Caroline Fowler Davis
asked
L.A. Schwartz:
I imagine current events with book bans had a big influence on My Kind of Trouble! Can you tell us more about how you were inspired to write about that?
L.A. Schwartz
They definitely did! I love librarians so much, both those at my local branches and those I follow online, and have been listening about the increasing book bans for years, as well as the debate over how to keep libraries safe for everyone vs claiming impartiality while allowing hate groups to meet on site. I've also been aware of the issue as a former high school English teacher who faced challenges of reading material in the past. I wanted to write a book where the librarian hero is in fact a hero because of how he's standing up for books for all readers and for making the library a welcoming place for those who need it most. Preston is my love-letter of sincere thanks to the librarians I see putting their jobs on the line, being unfairly fired, and facing down mobs of bullies upset about sparkly storytimes. The vast majority of book challenges come from a minuscule number of people trying to control what other people read—mostly books that simply affirm that POC, LGBTQA+ people, and the disabled exist. They can mean everything to the readers looking to see themselves in books—even, as Preston says, save lives.
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