Kids love finding out about their favorite authors. Here are some popular middle grade writer and series websites for them, their families and their teachers to check out!
This is an update to the list, and we plan to update it again in the near future, so if you’d like to find out more about an author not here, let us know in the comments section.
At BEA this year, all the buzz was about GEORGE, a middle-grade novel by Alex Gino with a transgendered protagonist. But GEORGE isn’t the only recent middle-grade fiction with a transgender theme. There’s also GRACEFULLY GRAYSON by Ami Polonsky, a sweet and poignant story about a boy who knows he’s a girl. And next spring, Donna Gephart, well-known author of popular middle-grade titles (DEATH BY TOILET PAPER; OLIVIA BEAN, TRIVIA QUEEN) is coming out with LILY AND DUNKIN (Delacorte, May 2016).
Even five years ago, such books would never have been published by traditional publishing houses. But it seems that as our culture rapidly becomes more accepting of LGBT people and issues, there’s been an implicit acknowledgement that kidlit fiction–and not just books shelved in the YA section–should reflect this reality. When a book like Tim Federle’s BETTER NATE THAN EVER can become a mega-bestseller, I think it suggests that we’ve underestimated kids’ interest in, and need for, middle-grade books dealing with questions of sexual orientation and gender identity.
I’m currently writing STAR-CROSSED (S&S/Aladdin, Fall 2017), a middle-grade novel about a girl who develops a crush on another girl as they rehearse a middle school production of Romeo and Juliet. It’s a departure for me; in my books I’ve always been careful not to push any boundaries. But I think that what GEORGE and NATE and GRAYSON have showed us is that middle-grade (or “tween”) fiction can explore themes of gender and sexuality in a way that feels authentic–and yet still remains age-appropriate.
So it’s been a great treat for me to chat with Donna Gephart, as she looks forward to next spring’s publication of LILY AND DUNKIN.
Why did you write this book now?
LILY AND DUNKIN is a dual narrative of a big-hearted, nature-loving, word nerd transgender 13-year-old, Lily, and Dunkin, also 13, who has just moved to Lily’s neighborhood. Dunkin is dealing with the move, an impossible secret and managing his bipolar disorder. Somehow, this duo finds a way to help each other be their best, most authentic selves despite the obstacles they face.
When I began this book several years ago, it was a very different atmosphere when it came to talking about transgender issues as well as mental health issues. Both were more taboo than they are today. I decided to write the book despite that fact. And because it takes a long time for a traditionally published book to come out, the tides have turned dramatically and thankfully, we’re having a more open national conversation about issues that must be addressed sensitively and compassionately.
Do you think standards for what’s “safe” in MG fiction are changing?
I think the national conversation is changing. When I wrote LILY AND DUNKIN, I needed to explain how Dunkin would have heard of the term “transgender.” By the time I was revising it, I deleted that part. Kids now have heard of the term “transgender.” It’s my hope that with movies, TV shows and books featuring fully-realized transgender characters, everyone will understand more and fear less. This tide of more exposure and more information can lead to much greater understanding and compassion. And what safer way to share these characters than in the pages of a book? It can be the starting point of meaningful discussions. If a child has bonded with a transgender character or a character dealing with a mental illness in a novel, then when s/he meets a person like this in real life, s/he experiences recognition and a deeper understanding, instead of fear born from ignorance.
Do you expect resistance from adults who think of you as a “safe” MG author?
I write with great respect for my young readers and I always tackle difficult subjects in my books — divorce, death of a parent, loneliness, bullying, etc. Each of my novels has both the difficult and lighthearted, just like in life. The topics in my upcoming novel are handled sensitively, accurately and with great love. I’d be delighted to see it in the hands of many, many young readers because I think this book will make a difference in creating a climate of kindness.
How do we assure the gatekeepers that just because an MG book addresses certain topics, it’s still “wholesome”–and appropriate for all MG kids, even those who aren’t dealing with those particular issues?
Librarians and teachers are incredibly smart. They want books in the hands of their students that will expand their minds and hearts and promote love and acceptance. These are important kinds of books for all kids to read because we are all different in some way; it’s great to also notice the ways in which we’re similar: We all need a feeling of belonging, of mattering and of being valued and loved. That’s what my book is about. And I can’t wait for it to make its way into the hands and minds and hearts of young readers.
Barbara Dee’s sixth middle-grade novel, TRUTH OR DARE, will be published by S&S/Aladdin in Fall, 2016. fall. STAR-CROSSED will be published by S&S/Aladdin in Fall, 2017.
We’re excited to feature an interview with Jonathan Bernstein, author of Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training. In Bridget Wilder, middle school meets Mission Impossible in this hilarious spy series for fans of Chris Rylander, Stuart Gibbs, and Ally Carter about a girl whose life is turned upside down when she discovers her father is a superspy.
Mixed-Up Files: How did you come up with the idea for Bridget Wilder: Spy-in-Training?
Jonathan Bernstein: The teen/ tween spy genre is fairly crowded, but the story most commonly told is about the kid with incredible skills who lacks direction in life, and the mysterious spy academy that recruits him/ her and trains him/ her to become an international super spy. I wanted to go in a slightly different direction. Bridget Wilder has no particular skills, and she’s practically invisible both at home and at school, but she’s recruited by a covert department of the CIA because it turns out her biological father is a legendary spy who wants to get to know her better. What happens when someone no one notices becomes a spy and also—no spoilers!— are all these unexpected things that are suddenly happening to Bridget REALLY happening to her? Or is something else going on?
MUF: Are you a fan of spy novels and films? Which ones?
JB: No surprises here: I’m a loyal patron of the Bond and Bourne movies. Mission Impossible is one of the few franchises that actually improves with each passing film. The first two seasons of Alias were a big influence on Bridget Wilder. I heard there were vague plans to reboot that show, which I’d be all in favor of. Also, someone should look into finding a way to bring Chuck back in some capacity. There was an incredibly dark British spy show called Callan which should also be revived. You know what else I like, the post-Bond semi-parody movies from the mid-sixties: the Matt Helm films with Dean Martin and the Derek Flint series with James Coburn. Both very big with middle-grade audiences.
MUF: Are there books for middle schoolers that inspired you when you were writing this?
JB: I’d read a couple of Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls books— do they qualify as middle grade?— but, for me, it’s best to stay away from anything that could be construed as comparable subject matter because i find I’m very easily influenced, even if it’s in a subliminal way.
MUF: What were you hoping readers would take away from the experience of reading this book?
JB: That they found Bridget Wilder relatable and human, even though she was involved in heightened, fantastical situations. That they might want to spend more time in her world.
MUF: Is this your first MG novel? Was it hard after so many years of doing non-fiction reporting to jump into the mind of a 13 year old girl?
JB: I’ve written two YA superhero novels, Hottie, and it’s sequel Burning Ambition—never heard of them? You’re not alone— plus another couple of books that may/may not see the light of day at some point. I don’t know what it says about me, but no, it didn’t seem to be that difficult to assume the identity of a 13 year-old girl. But real middle-graders will be the ultimate judge of whether I actually succeeded or not.
MUF: You’re not a spy, are you? What do you do with your time when you’re not writing MG fiction?
JB: Apart from spying, you mean? Which I don’t do, obviously, because I’m not a spy. But then, that’s the sort of thing a spy would say. In non-spying mode, I write reviews and interviews for two British newspapers, the Telegraph and the Guardian. I once had a screenwriting career of no great distinction, and am currently making attempts to revive it. I am a prodigious podcast listener, and pop culture consumer. And, um, I like to take long walks on the beach?
MUF: What’s next for Bridget? Can you tell us anything without ruining the ending of book one? How many more books are currently planned?
JB: There will definitely be two more. Bridget Wilder: Spy To The Rescue—I wanted to call it Spy 2 The Rescue, because more sequally— comes out next spring and, if you liked the first one, you will REALLY like this one. The trilogy concludes in 2017 with Bridget Wilder: Live Free, Spy Hard which, if you liked the first two, you will REALLY REALLY like (and which features a boy band from my home town of Glasgow). What’s next is bigger action, higher stakes, different locations, scarier viliains, more shocking twists, and at least one love triangle.
Photo credit: Jonathan Bernstein
MUF: If there’s anything you would like to add here, feel free to do so!
JB: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to talk to your audience. Check out my website www.jonathanbernsteinwrites.com. Follow me on Twitter @jbpeevish, and Instagram at Peevishjb
Andrea Pyros is the author of My Year of Epic Rock, a middle grade novel about friends, crushes, food allergies, and a rock band named The EpiPens
