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Cover Reveals · June 16, 2022

COVER REVEAL: What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

Reading Middle Grade is proud to reveal the cover of Claire Swinarski’s third middle grade novel, What Happened to Rachel Riley? This engaging mystery is bound to delight fans of middle grade mysteries! I chatted with Claire about the writing process, inspiration, and what it was like to craft a mystery. You’ll enjoy this conversation — and you’ll love the cover!

Interview with Claire Swinarski on What Happened to Rachel Riley?

image of a book with a blank cover used for a cover reveal graphic

Hi Claire! Welcome back to Reading Middle Grade. We’re so excited to reveal the cover of your new middle grade book What Happened to Rachel Riley? Could you tell us a bit about this book?

Thank you so much! What Happened to Rachel Riley? is a mystery surrounding the titular character. New girl Anna Hunt doesn’t understand why the entire eighth grade of East Middle seems to have it out for one particular girl. When she’s assigned an un-essay for her Social Issues class, she’s inspired to create a podcast asking the question…what happened to Rachel Riley?

It’s a book about friendship, feminism, and fierce loyalty. Some characters from The Kate In Between make brief appearances as well!

Sounds intriguing – so many mysteries! Your debut novel, What Happens Next had a touch of mystery, but this seems to have even more elements of the genre. Why did you decide to go this route/what inspired this story and how was the writing process different from your other two books?

what happens next by claire swinarski

I’ve been trying to write a mystery for ages, and I’ve always loved epistolary novels. When I was a kid, Letters From Camp by Kate Klise was one of my favorite reads. The idea of solving a mystery through documents has always seemed like a cool idea for a story. 

At first, I wanted to make Anna more of an old-school private eye, but seeing how savvy preteens are with tech, I knew podcasts, social media, and email would play into the story in a huge way.

The writing process was actually very similar to my other books. I’m typically a chronological writer: I sit down and write a book from start to finish. I will say with a mystery, things had to be plotted out a bit more than usual, and in the end, I had to go back and sprinkle a few clues in! 

The timing/pacing of this book was also super complicated, so that made it different as well. Making sure every email and text message is dated, plus news articles, podcast transcripts, website updates…it was bananas! My editor had me make a Google calendar where I could track every moment of the story, and that really helped. I’ll probably utilize that method going forward because keeping dates straight is far from my strong suit. 

I love the idea of a podcast to piece things together. You have experience creating a podcast (I loved your Making a Middle Grade podcast). Were you able to draw on that while writing Rachel Riley?

Thank you for the kind words! I was a professional podcaster for a few years, and I was an early listener of podcasts back in the day. I absolutely love the way podcasts can do deep dive on complicated issues, let people speak in their own words, bring in old-fashioned radio show elements…I just love the medium. And as a parent myself, I know kids’ podcasts are becoming more and more popular. So the idea that a preteen would start a podcast isn’t too out of this world. 

Being a podcaster myself did help me craft the main character, Anna. I knew what kind of shows she’d be into, what kind of equipment she’d need to make a show, and how difficult it can be to get people to open up. But Anna is a much better podcaster than I ever was!

Kate from The Kate in Between is my favorite character you’ve created, but I have a feeling I’ll love Anna too. It’s interesting because she’ll be revealing another character (Rachel Riley) to us. What are some things readers should know about Anna?

the kate in between by claire swinarski

Anna is the daughter of an immigrant, and I think that influences her perspective and experience quite a bit. She knows what it’s like to be an outsider. Her family is super close because they’ve always had to be–they’ve been excluded in a lot of not-always-visible ways. But there’s a plus side, too: she comes from very strong parents and a wisecracking sister, and that gives her a lot of courage to ask tough questions and be herself. When your family has faced hard times and made it through all the stronger, all the braver, all the more themselves, it gives you a belief that you can do the same. 


And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the cover reveal of What Happened to Rachel Riley?

what happened to rachel riley book review

How much input did you have on the cover design? What do you think about it?

I am obsessed. I’ve been so lucky with my book covers–I’ve never gotten one I disliked! I didn’t have that much input simply because I was creatively fried when it came time to discuss the cover, and I basically told the team to go for it. I love how many elements of the mystery are surrounding Rachel–things readers won’t even know the importance of until they read the book!

Claire, I’m so excited for everyone to get their hands on this book! When will it be available for readers?

Thanks so much, Afoma–I loved chatting about Anna and Rachel. What Happened to Rachel Riley? is available for preorder and will be released on January 10, 2023 wherever books are sold!

You can pre-order it on Amazon now!

More Author Interviews

  • Cover Reveal: Honestly Elliot by Gillian McDunn
  • Cover Reveal: Consider the Octopus by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin
  • Claire Swinarski on The Kate in Between
  • Claire Swinarski on What Happens Next

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Posted In: Cover Reveals

About the Author

Afoma Umesi is the founder and blogger at Reading Middle Grade. She's a writer and editor with a deep love for children's literature. Her favorite genre is contemporary realistic fiction, but she'll never say no to a graphic novel. Read More…

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👯‍♀️ TWINS in middle grade literature 💕 

I love seeing more twins in middle grade books. For a long time, the only twins I knew in middle grade lit were the Sweet Valley High girlies. Then, I got a glimpse of twin life with Issa and Jessie in @karinaisreadingandwriting’s THE VANDERBEEKERS. 

Since then, we’ve seen more depictions of twins, including Varian Johnson’s TWINS (a graphic novel about twin sisters Francine and Maureen entering 6th grade), MIRROR TO MIRROR by Rajani LaRocca, and Hope and Gordon in THE WINTERTON DECEPTION (review to come)!

And of course, these two books, TWIN CITIES and SAVING SUNSHINE (which I just started and am loving)! While these stories will appeal to twins, I think everyone who’s ever been curious about twins will love getting a glimpse into what life feels like as one half of a whole. 

Which middle grade twin stories have you read and loved? 😍 

#middlegrade #twinbooks #mglit #bookstagram #booksbooksbooks
📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the 📰 a beautiful graphic novel about speaking the truth 

This stunning graphic novel follows Cinzia, Avvisi writer’s apprentice living in sunny Sianerra. Cinzia and her mestra write news stories/pamphlets to the city, but not everyone likes when they tell the truth. 

After an edition exposing the ruling family for extortion, cinzia and her mestra are arrested at night and she has to join forces with the princess to fight back against censorship. 

Besides the wonderfully imaginative and powerful storyline, loved the visuals and the diversity representation in this graphic novel. The main character has a bad leg and gets around with a walking stick, which is something rarely depicted in graphic novels (and it’s barely even discussed—it just is!).

Although, this book is closer to fantasy (but without magical elements), it’s set in a Renaissance-style Italian village, so it could work for lovers of realistic fiction too.

Look out for it in November! Have you read this graphic novel? Thoughts? Is it on your radar already?

#graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites 🩰throwback Thursday - meet one of my favorites

Looking for an upper middle grade book about ballet, friendships, and body image? Meet TURNING POINT. 

This book focuses on Monique (Mo) and Rasheeda (Sheeda)’s friendship and how it changes over a summer when both girls are drawn into different pursuits. Mo is off at a ballet intensive with Mila, while Sheeda is stuck at church (with her church “friends”) feeling like she has no life.

At the ballet intensive, Mo comes face to face with her competitive attitude which is fueled by feelings of not “fitting in” with the mostly white, skinny ballet dancers. Even though she makes a couple of friends (who basically lovingly force her to befriend them), she’s insecure at times, afraid to be vulnerable because everything feels so different. On the other hand, Sheeda is desperate for something new. Unfortunately, she falls into a risky situation with Mo’s brother whom she happens to have a crush on.

Paula Chase is one of my favorite writers for this audience and this may be my favorite of hers so far. It’s in the same universe as two of her previous books, DOUGH BOYS and SO DONE but you don’t need to read them in order. 

I’d say her books are great for kids ages 12+
Have you read any books by this author? Which ones are your favorites?

#booksbooksbooks #mglit #bookstagram
🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides I’d seen this b 🇲🇽Twins on opposite sides

I’d seen this book floating around for ages but was never drawn to it (the cover maybe?) until I saw a review somewhere I can’t remember 🤪 I was pleasantly surprised!

Twins Luisa and Fernando find their paths diverging as they’re entering sixth grade. Luisa will be attending middle school in the US just across the border from Fernando’s school in Mexico. There, they come to face to face with different, but equally pressing challenges that threaten to tear them apart.

I really enjoyed this book. The side by side depictions of both kids parallel lives, the way the illustrations celebrate Mexican culture, living, and traditions, and the heartwarming way the twins find their way back to each other. 

I’d recommend this one to 6th graders and up (heads up for content warning: text mentions and depicts illicit drug use by a minor, although portrayed in a negative light) as a fascinating look into Mexican culture, life as a twin, and finding your own identity.

#kidlit #graphicnovels #mglit #booksforkids
♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man An ♠️ on spades and what it means to be a man

Ant isn’t your average 10 year old. He loves a good game of spades and he and his best friend are planning to revamp their reputation after losing badly at the last spades tournament. But things are changing in Ant’s life. His dad is acting weird, asking him to hide things from his mom. There’s a new girl in class who Ant maybe likes and who plays spades better than many boys he knows. 

When his best friend is grounded, Ant teams up with Shirley, hoping to impress his father and finally be tough like Joplin men should be. But instead, he learns what it really means to be a man—and it’s not about never crying.

There’s SO MUCH going on in this story, but the author does a stunning job of keeping all the threads in place. I was very surprised by all the protagonist has to manage at his age and the fact that it all remains believable. The story is told by Ant’s ancestor, lending a touch of magic realism. There are also many details about playing a game of spades and I loved, loved the audiobook narrator.

If you’re looking for a meatier middle grade book perfect for kids ages 9-12 (and older, really—love the cover!) looking for books that balance levity and relatability with real issues like toxic masculinity, parental addiction, friendship issues, and crushes.

#mglit #middlegrade #middlegradebookies #kidlit #booksforkids
❤️ a protagonist for the times Willow (Lolo) ❤️ a protagonist for the times

Willow (Lolo) Weaver’s summer is not going well. Her grandfather has recently died, her grandma isn’t herself and she’s given away her grandfather’s foster dog, Hank. Lolo’s mother is heavily pregnant and Lolo is in summer school because she didn’t do too well in her last exams. On top of that their lake town isn’t a lake town anymore because the lake’s been drained and smells awful now. 

Lolo wants to help her grandmother feel better and she’s convinced that getting back her grandfather’s dog will do the trick. The only problem is that the dog now belongs to someone else. So Lolo gets on Pop’s boat to steal Hank back—only to run into her summer school classmate, Noah (who’s the new dog owner).

I really enjoyed Lolo’s story. It’s strongly reminiscent of classics like Ramona and Lolo’s voice leaps off the pages. The setting is also an unmistakable part of this story and the story feels drenched in summer. My heart went out to Lolo who always feels like she’s the reason why everything’s gone awry. I also laughed plenty at her way of seeing the world. 

This book is perfect for family readalouds especially for kids in grades 3-5. Dog lovers and kids who like a good adventure with a sprinkle of mischief will love it too.

#mglit #summerbooks #booksforelementaryschoolkids #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram
🎸 believe the hype I was very nervous about re 🎸 believe the hype

I was very nervous about reading a book about a kid with cancer, but there’s no better author than Rob Harrell to do this. 

When Ross is diagnosed with a rare lacrimal gland cancer (in his eye), it’s like a new trial for his seventh grade existence. Add to that the fact that his mom died from cancer years before, he’s going blind in one eye, his best friend is moving away soon, and mean kids at school are making terrible memes about his illness and you have a dumpster fire of a year waiting to happen. Or is it?

As heavy as everything I’ve mentioned above sounds, this book is more hopeful than anything else. We follow Ross through radiotherapy and the painful, sad side effects of cancer medications, but also through learning to play the guitar, an unlikely friendship with a school bully, and a closer relationship with his dad.

I especially loved the audiobook version which has fun interdissions featuring Will’s comic alter-ego BatPig (with a different narrator, background jingles and everything). 

I would recommend this book to 6th graders and up looking for funny books with male protagonists. It’s also a great one to hand to kids coping with cancer or chronic illnesses. 

If you’re in the WINK fan club, you just got a new member 😉

#mglit #books #bookstagram
🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction 🧽 an engaging, compelling story about addiction recovery

After years of dealing with opioid addiction, Franny’s mom is finally sober and on the right track with a cleaning job and a cozy apartment upstairs from a laundromat. But then she gets in an accident and has to be prescribed opioids again, sending Franny into a frenzy. 

Franny starts doing her mom’s cleaning jobs behind her back — even blackmailing a school rival into working with her — to ensure they don’t run out of money. But she soon learns that worrying about adult problems isn’t her job.

I read this book in one sitting and loved it—as I do everything Sumner writes. Maid for It is an informative, gripping, and accessible middle grade book about living with a parent recovering from addiction. This one is a page-turner.

Sumner does a great job tackling important issues like poverty, classism, and drug misuse and presenting everything in an age-appropriate fashion for middle schoolers. If you’re looking for books about parents with addiction, this is a great pick.

Have you read any books by this author? Which one is your favorite? I think this might be mine 🥰

#bookstagram #kidlit #mglit #bookworm #amreader
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