Posts Tagged “writing for children”

Diversity in MG Lit #54: Jan & Feb 2026

By on February 18, 2026   /   Articles   /   Leave a comment
Here are seven titles from January and February, curated by Rosanne Parry, by diverse authors. Watch for in-depth interviews with several of the authors in the months ahead!

Hail Mariam

Hail Mariam by Huda Al-Marashi
Often in a MG book when the character belongs to a faith community the book centers the cultural aspects of that religion–the holidays, the cultural practices, the historical hardships. Here is a rare book which delves into Mariam’s actual experience of faith, her prayer life, consolation, and discernment. And its explores the interfaith experiences of a Muslim girl attending a Catholic school. (A more common experience than you might think. In my parents Catholic schools about a third of the student body was Jewish. My local Catholic high school had a Muslim student body president last year. It’s student body is a third religions other than Catholicism and a third students with no religious affiliation.) It’s refreshing to see religion addressed with such care and authenticity. Mariam’s thoughtfulness and moral courage as she navigates the new school and her sister’s illness makes for an appealing read.

Mythspeaker

Mythspeaker by Christopher Roubique
Roubique is an indigenous person, not enrolled in a tribe, who has written a work of fantasy inspired by the indigenous cultures of North America. This debut novel a sweeping adventure featuring a daring heist, a band of misfits and many magical creatures. I think it would appeal to the fans of Rick Riorden.

Goodbye, French Fry

Goodbye, French Fry by Rin-Rin Yu
Ping-Ping is a Chinese American. Like many two culture kids she feels not American enough for her school friends and not Chinese enough for her parents. But she does find physical, emotional, and social strength in the practice of taekwondo and in her piano lessons.

The Last Resort Books

This is the second in a new series, the first was The Last Resort by Erin Entrada Kelly. They are mystery puzzle stories with an interactive virtual element. Readers use their phone to see the pictures come to life and interact with the ghosts in the book to solve an additional mystery. It’s an exciting concept and I’m eager to see if readers at our bookstore respond.

A Year Without Home

A Year Without Home by V.T. Bidania
Set in Laos at the end of the Vietnam War, Bidania has written an ambitious tale spanning years and hundreds of miles from wartime Laos to the refugee camps of Thailand. The use of verse keeps the story accessible, emotionally vivid, and fast moving.

Hattie Mae Begins Again

Hattie Mae Begins Again by Sharon G. Flake
A novel in verse set in the Great Migration of the 1930s when many African American families moved from the rural south to cities in the north. Hattie Mae’s is new to Philadelphia and finding both new friends and new ambitions.

Nadia Islam, On the Record

Nadia Islam, On the Record, words by Adiba Jaigirdar art by Avani Dwivedi
Nadia is a student journalist, a growing environmental activist, and a celebrating her first Ramadan when she will fast just like the other grown ups. And then her family decides to go to visit relatives in Bangladesh for the whole month of Ramadan. Trepidation becomes opportunity as Nadia finds an opportunity to report on environmental issues abroad.
This is only a small sample of the diverse books published in the last two months. Please add any Rosanne missed in the comments.
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Storytelling Meets Science: Fantastical Middle Grade Novels That Teach Complex Ideas

By on January 29, 2026   /   Book Lists, Fiction  

Why Science Feels Easier When it Lives Inside a Story

Children are natural storytellers. They remember the hero’s journey, the twist at the climax, and the friendships forged along the way. Embedding scientific concepts inside a compelling narrative taps into that innate love of story and offers several learning advantages:

Contextualizes abstract ideas —> Instead of a dry definition of “orbital mechanics,” a protagonist who pilots a spacecraft experiences gravity wells firsthand.

Creates emotional hooks —> When a character’s survival depends on understanding a biological process, readers feel a personal stake in mastering that concept.

Encourages curiosity —> Plot‑driven mysteries (“What’s causing the strange lights?”) motivate kids to ask “why?” and seek answers beyond the page.

Promotes memory retention —> Information linked to vivid scenes, characters, and conflicts is far easier to recall than isolated facts.

Models problem‑solving —> Characters confront challenges, experiment, fail, and iterate—mirroring the scientific method in an accessible way.

Fantasy doesn’t have to be pure escapism. When the magic follows—or at least references—real scientific principles, it can spark curiosity, reinforce classroom learning, and inspire the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The following seven middle grade novels incorporate scientific principles into their fantastical narratives

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann

Physics of Light & Sound — using lenses, prisms, resonance, and wave interference to create protective barriers and weapons

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret–behind the mirage of the “death farm” there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it’s a wondrous transformation.

But it’s a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron’s bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle

General Relativity & Higher‑Dimensional Geometry – concepts of spacetime curvature and extra dimensions

Late one night, three otherworldly creatures appear and sweep Meg Murry, her brother Charles Wallace, and their friend Calvin O’Keefe away on a mission to save Mr. Murray, who has gone missing while doing top-secret work for the government. They travel via tesseract–a wrinkle that transports one across space and time–to the planet Camazotz, where Mr. Murray is being held captive. There they discover a dark force that threatens not only Mr. Murray but the safety of the whole universe.

The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier

Engineering & Physics – building traps, catapults, and improvised weapons using principles of leverage, energy transfer, and material strength

Ever since the monster apocalypse hit town, average thirteen year old Jack Sullivan has been living in his tree house, which he’s armed to the teeth with catapults and a moat, not to mention video games and an endless supply of Oreos and Mountain Dew scavenged from abandoned stores. But Jack alone is no match for the hordes of Zombies and Winged Wretches and Vine Thingies, and especially not for the eerily intelligent monster known only as Blarg. So Jack builds a team: his dorky best friend, Quint; the reformed middle school bully, Dirk; Jack’s loyal pet monster, Rover; and the fiercest girl Jack knows, June. With their help, Jack is going to slay Blarg, achieve the ultimate Feat of Apocalyptic Success, and be average no longer! Can he do it?

Told in a mixture of text and black-and-white illustration, this is the perfect series for any kid who’s ever dreamed of starring in their own comic book or video game.

The Last Firehawk by Katrina Charman

Evolutionary Biology & Genetics – concepts of DNA, selective breeding, and adaptation

A terrible darkness is spreading across Perodia. Thorn, a powerful vulture, is using dark magic (and his dark army of spies!) to destroy the magical land. A young owl named Tag may be the only one who can save it! Tag dreams of one day becoming a brave warrior, but he is small . . . In this first book, Tag and his best friend — a squirrel named Skyla — meet the last firehawk. Together, the three friends learn about a magical stone. Could this stone be powerful enough to defeat Thorn? This action-packed series makes a great introduction to fantasy and quest stories for newly independent readers. Realistic black-and-white artwork appears on every page!

The Secrets of Droon by Tony Abbott Basic

Chemistry & Physics – many “spells” are really chemical reactions or physical effects (light, levitation via magnets)

When Neal and Julie agree to help Eric straighten up his basement, they never imagine that they’re in for more than getting a little dusty. But as the three kids follow a soccer ball into the small room under the basement stairs, the floor suddenly evaporates to reveal a rainbow staircase to another world!

Before they have a chance to look around, they are caught in the midst of a battle. Shiny red men riding giant lizards are shooting arrows straight at them. They are saved by Princess Keeah of Droon who tells them the red men are warriors for the evil Lord Sparr. She promises to help them get home if they will carry a message for her. The message is delivered successfully but the brave Keeah has been captured by Lord Sparr. Equipped with a cape of invisibility, a six legged camel/horse, and a talkative spider-troll named Max, the three children manage to sneak in and rescue Keeah. Astride a magic carpet, Julie, Eric, Neal, and Keeah fly to the stairs that will take the three “Upper World” children back home. The kids are astonished to discover that no time has passed back in their own world.

But even as they marvel at their adventure, they realize that Princess Keeah has left them a secret message: Your dreams will tell you to return!

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Robotics, engineering, and ecology

Can a robot survive in the wilderness?

When robot Roz opens her eyes for the first time, she discovers that she is all alone on a remote, wild island. She has no idea how she got there or what her purpose is–but she knows she needs to survive. After battling a violent storm and escaping a vicious bear attack, she realizes that her only hope for survival is to adapt to her surroundings and learn from the island’s unwelcoming animal inhabitants.

As Roz slowly befriends the animals, the island starts to feel like home–until, one day, the robot’s mysterious past comes back to haunt her.

Dragonback Series by Timothy Zahn

Symbiosis & Mutualism – the rider and Drake exchange nutrients, oxygen, and behavioral cues

Jack Morgan has been framed for theft. He’s hiding on a distant planet with the virtual presence of his deceased Uncle Virge, a con man who has been his only family since Jack’s parents died. Jack knows he must clear his name before the cops catch up with him. A firefight among ships in the skies above leaves a downed ship near Jack’s hiding place, with a single unlikely survivor. It looks like a dragon, and it must join with a human host within six hours or die. The only available host is Jack.

Draycos, Jack’s new “companion,” is a K’da, a dragon-like species that lives symbiotically with the humanoid Shontine. The attackers, determined to exterminate Draycos’s people, will find them if they don’t flee; so the pair works together to escape the planet and begin a search for the truth behind Jack’s frame-up and the identity of the attackers.

With Jack’s future hanging in the balance, as well as the future of billions of Draycos’s people, the pair must track down the people who framed Jack, and prevent the destruction of the remaining K’da and Shontine. They’ll also discover whether their union was mere coincidence, or a friendship written in the stars.

Mutualism and symbiosis–I love this concept. It also features heavily in the relationship between the two main characters in my own book The Whispering Fog!

How to Use Fictional Novels that Include Scientific Concepts in the Classroom or at Home

  • Classroom tie‑ins: Pair a reading assignment with a short experiment or demonstration that mirrors the scientific concept (e.g., build a simple lens to explore optics after The Unwanteds).
  • Reading circles: Have students discuss how the “magic” would work if it followed real physics, encouraging critical thinking.
  • Project ideas: Let kids design their own “scientific fantasy” short story, choosing a real scientific principle to embed in the plot.

By weaving real science into the fabric of imagination, we give young readers a compass that points toward curiosity, discovery, and the next great adventure. Happy Reading!

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Author Spotlight: Megan E. Bryant

By on January 2, 2026   /   Articles, Author Interviews  

Photo credit: Kris Fulk Photography

Today, let’s give a warm Mixed-Up Files welcome to Megan E. Bryant, author of Abby in Between: Face Forward, the second installment in the Abby in Between series. Praised by Kirkus as “a winning sequel that sees the welcome return of a flawed yet big-hearted protagonist,” the novel is available now from Penguin Workshop.

But first…

Abby in Between: Face Forward – A Summary

Big things are heading Abby McAdams’ way: her eleventh birthday, fifth-grade graduation, and the end of elementary school. There’s also the end-of-year overnight camping trip, and she can’t wait to practice her science skills. Oh, and there’s another thing. Abby suspects she’s going to get her period any day now, but after a few false alarms she’s not quite sure. Can Abby navigate new emotions, friendship dynamics, and her changing body, all while figuring out what kind of person she wants to be?

Q&A with Megan E. Bryant

 MR: Welcome to the Mixed-Up Files, Megan. Huge congratulations on the publication of Abby in Between: Face Forward!

 MEB: Thank you so much! I’m so excited to chat with you about Abby and all things middle grade!

MR: What was your inspiration behind Abby McAdams? I know she’s a lot like your daughter, Clara, and a lot like you when you were a preteen. Can you elaborate?

MEB: I always envisioned Abby as an “every girl” character, hoping to write about her early puberty experience in a way that would be relatable and reassuring for girls embarking on their own puberty journeys. One of the things I love most about Abby is how deeply she feels emotions. There’s an intensity to the way Abby experiences the world—from her excitement about big milestones in her life to her compassion for animals, the environment, and people in need—that has endeared her to me.

Abby McAdams vs. Margaret Simon

MR: Abby has a very distinctive voice, reminiscent of another preteen protagonist, Margaret Simon, in Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1974 novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. How are the two girls similar? In which ways are they different?

MEB: I think both Abby and Margaret are curious about puberty and how their bodies are changing, and they express this curiosity in very natural and normal ways. Margaret is older than Abby—part of the inspiration for writing the Abby books is that puberty tends to start earlier now—and as a result, I think that Margaret grapples with more mature topics. I also think both characters’ puberty experiences are affected by the times in which they live and cultural norms.

 

That’s SOOOO (NOT) Awkward

MR: Speaking Judy Blume, you write about puberty in a similar, straightforward way, without shame or embarrassment (yay!). What’s the secret to handling potentially awkward topics, from pubic hair and body odor to vaginal discharge and periods, in such a no-nonsense way? I’m sure your readers are beyond grateful! (I know I would have been as a tween. 🙂)

MEB: From the start, I knew I needed to write these books with unflinching honesty—or I shouldn’t bother writing them at all. So anything that made me feel squeamish or cringey was something I needed to work through on my own. It became an opportunity to examine any negative messages I’d absorbed about girls’ and women’s bodies and overcome them, while remembering that the whole range of emotions and reactions to puberty are completely normal. I figured that if a topic were embarrassing for me, an adult woman, to write about, then there would probably be readers who were embarrassed to be experiencing it, and I owed it to them to face it with honesty and compassion.

Dear 11-year-old Megan…

MR: As a follow-up, what advice would you give to 11-year-old Megan?

MEB: While I was deep in the process of writing Face Forward, something remarkable happened: my husband developed an old roll of film from my childhood, and there was a picture of me at my 11th birthday on it—the same age as Abby. I looked at the image of my younger self with so much tenderness. Incredibly, I wasn’t nearly as ugly, awkward, or messy as I’d felt at the time. So I think I’d tell 11-year-old Megan, “Go easy on yourself. You’re doing just fine.”

Writing about Climate Change

MR: In addition to stressing over the onset of her period, Abby is concerned about the state of the environment, including climate change and global

warming. This is a topic on many middle graders’ minds. What’s your approach to making such a weighty, often confusing subject palatable for young readers?

MEB: Many years ago, I attended a talk by Joyce Carol Oates, who was asked about writing for young people. She said, “You’ve got to give them hope,” which resonated deeply with me. It’s a message that imbues all of my writing. I found the global warming sections of this book to be perhaps even more challenging to write than the puberty ones, because the problem is grave, and young people will inherit a crisis worsened by the inactivity of prior generations. But there is hope, which can inspire us to work toward a solution.

MR: One more Abby question: Abby is desperate for a kitten, and she comes up with a detailed plan to get one. This is relatable to many preteens who ask for pets. Did you have a pet as a child? Do you allow your kids to have one (or maybe more than one 🙂)?

MEB: Goodness, yes! Growing up, I had pet rabbits and cats. We currently have four cats and two dogs. I always say our house is full, but my kids know that if they find an animal that needs a home, I’ll try to make it work—which is how we ended up with six pets, ha!

Advice for Writers

MR: Let’s move on to your writing career. It says in your bio that you’ve written 250 books for children. What is the secret to being so prolific? Also, what advice would you give to new writers? What about to more established ones?

MEB: I’m profoundly grateful for every writing opportunity I’ve had; for every idea that evolved from nebulous thought to printed book; and for every reader who has read my words. I’m not sure if there is a secret to being prolific besides making it a priority to write whenever you can. I often tell my writing students that they are the only ones who can prioritize their writing in a world that makes so many other demands on their time.

I’d tell new writers to persevere above all else—keep dreaming, keep plotting, keep reading, keep learning, keep writing, keep revising, and keep trying! For established writers, I’d encourage them to try mixing up their writing routine. Almost all of my books have been written linearly, but for a variety of reasons, I wrote Face Forward completely out of order, in much shorter writing sessions than I was used to. When it was time to read the manuscript from start to finish, I was really worried that it would be a jumbled mess of disconnected scenes. To my surprise, though, it flowed well, and I learned a good lesson about adapting my established writing process.

The Plot Thickens

MR: What is your writing process like, Megan? Do you have a specific routine or word-count goals? Any writing rituals? Also, are you a plotter or a pantser?

MEB: I am 100% a plotter! I’ll often spend months thinking about a new project before writing a single word. My outlines are usually 10-15 pages or more, and I use them like a roadmap to guide each writing session. As much as I love a detailed outline, though, I also have a notebook close at hand where I write all the new ideas and storylines that pop into my mind as I’m writing.

As for writing rituals, I keep a bottle of nail polish on my desk and when I get stuck on a sentence or paragraph, I’ll paint my nails. So if you see me wearing nail polish—especially if just a few of my nails are polished—chances are I’m working on a manuscript!

MR: What’s next on your writing agenda? More Abby books, I hope…

MEB: I’m always ready to revisit Abby and the McAdams family! Right now, I’m working on two projects—a family comedy focused on the misadventure of two brothers, and a futuristic trilogy. They couldn’t be more different, so no matter what mood I’m in, I have a project that suits it!

Lightning Round!

MR: Last thing: No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so…

Preferred writing snack? Chocolate

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon

MG authors that inspire you? Madeleine L’Engle, Dana Levy, C.S. Lewis, Raina Telgemeier, Lois Lowry, Katherine Applegate, Jason Reynolds—I could go on and on!

Most cringe-worthy tween moment? Running into my eighth-grade science teacher while I was buying pads—horrors!

Zombie apocalypse: Yea or nay? Hard pass—you’ll find me hiding under the bed with my pets when it happens.

Superpower? Listmaking!

Favorite place on earth? Home is where my heart is.

You’re stranded on a desert island, with only three items in your possession. What are they? Practically: a solar-powered communication device, a water purification system, and sunblock. Whimsically: my knitting, a solar-powered fridge full of chocolate and coffee, and . . . sunblock!

MR: Thank you for chatting with me, Megan—and congratulations on the publication of Abby in Between: Face Forward. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know MUF readers will too.

MEB: Thank you so much for your kind words! I really enjoyed answering these thought-provoking questions.

All About Megan

Megan E. Bryant has written more than 250 children’s books for ages ranging from babies to teens. Her most recent books include the middle grade novel series, ABBY IN BETWEEN; the CITIZEN BABY board book series, co-authored with her husband, historian Daniel O. Prosterman; the four-book chapter book series THE TINY GENIUSES; and the Kirkus starred and Best Young Adult Book of the Year GLOW. She lives in Winston-Salem, NC with her family.

Melissa Roske is a writer of middle-grade fiction. Before spending her days with imaginary people, she interviewed real ones as a journalist in Europe. In London she landed a job as an advice columnist for Just Seventeen magazine. Upon returning to her native New York, Melissa contributed to several books and magazines and selected jokes for Reader’s Digest. In addition to her debut novel Kat Greene Comes Clean (Charlesbridge), Melissa’s short story “Grandma Merle’s Last Wish” appears in the Jewish middle-grade anthology, Coming of Age: 13 B’Nai Mitzvah Stories (Albert Whitman). Learn more about Melissa on her Website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

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