Two Lit Mamas

According to recent reports, the pandemic has stirred up body image concerns in teens, leading to a rise in eating disorders, so for this episode The Mamas turn to Middle Grade fiction to help kids, parents and teachers tackle the topic in a positive way. Catch the wave of change that's coming and leave body shaming far behind with this list of fat acceptance novels:
All of Me by Chris Baron
Starfish by Lisa Fipps
Jelly by Jo Cotterill
Husky by Justin Sayre
Garvey's Choice by Nikki Grimes
Dumplin by Julie Murphy

Pick 6: Happy Mamas' Day!
Here are 6 (and a few more)  books for mamas of unique and wonderful kiddos with links to the podcast episodes where the mamas discuss them in great (really too much) detail.
For mamas with kids on the spectrum:
Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
For mamas with savant or math genius kids:
Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
For mamas with bi-cultural kids:
Marcus Bega Does Not Speak English by Pablo Cartaya
For mamas with kids who have gender or orientation questions:
Rick by Alex Gino
For divorced mamas:
Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood & How to Make Friends with the Sea by Tanya Guerrero
For mamas with budding activists:
The Leak by Kate Reed Petty and Andrea Bell
For mamas with adopted kids:
Greenglass House by Kate Milford

Reference Links:
Lisa Damour article about teen eating disorders in the pandemic
Untangled by Lisa Damour
Angry Chef Blog
Piers Anthony Xanth Series books

www.twolitmamas.com

The mamas have so much to share for Earth month, from middle grade environmental nonfiction and eco-fiction novels, to nature picture books, articles, contests, book festivals, PBS specials, and more. Whew! Now, put on your green jeans and let’s get started!

Book Discussion:

How to Change Everything by Naomi Klein and Rebecca Stepoff

Girl Warriors, How 25 Young Activists Are Saving the Earth by Rachel Sarah

Beyond the Bright Sea by Lauren Wolk

The Last Wild by Piers Torday

Pick Six: Nature Picture Books

1.     A Leaf Can Be… by Laurie Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija

2.     Water Can Be… by Laurie Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija

3.     In a Garden by Tim McCanna and Aimee Sicuro

4.     One Tomato by Rebecca Mullin and Anna Mullin

5.     Outside In by Deborah Underwood and Cindy Derby

6.     Tiny, Perfect Things by M.H. Clark and Madeline Kloepper

 
Show Links:

Color-Cut-Create contest for kids

Ohioana Book Festival

Teen Vogue article by Isabella Fallahi

New Yorker article about Moms Battling Climate Change

Greta Thunburg PBS Special

Two Lit Mamas website

In honor of Earth Day, the Mamas do a deep dive (insert eye roll here) into the importance of clean water. Using her love language, Margie breaks down water treatment issues into dorky layman's terms, as the Mamas discuss their first nonfiction and graphic novel middle grade reads. If the mamas haven't hooked you with the lighthearted topic of water pollution, you might want to give this episode a pass because even the Pick 6 is more of the same. But, if you're up for an important cause, take the water protection oath and join the Mamas in this episode on water warriors.

Books:

Poisoned Water by Candy J. Cooper and Marc Aronson

The Leak by Kate Reed Petty and Andrea Bell

Pick 6:
A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
Flush by Carl Hiaassen
Rising Water by Marc Aronson
We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade
The Water Walker by Joanne Robertson
Little Turtle & the Changing Sea by Becky Davies and Jennie Poh

Reference Links:
Margie's Love Language Blog Post
Nova's Flint Documentary
Frontline Flint Documentary
Dry by Neil Shusterman

TwoLitMamas.com

For Episode 20 of Two Lit Mamas Podcast, the Mamas pry-bar themselves into black Spandex to get their spy game on. Yes, that IS your shoe phone ringing. Answer it and join the Mamas on a not-so-secret mission to hack into the latest middle grade books with kid spies. From chubby spy geniuses to petticoated, steampunk femme fatales, the Mamas chase the MacGuffin to bring you the best in MG-Lit. Spread the word before this podcast self-destructs.

City Spies by James Ponti
The Double Cross by Jackson Pearce
Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger

Pick 6:

1. Top Secret - A handbook of codes, Ciphers and Secret Writing by Paul B Janeczko.
2. The Real Spy’s Guide to Becoming a Spy  by Peter Earnest and Suzanne Harper
3. How to Be an International Spy by Andy Briggs for Lonely Planet Kids
4. CIA - Spy Kids  - Background on the CIA, history of missions and really cool online games to build spy power.    
5. Spy Science: 40 Secret-Sleuthing, Code Cracking, Spy Catching Activities for Kids by Jim Weise
6. Netflix - Spycraft

Show Links:

Gail Carriger's FREE Educators Guide to the Finishing School Series

twolitmamas.com

Happy Middle Grade March! In celebration of this very special month, the mamas threw together a BONUS episode on their fave topic – Middle Grade books. The Mamas break down the category for fellow mamas and papas who need help finding appropriate reading material for their middle schoolers.

Resources for finding great middle grade books:
Read Brightly
Imagination Soup
From the Mixed Up Files of Middle Grade Authors
Mr. Sharp
Reading Middle Grade
Two Lit Mamas Podcast

In this episode, the Mamas tackle tough topics, including divorce, blended-up families, and sick kiddos with their middle grade, realistic fiction pics. Maybe not the best topics to cover during a pandemic but the mamas grip their calming stones and make it through two important and wonderful reads written by diverse authors. For Pick Six, the Mamas share new releases they’re looking forward to reading this summer.

Books Discussed in this Episode: 

Love Like Sky by Leslie C. Youngblood
(sequel out this summer: Forever This Summer)

How to Make Friends with the Sea by Tanya Guerrero
(second book out this summer: All You Knead is Love) 

Pick 6: New releases to check out this summer

1.     The Double Life of Danny Day by Mike Thayer

2.     The Last Windwitch by Jennifer Adam

3.     The Last Shadow Warrior by Sam Subity

4.     Weird Kid by Greg Van Ekkhout

5.     Ten Thousand Tries by Amy Makechnie

6.     Down to Earth by Betty Culley


www.twolitmamas.com

The snowbound, quarantining mamas are starting to get a little stir crazy, obvi – the cry-laughing was a dead giveaway – but fortunately they found some great middle grade fantasy reads about American myths to distract them. Join the mamas in beating off the winter blues, especially if you’re a sasquatch or a ghost mastodon.

 Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston

 Evangeline of the Bayou by Jan Eldredge

 Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger

 Lemons by Melissa Savage

 Pick 6:

 1. Expedition Unknown with Josh Gates

2. Atlas of Cursed Places

3. Radio Garden

4. Finding ‘Ohana

5. Dora and the Lost City of Gold

6 Bedknobs and Broomsticks

After grumbling about the weather like two old ladies, the mamas dive into Iberian, Bengali, Egyptian and Greek mythology stories for middle grade readers. The fictional stories aren’t for fainthearted parents since most adults have disappeared at the beginning of the books. Fear not, the kids do rescue them, of course only after falling for crushes, exploring secret worlds, and becoming warriors. Connect with your inner goddess and will yourself to join the mamas on their mythic adventure.  

Show Links:   

 Charlie Hernandez & the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo

The Serpent’s Secret by Sayantani DasGupta

Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Trident by Ann Searle Horowitz  

Jinn Netflix TV Show

www.twolitmamas.com

Put on your parkas and two face masks. You’ll need them for warmth as the mamas chill with a couple of Middle Grade survival adventure books set in the dead of winter. In one book our young hero lives in a frozen fjord just as life is about to go berserk, and in the second book the hero, plucked from the fjord and relocated to the prairie, battles a blizzard. If you can handle the cold, hang on until the end for a chat about reading in the time of COVID. 

Icefall by Matthew Kirby

Blizzard on the Plains by Heather Kauffman-Peters

Pick 2:

A Middle School Teacher’s Creative Way of Framing the Pandemic for Children

How Reading Habits Have Changed During the COVID-19 Lockdown

Reference Links:

Minnie Freeman

Amanda Gorman

Joseph Campbell

The mamas launched the new year discussing two awesomely-abled middle grade characters – one’s a math savant, one’s autistic, both make exciting leads and reads. Then the mamas switched gears and got real about homeschool life. The mamas urge you to ignore the news for an hour, Irish up your coffee, and listen in!

Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

North Carolina 7th grader, Lucy, was struck by lightning when she was young and was diagnosed with acquired savant syndrome which made her a math genius. She’s been homeschooling since then and has advanced her education to college level. Lucy makes a deal with her grandmother, who’s worried about her social skills, that she will spend a year in middle school before moving on to college. Afterall, “if you can survive a bolt of lightning, you can survive middle school, right?”

Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos

Twelve-year-old Nova is a non-verbal, autistic girl who has been bouncing through foster care with her older sister Bridget for about 7 years. Through everything, their shared love of space exploration has kept the sisters going. The upcoming launch of the Challenger sending the first teacher in space, who happens to be from their home state, is a driving force in Nova's life. When the girls get separated, Nova counts down the days until she see's Bridget again because her sister promised they would watch the Challenger Launch together - no matter what. But Nova finds some things are beyond anyone's control.

Pick 6: Homeschool Resources

 1. Class Dismissed movie

2. John Holt

3. Pat Farenga

4. Village Home Learning

5. Sir Ken Robinson

6. Sandra Dodd

Reference Links:

Challenger documentary

Psychology Today article