Middle Grade Matters
By Shannon Balloon
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Category: Books
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Subscribers: 1
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Episodes: 115
Description
On the Middle Grade Matters podcast, host Shannon Balloon talks to to authors and publishing professionals about all things middle grade. The show explores topics like the craft of writing, the journey to getting an agent and publishing a book, and why middle grade books should matter to everyone.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
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Ep. 112: Nancy Tandon (The Haunting of Walker Pond) on Selling - and then Writing - a Novel on Proposal
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Jun 17, 2026 |
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Ep. 111: Huda Al-Mirashi (Hail Mariam) on Faith and the Challenges of a Writing Life
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Jun 03, 2026 |
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Ep. 110: Tracy Wolff (The Aftermyth) on Creating Stories that Spark Imagination
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May 19, 2026 |
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Ep. 109: Katherine Applegate (The One and Only Ivan) on writing and her latest book, Wombat Waiting
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May 06, 2026 |
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Ep. 108: Philip Stead (A Potion, A Powder, A Little Bit of Magic) on Writing and Illustrating Whimsical Stories
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Apr 21, 2026 |
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Ep. 107: Filling the Gap: Why We Need More Young Teen Lit
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Apr 07, 2026 |
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Ep. 106: Aaron Starmer (You Are Now Old Enough to Hear This) On Writing a Book That's Weird In a Good Way
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Mar 24, 2026 |
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Ep. 105: Jasmine Warga (The Unlikely Tale of Chase and Finnegan) on Zero Drafts and Writing From an Animal's Perspective
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Mar 17, 2026 |
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Ep. 104: N. West Moss (Birdy) on Finding Joy After Loss
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Mar 03, 2026 |
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Ep. 103: Beth Ferry (Growing Home) On Loving Your Own Story
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Feb 17, 2026 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 75: James Ponti (Part 2) (City Spies) on Writing a Bestselling Middle Grade Series
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Feb 10, 2026 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 74: James Ponti (Part 1) (City Spies) on Writing a Bestselling Middle Grade Series
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Feb 03, 2026 |
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Ep. 102: Simon Stephenson (The Snowman Code) on both Screenwriting and Novel Writing
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Jan 20, 2026 |
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Ep. 101: John Schu (Louder Than Hunger) on Connection and Compassion in Storytelling
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Jan 13, 2026 |
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Ep. 100: Michelle Knudsen (Into the Wild Magic) on The Importance of Persistence in Writing
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Nov 11, 2025 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 66: Jordan Kopy (Theodora Hendrix) on Turning Traditional Monster Tropes on their Heads
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Oct 21, 2025 |
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Ep. 99: Second Year Podcasting Anniversary - Come with me behind the scenes - how it started, how it's going, and what's next.
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Oct 14, 2025 |
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Ep. 98: Melissa Dassori on Second Books and Magic in Storytelling
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Sep 30, 2025 |
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Ep. 97: McCall Hoyle (Forever Ripley) on Exploring the Bond Between Dogs and Kids
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Sep 16, 2025 |
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Ep. 96: Jamie Sumner (Schooled) on Embracing Imperfection in the Creative Process
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Sep 09, 2025 |
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Ep. 95: Cordelia Jensen (Lilac and the Switchback) on Crafting a Novel-In-Verse
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Aug 26, 2025 |
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Ep. 94: Alyssa Colman (Where Only Storms Grow) on Historical Fiction With and Without Magic
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Aug 19, 2025 |
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Ep. 93: Pablo Cartaya (A Hero's Guide to Summer Vacation) on Connecting With Readers Through Shared Experiences
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Aug 12, 2025 |
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Ep. 92: Tiffany D. Jackson (Blood in the Water) on Writing MG After Success in YA
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Jul 29, 2025 |
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Ep. 91: J.E. Thomas (The AI Incident) on Engaging Children in Conversations about Artificial Intelligence
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Jul 22, 2025 |
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Ep. 90: Amanda Zieba (WordNerd) on Hybrid Publishing and Creating Resources for Teachers
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Jul 15, 2025 |
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Ep. 89: Shannon Balloon and Karen Reeder (BookHuddle Podcast) On Our Favorite MG Books of the Year (So Far)
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Jul 08, 2025 |
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Ep. 88: Meg Medina (Graciela in the Abyss) on Diving into a Fantasy World
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Jul 01, 2025 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 34: Joel Brigham on Query Letters and First Pages
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Jun 17, 2025 |
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Ep. 87: Katherine Marsh (the Medusa series) on Monsters, Myths, and a Girl Protagonist
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Jun 03, 2025 |
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Ep. 86: Erin Entrada Kelly (At Last She Stood) on Her Foray into Nonfiction
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May 27, 2025 |
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Ep. 85: Kate O'Shaughnessy (The Wrong Way Home) on Community and Belonging
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May 20, 2025 |
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Ep. 84: Dianne K. Salerni (The Tontine Caper) on Writing Humor and an Omniscient Narrator
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May 06, 2025 |
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Ep. 83: Lauren Wolk (Candle Island) on the Importance of Setting in Her Novels
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Apr 29, 2025 |
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Ep: 82: Marie Benedict (The Secrets of Lovelace Academy) on Infusing Historical Fiction with Adventure.
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Apr 22, 2025 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 46: Literary Agent Alexander Slater on Publishing in Middle Grade
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Apr 15, 2025 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 58: Gayle Forman (Not Nothing) on Seeing Stories From Different Perspectives
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Apr 08, 2025 |
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Ep. 81: Debbi Michiko Florence (Last Chance Academy) on Writing a Middle Grade Mystery Series.
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Apr 01, 2025 |
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Ep. 80: Lisa Schmid (Hart & Souls) on Non-Scary Ghost Stories and Podcasting
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Mar 25, 2025 |
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Ep. 79: Britnee Meiser (All My Bests) on Writing Realistic Middle Grade Romance
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Mar 18, 2025 |
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Ep. 78: Megan E. Freeman (Alone and Away) on Her Books, Her Inspiration, and the Question Everyone is Asking . . Will There Be a Third?
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Mar 11, 2025 |
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Ep. 77: Kyle Lukoff (A World Worth Saving) on Writing Adventure, Jewish Folklore, and Trans Youth in Middle Grade.
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Mar 04, 2025 |
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Ep. 76: Wendelin Van Draanen (Flipped) on Writing From the Heart
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Feb 25, 2025 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 31: Megan Reyes (Heroes of Havensong) on Writing a Fantasy with Four Points of View
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Feb 18, 2025 |
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Ep. 75: James Ponti (Part 2) (The Sherlock Society) on the Joy of Storytelling
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Feb 11, 2025 |
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Ep. 74: James Ponti (Part 1) (City Spies) on Crafting Spy Novels and the Inspiration Behind His Work
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Feb 04, 2025 |
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Ep. 73: Kimberly Newton Fusco (The Secret of Honeycake) on Finding Your Voice
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Jan 28, 2025 |
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Ep. 72: Meera Trehan (Snow) on Writing a Story where a Fantasy World and the Real World Collide
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Jan 21, 2025 |
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Ep 71: Gloria L. Huang (Kaya of the Ocean) on the Beauty of Imperfection in Life and Storytelling
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Jan 14, 2025 |
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[Listen Again] Ep. 8: Joel Brigham on Six Things Every Story Needs to Succeed
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Jan 07, 2025 |
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[Listen Again] Ep. 30: Becca Wierwille (Road Trip Rescue) on Independently Publishing a Middle Grade Novel
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Dec 31, 2024 |
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[Listen Again] Ep. 36: Barbara Dee (Unstuck) on Writer's Block and Writing for Upper Middle Grade Readers
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Dec 17, 2024 |
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[Listen Again] Ep. 21: Jessica Vitalis (Coyote Queen) on Crafting Stories from Personal Experiences
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Dec 03, 2024 |
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Ep. 70: Claire Swinarski (Take It From The Top) on Musical Theater, Friendship, and her Writing Process.
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Nov 19, 2024 |
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Ep. 69: Marissa Meyer and Joanne Levy (Let It Glow) on Writing a Happy, Holiday Story
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Nov 12, 2024 |
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Ep. 68: Joel Brigham on Writing a First Draft Fast
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Nov 04, 2024 |
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Ep. 67: Erin Becker (Crushing It) on Sports, Crushes, and Character Development in Middle Grade
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Oct 29, 2024 |
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Ep. 65: Joan Reardon (The Grimsbane Family Witch Hunters) on Exploring Spooky Themes in Middle Grade Books
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Oct 15, 2024 |
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Ep. 64: Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (The Bletchley Riddle) on Uncovering the Secrets of Bletchley Park
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Oct 08, 2024 |
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Ep. 63: Kate DiCamillo (The Hotel Balzaar) on Putting Your Heart On The Page
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Oct 01, 2024 |
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Ep. 62: Damara Allen (The Skeleton Flute) on Crafting a Spooky Middle Grade Novel
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Sep 24, 2024 |
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Ep. 61: Polly Horvath (Library Girl) on Libraries, Literary Awards, and Writing
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Sep 17, 2024 |
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Ep. 60: Sarah Allen (Monster Tree) on Writing Monsters in Middle Grade
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Sep 10, 2024 |
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Ep. 59: Robyn Field (Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon) and Karin Hoyle on Publishing with a Small Press
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Sep 03, 2024 |
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Ep. 57: Matthew Landis on Making History Exciting and Embarking on an RV Adventure Across America
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Aug 20, 2024 |
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Ep. 56: Adam Rosenbaum on Navigating Grief and Ghosts in Middle Grade
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Aug 13, 2024 |
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Ep. 55: Amar Shah on Writing a Middle Grade Sports Book
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Aug 06, 2024 |
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Ep. 54: Jennifer Blecher (Listen to This) on Writing Big Emotions - Including for Boys
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Jul 30, 2024 |
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Ep. 53: Nedda Lewers on Writing Fantasy That Shows Children the Bigger World
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Jul 23, 2024 |
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Ep. 52: Caroline Carlson on Writing a Funny and Adventurous Anti-Fairy Tale
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Jul 16, 2024 |
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Ep. 51: Rhonda Roumani on the Power of Art as Activism in her Debut Middle Grade
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Jun 18, 2024 |
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Ep. 50: Gennifer Choldenko on Persistence, Collaboration, and Writing a Page-Turner
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Jun 11, 2024 |
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Ep. 49: Ritu Hemnani on Verse Novels, TED Talks, and the Partition of India
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Jun 04, 2024 |
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Ep. 48: Dan Gemeinhart on Coyote Sunrise and his Love of Storytelling
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May 28, 2024 |
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Ep. 47: Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt on Chronic Illness, Empathy, and Writing
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May 21, 2024 |
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[LISTEN AGAIN] Ep. 45: Justina Chen (With Twice the Love, Dessie Mai) on Identity, Belonging, and Twinning.
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May 14, 2024 |
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Ep. 44: Alicia D. Williams on Grief, Toxic Masculinity, and the Power of Friendship
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Apr 30, 2024 |
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Ep. 43: Literary Agents 101 with Author Polly Holyoke
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Apr 23, 2024 |
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Ep. 42: Laurie Morrison (Keeping Pace) on Sports, Romance, and High-Achieving Kids in Upper Middle Grade
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Apr 16, 2024 |
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Ep. 41: Colleen Oakes on Being a Second Favorite Daughter and Selling a Middle Grade Book on Proposal
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Apr 09, 2024 |
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Ep. 40: Allie Millington (Olivetti) on Writing from the Perspective of a Typewriter
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Apr 02, 2024 |
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Ep. 39: Ali Terese on Period Equity, Taking Action, and Humor in Writing.
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Mar 26, 2024 |
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Ep. 38: Ridley Pearson on Writing for Disney and Not Being Afraid to Write Wrong
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Mar 19, 2024 |
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Ep. 37: Emily Barth Isler on Music and Neurodiversity in Middle Grade
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Mar 05, 2024 |
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Ep. 35: Ruth Behar on Writing Middle Grade, Being a Cultural Anthropologist, and Salsa Dancing
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Feb 20, 2024 |
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Ep. 33: Hena Khan on Sharing her Pakistani Culture Through Books
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Feb 13, 2024 |
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Ep. 32: MarcyKate Connolly and Kathryn Holmes on Aliens and UFOs
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Feb 06, 2024 |
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Ep. 29: Polly Holyoke on World Building in Fantasy and Inspiring Kids to Write
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Jan 16, 2024 |
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Ep. 28: Mindy Nichols Wendell on Never Giving up on Following a Dream
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Jan 09, 2024 |
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Ep. 27: Nashae Jones (Courtesy of Cupid) on Writing Rom-Coms for Middle Grade
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Jan 03, 2024 |
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Ep. 26: Tui T. Sutherland on Writing her Bestselling Wings of Fire Series.
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Dec 21, 2023 |
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Ep. 25: Taylor Tyng on Turning a Dreamstarter into a Middle Grade Series
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Dec 20, 2023 |
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Ep. 24: Sally Morgridge, Senior Editor at Holiday House, on Submissions and the Editorial Process
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Dec 19, 2023 |
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Ep. 23: Arianne Costner on Injecting Humor into Middle Grade
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Dec 18, 2023 |
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Ep: 22: Andrew Auseon on How Gaming Inspires his Writing
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Dec 13, 2023 |
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Ep. 20: Kaija Langley on Writing a Middle Grade Novel-in-Verse
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Dec 06, 2023 |
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Ep. 19: Shannon Messenger on Her Bestselling Keeper of the Lost Cities Series
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Dec 05, 2023 |
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Ep. 18: Alison Weiss, Acquisitions Editor at Pixel+Ink, on the Process of Publishing a Middle Grade Series
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Nov 30, 2023 |
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Ep. 17: Janae Marks on Baking, Writing, and Zoe Washington's Latest Endeavor
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Nov 27, 2023 |
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Ep. 16: Zoe Tokushige on IP Projects, Diversity in Middle Grade, and Writing What Makes you Interested
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Nov 22, 2023 |
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Ep. 15: Elisa Stone Leahy on the Power of Fiction to Express Truth
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Nov 20, 2023 |
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Ep. 14: Tamika Burgess on Writing and her Black Panamanian Culture
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Nov 16, 2023 |
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Ep. 13: Chad Lucas on Writing for Upper Middle Grade Readers
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Nov 13, 2023 |
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Ep. 12: Karen S. Chow on NaNoWriMo, Pitch Events, and More
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Nov 09, 2023 |
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Ep. 11: Rachel Renée Russell and Nikki Russell on creating the NYT Bestselling Dork Diaries Series
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Nov 07, 2023 |
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Ep. 10: Ally Malinenko on Middle Grade Horror
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Oct 31, 2023 |
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Ep. 9: Lora Senf on Spooky Stories and Trusting Kids
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Oct 24, 2023 |
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Ep. 7: Suzanne Supplee on Writing Middle Grade After YA
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Oct 17, 2023 |
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Ep. 6: Margaret Peterson Haddix on Middle Grade Mysteries and More
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Oct 10, 2023 |
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Ep. 5: Kate Albus on Writing History into Middle Grade
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Oct 02, 2023 |
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Ep. 4: Alysa Wishingrad on Writing for Upper Middle Grade Readers
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Sep 25, 2023 |
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Ep. 3: Laura Segal Stegman on Finding Your Inner Voice
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Sep 25, 2023 |
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Ep. 2: Claire Swinarski on Balancing Realism and Hope in Middle Grade
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Sep 18, 2023 |
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Ep. 1: Doan Phuong Nguyen on Finding Inspiration in her Family's Past
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Sep 18, 2023 |
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Welcome to Middle Grade Matters
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Aug 07, 2023 |