Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg, illustrated by Sofya Karmazina
(Walker Books Australia)
Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail by Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg and illustrated by Sofya Karmazina is shortlisted for the 2025 CBCA Book of the Year: Younger Readers.
Congratulations on Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail being shortlisted by
the CBCA, Rebecka, and thank you for speaking to Joy in Books at Paperbark
Words blog.
Author Interview: Rebecka Sharpe Shelberg
Where are you based – and how are you involved in the literary community?
I’m the children’s and youth librarian at a public library in North Sydney and live in western Sydney with my family – three kiddos, two puppers, and one husband. My life revolves around children’s and young adult literature, both professionally and personally, for my job and for my kids yes, but for my own reading and writing interests as well. I’m not planning on ever growing out of it.
What has been your path to publication?
I’m sure I won’t be the first to say that publication can be a long, slow process. I’ve had four books published in total across a span of about 12 years. My first two books being picture books:
Reflection, illustrated by Robin Cowcher, published by Walker Books Australia
Visiting You, illustrated by Andrea Edmonds, published by EK Books
Please give us an overview about the Saskia Spark-Lee series.
The Saskia Spark-Lee series are chapter books for building confidence and fluency in younger readers, with a story I hope they will find interesting and relatable. I recommended for readers moving up from the level of the Billie B Brown series.
Saskia faces kid-sized challenges and works with her friends and family to figure a way through those challenges and her own emotional responses. She faces setbacks, owns her mistakes, learns to process her emotions, forges new friendships and is safe in the knowledge that her family is always there to support her.
The first book in the series is Saskia Spark-Lee: Trading Trouble.
Why have you written the Saskia Spark-Lee series?
As you can probably tell from this interview, I love words and I’m a very wordy writer! Even though I had only ever written picture book texts, my publisher suggested that I try my hand at early chapter books. With that in mind and the age old advice of ‘write what you know’ I spent a lot of time just really thinking about my writing from those perspectives and that led me to Saskia.
Once I’d thought of Saskia’s character and family, her stories came from different areas of my life, some from my childhood, some from my kids’ shenanigans. Two of those stories have made it to published books so far – fingers crossed for more Saskia in the future!
Could you please introduce Saskia Spark-Lee and some of the other characters in the series?
The character of Saskia Spark-Lee was inspired partly by myself as a little kid, partly by my eldest daughter. Saskia can be shy, emotional, and thoughtful but she’s also passionate, creative and excitable. I wanted a character who could be quiet and sensitive and for that quietness and sensitivity to be seen as a strength.
One of my favourite moments was coming up with Saskia’s surname. I love a bit of alliteration but I also wanted a meaningful name that would reflect her two families. I had already transferred her my love of all things that glitter and sparkle, so I was pretty chuffed as I was driving along one day thinking about her and Spark-Lee came into my head.
In the year it took me to think of Saskia, her character, her family, her friends and her life, I was setting out on a surrogacy journey to help two of my greatest friends to become first time dads.
Because of this, I was thinking a lot about the kind of dads they would be and imagining the life of their not yet conceived baby, so it just felt like a natural step when I thinking about Saskia for her to be raised by two dads as well.
The first Saskia book came out shortly I gave birth to my friends’ baby, so it was such a full circle moment to be able to dedicate the first Saskia book to her and her dads.
What impact has being a CBCA shortlisted book had on you or the book so far?
Getting published and being an author can be a difficult and often frustrating thing, it’s not an easy road and it comes with a lot of rejection which can lead to self-doubt. Seeing Saskia on the notables list was such a confirming thing as an author and it was a big honour to see her on the shortlist. It told me not to give up.
What is one way you would suggest using the book in school?
Reading to the class for the pleasure would be my top suggestion!
But Fundraiser Fail can also be used to open up discussions of different ways to be a citizen of the world, from wild life protection to the basics of fundraising and sponsorship. It would be a great jumping off point for kids to think of how they might use their skills, passions, knowledge and support systems to improve the world a little.
Have there been any memorable responses to the book from children?
I had the pleasure of reading ‘Saskia Spark-Lee: Trading Trouble’ to a class of year four students. Some of the boys in the class were visibly less than impressed at being read a ‘girl’ book, but as I read and chatted to them, they found the story so relatable that they joined in discussion as much as the girls did, and by the end some even came up to tell me all about their own trading troubles. It was such a great moment to see their reluctance turn to enthusiasm and I will treasure that experience.
Saskia Spark-Lee: Fundraiser Fail at Walker Books
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