9 Amazing Middle Grade Coming of Age Novels
I love reading contemporary middle school novels, perhaps because some little part of me is still coming of age! Today’s…
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The House That Lou Built, by Mae Respicio: A Coming-of-Age Debut About a Big Dream of a Tiny House
Tiny homes have always fascinated me. One of the many reasons I fell in love with my husband is because…
Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth: An Interview with Author Sheila O’Connor About Penpals and Protests
Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth is told back-and-forth in letters. What inspired this format? What was most challenging about writing a…
An Interview with A Possibility of Whales Author Karen Rivers About Unexpected Encounters
First, can I just say how stunning the cover to A Possibility of Whales is? Thank you! The cover artist is Julie…
Rescue and Jessica: An Interview About a Life-Changing Friendship
One year after getting married, Jessica Kensky and Patrick Downes decided to swing by the 2013 Boston Marathon to watch…
When Grandparents Raise the Kids: A Roundup of Books
Not long after I became a single mom, my father came to visit me in New York City and he…
Girl-Powered, Gripping Adventure: An Interview with The Mad Wolf’s Daughter Author Diane Magras
The Mad Wolf’s Daughter is a middle grade fantasy about a scrappy, strong, and fearless 12-year-old girl named Drest whose…
5 Middle Grade Novels Featuring Deceased or Absent Parents
Middle school is a time of such immense change, and if it happens to compounded by a traumatic experience—say, a…
5 Picture Books that Ask Existential Questions
Piglet “How do you spell love?” Pooh: “You don’t spell it, you feel it.” —Winnie The Pooh Young children never…
An Interview with Crypt Quest/Space Battles: A Play-Your-Way Book Author Gabe Soria
What were you like as a kid? What was your connection to video games? I assume I was like most…
Facing Frederick Tells the Story of A Monumental American Man
As the mother of a biracial teen whom I raised as a single parent, I know little about her birth…
5 Readalikes For Judy Blume Fans
I got the chance to see Judy Blume for the first time in person at a recent book festival, and I…
5 Funny Coming-of-Age Stories For Young Readers Who Love to Laugh
Hearing my children laugh is the best sound in the world, and when they laugh while reading a story, it’s…
5 Feel-Good, Life-Affirming MG Books for Troubled Times
“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or if we wait for some other time. We…
Quiz: are you Ivy or are you Bean?
After all, being different means having more fun together…and more trouble. Are you more Ivy or Bean? Take this quiz…
5 reasons I’ve Read Jacqueline Woodson’s If You Come Softly 5 times
Here are my reasons I’ve reread Woodson’s If You Come Softly so many times: 1. Because the writing is so beautiful,…
5 Middle Grade Books to Empower Young People to Speak Up
In this complicated world, reading books about people who change the world is a big part of our routine at…
Lots of Goats, Two Owls, and One Lost Puppy: 5 Chapter Books for Animal Lovers
As the parent of a kindergartner who loves animals, especially when she can follow them on silly and mysterious adventures,…
5 Novels on the Middle School Crush: Does He/She Really Like Me?
Blushing, sweating, giggling, squirming in your seat: These are all signs of a first crush in middle school. It can…
David Barclay Moore’s The Stars Beneath Our Feet Inspires Big Dreams In This Big World
First, can we just gush for a moment about the stunning cover of David Barclay Moore’s debut middle grade novel?…