Posts about middle grade

A conversation overheard in a cafe. A strange scene down the street. An intriguing object in a friend’s home. Inspiration to stir the imagination is everywhere. We just have to open our eyes, tune our ears, and feel the ... Read More  

I can’t count the number of times a writing instructor has said in a workshop to ‘find the universal in the particular’, but somehow I always need to hear it. It’s such a good reminder that often we think ... Read More  

What if we could solve the world’s housing shortage and climate crisis with teamwork and technology? Read More  

The keeners among you might already be thinking about the year’s best holiday, Iceland’s Jólabókaflóðið, or Book Flood. If you’ve got young readers on your giving list, I got you. I started my MFA in Writing for Children and ... Read More  

Like many tweens, one of my biggest fears growing up was embarrassing myself. I was so scared of looking silly in front of my classmates that I often didn’t let myself try new things—from learning a new dance or ... Read More  

Like most authors, I use the world around me - especially my own world of experience – to create stories for young readers. So it’s not hard to identify the spark that ignited my latest Middle Grade novel, After ... Read More  

Food allergies seem like a big bother when you can’t bring your favourite sandwich or have a special treat day at school. But how much bigger is the bother for the person who has the allergies. Imagine trusting people ... Read More  

One of the most common questions I get from young readers is, “Where do you get your ideas?” If you’re an author reading this, I’m sure you’re nodding along—it’s very common. I take this question to mean that the person ... Read More  

I’ve loved playing with words and making up stories ever since I was a child. Back then, I drank imaginary tea and served it to my imaginary guests. I pretended a goblin lived in my closet and a witch ... Read More  

How does an author known for books about history, social justice and sports write a book about science and superheroes?  By calling up her past. I never studied science, and I’m certainly not a superhero (I don’t think), but as ... Read More  

Despite changing climate and savage conditions, animals in the polar regions can still thrive. Author L. E. Carmichael’s 23rd children’s science book takes a fascinating look at how they manage it—and how young environmentalists can help. Read More  

All artists need to warm up. Painters, actors, dancers, musicians, and writers must all do something to tune up the physical and mental muscles required for the work. As choreographer Twyla Tharp says, when you warm up, won’t hurt ... Read More  

Did you know litter on the ground often ends up in water? It can travel from creeks to rivers, and onward to the sea. When I first dreamed of becoming an author, I didn’t exactly picture myself writing a ... Read More  

Tomorrow is I Read Canadian Day, the day we support Canada's fabulous children's bookmakers by reading a Canadian book for 15 minutes. Don't be surprised if you find yourself wanting to read for more than 15 minutes - in fact, ... Read More  

I began writing the first draft of this novel so long ago, its working title was Frozen. Well, we all know what happened to that title, thank you very much Disney! I’d go through several more titles before settling ... Read More  

All stories are connected, new ones woven from the threads of the old. —ROBIN WALL KIMMERER, Braiding Sweetgrass I used the epigraph above in Making Seaker, my latest book—a contemporary Middle Grade STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) novel. Making Seaker was ... Read More  

When I wrote SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS, a middle grade novel set in a funeral home, I actually didn’t think much about the science around death. My book is about grief and friendships and what happens to us when ... Read More  

I never meant to write about a story about death; not in the traditional “I’ve lost everybody I love” or the “I’m about to lose someone I really love” sense. After writing several dark and relatively painful manuscripts, I ... Read More