Latest from the Blog

  • Two Black girls stand confidently on a beach with a purple-blue sky and knit-textured backdrop. One wears overalls and sneakers, the other wears a skirt and boots with sunglasses. The title is in bold white handwritten letters.
    Finding Home Again: 5 MG Books About Moving and Identity
    July 18, 2025 by
    Unlike most kids I knew, my family moved almost every year. New town. New school. New hallways to navigate. And nearly every time, I was the only kid of color in the room. This not only left me feeling unsure about who I’d sit with at lunch, but unsure about who I would have to become in order to fit in. Why it Matters: During the summer months, many kids are bracing for that intense kind of transition. Some are moving across town. Some across states. Some across oceans. They won’t just be starting over....
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Middle Grade Authors

Oh MG! News

  • Show Up For Our Libraries
    Summer Book Project: Show Up #ForOurLibraries
    All of us — authors, educators, parents/caregivers, engaged, curious citizens, and of course, readers — have benefitted from America’s libraries. Libraries are the beating heart of our communities, doing everything from hosting events, offering free resources, helping us research, creating special spaces for kids, and being a safe place we can all gather together. Libraries are also all-too vulnerable to budget cuts, and they desperately need the support of each and every one of us. This summer, do you have five minutes to take on one or more suggested activities to Show Up #ForOurLibraries? Here are ways to help, from...
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MUF middle grade authors

Booklists

STEM Tuesday
  • STEM Tuesday-- Plants--  Writing Tips & Resources
    STEM Tuesday– Plants– Writing Tips & Resources
    Writing Exercise: Making Facts Sticky! For this non-fiction exercise, pick a plant to gather information about. Write down at least five things you already know about the plant, especially the most basic, common things. Got it? Great! Now it’s time to make those facts memorable......
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All About Middle Grade Books

  • Author Spotlight: Barbara Carroll Roberts + a GIVEAWAY
    Author Spotlight: Barbara Carroll Roberts + a GIVEAWAY
    July 17, 2025 by
    In today’s Author Spotlight, Landra Jennings chats with author Barbara Carroll Roberts about her new middle-grade novel, The Metamorphosis of Bunny Baxter (Holiday House, July 22). She’ll share her inspiration behind writing it, the passion for gardening and wildlife that informed it, and the lovely inspiration for the dog character. Plus, there’s a chance to...
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For Teachers / Homeschoolers

  • Notes of Hope when the world is too much
    Notes of Hope when the world is too much
    June 28, 2025 by
    When it seems like the world is just too much for our kids, when we witness hurt, fear, loneliness, a middle schooler’s loss of family or friends, it’s time to spread some hope. This is exactly how Libby, who comes from a long line of bullies, fights her reputation after...
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New Releases

  • New Releases July 2025
    New Releases for July 2025
    July 2, 2025 by
    So many BOOKS, so little time. That’s an appropriate mantra for New Releases this month. Below you’ll find a large and varied collection of novels to look for this July. Blood in the Water  by Tiffany D. Jackson. July 1. 272 pp. Brooklyn girl Kaylani McKinnon feels like a fish...
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For Writers