Q&A with Michael J. Bowler

  

 

 

Michael J. Bowler is the author of the new middle grade novel Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power. His other books include Muppit Boy and the Allergies of Evil. He is also an educator and a screenwriter.

 

Q: This is your second book featuring your character Mo--do you think he's changed from one book to the next?

 

A: Despite not physically aging, Mo has matured mentally and emotionally based on all he experienced in Book 1, but he’s still very insecure about his nose.

 

He’s learned about his new abilities as Condor Kid, but his natural tendency toward self-doubt leads him to question his qualifications as a superhero. This makes him a more endearing character, in my view, because he retains his empathy toward others, even people he never imagined feeling something for.

 

Q: What inspired the plot of Muppit Boy and the Wheel of Power?

 

A: As a teacher, I knew many boys who were energetic and athletic and who didn’t fit the one-size-fits-all education model that rules education. They were always in trouble or told they needed medication when all the really needed were teachers who understood how to engage boys in a classroom setting.

 

Sadly, teachers don’t seem to be trained in teaching boys, who learn differently than girls. As a male teacher, I understood all that energy and worked hard to create engaging lessons that allowed for movement and competition.

 

Q: What do you think the book says about superheroes?

 

A: I’m attempting to make Condor Kid as “real” a superhero as possible, hence he’s still subject to the laws of gravity like the rest of us.

 

But I also want to show that being a hero isn’t just about physical strength or feats of derring-do. It’s also about finding the value in others as in yourself and giving people second chances, even if they’ve wronged you.

 

I also show that even a superhero can’t solve every problem he or she might encounter because people are too complex.

 

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

 

A: First, I hope they have fun and enjoy the story. That’s number one, of course.

 

But I also hope they might understand more about the so-called hyper boys in school who are typically treated with disdain and punishment, realizing that these boys just learn differently and should be taught to their strengths, not their weaknesses.

 

I also hope kids who read Wheel of Power might look beneath the surface of other kids they don’t like and perhaps give some of them a second chance.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m currently writing Book 6 in the Muppit Boy series and plan at least a seventh installment before wrapping up Mo’s early adventures.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I may continue the adventures of Condor Kid and Hawk Boy if there’s reader interest, but I also must complete my trilogy for teens and young adults that began with the award-winning Forever Boy, so that’s likely my next project after completing the middle grade adventures of Muppit Boy.

 

I also have a cozy mystery series for adults mapped out, and there’s always the possibility I’ll write more middle grade books. Time will tell.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Michael J. Bowler. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Michael J. Bowler. Up, up, and away! Follow along on the virtual book tour and enter for a chance to win one of 10 prizes: Grand Prize (1 winner): a $50 Amazon gift card, a signed hardcover copy, and an audiobook download code. Signed Hardcover (3 winners). Signed Paperback (3 winners). Audiobook Download Code (3 winners).