Q&A with Aoife Dooley
Finding My Voice by Aoife Dooley is the sequel to Frankie’s World, published last year with Scholastic. Featuring an autistic main character, these graphic novels follow Frankie as she navigates life. The team at Scholastic have shared this super Q&A with Aoife!
Tell us about FINDING YOUR VOICE, the sequel to FRANKIE’S WORLD
Finding My Voice is about friendship and being proud of who you are.
Frankie is starting secondary school and there are so many rules! And if that’s not enough, Frankie and her best friend Sam are not in the same class. It’s a tough start but Frankie is really looking forward to music class where she learns that there’s a battle of the bands competition coming up. The only thing is, you need friends to form a band in the first place and Sam and Rebecca can’t play an instrument.
Was it hard creating a sequel to FRANKIE’S WORLD?
Yes and no, a lot of work goes in and it was hard to draw certain angles at times. For example, Lisa playing the drums. Lucky for me my partner is a drummer, Unlucky for him he became my reference for movement. I think I have over 100 pics of him playing the drums. Without these references I think it would have made it more difficult to draw.
How similar are you to Frankie?
I think we’re very similar in a lot of ways. Like Frankie, I was obsessed with music as a kid and was convinced I was going to be in a rock band. It was my dream. Actually, the lyrics that Mo sings in the book are my own. I wrote them when I was around Frankie’s age and they’re about being different. I also wore a skull hoodie religiously and baggy jeans of course.
What do you want young people reading this series to learn from Frankie’s stories?
I would love young people to see that it’s ok to be you. At times it can be hard to fit in especially when you feel different. If there’s anything I’ve learned as an adult it’s that being yourself is the best thing you can be. Some people will want you to be like them but it’s important to stay true to yourself and I think that’s what Frankie is doing.
Frankie’s World and Finding My Voice are published by Scholastic and are available now.
5. What are your favourite graphic novels?
I have way too many to name but my favourite at the minute is
Fly By Night by Tara O’Connor. I came across some old Dandy’s my partner bought and I had never seen these as a kid so I’m really enjoying those now. I also loved Jarrett Krosoczka’s Hey Kiddo.