The Children’s Book Review | September 28, 2018
Get to know Milla from Erin Soderberg’s Daring Dreamers Club: Milla Takes Charge—touching on everyday dramas and the ups and downs of friendship, this series will enchant all readers who are princesses at heart.
The Children’s Book Review: What gets you out of bed in the morning?
Milla: My pet pig, Chocolate Chip, loves to snack first thing in the morning, so he usually snuffles me awake! But I like to get up early so I have some time to play with him before school starts. Chip always keeps things interesting at our house . . . and he gives me lots of great material for the adventure stories I write!
Do you like to read?
My friends have warned me my house might collapse from the weight of all the books I keep piled up in my room. I only use one drawer in my dresser for actual clothes because the rest of them are stuffed with books. And don’t everlook under my bed—my moms would describe it as a disaster area. (But I know exactly what’s under there, so it’s organized chaos!) I guess that’s the long way of saying yes, huh?
I see you have a bag with you. Will you tell us what you keep inside it?
I always have a notebook and pen for writing stories and taking notes about things I see or ideas I have. I also have my journal for Ms. Bancroft’s advisory group assignments. (My friends and I nicknamed our advisory class the Daring Dreamers Club!) I always have a book to read, and I usually bring along another book just in case I finish the first one. Okay—sometimes I have a third book for days when I’m in the mood to read something different.
Are you hungry right now? Can we fix you anything to eat? Maybe we could make your favorite dish?
I’m going to have to say no because of my food allergies—better safe than sorry. But my best friend, Piper, makes the most amazing snacks—she’s a really talented food scientist. So if I’m ever craving a specific dish, I tell Piper and she’ll find a way to whip up something even better than I could have imagined. The best part about Piper’s cooking? She always works around my allergies, which isn’t the easiest task! But she’s awesome and totally up to the challenge!
Do you have a favorite song?
Ever since we picked the Disney Princess we most relate to for Ms. Bancroft’s advisory group, I can’t get the songs from Beauty and the Beast out of my head. (Belle is my Princess because we both love reading and adventure!) “Great Wide Somewhere” is probably my favorite song.
Are you a rule follower or a rule breaker?
In the stories I write, I like to have my characters break some rules—it’s fun to take risks when you’re acting as a character. But in real life, I’m a total rule follower. I want to be an adventure writer someday, though, so I’m finally learning to take more risks!
When was the last time you felt embarrassed?
When I was five I got bit by a dog. Now, I’ve had a long scar on my face. One day I was at the grocery store with my mom, and a little kid pointed at me and told his dad it looked like my face was broken. The dad made him apologize, which was nice, even if it was a little awkward for everyone. But then the clerk at the checkout gave me this pitying look and said, “I bet there’s an awfully pretty face under that scar.” That’s when my mom got all mad and said a bunch of stuff to her, and the whole scene was a little embarrassing. I love that my parents have my back, but it’s never great having lots of people stare at you and your furious mom in a store. I’ve gotten used to my scar and kind of like that it tells a story about my life, but I don’t love the extra attention it sometimes brings.
If you weren’t answering the questions in this interview right now, what would you be doing?
Reading or writing. Or setting up a land in the backyard for Chocolate Chip to play in. Or hanging out with my friends from the Daring Dreamers Club!
Do you have any secrets you would like to share with us before you go?
When I’m reading really action-packed books, I sometimes read the last chapter early because I need to know what happens. I’m always too nervous to wait until I get to the end. Also, I sometimes let Chocolate Chip snuggle with me on the off-limits chair in the living room. (Shhhh!)
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Written by Erin Soderberg
Illustrated by Anoosha Syed
Publisher’s Synopsis: When you follow your dreams, the possibilities are endless!
Milla loves nothing more than imagining grand adventures in the great wide somewhere, just like Belle. She dreams of traveling the world and writing about her incredible discoveries. Unfortunately, there is nothing pretend about the fifth-grade overnight and Milla’s fear that her moms won’t let her go.
Enter Piper, Mariana, Zahra, and Ruby. Together with Milla, they form the Daring Dreamers Club and become best friends. But can they help Milla believe she’s ready for this real grand adventure?
Diverse, talented, and smart–these five girls found each other because they all had one thing in common: big dreams. Touching on everyday dramas and the ups and downs of friendship, this series will enchant all readers who are princesses at heart.
Ages 8-12 | Publisher: RH/Disney | June 5, 2018 | ISBN-13: 978-0736439244
Available Here:
About the Author
Erin Soderberg’s favorite Disney Princess is Ariel, because – like Erin – she loves to explore and learn about interesting new places. Erin has traveled to many countries around the world, and lived in New York City, Sweden, and England before settling in Minneapolis, MN, with her husband, three hilarious kids, and a mischievous goldendoodle named Wally. She has written more than fifty books for young readers, including The Quirks and Puppy Pirates series, and the middle-grade novel Moon Shadow (as Erin Downing). Learn more at: erinsoderberg.com.
This interview with Milla, a character from Daring Dreamers Club: Milla Takes Charge, was conducted between Erin Soderberg and Bianca Schulze. For similar books and articles, follow along with our content tagged with Character Development, Character Interviews, Disney, Dream Big Books, and Friendship.