This dynamic duo have joined forces to create a fun early reader with neurodiverse characters.

The Secret Science Society’s Spectacular Experiment focuses on a group of kids dealing with diagnoses such as ASD, GAD and ADHD. What led you to create characters like this?

K & J: We have both written extensively on the Autism Spectrum and to a lesser extent, ADHD and anxiety. Every classroom has kids with these diagnoses who often feel ostracised or misunderstood. We wanted to create a book they could relate to, that validates their quirks, strengths and weaknesses so they could recognise themselves on the page, and to also normalise their characteristics and behaviours to their peers.

The story addresses these themes in a light-hearted and accessible way. Was this intentional?

K & J: Absolutely! A diagnosis is not a death sentence. It doesn’t change who these kids are. They simply are who they are. They can have fun and create havoc and be kids just like any other. We didn’t want to write a serious book about kids with diagnoses. We wanted to write a fun book about a crazy science experiment performed by a diverse bunch of kids, some of them just happened to have diagnoses.

The teachers in The Secret Science Society always deal with the students with patience and compassion. What would your advice be to those teaching children with these diagnoses?

K: Treat your students with patience and compassion! Be consistent, have a good sense of humour & most importantly, be fair.

J: I’ve always asked teachers to try not to single out a diagnosis, to be inclusive, to not view that child any differently to other students, and to try not to take on stereotype views but to get to know these children as individuals. Yes, they may require different ‘treatment’ or ‘strategies’, but it’s their needs that need the focus, as do the needs of every child in that classroom.

The characters experience their own unique difficulties. How did you go about creating your cast of characters?

K & J: There was no great plan. We simply threw a bunch of very diverse children together and stood back to see what happened. The best part of writing is allowing your characters to come alive. Zane quickly took over, and because he was such an endearing and interesting character, who created havoc as we wrote, we let him dominate. Bart’s logical mind and Kiki’s sweet cautious nature were a perfect balance to the ‘Zane chaos’. Mona was just plain fun to write —the ‘popular’ girl forced into her greatest nightmare: the ‘geek’ club.

The students must overcome differences in order to work together. How did you collaborate on this book?

K & J: Although we live only ten minutes apart, we mostly worked via email. We would take it in turns to work on the Master Copy, then send it back to edit each other’s work. We have very different styles, but a similar sense of humour and although we edited each other’s work fairly heavily, we rarely disagreed on what we felt would work. Interestingly, our collaboration was not unlike our Secret Science Society characters working together to achieve a goal. The final result is very much a blend of the best of both of us.

Do you have plans to work together again in the future?

K & J: Yes, we’re already working on book two. It has a space theme and we had a blast (pardon the pun) doing research at the NASA exhibition at the Queensland Museum and Planetarium.

Kathy, a few of your previous novels are being adapted into graphic novels. Was this a goal for you?

K: Sometimes you don’t know you want something until it is offered to you. When my publisher suggested that Blue Bottle Mystery and Lisa and the Lacemaker would be made into graphic novels, I was delighted.

Kathy, you lived in the United Arab Emirates for 13 years. And Josie, you grew up in rural Australia. How has this influenced your writing?

K: When I left for Dubai, a friend said, “You will come back a different person”. Little did I realise how true those words would be. Living in a different culture, travelling extensively and being exposed to so many worldviews gave me a deeper appreciation of the rich diversity of humankind and nature. I’ve written books set in the Arabian Desert and the traits of people I met find their way into my characters. I also came to realise that children on the spectrum have similar traits whatever their nationality. It shows we are all the same regardless of our skin colour or nationality.

J: Absolutely! Born as the first generation of Italian migrants in a multicultural community was the foundation for many of my characters. Growing up as a minority had highs and lows, and I share some of those experiences in my fiction. Living in a country town where I had to entertain myself most of the time, allowed my imagination to grow and blossom. At age 9 I wrote, illustrated and ‘published’ my own raw picture books and placed them in my school library for borrowing.

...A diagnosis is not a death sentence. It doesn’t change who these kids are. ...

You have both written in a range of genres. Does your writing process change for each genre, do you have a favourite?

K: I started as a fantasy author and I love bungee jumping into new worlds, giving my characters the freedom to do what they want. My non-fiction writing is much more structured but there is a simple beauty and joy in facts. I enjoy both styles for different reasons.

J: I love segueing in and out of differing genres, it keeps me on my toes and allows me to learn, grow and develop further experiences so as not to become stagnant with my writing. I have to admit writing fiction for children is where my passion lies; it secretly allows my inner child to come out and play.

Do either of you have any new projects coming up?

K: I am in the process of updating my photo books, I am also writing a biography telling the incredible story of a teenage girl horrifically brain damaged in a car accident, and in my ‘spare’ time I am working on a children’s picture book capturing the essence of the Bible.

J: I have two picture books being released in 2020. I am also co- writing an Australian historical feature film script, pitching a feature documentary about Autism and writing two other resources on Autism. And because I always have all my fingers and toes in too many pies, there’s even a musical I am working on ... all hush for now.