The latest Epic! Originals printed book has now hit the (in-store and digital) shelves! Learn more about this kids’ favorite in our Q&A with author Courtney Sheinmel and her creation, Piper Maclane.
Courtney Sheinmel, Author
Epic!: Growing up, did you have any unique challenges that caused you to miss out on things other kids were able to do?
CS: When I was a kid, I was the shortest of all my friends. Not by a couple inches. But by a head or two. I was so short in third grade that when I stood next to my sister’s kindergarten friends, I was shorter than most of them, too.
This made me feel really different and self-conscious. I wasn’t as fast a runner—short legs. I wasn’t as high a jumper. People would say, “Oh, you must be good at hide & seek, because you can fit in small spaces.” But that didn’t make me feel any better.
These days I’m still shorter than all my friends. I’m only five feet tall, which is pretty short for a grownup. But I don’t mind so much anymore.
Epic!: You dedicated “My Pet Slime” to your grandmothers. What made you decide to dedicate the book to them?
CS: I had two wonderful grandmothers—my Grandma Doris on my dad’s side and my Grandma Diane on my mom’s side. Piper is very close to her Grandma Sadie. When I was writing about it, it made me think of all the good memories I have of my grandmothers, and so I dedicated the book to them.
Epic!: You dedicated “My Pet Slime” to your grandmothers. What made you decide to dedicate the book to them?
CS: I had two wonderful grandmothers—my Grandma Doris on my dad’s side and my Grandma Diane on my mom’s side. Piper is very close to her Grandma Sadie. When I was writing about it, it made me think of all the good memories I have of my grandmothers, and so I dedicated the book to them.
Epic!: What themes in the series are most important to you?
CS: I think the theme of friendship—in all its unexpected forms—is really the heart of this series.
Epic!: Should kids look up to Piper? What traits does she have that would benefit kids to emulate?
CS: I admire Piper’s creativity—she wants to be an artist when she grows up, and her favorite material to work with is slime! I also love her capacity for forgiveness. I don’t want to give too much away, but Piper has a bit of a problem with another girl in school, Claire, and in the end I think Piper handles their conflict rather well.
Epic!: Where did you come up with Piper’s pet slime recipe?
CS: My inspiration for all things slime is my friend Logan’s ten-year-old daughter!
Now let’s catch up with Piper for a little insight into what makes the young artiste tick!
Piper Maclane, 5th Grader
Epic!: Hi, Piper! Thanks for chatting with us today.
Piper: Sure!
Epic!: You’ve said you want to be a great artist like Frida Kahlo and Leonardo DaVinci when you grow up. What made you decide you want to be an artist?
Piper: Hmm … that’s a really hard question to answer. It’s like someone asking “What made you decide that purple is your favorite color?” It’s not anything in particular that made me decide about purple. It’s just the color that makes me happiest to look at. And doing art makes me really happy, too. That’s why I want to be an artist.
Epic!: What do you admire most about Grandma Sadie?
Piper: Grandma Sadie is the bravest person I know! She explores space. That’s her job. It’s not easy at all. Space is big and unknown and sometimes very scary. But that hasn’t stopped Grandma Sadie!
Epic!: How has your pet Cosmo made a difference in your life?
Piper: Cosmo taught me that when you have something in your life that you really don’t like (like my allergies) it can lead to something very special (like a pet made out of slime).
Thank you, Piper!
“Undersea Mystery Club” Also in Print!
Don’t miss the release of “Undersea Mystery Club” online and in stores today. Learn more!
About the Author
Courtney Sheinmel is a chocolate lover, a mac-and-cheese expert and the author of over twenty highly celebrated books for kids and teens, including the middle grade series The Kindness Club, and the young readers’ series Stella Batts and Magic on the Map. She lives in New York City.
Want to see more? Get all the My Pet Slime books and check out the rest of our wildly popular Epic Originals titles for your kid today.
