Middle Grade Ninja

David Ezra Sein and I discuss his career in picture books and now graphic novels, such as his newest, BEAKY BARNES: EGG ON THE LOOSE. We talk about adapting his INTERUPTING CHICKEN series as an Apple TV series, why I own three copies of POUCH, his childhood influences, why he walked away from a contract with Harper Collins while still in college, a UFO sighting, walking with an idea and getting to know it, puppetry, and so much more. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:) Purchase BEAKY BARNES: EGG ON THE LOOSE: https://amzn.to/3JJXqKy Purchase ROB WORM'S BIRD ADVENTURE: https://amzn.to/3Jesu4U Purchase GOODBYE TO GRANDMA: https://amzn.to/3Jk8v4A Purchase BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2 David Ezra Stein is the Caldecott-Honor illustrator and author of INTERRUPTING CHICKEN, DINOSAUR KISSES, I'M MY OWN DOG, and many other award-winning picture books, including LEAVES, winner of an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. He lives in Kew Gardens, New York. http://www.middlegradeninja.com/ https://www.davidezrastein.com/

Author Rob Kent reads seven chapters from his new middle grade novel, ROB WORM'S BIRD ADVENTURE. Purchase your copy here: https://amzn.to/3Jesu4U About the book: With nonstop action, adventure, and humor, this thrilling tale will have 7- to 11-year-old readers wriggling on the edge of their tails! After an early spring rain, Rob Worm’s bunch burrows to the surface to enjoy the mud. At 9-and-a-half months old (10 years in human time), Rob has been deep underground over half his life. He yearns for adventure and can’t wait to see the surface! Unfortunately, a robin can’t wait to see him. When Rob pushes his best friend to safety, the robin scoops him up instead and carries him off to feed to her hatchling. Rob wriggles free but is dropped on the roof of a human house. To get home to his bunch, Rob Worm is going to have to first get down, and then contend with a nest of nasty yellowjackets, fierce colonies of warring ants, a crafty spider, sizzling hot cement, and a pond filled with hungry koi, all while being pursued by a revenge-seeking robin.www.MiddleGradenNnja.com

Cindy Callaghan and I discuss her series, JUST ADD MAGIC, the ups and downs of publishing it, adapting it for an Amazon series, and its impact on readers around the world. We also talk about how being talented in multiple areas improves her fiction, why she plans her day the night before, what makes a good tween voice, six secrets to writing success, and so much more. As promised, here’s a link to the Muppet Show/Dirty Dancing mashup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9v6esjlZhA PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:) Purchase JUST ADD MAGIC: https://amzn.to/3ZWHbkd Purchase ROB WORM'S BIRD ADVENTURE: https://amzn.to/3Jesu4U Purchase GOODBYE TO GRANDMA: https://amzn.to/3Jk8v4A Purchase BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2 Cindy Callaghan is the author of the middle grade novels Lost in London, Lost in Paris, Lost in Rome, Lost in Ireland (formerly titled Lucky Me), Lost in Hollywood, the award-winning Sydney Mackenzie Knocks ’Em Dead, Just Add Magic (which is now a breakout streaming original series), and its sequel Potion Problems. She lives in Wilmington, Delaware. http://www.middlegradeninja.com/ https://cindycallaghan.com/

Melanie Figueroa and I discuss in depth how she built her career as an agent at ROOT LITERARY. We talk about what makes her agency different, how she uses query manager to review submissions, how she evaluates manuscripts, how she manages her time and avoids industry burnout, and how she reframes negative narrative. And she divulges information from the secret section of the Root Literary website, among other very interesting topics you won’t want to miss.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Get your copy of BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Melanie Figueroa is a literary agent at Root Literary. She represents middle grade, YA, and adult fiction along with select nonfiction and picture book titles. What she loves most about the job is the balance of creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. After graduating with a masters in writing and book publishing from Portland State University, she worked as an in-house editorial project manager and then as a freelance editor for several years before joining the agency in 2018. Melanie was born and raised in Southern California in a multicultural, blended family, so she has a soft spot for books that shine a spotlight on the nuances of relationships and identity. She currently lives in Southern California and can be found on Twitter and Instagram at @wellmelsbells.  http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.melaniefigueroa.com/   https://www.rootliterary.com/  

R. U. Ginns and I discuss his career in publishing writing for Sesame Street Magazine, 3-2-1 Contact, and The Electric Company, and his many pennames as well as his newest book, 1-2-3 SCREAM. We talk about why a giant eyeball is his preferred marketing prop, advice for a successful school visit, how, the hardest part of being a writer is staying in the chair, how Stephen King’s FIRESTARTER saved his life, the importance of interacting with readers and other authors, and so much more.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy 1-2-3 SCREAM by R. U. Ginns: https://amzn.to/3ZntCK9  Buy BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Russell Ginns is a game designer, writer, and composer, primarily known for children's fiction, puzzles, and educational games. He is the author of more than 100 books, including Super Atomic Wombat Girl, Puzzlooies, 1-2-3 Scream! and the Samantha Spinner series. He has created or contributed to several notable software titles, including Castle Infinity, Hooked on Phonics, Reader Rabbit and Half-Life.   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.123scream.com/   https://bigyellowtaxi.com/

Lindsay Currie and I discuss all sorts of creepy, spooky, but middle-grade friendly things, such as her novels THE GIRL IN WHITE, SCRITCH SCRATCH, and IT FOUND US. We chat about her travels through various graveyards, the Alley of Death, and other horrific locations she loves to visit, as well as how to research the paranormal while setting safe personal boundaries. She relates how her religious upbringing primed her to be horror author (me too), how pantsing is a virtue in horror fiction, her struggle to write non-horror stories without being scary, her thoughts on the afterlife, and so much more.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy IT FOUND US by Lindsay Currie: https://amzn.to/3YLVl6M  Buy BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Lindsay Currie is the author of spooky middle grade novels. While she's never experienced anything truly paranormal, Lindsay enjoys researching her city's forgotten history and learning about the events that shaped the many ghost legends in Chicago. When she's not reading or writing a mystery novel of her own, Lindsay can generally be found taking long walks with her family, chilling with one of her three dogs, or searching the graveyard for her next antagonist. Lindsay has three middle-grade novels out currently - THE PECULIAR INCIDENT ON SHADY STREET, SCRITCH SCRATCH, WHAT LIVES IN THE WOODS, and THE GIRL IN WHITE. Coming soon, IT FOUND US!   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.lindsaycurrie.com/ 

Heather McGhee and I discuss adapting her monumental novel THE SUM OF US: HOW RACISM HURTS EVERYONE for younger readers (available February 21st). We talk about how everything we believe comes from a story we’re told, how she’s been able to find open-minded readers in a world of book banners, how she hopes young people will join with other people in their community who are different from them and take action to bring about meaningful change, how she once felt a ghost, and so much more.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy THE SUM OF US (ADAPTED FOR YOUNG READERS): HOW RACISM HURTS EVERYONE  by Heather McGhee: https://amzn.to/40FbAUU  Download BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES for free: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Heather McGhee designs and advances policy solutions to inequality. The former president of the think tank Demos, McGhee drafted legislation, testified before Congress, and became a regular contributor on news shows including NBC’s Meet the Press. Now the chair of Color of Change, the nation's largest online racial justice organization, McGhee holds a BA in American Studies from Yale University and a JD from the University of California at Berkeley School of Law. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, her twenty year-old cat and their chatty toddler.   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://heathermcghee.com/  

Stephen Fraser and I discuss his lifelong love for middle grade fiction and why he rereads THE SECRET GARDEN every year. We talk about the current state of publishing, how he keeps abreast of the market, why he so frequently visits bookstores, why he moved from being an editor to being an agent, the importance of being authentic, how he can evaluate a writing sample in as little as one sentence, and so much more. This conversation was originally recorded May 5, 2022.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Get your copy of BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Stephen Fraser joined The Jennifer De Chiara Literary Agency as an Agent in January 2005. He worked most recently at HarperCollins Children’s Books, where he edited such creative talents as Mary Engelbreit, Gregory Maguire, Michael Hague, Ann Rinaldi, Kathryn Lasky, Brent Hartinger, Stephen Mitchell, and Dan Gutman. He began his career at Highlights for Children and later worked at Scholastic and Simon and Schuster. A graduate of Middlebury College in Vermont, he has a Master’s degree in Children’s Literature from Simmons College in Boston. He represents both children’s and adult books in a wide range of genres.  http://www.middlegradeninja.com/  https://www.jdlit.com/ 

James Ponti and I discuss how he travels and researches to create his CITY SPIES adventures, and the newest edition, CITY OF THE DEAD. He shares his journey from reluctant reader to an author, which involves a play about Santa being attacked by terrorists and the desire to impress a future spouse. He also shares the very personal story about how he transitioned from television production to writing novels to take care of his son and why he continues to write to honor his memory. We talk about why it’s essential to choose optimism,  the importance of focusing on verbs, not nouns, and so much more.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy CITY SPIES: CITY OF THE DEAD by James Ponti: https://amzn.to/3X0P45L  Buy BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   James Ponti is the New York Times Bestselling author of three Middle Grade book series: the all-new CITY SPIES, about an unlikely squad of five kids from around the world who form an elite MI6 Spy Team; The Edgar Award-winning FRAMED! series, about a pair of Sherlockian tweens who solve mysteries in Washington, D.C.; and the DEAD CITY trilogy, about a secret society that polices the undead living beneath Manhattan.  He is also an Emmy-nominated television writer and producer who has worked for many networks including Nickelodeon, Disney Channel, PBS, History Channel, Spike TV, and the Golf Channel. He lives with his family in Orlando, Florida.   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.jamesponti.com/  

Nikki Terpilowski and I discuss how she founded Holloway Literary when she couldn’t find another agency to intern for and how she was able to make it profitable in two years because failure was not an option. We talk about her drive for success, the sorts of projects she’s looking for, why she represents what she loves rather than just what will sell, the importance of following submission directions and an appropriate word count, evaluating a business relationship with a potential agent, and so much more. This conversation was originally recorded April 26, 2022.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Get your copy of BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   After achieving a B.A. in English and Marketing, with a minor in creative writing and a graduate degree in international relations, Nikki who has been a bookworm from way back decided she wanted to learn more about the publishing industry. She interned in the industry while working in marketing communications and then established Holloway Literary in 2011. You can find her @AWomanReading on Twitter and Instagram discussing her favorite topics: books, wine, beer & whiskey, history, travel and southern living.  http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://hollowayliterary.com/  

Sofia Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman tell me about how they collaborate on a book like their newest, RETRO, while remaining a happy romantic couple as well as writing partners. We talk about how they break an idea, how they develop and choose it over other potential ideas, and how they utilize their different strengths to create art and a life they’re both happy with. We also talk about a the importance of communication, a possible ghost sighting, collaborating with author and previous guest Neal Shusterman, writing screenplays vs writing books, and so much more.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy RETRO by Sofía Lapuente and Jarrod Shusterman: https://amzn.to/3kn1Yxe  Download BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES for free: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Sofía Lapuente is an author, screenwriter, and avid world traveler who immigrated from Spain to the United States to realize her dream of storytelling. Since then, she has received a master’s degree in fine arts at UCLA, worked as a producer and casting director on an Emmy nominated show, and received coauthor credits in Gleanings, the fourth installment of the bestselling Arc of a Scythe trilogy, with her partner, Jarrod. Together, the couple writes and produces film and television under their production company Dos Lobos Entertainment.   Jarrod Shusterman is the New York Times bestselling coauthor of novel Dry, which he is adapting for a major Hollywood film studio with Neal Shusterman. He is also the coauthor of the accoladed novel Roxy. His books have all received critical acclaim and multiple starred reviews. Sofi Lapuente and Jarrod are partners in every sense of the word, with love and multiculturalism as an ethos—living between Madrid, Spain, and Los Angeles, California. If they are not working, it means they’re eating. For behind-the-scenes author content and stupidly funny videos, follow them on Instagram and TikTok @SofiandJarrod. http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.instagram.com/sofiandjarrod/  

Roseanne A. Brown and I talk about her newest book, SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING, and her career thus far from being the youngest resident at the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House program to becoming an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing to her current role as a bestselling author. We also have a frank discussion about race and publishing and what traditional publishing can do to improve its diversity, and an even franker discussion about Marvel vs DC and why Warner Brothers must release BATGIRL.  PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Buy SERWA BOATENG’S GUIDE TO VAMPIRE HUNTING by Roseanne A Brown: https://amzn.to/3WUDObV  Download BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES for free: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2   Roseanne A. Brown is an immigrant from the West African nation of Ghana and a graduate of the University of Maryland, where she completed the Jimenez-Porter Writers’ House program. Her debut novel A Song of Wraiths and Ruin was an instant New York Times Bestseller, an Indie Bestseller, and received six starred reviews. She has worked with Marvel, Star Wars, and Disney among other publishers. You can visit her online at roseanneabrown.com or on Instagram or Twitter at @rosiesrambles. On the publishing side of things, she has worked as an editorial intern at Entangled Publishing. Rosie was a 2017 Pitch Wars mentee and 2018 Pitch Wars mentor. Rosie currently lives outside Washington D.C., where in her free time she can usually be found wandering the woods, making memes, or thinking about Star Wars. Rosie is represented by Quressa Robinson of Folio Literary Agency.   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/   https://www.roseanneabrown.com/ 

It’s the fifth mega-sized Middle Grade Ninja clips show, featuring snippets from episodes 147 through 196 that aired in 2022. This episode is so stuffed with incredible content it had to be broken up into TWO PARTS Don't miss PART ONE. New episodes are scheduled to return January 14th. Until then, enjoy this compilation of clips from conversations with Zetta Elliott, Linda Epstein, Lakita Wilson, Mat Heagerty, Sam Own, Lucienne Diver, Andrew Nehring, Rachel Orr, Ally Malinenko, J. Elle, Greg van Eekhout, Patricia Nelson, Diane Magras, Meaghan Tosi, Stephanie Fretwell-Hill, Amy Christine Parker, Max Brallier, Fleur Bradley, Rose Brock, Dan Poblocki, Neal Shusterman, Jessica Craig, Kelly McWilliams, Linda Sasour, Kereen Getten, Anthony McGowen, and Susan Hawk.

It’s the fifth mega-sized Middle Grade Ninja clips show, featuring snippets from episodes 147 through 196 that aired in 2022. This episode is so stuffed with incredible content it had to be broken up into TWO PARTS Don't miss PART TWO. New episodes are scheduled to return January 14th. Until then, enjoy this compilation of clips from conversations with Adama Bah, Salvador Gómez-Colón, Freshta Tori Jan, Tina Wells, Lane Heymont, Meera Trehan, Leslie Connor, Elana K. Arnold, Erika Lewis, Libby McNamee, Don Handfield, Joshua Malkin, Elly Swartz, Gregory Maguire, Ellen Whitfield, James Riley, Jodi Lynn Anderson, Mark Gottlieb, Maurice Broaddus, Jenna Yoon, Xiran Jay Zhao, Lindsay Eager, Kristin Ostby, Hilde Kate Lysiak, Aisha Saeed.

Susan Hawk and I talk about her career in publishing from her job at a children’s bookstore at age 13 to being an editor, a librarian, a marketer, a library marketer, up to her current position with UPSTART CROW LITERARY AGENCY. We talk about the sorts of projects she’s interested in, how she evaluates authors and helps them to plan their careers, how she prepares manuscripts for editorial teams at publishing houses, BARRY, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, flying saucers, and so much more.   PLEASE SUBSCRIBE for more great content:)  Download BANNEKER BONES AND THE GIANT ROBOT BEES for free: https://amzn.to/2XyTyG2  Susan Hawk has worked in children’s books for over twenty-five years. Her clients include Rachael Allen, author of multiple YA novels, including A Taxonomy of Love and the forthcoming DC Icons title, Harley Quinn: Reckoning; J.M.M. Nuanez, author of the MG novel Birdie and Me; Paul Acampora, whose newest MG novel is the forthcoming In Honor of Broken Things; Sarah Lariviere, author of the YA novel Time Travel for Love and Profit; graphic novelist Rachel Elliott, author of the forthcoming The Real Riley Mayes; author-illustrator Denis Angelov, illustrator of The Big Scream; and Ruth Spiro, author of the Baby Loves Science board book series and the Made by Maxine series of picture books. Before agenting, Susan worked in the Children’s Marketing departments of Penguin Books for Young Readers, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers and North-South Books, where she managed campaigns for many books and authors including Eric Carle, Mary E Pearson, Richard Peck and Joan Bauer. She’s also been a children’s librarian and bookseller, and spent some time in Dutton Editorial, acquiring select picture book and YA projects for that list.   http://www.middlegradeninja.com/  https://www.upstartcrowliterary.com/