Podcast appearances and mentions of anna meriano

This week, Vanessa shares some of her favorite books that feature magical realism and food. Have snacks at the ready! Follow All the Books! using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and never miss a beat book. And sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Books Discussed Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Subscribe to Book Riot's newest newsletter, The Deep Dive, to get exclusive content delivered to your inbox. Love, Sugar, Magic: A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano, illustrated by Mirelle Ortega Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode, Joe talks with Anna Meriano, author of It Sounds Like This, out August 2 from Penguin Young Readers Group. Anna tells Joe about creating characters in the blender method, they share stories from their time in high school marching band, and they talk about the rebrand of Quidditch. (At the time of recording, the name hadn't been finalized yet. IRL Quidditch is now called Quadball) You can follow the Professional Book Nerds on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok @ProBookNerds and you can send us an email at professionalbooknerds@overdrive.com. Happy Reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, Debut Musa and author of the funny, heartfelt YA novel Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun chats with fellow musa and author Anna Meriano. They discuss everything from the inspiration behind the book to how Jonny formed their characters to what comes next and more! Resources mentioned: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Abertalli If you enjoyed this episode, please consider buying a book (or a few) to say thanks! Buy Jonny Garza Villa's YA novel Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun Buy Anna Meriano's MG series Love Sugar Magic or YA novel This is How We Fly Check out the other books on the Las Musas Bookshop page! Connect with Las Musas on social media: Twitter Instagram Facebook Visit our website!

Claribel and Kat talk about “parasocial relationships” and how it affects authors and their mental health. Then they talk to Anna Meriano about IP, MFA’s and her new book about fandom and fans reclaiming safe spaces for themselves! Bio: Anna Meriano grew up in Houston, Texas, with an older brother and a younger brother but (tragically) no sisters. She graduated from Rice University with a degree in English and earned her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. She has taught creative writing and high school English and works as a writing tutor. Anna likes reading, knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and translating English song lyrics into Spanish and vice-versa. Her favorite baked goods are the kind that don't fly away before you eat them. • Follow Anna Online: website | Twitter • BUY This is How We Fly • Follow Claribel Ortega online: Twitter | Instagram | Youtube | TikTok • www.claribelortega.com • Check out Claribel’s books • Follow Kat Cho online: Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok • www.katchowrites.com • Check out Kat’s Books • Follow Write or Die online: Twitter | Instagram • Write or Die Episodes • Join our WorDie community! • Learn more about Write or Die --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/writeordiepodcast/support

In this episode Anika talks with Anna about her writing process, her books, and much more To know more about Anna check out her website below: https://www.annameriano.com/ Stay tuned for new episodes every week --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/anika674/message

Today we interviewed HP fan, writer, and now podcaster, Anna Meriano. Make sure to check her out at annameriano.com, and twitter at anna m is boring. Make sure to send us your thoughts at thedepartmentofmysteries@gmail.com. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/departmentofmysteries/message

Join us today in our surprise episode as we discuss all things Pets in the Wizarding World. We have exciting news too, we will be interviewing Anna Meriano in an upcoming episode. You can check out her website and more at https://www.annameriano.com/. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/departmentofmysteries/message

Wherein your host Bethany talks about underrated science fiction and fantasy with YouTubers Adri from Perpetual Pages and Jocelyn from Yogi With a Book. For exclusive bonus content and early access to episodes, consider joining the Chapter 3 Podcast Patreon !   Looking for a book mentioned in the episode? Check here! *Note that all links are affiliate links from which we earn a commission to support the podcast Books from On My Radar segment: Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert: https://amzn.to/3aNE8DE We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep by Andrew Kelly Stewart: https://amzn.to/3aMmsbJ A Queen of Gilded Horns by Amanda Joy: https://amzn.to/3pQhDCe That Way Madness Lies Ed. Dahlia Adler: https://amzn.to/3bwKVAH Fragile Remedy by Maria Ingrande Mora: https://amzn.to/37Ge9Mi   Other Books Mentioned Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas: https://amzn.to/3ki2hp4 Djeliya by Juni Ba: https://amzn.to/3snZ9ei Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston:https://amzn.to/3dG0Z5O The Year I Flew Away by Marie Arnold: https://amzn.to/3qMtm6k The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown: https://amzn.to/2P7IflF Love, Sugar, Magic by Anna Meriano: https://amzn.to/3byUzml The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste: https://amzn.to/3aNz2Yg The Real Boy by Anne Ursu: https://amzn.to/37INizn Nocturna by Maya Motayne: https://amzn.to/37GjUcS Occulta by Maya Motayne: https://amzn.to/3aNA0nm The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi: https://amzn.to/37EJtv0 Nine Fox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee: https://amzn.to/3qN6HXj Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee: https://amzn.to/2NBK0qG Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee: https://amzn.to/2NvTOCA The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin: https://amzn.to/2ZIzvV5 Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi: https://amzn.to/3uBfnCG Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James: https://amzn.to/3dCnEA8 The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh: https://amzn.to/3aMKEdN Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell: https://amzn.to/3qQm29D In The Vanishers Palace by Aliette de Bodard: https://amzn.to/3sKYtiW The Tensorate Series by Neon Yang: https://amzn.to/3smFTO5 Beyond the Black Door by A.M. Strickland: https://amzn.to/3uogYeN Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger: https://amzn.to/3kgPuDi Ace by Angela Chen: https://amzn.to/2ZJTlzu Furthermore by Tahera Mafi: https://amzn.to/3bwOYNF Whichwood by Tahera Mafi: https://amzn.to/3aOwNUy The Long Way to A Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: https://amzn.to/3keV7lx The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson: https://amzn.to/3sq5Xbh Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: https://amzn.to/3smGEGV   Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @Chapter3Podcast and you can also find Bethany talking about books on YouTube @BeautifullyBookishBethany. Interested in early access to episodes, private Discord channels and other perks? Consider joining the Chapter 3 Patreon! Or join our public Discord. A new episode will be available to download in two weeks!  This episode was recorded using a Blue Yeti USB condenser microphone kit: https://amzn.to/342dnqx

There's a lot to say about 2020. Like every other industry, publishing wasn't spared from the pandemic. Readers and authors around the world reckoned with the current events that shaped our lives. As we say goodbye to 2020, we look back at some of the biggest changes and themes we saw in YA books and publishing as a whole. One thing is for certain: things definitely changed this year. Support Us: You can support our show and website when you buy your YA books from our Bookshop storefront. In this episode: Thank you for the kind reviews and comments we've received in recent months! Are we seeing less YA book movie adaptations? Are television adaptations the new endgame? Book marketing has really transformed this year. There are some upsides and downsides. Authors seem more accessible to international readers. This was a tough year for anyone who loved BookCon and BookExpo. Will we ever see book conventions like these again? Readers have been holding authors and publishers accountable — but that was even more true this year. Everyone should reflect on the books they choose to promote and give prominence to. Related Links: Chelsea's podcast interview with Anna Meriano — definitely worth a listen if you haven't tuned in yet! Read about Chelsea's NaNoWriMo experience Spencer's piece on the history of the epistolary novel The New York Times article Saul mentioned: Why Is Publishing So White? Get In Touch: Let your voice be heard! There are several ways you can get in touch with us and interact with the show. Your messages might be included in a future episode! Record and send us a voice message! Follow and talk to us through Twitter! Send us an old-fashioned email! Follow the hosts: Saul Marquez: @SAULMARQ Chelsea Regan: @ChelseaRegan17 Spencer Miller: @SpencerBMiller (Instagram) Mary Dempsey: @EmKateDee (BookTube)

In this episode we were joined by Anna Meriano, the author of This is How We Fly, for a brilliant discussion that ranged from Hagrid’s Buckbeak stick and poke tattoo to Dumbledore the Puppet Master to the absolute heartbreak of Harry losing two dads in one go. And of course, a conversation about Anna’s beautifully written book! Find Anna on twitter @annamisboring, and at annameriano.com Listen to our full interview with her at patreon.com/posts/45568370 notes: Read the Toast piece about terrible owls here: https://the-toast.net/2016/04/21/owl-faces-in-order/ Check out our episode Werewolfism Does Not Equal HIV wherever you get podcasts! Find the Dumbledore book Anna mentioned here: https://lifeandliesofdumbledore.com/ Check out EsGAYpe From Reality, our podcast about Carry On by Rainbow Rowell! Join our sticker club at thegaylyprophet.com/shop Listen to our Buffy podcast, We Are The Gayers and get access to tons of bonus content by joining our Patreon! patreon.com/thegaylyprophet Find us on socials! twitter.com/thegaylyprophet instagram.com/thegaylyprophet facebook.com/thegaylyprophet thegaylyprophetpodcast.tumblr.com Find out everything you want to know, and buy our merch at thegaylyprophet.com Show art is by Theo Julien Forrester Music in this episode: Music from https://filmmusic.io "The Builder" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Music from https://filmmusic.io "Industrial Music Box" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

It’s the third ever, ridiculously long mega-sized Middle Grade Ninja clips show, featuring snippets from episodes 60 through 100. New episodes are scheduled to return January 30th. Until then, enjoy this compilation of clips from conversations with AUTHORS Catherine Linka, Barbara Shoup, Kaela Noel, Sayantani DasGupta, Avi, Anna Meriano, Anne Bustard, Rob Harrell, Joy McCullough, Mitali Perkins, Carlie Sorosiak, Claire Swinarski, Josh Berk, Saundra Mitchell, Hugh Howey, Anne Nesbet, Tracy Wolff, Dorothy A. Winsor, Lillie Evans, Tony Perona, C.L. Shore, Janet E. Williams, Paula Chase, Preeti Chhibber, Annie Sullivan, MarcyKate Connolly, Laura Stegman, Daniel Kraus, Patrick Huellery, Margi Preus, Hayley Chewins, Marcella Pixley, Tonya Duncan Ellis, Victoria Bond, John Gallagher, Hena Kahn, Melissa de la Cruz, G. Neri, LITERARY AGENTS Kristy Hunter, Kiana Nguyen, Jim McCarthy, EDITORS Sarah LaPolla, Sara-Jayne Slack, Mari Kesselring, Elizabeth Law, Cheryl Klein, and PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT Sarah Miniaci.

Today's guest is Anna Meriano, author of This Is How We Fly, a contemporary YA that focuses on a Muggle Quidditch team. Anna joined me today to talk about writing sports for young audiences, and how she navigated her debut being so closely tied to what has become a problematic fandom. Read the Transcript Support the Podcast Follow on Facebook   Links for Anna: Twitter Site Pre-Order Campaign   Ad Links: Vellum Day Zero by Kelly DeVos Blacktooth the Pirate by Jay S. Willis The Better Patch

Quidditch is a real thing ... sort of. It might not be the magical experience many know, but athletes across the world have transformed the once-fictional activity into a real and authentic sport. It's behind that backdrop that author Anna Meriano has penned her young adult novel, This Is How We Fly. Meriano sits down with Bookstacked writer Chelsea Regan to discuss her new book in this special bonus episode of the podcast. There's lots of talk about Quidditch (including how the Harry Potter fandom has evolved beyond J.K. Rowling) as well as the importance of self-discovery in YA and themes of gender inequality and identity. Buy It: This Is How We Fly hits shelves Dec. 15, 2020. If you're interested in purchasing the book, consider stopping by our Bookshop storefront, where you can buy a copy while supporting indie bookstores and our website. Click here for more information about Anna's virtual book launch. Get in touch … Let your voice be heard! There are several ways you can get in touch with us and interact with the show. Your messages might be included in the next episode! Record and send us a voice message! Follow and talk to us through Twitter! Send us an old-fashioned email! Follow the hosts … Anna Meriano: @AnnaMisboring (Website) Chelsea Regan: @ChelseaRegan17

Welcome to Our Life In Books where we talk about our lives, books and everything in between! This week we’re talking about all of the December new releases that we’re excited about! We also break down in a fit of giggles and decide on a new way to greet people. This episode has it all. Grab your favorite cup of tea and join us!   Our Life in Books Patreon- https://www.patreon.com/ourlifeinbooks Our Life In Books Tea- https://www.adagio.com/signature_blend/list.html?userId=696813O Our Life In Books Society- https://www.facebook.com/groups/ourlifeinbookssociety   Follow Our Life In Books- https://linktr.ee/ourlifeinbooks_ Follow Elizabeth- https://linktr.ee/bookishconnoisseur Follow Samantha- https://linktr.ee/samanthamccombs   Reindeer Fuel from Adagio- https://www.adagio.com/offers/reindeer_fuel_2020.html  Happiest Season on Hulu- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h58HkQV1gHY  All This Time by Mikki Daughtry and Rachael Lippincott- https://amzn.to/37wv03q  A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro- https://amzn.to/33JsvJX  The Dilemma by B.A. Paris- https://amzn.to/2JxiBUQ  Plain Bad Heroiens by Emily M. Danforth- https://amzn.to/36BTj0w  Stealing Embers by Julie Hall- https://amzn.to/3mGGDLs  The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken- https://amzn.to/3omFw3Z  Penguin Random House is buying Simon & Schuster- https://ew.com/books/penguin-random-house-simon-and-schuster/  Preorder Gift for Tales from the Hinterland by Melissa Albert (The Hazelwood #2.5)- https://read.macmillan.com/promo/fibtalesfromthehinterlandoct2020/  11 Ya Books You Can Finally Read in Paperback This December- https://www.epicreads.com/blog/ya-paperbacks-december-2020/ A Universe of Wishes: Anthology edited by Dhonielle Clayton- https://amzn.to/39G2hfp  The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton- https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38347283-the-notorious-virtues  The Last to See Her by Courtney Evan Tate- https://amzn.to/33Zb5JJ  Admission by Julie Buxbaum- https://amzn.to/37CqMHo  The Cousins by Karen. M McManus- https://amzn.to/3g83RYp  The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley- https://amzn.to/3lJ9q0x  This Is How We Fly by Anna Meriano- https://amzn.to/33KihZT  The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister- https://amzn.to/3lFXP2z  The Wrong Family by Tarryn Fisher- https://amzn.to/3gaqFqo  The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Bartlett- https://amzn.to/3mStG1v  For Better or Cursed by Kate Williams- https://amzn.to/3mEWKt5  Follow Me by Kathleen Barber- https://amzn.to/39Gyvak  King of the Rising by Kacen Callender- https://amzn.to/36FxNrG  Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan- https://amzn.to/33Kg4xx  A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir- https://amzn.to/3omMarc  Every Last Secret by A.R. Torre- https://amzn.to/39FRJwx  Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane- https://amzn.to/3qzBebJ  Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America by Ijeoma Olui- https://amzn.to/2L18g3T  A Wolf for a Spell by Karah Sutton- https://amzn.to/39TngLV  How to Fail at Flirting by Denise Williams- https://amzn.to/33I6ewc  The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict- https://amzn.to/3lEfhEs   

Join hosts Madison and Rebecca and special guest Anna Meriano, author of the Love Sugar Magic series and the upcoming This Is How We Fly, for a discussion on the eleventh chapter of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, “Quidditch.” On this episode, we discuss… →Limping, betrayal, and mystery: a regular weekday for Harry Potter →Relatable snitch on pitch feels →Evil stepmothers and Quidditch →The murky world of gender identity →Breaking Texan stereotypes →Is Tumblr for old farts? →Capturing Quidditch culture →Distraction as a tool for mental health →The power of fandom spaces →Tea: the second-best mental healthcare in the books →This week's relevant tangent: food carts and college memories Share your thoughts on this episode with us below in the comments! Be sure to check out Beyond the Veil on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, Potter and mental health discussions, and more! Listen to us on iTunes, Spotify, Pocketcast, and Google!

Leonora Logroño hopes that this year she'll be able to help her family prepare for the annual Día de los Muertos festival but is once again told she's too young to help at the Bakery. When she sneaks down to the bakery to try and help out anyway, she discovers that her mother and aunts are brujas—witches of Mexican ancestry who mix a bit of magic into everything they bake. Determined to prove that she can do magic to, Leo decides to help a friend. It's just one little spell, what could go wrong? This title is intended for tweens and is suitable for most audiences. Recorded with permission of Waldon Pond Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. Click here to see this title in the Houston Public Library catalog.

Authors Jacqueline Woodson  and Grace Line answer the question What advice would you give us about writing books? and Alison Morris reviews Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano.   *To purchase Grace's 2021 Where the Mountain Meets the Moon trilogy calendar: http://ow.ly/mpHv30r60ya   *To become a patron of Kids Ask Authors: https://www.patreon.com/kidasaskauthorspodcast  

Anna Meriano thrills with tales of full contact quidditch, including the time she broke her pelvis, and teases her upcoming book on the subject. We primarily discuss her series LOVE SUGAR MAGIC and the release of its third installment, A MIXTURE OF MISCHIEF. She talks about eating the right cheese at the right time, which introduced her to Cake Literary. She walks me through her interview process and securing a book deal. We also chat about creating rules of magic, keeping track of a large group of characters over a series, inserting joy in diverse stories, parallel universes, and so much more. Anna Meriano grew up in Houston, Texas, with an older brother and a younger brother but (tragically) no sisters. She graduated from Rice University with a degree in English and earned her MFA in creative writing with an emphasis in writing for children from the New School in New York. She has taught creative writing and high school English and works as a writing tutor. Anna likes reading, knitting, playing full-contact quidditch, and translating English song lyrics into Spanish and vice-versa. Her favorite baked goods are the kind that don’t fly away before you eat them.

Photo credit: Rita Meriano Ever wondered what you should do if your professor thinks you should write literary fiction, but you know you’re going to write something else? Today’s guest, Anna Meriano, talks about how much she appreciated that prof and also why choosing to disregard his suggestion was the best decision she could have made. Also, we investigate the weird and fascinating triple Venn diagram of the arts, people who speaks Spanish, and firefighters in Houston. Follow Anna on twitter @annamisboring and check out her website here.Plus, don’t forget to grab yourself copies of Anna’s beautiful books, A Dash of Trouble and A Sprinkle of Spirits from the Love Sugar Magic series.*Suggested Reads and Honorable MentionsMatilda by Roald Dahl“Hot Dog, Katsa!” by Kristin Cashore on The Horn Book Inc.Rebecca Roanhorse (Trail of Lightning and others)Anne McCaffrey (Dragonsong, Dragonflight, and others)N.K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, and others)The Last 8 by Laura PohlClub de Cuervos television show, available on NetflixKim’s Convenience television show from CBC, available on Netflix and Amazon Primemiss translated poetry series by Elisa ChavezThe First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Pérez (+ Anna’s essay on it called “Coco, the First Rule of Punk, and Every Mexican (American) Story Out There” on Nerdy Book Club)The Inquisitor’s Tale: Or, the Three Magical Children and their Holy Dog by Adam GidwitzHurricane Child by Kheryn CallenderCilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire by Susan Tan The School Story by Andrew ClementsAnd be sure to take a peek at CAKE Literary, founded and run by Sona Charaipotra and Dhonielle J. Clayton, and their books including Tiny Pretty Things, The Belles, The Gauntlet by Karuna Riazi, and others Bonus for our Houston listeners: Stop by El Bolillo or 85C Bakery Cafe for all of your pastry needs!We Also DiscussedThis article from KPRC/iHeart Radio, “Houston Hires Poet After Laying Off Firefighters” by Ken WebsterThe Superman horror movie, Brightburn (if you’re feeling really brave, here’s the trailer, but you can’t say we didn’t warn you that it’s scary and violent)Justin Cronin’s novels, including The Passage (he currently teaches a class on Narratives in Longer Fiction at Rice)The awesomeness of Coert Voorhees and Ian Schimmel, a lecturer in Creative Writing at Rice*A special thanks to Anna’s friends for pulling her away from a cheese plate at a party. It is because of you that the beautiful Love Sugar Magic books exist.

Jennifer Hill speaks with children’s book author, Anna Meriano, about how she created a successful children’s book series. She talks about how she was inspired to write from a very young age, and how she was able to partner with a literary packaging company to help get her first book published. She also emphasizes how writing can be a collaborative experience. Anna also mentions a new book that she is writing on the subject of her favorite sport: Quidditch. annameriano.com Anna Meriano is the author of the Love Sugar Magic series, which has received starred reviews from Kirkus, School Library Journal, and Shelf Awareness. She grew up in Houston, Texas, graduated from Rice University with a degree in English, and earned her MFA in writing for children from the New School. Anna works as a tutor and part time teacher with Writers in the Schools, a Houston nonprofit that brings creative writing instruction into public schools. In her free time, she likes to knit, study American Sign Language, and play full-contact Quidditch.

Today we meet Anna Meriano, a rising star in the literary World. This Houston native is the author of the Love Sugar Magic Middle Grade series. This series is a charming and sweet series about mischeif, friendship, family and magic. Click here to find Love Sugar Magic on Amazon Click here to learn more about Reading With Your Kids LIVE

Y'all, we are back this week with a book that was just the biggest of warm, magical hugs. We so adored A Sprinkle of Spirits, the second book in Anna Meriano's absolutely delicious Love, Sugar, Magic series, and we tried our best to be gushing adoration while being sparing in our spoilers! So tune in to hear all about our love for witch books, our differing opinions on ghost stories, and a surprising number of Law and Order: SVU mentions. TIME STAMPS: 00:00-20:24 – Intro & Current Reads 20:24-33:52 – A Sprinkle of Spirits by Anna Meriano 33:52-38:17 – What’s Coming Up, Outro, and Outtakes

This week, we’re talking about A Dash of Trouble by Anna Meriano and the new She-Ra adaptation from Noelle Stevenson. Plus, what we’re reading & our latest obsessions! 🐝 Episode transcript coming soon! 🐝 What We’re Reading; 01:07 Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson Equal Rites by Terry Pratchett The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokski […] The post Fangirl Happy Hour, Episode #120 — Emotional Intelligence +10 appeared first on Fangirl Happy Hour.

Intro Hi everyone and welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a teacher, a mom, and battling a cold this afternoon! So if I sound a little...off - that is why! This is episode #68 and Today I’m answering some questions about trends in middle grade and sharing with you some fabulous 2019 titles to look forward to this year! Q&A - Trends in Middle Grade Fiction Last month, my husband asked me some questions about trends in middle grade fiction. He teaches a class at Seton Hall all about trends in genre fiction and wanted some input on middle grade. So I thought I would share my responses with you. And I would be very curious about what YOU would answer. What genres or subgenres do you believe are the hottest right now? Well, it’s a format and not a genre but graphic novel memoirs like Hey Kiddo, Real Friends, and Be Prepared are still really popular. And also graphic novel adaptations of classics (like Anne of Green Gables) and popular novels (like Wings of Fire or Percy Jackson).  And again, not genre, but I see more books that are based on the core experiences of the writer. Those novels that draw on the real-life backgrounds of the authors like Kelly Yang’s Front Desk, Tami Charles’ Like Vanessa, and Supriya Kellar’s Ahimsa.  They’re not memoirs but they are books rooted in a very personal experience. To authors, I’d say - take those things that make you unique, that make you a bit quirky, that set you apart from most other people - and write THAT story. Like Kelly Yang taking the experiences of her family coming from China and running motels to write Front Desk. Jarrett Krosoczka writing the critically acclaimed graphic novel memoir Hey Kiddo about his life living with his grandparents after his mom lost custody of him due to drug addiction. Crack that door open and invite us inside. What genres or subgenres do you believe are passé or overexposed? I don’t know…. I do wonder how long the unicorn and narwhal craze will last but that seems to live more in picture books than middle grade. Magical realism - or rather realistic fiction with a magical twist - doesn’t seem to be slowing down. You know - anything can be new and fresh with the right spin.  And also, authors from marginalized backgrounds are still underrepresented in just about every genre so those are stories that will likely have new points of view. I thought I was totally over zombie stories but Dread Nation popped up and whoa!!  I’ve never read a zombie story like THAT before!   If you had to predict, what genre or subgenre do you think is primed to be the next Big Thing in the next year or so? I would say stories about immigrants, refugees, and the unique experiences of marginalized groups (especially by #ownvoices authors) will continue to be popular. Over the last couple of years we’ve seen an explosion of critically acclaimed middle grade stories like Alan Gratz’s Refugee, Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me, and Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai among many more. We also have more and more books coming out that tell stories of police violence in developmentally appropriate ways like Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes and Blended by Sharon Draper.  I’m also really excited about a new crop of middle grade #MeToo stories on the horizon like So Done by Paula Chase and the upcoming Barbara Dee novel Maybe He Just Likes You.   Any comments about where you see genre fiction heading? In middle grade, like everywhere else,  #ownvoices books are still underrepresented  - everyone has a unique story to tell or a unique POV to offer.  EVERYONE. So my advice to authors, take the spark of your unique life experiences and let that burn throughout your story.  My advice to educators - scour those shelves to find a wider variety of books. Also - if you write for a YA/MG audience, librarians and educators are more and more eager to the ditch the old canon and form partnerships with authors. Look for opportunities like #KidsNeedMentors or reach out to your local schools and libraries.   Book Talk - Most Anticipated Middle Grade Books of 2019   The last couple of episodes were all about looking back on some of the best that middle grade had to offer in 2018. (If you missed those, go check out episodes #66 and #67.)  But today is all about looking forward into the new year. Last year, when I did our Most Anticipated MG of 2018, I went chronologically by month. But this year I’m going about it a little differently and discussing the new releases by category.     First, we’ll chat about the new graphic novels coming up in 2019. And then we’ll talk about new releases from authors who debuted in 2018 and 2017 and see what they’re up to now. After that, I’ll give you a peek at some of the 2019 debut middle grade authors.  Then we’ll see what new books are coming out in favorite series and what sequels we have to look forward to. And finally, we’ll finish up with the 2019 releases from more established authors.   So, buckle up and get ready to add to your wish list. And remember - no need to go hunting for a pen and paper. You can find every book mentioned AND a picture of the available covers AND a link to pre-order them right on the Books Between post for this episode, #69, at MGBookVillage.com.  I’ve got your back, I know you’re busy, so it’s all right there for you. And as I’ve said before, I’ve come to really love pre-ordering - it helps out favorite authors and it’s like a little surprise to your future self.   Before we jump in, just remember that this is just a sampling of all the incredible books coming out this year. I’ll add some links to some other great resources in the show notes and on the website where you can find more complete listings of titles to browse through and the MGBookVillage website has a great release calendar so that’s one to bookmark for sure.   https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/111975.Middle_Grade_Novels_of_2019 http://novelnineteens.com/books/middle-grade-books https://mgbookvillage.org/2018releasedates/ http://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2018/12/19-2019-middle-grade-books-to-have-on-your-radar/ https://www.readbrightly.com/middle-grade-books-2019/ https://www.bookish.com/articles/must-read-childrens-books-winter-2019/ http://www.popgoesthereader.com/target-audience-middle-grade/70-middle-grade-novels-i-cant-wait-to-read-in-2019/   Also - publication dates do occasionally change, so just be aware of that.   Alright, get your Goodreads tab open, or your library website pulled up, or your Amazon/Indiebound shopping cart ready, or ….. print out the show notes and bring it to your favorite local bookstore!   Alright - let’s get to it! The 2019 Graphic Novels This January, Lincoln Peirce, the author of Big Nate, has a new graphic/illustrated novel series set in the middle ages called Max and the Midknights that looks really, really cute. Also out on January 8th is Click by Kayla Miller - the story of 5th grader Olive who is having some trouble finding where she “clicks” in middle school. The sequel, called Camp, is being released this April so fans won’t have to wait long for the next one. A fantasy graphic novel that Mel Schuit recommended that I check out is The Chancellor and the Citadel by Maria Capelle Frantz so that’s on my radar now - and yours! Thank you, Mel! On January 29th another Hilo is coming our way! Hilo 5: Then Everything Went Wrong. And on that same day the 5th Bird & Squirrel is coming out called All Tangled Up. One graphic novel adaptation that has really piqued my interest is Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Modern Retelling of Little Women by Rey Tercerio and illustrator Bre Indigo. The classic is reimagined as a blended family living in modern-day New York City. I don’t think I’ve ever hit “pre-order” faster and will be eagerly stalking my delivery person on February 5th for that one! My mailbox is going to be brimming on February 5th because I also HAD to preorder New Kid by Jerry Craft!  It’s about seventh grader Jordan Banks who loves drawing cartoons and dreams of going to art school. But his parents enroll him in a prestigious private school instead, where Jordan is one of the few kids of color in his entire grade. Looks amazing!!  90-Second Newbery was singing its praises on Twitter last night and said this about it: “The amazing graphic novel New Kid by @JerryCraft should definitely be on everyone's tbr list and it has a full-cast (and all-star cast) audiobook released at the same time….perfect for rich, nuanced convos abt race, class, identity, school systems, how we share books, code switching, starting new school, just so much!”   So, yeah… I’ll just wait here for a bit while you hit pause and go order that! We also get  the second Wings of Fire graphic novel, The Lost Heir, on February 26th AND the second Mr. Wolf’s Class book called Mystery Club. And a heads up that the graphic novel of The Hidden Kingdom (Wings of Fire Book 3) is out in October 2019. For those Minecraft fans in your life, this March we get another Diary of an 8-Bit Warrior graphic novel - Forging Destiny. And for older middle grade kids - maybe 11 or 12 and up -  look for the new graphic novel adaptations of The Iliad and The Odyssey this March as well. And fans of Terri Libenson’s Invisible Emmie and Positively Izzie will want to get their hands on Just Jaime - coming out May7th. There were lots of smiles among my students today when I told them that news! Bad Guys #9 - The Bad Guys in the Big Bad Wolf is out June 25th.  Perfect launch for a fun summer read. This August brings us Best Friends, the sequel to Shannon Hale and LeUyen Pham’s Real Friends -  out on August 27th. And have you seen the cover? It’s Shannon at the top of a rollercoaster with this vibrant purple background. Love it, love it, love it! And Dog Man fans (like my daughter) will be psyched this August because we are getting Dog Man #7: For Whom the Ball Rolls! The seventh graphic novel adaptation of the Baby-sitters Club, Boy Crazy Stacey, illustrated by Gale Carrigan, will be out September 3rd. That’s one of those no-brainer preorders for my classroom library. Also - I was interested to hear that R.J. Palacio is publishing her first graphic novel Wonder story this fall called White Bird. This one is Julian’s grandmother’s story about her life as a young Jewish girl hidden away by a family in Nazi-occupied France during World War II. So be on the lookout for that one September 3rd as well. You want another don’t-even-have-to-think-about-it-just-preorder-it graphic novel? Guts - the long-awaited new Raina Telgemeier graphic memoir is out September 17th!! September also brings the latest from Tillie Walden - Are You Listening.  The peeks I’ve seen of that online look incredible, so that one is definitely on my radar this fall. And then….….. Drumroll please…… Mighty Jack and Zita the Spacegirl!! Ahhhh!!  I knew it! That last page in Mighty Jack and the Goblin King was just too good not to be followed up with a joint adventure. Yay! Jen Wang -  author of last year’s hit, The Prince & the Dressmaker, has a new graphic novel coming out in September called  Stargazing. This one draws on her personal experiences and is the story of two friends - Moon and Christine. And this November we’ll get The Midwinter Witch - the third and final book in the trilogy that includes The Witch Boy and The Hidden Witch. And - wow, I’m just going to start saving up now for September because the graphic novel adaptation of Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover is also coming out on September 24th!  It’s going to be a pancakes and ramen noodles for dinner kind of a month if I want to keep up with all these awesome books coming out!  (And I haven’t even gotten past the graphic novels!) And…. I think, maybe, possibly.. that Amulet #9 (the final one of the series) will be released late this year. But I can’t find much info on it. No title, no date, no synopsis - nada! So, I’m cautiously optimistic that it will arrive in 2019. Finally - another graphic novel to be on the lookout for later in 2019 is Twins by author Varian Johnson who you may know from The Parker Inheritance and illustrator Shannon Wright. The publication date isn’t yet announced, but apparently it’s about twin sisters struggling to figure out individual identities in middle school and it’s based on Johnson’s own childhood experiences as a twin. New Releases from 2017 / 2018 Debut Authors   Early February brings us the second in Anna Meriano’s Love, Sugar, Magic series called A Sprinkle of Spirits and oh is that cover gorgeous! And definitely snag a copy of the sequel to Jarrett Lerner’s EngiNerds - Revenge of the EngiNerds out on February 19th. It is EVEN FUNNIER than the first one. And that’s saying something! Another book I’m looking forward to is Jen Petro-Roy’s Good Enough - about a young girl with an eating disorder. Game of Stars by Sayantani DasGupta - the follow up to The Serpent’s Secret is out on February 26th. And the end of February also brings us Bone Hollow  by Skeleton Tree author Kim Ventrella. Also be on the lookout for The Hunt for the Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras on March 5th. That sequel is getting rave reviews so it’s definitely one to add to your library. Alyson Gerber, author of Braced, will have a new novel out called Focused. It’s about a middle school girl who loves chess and has been recently diagnosed with ADHD. Definitely a book a lot of my students will be able to connect with! In the last week of April we get the sequel to Roshani Chokshi’s Aru Shah and the End of Time called Aru Shah and Song of Death This April brings us the second novel from Rebecca Donnelly called The Friendship Lie. One book I’m excited to dip into this spring is Up for Air by Laurie Morrison. You might know her from last year’s Every Shiny Thing. From the author of 2017’s The Epic Fail of Arturo Zamora and 2018’s Marcus Vega Doesn’t Speak Spanish comes Each Tiny Spark. This is Pablo Cartaya’s third MG novel and this one features a young girl, a father recently returned from deployment, and… welding. So look for that one in August. And The Cryptid Keeper, the sequel to Lija Fisher’s 2018 The Cryptid Catcher is out this August as is Melissa Sarno’s A Swirl of Ocean. In September comes the sequel to Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus by Dusti Bowling. It’s called Momentous Events in the Life of a Cactus and follows Aven’s adventures as she heads into high school. At first I thought that might put it in the YA category, but from what I can tell, it’s still middle grade. This fall we’ll also be treated to Abby Cooper’s third novel - Friend or Fiction. Just like Sticks and Stones and Bubbles, this one is also magical realism. It’s about a girl named Jade. In the pages of her notebook, she writes all about Zoe--the most amazing best friend anyone could dream of. But when pretend Zoe appears in real life thanks to a magical experiment gone right, Jade isn't so sure if she likes sharing her imaginary friend with the real world.   Another treat in store for you this fall is the third novel by Elly Swartz - Give and Take. This book is about 12 year-old Maggie whose grandmother’s recent death has triggered her to start hoarding things under her bed. 2019 Debut Authors   So - I’ll just say right now that I could have had an ENTIRE show just dedicated to the amazing middle grade debuts coming our way this year but at some point, I had to cut myself off.  So - I’ll include a link to the Novel19s website where you find many more middle grade debuts and discover some of your new favorite authors.   The Whisperers is Greg Howard’s middle grade debut and one that has really caught my eye. Just listen to this description: “Eleven-year-old Riley believes in the whispers, magical fairies that will grant you wishes if you leave them tributes. Riley has a lot of wishes. He wishes bullies at school would stop picking on him. He wishes Dylan, his 8th grade crush, liked him, and Riley wishes he would stop wetting the bed. But most of all, Riley wishes for his mom to come back home.” Oooo…. This one is out January 15th. If you are looking for a new book for younger middle grade readers - something along the lines of Ramona Quimby or Stella Diaz - check out Meena Meets Her Match by Karla Manternatch. One book that keeps popping up into my radar is the middle grade debut of Padma Venkatraman called The Bridge Home about four children who discover strength and grit and family while dealing with homelessness. That one comes out Feb 5th so be on the lookout for that one. Another debut that I have been dying to read is The Simple Art of Flying by Cory Leonardo!  Let me just read you the teaser: “Born in a dismal room in a pet store, Alastair the African grey parrot dreams of escape to bluer skies. He’d like nothing more than to fly away to a palm tree with his beloved sister, Aggie. But when Aggie is purchased by twelve-year-old Fritz, and Alastair is adopted by elderly dance-enthusiast and pie-baker Albertina Plopky, the future looks ready to crash-land.”  My step-mother had parrots when I was growing up, so this one in particular I really am interested in reading! So I’ll be checking my mailbox for that one on February 12th. Another debut I am excited to read this year is Joshua Levy’s Seventh Grade vs. the Galaxy! Since one of my goals this year is to introduce my students to more science fiction, a story about a school on a spaceship orbiting Jupiter would be perfect! On March 12 we get Lisa Moore Ramée’s debut A Good Kind of Trouble about a girl who just wants to follow the rules. And sometime this spring we get rather the opposite in Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen by Niki Lenz. This one is about a “bully” who ends up living with her aunt who is a nun and tries to turn over a new leaf. This March is the debut of Julia Nobel with The Mystery of Black Hollow Lane about a girl who gets shipped off to a British boarding school and finds a box of medallions that might just be connected to the disappearance of her father. A graphic novel debut coming in March that looks fabulous is Red Panda & Moon Bear by Jarod Roselló. It’s about two Latinx kids who defend their neighborhood from threats both natural and supernatural. And in late April is the first book in a new MG detective series called Kazu Jones and the Denver Dognappers by Shauna Holyoak and a time-traveling action adventure that will transport readers to ancient Egypt called Jagger Jones & the Mummy’s Ankh by Malayna Evans. Hurricane Season by debut author Nicole Melleby comes out May 7th and oh how do I want to read this novel!  On a recent #MGLitChat focused on the 2019 debut authors, the moderator asked, “What do you hope young readers take away from your book?”  And Nicole Melleby said the following, “ I want them to take away that they’re not alone, that they’re seen, that mental illness is hard but manageable, and that love may have its limits, but help comes in all shapes and sizes. Also that Van Gogh was a brilliant man.”  After reading Vincent & Theo last summer - uhhh…. gimme that book!! Another great middle grade debut to look for on May 7th is Just South of Home by Karen Stong which is described as Blackish meets Goosebumps. The story follows a rule-abiding girl who must team up with her trouble making cousin, goofy younger brother, and his best friend to unravel a mysterious haunting in their tiny Southern town. Also coming this spring is a book that I immediately knew I wanted to read. It’s called Planet Earth is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos. (So, I was pretty much ALREADY sold by the Bowie reference.) The book follows Nova, an autistic, nonverbal, space-obsessed 12-year-old who is awaiting the Challenger shuttle launch and the return of her big sister, Bridget, as she struggles to be understood by her new foster family.  I was a 4th grader when The Challenger Disaster happened and vividly remember watching it happen live on tv, so I am really interested to see how that plays out in this book. Another debut to look for early this summer is All of Me by Chris Baron - a novel in verse about a 13 year old boy who is dealing with a big move, struggles in his parents’ marriage, and his own body image issues. So… if you are a close listener, you have probably figured out that I’m a sucker for books involving baking or cooking.  Maybe that’s why Midsummer’s Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca just leapt out at me when I stumbled across it last month. This is a contemporary-fantasy retelling of A Midsummer Night’s Dream about an 11 year old Indian American girl whose father is a food writer and whose mother is a successful businesswoman. But when she adds some rather…. unusual (and maybe magical?) ingredients to her baking, things get out of hand. So look for that one on June 4th. And if your kids are looking for a fun spooky read this summer, Ollie Oxley and the Ghost comes out on June 18th and looks really cute. It’s about a boy who moves to California and ends up becoming friends with a ghost from the Gold Rush era. Ghost Squad by Claribel Ortega is another paranormal middle grade coming this September and it’s described as Coco meets Stranger Things. So, uh… yeah...gimme that for sure! Also coming out this September is The Light in the Lake by Sarah Baughman - a book about a young girl who finds herself caught between her love of science and her late twin brother's belief in magic. Sequels and Favorite Series This January 29th we’re getting two awesome books: a 4th in the Crime Biters series - Fangs for Everything AND I Survived the Battle of D-Day, 1944 by Lauren Tarshis.  And watching out for another I Survived book in September called I Survived the Great Molasses Flood, 1919. Also in 2019 we are getting not one but TWO new Babysitting Nightmares books! The Phantom Hour this January 29th and The Twilight Curse on August 20th. February 5th brings another Stick Dog book - Stick Dog Gets the Tacos AND the third Frazzled book by Booki Vivat! This one is called Minor Incidents and Absolute Uncertainties. I just love her titles! In late February kids will be getting book 4 in the DC Comics Secret Hero Society - Science Fair Crisis! Lion Down by Stuart Gibb is out on February 26th. The second in his FunJungle series and the follow up to Panda-monium.) In March comes book five in The School for Good & Evil series: A Crystal of Time , a new Emily Windsnap novel called Emily Windsnap and The Pirate Prince, and another in the Fairy Tale Reform School series called Wished. In March we also get a seventh Jedi Academy Book called Revenge of the Sis. This one starts a new storyline and is written by Amy Ignatow with Jarret Krosoczka illustrating. And an as yet untitled 8th Jedi Academy novel is scheduled for September 2019. AND I’m really excited for the third BAT book: Bat and the End of Everything by Elana K. Arnold.  My daughter’s 4th grade class read the first book and they - of course! - fell hard for this series! Jeff Kinney fans will be excited about Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid - a book told from Rowley’s point of view that is out this April. And that month also brings us another Unicorn Rescue Society novel - The Chupacabras of the Rio Grande. And my 9 year old is going to be thrilled when I tell her that Katherine Applegate’s sequel to The Endling is coming out May 7th. It’s called Endling: The First and is already in my cart. The second book in Laura Ruby’s York series - The Clockwork Ghost is also headed our way this May and so is Another Fenway & Hattie book - In the Wild! Natalie Lloyd’s sequel to The Problim Children - Carnival Catastrophe is due to be out June 25th. And not quite a sequel but more of a spin-off, is Dough Boys by Paula Chase - author of 2018’s So Done. Characters Simp and Rollie are the leads in this novel told in two voices. Also - Karina Yan Glaser’s third Vanderbeekers novel is coming this September - The Vanderbeekers to the Rescue! And finally - just announced this morning - is Kate DiCamillo’s new novel coming September 24th - Beverly, Right Here. And if you guessed that this is the Beverly from Raymie Nightingale - then you are correct!  So now each of the three girls will have their own novel. By the way - if you haven’t seen it yet, the cover by Amy June Bates is stunning!!     2019 New Releases from Established Authors   First up here is the book I am devouring right now - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart which just came out on January 8th. And oh…. does this book live up to its hype! Brace yourself to hear lots more about this one later! Also out this January is a book my friend Sandy has been raving about - The Unsung Hero of Birdsong, U.S.A by Coretta Scott King honor nominee Brenda Woods. So I definitely need to add that one to my TBR list. This January readers will get a new Gordon Korman novel - Unteachables AND a new Andrew Clements novel - The Friendship War. January also brings us the first book in the really incredible Rick Riordan Presents Imprint - Dragon Pearl by Yoon Ha Lee. This is a space opera about thirteen-year-old Min, who comes from a long line of fox spirits. (By the way - if you have kids who love Rick Riordan’s novels or who love adventure books with a dash of humor and myth - then check out his Imprint site. I’ll include a link in the show notes so you can check them all out. From those lucky enough to read advanced copies, I haven’t heard anything but praise.) Pink Hair and Other Terrible Ideas by Andrea Pyros is one to watch out for this February. And another upper middle grade February release that caught my attention is a joint novel told in letters by Counting by 7s author Holly Goldberg Sloan and The Interestings author Meg Wolitzer. It’s called To Night Owl from Dogfish and it’s about two very different 12 year-old girls named Averie and Bett who are sent off to the same sleepaway camp in order to bond after their single dads fall in love with each other. February also bring us another novel by Anne Urso (author of the critically acclaimed The Real Boy) This novel, The Lost Girl, is about identical twins Lark and Iris.   On March 5th we get another Lisa Graff novel called Far Away about a girl, CJ, whose aunt is a psychic medium who claims that she carries messages from the dead. And I’m really psyched for We’re Not From Here by Tapper Twins author Geoff Rodkey. This novel is also out March 5th and is about refugees from planet Earth who need to find a new home on a faraway planet. I had the opportunity to read an ARC of this one and it’s quirky and hilarious… and timely. Definitely add this one to your pre orders. March also brings us another Rick Riordan Present’s book called Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez. I’ve been hearing lots of great buzz about this one, so I’ll definitely need to pre-order a copy. On March 19th we get a new Kevin Henkes novel called Sweeping Up the Heart and this one is the story of the spring break that changes seventh-grader Amelia Albright’s life forever. In late March Natalie Lloyd fans will be treated to Over the Moon - a story about twelve-year-old Mallie who lives in a mining town where boys leave school at 12 to work in the mines, and girls leave to work as servants for the wealthy. But of course with that quintessentially Lloyd magic interwoven. And another Cynthia Lord book is coming out this March! She is the author of Rules and A Handful of Stars. This one is titled Because of the Rabbit and is about a young girl who starts public school for the first time after being homeschooled. Where the Heart Is by Jo Knowles is coming out April 2nd and a really interesting looking book called Summer of a Thousand Pies by Margaret Dilloway will be released April 16th. It’s about a girl who has to save her aunt’s pie shop. I think this one would be  a winner for kids who enjoy shows like The Great British Baking Show. In early May, we get to read Lynda Mullaly Hunt’s next novel, Shouting at the Rain about a girl named Delsie who lives with her grandmother, loves tracking weather, and who starts to wish for a more “regular” family and life. You can’t go wrong with the author of Fish in a Tree and One for the Murphys so… just pop this one in your cart now! And another novel that is getting all kinds of early buzz is the latest from K.A. Reynolds called Spinner of Dreams. It’s being called “inventive, empathetic, and strange in all the best ways.”  Plus - it has a really otherworldly cover that I just want to stare at... And finally - I know you all have heard me rave about this one before - but Barbara Dee’s Maybe He Just Likes You is going to be AMAZING!  My students and I got the chance to read the first chapter and we were all already hooked. But let me give you a little taste from the teaser: “For seventh grader Mila, it starts with an unwanted hug on the school blacktop. The next day, it’s another hug. A smirk. Comments. It all feels…weird. According to her friend Zara, Mila is being immature, overreacting. Doesn’t she know what flirting looks like? They don’t understand why Mila is making such a big deal about the boys’ attention. When Mila is finally pushed too far, she realizes she can’t battle this on her own–and finds help in some unexpected places.” I can’t WAIT!!   Phew!!  Alright - I am both energized and - I gotta be honest - a little daunted! But - I am reminding myself and I hope you’ll remember too that it’s not about a mad dash to read all of these books. But to give you a taste of what’s to come so you can match readers with books they might like and get them excited about new releases.   I hope you have a wonderful year reading and I would love to know - what are the books that you and your students are most looking forward to in 2019?   You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or jump into the conversation on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between.      Closing   Thank you so much for joining me this week.  You can find an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org.   And, if you have an extra minute this week, reviews on iTunes or Stitcher are much appreciated.   Books Between is a proud member of the Lady Pod Squad and the Education Podcast Network. This network features podcasts for educators, created by educators. For more great content visit edupodcastnetwork.com   Talk with you soon!  Bye!  

  Intro Hi and welcome to the Books Between Podcast! I believe that books can change your life for the better. I know because books did that for me. And I want to help you connect kids with those amazing, life-shaping books and bring you inspiring (and fun!) conversations with the authors and educators who make that magic happen.  Every other Monday, I bring you book talks, interviews, and ideas for getting great books into the hands of kids between 8-12. I am Corrina Allen - a mom of an eight and ten year old, a 5th grade teacher, and excited about two things this week!  First, the Winter Olympics.  And second - today’s announcement of the American Library Association Youth Media Awards including the Caldecott, the Newbery, The Coretta Scott King, and lots more!  I am so excited for those authors and illustrators who will be getting those early morning phone calls. I’ll be streaming it with my class and can’t wait to chat more with you about it! This is Episode #43 and today I’m talking about some fails, some wins, and bringing you a conversation with author Anna Meriano about her debut novel (and the MG at Heart January Book Club pick) Love, Sugar, Magic! But first I have some exciting news to share with you — I’m joining the fabulous team at MGBookvillage.org!  MGBookVillage has become THE place for all things middle grade, and I’m so thrilled to be working with Annaliese Avery, Jarrett Lerner, and Kathie MacIsaac who’ve done such an incredible job developing a home for lovers of middle grade that I can’t imagine we ever made do without it! MGBookVillage has it all; a book-release calendar, a Kids’ Corner, a monthly book club (MG at Heart), an all-day twitter chat on Mondays (#MGBookathon)—and so, so much more. And from now on it will be the new home of the Books Between podcast and where you can find all our transcripts. Three Fails & One Win And now a new segment I am calling three fails and a win. So - I am going to share with you three failures.  And then one thing that went well recently.  I think we all have the tendency to share our achievements and hide our failures, only revealing things that put us in a positive light. Inadvertently, it can lead to people feeling like they aren’t living up to all the amazingness they see on Instagram and Facebook and Pinterest, and next door. It’s an unrealistic view of teaching and parenting and it makes it seem like there are just these amazing rockstar kidlit advocates who have success after success. Nah! In the interest of acknowledging that the most learning happens through our mistakes, I’ll share three of mine with you today. And then I share something good that happened. Fail #1 Last summer I had an great conversation with Jillian Heise about #ClassroomBookADay and was so inspired to give it a try this year. (If you want to hear that conversation about the power of reading one picture book a day with your students, check out episode 30). So, at the beginning of the year I made this GIANT public display of 280 blank polaroid-style frames - all waiting for me to post colorful pictures of the books we are reading. And I have! Up until about like 40. Now - we have STILL been reading those picture books. Mostly.  We’ve missed a few days here and there, but - ugh that display has embarrassingly just... stalled. And I want to catch up but now I can’t quite remember the order of the titles we’ve read or even the names of them all.  And in fact, one of my eagle-eyed gals noticed that we have Not Quite Narwhal on there twice.  Not my best moment of this year. Fail #2 - So last summer, I secretly pre-ordered a certain book for my daughter.  I will withhold the name because it doesn’t really matter but I’ll just say that it was the next title in a fun graphic novel series that my 8 year-old daughter LOVES. She’s picky with her reading, so when she finds something she likes, I RUN to the ball. Well, I thought I was getting the Best Mom Ever award when a few weeks ago the book arrived on our stoop Tuesday afternoon and I gleefully called her into the kitchen as I whipped the book from around my back and held it out to her with a GIANT grin on my face! TA-DA!! And she….backed out of the room cringing. And then told me she’s just not into those books as much anymore.  Okay then - mom win turned into major mom fail. Fail #3 This is the one I refer to as The Armadillo Book Debacle. So, a couple weeks ago my daughter comes home upset because she’s going to have to pay $15 to replace a missing library book. Well - High Alert in the Allen household! We tear apart the house looking for it. All the bedrooms, under the couch cushions. I look at school. I call the grandparents! Nowhere is this darn Armadillo book. And my husband and daughter start to think they saw it go in the backpack and back to school. And mistakes happen, so we email the librarian and explain that we think it was returned and could she look? And I just want to say - she was extraordinarily nice about it!  And so - she’s looking all over the school for it. Yeah, you know where this is going don’t you? A couple months ago we had a party at our house. And, like happens, there comes a point when you have cleaned and scrubbed and dusted and vacuumed and people are just about to arrive! So you switch from cleaning mode to hiding mode. You know,  there’s that one dirty casserole dish in the sink so you shove it in the oven. And there’s a stack of random papers and mail and books that you haul down into the basement. Including an Armadillo book that ended up tucked away in a corner of our basement for two months. My fault.  Awkward email back to the librarian.   And…. a WIN! I have to end on a positive note. So I have this student who I love but he was tough nut to crack when trying to find a book that would hold his interest. In September, I discovered he had liked The One and Only Ivan, so I handed him my ARC of Wishtree weeks before it came out. Nope. I piled book after book after book on his desk - asking him questions about what he liked - to no avail.  It seemed like he was going to be one of those kids that you just hope the next person can help them find books they’ll love because it just didn’t click with you. But, then - I found out that he LOVES wrestling - like WWE wrestling. And a friend on #mglitchat recommended these Choose Your Own Adventure style WWE wrestling books. I order them on Amazon Prime and two days later, I slid one across his desk and his eyes just lit up!  I even caught him reading it as he walked to the bus! He read those books back and forth cover to cover for weeks. And now - he’s on to the second Tapper Twins book and on a roll and YES!!!  (I’ll link to those wrestling books in the show notes if you want to check them out. As far as I can tell there are only two of them - Race to the Rumble and then Night of Champions. Both are by Tracey West)   So, maybe my hallway display has stalled out, and I got overzealous with my child, and I embarrassed myself with the school librarian, but I helped that one kid get himself on his way. Anna Meriano - Interview Outline This week I had the opportunity to have a fantastic conversation with two authors debuting middle grade novels in 2018. Joining me today is Amanda Rawson Hill. She is the author of the upcoming book Three Rules of Everyday Magic and one of the organizers of the MG at Heart Book Club. Her and I hopped on Skype to chat with Anna Meriano about her debut novel (and the January MG at Heart Book Club pic), Love Sugar Magic. Take a listen….. Interview Outline Love, Sugar, Magic CA: Your first middle grade novel, Love Sugar Magic, debuted last month. For those listeners who haven’t yet read the book - can you tell what the story is about? CA: One of things I loved about this book was that passing down of family recipes from mother to daughter generation to generation. So - did I hear that you aren’t actually much of a baker? CA: Where did the recipes come from? CA: In your novel, each sister has a special power, depending on her birth order. First born daughters have the gift of influence, second born daughters have the talent of manifestation, and the third borns have the gift of communicating with the dead.  Which gift would YOU want to have?   ARH: I wanted to get some insight into how you wrote a big family so well... Your Writing Life CA: How long ago did you start writing Love, Sugar, Magic? ARH: You’ve talked a lot about how you worked with Cake Literary, a book packager. I was wondering what the experience of doing that from the beginning with someone else was like compared to when you’re writing a book all on your own.  And how did it affect your creative process? CA: What is Cake Literary and what is a book packager? CA: How did you end up connecting to Leo? JL: I’d be interested to hear about Anna’s experience with her debut group. The Electric Eighteens seem like such a positive and supportive bunch, and they’re so active in promoting one another. I’d love to hear what Anna got out of being a part of such a group — both in practical terms of promotion and things, and emotionally and psychologically, too, since the debut experience can be so confusing and exciting and overwhelming and joyful and terrifying and a million other things, too! CA: The more I chat with authors about their process, the more I want to share with my students the idea that what they see as a finished story is the very tip of a gigantic iceburg of planning and writing and revising that never sees the light of day. What below-the-surface part of your writing process do you really enjoy? And what parts are challenging?   Your Reading Life CA: Something that I think about a lot is how sometimes it only takes ONE person to really influence a child’s reading life - either in a positive way or sometimes in a negative way. Was there someone in your life who impacted you as a reader? C: What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked?   Links: Anna on Twitter Cake Literary website - http://www.cakeliterary.com Electric Eighteen Debut Group website - https://electriceighteens.com Anna’s Nerdy Book Club Post is here The Coco Movie   Books & Authors We Chatted About: The First Rule of Punk (Celia C. Perez) Goosebumps (R.L. Stine) Calvin & Hobbes (Bill Watterson) The Inquisitor's Tale (Adam Gidwitz) The Gauntlet (Karuna Riazi) Betty Before X (by Ilyasah Shavbazz & Renee Watson)   Closing Alright, that wraps up our show this week! If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or a suggestion about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get an outline of interviews and a full transcript of all the other parts of our show at MGBookVillage.org. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher. Or even better - tell a friend about us! Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!

Intro Hi there everyone! Welcome to Books Between - a podcast for teachers, parents, librarians, and anyone who wants to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love.  I’m your host, Corrina Allen - a mom of two, a teacher of 23, and always amazed at how much I learn from my students. Sometimes it’s something profound, or like last week it’s a snack suggestion! So a shout out to Jadyn and Malia for helping my daughters and I get completely addicted to these things called Flip yogurts. Have you tried them? They are these little flavored yogurts with a side sprinkle of sweetness. I have purchased an embarrassingly large amount of these in the past week - enough so that the Wegman’s cashier is giving me the side eye. You have to try them - delicious! This is Episode #42 and Today I’m sharing with you a great opportunity to participate in the MG @ Heart Book Club, a fantastic interview with author Elly Swartz about her upcoming novel Smart Cookie, and then I’ll share with you some news about the All the Wonders website. MG @ Heart Book Club The first thing that I am really excited to tell you about is that I am teaming up with the Middle Grade at Heart Book Club to bring you great discussions and interviews with the authors of each month’s selection. So you can read along with us all and at the end of the month or sometimes early the following month, MG at Heart will host a Twitter chat to discuss the book together and I’ll host an episode of Books Between featuring that novel. First, let me tell you about all of the awesome 2018 picks so you can plan out your reading and pre-order the ones you want to get. There are lots of debut authors on this list so I’m excited for us all to meet some new voices in world of middle grade literature. (And remember that links to all of the books mentioned are in the show notes and the transcript posted on allthewonders.com so you don’t have to scramble to write anything down.) After I list the reading schedule, then I’ll let you know where you can go to get more information about the MG at Heart Book Club. In January, we are reading Love, Sugar, Magic by debut author Anna Meriano. It is about an 11 year-old girl, named Leonora, in a tight-knit family where all the women are brujas - witches. Leonora soon discovers that she - like her sisters and mother - have magical abilities that manifest through their baking. I’m about halfway through this book right now and I love the family, and magic, and food, and culture. It’s like a mix of the movie Coco and one of my favorite novels, Chocolat. I just know you and your kids will love it!  So, I hope you can join us all for the Twitter chat about Love, Sugar, Magic on Tuesday, February 6th at 8pm EST using the hashtag #mgbookclub. And February’s read is See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng! Oh my gosh - I just finished the audio version of this novel and I was blown away. Really - you HAVE to read this one!  Or better yet since the premise of the entire book is that it’s recorded on an ipod - get the audio performance! You’ll just fall in love with Alex and his dog, Carl Sagan.  So - stay tuned for the Twitter chat date for that book! In March, we’ll be reading The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. This one has been on my TBR pile for ages so I’m glad to have a reason to push it to the top of my pile and get ready for the sequel which, I think, is due out this fall. April’s book is Varian Johnson’s The Parker Inheritance - which sounds like a fabulous historical mystery. Can’t wait to read that one - it looks amazing! In May, we’ll be reading Every Shiny Thing by Cordelia Jensen and Laurie Morrison - a contemporary novel in half prose, half verse. June’s selection is The Mad Wolf’s Daughter by Diane Magras - a Scottish medieval adventure that sounds a bit like The Ranger’s Apprentice with a twist of Tamora Pierce. Doesn’t that sounds amazing? In July, we’ll be reading Just Under the Clouds by Melissa Sarno about a family struggling to find a lasting home. August’s pick is Cindy Baldwin’s Where the Watermelons Grow -  a book about twelve-year-old Della Kelly of Maryville, North Carolina, who tries to come to terms with her mother's mental illness while her father struggles to save the farm from a record-breaking drought. And in September, we are reading The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio. This one is about a girl who longs to create a space of her own away from the small room she shares with her mother in their grandmother’s house that is home to her lovable but sometimes wild Filipino family. So - she decides to built her own ‘tiny house.” October’s pick is The Three Rules of Everyday Magic by Amanda Rawson Hill. Listen to this description: “Magic doesn't work the way you think it will, but it's what Kate needs as she confronts friendship trouble, her parents' divorce, and Grammy's dementia in this lyrical middle-grade coming-of-age novel.” And November’s pick is The Hotel Between by Sean Easley -a story where twins Cam and Cass uncover the secrets of their missing father in a magical hotel whose doors lead its guests to places all over the world. And stay tuned for the December plans! So - I hope you are just excited as I am to read some outstanding new middle grade books this year. So - go get your pre-orders in, adjust those TBR piles, and I’ll see on Twitter and in your podcast feed. If you want to know more about the Middle Grade at Heart Book Club, check them out on Twitter at the handle @mgatheart. And you can find them online at mgbookvillage.org. And a big shout out to the creators of MG at Heart  - Julie Artz, Cindy Baldwin, Laurie Morrison, Amanda Rawson Hill, and Kit Rosewater. Main Topic - A Conversation with Elly Swartz This week I am so excited to welcome Elly Swartz to the show - author of Finding Perfect and her upcoming middle grade novel, Smart Cookie.  We chat about her new novel and the unconventional research she did to get the details right along with schools visits, her writing process, and what she’s been reading lately. Take a listen…..   Interview Outline: Smart Cookie Your new middle grade novel, Smart Cookie, is released in just a few days - can you tell us a bit about it? We all loved the Greene Family Bed & Breakfast - Angie wants to know - did you model it after a real place or a real situation? We all loved the game inspired rooms - Yahtzee and Monopoly and Checkers and Chess!  My daughters and I had so much fun deciding which ones we’d want to stay in.  So, we all want to know - which game-themed room would you prefer to stay in? And Lena wants to know - why did you decide to call the book Smart Cookie? I really loved the relationship between Frankie and her grandmother. I also grew up with an energetic, card-playing grandmother who lived with me, so I really connected with the bond between Frankie and her Gram….   Were you close to your grandparents? One of the parts of this book that had us laughing out loud (and cringing!) - were all the women that Frankie secretly sets her dad up with from the dating site! Did you do research on dating sites? I’ve been seeing a lot of pictures of your school visits lately! What are some of the things you like about visiting with students?   Your Writing Life What is your writing process like? I saw that you studied psychology and law - do you think anything from your time studying those subjects has helped you become a better writer or made its way into your novels? What are you working on now?   Your Reading Life Something that I think about a lot is the impact that adults can have on a child’s development as a reader - either in a really positive, encouraging way or sometimes in a negative way... Was there someone like that in your life who impacted you as a reader? What have you been reading lately that you’ve liked? Links: Elly’s Website - http://ellyswartz.com Smart Cookie Curriculum Guide Elly on Twitter and Instagram Books & Authors We Chatted About: Ramona the Brave (Beverly Cleary) Eloise (Kay Thompson and Hilary Knight) Pippi Longstocking (Astrid Lindgren) Radio Free Vermont (Bill McKibben) Love (Matt De La Pena and Loren Long) Everything I Know About You (Barbara Dee) The 57 Bus (Dashka Slater) Turtles All the Way Down (John Green) Some news Before we wrap up, I wanted to share with you some news. As you may have heard, Matthew Winner and Blake Hamilton (co-founders of the All the Wonders website) have decided to end the project due to some other demands on their time and energy. However, all the podcasts happily - including Books Between - will still continue. Nick Patton’s Picturebooking podcast will be found on picturebooking.com. And the All the Wonders podcast will now be called The Children’s Book Podcast with Matthew Winner and will have a home at matthewcwinner.com.   And for me, this episode will be the last one at www.AlltheWonders.com. All the previous episodes of Books Between and the transcripts will still be there. And, as always, you’ll still be able to find links to every single episode at booksbetween.com.  On the next episode, I’ll have an announcement with some further details about our new home. For now, I just want to say how happy I am to have been part of the All the Wonders team. And how grateful I’ve felt for their warm welcome into that incredible family. I want to give a special thanks to Matthew Winner who within the first week of this podcast, has always been such an enthusiastic champion of the show and incredibly generous with his time, resources, and advice. And Matthew, and Blake, and everyone else at the All the Wonders team have made this show so much better than it would have been on its own. And as much as there is a twinge of disappointment at seeing the end of something so wonderful, instead of feeling like it’s a sad goodbye, I look at it like an evolution of how we all connect and collaborate. And I am really excited to see what Blake and Matthew have in store next!  Because you all know that the forces behind the awesomeness that was All the Wonders are going to be up to something brilliant! Closing Alright, that wraps up our show this week! If you have a question about how to connect kids between 8-12 to books they’ll love or a suggestion about a topic we should cover, I would love to hear from you. You can email me at booksbetween@gmail.com or message me on Twitter/Instagram at the handle @Books_Between. Thank you so much for joining me this week. You can get a full transcript of this show and all of our previous episodes at AlltheWonders.com. And, if you are liking the show, please leave us some love on iTunes or Stitcher. Or even better - tell a friend about us! Thanks and see you soon!  Bye!

Hear Sona Charaipotra, co-author of TINY PRETTY THINGS and SHINY BROKEN PIECES and co-founder of CAKE Literary, talks about her Halloween welcome to the U.S., being married to your greatest accountability partner, and fostering mentorship. Sona Charaipotra Show Notes Bollywood The Partition of India The Babysitter’s Club by Anne M. Martin The Vampire Diaries (TV show) Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery  Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Dhonielle Clayton (listen to her First Draft interview here)   Bombay Talkie by Ameen Amir Judy Blume Arranged Marriage by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri YA authors Siobhan Vivian, Jenny Han (listen to her First Draft interview here), Coe Booth Alloy Entertainment Gossip Girl by Cecily von Ziegesar Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares Patrick Swayze   Book by Kaye (@gildedspine) sold to Salaam Reads Love Sugar Magic by Anna Meriano   Bajirao Mastani (Bollywood film) The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski