In this episode, I talk with author Tamika Burgess about her debut novel, Sincerely Sicily, and her experience growing up in America as a Black Latina.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

• Sincerely Sicily, by Tamika Burgess
• The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master, by Martha Alderson
• Save the Cat! Writes a Novel: The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need, by Jessica Brody

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

On this episode, I talk with Chad Lucas, author of Thanks A Lot Universe, and You Owe Me One, Universe, about writing a sequel and the importance of writing for upper middle grade readers. 

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Thanks A Lot, Universe, by Chad Lucas (Audiobook)
• You Owe Me One, Universe, by Chad Lucas (Audiobook)
• Let the Monster Out, by Chad Lucas (Audiobook)
• The Inquisitor's Tale; Or, the Three Magical Children and Their Holy Dog, by Adam Gidwitz (Audiobook)

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

On this episode, I talk with debut author Karen S. Chow about  her debut middle grade book, Miracle. It's a book she drafted during National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) so we talk about the fun of writing a first draft during NaNoWriMo, as well as addressing grief and death in middle grade, self publishing versus traditional publishing, and marketing for  authors.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

Miracle, by Karen S. Chow
The Weekend Novelist, by Robert J. Ray and Bret Norris
Anne of Green Gables, by L.M. Montgomery
Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

On this episode, I talk with author Rachel Renée Russell and illustrator Nikki Russell about their #1 NYT Bestselling Dork Diaries series. Rachel and Nikki talk about how the series first came about, their collaborative process, the most exciting things they hear from fans, and the 15th book in the series, Tales from a Not-So-Posh Paris Adventure.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Dork Diaries series, by Rachel Renée Russell (Audiobook)
• Whatever After series, by Sarah Mlynowski (Audiobook)
• Frizzy, by Claribel A. Ortega
• Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh (Audiobook)
• The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster (Audiobook)

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

In this episode, I talk with Ally Malinenko, middle grade author of Ghost Girl and This Appearing House,  about her writing, her favorite horror movies, and her plans for Halloween!

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

• Ghost Girl, by Ally Malinenko
• Ghost Girl (Audiobook), by Ally Malinenko
• This Appearing House, by Ally Malinenko
• This Appearing House (Audiobook), by Ally Malinenko
• Small Spaces, by Katherine Arden
• The Nest, by Kenneth Oppel

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

In this episode, I talk with author Lora Senf about her spooky, middle grade horror novels The Clackity and The Nighthouse Keeper. We also talk about the importance of providing kids with access to children's horror stories, trusting them to put them down when needed, and about her plans for Halloween.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

• The Clackity, by Lora Senf
• The Clackity (Audiobook), by Lora Senf
• The Nighthouse Keeper, by Lora Senf
• The Nighthouse Keeper (Audiobook), by Lora Senf

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

In this episode, I talk with author Suzanne Supplee about writing her MG debut, Sweetness All Around, after publishing three YA novels, about handling rejection and using it for good, and about writing the kinds of books you love to read yourself.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Sweetness All Around, by Suzanne Supplee
• Nothing Else But Miracles, by Kate Albus
• Nothing Else But Miracles (Audiobook), by Kate Albus
• Tom Lake, by Ann Patchett
• Tom Lake (Audiobook), by Ann Patchett

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

On this episode, I talk with Margaret Peterson Haddix, NYT Bestselling author of 50 books. We talk about her newest middle grade book, The Ghostly Photos, her extensive writing career, and her love of middle grade fiction. 

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• The Ghostly Photos, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• The Secret Letters, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Into the Gauntlet (The 10th book in the 39 Clues series), by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Running Out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• Falling Out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
• From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, by E.L. Konigsburg
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

On this episode, I talk with author Kate Albus about her latest middle grade book, Nothing Else But Miracles, a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and recipient of a Publisher's Weekly starred review  We also talk about Kate's method of drafting (she's a pantser), how she incorporates history into her stories, and the importance of finding your people. 

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

• Nothing Else But Miracles, by Kate Albus
• Nothing Else But Miracles (Audiobook), by Kate Albus
• A Place to Hang the Moon, by Kate Albus
• A Place to Hang the Moon (Audiobook), by Kate Albus
• On Writing, by Stephen King
• On Writing (Audiobook), by Stephen King
• Kate Albus on Kidlit.TV

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).

In this episode, I talk with author Alysa Wishingrad about her latest middle grade book, Between Monsters and Marvels.  Together we explore Alysa's approach to editing, her path to publication, and the importance of writing books for upper middle grade readers.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

• Between Monsters and Marvels, by  Alysa Wishingrad
• The Verdigris Pawn, by Alysa Wishingrad
• The Highlights Foundation, https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/
• The Magic Words: Writing Great Books for Children and Young Adults, by Cheryl B. Klein
• Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear, by Elizabeth Gilbert
• The Science of Storytelling, by Will Storr
• The Creative Act: A Way of Being, by Rick Rubin

For bonus content and info on upcoming episodes, subscribe to the Middle Grade Matters newsletter here: Newsletter, and follow us on Instagram, Threads, and Twitter.

I love audiobooks! If you do, too, consider switching to Libro.fm, a platform that supports indy bookstores.

If you're enjoying this podcast, please leave a rating and review (thank you!).