Today I welcome Kira Bigwood, author of SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY, illustrated by Celia Krampien. Kira lives in the Chicago area, my hometown, which I plan to visit later this year. Maybe we can meet up at one of the wonderful indie bookstores I hope to visit when I’m in town. Her launch was at the most adorable bookstore in Evanston Booked, where I did a reading of ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON in 2019.
Kira is offering one lucky winner a PB critique (fiction under 700 words) so comment on this post to enter the giveaway.
What were you like at the age of your target audience?
I was big into dance and the arts, and wanted to be a Rockette when I grew up…unfortunately, I never grew past 5 foot, 1 (and a half!) inches. When I wasn’t tapping my little heart out, you could find me wandering around outside (the 80s were the best!) with my brother and sister, digging for sandfiddlers at the beach, or just playing imaginative games “out back.” I loved reading, and was always writing…stories, poems, songs. I even had my own greeting card company, Kira-Me-Not cards (a blatant rip off of Forget-Me-Not cards, haha).
What inspires you?
he short answer? My kids and our dog! In fact, I wrote SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY after being booby-trapped by them for like, the zillionth time. I also enjoy soaking up everything the great outdoors has to offer…no one tells a story like Mother Nature! Music, theater, movies, books, tv shows, museums, cultural experiences—it all helps me “fill the well.”
What’s something you hope readers take away from your book?
To stay sneaky☺. In a world filled with screens, remote school, and over-structured days, it’s easy to forget what kids are meant to do. Their mission? To play! To use their imagination! To create a whole new world, and get lost in it! I hope this book serves as a fun reminder to do just that.
What’s next for you?
I’m touching up some manuscripts for my agent right now, including some non-fiction science. Hoping one of them will be my next book! I’m also busy with a local #DyslexiaAwareness group advocating for the 1 in 5 children with dyslexia, including my son. Did you know by the time a dyslexic kid reads ONE word, their brain has done 4,000 more computations than that of their neurotypical peers? If you have a kid who cries or changes the subject when you ask them to read aloud, is fatigued after reading just a few pages, or whose reading/writing abilities don’t match up to their verbal abilities, YOU MIGHT HAVE A KID WITH DYSLEXIA.
I appreciate the opportunity to chat with you, Laura! Thanks for having me!
To learn more about Kira and her books:
Instagram: @KiraBigwood. Twitter @KBigwood website: kirabigwood.com
Laura Roettiger Books 
I love the idea of your book and can’t wait to read it. Thank you for the chance to win a critique to help me improve my manuscript.
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Thank you, Danielle!
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Thanks for reading, Danielle. Doesn’t this book look like fun!? Good luck in the giveaway.
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Thank you this interesting interview and sharing about your background and your new book! The book is so clever and a lot of fun! Congratulations and best wishes with it! 🙂
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Thanks so much!
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Mia, thank you for reading. I feel like Kira is a kindred spirit. As a teacher, my goal was to encourage curiosity and love learning. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Thank you for the great interview Laura. Congratulations on such a fun book, Kira and Celia! Look forward to reading. Stay sneaky … love it!! My daughter would agree 😉 Thanks so much for the critique opportunity, Kira – so generous! All the best, Rosanna Montanaro
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Thank you, and good luck!
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Rosanna, thanks so much for reading. Yes, stay sneaky made me smile, too! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Looking forward to reading this book!
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Thanks for reading the interview and yes, definitely a book that will be fun for everyone! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Hope you like it, Erika!
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Wow, a starred review from Kirkus! Congratulations on creating a book that’s filled with kid-appeal and cleverness. Someone will be really lucky to win a critique from you.
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Thanks for reading, Janet! Yes, this book screams kid appeal! Good luck in the giveaway and thank you for being a wonderful supporter of my blog and the kidlit community.
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Thank you so much, Janet! Just found out it got a starred review from SLJ today–excited for kids to enjoy it!
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Congratulations!! That’s so exciting 🌟
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Thank you! This is a wonderful interview. I agree I wish kids would remember to play and just get off electronics.
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Thanks for reading, Natalie. I’m all about play and when my daughter was in kindergarten she was one of two children in the class without computers (she’s an adult now so it was a different era) and the two who didn’t have computers were also the only two who entered kindergarten reading. I doubt that was a coincidence. Good luck in the giveaway!
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Thank you, Natalie! Yes, imaginative play is so crucial!
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Thank you, Natalie!
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Such a fun idea for a book! And “stay sneaky” is such great advice. Thanks for the critique opportunity!
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Thanks for reading and stopping by the blog. I just read this book today and it’s AMAZING! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Sounds like a great guide for kids (and parents) on the importance of being free to simply be.
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Rita, thank you for reading. I got a copy of SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY yesterday and it’s delightful! Good luck in the giveaway.
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Thanks for a great interview! I look forward to reading this, and congrats on the starred review! We used to live in Evanston- a terrific place for kids- and I hope for a chance to go back and visit Booked.
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Lisa, thanks so much for reading. I’m a Northwestern grad and lived near Evanston most of my life. It’s been fun connecting with Kira on so many different topics! Good luck in the giveaway!
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This book looks so good! I can’t wait to read!
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Thanks for reading, Chloe. I got a copy of SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY yesterday and it’s wonderful! Such a kid-friendly book and the illustrator did a wonderful job. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Kira what a fun idea for a PB book. Fun times for kids to play at home. Good luck in your writing journey.
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Penny, thanks for reading. We love SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY here. I have a very special just-turned-two year old who I read it to over FaceTime and she loved it too. Good luck in the giveaway.
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Your book sounds adorable! Can’t wait to read it! Thank you for the insight into dyslexia. I never realized it could cause exhaustion.
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Thanks for reading, Donna. We love SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY! It’s so much fun and even more fun after reading multiple times! As a reading specialist, I know many learning challenges are exhausting because the student is working harder to achieve the same thing. And now I’m thinking of some of my former darlings, 😊😊 Good luck in the giveaway.
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This book sounds so awesome! I can’t wait to read it!
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Thanks for reading the interview and good luck in the giveaway! I’m doing the raffle right now. And yes, the book is fabulous!
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