kid lit Archives - Page 4 of 10

Cover Reveal: Secrets of Valhalla by Jasmine Richards

In an effort to introduce you to new MG authors, the Middle Grade Mafia is proud to bring you Jasmine Richards and her upcoming fantasy book, SECRETS OF VALHALLA (Harper Collins, January 2016). The cover is beautiful, vibrant and will capture readers' attention. We can't wait to read what's inside. Let us know your thoughts as well. Middle Grade Mafia: Share with us your thoughts on the cover. Jasmine Richards: The design team at Harper Collins [...]

By Kevin Springer|2015-06-23T14:50:51-04:00June 22nd, 2015|Cover Reveal|0 Comments

MG Book Review: Raising Rufus by David Fulk

MG Book Review: Raising Rufus by David Fulk

I had the opportunity to preview RAISING RUFUS by David Fulk before it came out this month and it was one exciting story. Martin Tinker, a shy sixth grader who enjoys exploring the woods behind his family home, finds an odd looking rock in a quarry that he wasn’t supposed to be in. So, he does what any kid might do – he brings it home. When this frozen rock souvenir thaws out and hatches [...]

By Alison Hertz|2015-06-22T16:52:22-04:00June 12th, 2015|Book Launch, Book Review|0 Comments

Inside Publishing: Giuseppe Castellano, Sr. Art Director

At a conference earlier this year, I had the privilege of meeting Penguin-Random House Senior Art Director Giuseppe Castellano. He delivered an amazing keynote speech about getting past staring at the blank page. The advice he gave was wonderful, but it was the tone in which he delivered the speech that blew me away. Behind the exercises and prompts, which were extremely helpful, there was an openness, a genuineness, that drew me in. As Giuseppe spoke, his title and the [...]

By Kevin Springer|2020-04-09T22:06:02-04:00May 26th, 2015|Mo Writing|0 Comments

The Writer’s Block – An Interview with Stuart Gibbs

I was browsing a local bookstore, looking for some fun books for my middle-grader to read over the summer and saw the SPY SCHOOL series by Stuart Gibbs. I read a bit and was hooked. That is when I knew I had to reach out to him. Luck for us all, he said yes. Without further ado, the incredibly talented Stuart Gibbs. Middle Grade Mafia: What was your path to becoming a published author? Stuart Gibbs: [...]

By Kevin Springer|2015-05-19T17:35:11-04:00May 22nd, 2015|Author Interview|1 Comment

MG Book Review: The League of Beastly Dreadful by Holly Grant

MG Book Review: The League of Beastly Dreadful by Holly Grant

What’s not to love about a middle-grade book set in an abandoned insane asylum? Eleven-year old Anastasia finds herself unexpectedly in St. Agony’s asylum after two spinsters who claim to be her “Aunts” arrive with dreadful news—her parents are dead. But more dreadful news follows. The asylum is on grounds protected by an electric fence to protect them from a creature in the woods, the gardener wears a birdcage on his head because he bites, [...]

By L.S. Bridgers|2016-01-19T16:13:19-05:00May 20th, 2015|Book Review|0 Comments

The Mafia’s Summer Reading List

With the end of school around the corner, the members of the Middle Grade Mafia started thinking about our summer reading list. Here are the MG books we are excited to read next: NIGHTBORN by Lou Anders OF ENEMIES & ENDINGS (THE EVER AFTERS BOOK 4) by Shelby Bach THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH by Ali Benjamin THE DOLDRUMS by Nicholas Gannon GEORGE by Alex Gino THE LEAGUE OF BEASTLY DREADFULS by Holly Grant SKINK - NO SURRENDER by [...]

By Kevin Springer|2020-04-09T22:14:29-04:00May 13th, 2015|Mo Reading|2 Comments

The Writer’s Block: An Interview with Adam Gidwitz

The part I love the most about being a Mafia member is connecting with other writers. When my son showed me TALE DARK & GRIMM by Adam Gidwitz, I knew I had to get him on the blog. Adam’s books are not for the faint of heart. He brings you all the great gruesomeness from the original Grimm’s tales and mixes it up with humor and an amazing story. Now, here’s Adam! Middle Grade Mafia: [...]

By Kevin Springer|2015-05-05T20:31:25-04:00April 30th, 2015|Author Interview|0 Comments

MG Book Review – Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

MG Book Review – Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

In Paul Durham's fantasy adventure, THE LUCK UGLIES, the Village of Drowning is surrounded by the terrible monsters. The main character, Rye O'Chanter, has been raised to follow the rules of the house in order to remain safe from such terrors. The trouble is that Rye is a curious tween in search of excitement and her mom cannot keep her eye on her all the time. While the monsters, the Bog Noblins, are supposedly gone, tales of their horribleness [...]

By Kevin Springer|2015-04-29T18:03:06-04:00April 29th, 2015|Book Review|0 Comments

Cover Reveal – The Boatman by Kat Hawthorne

The Middle Grade Mafia loves sharing the good news of our fellow MG authors and illustrators. Today we are proud to be a part of the cover reveal for THE BOATMAN (BookFish Books), a spooky novel by Kat Hawthorne. The wonderfully dark and menacing cover art was created by the talented Dora Mitchell. Look out for this book's release on May 26th. Isabel Wixon is weird. Not only does she see dead things, but her list [...]

By Kevin Springer|2015-06-28T17:50:25-04:00April 17th, 2015|Cover Reveal|1 Comment

MG Book Review: Extraordinary Sam & the Adventurers’ Guild by Kevin A. Springer

MG Book Review: Extraordinary Sam & the Adventurers’ Guild by Kevin A. Springer

Seeing a book come to life is a great experience. I remember the first time Kevin introduced our critique group to Sam. We were sitting at our usual spot at Café 33 and as we read the first chapter, I remember thinking how authentic it all felt. Like Sam, I was also a kid daydreaming of adventure. That’s what I think is so brilliant about Kevin’s work – the ability to tap into what kids [...]

By Lisa Lewis Tyre|2015-04-16T15:23:22-04:00April 15th, 2015|Book Review|2 Comments