Do you have a finished MS that needs a fresh set of eyes? Are you looking for a chance to have your story read by agents and editors looking for new, fresh authors? If so, you are ready to go to battle against other MG authors. You will need to hurry because Pitch Wars kicks off on 8/3/16. Visit the Pitch Wars website by clicking here! Also, check out the conversations on Twitter using the hashtag [...]
Hot off the presses! The Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency has a new agent and she is looking for middle grade fiction! Meet Suzy Evans - Suzy holds a Ph.D. in history from UC Berkeley. Her most recent books include Machiavelli for Moms (Simon & Schuster) and Forgotten Crimes: The Holocaust and People with Disabilities. She’s also a ghostwriter for a #1 New York Times bestselling author with more than 25 million copies in print and her first children’s book [...]
I am always on the lookout for resource books that can help me find that right word or phrase that will convey the exact tone in a scene. In the past, I have shared a few of my favorites, but last week I discovered a new one to sit on my desk for quick reference. The Emotion Thesaurus is filled with a variety of emotions and provides writers with physical signals, internal sensations, mental responses, and cues [...]
Wilhelmina Snodgrass has it all, a new school, a sworn enemy and adventures galore! In Wilhelmina and the Willamette Wig Factory, Willy Snodgrass not only moved to a new town, but learned her family’s relocation was orchestrated by three ghosts that are related to her. Her Mission: to help her great aunt Georgie reopen the once famous Willamette Wig Factory. In Who the Heck is Harvey Stingle?, Willy and her best friend Tomasina Andretti, are [...]
The Middle Grade Mafia has read a number of books for our reviews, but none were like Mike Lowery's Doodle Adventures: The Search for Slimy Space Slugs! In this fun interactive book, kids have been recruited to help Carl the Duck, who happens to work for a super secret agency, to help find Captain Sleezoog's space base and retrieve a stolen jar. The adventure requires the reader to draw a variety of objects and scenes as [...]
The Mafia Family loves everything middle-grade - middle grade books and middle grade authors - so imagine how excited we were to judge a contest by authors in middle school! The Bertie, a short-story contest for 11-13 year olds, was founded by Mafia member, Lisa Lewis Tyre. The contest was named after Bertie, a grandmother, who is one of the most beloved characters in her book, LAST IN A LONG LINE OF REBELS. All [...]
With summer right around the corner, the Middle Grade Mafia is proud to present our second annual Summer Reading List. These are just a few books we are excited to pull off the shelf, but not an exclusive list (limiting each person to three is restrictive). Debbie D'Aurelio Capture the Flag by Kate Messner Fortune Falls by Jenny Goebel The Turn of the Tide by Rosanne Parry Kevin Springer Ollie's Odyssey by William Joyce Red: The [...]
Review by Laura Raines In a video interview about The War that Saved My Life, author Kimberly Brubaker Bradley says that she hopes readers won’t be able to put it down, that they’ll be taken up with Ada’s story. She also says that she hopes readers will feel the emotions. Her hopes are fulfilled! I devoured this book in a day, rooting for Ada all the way. She made me laugh, cry, fear, hope, and [...]
The Middle Grade Mafia was lucky enough to gain access to those associated with the upcoming release of Curiosity House: The Screaming Statue by Lauren Oliver and HC Chester. It is not very often that one of the characters takes the time to answer our questions, so we are excited to include Betty the Bearded Lady in our conversation. First, the authors. Lauren Oliver and the mysterious HC Chester work closely on the Curiosity House Series (book [...]
When my son brought home The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier, I called dibs. Luckily, I won the rock, paper, scissors match and I got to read the book first. I already reviewed the book a few weeks ago, but was super jazzed to have Max join us on “The Writer’s Block.” Middle Grade Mafia: I see you have written a variety of books, did you always have the writing bug? Max Brallier: Not always. [...]
