Episodes
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Jasmine Warga, author and winner of countless awards, including a John Newbery Honor, a Walter Honor for Young Readers, and a Charlotte Huck Honor joined to discuss the writing process behind her acclaimed middle grade novel, A Rover’s Story.
You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
Discussion
We would love to hear from our readers! What is your biggest takeaway from the podcast?
Writing Challenge
Jasmine Warga talks about the limitation of writing a novel with a non-human main character. We challenge our listeners to limit yourself in your writing by choosing a non-human main character. See where your creativity takes you.
Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
A Rover’s Story
THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN MEETS THE WILD ROBOT IN THIS UNIQUE AND DEEPLY MOVING MIDDLE-GRADE NOVEL ABOUT THE JOURNEY OF A FICTIONAL MARS ROVER, FROM THE NEWBERY HONOR-WINNING AUTHOR OF OTHER WORDS FOR HOME.
THE TALE OF A SMALL MACHINE WITH A BIG HEART…
Meet Resilience, a Mars rover determined to live up to his name.
Res was built to explore Mars. He was not built to have human emotions. But as he learns new things from the NASA scientists who assemble him, he begins to develop human-like feelings. Maybe there’s a problem with his programming….
Human emotions or not, launch day comes, and Res blasts off to Mars, accompanied by a friendly drone helicopter named Fly. But Res quickly discovers that Mars is a dangerous place filled with dust storms and giant cliffs. As he navigates Mars’s difficult landscape, Res is tested in ways that go beyond space exploration.
As millions of people back on Earth follow his progress, will Res have the determination, courage -- and resilience -- to succeed…and survive?
Looking Ahead
Season 1 is almost coming to a close! Can you believe it?
We will have Joseph Bruchac to talk about his book, Dawn Land, in July.
August will feature a special giveaway contest-make sure you don’t miss out-subscribe right now!
You can also join our discussion is we are reading the books on our Discord. Complete this form to join in!
Are you an author who would like to be featured in a future episode? Send us a message at [email protected].
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Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today we talked with middle grade author Dan Gemeinhart about writing, specifically with his novel, The Midnight Children.
Dan Gemeinhart is an award winning and bestselling author known for his heartfelt stories including Some Kind of Courage, The Honest Truth, Scar Island, Good Dog, The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and most recently, Coyote Lost and Found. Dan is here with us today to discuss his middle grade novel, The Midnight Children, a tale whose plot and tone are seeped in secrets and mystery and of course, heart!
You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
Discussion
We would love to hear from our readers! What is your biggest takeaway from the podcast?
Writing Challenge
We challenge our listeners to write a dark and humorous poem that really establishes tone. Stretch yourself. Test your limits. See where your creativity takes you.
Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
The Midnight Children
Macmillan Publishers describe The Midnight Children below:
The #1 New York Times and Indie bestseller! From Dan Gemeinhart, the acclaimed author of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, comes an extraordinary story about a family of runaways who take up residence in a small town, and the outcast boy who finds his voice and his people—perfect for fans of Katherine Applegate and Kate DiCamillo."Dan Gemeinhart’s best yet and that’s saying something." —Padma Venkatraman, Walter Award-winning author of The Bridge HomeIn the dead of night, a truck arrives in Slaughterville, a small town curiously named after its windowless slaughterhouse. Seven mysterious kids with suitcases step out of the vehicle and into an abandoned home on a dead-end street, looking over their shoulders to make sure they aren't noticed.But Ravani Foster covertly witnesses their arrival from his bedroom window. Timid and lonely, Ravani is eager to learn everything he can about his new neighbors: What secrets are they hiding? And most mysterious of all...where are the adults?Yet amid this shadowy group of children, Ravani finds an unexpected friend in the warm and gutsy Virginia. But with this friendship comes secrets revealed—and danger. When Ravani learns of a threat to his new friends, he must fight to keep them safe, or lose the only person who has ever understood him. Full of wonder, friendship, and mystery, The Midnight Children explores the meaning of "home," what makes a family, and what it takes to find the courage to believe in yourself.* "A story of fierce friendship, bravery, loyalty, and finding—or making—a place to belong." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review"Equal parts Kate DiCamillo and Shirley Jackson, this book is unlike anything else I've ever read—you will love it." —Jonathan Auxier, New York Times-bestselling author of Night Gardener and Sweep: the Story of a Girl and her Monster
Looking Ahead
We have amazing authors coming in future months! Order the books now and join our discussion.
You can also join our discussion is we are reading the books on our Discord. Complete this form to join in!
Are you an author who would like to be featured in a future episode? Send us a message at [email protected].
Follow Us
Follow Alexis on all the places in her link tree.
Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Episodes manquant?
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Today we talked with two of the editors for the anthology On All Other Nights, Chris Baron and Naomi Milliner. Joshua S Levy is the third editor, but he was not able to join us.
On All Other Nights is a joyful middle-grade anthology centered around Passover—from an exciting array of bestselling and award-winning Jewish creators.
Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The heart of Passover is the seder—a meal full of rituals, special foods, and songs—where we gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt. And yet this story is about more than the ancient past. The seder’s themes of freedom, joy, tradition, and more, are timeless and universal, for all. In this unprecedented collection of short stories, 14 bestselling and award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder for today’s young readers. Through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction, these gifted writers from different Jewish traditions and backgrounds gather around the seder table and invite everyone to join them.
Creators include Chris Baron (The Magical Imperfect), Ruth Behar (Lucky Broken Girl), Adam Gidwitz (A Tale Dark and Grimm), Veera Hiranandani (The Night Diary), Amy Ignatow (The Popularity Papers, Jedi Academy), Sarah Kapit (Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen, Joshua S. Levy (The Jake Show), Mari Lowe (Aviva vs. the Dybbuk), Naomi Milliner (Super Jake & The King of Chaos), Soifya Pasternack (Black Bird, Blue Road), R. M. Romero (The Dollmaker of Kraków), A. J. Sass (Ana on the Edge), Laura Shovan (The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary), and Laurel Snyder (Orphan Island, Charlie & Mouse).
You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
Discussion
We would love to hear from our readers! Have you written flash fiction or short stories before? How is that experience different from other forms of writing?
Writing Challenge
We challenge our listeners to write a short story in under 500 words! Stretch yourself. Test your limits. See where your creativity takes you.
Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
On All Other Nights
* "Unusual, entertaining, and deeply moving." — Kirkus
* "A strong candidate for strengthening and diversifying school and public library's holiday collections."— School Library Journal
* "A festive reflection of Judaism's limitless range."— Booklist
Looking Ahead
We have amazing authors coming in future months! Order the books now and join our discussion.
Follow Us
Follow Alexis on all the places in her link tree.
Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s guest writes books that are best described with these words:
Award Winning.
Real Challenges.
Resilience.
Humor.
Barbara Dee is the author of 14 middle grade novels and is the QUEEN (in our opinion) of capturing that middle grade voice as well as depicting tough topics in an accessible way for kids.
Our talk with Barbara Dee was full of strategies on how to write authentic voices, chapter titles, and keeping tension solid throughout the book to keep readers turning pages.
You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
Discussion
We would love to hear from our listeners! What other ways can you tap into the mindset of a middle schooler for your writing if you are not a teacher or guardian of a student? Leave us a comment.
Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Barbara Dee
* Awards among her 14 novels include several starred reviews, The Washington Post’s Best Children’s Books, ALA Notable Children’s Books, ALA Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, School Library Journal’s Best Middle Grade Books, and the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten. Her books appear on numerous state awards lists as well.
* Graduated magna cum laude from Yale with honors in English.
* MA degree from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English and a JD degree from the University of Chicago Law School.
* One of the founders and a former board member of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival, now the largest children’s book festival in the country.
Unstuck
Lyla is thrilled when her seventh-grade English language arts class begins a daily creative writing project. For the past year, she’s been writing a brilliant fantasy novel in her head, and here’s her chance to get it on paper! The plot to Lyla’s novel is super complicated, with battle scenes and witches and a mysterious one-toed-beast, but at its core, it’s about an overlooked girl who has to rescue her beautiful, highly accomplished older sister.
But writing a fantasy novel turns out to be harder than simply imagining one, and pretty soon Lyla finds herself stuck, experiencing a panic she realizes is writer’s block. Part of the problem is that she’s trying to impress certain people—like Rania, her best friend who’s pulling away, and Ms. Bowman, the coolest teacher at school. Plus, there’s the pressure of meeting the deadline for the town writing contest. A few years ago, Lyla’s superstar teen sister Dahlia came in second, and this time, Lyla is determined to win first prize.
Finally, Lyla confides about her writing problems to Dahlia, who is dealing with her own academic stress as she applies to college. That’s when she learns Dahlia’s secret, which is causing a very different type of writer’s block. Can Lyla rescue a surprisingly vulnerable big sister, both on the page and in real life?
* A Junior Library Guild selection
* Colby Sharp’s Awesome 2024 Books
* Reading Middle Grade: Realistic Fiction Books for 5th Graders
Looking Ahead
We have amazing authors coming in future months! Order the books now and join our discussion.
Follow Us
Follow Alexis on all the places in her link tree.
Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s guest is Black feminist writer and poet, Zetta Elliott. Zetta’s poetry has been published in numerous anthologies and additionally, she has written numerous essays (including the Children’s Literature Association’s Article Award winning 2014 essay, “The Trouble with Magic: Conjuring the Past in New York City Parks.”). Zetta also has published two middle grade novels-one of which we are talking about today! Dragons in a Bag is a middle grade fantasy book that the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) named a Notable Children’s Book and it was selected for the 2021 Global Read Aloud. The fifth and final book in the series, The War of the Witches, will be published in January 2024.
Our talk with Zetta Elliott was rich in discussion on plot, characters, fantasy elements and the publication world.
You can listen to the podcast above or on Apple Podcasts.
Discussion
We would love to hear from our listeners! Leave us a comment. Here are a few prompts to get you going:
* Zetta described fantasy as not being about worldbuilding, but rather about community. How do you/could you build community in your works in progress? What does that look like in your writing or other books you have read?
* What was your biggest takeaway from this episode?
* Have you read any of Zetta’s works? What is your favorite?
Thank you for listening and sharing! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Zetta Elliott
* Born and raised in Canada, but has lived in America for over 30 years.
* Is a poet, essayist, and novelist.
* Her works have won numerous awards and nominations.
* Zetta’s purpose: “Ultimately, I try to tell stories that give voice to the diverse realities of children. I write as much for parents as I do for their children because sometimes adults need the simple instruction a picture book can provide. I write books my parents never had the chance to read to me. I write the books I wish I had had as a child.”-quote from Zetta’s website.
Dragons in a Bag
When his mother goes to court to challenge an eviction notice, she leaves Jaxon with a strange lady called Ma. The miserable old woman clearly doesn’t want Jax around, and she tries to hide a curious package mailed to her from Africa. Jax soon learns that Ma is keeping secrets. She isn’t actually his grandmother—she’s a witch! Ma’s last task before retirement is to transport three dragons from Madagascar to another realm where magic still thrives. Though his mother long ago rejected the chance to apprentice with Ma, Jax decides to help the old woman get the dragons back where they belong. But what does a boy from Brooklyn know about magic?
Watch Zetta read aloud the first three chapters here. Find great videos, activities, and other resources here. Download the publisher’s Educators’ Guide here.
Looking Ahead
We have amazing authors coming in future months! Order the books now and join our discussion.
Follow Us
Follow Alexis on all the places in her link tree.
Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s episode is with middle grade author, Jennifer A Nielsen. Her newest novel, ICEBERG, is a thrilling middle grade historical fiction about Hazel Rothbury- a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive.
The Read to Write KidLit Book Club read closely to notice what Nielsen did to bring us in to her story and then asked her questions about writing craft. Our goal is to learn more about writing craft through discussions with each other, our reading, and our discussion with the author. We hope you also learn more about writing after this podcast.
We are also on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for listening! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Jennifer A Nielsen
* Has been a writer since elementary.
* She writes fantasy and historical fiction.
* Her achievements include the Sydney Taylor Notable Book Award for her historical fiction novel, Resistance, multiple Whitney Awards, and even the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2023. Her books have also won numerous state awards.
As disaster looms on the horizon, a young stowaway onboard the Titanic will need all her courage and wits to stay alive. A thrilling tale from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen!
Hazel Rothbury is traveling all alone from her home in England aboard the celebrated ship Titanic. Following the untimely death of her father, Hazel’s mother is sending her to the US to work in a factory, so that she might send money back home to help her family make ends meet.
But Hazel harbors a secret dream: She wants to be a journalist, and she just knows that if she can write and sell a story about the Titanic's maiden voyage, she could earn enough money to support her family and not have to go to a sweatshop. When Hazel discovers that mother didn’t send her with enough money for a ticket, she decides she must stow away onboard the storied ship.
With the help of a porter named Charlie and a sweet first-class passenger named Sylvia, Hazel explores the opulent ship in secret, but a haunting mystery quickly finds her. The danger only intensifies when calamity strikes, and readers will be caught up in the terror and suspense alongside Hazel as she fights to save her friends and herself.
Bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen weaves an extraordinary tapestry of survival and disaster in this magnificent thriller.
Looking Ahead
We have amazing authors coming in future months! Order the books now and join our discussion.
Follow Us
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Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s episode is with middle grade author, Megan E Freeman. The Read to Write Kidlit book club read Alone this month. We read closely to notice what Megan did to bring us in to her story and then asked her questions about writing craft. Our goal is to learn more about writing craft through discussions with each other, our reading, and our discussion with the author. We hope you also learn more about writing after this podcast.
We are also on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for listening! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Megan E Freeman
* Has been a writer since forever
* Award-winning teacher
* Member of SCBWI and other writing organizations
Perfect for fans of Hatchet and the I Survived series, this harrowing middle grade debut novel-in-verse from a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet tells the story of a young girl who wakes up one day to find herself utterly alone in her small Colorado town.
When twelve-year-old Maddie hatches a scheme for a secret sleepover with her two best friends, she ends up waking up to a nightmare. She’s alone—left behind in a town that has been mysteriously evacuated and abandoned.
With no one to rely on, no power, and no working phone lines or internet access, Maddie slowly learns to survive on her own. Her only companions are a Rottweiler named George and all the books she can read. After a rough start, Maddie learns to trust her own ingenuity and invents clever ways to survive in a place that has been deserted and forgotten.
As months pass, she escapes natural disasters, looters, and wild animals. But Maddie’s most formidable enemy is the crushing loneliness she faces every day. Can Maddie’s stubborn will to survive carry her through the most frightening experience of her life?
* Colorado Book Award
* Massachusetts, Maine, and Vermont children’s book awards
* NCTE Notable Verse Novel
* Included on over two dozen "best of" and state reading lists.
Looking Ahead
We have an amazing line up in 2024! Order the books now and join our discussion.
Follow Us
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Follow Brittany on her substack.
See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s episode is with middle grade author, Kate Albus. The Read to Write Kidlit book club read Nothing Else But Miracles this month. We read closely to notice what Kate Albus did to bring us in to her story and then asked her questions about writing craft. Our goal is to learn more about writing craft through discussions with each other, our reading, and our discussion with the author. We hope you also learn more about writing after this podcast.
We are also on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for listening! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Kate
Kate Albus is the author of two historical fiction middle grade novels, A Place to Hang the Moon and Nothing Else but Miracles.
Visit her website, follow her Twitter and Instagram.
Nothing Else But Miracles
“Rich in New York City period detail and era-specific colloquialisms, the briskly moving telling succeeds in its well-executed combination of classic plot elements, sympathetic characters and community, and anxiety-provoking uncertainties, while parenthetical asides to readers create a deepening sense of engagement and intimacy with the Byrne family.”—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review“The story is both grounded in reality and embellished with entertaining exploits, keeping readers excited about Dory’s experiences as she holds her family together and they await their papa. . . . An absorbing tale about urban life on the World War II homefront.”—Kirkus Reviews
Margaret Ferguson Books at Holiday House
12-year-old Dory Byrne lives with her brothers on New York City’s Lower East Side, waiting impatiently through the darkest hours of World War II for her pop to come home from fighting Hitler. Legally speaking, Dory’s brother, Fish, isn’t old enough to be in charge of Dory and her younger brother, Pike, but the neighborhood knows the score and, like Pop always says, “the neighborhood will give you what you need.” There’s the lady from the bakery, who saves them leftover crullers. The kind landlord who checks in on them. And every Thursday night, the Byrnes enjoy a free bowl of seafood stew at Mr. Caputo’s restaurant. Which is where Dory learns about the hand-pulled elevator that is the only way to get to Caputo’s upper floors. The elevator that’s so creaky and ancient, nobody’s been in it for decades. Until now.The Byrnes’ landlord dies unexpectedly and the new one is anything but kind. When he catches on about Pop being gone, he turns the Byrnes in, hoping they’ll be shipped off to an orphanage. Dory and her brothers need a hideout, and suddenly the elevator and the abandoned hotel it leads to provide just the solution they need. Based on a very real place in old New York and steeped in the history of the last year of World War II, Nothing Else but Miracles shows how, when things get tough, the neighborhood really will give you what you need… and may even offer up a miracle or two in the process.A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
Looking Ahead
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See you next month!
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This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com -
Today’s episode is with middle grade author, Mariama J Lockington. The Read to Write Kidlit book club read In the Key of Us this month. We read closely to notice what Mariama did to engage us in her book and then asked her questions about writing craft. Our goal is to learn more about writing craft through discussions with each other, our reading, and our discussion with the author. We hope you also learn more about writing after this podcast.
We are also on Apple Podcasts.
Thank you for listening! If you are interested in joining our book club, complete this google form.
Music credits: Will Saulnier
About Mariama
Mariama J Lockington is the author of 3 novels: For Black Girls Like Me, In the Key of Us, and Forever Is Now. She also wrote for an anthology, This is Our Rainbow: 16 Stories Her, Him, Them, Us.
Visit her website, follow her Twitter, Instagram, and Goodreads.
In the Key of Us
Stonewall Book Awards—Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Honor Book From the author of the critically acclaimed novel For Black Girls Like Me, Mariama J. Lockington, comes a coming-of-age story surrounding the losses that threaten to break us and the friendships that make us whole again. Thirteen-year-old Andi feels stranded after the loss of her mother, the artist who swept color onto Andi’s blank canvas. When she is accepted to a music camp, Andi finds herself struggling to play her trumpet like she used to before her whole world changed. Meanwhile, Zora, a returning camper, is exhausted trying to please her parents, who are determined to make her a flute prodigy, even though she secretly has a dancer’s heart.At Harmony Music Camp, Zora and Andi are the only two Black girls in a sea of mostly white faces. In kayaks and creaky cabins, the two begin to connect, unraveling their loss, insecurities, and hopes for the future. And as they struggle to figure out who they really are, they may just come to realize who they really need: each other.In the Key of Us is a lyrical ode to music camp, the rush of first love, and the power of one life-changing summer.
Looking Ahead
Follow Us
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See you next month!
Thanks for reading Read to Write Kidlit Substack! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit readtowritekidlit.substack.com
