Luna Grace by Julie Sykes

We recently sent a few questions to Julie Sykes about her new series, Luna Grace! Check out her answers below!

Where did you get the idea for this new series?

I love the idea of having moving magic and I really wanted to create a book with a character that could move things by thinking about them. Luna Grace and her moon cat, Twizzle, arrived in my notebook almost fully formed and demanded that I wrote about them. 

Luna Grace is a great character- curious and adventurous.  Was she a fun character to create?

I had SO much fun writing about Luna and especially her hair. Discovering which hair colours reflected how she was feeling about her new life on earth was an exciting journey.

The cast of characters are all fantastic! Do you have a favourite outside of Luna?

Thanks! They are all my favourites but if I had to pick then Jada and Ollie because they are the very best kind of friends. And Mum who is always there for Luna. 

Luna encounters plenty of familiar school experiences – why was it so important for her to have these experiences?

School is such a huge part of childhood and its trials and tribulations are something that most children can recognise or identify with. Adding Luna’s space magic to the mix allowed me to write a fun story that hopefully children will want to read. 

What do you hope young readers will take from Luna Grace?

Pure enjoyment. Reading greatly improves life outcomes – this is a fact. Being a reader not only helps young people to navigate life but it also helps them to achieve their true potential. I want every child to want to read so that they have that chance through my books and others. This is also why I’m one the organisers of the annual St Austell Festival of Children’s Literature. 

 

 

Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Federation.