Most adults would agree that our adolescent years are some of the toughest to navigate. Navigating friends, parents, activities, budding romance, the pressures of school and social circles, and the prospect of figuring out who we are as people and where we fit in the world would be a lot for anyone, never mind a preteen! The protagonist of Maria Scrivan’s series Nat Enough has faced all of these issues and more, and in the sixth book, Nat a Chance, she’s tackling athletics as well. We had the chance to talk to Maria about Nat’s newest misadventure, the joy of illustration, and the importance of championing self-acceptance for young readers.
About Maria Scrivan
Maria Scrivan is a New York Times bestselling author and award-winning syndicated cartoonist. The first book in her graphic novel series, Nat Enough (Scholastic/Graphix), launched on April 7, 2020, became an instant New York Times bestseller. It was followed by Forget Me Nat, Absolutely Nat, Definitely Nat, Nat for Nothing, and All is Nat Lost. Nat a Chance releases on March 4, 2025. She is also a contributor to Marvel’s Super Stories, which was released in October 2023.
Maria’s comic, Half Full, is syndicated by Andrews McMeel and has appeared daily in newspapers nationwide, including the LA Times, for the last ten years. Her cartoons have appeared in many publications — including MAD Magazine, Highlights, American Bystander, Prospect Magazine, Parade Magazine, and Wired — and have been licensed for hundreds of greeting cards. Maria lives in Connecticut, close to New York City.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us, Maria. Let’s dive in.
For those readers who are unfamiliar with Nat, would you please give us an introduction to who she is and what’s going on in her world?
Nat is an 11-year-old girl trying to find her place in the world while standing in her own way. Some of her biggest antagonists are in her own mind in the form of overthinking, doubt, and anxiety. In the series, she’s faced with many challenges, like losing her best friend, getting rejected by a crush, and heading off to summer camp for the first time. Each book in the series has a unique theme: self-worth, self-love, fear, doubt, independence, and self-belief. These densely emotional concepts are offset with humor, and each chapter opens with a single-panel comic featuring Nat’s pets, Cat and Treat.
In Nat a Chance, Nat dives headfirst into the world of athletics, with sometimes painful results. What inspired you to tell this particular story as the next part of Nat’s journey?
I wanted to explore the stories we tell ourselves about our perceived limitations and what happens when we challenge those false beliefs. Just like Natalie, I was sure I wasn’t an athlete when I was growing up. I carried that story with me my entire life until college when I was persuaded by some friends to join the rowing team. This was an incredible challenge for me and fostered a life-long love of sports. That experience led me to join a running group as an adult, where I was inspired to compete in marathons and long-distance triathlons. Once I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and attempted something seemingly impossible, other “impossible” things seemed possible, too. Nothing trained my brain more to write and draw graphic novels than the discipline of training for an Ironman triathlon!
Nat deals with a lot of self-confidence issues throughout the series; you’ve even said previously that one of Nat’s biggest bullies is herself. Why do you think it’s important to address these issues with middle grade audiences?
We can be our own biggest bullies at any age, but during middle and elementary school, those feelings are especially prominent and painful. It’s such a distinct time of trying to fit in, and it’s so easy to beat ourselves up for not measuring up to unrealistic, impossible, and fabricated standards. This seems to be more important than ever as we are bombarded with images and reels of how life should be, with editing, filters, and AI creating people and lives that don’t exist. Believing in ourselves is an inside job. Once we practice true self-acceptance, it’s amazing how quickly our outer experience shifts as well.
In addition to the Nat Enough series, you are also a celebrated cartoonist. What about the medium of graphic novels and cartoons calls to you as an artist and writer?
I have always been a visual learner and communicator and need both writing and drawing to fully express what I am trying to say. There are so many layers to graphic novels and subtle nuances that can be achieved with layout, body language, color, weather, clothing, and more. I especially love how you can see the most expression of every character in the scene and empathize with the supporting characters as much as the protagonist. There are also so many opportunities for humor and Easter eggs. On every pass when I’m writing, I’m constantly wondering, how can I make this funnier?
Was there a panel or spread in Nat a Chance that you especially enjoyed working on or that you struggled with getting just right?
The cover! My editors and I went back and forth on the cover so many times; I think I have 25 versions of it. I’m so happy with how it turned out, and it really pushed me to try new things and learn so much in the process.
A big thank you to Maria for taking the time to speak with us about her work! Be sure to find her online at mariascrivan.com, or on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. Lastly, don’t forget to check out Nat a Chance and add it to your family’s TBR list.
To check out more of our exclusive talks with authors, check out our entire One-on-One Interview series!
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