Mascot is a novel in verse co-written by award-winning authors Charles Waters and Traci Sorell. An assignment debating the pros and cons of Indigenous People as mascots sparks change for students and their community in this middle grade novel. Thank you to Charles Waters and Traci Sorell for taking the time to answer my questions about their new novel for young readers!
— Rae Ann Parker, Director of Books and Events for Young Readers
Rae Ann Parker: What is the origin story of Mascot as a middle grade novel in verse? Did you intend to co-write the book from the beginning?
Charles Waters and Traci Sorell: We met at the Highlights Foundation’s novel in verse workshop in 2017. We both were writing poetry and picture books at the time and discussed working together in the future. Fast forward to 2019 when Charles reached out to Traci with the idea of writing a NIV together based on young people examining the Native themed mascot issue in their school district.
RAP: What was your process of co-writing this book? How does co-writing a book feel different than working solo on a project? What was your favorite thing about working on Mascot together?
CW & TS: We discussed our personal knowledge and experiences with Native
themed mascots in college and professional sports. Then we compiled and read a lot of research articles, including dissertations, and news articles about the issue’s impact on K-12 education and young people nationwide. We used Google Docs to house our research and jointly create the manuscript.
CW: One of the things I appreciate about collaboration is batting ideas back and forth with someone else as opposed to by yourself. Also, accountability is a big factor. If you both establish a homework assignment, i.e. writing poems about a certain subject or fleshing out a character and so forth, you’re accountable not only for yourself but the person you’re working with as well.
TS: I take a long time to think about a story (often years) before I ever write it down and involve others. Co-writing required me to research and formulate the story more quickly than I do on my own, but that process was easier because I partnered with Charles from the start.
CW & TS: Our favorite thing about working on Mascot together is we knew the story wouldn’t be as strong without the other person. We complemented each other very well that way.
RAP: There are seven points of view in this novel, six students and their teacher. How did you decide which classmates needed to tell the story and what role their teacher would play?
CW & TS: We needed to be true to the setting. In looking at Virginia’s Fairfax County, where the fictional Rye suburb is located, we needed to reflect the population. In addition to the Black and white populations, people from India and El Salvador make up the two largest immigrant communities there. As there are also Native people living across the DC metro area, and most certainly in the suburbs of northern Virginia, it made sense to have Callie’s family move there near other Black and Native families.
Ms. Williams, the teacher, knows about the mascot issue, the high school students’ activism in the district, and also who the eighth grade students are in her Honors English classroom. Her poems provide the reader with insights and information that those students would not necessarily know, but are important for the story.
RAP: Do you have a favorite character?
CW: I don’t have one. Each of them felt personal to me with some of the characteristics they had.
TS: No, I enjoyed developing all of them with Charles. Each one has some aspect that I’m intrigued by, which I hope is how readers feel also.
RAP: How did the setting influence the story? Why did you choose to set the novel in a Washington, D.C. suburb, rather than a rural area or another part of the country?
CW & TS: Great question! Setting is always one of the first considerations in storytelling.
Often people assume Native themed mascots in K-12 education occur mostly in rural areas, but that’s not the case. Over 1,900 schools have Native themed mascots in cities, suburbs and rural areas nationwide. The population in Mascot is reflective of most of the area―well educated with higher incomes and living near esteemed universities, international embassies and national museums.
Getting rid of the DC area professional football team’s racist Native themed mascot happened because of Native Nations, their citizens and advocates pressuring the team’s financial sponsors to do the right thing―not due to masses who live in that large, metro area.
RAP: What do you hope young readers experience in reading the novel?
CW & TS: In reading the research, it was staggering to see the negative impact of adults’ decisions on the overall health of young people. We hope it gives them encouragement to have conversations among themselves about what they find unjust in their schools, communities and the broader world while hopefully understanding they can make better choices for themselves, their peers and all those around them.
RAP: Do you have advice for young readers who are interested in writing their own stories?
CW & TS: Read a variety of stories in prose, poetry, and graphic script. Study the artwork in a book. Ponder what story the art tells beyond the text. Listening to audiobooks allows you to hear the voice and rhythm of a story. Then just start writing, drawing or recording your own stories. Understand your first draft or sketches will not be that good, but just keep going. The magic comes in revision as you polish the text and/or the art.
RAP: Lastly, we ask everyone, what is your favorite thing about independent bookstores?
CW: The knowledgeability of the staff in book recommendations.
TS: I love how the stores are decorated and the variety of books available. When I walk in, I know I’m going to leave with at least one new book. Usually it’s several because the booksellers introduce me to books I’ve never heard about (and I read a lot about upcoming books!). I love experiencing the diversity of indie bookstores nationwide.
Mascot is on shelves now. Grab your copy here!
Musing 