Gladice Guillermo is comfortably sitting in her chair overlooking the lake and eating popcorn. She spends her days writing about a young Canadian boy named Brock McGuire. Gladice has already published five books about this mischievous character.

Recently, she has implemented some innovative ways of promoting her book series introducing Brock to many new readers. We searched for “best middle grade books” and discovered the Brock McGuire series on Facebook, Google search and Amazon.

A mischievous teen brought us to the author, as we were very curious about Brock’s true origin and background.

Ms. Guillermo, who is Brock? Maybe Your alter-ego from childhood, or some dear person from real life? In short, how did you get inspired to write about Brock McGuire?

Our three daughters loved books and reading.  It was a weekly event to visit our local library to stock up on books. When I volunteered at the school to help children learn to read, I was surprised that most boys didn’t like books or reading. I decided then and there that I would like to write books that engaged and entertained young readers – both boys and girls alike.

The Brock McGuire series was written to provide children books they could relate to, and stories that also taught them life lessons.This series is reading with a purpose.

Brock McGuire is the protagonist of the series. He is an energetic and mischievous middle grader. His love of life causes him to act without thinking about consequences. This inadvertently causes him to get entangled in humorous situations and sometimes into trouble. When choosing a name for the main character of this series, I used my maiden name — McGuire.

Does Brock McGuire belong more to a Tom Sawyer generation of the 20th century or to a new digital generation of Harry Potter? 

The Brock McGuire series belongs to the new generation of children’s literature. It is suitable for middle grade students from grade 4 to grade 8.

Could we compare Brock McGuire with Adrian Mole? 

Brock McGuire is younger than the popular British series, Adrian Mole. They are comparable in the fact that both series reveal the inner thoughts of their main characters and how those thoughts play out in their daily lives.

Will Brock McGuire grow up in the book series like Adrian Mole did?

Yes. The series takes place over the period of a couple of years.

Does Brock represent a typical Canadian boy?

I would definitely say that Brock portrays a typical Canadian boy.  He loves using the Internet and playing video games.  He is fanatical about hockey as well as other sports.  Brock discovers a unique way to get involved with sports, even though he’s not accomplished at too many.  Finally, Brock loves music…..especially playing his saxophone!

What do you find to be most interesting about Brock McGuire? 

The most interesting fact about the Brock McGuire series is that all kids will find it entertaining. They will not only relate to Brock but learn principles to live by as well!

As we sip our tea and listen to Ms. Guillermo talk, we can’t help but wonder how many boys and girls are reading about Brock right now. This interview has made us realize that children’s literature is still alive and that the Brock McGuire series is a must read for all middle grade kids!