Podcast appearances and mentions of tommy greenwald

In the first episode of the new school year, Mr. Chambers reads the first few pages of Dinged by author Tommy Greenwald. Dinged centers around freshman star quarterback, Caleb Springer, as he tries to determine whether the game he has made his entire life is worth risking it all for. Dinged is one of the books on this year's Texas Lone Star Reading List.

Dinged by Tommy GreenwaldEveryone thinks Caleb has it made. He has a cool girlfriend, a dad who is a former NFL player and he has just made starting quarterback for Varsity as a Freshman! Life is amazing, right? Well, it pretty much is. Except that his girlfriend HATEs football and his dad has started to act a little weird lately. And maybe, just maybe, football isn't the answer that he once thought it was. Recommended for 7th grade and up. 

We're thrilled to welcome Abrams editor Erica Finkel to the podcast to discuss editorial board meetings, the top reasons writers get rejected--and how "fit" means far more than you'd think. Book a meeting with Erica here: https://manuscriptacademy.com/faculty-members/erica-finkel Erica Finkel (she/her) is an Executive Editor for Amulet Books and Abrams Books for Young Readers. Before starting at Abrams in 2010, she was, among other things, an English teacher in France, a theater-camp counselor, and an ice-cream scooper. Erica focuses primarily on chapter books and middle-grade novels and is honored to work with many bestselling and award-winning authors and illustrators, including Andrea Beaty, David Roberts, Mac Barnett, Tom Angleberger, and Ellen Potter. Some books she's edited that are particularly dear to her include Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher, Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald, The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker and Stacy Davidowitz, Once Upon an Eid edited by S. K. Ali and Aisha Saeed, Fraidyzoo by Thyra Heder, and a picture-book biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg (her hero) by Jonah Winter. When she gets the chance to read a non-Abrams book, she particularly enjoys the work of Gary D. Schmidt, Maggie Stiefvater, Kristin Cashore, and Rainbow Rowell. Her favorite genres are contemporary realistic, fantasy, and magical realism, and she is not the best fit for thrillers or nonfiction. Check out her work here: https://www.pinterest.com/ericafinkel/books-ive-edited/ Transcript: https://manuscriptacademy.com/podcast-erica-finkel Timestamps: Erica Finkel's background (00:00:42) Erica Finkel, an executive editor at Abrams Books for Young Readers and Amulet Books, discusses her role and experience in the publishing industry. Career in publishing (00:02:55) Erica Finkel shares her journey into publishing, from internships to her current role, highlighting the value of education and personal growth. Editorial autonomy and collaboration (00:08:02) Exploration of the balance between an editor's individual taste and the imprint's identity, discussing the collaborative process of shaping a list. Book acquisition and fit for the list (00:09:35) Insight into the importance of a book's similarity and difference within the imprint's list, considering marketing, sales, and readers' perspectives. Editorial decision-making process (00:13:37) Erica Finkel shares the challenges of evaluating and selecting manuscripts, highlighting the emotional and practical aspects of the decision-making process. Advice for writers (00:18:05) Erica Finkel's advice for writers, emphasizing the value of industry education, extensive reading, and understanding market demands. The vision (00:21:20) The risk and reward of seeing the potential in a manuscript despite potential rejection. Understanding the child reader (00:21:36) Considering comprehension, readability, and authenticity in children's literature. Avoiding stereotypes in children's literature (00:22:22) Emphasizing the need for nuance and authenticity in portraying childhood experiences. Editorial and acquisitions meetings (00:29:32) Insight into the casual and collaborative nature of editorial and acquisitions meetings. Pub board decision-making (00:31:18) The process of evaluating and deciding on book acquisitions involving multiple departments. Book success and in-house support (00:35:29) The importance of in-house support in setting a book up for success. The role of Twitter in book promotion (00:39:12) Discussion of the impact of social media and conflicts in the book industry. Overcoming writers' fears (00:40:15) Addressing common fears of writers and dispelling misconceptions about the publishing process. Tips for querying agents (00:44:01) Advice for writers on targeting junior agents and personalizing query letters. Making queries compelling (00:46:03) Insight into what agents can do to make their queries stand out and be more likely to be read by editors.

Rivals by Tommy GreenwaldWhen is it more about the play than the player? Is it ever okay to play injured for the sake of the win? Just that one game? Alfie is hoping to be a sports journalist and reporter some day, and she's getting lots of practice in her middle school with her radio program and the school newspaper. She pays attention to the details and she noticed one of the players from the cross town rival team might be limping a bit in the big opening game of the season. And her sharp eyes aren't wrong. But her reporting opens up a whole lot more than just a player playing hurt.Recommended for grades 6 and up. 

Mrs. van Kan and Mrs. Peel share the newly voted Virginia Readers' Choice Award (VRCA) winning book! They also discuss how the VRCA process works and the 10 titles nominated for this school year. These titles are listed below, along with their availability on Hoopla at the Prince William County Library. Episode Resource List: 2019 - 20 VRCA Middle School Award Winning Book: Restart by Gordon Korman 2020 - 2021 VRCA Nominees New Kid by Jerry Craft (available as an audiobook and eBook at the PWC Library) The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden (available as an audiobook and eBook at the PWC Library) It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers) by Trevor Noah The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart (available as an audiobook at the PWC Library) Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes Deep Water by Watt Key Breakout by Kate Messner Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald (available as an audiobook and eBook at the PWC Library) The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman Resist: 35 Profiles of Ordinary People Who Rose Up Against Tyranny and Injustice by Veronica Chambers

Today, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: Homeschool reading presentations and Meredith’s new side episode Current Reads: the current reads that we are actually currently reading, not a selective agenda of books Deep Dive: Bookish FOMO. What are you afraid of missing out on when it comes to books? Book Presses: the book I’d press on Meredith’s new mini show, and an author that she changed her mind about As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  *Please note that all book titles linked below are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . . Bookish Moments: 2:45 - The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate 2:51 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 4:23 - Project Z: A Zombie Ate My Homework by Tommy Greenwald 5:14 - All Things Murderful on Patreon Current Reads: 6:52 - Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes (Kaytee) 6:58 - Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes 7:14 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 9:02 - The Black Count by Tom Reiss 10:10 - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson (Meredith) 11:40 - Serial Podcast 12:25 - Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene 12:34 - The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson 14:31 - Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson 15:45 - Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Kaytee) 15:56 - The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum 17:23 - Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts 17:50 - Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles) by Marissa Meyer 19:52 - Conviction by Denise Mina (Meredith) 24:08 - You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria (Kaytee) 24:13 - @booknerdnative @readwithkat and @allegedlymari on Instagram 30:46 - Descent by Tim Johnston (Meredith) 30:56 - The Current by Tim Johnston 32:07 - Still Life by Louise Penny Deep Dive - Book FOMO: 35:07 - Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell 35:40 - You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria 36:07 - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins 37:08 - Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer 37:15 - Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 38:22 - Wolf Hall by Hillary Mantel 39:15 - Novel Pairings Podcast 40:13 - Louise Penny Book 5: The Brutal Telling 41:22 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 42:35 - The One by John Marrs (Kaytee) 44:35 - City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert (Meredith) 44:47 - Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert 48:03 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com

Game Changer By Tommy Greenwald It’s been all over the news - the dangers of football, but some people and kids think the risk is worth the reward. Yet as Teddy Youngblood lies in a coma, friends and family try to piece together what happened on the field that day that lead to Teddy being in such critical condition. This book almost reads like a novel in verse with its sparse language and multiple perspectives, text messages and website posts. I'll let you decide if you think it is one or not. Recommended for 7th grade and up.

It’s the first ever Middle Grade Ninja clips show, featuring snippets from each of the podcast’s first 30 episodes. This is the perfect place for new listeners to start. New episodes are scheduled to return August 13th. Until then, enjoy this compilation of clips from conversations with AUTHORS Laura Martin, Barabra Shoup, Jeff Norton, Darby Karchut, Susan Kaye Quinn, Jacqueline West, Daniel Kenney, Tommy Greenwald, Steven K Smith, Lamar Giles, Kathi Appelt, Padma Venkatraman, Jessica Lawson, Daniel José Older, Dustin Brady, Amber Smith, Marie Miranda Cruz,M.G. Hennessey, Debbie Dadey, LITERARY AGENTS John Cusick, Jennifer March Soloway, Holly Root, Elana Roth Parker, John Rudolph, Molly O'Neill, EDITORS Mary Kole, Amy Tipton, Alison S. Weiss, Diana M. Pho, and PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT Megan Beatie.

Author Tommy Greenwald and I discuss his career in publishing and his advice for writers. We do a deep dive on his process from having his initial idea to planning the story to planning a series and working with his editors and illustrators to produce a final book. He gives several invaluable insights into marketing and targeting his fiction. We also talk about his experience writing and advertising musicals as well as writing about sports. Tommy Greenwald is the author of many books for children, including the CRIMEBITERS! series, about a group of friends and a (possibly) superhero crime-fighting vampire dog, and the CHARLIE JOE JACKSON books, a middle-grade series about the most reluctant reader ever born. His most recent book is GAME CHANGER, about the pleasures and perils of youth sports. Tommy is also the Co-Founder of Spotco Advertising, a theatrical and entertainment advertising agency in New York City, and the lyricist and co-bookwriter (with Andrew Lippa) of JOHN and JEN, a 1995 musical which was revived off-Broadway in 2015. MiddleGradeNinja.com TommyGreenwald.com

Season #2, episode #2, includes a discussion of the book Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald.

Season #2, episode #2, includes a discussion of the book Game Changer by Tommy Greenwald.