Middle Grade Matters

Matthew Landis' new middle grade series, National Archive Hunters, follows twins who use their history knowledge to solve mysteries and save their family's museum. Matt's goal as both a writer and a middle school social studies teacher is to make history exciting and not boring for kids. He discusses his process for writing mysteries and planning a series, and he talks about the joy and excitement of his upcoming RV trip across America to visit schools and talk about his books.

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Author Adam Rosenbaum discusses his debut middle-grade novel, The Ghost Rules, which follows Elwood, a 12-year-old boy who can see ghosts, as he navigates grief and tries to reconnect with his deceased brother. Rosenbaum also discusses his writing journey, from starting out as a songwriter to pursuing screenwriting and eventually transitioning to writing novels. He discusses his approach to writing novels, and provides advice to new writers. 

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Amar Shah, a multiple Emmy-winning writer and producer, discusses his middle-grade debut novel, The Hoop Con: Play the Game. The book follows a sixth-grader with big basketball dreams who faces embarrassment when a viral video goes wrong. Shah shares his love for sports and how it influenced his writing, as well as the importance of incorporating his South Asian culture into the story. He also shares his journey from being a high school reporter for the NBA to becoming a middle-grade author. He talks about his experiences interviewing basketball players like Shaq and Michael Jordan and how it inspired him to write his first book.

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Jennifer Blecher, author of four middle grade books, discusses her writing process and the themes in her latest middle grade novel, Listen to This. She shares the challenges of writing from the perspective of a boy and the importance of writing big emotions. Jennifer also talks about the inspiration behind Listen to This and the issues of friendship, parental oversharing, and navigating middle school. She emphasizes the importance of keeping the plot moving while giving weight to the characters' feelings. Jennifer discusses her journey as a writer and the evolution of her writing style. She also shares her thoughts on the middle grade genre and her future projects.

About LISTEN TO THIS from the publisher: Secrets, rumors, shifting friendships, overbearing parents, and, on top of all that, a first dance—how does anyone survive seventh grade? Told from dual points of view, this novel about two tweens finding their voices and standing up for themselves is for fans of Lisa Yee, Leslie Connor, and Janae Marks.

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Nedda Lewers is the Egyptian-American author of Daughters of the Lamp and its sequel, Children of the Wind. These books tell the story of a a 12-year-old Egyptian-American girl who discovers her family's secret legacy as the keepers of Ali Baba's treasure. Nedda discusses her journey as a writer, the experience of having a mentor, and the excitement of getting a book deal.

From the publisher: Percy Jackson meets Arabian fairy tales in this epic middle grade fantasy series about a girl who becomes the keeper of Ali Baba’s treasure.

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Author Caroline Carlson discusses her latest middle grade book, Wicked Marigold, a People Magazine Best Books for Summer Selection. She talks about the challenges and joys of writing the book, including creating funny moments and fantastical creatures, and the publishing process. She also talks about her experience completing an MFA in writing, her day-to-day life as a writer, and her writing process.

From the publisher: In a funny and charming fantastical romp, overlooked Princess Marigold is nothing like her perfect, just-returned sister—so she runs away to an evil wizard’s tower to prove her wickedness.

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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 an agent and getting her book published.

From the publisher: Out of the revolutions across the Arab world comes this inspirational story of hope, freedom, and belonging, perfect for fans of Other Words for Home and A Good Kind of Trouble.

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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 series, and gives us a peek at what's coming in the second book in the series, Mouse and His Dog.

About The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman: Readers will be rooting for a happy ending for Hank in Newbery-Honor-winner Gennifer Choldenko’s gripping story of a boy struggling to hold his family together when his mom doesn’t come home.

About Dogtown: A humorous and moving middle-grade, illustrated novel about a shelter that houses stray dogs – and robot dogs! – from powerhouse authors Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko.

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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, the research involved, and the significance of writing in verse. 

Additionally, she shares her journey as a middle-grade author, from finding an agent to the impact of her TED Talk on her book deal. 

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.

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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. Dan encourages writers to keep trying and not get discouraged by rejections, and to focus on the love of storytelling rather than just the goal of getting published. 

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!).