Three Middle-Grade Debuts

Check out these new books!

Tess Hilmo’s WITH A NAME LIKE LOVE

One-sentence summary:

Southern murder mystery with heart and soul.

Favorite middle-grade character of all time:

My favorite MG character is easily Kit from THE WITCH OF BLACKBIRD POND. She is witty, spunky and fights for what she knows is right.  That book started my love affair with historical fiction.

Why you write middle grade:

I can't write anything other than middle grade. Every character I write comes out sounding like they are twelve or thirteen. So, I figured I should embrace it and have been writing middle grade ever since!

Sheela Chari’s VANISHED

One sentence summary:

11-year-old Neela dreams of being a famous musician until her instrument goes missing, and she must find a way to get it back.

Favorite middle-grade character of all time:

The character I admire the most is Lyra, from The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. She is bold, assertive, and has a bad temper. I love that she's not perfect and not always easy to be around, but that her instinct is to do the right thing, that she is fiercely loyal to her friends, and finds solutions to her problems on her own.

Why you write middle grade:

I write middle grade because that's the age I remember the most distinctly from my childhood, at a time when I discovered and loved reading books. I think middle grade is my natural writing voice.

Anna Staniszewski’s MY VERY UNFAIRY TALE LIFE

One sentence summary:

12-year-old Jenny spends her days solving magical problems...but she's getting mighty sick of it, and she wants out.

Favorite middle-grade character of all time:

Oh dear. I have to pick just one? I think it would have to be Emma-Jean Lazarus. She's such a unique, layered character with her own logic and way of seeing the world. She's also pretty hilarious, whether she realizes it or not.

Why you write middle grade:

I write MG because that's what comes naturally to me. Often when I try to write for an older audience, it morphs into a MG story all by itself. I think this is partly because deep down I'll always been about 12 or 13. I also love the dynamic characters and rich storytelling that you often find in MG books.