Diane Debrovner + Stacy Cervenka: Roxie in Color (blindness)
- May 20
- 5 min read
"In real life, disabled people lead organizations, direct government agencies, and raise their children. We should expect to see more disabled characters as the parent, the teacher, or the boss." -- Stacy Cervenka
Welcome to A NOVEL MIND, Stacy and Diane! Please tell us a little about yourselves.
Stacy:
I currently serve as the Director of the Iowa Department for the Blind, and I’ve spent about 20 years working in disability rights, blindness rehabilitation, and public policy. I got my start in Washington, D.C., working for five years for U.S. Senator Sam Brownback on a wide variety of policy issues. I then worked for the Sacramento Society for the Blind, the California Department of Rehabilitation, as the Director of Public Policy for the American Foundation for the Blind, and as the Senior Director of Policy for RespectAbility.
On a more personal note, I’m married, and like Roxie’s family in the book, my husband Greg and I are both blind while our children Leo and Josephine are sighted. When I’m not working, I love being active. I compete in adult figure skating and my family and I spend a lot of time traveling and being outdoors, whether that’s fishing, hiking, or various watersports.
Diane:
I spent most of my career as a journalist. I was an editor at Parents Magazine for 26 years, where I covered mental and physical health, child development, education, relationships, and books. I remember when we featured an autistic child on our cover for the first time. I decided to start writing fiction when my younger daughter was in fourth grade and couldn’t find enough realistic fiction books to read—and I soon realized it was going to be harder than I thought! She’s now in college. I spent the next decade teaching myself the craft of writing middle grade—taking classes, reading books, and meeting other writers. I live in New York City with my family, not far from where I grew up, and often get my best ideas when I’m going for long walks in the park, looking at trees and dogs.
What was the inspiration for this book -- and how did you end up writing it together?
Diane:
I wrote an article for Parents called “What Blind Parents Want You to See,” and Stacy and her husband were two of the parents I interviewed. Many of the moms and dads I spoke with told me stories about having been treated unfairly, and how other people made assumptions about their ability to take care of their children.
Since I was in the middle grade mindset, I began thinking about what it would be like for a sighted 12-year-old to have blind parents. I started writing the book by myself from the perspective of Roxie, who is sighted, and her mom’s guide dog, Nash. Stacy and I had stayed in touch. When I realized I couldn’t tell an authentic story by myself, I asked her if she wanted to write the book with me.
There aren’t many children’s books that have parents with a disability. Why was it important to you have authentic representation of blind parents?
Stacy:
There’s something important about the fact that the adult authority figures in Roxie’s world are blind. She worries about disappointing them, getting in trouble, whether they’ll say no to things she wants, and how they’ll respond to her choices.
So often, when there is a blind character in children’s literature, it’s another child, and the takeaway is that the blind child is just like everyone else. That’s true and it’s an important message, but it’s only part of the story. Sighted kids also need to understand that blind children grow up to be blind adults with spouses, children, and careers.
In this story, blind adults hold authority, power, and caregiving responsibilities. In real life, disabled people lead organizations, direct government agencies, and raise their children. We should expect to see more disabled characters as the parent, the teacher, or the boss.
The book shows how blind people often face discrimination—and how the characters stand up for their rights. What do you hope kids take away from that part of the story?
Stacy:
Roxie’s parents, Penny and Joe, advocate for themselves when they face prejudice or discrimination. They’ve taught Roxie about the ADA, inaccessibility, and exposed her to the wider blind community. Throughout the course of the book, Roxie learns to speak up for the people she loves and also to stand up to an unfair system. I hope kids take away the importance of standing up against unjust treatment, whether it’s directed at them, their friends, their neighbors, or the people on the news. As a mother, those are exactly the lessons I want my own children to carry with them.
Why did you decide to include chapters from the perspective of Nash, the guide dog?
Diane:
When I was working on the original article, I became fascinated with guide dogs and wondered what it would be like to be a dog with an important job. I did a lot of research about how they’re trained, and how they work together with their blind partners, and I thought young readers might be interested in that too.
On a practical note, having chapters from his perspective allowed us to include scenes where Roxie wasn’t there—when her mom and Nash went to the store, for example, or Child Protective Services comes to their house.
And his impressions of Roxie give readers a different view of what she’s like. Nash also sets a good example for Roxie about what a loyal friend should be like. After all, dogs love spending time with their humans, and they’ll never judge you or hold a grudge. I didn’t have dogs until I was a mom, and I think we can learn a lot from their attitude towards life!
Roxie in Color (Candlewick) pubs June 2.
Diane Debrovner is the former deputy editor of Parents magazine and author of the article “What Blind Parents Want You to See,” which provided the spark for this novel.
She now helps nonprofits share their stories to raise the funding they need. Diane lives in New York City with her family and a dog who loves watermelon.
Stacy Cervenka is the director of the Iowa Department
for the Blind and previously led the Blind Parents Group of the National Federation of the Blind.
She divides her time between Des Moines and Lincoln, Nebraska, where she lives with her husband and two children. Just like Roxie’s family, Stacy and her husband, Greg, are blind, while their children, Leo and Josephine, are sighted.
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