Author chats: The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei by Christina Matula

Interview by Alice

We want to extend a huge thank you to Alice and Christine Matula for coming together and discussing this fantastic book aimed at 8-12 year olds. It follows the story of Holly-Mei Jones who couldn’t be more excited about moving to Hong Kong for her mother’s job. Her new school is right on the beach and her family’s apartment is beyond beautiful. Everything is going to be perfect . . . right?

Maybe not. It feels like everywhere she turns, there are new rules to follow and expectations to meet. On top of that, the most popular girl in her grade is quickly becoming a frenemy. And without the guidance of her loving Ah-ma, who stayed behind in Toronto, Holly-Mei just can’t seem to get it right.

It will take all of Holly-Mei’s determination and sparkle (and maybe even a tiny bit of stubbornness) to get through seventh grade and turn her life in Hong Kong into the ultimate adventure!

We recommend picking up Christina’s book from any of your favourite independent book stores or Bookshop.org. Now, a few words from Alice:

My Name is Alice, I am 11 years old. I was very lucky to interview Christina Matula about her book "The Not-So-Uniform Life of Holly-Mei". We talked about parts of the book we love (lots of food!) and the next two books in the Holly-Mei series. We also talked about other books we are enjoying and Christina gave me advice as a young writer. I had fun interviewing Christina, she is very friendly and we both enjoy stories that show diverse life experiences.

If you want to read a fun book about friendship and Hong Kong I think you'll also love the Holly-Mei books!