Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade Authors

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today we’re interviewing Laura Mucha, author of Kaleidoscope: Step into a world of color. Kaleidoscope paints a vivid and often creepy picture of humankind’s quest to create coloful art materials. The history and science of color is on full display in vivid spreads that highlight specfic colors from indigo to dragon’s blood to vital green.

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” This famous quote by Stephen King encapsulates an important truth for writers: We should always be reading, and the parenthetical in that quote tells us why. Reading gives us tools, and the only way we gain those tools is not just passively taking in stories but looking at them analytically and critically, like book detectives.

I recently gave a speech on the importance of science education in schools. Unfortunately, studies are showing that in many elementary schools, students are getting 20 minutes of science instruction per day. For some, it might be closer to 20-30 minutes per week. To me, that seems sad. It’s important that we take the time now to understand why this is happening and figure out how we can fix this disturbing trend. In my TEDx talk, Science is for Everyone.

By Faran Fagen I recently showed a MasterClass to my students from Michael Lewis, the author of Moneyball and The Blind Side (both made into popular movies). As the video rolled, I was reminded of how profound his writing advice is and realized a lot of his advice could apply to middle grade novels.

The recent rise of books being taken out of libraries has made an impact on young readers. Now, more than ever, young people have less access to titles representing diversity.

Summary Colors can affect our emotions. We invent fun names for colors and create color wheels to sort them into patterns. Here are two simple activities you can use to teach kids about color. Warm, cool, bright, energetic, somber, dull, faded, vivid, pastel, glowing. We use a lot of words to talk about colors! Research finds that colors can change our moods, and we use color to communicate our thoughts and emotions. I’m an illustrator (as well as a children’s author), so I use color a lot.

As a young child picking strawberries alongside his family, Pedro Martin learned that hard work is survival. Even then, he loved to draw cartoons when he wasn’t in the fields and especially loved Saturdays when he could watch cartoons and draw. While in the fields, he imagined the characters of his creations, including a Mariachi band and Elvis Presley, making music nearby.

Summary Landra Jennings chats with Guy Bass about his new illustrated chapter book, SCRAP, out September 1, 2026 from Penguin Random House. In today’s author spotlight, Landra Jennings chats with Guy Bass about his newest chapter book, Scrap, illustrated by Alessia Trunfio, and published by Pengiun Random House on 9/1/26, just in time for back to school. Available now! The first in an original and entertaining sci-fi series for middle school readers from the award-winning author Guy Bass.

Summary WNDMG Author Interview with Elizabeth Agyemang on her newest graphic novel "A Beginner's Guide to Leveling Up" I’m so excited to be able to introduce you to author Elizabeth Agyemang today. Elizabeth is the author of multiple books for MG and YA readers, and today we will be discussing her newest graphic novel for middle grade readers: “A Beginner’s Guide for Leveling Up: A Graphic Novel” which comes out from Putnam/Penguin Kids on September 8, 2026.

School’s back in session! WNDMG chats with Althea Martinez, the children’s librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library, Baldwin Hills branch. She shares her thoughts about what middle graders are reading and exciting books for the fall. Tell me about your background as a librarian. How long have you been a children’s librarian? Did you always want to be a librarian, if so, why? If not, how did you get into it?