Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Tuesday, April 29, 2025

An Inside Look #292 (Author Interview)

           

An Inside Look with Allie Millington

(Author of Once for Yes)

*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*Season #FOUR (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019) 

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019) 

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*Season #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

*Season #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

*Season #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

*Season #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)



*I'm excited to present season #NINETEEN with brand new interviews/authors.  

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the TENTH interview in which I'm calling Season #NINETEEN.   

*Thank you to Allie for being the Two Hundred Ninety-Second author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  




Once for Yes

fby Allie Millington

(March 25, 2025)

How did you come to know Prue?
Prue felt like one of those characters who has always been nearby, just waiting for me to find her. I came to know her better as I started exploring situations I’d faced in my own life—disappointment, change, loss—and felt that both Prue and I were able to find some healing and someone to listen. One thing I love about books is that they can provide a place for us to feel understood and seen, and characters we can deeply relate to. Writing books often takes that experience to the next level. Coming to know Prue, and understanding all her many feelings, was a beautiful journey. Plus, she always made for some really entertaining company!


What do you think is her most admirable quality?
Prue would say her most admirable quality is her five-star showmanship and ability to keep an audience enthralled. In my opinion, it’s her grit and big heart, and how she fights for those she cares about.


Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
As I feel with all of my characters, Prue was the one writing her own story while I was merely watching and writing it all down. I could see her wishing she befriended the rest of The Odenburgh’s tenants much earlier on, now that she knows how special so many of them are—and how much she needs a community that cares around her.


What do you think Prue can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
I hope that Prue and her family’s journey can help readers to see that healing and processing something hard can look different for everyone, and is experienced in different timing. There is nothing wrong in being honest with where you’re at or how you feel—in fact, that’s one of the bravest things you can admit. And when you admit that you’re struggling or afraid or hurt, it gives others the permission to open up and share themselves. One core theme throughout the book that I hope rings true is that moving forward does not mean you have to move on. That when you’ve lost someone, or someplace special, you carry those memories with you. You don’t have to go far to find them.


How did you research Prue and the circumstances she found herself in?
For one, I had to do some research within myself and explore how I was feeling with some major changes and big goodbyes happening in my own life. One of the wonderful parts about writing a book is how the story and characters end up teaching you so much about yourself along the way. I also did outward research too—whether through online testimonials and articles or from having discussions with people who have gone through similar things to Prue.


Do you and Prue share any similarities?
All throughout my childhood, I put on all sorts of shows like Prue. I’d dress up and conduct interviews with guests (siblings, friends, and the imaginary), did weather reports, news highlights, and wanted to be right wherever the camera was pointing. Even though that part of me has changed a good bit, I am still putting on shows in a way—mostly in story form, of course. And I am much more content in having my characters being in the spotlight while I hide backstage. We are also both very sentimental, drawn to the memories a place can hold, and neither of us want childhood to end. The good news is that we’ve both learned that you can take parts of your childhood with you, wherever you go. Oh, and we both crave waffles almost every morning.


What was the hardest scene to write about her?
It’s a difficult thing to have to put characters you love through something painful, but it is also an important part of every story where we can see that character change and grow and begin to heal. There were quite a few scenes that felt hard to write for Prue, but the one that tugs on my heart the most is when she’s waiting for her sister to come back to the bathtub, and keeps the show going for as long as she can. It’s the calm right before everything changes for Prue.


Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
The Odenburgh has always been impressed with Prue, whether or not he’d admit that to us. He’s always thought she’s got a knack for humor, but he has also seen that grit and big heart in her and knows she isn’t the type to give in easy. The Odenburgh believes in the power Prue can have, both in her perseverance and how largely she loves.


Why do you think some young people can show such resilience, strength, and courage during difficult life situations; sometimes even more than the adults in their lives?
I think many young people have the ability to find hope in hard situations, much more so than adults. They are often quicker at spotting the good, and holding onto the glimmer of possibility that things will get better. In this, they are more proactive in difficult times—in asking questions and making plans and trying to find the meaning of things—instead of simply accepting things as they are, as so many adults do. Interestingly, even though young people are better at pretending than adults, they also have the ability of being much more honest, more fully themselves. This leads to courage and resilience in dealing with all of life’s curveballs.


What do you think Prue is doing at the present time?
Either snacking on cookies or waffles while she plans out a two-man show with her new co-host, to be aired exclusively in front of The Odenburgh’s tenants. 


SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)













SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)







SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)




















SEASON #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

Interview #121 with Melissa Savage (Author of Nessie Quest)

Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)

Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)

Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)

Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)

Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)

Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)

Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)

Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)

Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)

Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)

Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)

Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)

Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)

Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)

Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)

Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)

Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)

Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)

Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)

Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)

Interview #142 with Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin (Authors of Seven Clues to Home)



SEASON #NINE (Fall 2020)

Interview #143 with Jacqueline Woodson (Author of Before the Ever After)

Interview #144 with Sharon Creech (Author of One Time)

Interview #145 with Barbara Dee (Author of My Life in the Fish Tank)

Interview #146 with Kim Ventrella (Author of The Secret Life of Sam)

Interview #147 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of Closer to NoWhere)

Interview #148 with Alyssa Hollingsworth (Author of The Invisible Boy) 

Interview #149 with Rob Harrell (Author of WINK)

Interview #150 with Shelley Pearsall (Author of Things Seen From Above)

Interview #151 with Anna Staniszewski (Author of The Wonder of Wildflowers)

Interview #152 with Lorelei Savaryn (Author of The Circus of Stolen Dreams)

Interview #153 with Linda Sue Park (Author of Prairie Lotus)

Interview #154 with Lauren Wolk (Author of Echo Mountain) 

Interview #155 with Mae Respicio (Author of Any Day with You)

Interview #156 with Audrey Vernick (Author of After the Worst Thing Happens)

Interview #157 with Ernesto Cisneros (Author of Efren Divided)


SEASON #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)

Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot) 

Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)

Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave) 

Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)

Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)

Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero) 

Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)

Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)

Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas) 

Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There) 

Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)

Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)

Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)

Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)

Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)

Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)

Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)

Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)

Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)

Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)


SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)

Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow) 

Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)

Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)

Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)

Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)

Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy) 

Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)

Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)

Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)

Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)

Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)

Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)

Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)

Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)

Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)

Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)

Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)

Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl) 

Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)

Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me) 


SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)

Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe) 

Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)

Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin) 

Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)

Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)

Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down) 

Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)

Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)

Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)

Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)

Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)

Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)

Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)

Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will) 


SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)

Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)

Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)

Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott) 

Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)

Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake) 

Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)

Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)

Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)

Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)

Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)

Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)

Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)


SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble

Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)

Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)

Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)

Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)

Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)

Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)

Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)


SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)

Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)

Interview #237 with C.C. Harrington (Author of Wildoak)

Interview #238 with Margi Preus (Author of Windswept)

Interview #239 with Dayna Lorentz (Author of Wayward Creatures)

Interview #240 with Katrina Nannestad (Author of We are Wolves)

Interview #241 with Anika Fajardo (Author of Meet Me Halfway)

Interview #242 with Chrystal D. Giles (Author of Not an Easy Win)

Interview #243 with Gregory Maquire (Author of Cress, Watercress)

Interview #244 with Will Taylor (Author of The Language of Seabirds)

Interview #245 with Gillian McDunn (Author of When Sea Becomes Sky)

Interview #246 with Ann Braden (Author of Opinions and Opossums)

Interview #247 with Jarrett Lerner (Author of A Work in Progress)

Interview #248 with John David Anderson (Author of The Greatest Kid in the Universe)

Interview #249 with Aubrey Hartman (Author of The Lion and Lark-Hayes Manor)

 

Interview #250 with Sally J. Pla (Author of The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn)

Interview #251 with Chris Baron (Author of The Gray)

Interview #252 with Dusti Bowling (Author of DUST)


SEASON #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

Interview #253 with Sarah Everett (Author of The Probability of Everything)

Interview #254 with Andrea Beatriz Arango (Author of Something Like Home)

Interview #255 with H.M. Bouwman (Author of Gossamer Summer)

Interview #256 with Kaija Langley (Author of The Order of Things) 

Interview #257 with Elaine Vickers (Author of Half Moon Summer)

Interview #258 with John Gaspard (Author of The Curious Mysteries of Eli Marks)

Interview #259 with Dana Kramaroff (Author of The Do More Club)

Interview #260 with Jessica Vitalis (Author of Coyote Queen)

Interview #261 with Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko (Authors of Dog Town)


SEASON #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

Interview #262 with Chad Morris and Shelly Brown (Authors of The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry) 

Interview #263 with Anne Ursu (Author of Not Quite a Ghost)

Interview #264 with Erin Soderberg Downing (Author of Just Keep Walking)

Interview #265 With Kate Albus (Author of Nothing Else But Miracles)

Interview #266 with Robin Gow (Author of Dear Mothman)

Interview #267 with Toni Buzzeo (Author of Light Comes to Shadow Mountain) 

Interview #268 with John Schu (Author of Louder Than Hunger)

Interview #269 with Allie Millington (Author of Olivetti)

Interview #270 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of Once Upon a Family)

Interview #271 with Lynne Kelly (Author of The Secret Language of Birds)

Interview #272 with Lisa Yee (Author of The Misfits)

Interview #273 with Lisa Fipps (Author of And Then, Boom)


SEASON #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)

Interview #274 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall) 

Interview #275 with Lois Lowry (Author of Tree.Table.Book)

Interview #276 with Rob Buyea (Author of Carter Avery's Tricky Fourth Grade Year)

Interview #277 with Gayle Forman (Author of Not Nothing) 

Interview #278 with Kate O'Shaughnessy (Author of The Wrong Way Home)

Interview #279 with Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Author of Kareem Between)

Interview #280 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Deep Water) 

Interview #281 with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic (Author of Hummingbird Season)




SEASON #NINETEEN (Winter/Spring 2025)

Interview #284 with Kimberly Newton Fusco (Author of The Secret of Honeycake)

Interview #285 with Alison McGhee (Author of Telephone of the Tree)

Interview #286 with Anica Mrose Rissi (Author of Wishing Season)

Interview #287 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of The Witching Wind)

Interview #289 with Maria Scivan (Author of Nat a Chance)

Interview #290 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Safe Harbor) 

Interview #291 with Lauren Wolk (Author of Candle Island)

 

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