Starting second grade at a new school can be tough for anyone — a new building, new teacher, and new classmates are sure to be intimidating for a girl… especially when she’s part cat. In New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy’s new chapter book series, Catty Corner, protagonist Catty is facing just such a transition and all the surprises that inevitably come along with it. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Julie to talk about her new series, the importance of body positivity, and the difference between junk journals and scratch pads.
About Julie Murphy
Julie Murphy lives in north Texas with her husband who loves her, her dog who adores her, and her cats who tolerate her. After several wonderful years in the library world, Julie now writes full-time. When she’s not writing or reliving her reference desk glory days, she can be found watching made-for-TV movies, hunting for the perfect slice of cheese pizza, and planning her next great travel adventure. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the young adult novels Dumplin’ (now a film on Netflix), Puddin’, Ramona Blue, and Side Effects May Vary. Dear Sweet Pea is her debut middle grade novel, and her picture book debut is Chubby Bunny.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with us, Julie! Let’s jump in.
In a few sentences, how would you introduce our readers to Catty? What makes her unique?
Catty is half-cat, half-girl, and all personality. Like all of us, she’s full of contradictions. She’s nervous about stepping into a new life, but her curiosity is insatiable. I think in all my years of writing, I’ve actually found that the things that make us unique are often the same things other people can relate to. Oh, and did I mention that Catty has a great sense of style and a wicked sense of humor?
In Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet, Catty is proud of her cat side, yet is also worried that her new classmates will single her out for it. Why do think that dilemma will resonate with elementary-aged readers?
Catty loves to lean into her feline traits and yet she struggles to strike a balance. Standing out and being special can feel truly amazing…until it doesn’t. Being a half-cat comes in handy when your reflexes help save the class pet fish, but it’s also a challenge to keep your emotions in check when someone accidentally steps on your tail. But thankfully, Catty has a whole cast of friends and family who are eager to help her see that the things that make her different also make her totally ameowzing. And if you ask me, that dilemma is pretty universal for all of us.
In the second book in the series, Catty Corner Pounces Into Action, Catty gets to be both a chef and a detective as she solves the mystery of the Gobbler Bandit. What goes into crafting a compelling whodunnit for little readers?
Oooh! This one was so fun to write. I loved creating a mystery that would have felt huge to me at that age. The destroyed macaroni crafts! The missing snacks! I wanted to create a lightly spooky atmosphere while also holding onto the humor and heart that is at the center of this series.
Throughout both books, Catty’s diary — or “scratch pad” — is where she expresses her thoughts, doubts, and triumphs. Do you keep a diary?
I have always wanted to be the kind of person who kept a diary and really wish I had growing up. Discovering the few half-hearted attempts I made as a child turned out to be hilarious, so I really do wish I had more there to refer back to. As an adult though, I’ve successfully kept a one-line-a-day journal, where you just write a single sentence each day. I think I kept that going for three years—mostly through the pandemic, which was helpful. Lately, I’ve been keeping a junk journal, which has been so fun and has also been a great place to store all the little things I save but never need. Receipts. Matchbooks. Tickets stubs. Business cards. Etc. It’s basically messy scrapbooking for people with ADHD, which suits me just fine.
Eve Farb’s illustrations add so much warmth and humor to Catty’s stories. Can you walk us through your collaborative process as the books were coming together?
Eve’s illustrations are so incredibly important to this story. She captured Catty in such a special way. As I was writing, I would leave notes for certain moments I would like to see illustrated or thoughts on clothing or color palettes. And Eve was so great at taking those very basic thoughts and running with them. She was also so great about pivoting when we needed to try different takes on a certain illustration. I can’t wait to see what she does with the next two books.
Most of your books share a theme of body positivity — especially fat positivity — and inclusivity. Why do you think that these are such important messages to send to young people?
Yeah, I think this will always be a hallmark of my work. It’s simple, really. We all need body positivity, which was born out of fat positivity. Fat people created fat positivity to overcome mental barriers, but also to overcome very real physical discrimination. That fight is far from over, but it has brought body positivity to the masses, and that’s something that helps everyone. Full stop.
As a former librarian and a writer of children’s books, what are your thoughts on the pervasive movements by some to remove inclusive and diverse books from school and library bookshelves?
It is nothing short of horrific and a blatant attempt to erase entire histories and identities. The people behind these efforts are organized and passionate. We have to beat them at their own game.
One of our favorite questions for children’s writers is what their favorite childhood read were. What books do you remember sinking your claws into as a child?
Oh gosh, I was a huge fan of Maurice Sendak, Jillian Jiggs, Babysitter’s Club, Little Critters, Anne of Green Gables, and The Last Unicorn, to name a few.
Lastly, in honor of Catty Corner, if you could be part animal, what animal would it be and why?
As a child, I was certain that I was part feline. I would crawl around on the ground with Timothy, the family cat, and even pretend to clean my paws. I’ll even admit that my mom found me trying to sample cat kibble on a Saturday morning or two (thankfully, there were no long-lasting effects other than a deep one-sided resentment from Timothy).
A sincere thank you to Julie for taking the time to share her thoughts with us! Be sure to find her online at ImJulieMurphy.com, and follow her work on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Pinterest, and Twitter/X. And, of course, don’t forget to add Catty Corner Lands on Her Feet and Catty Corner Pounces Into Action to your family’s reading list.
For more children’s books on the importance of body confidence, check out our article on Picture Books That Will Inspire Self-Love in Little Bookworms.
To see all of our recommended reads for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
