Author Spotlight: Julie Hauswirth
Welcome humans (and worms) to Picture Book Spotlight, the seriously serious blog for serious people who are serious about picture books (and sometimes worms).
Today we get to feature Julie Hauswirth and her debut picture book, If My Sister Were A Worm, published by Holiday House and illustrated by Jessica Goecke. Congrats to the whole team on a successful launch! 🥳
Our boys would definitely like turning each other into worms if they could. At least eight times a day. One of my favorite parts of this book is how authentic it feels for kids when the main character is annoyed with her sister and then is like...yeah now this is happening. No hesitation. Just BAM. She turns her sister into a worm. The abruptness of it was so much fun, and it's making me smile just thinking about how Julie absolutely goes for it. But that's just the beginning...you'll have to snag a copy to see where the story goes from there!
Speaking of worms, who doesn't love worms?! Or being turned into one? Or turning their sibling into one? Julie and Jessica's book was published last week, so it is still HOT off the press. Do you have a worm book? I've got one on sub right now. Maybe this post will inspire something slimy and squirmy within your imagination? Kids and worms are evergreen, and we need YOUR worm book. So after reading this post, get your hands dirty and have some wormy fun! Then, if you need help with that brand-new worm manuscript, send it my way over the next three weeks for a discounted critique. All my critique services are currently open (yes, even PB Mentorships). Use promo code "Yak25off" for 25% off the total price of a critique until November 16th. I'd love to be part of your story (with or without worms!).
Alright...time for worms. And sisters. And Julie!
Fade to black. Open the curtain. Cue the spotlight...
Here's Julie!
Give us the story behind the story: what was the entry point for this book and how did the first draft evolve to its finished form?
The idea for this story was born in 2023 during Susanna Hill’s May Mini Mix n’ Match Challenge. In one of the challenges, we each matched a character from column A with something from column B and wrote an if/then story similar in structure to If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. I loved how the choices in the two columns offered a wide variety of combinations, and I played around with a few matches before landing on “sister” and “worm.” Since the challenge didn’t have any winners, the stakes were low and I was able to just have fun with it. I tapped into my memories of my childhood relationship with my own sister and imagined how kid me would feel about having a worm instead of a sister. The first draft was 130 words and completely different from where the story ended up:
If my sister were a worm, she wouldn’t get all the attention.
Worms don’t steal the show at your birthday party.
Instead, my best friend Emma would say,
“Ew! There’s a worm on my chair!” and put the worm outside.
If my sister were a worm, I wouldn’t have to share a bedroom with her.
Worms don’t sleep in big-girl beds.
Instead, mom and dad would say,
“Why is this worm in your room?” and put the worm outside.
If my sister were a worm, I wouldn’t have to sit next to her at dinner.
Instead, our pet parrot would eat her.
My parents would say, “Julie! Turn your sister back into a human THIS MINUTE!” and then I would probably be grounded.
I’ll turn her into a kitten instead.
I later expanded the story into a full manuscript by elaborating on lines like “Worms don’t steal the show at your birthday party.” I turned that line into a full spread and included details of what “stealing the show” might look like. In that very first draft, the idea that the narrator was actually responsible for turning her sister into a worm didn’t show up until the very end. When I made the narrator’s decision to turn her sister into a worm take place immediately after the birthday party, the rest of the story took its true shape. As I worked on adding more to the story, I noticed that my inspiration for the characters shifted a bit. The main character, Maggie, is based on my younger sister Jaclyn (who absolutely would have turned me into a worm if given the chance).
What’s something you hope readers notice?
I hope readers notice themselves in this story! Sure, this story is about two sisters. But I don’t think you need to have a sister or be a girl to relate to Maggie. I think Maggie’s experience of feeling upstaged and overshadowed by her big sister is a universal experience, whether it’s a sibling, friend, classmate, or even a stranger who steals the spotlight. I hope readers notice how Maggie’s imagination helps her overcome those feelings and remember what she appreciates about her sister.
What do you hope lingers with readers long after they close the book?
I hope readers come away with the feeling of joy that can be found in the relationships between siblings. I think that joy is made stronger when moments of resentment and frustration between siblings are overcome. Relationships with siblings (or, if one is an only child, perhaps relationships with cousins or friends) can be a ping-pong game of emotion, delightful and messy at the same time, and that’s okay. I hope the book gives readers the opportunity to look at their own sibling/family/friend relationships with renewed appreciation and affection.
Focusing on the language, what sentence or part of the text is most meaningful to you and why?
I loaned some aspects of my own real life to Maggie and her sister. I named their school “Madison Elementary School” in a nod to my hometown of Madison, Connecticut. I also named Maggie’s aunt Colleen after my youngest sister. Since so much of Maggie’s relationship with her sister is based on my relationships with my sisters, adding these details to the text deepened my connection with the characters.
In Jessica's artwork, what illustration detail do you appreciate and why?
There are so many! The text never mentions a cat, but Jessica added an adorable pet cat who bats Maggie’s peas around and is equally inconvenienced by Great Uncle Chester’s dancing. In the spread where Maggie and her sister are eating dinner, there are framed photos on the wall behind them and one of the photos is the cat wearing a top hat and monocle. I love how the addition of the cat creates a wider view of the world these sisters live in.
Jessica also included things like cute little barrettes in Maggie’s hair and a mini-tea-party in her sister’s worm house, and these details give so much more to the characters than I was able to give them with text alone. As someone who likes to draw but isn’t very good at it, I’m just in awe of how Jessica’s art made the story exponentially deeper and more vivid.
What whole spread stands out to you and why?
My favorite spread in the whole book is on pages 24-25, when Maggie laments being the only flower girl in Aunt Colleen’s wedding. Jessica’s illustrations on this spread make me laugh out loud every single time. Her art made this spread even funnier than I had imagined, from Maggie’s facial expression to the itchy poofy dress and the worm laughing out loud at Maggie’s misfortune. At the beginning of the book, Maggie is upset with her sister for stealing the show. This spread reveals the moment that is the last straw for Maggie: she’s in the spotlight, there’s no sister to share it with, but she hates it! And Jessica captured it perfectly.
What surprised you about the process of bringing this story into the world?
I was expecting to have a bit more back-and-forth with the manuscript once it was acquired. I was really lucky to work with Sally Morgridge as my editor for many reasons, one of them being that our visions for this story were very much aligned. So I suppose my answer is that I was surprised by how smooth the process was. I was sure we’d have hiccups or bumps in the road, but the whole process was a dream come true. I feel very grateful to the whole team.
What message or advice do you have for one of the characters?
I would tell both sisters that having a sibling means there will be ups and downs… and that’s okay! That’s part of the deal. But at the end of the day, reminding ourselves what we appreciate about our siblings can help us overcome those moments where we wish they were a worm.
What conversation do you hope this book starts?
Some of the early feedback I got on this story suggested that Maggie was an unlikeable character for wanting to turn her sister into a worm, and that the story felt mean-spirited. But my intent was to show a realistic snapshot of sisterhood. Even siblings who are mostly the best of friends will disagree or want space at some point or another. I hope this story helps open up conversations about feelings and how to work through them in realistic and healthy ways. Maggie doesn’t respond to her sister’s irritating behavior by having a tantrum or getting even. She imagines turning her sister into a worm! I think that it’s important for kids to see the whole spectrum of feelings in the books they read, including the feelings that might not feel super-duper nice, so they can feel comfortable talking about them and learning to understand them.
The Final Word: What would you like to leave in our minds to consider or further reflect on today?
I would like to encourage readers to think about how imagination can help us see the people we love in new ways, grapple with difficult feelings, or find laughter in an ordinary moment. You don’t have to be a six-year-old to tap into your imagination!
Thanks, Julie! Congratulations again to you and Jessica on this debut picture book being out in the world. You guys killed it!
And thank YOU, kidlit fam, for stopping by Picture Book Spotlight. Thank you for subscribing, sharing posts, and all the positive comments for the featured creators. As a thank you for helping Julie champion this new book, Julie is giving away one of two options: a picture book manuscript critique (<750 words, non-rhyming) OR a 30-minute Zoom author visit to a class of the winner's choosing.
So what's it gonna be? A picture book critique or gift a special little friend (and their class) a super cool author visit experience!? YOU could win! How do you enter the raffle? Great question! There's a nifty little form down below and further information about how to enter. Why don't people say nifty anymore? 🧐
Best of luck, everyone, and thank you for stopping by!
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***The deadline for this contest is Monday, November 2nd at 9 AM CST
Winners will be contacted on Monday, November 2nd & announced on social media***
About Julie
While she's always been a writer at heart, Julie worked as an educator in a variety of roles including teacher, department chair, and literacy/curriculum specialist. She earned a BA in English with a concentration in creative writing from the University of Central Florida, where she was also a member of the University Singers Choir. She later earned a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Grand Canyon University.
Julie continues to learn and grow as a writer by participating as a member of SCBWI, Mighty Kidlit, and a critique group. She loves participating in contests, jumping at every submission opportunity she can find, and making new friends in the kidlit community. Julie writes to help children develop a deep love of reading and find a story that speaks to their heart.
Born and raised in New England, Julie now lives in Florida with her husband and two sons. When she’s not writing, you can probably find Julie embarrassing her eldest on the sidelines of the soccer field, singing karaoke, or hanging out at the library. She loves to bake and has to hide her creations throughout the house so the boys and their dad don’t eat them all in one go. And if Florida wasn’t so flat and humid all the time, Julie would definitely spend more time hiking. Julie's Website
About Brian
Despite what they are saying at local diners, Brian is not, in fact, a worm. He is not. But he was turned into one once. And he totally deserved it. But now he's not a worm. He's just a guy who writes picture books and who recently locked in his FIFTH book deal. And (no lies) the book he currently has on sub truly is a worm book. We'll see where that one goes! Thanks for stopping by and participating in Julie's giveaway! Now go write a book about a worm! 🪱