Grace Lin and Alvina Ling: 26 Years of Making Beautiful Books

In this episode of The Growing Readers Podcast, host Bianca
Schulze welcomes award-winning author-illustrator Grace Lin and
her childhood friend turned editor, Alvina Ling, VP and
Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. The duo
discusses Grace's return to middle grade fiction after nine years
with The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon, a stunning fantasy based
on Chinese folklore. They explore the collaborative magic of
their decades-long partnership, the balance between artistic
vision and commercial publishing, the importance of creating
diverse literature, and how patience and trust allow books to
become exactly what they're meant to be.





Transcription: You can read the transcription on
The Children's Book Review





Highlights:


The Nine-Year Wait: Why Grace stepped away from middle grade
to focus on picture books and how The Gate, The Girl, and The
Dragon came together piece by piece since 2016



The Shanghai Dragon Pillar: The urban legend that became a
crucial puzzle piece—how construction workers appeased an angry
dragon sleeping beneath a highway



The Messy Middle: Why every book is a slog, even after 26
years of publishing, and how Grace and Alvina work through it
together

Publishing Beautiful Books: Behind the scenes of creating
sprayed edges, gold foil, and full-color illustrations—and how
the sales team championed the special treatment

From Childhood Friends to Creative Partners: How Alvina and
Grace's friendship since age 10 (captured in The Year of the Dog)
shapes their editorial relationship

Trying Your Best Makes You the Hero: Grace's philosophy of
creating relatable characters who aren't "chosen ones" but
ordinary kids earnestly doing the right thing






Notable Quotes:


"I wanted to make books that showed people how human Asians
were...that Asians are just as human, just as part of the
population as everyone else." —Grace Lin


"I feel like the audience is just excited with whatever you want
to do next." —Alvina Ling on Grace's ability to move between
genres





Books Mentioned:


The Gate, The Girl, and The Dragon by Grace Lin: Amazon or
Bookshop.org

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin: Amazon or
Bookshop.org

A Big Mooncake for Little Star by Grace Lin: Amazon or
Bookshop.org

Chinese Menu by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org

Starry River of the Sky by Grace Lin: Amazon or Bookshop.org

When the Sea Turned to Silver by Grace Lin: Amazon or
Bookshop.org






About Grace Lin:Grace Lin is the award-winning
and bestselling author and illustrator of Chinese Menu, When the
Sea Turned to Silver, Starry River of the Sky, Where the Mountain
Meets the Moon (a Newbery Honor book), The Year of the Dog, The
Year of the Rat, Dumpling Days, and Ling & Ting, as well as
picture books such as The Ugly Vegetables, A Big Bed for Little
Snow, and A Big Mooncake for Little Star. Grace is a graduate of
the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Massachusetts.





About Alvina Ling:Alvina Ling is VP and
Editor-in-Chief at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (a
division of Hachette Book Group) where she has worked since 1999.
She edits children's books for all ages, from picture books to
young adult. She has edited such books as A Big Mooncake For
Little Star by Grace Lin; Mr. Tiger Goes Wild by Peter Brown;
Dave the Potter by Laban Carrick Hill, illustrated by Bryan
Collier; Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin; The Land
of Stories series by Chris Colfer; The Candymakers by Wendy Mass;
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor; and The Cruel Prince
by Holly Black.





Connect and Follow:Learn more about Grace Lin:
https://www.gracelin.comFollow Alvina Ling on Twitter:
@planetalvinaFollow Alvina Ling on Instagram: @alvinalingListen
to Grace and Alvina's podcast: Book Friends Forever





Credits:


Host: Bianca Schulze


Guests: Grace Lin and Alvina Ling


Producer: Bianca Schulze





Episode Sponsor:
https://www.claudiamillsauthor.com/books/66