Author Profile: Mavis Jukes

Mavis Jukes

BIO

Mavis Jukes is the award-winning author of several books for children and teenagers including the Newbery Honor Book LIKE JAKE AND ME. Mavis taught school for several years --- and was a lawyer --- before becoming a children's book writer. She volunteers as an attorney in the area of juvenile defense and is presently a language arts specialist in a public elementary school. She lives with her husband, the artist Robert Hudson, and their teenage daughters in Sonoma County, California.

INTERVIEW

TBB Writer Nathalie op de Beeck was eager to read Mavis Jukes' latest novel, CINDERELLA 2000, a modern day Cinderella story set on the eve of the millennium. But as Nathalie learned, you can't just read one and she soon came back for more. In this interview, you'll find out the personal and the professional story on Jukes. Are her two daughters ever embarrassed about their mother's prolific tendencies towards puberty? How does the former lawyer like being compared to the great Judy Blume? Is there anything she won't talk about? Read on to discover the honest truth about this fantastic author and her creations.

TBB: You seem willing to say just about anything about bodies and insecurities. Is there ANY conversation topic or question that makes you blush?

MJ: Right.  I AM willing to say just about anything about bodies --- provided that the information will help encourage and protect girls.  Health and personal safety can depend on being well-informed. A lot of the topics in IT'S A GIRL THING actually were (and are) hard to talk (and write) about.  But I just told myself: Get over it.  The kids need the information and they have a right to have it.  Some of us need to step up to the plate. It's unfair to withhold information --- just because it happens to be embarrassing to talk about it.  So go for it.

TBB: While you were growing up, you and your mother formed the "Ladies Business Club," and you shared a lot of information about girls' physical changes. But some mothers are shy about talking about their bodies and their daughter's bodies. What if a girl's mom is too embarrassed or too uptight to talk about sex?

MJ: It's great if your mom talks openly with you about sex --- if you want to talk about it with her.  Really great!  But if she doesn't, that's okay, too. Do remember that she's there for you --- especially if you have health-related worries or concerns. Or need help with a problem. Almost every last mom can very quickly get over her shyness about discussing embarrassing topics when her kid's well-being is at stake. I AM aware of the hesitancy many adults feel about openly discussing sex with their kids. In fact, that was one of the things that motivated me to write IT'S A GIRL THING. It's common for a girl's mom to be uptight about discussing sex with her daughter. It's natural for there to be a certain amount of hesitancy to discuss sex --- especially with someone from an older or younger generation. To tell you the truth, I've never really been interested in discussing sex with my mom.  In fact, I'd probably avoid a conversation about sex with her to this day. I think every mom should make sure her daughter has access to books about puberty, though --- not just IT'S A GIRL THING, but others. Also, sex ed classes in school are SO helpful.

TBB: You have two daughters yourself. Have they reached the notorious age 12 yet? Are they ever appalled at the things you say, or are they used to the fact that their mom loves writing about puberty?

MJ: Yup. They're used to me by now. Pretty much. They're now well beyond the age of 12. They're adults and fully aware of the importance of making the information in IT'S A GIRL THING available to kids. What did they think of me when they were preadolescents?  When they were that young, it seemed as if just my standing quietly somewhere and breathing embarrassed them. Would IT'S A GIRL THING have embarrassed them then? Oh, yeah. Most definitely.

TBB: What made you decide to be a writer? And why did you choose adolescence as a topic?

MJ: I decided to be a writer the instant an editor in New York told me she liked my work. I was trained to be a teacher and a lawyer. But writing sounded like much more fun...Now I teach and write. I adore my students! Lately, my books have been directed toward adolescents. I want to make sure preteens and teens get information --- at least the basic information necessary to make healthy choices. I write for younger kids, too, though.

TBB: Any girl who reads your advice need not worry about coping with her period or about buying her first bra. Do you ever feel like you're on a mission to change how people think and talk about normal bodily functions?

MJ: You're right. I am on that mission. How am I doing?

TBB: Your name and Judy Blume's often show up in the same sentence (and both you and Ms. Blume should be flattered by the comparison). What writers and books have influenced you?

MJ: I was once honored by being described as "The Judy Blume of the nineties," but that was so wrong!  There's only one Judy Blume of the nineties: Judy Blume.  Of course she's one of my heroes.  And yes, I have been influenced by her work.

TBB: In IT'S A GIRL THING, you mention nutritious, low-fat food and warn
readers about anorexia and bulimia, but you don't talk about weight gain. What's behind your decision NOT to focus on fat?

MJ: I don't focus on fat and weight gain because I'm more into accepting one's body type and not becoming obsessed with being thin. I don't believe in dieting --- unless it's for a very specific medical reason and unless the person dieting is being supervised by a healthcare professional. I know it's possible to be fit without being thin. I'm sick of the pressure the media puts on teen girls to "look good" --- especially when looking good so often seems to boil down to looking thin. I'd like to see the emphasis put on eating well: for nutrition, for energy, to satisfy hunger, and for enjoyment. I think we need to stop counting calories and grams of fat so compulsively, and I wish adult women would stop modeling dieting for young girls. Eat well, enjoy food, be active. That's what sounds right to me.

TBB: In IT'S A GIRL THING, you tell a story from your own adolescence: You and a friend made the unwise decision of taking a car ride with two older guys, and later you blamed yourself for the guys unwanted advances. This is a familiar --- and avoidable --- problem. But do you think that adolescents and teenagers NEED to make certain mistakes in order to learn responsibility?

MJ: I'm not sure teens NEED to make mistakes to learn responsibility, but I  know teens do make mistakes, and do learn from them. I just wish more than anything that teens weren't so at risk. Nobody needs to learn about sexual assault by being sexually assaulted. Imagining it is bad enough.

TBB: What is the question or comment that you hear the most from your readers?

MJ: I've heard a lot of my readers express appreciation for IT'S A GIRL THING --- and their moms have expressed that, too. I'm happy I spent such a long time on the book --- and that I was able to be hooked up with editors who believed in the project, and who could see it through.

TBB: Do you respond to your readers' letters?

MJ: I try --- but I haven't answered every last letter. I feel guilty when I don't, but I have family obligations and work --- and I don't have much extra time. Also, I've had a headache every day for two years, which sets me back. I do carefully READ every letter, though. Under the circumstances, I'd say I have a good track record for answering letters --- just not perfect.

TBB: In the novel PLANNING THE IMPOSSIBLE, you focus on the changes that a boy experiences in puberty. Do you find that boys read your books too? What do they have to say?

MJ: More girls read my books than boys --- that's for sure. But yup. Boys read 'em.  Lots of boys have read IT'S A GIRL THING --- especially my students. What do they have to say?  Where's the book about us?????
(I'm working on a boy book now --- same subject matter as IT'S A GIRL THING.)

TBB: Your new novel, CINDERELLA 2000, takes a millennial view of an old fairy tale. When did you begin writing this story, and did you have to rush to finish it by 1999?

MJ: Yup. CINDERELLA 2000 was a REAL fast write...But I liked that. My students put their two cents in, so that added to the fun.

TBB: CINDERELLA 2000's main character, Ashley, is tormented by her twin stepsisters. However, Ashley has expensive tastes, she asks a lot of her not-too-rich stepmom, and she's willing to blow off her best friends in order to go to a party with her handsome prince. Do you mean to imply that Ashley herself isn't a perfect fairy-tale princess?

MJ: Exactly. Ashley is far from perfect. Why should she be perfect? Nobody else is!  Especially not at age fourteen.

TBB: What are your plans for future projects? Will you write novels, or do you plan more advice books? Which do you prefer?

MJ: A novel --- THE GREEN VELVET DRESS --- is in the works, along with an informational book for guys. I'm also co-writing a book on nutrition with an amazing nutritionist from Harvard. A picture book for little kids is coming up soon. I love to write; I don't have a favorite kind of book, at least not at the moment.

TBB: What are you reading now?

MJ: I'm reading the newspaper every day, I read medical articles about health and nutrition for teens, I read magazines of different sorts (and for different reasons: I study ads, and the effects of advertising on teens). I just finished a book by Christopher Curtis --- BUD, NOT BUDDY. Brother! Is HE a great writer!

TBB: Who are your favorite Young Adult writers?

MJ: First favorite?  You'll never guess: Judy Blume. I have others, though. I'm a huge fan of the McKissacks.

TBB: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

MJ: My advice? Value your own experiences. Honor your culture. Don't try to sound like anybody but yourself; nobody can tell your story but you. Be you. Write with the voice that's in your head; write how you talk. Tell the truth. Begin by beginning. Say good things to yourself.

TBB: What are your thoughts on the millennium?

MJ: My thoughts on the millennium? First, I have to say something on a personal note: I really wish my brother, Ken, could see the sun rise on January 1, 2000.  It's an astounding event; and, because it's so astounding, it's hard to imagine that it's going to happen without him. If Ken were here, the sunrise would be brighter for me, the sky higher, the world more full of promise and possibilities.

I'm hoping that when 2000 actually gets here we might stop and think: Wait a minute! Aren't there things we should have accomplished by now? We'd better get going --- all of us! I have so much hope for the future. Everybody's getting smarter --- especially kids and teens.