Reading in The Middle

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Welcome to Reading in the Middle, where we explore the stories that help kids understand themselves and the world around them. I’m your host, Annisha Jeffries.

Today’s episode centers on a book that speaks directly to children who feel different, unheard, or unsure where they belong. Jonathan Del Arco and Trisha DiFazio join me to talk about Freddy the Alien.

Inspired by Jonathan’s experience immigrating from Uruguay to New York City, Freddy the Alien follows a young boy who feels like an outsider in a new country, a new school, and a new language. Trisha brings her background as an educator to the story, grounding Freddy’s experience in what many multilingual learners face—especially the quiet, often misunderstood “silent period” of language acquisition.

Together, Jonathan and Trisha have created a story about identity, patience, empathy, and the power of adults who truly see and support children as they find their footing.

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I’m your host, Annisha Jeffries, and today’s guest is one of the most celebrated voices in contemporary literature. Angie Thomas’s debut novel, The Hate U Give, not only debuted at number one on The New York Times bestseller list, but also received significant recognition from the American Library Association — including the William C. Morris Award for a standout debut, and honors such as the Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King Honors for its literary achievement and cultural impact.

Her novels have won Goodreads Choice Awards, been adapted into major films, and become classroom staples — all while giving voice to young people worldwide. Today, I start with Angie’s newest work for middle-grade readers — the Nic Blake and the Remarkables series, including The Manifestor Prophecy and The Book of Anansi — before exploring how her YA work continues to influence readers of all ages.

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In this episode of Reading in the Middle, host Annisha Jeffries talks with Lance Rubin, author of the brilliant new middle-grade novel Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend, a hilarious, relatable story about a kid who’s terrible at making friends but finds himself knee-deep in high-tech chaos and real-world feelings.

Lance and Annisha dive into Zed’s world from MonoTown’s quirky tech to the ups and downs of middle-school friendships and explore how humor and heart can reveal big truths about connection, identity, and growing up. You’ll also get some fun lightning-round moments that are as unpredictable as a tech-savvy friendship app.

Lance’s middle-grade work includes Zed Moonstein Makes a Friend and Monster Club: Monsters Take Manhattan, books full of quirky characters and big laughs that middle-grade readers love. Find more about Lance and his books at lancerubin.com.

Whether you’re a reader, a teacher, a parent, or just someone who’s ever wondered what it means to make a friend, this conversation is packed with insight, laughter, and the kind of awkward honesty only middle grade can deliver.

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In this episode of Reading in the Middle, host Annisha Jeffries sits down with poet, mentor, and author Rian N. Jenkins to talk about her debut middle-grade novel Reverse (Book One) — a story that captures friendship, family, and the first sparks of love between two kids who’ve known each other their entire lives.

Rian shares how she weaves poetry into fiction, what inspired Monica and Donovan’s story, and how Reverse reflects the courage it takes to grow up, make mistakes, and come home to yourself.
And yes, she gives us a hint about Book Two.

✨Honest. Funny. Heartfelt. This conversation is for anyone who remembers the moment when friendship started to mean something more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Reading in the Middle, host Annisha Jeffries sits down with poet, mentor, and author Rian N. Jenkins to talk about her debut middle-grade novel Reverse (Book One), a story that captures friendship, family, and the first sparks of love between two kids who’ve known each other their entire lives.

Rian shares how she weaves poetry into fiction, what inspired Monica and Donovan’s story, and how Reverse reflects the courage it takes to grow up, make mistakes, and come home to yourself.
And yes, she gives us a hint about Book Two.

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Step backstage with us on this episode of Reading in the Middle as I welcome Lindsay Champion, lifelong theater geek, NYU Tisch graduate, former Features Editor at Broadway.com, and the author behind the middle-grade series Cast vs. Crew: Setting the Stage and the YA novel Someday, Somewhere.

Lindsay made her onstage debut as a tiger in her second-grade musical… and never left the theater world behind. She’s built sets, run the light board, operated the spotlight, and her favorite- stage-managed. Her deep love for behind-the-scenes magic shines through every page of Setting the Stage, the first book in a trilogy that celebrates the kids who make the show happen.

In this episode, we talk about:
🎭 What inspired her unforgettable cast of backstage kids
🎭 Why middle school is the perfect place for stories about belonging
🎭 The delicate art of writing friendship, conflict, and courage
🎭 Behind-the-scenes secrets from her own theater days
🎭 What readers can expect from Tech Week (coming 2026)

Whether you’re a theater kid, a book lover, a librarian, or an educator looking for your next great read-aloud, this conversation is full of heart, humor, and backstage brilliance.

Tune in, the curtain is rising. 🎙️✨

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Join host Annisha Jeffries on Reading in the Middle for a candid conversation with Carolyn Leiloglou, award-winning author of the middle-grade fantasy trilogy Beneath the Swirling Sky, Between Flowers and Bones, and the brand-new release Beyond the Far Horizon.

In this episode, we cover:
📖 The inspiration behind the Restorationists universe
🎨 How Carolyn’s background in art and a creative family life shaped her storytelling
🧠 Behind-the-scenes of crafting middle-grade fantasy that loops in adventure, heart, and meaning
📚 What to expect from Beyond the Far Horizon
💡 Tips for librarians, educators, and readers engaging with her work

Want to dive deeper? Visit Carolyn’s website for author news, teaching guides, and book-club resources: www.carolynleiloglou.com

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Today on Reading in the Middle, we hop into imagination, wonder, and the tiniest big emotions with Oscar-winning filmmaker and author Alan Barillaro, whose newest book Bunns Rabbit is a quiet, luminous triumph.

In this conversation, we explore:

• 🌱 How Bunns Rabbit grew from a spark of curiosity into a tender, emotionally rich story

• ✏️ How Alan blends animation, storytelling, and the smallest gestures to capture big feelings

• 🐇 Why rabbits, shadows, silence, and courage matter so much in his work

• 🎬 What he brings from his years at Pixar into writing for children

• 💡 How he approaches creating picture books that feel like soft lanterns in a noisy world

This episode is for librarians, educators, families, and every young reader who has ever felt a little unsure—but took a brave step anyway.

Curl up with us, grab Bunns Rabbit, and let’s talk about how stories help us find our way.

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