own Dinosaur technology herself. But I soon realized that I wanted to write a more realistic character, one that readers could see themselves in. I think Della's struggle to quell her anxiety and find her place at school is something many kids can relate to.

 

Q: What do you think Alexandra Bye’s illustrations add to the book?

 

A: I love Alexandra's illustrations! She did a wonderful job of bringing Glam, Della, and Avery to life, and I especially love the back cover with all the fancy foods. She struck a great balance between the sci fi elements and the fancy ones, which was just what I was hoping for.

 

Q: You’ve said that you first came up with the idea for this book five years ago--can you describe its journey to publication?

 

A: It was a very long journey! I wrote the book in 2021 and 2022, in between writing books in my Saralee Siegel chapter book series. I did not have a literary agent at the time, so I spent a few months querying.

 

I was so happy to find Kara from 3 Seas Literary Agency. She is a teacher as well, and she immediately understood the book and what I was trying to do with it. We really connected!

 

From there, it took about two years to actually sell the book, but I was determined to be patient and keep trying no matter what. Thankfully, the story found a perfect home at Godwin Books.

 

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

 

A: I hope readers come away with a sense of excitement for dinosaurs, science, technology, and all things paleontology, AND with the feeling that they can relate to Della and all she goes through in the story. Fifth grade is a wonderful time of life, but it is also full of so much change, and that can be really difficult.

 

My goal was to write an engaging story with lots of twists, turns, and fun while still staying true to what it feels like to be 10 years old. 

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am currently working on book eight of my Saralee chapter book series, and I am very excited that book seven will come out in May of 2027! I am also a mom to a toddler and a baby, so these days most of my time is happily spent with my two little ones.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I just want to share how much I enjoyed writing The Big Hatch. I truly had a wonderful time with it, even when I got stuck and had to rewrite major sections over and over again. This story will always hold a special place in my heart, and I hope you will give it a try!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Elana Rubinstein.