In this episode, young adult author Lynda Mullaly Hunt speaks to Katherine Sokolowski and Amy Fleming about her article, "Branch to Branch," which appears in the September issue of Voices from the Middle. They discuss the importance of teachers on young adults and the role that grit plays in helping students develop the skills they will need later in life. In addition, Alex Corbitt interviews teacher-author Matt Homrich-Knieling about his article on how he connected the water crisis in Flint, Michigan, to his teaching of Christopher Paul Curtis's novel, Bud, Not Buddy. Beth Shaum joins us again for a new segment of Voices from the Bookshelf, where she talks about the graphic memoir March.

In the second episode of the Voices from the Middle podcast, several teachers hold a discussion with Dr. Kylene Beers focused on her Leading the Call article from the September 2016 issue. She discusses teacher advocacy, voice, and broader lessons about engagement, literacy and action that are essential to our English classrooms. Then, Beth Shaum joins us for another segment of Voices from the Bookshelf.

In the first episode of the Voices from the Middle podcast, host Will Fassbender conducts several interviews with important players in middle grades education. First, listeners are introduced to seven middle grades educators who will provide more insight to their teaching as the school year progresses. During this segment, teachers explain their teaching journey as teachers reflect on their experiences, both as teachers and students. Next, listeners get to hear what YA literature teacher/librarian Beth Shaum will be including on her classroom bookshelf in a segment entitled Voices from the Bookshelf. Shaum discusses her love for the book The Running Dream by Wendellin Van Draanen and how she intends on talking it up with her students in the beginning of the school year. During the final segment, Fassbender interviews the new Voices coeditors, Dr. Sara Kajder and Dr. Shelbie Witte. The coeditors respond to questions about their vision for the future of the journal and how they hope to keep the journal and all of the content relevant and valuable to teachers in the classroom.