Posts about middle grade


Blue to the Sky by Sylvia McNicoll

Sylvia McNicoll: About Blue to the Sky

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  

Cover of Bird Brain by Joanne Levy

Joanne Levy – How Bird Poop Inspired a Book

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  

Monster vs. Boy by Karen Krossing

Karen Krossing: Addressing the Monster in the Closet

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  

Becoming Bionic, by Heather Camlot, illustrated by Victor Wong

Heather Camlot: Truth, Justice, and the Nonfiction Way

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  

Book Cover - Polar Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth by L.E. Carmichael

Award-winning Author Pens New Science Book for Kids on Polar Wildlife

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  

These Are Not the Words, by Amanda West Lewis

Amanda West Lewis – Warming Up

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  

Too Much Trash by Joan Marie Galat

Joan Marie Galat – Too Much Trash: How Litter Is Hurting Animals

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  

This I Read Canadian Day, Blast Off with Mortimer: Rat Race to Space

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  

Shadow Grave by Marina Cohen

Marina Cohen – The Seeds That Became Shadow Grave

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  

Making Seaker by Karen Autio

Karen Autio: A New Story Woven from the Threads of a Classic

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  

Sorry For Your Loss: Funeral Customs and Joanne Levy’s Newest Novel

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  

The Wolf's Curse by Jessica Vitalis

Jessica Vitalis: Death and Hope in The Wolf’s Curse

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  

Cover of Weathernose by Maram Taibah

Cantastic Authorpalooza: Maram Taibah

This world appeared to me as I stood looking out across an inlet of the Red Sea. It was night and the dark spread out in front of me like a void.  There was a far-off shore, contoured with ... Read More  

cover of The Boreal Forest by L. E. Carmichael

New Children’s Book Brings The Boreal Forest to Home-Bound Readers

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, one author’s book is giving young readers and their families a chance to see the world through fresh eyes.  L.E. Carmichael’s newest book, The Boreal Forest: A Year in the World’s Largest ... Read More  

The Copycat by Wendy McLeod MacKnight

Wendy McLeod MacKnight: When a Character in Your Book Isn’t a Person

I remember the first time I heard about the use of pathetic fallacy in literature. You know: ascribing human emotions to nature in order to give the reader a sense of mood or a hint of what is to ... Read More  

Teach Write: Age Groups and Audience in Children’s Literature

This will be our final column on audience (at least for now). So buckle up for a crash course on age levels in children's literature! First, a caveat: the categories I'm presenting here are not absolute. Different people use different ... Read More