Middle Grade Matters

Rhonda Roumani, a Syrian American journalist and author, discusses her debut middle grade novel, Tagging Freedom, which tells the story of a Syrian boy and his Syrian-American cousin during the start of the Syrian Revolution. The book explores themes of protest, activism, and the power of art, specifically graffiti, as a form of expression and resistance. She also talks about her path to getting a...

Gennifer Choldenko, a New York Times bestselling author, discusses her latest book, The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman, and shares insights into her writing process, character development, and the themes of foster care and trauma. She also reflects on her journey as a writer and the evolution of middle-grade literature. Gennifer  discusses her collaboration with Katherine Applegate on the Dogtown...

Ritu Hemnani, a journalist, teacher, and storyteller, discusses her debut historical middle-grade novel Lion of the Sky and the inspiration behind it. The book is set during the Partition of India and follows the story of a 12-year-old boy named Raj.  Ritu shares her personal connection to the story and the impact of Partition on her family. She also talks about the process of writing the book, th...

Dan Gemeinhart talks with guest host Joel Brigham about his latest book, Coyote Lost and Found, and the process of creating a companion book to The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise. He emphasizes the importance of voice in writing and the challenges of capturing a unique voice for each character. Dan shares his experience as a writer, discussing the challenges and joys of the writing process....

Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt, the mother-daughter writing team behind the middle grade novel Gut Reaction, discuss their collaboration and the inspiration behind the book. Gut Reaction tells the story of Tess, a middle schooler who moves to a new school while dealing with stomach issues that turn out to be Crohn's disease. The book aims to start a conversation about chronic illnesses and enco...

Justina Chen, author of With Twice the Love, Dessi Mei, shares her journey as a writer, her love for writing middle grade, and the differences between writing for YA and middle grade readers. Justina discusses the challenges of writing about sensitive material. She also emphasizes the importance of belonging and offers advice for new writers. For bonus content and  info on upcoming episodes, subsc...

Alicia D. Williams, Newbery Honor author of Genesis Begins Again, shares her journey as a writer and the inspiration behind her middle grade novels. She discusses her latest middle grade book, Mid-Air, which explores themes of grief, toxic masculinity, and the power of friendship.  For bonus content and  info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter ,...

In this bonus episode, middle grade author Polly Holyoke shares her journey with four different literary agents and the lessons she learned along the way. Polly talks about the importance of finding the right agent, having a finished manuscript before querying, and crafting a compelling query letter. She also provides tips on where to find agents, how to choose the right one for your work, and wor...

On this episode of the Middle Grade Matters podcast, Laurie Morrison discusses her middle grade novel Keeping Pace and the themes it explores, including the pressure to succeed, the intensity of competition in middle school, and the importance of friendship and relationships . In this conversation, Laurie shares how she discovered her passion for writing and the role of critique partners in shapin...

On this episode, Colleen Oakes discusses her debut middle grade book, The Second Favorite Daughters Club, which follows two girls who form a club and come up with pranks to undermine their favorite siblings. Colleen shares her inspiration for the book and the importance of exploring family dynamics. She also talks about the transition from writing YA and adult novels to middle grade and her experi...

On this episode, I talk with author Allie Millington about her debut middle grade novel, Olivetti , and her writing journey. She shares her inspiration for writing from the perspective of a typewriter, the emotional side of Olivetti, and the themes of connection and finding one's voice. Allie also talks about her writing process, being a self-taught writer, and her experience with querying an...

In this episode of the Middle Grade Matters podcast, I talk with Ali Terese, author of the debut novel Free Period. The book explores the themes of period equity and period poverty through the story of two prankster characters, Helen and Gracie, who take on these issues in their school. Ali shares her motivation for writing the book and her hope that it inspires kids to take action. She also discu...

On this episode, I talk with Ridley Pearson, the NYT #1 Bestselling author of the Kingdom Keepers series. We talk about the process he follows for writing books, the time he spends at Disney parks conducting research (often after-hours), and how middle grade has evolved over the course of his writing career. For bonus content and  info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters ne...

On this episode, I talk with Emily Barth Isler about her new middle grade novel, The Color of Sound, which tells the story of twelve-year-old Rosie, a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors.  From the publisher:  Rosie's mom has always pushed her to become a concert violinist, but this summer Rosie refuses to play, wanting a "normal" life. Forced to spen...

On this episode, I talk with middle grade author and cultural anthropologist Ruth Behar. We talk about Across So Many Seas, her new middle grade novel that spans over 500 years, as well as what it was like when she won the prestigious Pura Belpré Award for her book Lucky Broken Girl. From the Publisher: Across So Many Seas tells the stories of four girls from different generations of a Jewish fami...

On this episode, I talk with Hena Khan about her new middle grade book, Drawing Deena. We also talk about kids and anxiety, encouraging kids to write, and seeing all kids represented in children's literature. From the publisher: From the award-winning author of Amina’s Voice and Amina’s Song comes a tenderhearted middle grade novel about a young Pakistani American artist determined to manage...

On this episode, I talk with MarcyKate Connolly and Kathryn Holmes about their new  mystery, The Thirteenth Circle. We talk about their writing collaboration process, their research, and whether they believe in the existence of Aliens and UFOs. From the publisher: The X-Files meets Scooby-Doo in THE THIRTEENTH CIRCLE, a middle-grade mystery from MarcyKate Connolly and Kathryn Holmes, featuring two...

On this episode I talk with Polly Holyoke, author of the award-winning Neptune Trilogy and her latest series, Skyriders . We talk about writing for upper middle grade readers, ways to inspire kids to write creatively, and the unique aspects of writing fantasy Books mentioned in this episode include: Neptune trilogy , by Polly Holyoke Skyriders series , by Polly Holyoke From the Mixed-up Files of M...

On this episode, I talk with middle grade author Mindy Nichols Wendell about her debut novel, Light and Air, on researching and writing historical fiction, and on following your dreams no matter your age.  Books mentioned in this episode include: Light and Air, by Mindy Nichols Wendell A Writer Teaches Writing , by Donald Murray Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writ...

On this episode, I talk with Nashae Jones about her debut middle-grade rom-com, Courtesy of Cupid, her love for combining laughing and literature, being a part of the 5am Writer's Club, and her journey to becoming a published author.  Books mentioned in this episode include: Courtesy of Cupid , by Nashae Jones Save the Cat Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody From the publisher: In this middle gr...

On this episode, I talk with Tui T. Sutherland, author of the bestselling Wings of Fire series, about her new companion book Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World, how she got started writing, what’s next in the Wings of Fire series, and what it was like being a contestant on Jeopardy! Books mentioned in this episode include:  Wings of Fire series, by Tui T. Sutherland Wings of Fire: A Guide...

On this episode, author Taylor Tyng talks about his debut middle grade novel Clara Poole and the Long Way 'Round , being a dyslexic reader and writer, what it's like to write a series, and dreamstarters. Books and music mentioned in this episode include:  Clara Poole and the Long Way 'Round, by Taylor Tyng Clara Poole and the Wrong Way Up, b y Taylor Tyng (forthcoming) Story Enginee...

On this episode, I talk with Sally Morgridge, Senior Editor at Holiday House, about the acquisitions process, what she looks for in a submission, and the editorial process. Books mentioned in this episode include: The Carrefour Curse, by Dianne K. Salerni 102 Days of Lying About Lauren, by Maura Jortner Not the Worst Friend in the World, by Anne Rellihan The Ghost Rules, by Adam Rosenbaum  (foreth...

On this episode, I talk to middle grade author Arianne Costner about her latest book, Confessions of a Class Clown, injecting humor into middle grade, reaching reluctant readers, and balancing writing and motherhood.  Books mentioned in this episode include: My Life as a Potato , by Arianne Costner Confessions of a Class Clown , by Arianne Costner Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, by Jessica Brody 96...

On this episode, middle grade author Andrew Auseon talks about his new gaming-inspired series, Spellbinders , about his long career as a writer for young readers, and about finding balance and joy in your writing life.   Books mentioned on this episode include:  Spellbinders: The Not-So-Chosen One, by Andrew Auseon Spellbinders: Break the Game, by Andrew Auseon (forthcoming) The Westing Game, by E...