SATA
ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: YOU OWE ME ONE, UNIVERSE
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://www.chadlucaswrites.com
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Nova Scotia, Canada.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and journalist. Has worked variously as a newspaper reporter, freelance writer, communications advisor, journalism instructor, musician, youth basketball coach, and parenting columnist.
AWARDS:Silver Award, Atlantic Journalism Awards.
WRITINGS
Author of the “Life With Kids,” Chronicle Herald, 2011-16; contributor to periodicals and journals, including Halifax, Black to Business, Sport Quarterly, Event, and Dalhousie Review.
SIDELIGHTS
Chad Lucas is a writer who has experience working as a newspaper reporter, communications advisor, journalism instructor, musician, and parenting columnist. He authored the biweekly column, “Life With Kids,” between 2011 and 2016 at the Chronicle Herald. Lucas has also contributed to Halifax, Black to Business, Sport Quarterly, Event, and Dalhousie Review.
In an interview in the Canadian Children’s Book Centre website, Lucas shared his journey to becoming an author. He recalled: “Writing books was my dream goal since I was a kid. Gordon Korman was my favourite author, and I was always enamoured with the story that he published his first book when he was 14. I thought, ‘Maybe I can do that too!’ Now, I didn’t get published as a teenager, and I ended up making a living through other types of writing, like journalism and public relations. But I was always writing fiction on the side, and eventually, my persistence paid off.”
In Thanks a Lot, Universe, Brian’s family implodes in the last few weeks of seventh grade for him. His father has legal problems at work and attempts to flee to avoid persecution. Meanwhile, his mother attempts suicide. This leaves him and his younger brother in foster care. Classmate Ezra helps to keep Brian’s anxiety from getting the better of him. Ezra has struggled to find his friend group and really wants to be more open with coming to terms with his sexuality.
A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that “the themes and social commentary found here are gentle and organic—never heavy-handed.” The same contributor found it to be “tenderhearted and bold.” Reviewing the novel in School Library Journal, Taylor Worley stated: “Perfect for the transition from middle grade to young adult literature, this title would be at home in both collections.”
With Let the Monster Out, twelve-year-old Bones has recently moved to a small town in Nova Scotia. There he meets neurodivergent thirteen-year-old Kyle, who is happy to have made a friend in Bones. They both love baseball. When the town’s adults start acting funny when a scientist is rescued from the river, the boys enlist help from their teammates to see if the local virtual reality company, Fluxcor, may have anything to do with it.
Writing in School Library Journal, Angie Jameson opined that this novel is “perfect for fans of Stranger Things,” adding that “this science fiction novel should be on school and public library shelves.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor insisted that “Bones and Kyle are well-rounded, engaging protagonists.” The same reviewer concluded by calling the novel “a thrilling journey about acceptance and facing your deepest fears.”
Brian and Ezra are now in the eighth grade in You Owe Me One, Universe. Brian’s father was jailed for selling cannabis, and he turns to his friends and basketball teammates when he is diagnosed with depression. Ezra’s crush on Brian has grown continuously. After a failed kiss, neither he nor Brian know how to deal with the tension in their friendship. As Brian becomes more upset about his circumstances, Ezra starts growing close to Victor, who had bullied Brian in seventh grade. A Kirkus Reviews contributor remarked that “the brisk pace and clear writing make this novel broadly accessible and appealing.” The same critic called it both “smart and heartfelt.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 15, 2021, review of Thanks a Lot, Universe; March 15, 2022, review of Let the Monster Out; December 1, 2023, review of You Owe Me One, Universe.
School Library Journal, July 1, 2021, Taylor Worley, review of Thanks a Lot, Universe, p. 63; March 23, 2022, March 23, 2022, Amanda MacGregor, “Chad Lucas on COVID, Anxiety, and Trusting Young Readers;” May 1, 2022, Angie Jameson, review of Let the Monster Out, p. 76.
ONLINE
A Novel Mind, https://www.anovelmind.com/ (May 12, 2021), author interview.
Canadian Children’s Book Centre website, https://bookcentre.ca/ (June 20, 2023), author interview.
CanLit for LittleCanadians, https://canlitforlittlecanadians.blogspot.com/ (May 14, 2021), author interview.
Chad Lucas website, https://www.chadlucaswrites.com (August 16, 2024).
Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia website, https://writers.ns.ca/ (August 16, 2024), author profile; (August 16, 2024, K.R. Byggdin, author interview.
Chad Lucas
Genres: Children's Fiction
New and upcoming books
January 2025
thumb
The Vanished Ones
Series
Thanks a Lot, Universe
1. Thanks a Lot, Universe (2021)
2. You Owe Me One, Universe (2023)
Novels
Let the Monster Out (2022)
The Vanished Ones (2025)
About Chad (a slightly longer bio)
Lucas.Chad.jpg
Chad Lucas has been in love with words since he attempted his first novel on a typewriter in the sixth grade. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, communications advisor, freelance writer, part-time journalism instructor, and parenting columnist.
His work has appeared in publications including Halifax Magazine, Black to Business, Sport Quarterly and The Chronicle Herald, where he wrote a biweekly column, “Life With Kids,” from 2011-2016. He’s a previous Silver Award winner at the Atlantic Journalism Awards, and his short fiction has appeared in EVENT and The Dalhousie Review.
Chad’s debut novel THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE was named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and a best middle grade book of 2021 by the School Library Journal, New York Public Library, and Canadian Children’s Book Centre. His second book, LET THE MONSTER OUT, released in May 2022 and was nominated for the Forest of Reading Red Maple Award (2023) and the Manitoba Young Readers Choice Awards (2024). YOU OWE ME ONE, UNIVERSE, a sequel to Chad’s debut, released in November 2023 and has been named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. His fourth book, THE VANISHED ONES, will be released in January 2025.
A proud descendant of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville, Chad lives with his family in Nova Scotia. In his spare time, he enjoys coaching youth basketball, and he’s never far from a cup of tea. Chad is also a musician and played on the 2008 East Coast Music Award-winning album New Beginnings from artist Chelsea Amber.
06/20/2023 | ARTICLES
Author Interview: Chad Lucas
Author Interviews
How did you get your start as an author of books for children and young adults?
Writing books was my dream goal since I was a kid. Gordon Korman was my favourite author, and I was always enamoured with the story that he published his first book when he was 14. I thought, “Maybe I can do that too!” Now, I didn’t get published as a teenager, and I ended up making a living through other types of writing, like journalism and public relations. But I was always writing fiction on the side, and eventually, my persistence paid off.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
The short answer is “everywhere.” Sometimes other stories (books, TV shows, movies) spark ideas for me; sometimes I draw from my own life or things happening around me. It could be something that makes me curious, or even something that makes me mad. As a middle-grade writer, I also pay attention to what kids that age talk about and what catches their interest.
How did you come up with the idea for your debut novel, Thanks A Lot, Universe?
I think I drew inspiration for the inciting incident—Brian’s world collapsing on his birthday—from a period of instability I went through when I was around Brian’s age. Money was tight for a while, and we moved a lot and spent part of a year living in another family’s basement. It wasn’t as intense as Brian’s crisis, but those feelings of uncertainty stuck with me. I couldn’t have told you that’s what inspired me when I was first writing Thanks A Lot, Universe, though. It wasn’t until later that it occurred to me, “Oh, that’s probably where that came from."
You Owe Me One, Universe, comes out this fall. Were you always planning on writing a follow-up to the original book and making it a series?
As I drafted Thanks A Lot, Universe, I knew there was more of Brian and Ezra’s story that I could tell. I also knew there are no guarantees in publishing, so I ended the first book in a place that I felt could stand as a natural conclusion, while leaving room to imagine what might happen next. I’m thrilled that Thanks A Lot, Universe received such an enthusiastic reception that I was able to write a sequel, but I also tried to write You Owe Me One, Universe in a way that someone who hasn’t read the first book can enjoy it without feeling lost. So I ultimately hope both books stand on their own merits.
How did your latest book, Let the Monster Out, come about?
I actually wrote this one before Thanks A Lot, Universe sold, which goes to show how publishing works sometimes: You never know which story will break out first. Let the Monster Out is an exploration of fear and how it affects us, and it started with a question: What might a kid who insists he isn’t afraid of anything actually be afraid of? The main character, Quentin “Bones” Malone, was born out of that question, and the rest of the story followed.
How important is it to you to include positive and realistic 2SLGBTQ+ characters in your work, especially given the current climate, when books are being banned and there is so much hostility aimed at queer creators these days?
It’s critically important, especially in this environment. The book banners and fearmongers are not interested in protecting kids, as they claim. Their goal is control. They want to force their narrow, bigoted view of the world on everyone. I grew up in that kind of environment where it took me a long time to embrace my own queerness, so I know first-hand that books can help kids escape that box, and they help kids who already don’t fit in that box feel seen. I’ve had a few kids write to tell me how my books have helped them understand something about themselves in a way they didn’t before, and nothing means more to me than that.
How can children's publishing do better when it comes to representing and including 2SLGBTQ+ characters?
I could spend a lot of time on this one, but I’ll highlight a few main points:
1) Be loud in your support. It feels like authors and librarians have been on the front lines against hate, and there’s more room for publishers and others in the industry to raise their voices and stand strong.
2) Publish a wide variety of experiences, especially more queer joy. Not every story has to be a coming-out story, an “issue” book, or an encounter with bullying and bigotry. Reflecting those realistic experiences are important, but 2SLGBTQ+ characters can solve mysteries, be fantasy heroes, lead romantic comedies… all the things that straight white characters get to do. We’re seeing more of that now, but there’s lots of room to tell more of those stories.
3) Back our books with marketing and awareness year-round, not just in Pride Month. This goes for racialized authors as well. Suddenly everyone wanted to acquire Black stories in 2020 after George Floyd, but once the buzz faded, many of those books didn’t get the marketing they deserved. Now they’re being targeted for censorship too. Both 2SLGBTQ+ and racialized authors and stories need full support.
As a proud descendant of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville, how do you weave aspects of your ancestry into your books?
In some ways it’s ingrained in who I am and how I experience the world, but I’m also deliberate about writing characters who look like me, because I didn’t see a lot of them growing up. The first time I saw Ezra in the cover sketches for Thanks A Lot, Universe, it affected me in a way I wasn’t expecting—a Black kid from Nova Scotia on the cover of a book!
Can you tell us about any upcoming books?
I’ll put in another plug for You Owe Me One, Universe, which comes out on November 7. It starts about four months after Thanks A Lot, Unvierse ends: Brian is home, coping with the changes in his family, navigating his friendship with Ezra—who’s dealing with some complicated crush feelings of his own—and facing some new challenges. It was recently named a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Section, and I can’t wait to see it out in the world! I also have a short story in an anthology called Today I Am coming out next May. It’s a collection of stories from BIPOC Canadian writers edited by Jael Richardson, and I’m excited and honored to be a part of it.
CHAD LUCAS
Email: chadlucas@outlook.com
BIOGRAPHY
Chad Lucas has been in love with words since he attempted his first novel on a typewriter in the sixth grade. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, communications advisor, freelance writer, part-time journalism instructor, and parenting columnist.
His work has appeared in publications including Halifax Magazine, Black to Business, Sport Quarterly and The Chronicle Herald, where he wrote a biweekly column, “Life With Kids,” from 2011-2016. He’s a previous Silver Award winner at the Atlantic Journalism Awards, and his short fiction has appeared in EVENT and The Dalhousie Review.
A proud descendant of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville, Chad lives with his family in Nova Scotia. His debut middle grade novel, Thanks a Lot, Universe (Amulet Books/Abrams Kids) is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and earned praise as “heartwarming and bold” in a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and “funny and deeply empathetic” in a starred review from School Library Journal. His second middle grade novel, Let The Monster Out, releases in May 2022.
PUBLICATIONS
Books:
THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE – Amulet Books/Abrams Kids (ages 10-14; release date May 11, 2021)
LET THE MONSTER OUT – Amulet Books/Abrams Kids (ages 10-14; release date May 17, 2022)
Short Fiction:
“The Seventh” – EVENT Magazine (30:1)
“Gingerbread Ninja” – The Dalhousie Review (88:2)
Articles:
“Life With Kids” – Chronicle Herald column (2011-2016)
Published in The Chronicle Herald, Halifax Magazine, Sport Quarterly, Black to Business
Author spotlight: Chad Lucas
Author Spotlights
Chad Lucas has been in love with words since he attempted his first novel on a typewriter in the sixth grade. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, communications advisor, freelance writer, part-time journalism instructor, and parenting columnist. A proud descendant of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville, he lives with his family near Halifax, Nova Scotia. He enjoys coaching basketball and is rarely far from a cup of tea. Thanks a Lot, Universe is his debut novel.
You wrote Thanks a Lot, Universe while also working a day job, parenting four kids, and coaching a youth basketball team. How did you make space for your writing practice?
I’ve learned how to write just about anywhere, including on the bus to and from the office, when I’m not working from home thanks to COVID-19. I’ve also tried to find a rhythm that works for me. I don’t subscribe to the old notion that a “real” writer has to write every day—that just isn’t realistic for me right now. But I try to squeeze in writing in the early mornings and on weekends when I have longer blocks of time.
What’s the number one thing (besides a computer!) you need to write, and why?
Other than time, my noise-cancelling headphones. I have a playlist of instrumental music, mostly electronic, that helps me tune out distractions and focus. A good cup of tea doesn’t hurt either.
Sometimes middle grade writers are encouraged to employ generic North American settings for ease of marketability, but I loved how distinctly Haligonian your book is. Was this a deliberate decision on your part? And what was it like to work on a Nova Scotia-centred story with an American publisher?
It was definitely deliberate. I was an avid reader as a kid, but I encountered very few books with kids who looked like me or lived where I lived. So I wanted to set Thanks a Lot, Universe in Nova Scotia, and I’ve heard from so many local readers who loved that aspect of the book. I braced for my publisher to ask me to change the setting, but it wasn’t an issue at all. My editor and everyone at Abrams have been really supportive.
Thanks a Lot, Universe is told from the perspective of two young teenaged boys, Brian and Ezra. Was it easy for you to write in these distinct voices, or was one of them trickier to inhabit than the other?
Brian’s voice came more naturally, mostly because I had his plotline first. Ezra sort of gradually insisted on taking a bigger role in the story. But that said, Ezra’s voice was a lot of fun to write. They’re very different characters—Brian’s shy, socially anxious, an internal overthinker, while Ezra’s much more outgoing—so that made it easier to develop a distinct voice for each.
Did your characters take you in any surprising directions during the drafting process?
This book went through a lot of drafts even before I found an agent and a publisher, and as I mentioned above, Ezra kept asserting himself. He was a minor character in the first draft, and his role kept growing until finally I realized he needed to be the second narrator. Along with providing a different perspective, he brought so much more life and humour to what could have been a heavy story.
Your book touches on some important issues that many youth in Canada face. For example, Brian ends up in foster care after his parents’ struggles with mental illness and the criminal justice system, while Ezra navigates his burgeoning queer identity and deals with racial microaggressions from his white peers. How did you approach writing about these topics for a middle grade audience specifically?
Middle graders are thoughtful, curious and savvy, and today they’re growing up in a time of massive social upheaval. So it’s important not to underestimate them or talk down to them, and I tried not to do that in this book. It doesn’t end with a tidy happily-ever-after, because that wouldn’t have felt very authentic. But at the same time, I put a lot of hope and humour in this book as well. I think a middle grade audience needs that balance: they’re ready for honest talk about complicated topics, but it should come with some hope that things can get better.
Brian and his mom share a love of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Have you introduced any books to your kids that are now a family favourite?
We love Jonathan Auxier’s books, like Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes, and The Night Gardener. I still read out loud most nights with my 11-year-old, and we’re also big fans of Kwame Mbalia’s Tristan Strong books and Lamar Giles’ Legendary Alston Boys series. I love that there are more adventure stories with Black kids front and centre these days.
You were paired with author Darcy Rhyno in the 2016 Alistair MacLeod Mentorship Program. What was that process like for you?
The manuscript I worked on with Darcy, which will be my next book, is due out in spring 2022. I learned so much from working with Darcy on revising and receiving feedback that has carried over into my writing process. Working closely with a mentor is a real gift, and it helped prepare me for working with an agent and an editor.
What was it like to launch this book in a pandemic?
A mixed blessing. Of course, I had visions of launching in public with friends and family (and cake!), not from my bedroom on Instagram Live. But at the same time, it was great that some of my writer friends from across Canada and the U.S. were able to tune in and celebrate with me. And I’m grateful to Tom Ryan and Woozles, who hosted and helped make the event special. (Also, I still got cake!) I hope I get to launch Book #2 in person next year, but I’ll likely still do something online as well.
How do you blow off steam when writer’s block hits?
Going for a run or a walk has been a general sanity-saver, especially during the pandemic when we’ve all spent so much time in one place. Sometimes the cure is just patience. For me, I usually get stuck when I’ve written my way into a problem that I haven’t figured out how to solve yet, and sometimes the solution shows up randomly in the shower, or at 4 a.m. when I’m half-conscious and wishing I was asleep. I’d prefer if those solutions showed up fully formed in the morning, but sometimes you take what you can get.
Finally, can you give us a sneak peak of any upcoming projects? The universe wants more!
As I mentioned, the book I worked on as part of the Alistair MacLeod Mentorship is going to be my next published book! It’s another middle grade, about a Black boy who moves to a mostly white small town and discovers it’s a place of nightmares—literally. I’m in edits on it now and I’ve just seen first sketches for the cover, and I can’t wait until I can share more details!
—Questions by K.R. Byggdin
May 14, 2021
Thanks A Lot, Universe: Q & A with author Chad Lucas
Yesterday I reviewed Chad Lucas's debut novel
Thanks a Lot, Universe.
Thanks a Lot, Universe
Written by Chad Lucas
Amulet Books (Abrams)
978-1-4197-5102-8
288 pp.
Ages 10-14
May 2021
Reviewed here
Today, I have the pleasure of presenting this Q & A
with author Chad Lucas.
Helen Kubiw: Thanks a Lot, Universe is the essentially the story of two boys. I love the idea of the story lines of Brian and Ezra being like two different orbital paths, generally oblivious to the other, with only the occasional crossing until they blend in a new relationship. Why choose to write their story in two voices rather than one omniscient voice that tells the stories of both boys?
Chad Lucas: Brian and Ezra both wrestle in different ways with how they see themselves, and how they think others see them. Writing from their alternating perspectives felt like the best way to explore how there’s often a gap between our perceptions and reality. At first, neither boy realizes how much they’ve already had an impact on the other, until their stories begin to converge.
HK: Most authors build their characters from bits of people they have known. Sometimes they are composites of many, and sometimes they are reflective of a single individual. Who are Brian and Ezra to you?
CL: This book isn’t autobiographical, but there are pieces of me in both Brian and Ezra, and especially Ezra. He looks a lot like I did at his age, and it meant a lot to me the first time I saw him on the cover—although he’s much more assured than I was at thirteen. I also coach youth basketball, so I drew on watching kids talk and joke with each other to inspire some of the dialogue in this book. And of course, a lot of it is purely fictional.
HK: It’s rare to have a parent character to have participated in criminal activity without them being either nasty and violent or a joke. Brian’s dad is very human, capable of making mistakes and trying to run from them. Why did you decide to make him involved in the “cannabis production and distribution business”?
CL: This book is set about a year before cannabis became legal in Canada, and even now that it’s legal there are plenty of moral issues around who gets to profit (usually wealthy white people) and who’s still being punished (often people of colour). I didn’t have the space in this book to do a deep dive on the justice system, but I did want Brian’s dad to exist in this grey area with more nuance than “illegal activity = villain.” Most people aren’t “good” or “bad.” We’re all capable of loving and doing harm. Brian’s dad loves his family and wants to provide for them, but his choices have ripple effects.
HK: Brian’s social anxiety is interpreted differently by those with whom he interacts. Some see it as shyness, the nastier ones call him a freak. Worse yet is how hard Brian is on himself, calling it his Super Awkward Weirdo Syndrome (SAWS). He can overthink things and berate himself, often demonstrating a fatalism that is sad to see in one so young. Thankfully Brian does find some support, even if tenuous at first. Though I would not expect you to offer the psychological support young people with social anxiety might need, what would be one tidbit you might offer to show encouragement?
CL: Thanks for including that disclaimer, because I’m definitely not a trained professional! But you’ve already named something I hope readers take away: we’re often hardest on ourselves, and sometimes we need to trust other people to help us get out of our own heads. I remember times even as a kid when I’d lie awake second-guessing myself or agonizing over something that felt like a massive failure but ended up far less of a big deal than I made it out to be. Brian does encounter kids who pick on his perceived weaknesses, which is unfortunately reality sometimes, but he also meets people who have much more kindness and grace for him than he’s expecting, and they help him see differently.
HK: While Brian would never be considered an optimist, I probably wouldn’t call him a pessimist. He’s more a realist, recognizing that life isn’t always easy and there will be things that happen that are unfair. However, his dad’s advice, that he should “Brace yourself and kick right back” (pg. 84), may not seem very wise at first though it does give Brian a push to be less intimidated. Do you think that advice tells us more about Brian or his dad?
CL: I love this question. I think the advice itself says a lot about Brian’s dad. I have a whole backstory for him in my head going back to his own teenage years, and I could only include a fraction of it in the book, but I think this line reflects how he learned to navigate the world. But without spoiling too much, Brian has to figure out if what worked for his dad will actually work for him… and his dad has to rethink a few things too.
HK: Thanks a Lot, Universe is very much a coming-of-age story in which two boys face different challenges involved with learning who they are and can be. Why write this story?
CL: I can still remember what it’s like to wrestle with those enormous questions of identity at that age. And without being too heavy-handed about it, I wanted to reflect that it’s OK for boys to be complex and emotional. Even a star basketball player like Gabe, one of my supporting characters, displays a sensitive side and helps Brian learn how to face some of his own fears. Sometimes boys need permission and safe places to drop the mask and be vulnerable, and I think books can help create that space.
HK: Music is an important component in Thanks a Lot, Universe, with Ezra DJing and sharing music with Brian. What would be the playlists for Brian, for Ezra and for the two boys’ relationship?
CL: I was asked this recently for a book festival I’m participating in at the end of May, and I made a playlist of songs that either show up in the book in some form or make me think of the characters. One song Brian and Ezra bond over is “Wolf Like Me” by TV On The Radio, which is about becoming a werewolf—and liking it. It’s a killer rock song, but it also felt like a fitting metaphor about embracing the things that make you different. As my book’s tagline says, Be Brave. Be Real. Be Weird.
Thanks a Lot, Universe - the playlist by Chad Lucas on Spotify
HK: Though you don’t actually end Thanks a Lot, Universe tied up with a perfect happy resolution, you offer hope that things will be okay and maybe Brian will have a good year after all. Why leave things open?
CL: Brian and his family go through some genuine struggles in this book, and I don’t think a tidy happily-ever-after would have felt realistic or satisfying to young readers. I respect that middle graders are incredibly savvy, and some of them have been through situations like Brian experiences, or worse. I wanted to end with some hope, but I wouldn’t dare talk down to kids by implying that everything always resolves itself in the end. And besides that, I might want to revisit these characters someday!
• • • • • • •
Many thanks to Chad Lucas
for answering my questions
(and especially for the short turnaround time given him)
and sharing about Brian and Ezra
and the world that is Thanks a Lot, Universe.
Thanks also to Rachel Wehniainen, Publicist at Manda Group,
for facilitating this interview.
• • • • • • •
May 12, 2021
Chad Lucas: Representation and Permission (self-esteem)
My debut middle grade novel, Thanks A Lot, Universe, officially released on May 11, but I’ve been lucky enough to hear from some readers who enjoyed advance copies. Not long ago, someone said they wished they could have read this book in middle school, because Brian’s anxiety was a lot like their own, and they would have felt comforted to know it wasn’t just them who felt that way.
That comment meant a lot to me, because I could have used a book like Thanks A Lot, Universe too.
Growing up in the ‘80s and ‘90s, I spent a lot of time in books, and in my own imagination. I read and reread Gordon Korman and Judy Blume, the Hardy Boys and Encyclopedia Brown, the Chronicles of Narnia and the Babysitters Club. Sometimes I’d imagine myself as a dorm mate of Bruno and Boots in Korman’s hilarious Macdonald Hall series, or as an honorary Hardy brother helping Frank and Joe solve mysteries.
It took some imagination on my part, because the heroes in those books were mostly white. And as much as I loved those stories, those heroes didn’t experience the world the same way I did. I’m not saying there were zero books out there that reflected my experiences, but there weren’t a lot, and I wasn’t finding them as a kid.
I’ve forgotten who gave me The Autobiography of Malcolm X when I was thirteen, but it’s the first book I remember reading by a Black author, and it blew my mind. It was a different way of seeing the world than I had experienced before. I’m from an interracial family, but in my suburban community on Canada’s east coast, we attended a predominantly white church and I went to predominantly white schools where white teachers assigned books by white authors. Malcolm X started me thinking about representation. His words gave me permission to see the world differently—and myself differently. I remember having the same feelings the first time I read Ralph Ellison and Toni Morrison a few years later.
Sometimes we need those permissions from others to help us along. In Thanks A Lot, Universe, Brian struggles for valid reasons: a family crisis upends his life and causes his anxiety to become more intense. But he feels like he’s broken, until he’s able to hear from an older teenager that he grows to trust: “You’re not alone, and it’s OK not to be OK.”
Between the pandemic and the general state of the world, lots of young people are struggling right now, and some of them need to know it’s OK not to be OK. It’s not always easy to receive those messages from other people, and sometimes kids don’t have people in their lives who can reassure them in that way. Books aren’t a cure-all, but they can create space and permission for young readers to wrestle with big emotions and heavy feelings. Books can provide comfort that they’re not alone in whatever they’re going through.
Sometimes as writers we have to give ourselves permission before we can create those spaces for readers. I must admit it took me a while to let myself write my other main character, Ezra, the way he needed to be written: a biracial queer kid who wrestles with his identities and how the world will see him, but is ultimately comfortable in his own skin.
I didn’t meet kids like that in books growing up. As a boy I buried my own feelings for other boys, because my religious upbringing told me they were wrong. I was well into adulthood before I felt comfortable owning terms like bisexual and queer.
Allowing myself to write a character like Ezra was honestly liberating. But I still wasn’t prepared for how deeply moved I felt when I saw the cover of Thanks a Lot, Universe in full color for the first time, and one thought overwhelmed me: I wrote a book with a kid on the cover who looks and feels like I did at thirteen.
Thankfully, there are a growing number of great middle grade books with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ main characters, books that represent mental health and neurodiversity well, and books that do a few of those things at once. One thing I tried to do in Thanks A Lot, Universe is show that kids can contain multitudes—a sporty kid can also be anxious, or queer. A confident kid can have moments of emotion and grief. I’ll be thrilled if any kids who pick up this book feel like it gives them more permission to be fully themselves.
Chad Lucas has been in love with words since he attempted his first novel on a typewriter in the sixth grade. He has worked as a newspaper reporter, communications advisor, freelance writer, part-time journalism instructor, and parenting columnist. A proud descendant of the historic African Nova Scotian community of Lucasville, he lives with his family near Halifax, Nova Scotia. He enjoys coaching basketball and is rarely far from a cup of tea. Thanks a Lot, Universe is his debut novel.
Chad Lucas on COVID, Anxiety, and Trusting Young Readers | Middle Grade & Mental Health
by Amanda MacGregor
Mar 23, 2022 | Filed in News & Features
0
Thanks A Lot, Universe cover, Chad Lucas portrait, and childhood snapshotChad Lucas's middle grade novel Thanks a Lot, Universe is about a boy who starts having panic attacks when he and his brother are placed in foster care. Lucas, profiled in SLJ's feature "Not OK? That's OK," talks here about COVID, mental health, and trusting the intelligence of young readers.
What drew you to writing about mental health? Why does this subject matter?
It matters because mental health issues are more prevalent than ever. After everything we’ve been through collectively in the past few years, I think you’d have a hard time finding a middle grade reader who hasn’t seen someone wrestle with their mental health—whether it’s a friend, classmate, family member, or themselves. Books can be one way to help kids process what they’re seeing or experiencing.
What kinds of interventions, treatments, supports, and therapies take place in your book?
The main character, Brian, first has to get to a place where he accepts, “It’s OK to talk about this. I don’t need to hide it or carry it alone.” Without giving too much away, he gradually builds trust with friends who nudge him toward understanding that getting help is OK.
Tell me about the effects mental health has on Brian, his family, and those around him.
One thing I explored in Thanks a Lot, Universe is the intergenerational impact of mental health issues. Brian and his brother spend time in foster care when their mother has a crisis. As he’s dealing with this sudden upheaval in his life, Brian’s own anxiety becomes more acute.
What is the most challenging part of writing about these topics for middle grade readers?
You have to trust the intelligence of young readers. I believe in the importance of hope in middle grade, but you can’t sell kids a falsely optimistic, “There there, everything will work out fine” narrative, either. They’re too smart for that. In the current atmosphere around kidlit, especially in the United States, another big challenge is the self-appointed adult gatekeepers who are trying to ban books that make them uncomfortable.
What do you hope readers take away from your book(s)?
In Thanks a Lot, Universe, Brian and Ezra are carrying personal things that they’re afraid to talk about at first, but opening up ultimately helps them. My next book, Let the Monsters Out (May 2022), has a very different plot, but that’s also a common thread for the main character, Bones Malone. First and foremost, I hope kids simply enjoy my books, but I hope they also take away that some burdens are less heavy when you don’t carry them alone.
What do you hope to see explored more in middle grade books that deal with mental health?
I think it’s helpful to show kids experiencing therapy and other treatments. I also think it’s great when a character lives with their illness or mental health challenges without it being the main focus of the story. That’s not to say we don’t need more books focused on mental health, but I think it helps normalize and destigmatize mental health when we also see anxious characters go on adventures, solve mysteries, and do all the things that other kids in books get to do.
Did you draw from any personal experiences or have connections to any of the issues explored?
Mental health issues run through multiple generations of my family, but no one really talked about it when I was younger. I think I internalized some ideas and stigmas that I had to unlearn for my own well-being. I’m glad we talk about mental health more openly now, but we can still get better at it.
Any recommendations for books with good mental health representation?
I love how naturally Bea’s “big emotions” and her conversations with her therapist are woven into Rebecca Stead’s The List of Things That Will Not Change. And Nicole Melleby’s How to Become a Planet is one of the best middle grade books about a character with depression that I’ve read yet.
LUCAS, Chad. Thanks a Lot, Universe. 288p. Abrams/Amulet. May 2021. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9781419751028.
Gr 5-8--Author Lucas scores big with this debut. Readers follow Brian, who is white, and Ezra, who is Trinidadian and Polish, during the last weeks of seventh grade. Brian's family fractures when his father leaves in an attempt to avoid legal repercussions at his job and his mother attempts suicide. As Brian and his little brother find themselves in foster care, Brian's existing anxiety becomes overwhelming. Meanwhile, Ezra navigates rapidly changing friendships and struggles to share his sexuality with folks important to him. As the boys' bond grows, they truly see and uplift each other, illustrating the importance of honest friendships. Lucas's prose is funny and deeply empathetic, respecting readers' ability to handle heavy topics but lightened with frequent laugh-out-loud moments. The diverse cast of characters demonstrates the complexity of friendship and navigating difficult conversations. While similar real-world experiences are likely to be bumpier than portrayed here, the book's hope and positivity are infectious. Readers can learn a great deal from these characters. VERDICT Painfully real and radiantly hopeful, this is a recommended first purchase. Perfect for the transition from middle grade to young adult literature, this title would be at home in both collections, and certainly on middle school shelves.--Taylor Worley, Springfield P.L., OR
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Worley, Taylor. "LUCAS, Chad. Thanks a Lot, Universe." School Library Journal, vol. 67, no. 7, July 2021, pp. 63+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A667846345/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=54331eb3. Accessed 15 June 2024.
Lucas, Chad THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE Amulet/Abrams (Children's None) $16.99 5, 11 ISBN: 978-1-4197-5102-8
Two boys in Halifax, Nova Scotia, grow close as they encounter adolescent struggles and life changes.
Chronic overthinker Brian already faces severe social anxiety and isolation from his peers when his 13th birthday starts off about as badly as a birthday can go: His father leaves home, possibly on the run from the police, and his mother attempts suicide in response. Now, left with the responsibility of caring for his younger brother, Richie, and juggling the massive life changes that come in the aftermath, Brian can’t quite keep it all together. Thankfully, he isn’t completely alone: Ezra, an open-hearted fellow member of their school’s basketball team, feels a kinship (and possibly more) with quiet and elusive Brian. Together, the two boys offer support for one another as they come of age and try to find their best selves amid the turbulent times of seventh grade. Featuring snappy dialogue from earnest tween voices, skillful prose guides this engrossing story from start to finish. The themes and social commentary found here are gentle and organic—never heavy-handed—and the plot’s antagonists are far from two-dimensional, expertly reflecting real-life human complexity for a middle-grade audience. Ezra is of Trinidadian and Polish descent, Brian is implied White, and the supporting characters have a broad range of racial backgrounds.
Tenderhearted and bold. (Fiction. 10-13)
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"Lucas, Chad: THANKS A LOT, UNIVERSE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A658194701/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=f5fdc31e. Accessed 15 June 2024.
Lucas, Chad LET THE MONSTER OUT Amulet/Abrams (Children's None) $16.99 5, 17 ISBN: 978-1-4197-5126-4
Two boys and their friends face off against a shady corporation that threatens to overtake their small town.
Bones Malone, a fiercely protective and daring 12-year-old with a Black mom and absent White father, is new to the mostly White town of Langille, Nova Scotia. Kyle Specks, a wickedly smart White 13-year-old, has always had a hard time fitting in; he suspects he's neurodivergent. The two boys' paths cross through their passion for baseball. Each notices mysterious changes in the town's adults' behavior, and after saving a missing scientist from drowning, they develop suspicions about a dastardly plot. It's no coincidence that Fluxcor, a virtual reality tech company, has established an increased presence in Langille. The boys enlist the help of teammates Marcus Robeson (son of their coach, a retired Black professional baseball player) and Chinese Canadian Albert Chen to shut down Fluxcor and its evil CEO. Throughout their adventures they each have to face their worst nightmares, but they find strength in knowing they don't need to shoulder their burdens alone. Through thoughtful and gripping omniscient narration, the author seamlessly weaves in clue after clue, leaving readers eager to reach this mystery's heart-pounding end. Bones and Kyle are well-rounded, engaging protagonists; the author uses the concept of fear and how we handle it to give depth to secondary characters.
A thrilling journey about acceptance and facing your deepest fears. (Mystery. 10-14)
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"Lucas, Chad: LET THE MONSTER OUT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A696498549/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a9d53bb2. Accessed 15 June 2024.
LUCAS, Chad. Let the Monster Out. 320p. Amulet. May 2022. Tr $17.99. ISBN 9781419751264.
Gr 5 Up--Twelve-year-old Bones Malone and his family move to Langille, a quiet Canadian town, for a fresh start after facing domestic issues in their old town. Coping with being one of the only Black kids there, Bones finds a place for himself on the baseball team. When Langille announces free Wi-Fi for the entire community, people around town quickly begin to transition into a zombie-like state. After Bones's mom is infected, he teams up with Kyle, the baseball team's homeschooled genius, to get to the bottom of the Wi-Fi's effect on the community. Lucas crafts an enjoyable science fiction mystery with characters who travel into different dream dimensions based on their greatest fears. Bones struggles to control his temper while Kyle desires to understand his neurodivergent brain, and the dream-traveling allows the friends to take a walk in each other's footsteps. As the team works together to conquer the evil forces controlling the town, they learn the value of community and friendship. While this text offers a light, humorous tone, some scenes are juxtaposed with heavier content, including descriptions of the parental abuse that shapes Bones's fears. VERDICT Perfect for fans of Stranger Things, this science fiction novel should be on school and public library shelves.--Angie Jameson
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Jameson, Angie. "LUCAS, Chad. Let the Monster Out." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 5, May 2022, p. 76. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A702476091/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0d5d5c02. Accessed 15 June 2024.
Lucas, Chad YOU OWE ME ONE, UNIVERSE Amulet/Abrams (Children's None) $17.99 11, 7 ISBN: 9781419766862
Nova Scotia middle schoolers Brian and Ezra return with new obstacles to overcome in this sequel to Thanks a Lot, Universe (2021).
Eighth grade brings many changes for the best friends. To start with, there's the crush that Ezra has on Brian, which neither of them knows how to resolve, leading up to a test kiss that fizzles. Brian is also coping with his father's imprisonment for cannabis distribution and trying to hold it all together for his family. Luckily, he has the basketball team and a solid group of racially diverse friends, who become vital when he's diagnosed with depression. Ezra is getting more into his music, preparing for a school talent show that unexpectedly leads to feelings of attraction for Victor, the boy who spent last year bullying Brian. Ezra becomes increasingly conflicted as he and Victor spend more time together, especially since Brian seems to be on the decline, and he doesn't know how to help him. Throughout the turbulence, the boys lean on their community as they navigate their growing pains. Themes of identity, mental health, and responsibility are tenderly and expertly addressed through the authentic dialogue and interactions among the friends. The keenly observed character development extends beyond the protagonists, allowing readers to immerse themselves in their community. The brisk pace and clear writing make this novel broadly accessible and appealing. Brian is white; Ezra has a Polish Canadian dad and a Black Trinidadian mom.
Smart and heartfelt. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)
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"Lucas, Chad: YOU OWE ME ONE, UNIVERSE." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Dec. 2023, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A774415085/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5b1acf64. Accessed 15 June 2024.