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  (forethcoming)
Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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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 Miles, by J.L. Esplin
• Restart, by Gordan Korman
• Because of Winn Dixie, by Kate DiCamillo
• Miracle, by Karen S. Chow

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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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 Ellen Raskin
• Young Adult Novel, by Daniel Pinkwater
• The Spell of the Sorcerer’s Skull, by John Bellairs

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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On this episode, I talk with  middle grade author Kaija Langley about her debut middle grade novel in verse The Order of Things, a heart-rending novel-in-verse about a girl beginning to learn it is possible to go on even after a great loss. We talk about Kaija's writing process, why she chose to write the Order of Things in verse, and incorporating music into a story.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• The Order of Things, by Kaija Langley.
• When Langston Dances, by Kaija Langley.
• Crossover, by Kwame Alexander.
• Freewater, by Amina Luqman-Dawson.

Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify

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On this episode I talk with Shannon Messenger, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Keeper of the Lost Cities series. Shannon shares with us her path to publication, what it was like when the Keeper series hit bestseller lists, her latest endeavor: reimagining it as graphic novels, and what's next for Sophie and her friends as the Keeper series comes to a close.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Keeper of the Lost Cities series, by Shannon Messenger.
• Keeper of the Lost Cities, The Graphic Novel, by Shannon Messenger.
• Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine.

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On this episode, I talk with Alison Weiss, Acquisitions Editor at Pixel+Ink, about her job editing and publishing middle grade books, about what she looks for in a manuscript, and about how she got started in children's book publishing.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• The Winterton Deception (series)
• Drag and Rex (series)
• The Second Favorite Daughters Club (series)
• Sky & Ty (series)

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On this episode, I talk with New York Times bestselling author Janae Marks about her latest book, On Air with Zoe Washington, about becoming a full-time writer, and about the fun of writing for kids.

Books and resources mentioned in this episode include:

• From the Desk of Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks
• A Soft Place to Land, by Janae Marks
• On Air with Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks
• WriteOnCon
• Around the Writer's Block: Using Brain Science to Solve Writer's Resistance, by Rosanne Bane
• The Baby-Sitters Club, by Ann M. Martin
• When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
• One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia

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On this episode, I talk with Zoe Tokushige, author of the middle grade Airi Sanos series. Zoe introduces us to the world of IP writing, addresses diversity in her books, and shares with us some of the wisdom learned studying writing in grad school.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

Airi Sanos, Prankmaster General series, by Zoe Tokushige
Steering the Craft, by Ursula K. Le Guin
On Writing, by Stephen King
What If? Writing Exercises for Writers, by Pam Painter
Ella Enchanted, by Gail Carson Levine
Regarding the Fountain, by Kate Klise
Trial by Journal, by Kate Klise
Just Ella, by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Running Out of Time, by Margaret Peterson Haddix

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On this episode, I talk with author Elisa Stone Leahy about her debut middle grade book Tethered to Other Stars. We talk about her work with immigrants and how that inspired the book, about the concept of sanctuary, about immigration activism, and about Elisa's plan to write more books inspired by this topic as well as venture into writing fantasy.

Books mentioned in this episode include:

• Tethered to Other Stars by Elisa Stone Leahy (Audiobook)
• Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan (Audiobook)

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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.

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