About the Author

Caroline Lee loves living in the vibrant seaside town of Delray Beach, Florida. So much that her third book in the Maxzyne Adventure Series takes place in Florida! Maxzyne Goes Aquamarine was inspired by sunset walks with her husband. Their daily ritual combines conversation, exercise and sweeping vistas of sky and sea turning shades of turquoise, pink and lavender. Truly a magical time of day. She loves meeting Maxzyne fans, finding new places to eat, and imagining her heroine's next adventure. She starts each day reading the newspaper cartoons.

Member:  Society of Children's Bookwriters & Illustrators


 

Q & A with Caroline

What character in the book Maxzyne Meets the Mannequins best describes you?

Peppin and his love for chocolate, of course! Actually I think there is a bit of me in every character; Veronique's love of fashion, Mother's anxiety, and Esmeralda's entrepeneurial and artistic spirit.  When I was ten years old, I most definitely had Maxzyne's impatience to grow up and be her own person.

How long did it take you to write the book?

It took about  9 months to write the first draft of the book.  Believe it or not, the hardest part is the rewrite! It's important to get other people to review your work to make sure it's the best it can be.

What was your favorite children's book?

I loved to read from a young age and so there are too many favorites!  Perhaps The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, was special because I remember doing a book report for an assignment in the 6th grade. The idea of finding another place and time at the back of your closet just amazed me. (And I sure could have used it to escape my younger sisters at times!)  As for characters, I felt bad for poor Edmund! He fell for the White Witch's trick and ate her candy which nearly cost Narnia everything.

The book features a lot about Maxzyne's love of art.  Who is your favorite artist past and present?

I have a particular fondness for Renoir. His painting The Boating Party always dazzles me because the colors are so vibrant and the people portrayed are enjoying themselves at an outdoor picnic. As for present-day artists, I am a huge fan of Jonathan Wolfe, the talented illustrator for Maxzyne. (See his website at www.bellwolfe.com)  And my youngest niece, Rebecca Robinson, is an emerging artist who also created illustrations for two books in the series. She is now working on her own children’s book after having so much fun with Maxzyne’s adventures.

Will you write another book about Maxzyne?

The series keeps growing! Maxzyne & the Old Horse Theatre features a carriage horse rescue, mounted police chase down Michigan Avenue and a proposed change to city regulations for working horses. It’s a great book for inspiring civil engagement in young people. The third book, recently published, encourages water conservation, teamwork and the possibility of a magical underwater community that relies on everybody doing the right thing for the sake of the environment. As you can probably guess, Maxzyne is so energetic that I have a hard time keeping up - especially with her imagination!