Read to Write Kidlit Podcast

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Welcome to a very special episode! We are so excited to welcome back two wonderful, insightful, Read To Write Kidlit alumni authors for a special season finale! In this episode we will talk about specific strategies for reading as a writer, tell you how we approach reading each book for the podcast, and hear from Jennifer Nielsen (author of Iceberg and featured in Season one Episode 4) and Naomi Milliner (author The Trouble With Secrets featured in Season 2 Episode 7 and Season 3 Episode 6) about what line or passage from a mentor text was most influential on their growth as a writer. You will also find how Kate Albus and Rebecca Bendheim read like writers further down the newsletter.

Additionally, we have curated a special resource just for our listeners! We are calling this our “Directory” and has keywords to help you find the episode that will help you most in your writing journey. Keep scrolling for a peek at our directory now.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thoughts! Leave us a comment to let us know you were here.

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Music credits: Will Saulnier

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Read to Write KidLit Directory

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Other tips for reading like a writer from previously featured authors

Kate Albus Season 1, Episode 2 (Nothing Else but Miracles):

Some years ago, I asked my family to tell me their favorite passages from their favorite books. A phrase, a sentence, an exchange of dialogue, a paragraph. I collected them and wrote them all out in teeny-tiny handwriting, filling a single sheet of blank paper. Then I framed it and hung it in our living room. It includes passages from old books (a scene from The Wind in the Willows was one of mine)… from newer ones (an exchange from Lonesome Dove came from my husband)… from non-fiction (my daughter contributed a line from a memoir of a girl’s experience battling polio)… even from horror (one of my son’s selections was ‘sometimes, dead is better,’ courtesy of Stephen King). The list goes on.

It’s our own unique syllabus. A collection of passages that have stayed with us, as individuals, and as a family.

I believe that reading – that developing your own syllabus – is the very best way to learn to write. As a writer who has never taken a proper writing class, it’s the only way I know how. There’s something about reading widely, and reading voraciously, that fills us up with a sort of ‘story wisdom’ that’s hard to put into words. That internal syllabus gives us the rhythm of story. The ebb and flow. It helps us feel and understand the parts of storytelling that best please us, each in our own way, whether it’s character, plot, or the simple joy of the words themselves.

Our task, as writers, is to create our own internal syllabi, filling ourselves with our own personal treasure troves of story wisdom. A more delightful task I cannot fathom.

Happy reading… and happy writing.

Rebecca Bendheim-Season 3 Episode 8 (When You’re Brave Enough):

Passage from a mentor text, The List of Things That Will Not Change by Rebecca Stead.

Ten-year-old Bea’s dad is marrying a man named Jesse, and he comes to Bea’s class to give out oysters for their colonial breakfast. When Bea’s nemesis Carolyn makes fun of her dad for marrying a man, and no one wants to try the oysters, Bea’s best friend Angus does it.

“No one did anything. Carolyn had a face like she was smelling something. Lizette leaned over and whispered to me, “I’m allergic to shellfish, or I would. I swear, Bea.” Jesse just sat there looking hopeful. I could barely stand it. That’s when Angus stood up. He walked to the front, and Jesse handed him the half shell with the oyster in it. Angus carefully squeezed a lemon slice over it. When he had it loaded up with juice, I still wasn’t sure he could do it. But he ate that oyster. And then he shrugged and said, “Not as good as a brownie. But not bad.”

This passage taught me about building up to a moment, because throughout the whole book before this, Stead talks about how much Angus HATES shellfish, how frustrating Carolyn is, what a fantastic guy Jesse is (he even saves Bea’s dad’s life when he chokes on an orange), and that Jesse has experienced homophobia before from his family. All these threads come together and suddenly, the simple act of a kid eating an oyster becomes this beautiful tearjerking moment! The specificity of it also really works because this is so much more powerful than Angus simply telling Carolyn to stop making fun of Jesse and Bea’s dad.

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Looking ahead

We are taking a break in August and will return in September! Keep reading and keep writing!

Read to Write Kidlit is a free resource for writers.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Please consider supporting our work by sharing this newsletter with a friend.

Listening on a podcast app? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thank you for your continued support.

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Brandon Mull is the New York Times bestselling author of the Fablehaven series and several other series for kids. The first book was published in 2006 and the fifth, and final, book was published in 2010. Now 20 years later, Fablehaven is celebrating its anniversary with an illustrated special edition of Fablehaven. It will also be heading to theaters in 2027.

We talked with Brandon about the overall journey of writing this book as well as his other books. He shared some great words of wisdom about writing fantasy, building strong characters, and using sensory along with “quick” and specific vocabulary to bring scenes to life. Keep reading to learn more about writing, Fablehaven, and Brandon Mull.

Listen to the full episode on Substack, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Don't forget to share, like and review! All the things help us get seen and we appreciate it!

Read more about the book, Brandon, and what is coming for Read to Write KidLit in our substack.

Rebecca Bendheim, a poet and author, released her debut middle grade novel, When You’re Brave Enough, on April 7, 2026. Rebecca is also a former middle school teacher and types her poetry with Austin’s Typewriter Rodeo poetry troupe.

We talked with Rebecca about the overall journey of this book and her career as well as how she crafted the “little” things throughout the story that made it come together at the end so beautifully. We also asked her what part of writing this novel brought her the most joy. Make sure to listen to hear her answer! Keep reading to learn more about the book and Rebecca.

Jen Calonita writes books that immediately take you away. If you are looking for a whimsical, yet tense at times mystery-fantasy, then you should listen to our latest episode! We read Isle of Ever, which is book one in the latest series by Jen Calonita. It’s short, packs a punch, and is full of a lively cast of characters. We talk about the “secret ingredient” to writing engaging fantasy as well as plotting, reading strategies, and how to just have fun while writing.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Did you like our episode? Please give us a review and share it with your friends! Every little bit helps us grow.

You can purchase Jen's books and learn more about her on her website: www.jencalonitaonline.com

Sometimes you just have to cry.

Sad books are therapeutic. It gives you a place to explore grief, whether you have personally experienced it or not. They help you identify and release emotions you may not understand at the moment. Nicole Miliner’s Trouble With Secrets is a “cozy” place to cry. Did we cry? Yes. Did we feel love and hope? Also, yes.

Order your copy of The Trouble with Secrets and join in our conversation! (You don’t have to have read it to enjoy and learn from our podcast, but it may help enrich the experience.)

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Did you like our episode? Please give us a review and share it with your friends! Every little bit helps us grow.

"What is hard for an adult to say is easy for a kid to hear." These were one of many words of wisdom we gained from our interview with James Bird. Our reading of No Place Like Home and the following interview with Bird gave us so much to think about and to practice with in our writing journey. This book is one of those that leave you speechless and wondering “how did he write this?” We hope you will join us in reading and talking about this middle grade novel, No Place Like Home.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

Purchase No Place Like Home by James Bird here! You can also follow him on Instagram and learn more on his website.

Have you ever been captivated by a book’s cover? The cover of Tara Dairman’s middle grade novel, The Girl From Earth’s End, is exactly one of those books. The cover is stunning and the more you look, the more you wonder.

And then you open the book and the pages are decorated with cute flowers-not only on the chapters but on each page.

The vibes are whimsical and we were ready for some whimsy!

As we read, did the whimsy continue? You bet it did. Listen to our latest interview with auhor, Tara Dairman, and hear all about the journey of The Girl From Earth’s End and where Tara is headed next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Did you like our episode? Please give us a review and share it with your friends! Every little bit helps us grow.

Favorite lines:

* Alexis: “these notes were softer, swirlier. In concert, almost, with the waves rolling below, like he was trying to accompany the sea.”

* Brittany: “Flowers, her brain said first, because wasn’t she always surrounded by flowers?”

We would love to hear your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Tara Dairman

Tara Dairman writes middle-grade novels and picture books about kids with strong passions and big questions about the world. Tara’s books include The Girl from Earth’s End, the All Four Stars series, The Great Hibernation, Go, Baby, Go! (illustrated by Olivia Amoah) and Desert Girl, Monsoon Boy (illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan). These titles have been named to best-of-the-year lists by A Mighty Girl, School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Tara has traveled to more than 90 countries, and now lives in Colorado.

“She/her” or “they/them” are great pronouns to use when referring to Tara. (from Tara’s website)

About The Girl From Earth’s End

by Tara Dairmanpublished by Candlewick Press on March 14, 2023ISBN: 978-1536224801cover art by Chantal Horeisages 8 and up

☆ A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year

☆ A Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year

☆ A Judy Lopez Memorial Book Award Honor Book

☆ A Junior Library Guild selection

☆ Starred reviews from School Library Journal and Publishers Weekly

☆ An Amazon Best Book of the Month (ages 9-12)

☆ Finalist for the Colorado Book Award

☆ 2024-25 Vermont Golden Dome Book Award list

Gifted gardener Henna embarks from her island home to search for the plant that might save her papa’s life in this vibrant story of love, grief, and growth.

Twelve-year-old Henna loves living with her two papas and cultivating her beloved plants on the tiny island of Earth’s End—until Papa Niall grows seriously ill. Now Henna is determined to find a legendary, long-extinct plant with miraculous healing powers, even though the search means journeying all the way to St. Basil’s Conservatory, a botanical boarding school rumored to house seeds of every plant ever grown. At St. Basil’s, Henna is surrounded not only by incredible plants, but also, for the first time, by other kids—including her new roommates: wisecracking, genderfluid P, who gleefully bends every rule they come up against, and wealthy, distant Lora, who is tired of servants doing everything for her, from folding her clothes to pushing her wheelchair. But Henna’s search for the fabled healing seed means she doesn’t have time for friends, or so she thinks.

This tender tale, blossoming with moments of joy, is a story of hope, grief, and learning to flourish with a little help from those around you.

Other editions: Audiobook version by Recorded Books, narrated by Stacy Gonzalez.

Description from Tara’s website.

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Looking ahead

February is quickly approaching and we are excited to share that we will have James Bird on our show to talk about writing No Place Like Home!

February’s read: No Place Like Home by James Bird

Looking back

You want to know about another whimsical book we loved?

Brittany’s own middle grade novel, Rules to a Legacy, will scratch the whimsy-itch for sure!

Are you looking for some more plant love? But maybe with a sci-fi twist?

We also loved Moongarden by Michelle Barry! You can listen to our talk with Michelle in a previous episode.

Read to Write Kidlit is a free resource for writers.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

Please consider supporting our work by sharing this newsletter with a friend.

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thank you for your continued support.

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Kalyn Josephson is a NYT Bestselling author of both middle grade and young adult novels.

Flashback a few years: Shortly after we started reading books together and discussing them as writing critique partners, we read Ravenfall. It’s a book right up both of our alleys and we both really enjoyed talking about the structure and setting of the book.

Flash forward to now: This month we wanted to reread the novel because rereading has come up on the podcast many times and we thought we should put it into practice. It was a lot of fun to take annotations anew and then look back at notes we had written from our first read.

Here are a few of our favorite lines:

* Alexis: I wonder if holding everything in ever really made me strong, or if it just made me hurt all the more.

* Also…Embrace the weird.

* Brittany: The plants whisper, sliding closer together and sealing off the alcove. A moment later I hear a crunch of gravel, and Colin’s worried voice calling, “Ann’s? Anna, are you up here?” “It’s okay,” I tell the house. “He can come in.”

Read her book and share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Kalyn Josephson

Kalyn Josephson is a NYT Bestselling author, sometimes-baker, and full-time consumer of too much tea. She lives on the California coast with two tiny black cats in a house in constant need of repair. She is the author of the Ravenfall series, The Storm Crow duology, and the This Dark Descent duology.

About Ravenfall

New York Times bestsellerGoodreads Best MG Book of 2022 NomineeBarnes and Noble book club pick for October 2023

Thirteen-year-old Annabella Ballinkay has never been normal, even by her psychic family’s standards. Every generation uses their abilities to help run the Ravenfall Inn, a sprawling, magical B&B at the crossroads of the human world and the Otherworld. But it’s hard to contribute when your only power is foreseeing death.

So when fourteen-year-old Colin Pierce arrives at Ravenfall searching for his missing older brother and the supernatural creature who killed their parents, Anna jumps at the chance to help. But the mysteries tied to Colin go much deeper than either of them expects. . . .

As the two team up to find answers, they unearth Colin’s family’s secret past and discover that Colin has powers beyond his imagination. And now the supernatural creature, one with eerie origins in Celtic mythology, is coming after him. If Anna and Colin can’t stop the creature by Halloween night, the veil to the Otherworld could be ripped open—which would spell destruction for their world as they know it.

Out now from Penguin Random House.

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Looking ahead

We will be taking December off for the holidays, but we will be back in January!

January’s read: The Girl from Earth’s End by Tara Dairman

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Lindsay Currie is an award-winning middle grade author widely known for her spooky stories, but she is also making her way into the mystery realm! In Season 2, we spoke with Lindsay on her middle grade mystery, The Mystery of Locked Rooms. You can listen to it here. In that episode we learned that there would be a sequel (and potentially even more books) and we knew we had to have her back.

Lindsay Currie shares her knowledge of writing craft, series construction, as well as tips on sharing work with critique partners.

Here are a few of our favorite lines from her book that really illustrate why we love Lindsay’s books.

* Alexis: (minor foreshadowing/spoiler) “But now it’s open, and don’t worry, if there’s anything really cool, I’ll remember it and tell you.” “Hey!” William says, acting offended. “I do not need Escape City’s ideas. When I do expand the Delta Game, I’ll be using my own ideas thank you very much.” “Honorable,” West says.

* Brittany: whenever West calls Hanna “Hanna Bananna”

Read her book and share your favorite lines!

Further down in the description you can read more about the book, where to buy your own copy, and what we are doing next.

You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts. We also have transcripts available if listening is not for you. Note: Transcripts on Substack are only available in the web version, not the app.

We would love to hear what you thought of the book and our talk with the author.

Music credits: Will Saulnier

Meet Lindsay Currie

Lindsay Currie is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of mysteries for young readers, including the Delta Games series and It’s Watching. She grew up on Nancy Drew and loves a good twisty tale. When she’s not writing, Lindsay can generally be found looking for an adventure of her own. She loves researching forgotten history and recently relocated from Chicago to a 220 acre farm in downstate Illinois where she finally gets to see stars every night, and take hikes every day.

About The House With No Keys

NOW A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! ​

This sequel to the #1 New York Times bestselling book The Mystery of Locked Rooms follows the beloved Deltas as they race to complete the most challenging escape room they’ve ever faced...and confront their fears in order to save their friendship.

When a strange invitation shows up in Sarah’s backpack, the Delta’s learn that their favorite funhouse, The Delta Game, is about to get some serious competition. The “Mystery Mansion” is opening just miles away and the ominous and cryptic owner has invited Sarah, West, and Hannah to come test it on opening day. It claims to be the biggest and best escape house ever, and based on the photos of gleaming rooms filled with high-tech puzzles, it just might be.

What’s more, the kids have been offered a ten-thousand-dollar prize if they escape the house. For some reason, West and Hannah seem very interested in the cash prize, but the three friends are torn because they really don’t want to be a walking advertisement for a competitor to The Delta Game. After all, that funhouse changed their lives, Sarah’s life especially.

But maybe the only way to keep the funhouse, and their friend William Taters in business, is to accept the invite to this new Mystery Mansion, escape it in record time, and show just how lame and easy it is by comparison. The trio arrive at the mansion on opening day, armed with their “fortune favors the bold” attitude. But they quickly learn that nothing is as it seems . . . and unfortunately this time, not everyone plays fair.

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Looking ahead

A blast from the past! Join us for a talk with Kalyn Josephson, the author of the Ravenfall series and one of the first books we read as “writers” together! We are so excited to talk with Kalyn about this book that has stuck with us for a couple years. It’s also perfect for the fall!

We would love to hear what you thought about our show-so leave us a comment or DM. Thank you for your continued support.

Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode!

On Apple Podcasts? Leave us a review so others can find us!

Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.