Jasmine Warga is the acclaimed author of Other Words for Home, a Newberry Honor book. Warga’s newest middle grade book, The Shape of Thunder is very different from her debut. It’s about two best friends, Cora and Quinn whose friendship stalls when Quinn’s brother kills Cora’s sister in a school shooting. Jasmine and I talk about why she wanted to write about school shootings, the magic of friendship, and writing about grief. I loved this interview and I know you will too. Plus, it comes with free books!
Claire Swinarski on The Kate in Between
Claire Swinarski is a returning author (this is her second Reading Middle Grade interview!) and she’s the first one yet. That’s how much I loved her sophomore novel, The Kate in Between. Claire and I talk about her book, writing flawed characters, MLMs and suburban moms, and finding work-life balance as a mom. I enjoyed reading her answers and I know you will too!
Lindsey Stoddard on Bea Is for Blended (+ Giveaway!)
Lindsey Stoddard is a prolific middle grade author whose stories are always full of heart. I read and enjoyed Brave Like That and was thrilled to read her latest release Bea Is for Blended. In this interview, Lindsay and I chat about writing strong girls in middle grade books, teaching boys to become allies, and the common thread in all her stories.
Kwame Mbalia & Prince Joel Makonnen Interview (+ Giveaway!)
After reading Last Gate of the Emperor, I was pleased to interview co-authors Kwame Mbalia and Prince Joel Makonnen. You may already know Kwame Mbalia from his Tristan Strong series. Prince Joel Makonnen is the great-grandson of the last Ethiopian monarch, Emperor Haile Selassie. We chatted about writing a good fantasy story, Ethiopian culture, creating an engaging, accessible story, and their partnership as co-authors. This is such a fantastic, enlightening interview and Kwame’s responses (especially) are entertaining to read.
Alyson Gerber on Taking Up Space
Alyson Gerber’s newest title is about a girl whose mother’s issues with food are starting to affect her. Add puberty, friend drama, and disordered eating, and Sarah is finding it hard to take up space. Alyson and I talk about Taking Up Space, disordered eating, the value of good friends, and why sports show up in all of her stories.
Chrystal Giles on Take Back the Block
Chrystal Giles’s debut middle grade book, Take Back the Block features Wes, a fly middle schooler who realizes the need to stand up for his community and rapidly growing gentrification in his neighborhood. I read, loved and reviewed this book. Today, I’m pleased to be chatting with Chrystal about gentrification, Black joy, great teachers, and her day job (which is very different from writing!) among other things.
Rajani LaRocca on Red, White and Whole, Family and the 80’s
Rajani LaRocca’s latest middle-grade book Red, White and Whole is a beautiful novel-in-verse about Reha, an Indian-American girl straddling cultures in the 80’s. Until her mom gets sick — and her world is changed forever.
I chatted to Rajani LaRocca about this book, family, the 80’s and balacing her career as an internal medicine physician with writing books for children. Enjoy!
Author E.L. Shen on The Comeback, Ice-Skating, and Supportive Friendships
E.L. Shen is the author of The Comeback, a vibrant middle-grade novel about a young ice skater with a lot of passion. I spoke to E.L. about her debut middle-grade book, ice-skating, writing an emotionally honest novel, and handling racism, microaggressions and macroaggressions on the page. I enjoyed this interview just as much as I did her book.
Interview with Author Jennifer Blecher: On Stick with Me and Writing for One Reader
Jennifer and I discuss the similar threads running through both of her books, why she writes for “one reader,” her love for ice skating, why she became a writer, and what she likes to do when she’s not writing. Enjoy!
An Interview with Author Saadia Faruqi on A Thousand Questions
My introduction to Saadia Faruqi’s writing was in A Place at the Table, the middle-grade book she co-wrote with Laura Shovan (another author whose writing I love). Saadia’s solo middle-grade debut, A Thousand Questions is out today!
I absolutely loved talking to Saadia about this book, writing about home when home is a third world country, creating two vastly different characters, and of course, Pakistani food in her books. This is one of my favorite interviews I’ve ever done! I learned so much about Saadia, and gained deeper insight into the book. Enjoy!
[BLOG TOUR] When Life Gives You Mangoes: Interview with Author Kereen Getten
I’m thrilled to participate in my first blog tour with author Kereen Getten and her debut middle-grade book, When Life Gives You Mangoes! This lovely book is set on an island (which is close to my heart, because I lived in the Caribbean for five years). It’s such an honor to be the first stop in this month-long blog tour. We talk about her book, her journey as a writer, and some of her childhood memories from Jamaica. Please enjoy my interview with Kereen.
Author Jamie Sumner on Her Middle-Grade Debut, ROLL WITH IT, Baking, and Writing About a Child with a Disability While Raising one.
Jamie and I discuss her choice to write about a child with cerebral palsy, the inclusion of a grandparent with Alzhiemer’s, baking, and how she makes time for writing despite a busy schedule. We also talked about how others can show more consideration to people with a disability.
