“I never had an idea that came like a bolt of lightning before,” said Chantel Acevedo, a University of Miami English professor and double creative writing alumna.
In the summer of 2017, Acevedo got the idea for her first middle-grade book, for ages 8-12. She went on a family vacation to England and visited the Victoria and Albert Museum. She said the idea came when she saw a statue of a muse.
“I saw it and asked myself, ‘how would the muses inspire people differently if they were kids?’” said Acevedo, referring to the muses in Greek mythology. “I got my phone out and started writing plot points.”
That question inspired Acevedo to write her two-book series, “Muse Squad.” Before their trip, her daughter Penelope, who was 11, had asked her when she’d write for kids. At that time, Acevedo had already published four adult novels. Penelope, now 19 and a freshman at the University of Miami, said she was ecstatic when her mom wrote the duology.
“As a kid, I bragged that my mom was an author,” said Penelope Acevedo, a music industry major. “It was hard to read her adult novels when I was in middle school. I was excited when she wrote ‘Muse Squad’ because my friends and I could read it.”
Acevedo published “Muse Squad: The Cassandra Curse” in July 2020. She described that year as “not a great time to launch a new thing.”
“The publisher, HarperCollins, created a tremendous marketing plan,” said Acevedo. “But then the COVID-19 pandemic started and that all fell apart. Kids stopped going to libraries and bookstores, and so they couldn’t discover new books.”
Acevedo said sales were “nonexistent” for the first six months. But she never stopped writing the sequel.
“I was editing the sequel when the first book was published,” said Acevedo.
Acevedo published the sequel in 2021. She said the duology eventually gained readers and was considered for film adaptation by The Walt Disney Company.
“There were talks about turning ‘Muse Squad’ into a TV show,” said Acevedo, a Cuban American. “But we didn’t make a deal because they couldn’t guarantee using the same title and having a Latina main character.”
In 2023, her book “The Curse on Spectacle Key” was nominated for the Sunshine State Young Readers Award, recognizing its power to encourage literacy among young students.
As an author in Florida, Acevedo has been affected by the state’s recent book bans. She visited Florida schools to talk about her book in 2023. At the same time, Florida experienced an unprecedented number of book bans.
Though none of Acevedo’s books were banned, the regulations affected her school visits.
“Here in Miami, they dried up,” said Acevedo. “Principals said they didn’t want author visits because a parent might not like what an author says and sue the school.”
Some schools that allowed author visits made extreme requests. A school in Immokalee, an unincorporated community near Naples, requested she have a million dollar insurance policy, in case a parent were to sue.
“Many of my school visits are unpaid, so I have to pay for my expenses myself,” Acevedo said. “I couldn’t afford that and couldn’t visit the school, which was heartbreaking.”
Acevedo said books bans have become a much larger issue than when she was a high school English teacher, a decade ago. Acevedo said she does what she can to address the bans and promote children’s readership.
“I recently talked with a School of Education faculty member about how they could promote writing and reading for kids,” said Acevedo. “Having those conversations and voting on these issues are important.”
Acevedo said she won’t stop writing, despite challenges.
“Storytelling is something I’ve always done,” said Acevedo, “It’s something I’m always going to do.”
Discover the worlds in Acevedo’s books by purchasing them wherever books are sold. Acevedo’s fifth kids book, “No Way, Never Sisters,” which she wrote with UM alumna Natalia Sylvester, is projected to publish in 2026. Acevedo’s adult novel “Cages” is also set for 2026.
