Carlos Hernandez is a writer, professor and game designer based in New York City. His debut middle grade novel, Sal & Gabi Break the Universe, which was released in 2019 by Disney under the Rick Riordan Presents imprint and received 4 starred reviews, follows Sal Vidón as he starts at a new school, deals with diabetes, bullies, making friends and manipulating the multiverse. A sequel, Sal & Gabi Fix the Universe is forthcoming.
As a writer, what animal would you choose as your mascot?
1000% panda. When I was a kid, all 4 kids in my family got pandas. For the next 10 years we created an elaborate world called Beartown together. My panda was called Canda and owned a shop called the Debonaire Bear where all the fancy bears got outfitted.
Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?
Definitely yes. If you love video games there are lots of references, especially for Street Fighter fans and Twitch watchers. I design games (I worked on a game called Meriwether about the Lewis and Clark expedition and was the Literary Curator for a recently released game called Dear Reader among other titles) and watch a lot of Twitch because of that, and ended up watching even more while writing Sal & Gabi.
If you could be a character in any children’s book you’ve ever read, who would you be and why?
Calcifer from Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. I love the character and also he is a star. An actual star.
You have written a lot of different things for different audiences - adults and kids, novels, short stories, games, etc. What is your favorite thing to write and why is it middle grade fiction?
I think we are in a middle grade Renaissance right now. Middle grade authors are currently doing more adventurous and interesting things than what is happening in literary fiction or sci-fi. Kids want to read it so incredible authors are coming to the form to write for them. I have read a lot of great new and upcoming books recently including Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca, Homerooms & Hall Passes by Tom O'Donnell, and Stand Up, Yumi Chung! by Jessica Kim.
Looking for more great book suggestions? Try our Bklyn BookMatch service and receive a customized reading list!
This blog post reflects the opinions of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of Brooklyn Public Library.
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