Hooked on Books: From Cringe to Courage with Kristy Jackson's Mortified

Calling all fans of finding humour in the daily grind! Mortified by Kristy Jackson, illustrated by Rhael McGregor follows Belinda Houle, who’s about to learn just how embarrassing life can get when a well-meaning friend secretly signs her up for the school play. From eating dog food to disastrous hair straightening mishaps, Belinda’s life spirals into a series of awkward events — and she starts to wonder if she’s cursed. In this hilarious yet heartfelt story published by HarperCollins, Kristy Jackson shows readers how to embrace the cringe-worthy moments of life and find strength in vulnerability. Stay tuned later in this blog for an exclusive interview with debut Saskatchewan author Kristy Jackson, as she shares insights into the inspiration behind Mortified and what readers can expect next.

Mortified, nominated for the 2025 Forest of Reading Silver Birch Award, is a must-read for young readers aged 8-12. Teachers and parents will appreciate how the book helps children realize that everyone faces embarrassing moments, and it’s okay to laugh at ourselves. The Teachers on Call in-person and online tutoring team believes in the book’s message about resilience, confidence, and embracing vulnerability, making it an ideal choice for sparking important conversations with young readers.

Sparking a Lifelong Love of Reading with the Forest of Reading Program

Is your child ready to fall in love with reading this year? The Forest of Reading program is an exciting way to get started, and Teachers on Call’s English and French tutors are excited to share a glimpse of it with you with our Hooked on Books series! As Canada’s largest reading initiative, it’s a favourite among parents who want to keep their kids engaged with books all year long. This program, run by the Ontario Library Association, celebrates exceptional works by Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers. The highlight of the year is the Forest of Reading Festival, a vibrant two-day event held in mid-May at Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre (235 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J 2G8), where the winning titles are celebrated. We can’t wait to introduce you to some of the standout nominees for 2025. Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss out on this literary adventure!

About the Author: Kristy Jackson

Kristy Jackson is a communications professional by day and a passionate writer by night. A proud member of Whitefish Lake First Nation #128 (Goodfish Lake), Kristy lives near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, with her husband and two sons. She has been honing her writing craft since the days of TVs with rabbit ears and writes across middle grade, Young Adult (YA), and adult genres. Kristy is deeply committed to literacy and has led a program since 2018 to help Santa deliver books to children in remote Indigenous communities each Christmas. She also volunteers on the board of a local non-profit focused on improving literacy in her community.

Check out our Interview with Author Kristy Jackson Talking About the Power of Embarrassing Moments

What inspired you to write a story about a character dealing with those vulnerable, “cringe-worthy” moments, and why did you choose to focus on this specific age group?

I’m someone who has had MANY embarrassing things happen to me. And one day, my son Jake had an embarrassing moment at school. To help cheer him up and feel less alone about it, I shared one of my embarrassing moments. My son Josh joined the conversation and asked if I had any more funny stories like that. So I told them another one. And another one. It seemed I would never run out of embarrassing stories. And while they were laughing, one of them said, “It’s like you’re cursed or something!” and I thought, what a great idea for a book.

I kept thinking about it, and thinking that embarrassing moments are bad, but for kids this age, it feels like the end of the world. I thought a book about embarrassing moments would help kids realize they aren’t alone and these things happen to everyone. So I wrote the book, trying to make it something I thought my sons would like. They were 8 and 12 at the time when I wrote the first draft.

Do you have any favourite local writing spots that help fuel your creative writing?

I wish I did! I’m very busy with my full-time job and my husband and kids and volunteer work. Because of this, I often write in little 10-minute chunks of time, so I write literally anywhere. Doctor’s waiting room. Hotel rooms. Coffee shop. Airport. My desk in the basement. My office over the lunch hour. In the car while I’m parked.

When I’m planning a book and need more time and space, I try to find a writing retreat once a year. Otherwise, I’m mostly writing in my basement.

The title itself, Mortified, sets the tone for a story filled with awkward, embarrassing moments. Can you share how you balanced humour with real emotional depth?

The funny stuff was easy to write, and a lot of fun. I enjoyed writing every one of those scenes, and in many cases, reliving old memories!

But I wanted a story that had a more serious side too. Embarrassing moments are a special kind of awful for shy kids. I was very shy, so it was easy for me to write from Belinda’s point of view. I have felt all those things Belinda felt. I’ve heard that mean voice in my head telling me I’m not good enough to do the thing that I love, which for Belinda was drama but for me, it was writing. After I wrote the first draft of the book, I realized it was a bit of a message from me to younger me. It took me years to work up the courage to share my writing with anyone. I didn’t understand that other people felt like imposters sometimes too, and that fear stopped me from going for my dreams for a long time. So I’m hoping there’s a kid somewhere who reads this and figures this out long before they are middle-aged like I was.

The protagonist of Mortified learns to cope with her feelings of embarrassment, self-doubt, and vulnerability. What do you hope young readers take away from this journey, especially when it comes to navigating their own awkward or uncomfortable situations?

My own embarrassing moments happened over many years. After having so many, eventually I got to the point where I was like, what else could happen? I’ve already had all these “what ifs” happen to me, and I’m still okay. Having these things happen actually helped me with finding the courage to try and put myself out there.

I thought, what if a shy kid had to deal with a whole bunch of embarrassing things happening all at once? It would be their worst nightmare! But it might also help her to face her fears and find those guts she needs to do what she loves. I hope that kids can connect with this, and not only realize they are not alone, but also help them find their courage to do whatever it is they love.

How do you think Mortified could be incorporated into a classroom discussion, particularly for students who might struggle with their own social challenges? What topics or activities do you think educators could focus on to help children connect more deeply with the story’s themes?

This is a hard question for me, because I don’t have an education background. I think teachers would read the book and come up with much better ideas than I would.

That being said, I've had a lot of success in talking to classes and sharing my embarrassing stories, and then inviting students to share theirs. I’m often blown away by how much kids are willing to admit in front of their classmates (and an author they just met). It normally takes just one kid to tell their story, and then the floodgates open. These sessions are a lot of fun, but not everyone gets a chance to participate. There are some shy kids, who, like me, would never dare to share something like that verbally. So maybe a writing activity about an embarrassing moment – real or imagined – would connect with the kids and give everyone a chance to participate. They could make comics, or act out a drama…any way they want to tell their cringey story.

I think it’s also an eye-opener for kids to realize others have these inner critics and feel that imposter syndrome…these are things I didn’t learn until I was in my thirties. I thought it literally was just me and that everyone else felt as confident as they looked. Learning about this as a kid would have helped me tremendously.

And finally, I think reflecting on what makes a good friendship would be a great tie in. Sally is a wonderful friend to Belinda, even if she is quirky and different. And Belinda accepts Sally for who she is, tarot cards and all. Having a class discussion or reflection on how to be good friends to others would be great.

Those are some ideas, but yeah…teachers will be better at figuring out how to make this more fun.

How do you hope Mortified will help readers develop stronger social and emotional skills, especially when it comes to understanding that everyone has embarrassing moments, and it’s okay to not always “get it right”?

In Cree culture, knowledge is passed down through storytelling. Stories are powerful learning tools because they allow us to take a ride with the character, to experience things without having to actually experience them in real life.   

By experiencing things as Belinda sees them, I’m hoping readers are more empathetic when something embarrassing happens to a peer. Maybe be more like Sally and help them out.

I’m hoping that when something embarrassing happens to the reader, and they have that awful “I wish I could disappear” feeling that I remember so vividly, that they remember Belinda and remember that Belinda was okay. The author who wrote Belinda’s story experienced so many embarrassing moments was okay. So they’ll know they’ll be okay too. 

Anything else you want to tell us?

Yes, I wanted to say I have another book coming out soon. Touching Grass is about a boy who loves gaming and hates the outdoors who is sent up to northern Saskatchewan and gets lost in the woods with a classmate. It’s full of more cringey humour and some stories that didn’t make it in my first book. Kids who’ve read Mortified will recognize a few characters, too. And the amazing and talented Rhael McGregor (a Métis artist based in Winnipeg, Manitoba) is on board to illustrate again. I’m super excited for it! HarperCollins is releasing it on September 9, 2025.

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Mortified by Kristy Jackson is a fun and relatable story that will resonate with readers who have ever experienced those awkward, embarrassing moments we all try to forget. With its mix of humour and heartfelt moments, it's a perfect pick for young readers, as well as for teachers and parents looking for a book that promotes empathy, resilience, and the courage to face challenges head-on. Kristy Jackson’s debut novel reminds us all that it’s okay to embrace vulnerability, and we hope this book sparks valuable conversations in classrooms and homes alike. Plus, be sure to check out more of our interviews with Forest of Reading nominees, like Making Waves: A Growth Mindset Journey for Young Athletes and Readers in Salma Joins the Team, and Tig by Heather Smith: A Journey Through Grief and Growth for Middle Grade Readers.