2018 MG DEBUTS by Joy McCullough

As a debut author with my first book releasing in March, I have the wonderful privilege of being a part of the Electric Eighteens, a group of MG and YA authors who all have debut novels releasing this year. There are some VERY exciting new middle grade voices this year and I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a glimpse at some of what is headed your way!

So here’s a calendar of just SOME of the awesome MG debuts headed your way!

JANUARY

Anna Meriano | LOVE SUGAR MAGIC: A DASH OF TROUBLE

Walden Pond Press/Harper
MG Fantasy
January 2, 2018

Jackie Yeager | SPIN THE GOLDEN LIGHT BULB
Amberjack
MG Magical Realism
January 9, 2018

Margaret Mincks | PAYBACK ON POPLAR LANE
Viking Children’s/PRH
MG Contemporary Humor
January 30, 2018

FEBRUARY

Kamilla Benko | THE UNICORN QUEST

Bloomsbury

MG Fantasy

February 6, 2018

E. Latimer | 
THE STRANGE AND DEADLY PORTRAITS OF BRYONY GRAY
Tundra/PRH
MG Gothic Fantasy
February 13, 2018

Brad McLelland & Louis Sylvester | 
LEGENDS OF THE LOST CAUSES
Henry Holt & Company
MG Adventure
February 20, 2018

Sayantani DasGupta | THE SERPENT’S SECRET
Scholastic
MG Fantasy Adventure
February 27 2018

 

MARCH 

Tae Keller | THE SCIENCE OF BREAKABLE THINGSPenguin Random House
MG Contemporary
March 6, 2018

Jen Petro-Roy | P.S. I MISS YOU

Feiwel & FriendsMG ContemporaryMarch 6, 2018

Diane Magras | THE MAD WOLF’S DAUGHTER
Kathy Dawson Books/Penguin Young Readers
MG Historical Adventure
March 6, 2018

Jonathan Roth | BEEP AND BOB
S&S/Aladdin
Humorous sci-fi chapter book
March 13, 2018

Daniel Wheatley | THE ZANNA FUNCTION

Jolly Fish Press
MG Fantasy
March 20, 2018 

Kheryn Callender | HURRICANE CHILD
Scholastic
MG Magic Realism
March 27, 2018

APRIL

Henry Lien | PEASPROUT CHEN, FUTURE LEGEND OF SKATE AND SWORD 

Henry Holt & Company
MG Fantasy
April 3, 2018

Will Taylor | 
MAGGIE & ABBY’S NEVERENDING PILLOW FORT
HarperCollins
MG Contemporary Fantasy
April 3, 2018

Lauren Abbey Greenberg | 

THE BATTLE OF JUNK MOUNTAIN
Running Press
MG Contemporary
April 17, 2018

Laurie Morrison | EVERY SHINY THING
Abrams
MG Contemporary
April 17, 2018

MAY

 

A.M. Morgen | THE INVENTORS AT NO. 8
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
MG Adventure
May 8, 2018

J.H. Diehl | TINY INFINITIES
Chronicle Books
MG Contemporary
May 8, 2018

Jeff Seymour |  NADYA SKYLUNG AND THE CLOUDSHIP RESCUE 
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Fantasy Adventure
May 15, 2018

Kelly Yang | FRONT DESK
Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic
MG Contemporary
May 29, 2018

JUNE

Samantha M. Clark | 
THE BOY, THE BOAT & THE BEAST
Paula Wiseman Books/S&S
MG Magic Realism
June 26, 2018

Mae Respicio | THE HOUSE THAT LOU BUILT
Wendy Lamb Books/Random House
MG Contemporary
June 12, 2018 

Melissa Sarno | JUST UNDER THE CLOUDS
Knopf
MG Contemporary
June 5, 2018

JULY

Cindy Baldwin | 

WHERE THE WATERMELONS GROW
Harper Collins Children’s
MG Contemporary
July 3, 2018

K.A. Reynolds | THE LAND OF YESTERDAY
Harper Collins Children’s
MG Fantasy
July 31, 2018

 

AUGUST

 Saadia Faruqi | YASMIN SERIES
Capstone
Chapter Books Contemporary
August 1, 2018

Brigit Young | WORTH A THOUSAND WORDSRoaring Brook Press/Macmillan
MG Contemporary
August 14th, 2018

Ben Langhinrichs | 

DANGER TASTES DREADFUL
Clean Reads/Astraea Press
MG Fantasy
August 14, 2018

Lija Fisher | THE CRYPTID CATCHER
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
MG Adventure
August 21, 2018 

Ann Braden | THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS
Sky Pony Press
MG Contemporary
September 4, 2018

SEPTEMBER

Sean Easley | THE HOTEL BETWEEN
Simon & Schuster BFYR
MG Adventure
September 4, 2018

Hayley Chewins | THE TURNAWAY GIRLS

Walker Books/Candlewick
MG Fantasy
September 2018

Allison Varnes | PROPERTY OF THE REBEL LIBRARIAN

Random House Children’s Books
MG Contemporary
September 2018

Ginger Johnson | THE SPLINTERED LIGHT
Bloomsbury
MG Fantasy
September 4^th, 2018

Christina Collins | AFTER ZERO
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
MG Contemporary
Fall 2018

Amanda Rawson Hill | THE THREE RULES OF EVERYDAY MAGIC
Boyds Mills Press
MG Contemporary
September 25, 2018

OCTOBER

Tara Gilboy | UNWRITTEN
Jolly Fish
MG Fantasy
October 16, 2018

Marie Miranda Cruz | EVERLASTING NORAStarscape TOR/Macmillan
MG Contemporary
October 2, 2018

Melanie Sumrow | THE PROPHET CALLSYellow Jacket/Little Bee Books
MG Contemporary
Fall 2018

Must Read Mid-Grade for 2015: May Edition by Caroline Starr Rose

There are so many incredible middle-grade titles releasing this year, I decided to dedicate my posts these next months to sharing as many as I can with you. My list is not exclusive and is actually just the tip of the iceberg. I hope these glimpses get you excited enough to ask your library to purchase a copy or buy one yourself. All descriptions are taken from Amazon.com.

A whole lotta books this month are from debut authors. Go, debuts, and happy reading!

Wilder Boys -- Brandon Wallace (May 5)

Two brothers will need all their wilderness skills to survive when they set off into the woods of Wyoming in search of their absent father.

Jake and Taylor Wilder have been taking care of themselves for a long time. Their father abandoned the family years ago, and their mother is too busy working and running interference between the boys and her boyfriend, Bull, to spend a lot of time with them. Thirteen-year-old Jake spends most of his time reading. He pours over his father’s journal, which is full of wilderness facts and survival tips. Eleven-year-old Taylor likes to be outside playing with their dog, Cody, or joking around with the other kids in the neighborhood.

But one night everything changes. 

The Sound and Life of Everything -- Krista Van Dolzer (May 5)

Twelve-year-old Ella Mae Higbee is a sensible girl. She eats her vegetables and wants to be just like Sergeant Friday, her favorite character on Dragnet. So when her auntie Mildred starts spouting nonsense about a scientist who can bring her cousin back to life from blood on his dog tags, Ella Mae is skeptical—until he steps out of a bio-pod right before her eyes.

But the boy is not her cousin—he’s Japanese. And in California in the wake of World War II, the Japanese are still feared and despised. When her aunt refuses to take responsibility, Ella Mae and her Mama take him home instead. Determined to do what’s right by her new friend, Ella Mae teaches Takuma English and defends him from the reverend’s talk of H-E-double-toothpicks. But when his memories start to resurface, Ella Mae learns some shocking truths about her own family and more importantly, what it means to love.

The Runaway’s Gold - Emilie Christie Burack (May 12)

The year is 1842, and thirteen-year-old Christopher Robertson and his family are struggling to survive in Shetland, a cluster of islands off the northern coast of Scotland.  Poverty, hunger, and being in debt are all they've known, until an unexpected twist of fate changes Christopher's life forever.

When John, Christopher's devious brother, frames him for the theft of their father's secret pouch of coins, Christopher embarks on a journey to return the coins and clear his good name.

Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer - Kelly Jones (May 12)

Twelve-year-old Sophie Brown feels like a fish out of water when she and her parents move from Los Angeles to the farm they’ve inherited from a great-uncle. But farm life gets more interesting when a cranky chicken appears and Sophie discovers the hen can move objects with the power of her little chicken brain: jam jars, the latch to her henhouse, the entire henhouse....

And then more of her great-uncle’s unusual chickens come home to roost. Determined, resourceful Sophie learns to care for her flock, earning money for chicken feed, collecting eggs. But when a respected local farmer tries to steal them, Sophie must find a way to keep them (and their superpowers) safe.

Wild Boy and the Black Terror -- Rob Lloyd Jones (May 12)

London, 1842. Wild Boy, master detective and former freak-show performer, and Clarissa, circus acrobat and troublemaker, are the secret last hope of a city beset by horror. A poisoner stalks the streets, leaving victims mad with terror—and then dead. Can the Black Terror be traced to a demon called Malphas? With their partnership threatened by rules and regulations, can Wild Boy and Clarissa uncover a cure in time to save the queen and the city?

Joshua and the Lightning Road: The Lost Realm - Donna Galanti* (May 19)

Twelve-year-old Joshua Cooper learns the hard way that lightning never strikes by chance when a bolt strikes his house and whisks away his best friend—possibly forever. To get him back, Joshua must travel the Lightning Road to a dark world where stolen human kids are work slaves and ruled by the frustrated heirs of the Greek Olympians who come to see Joshua as the hero prophesied to restore their lost powers. New friends come to Joshua’s aid and while battling beasts and bandits and fending off the Child Collector, Joshua’s mission quickly becomes more than a search for his friend—it becomes the battle of his life.

*A Project Mayhem author!

What new releases are you looking forward to?

Liesl Shurtliff's RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPLESTILSKIN

Release Date: April 9, 2013 Knopf/Random House
www.lieslshurtliff.com

Liesl Shurtliff does more than spin words into gold—she gets us rooting for Rumpelstiltskin, a most magical feat.
—Kirby Larson, Newbery Honor-winning author of HATTIE BIG SKY

Lighthearted and inventive, RUMP amusingly expands a classic tale. 
—Brandon Mull, #1 New York Times bestselling author of FABLEHAVEN

As good as gold.
-- Kirkus, starred review

Spring 2013 Kids' Indie Next List title (ages 9-12)

What inspired you to write this story?
My strong affinity for potty humor. Okay, not entirely. I’ve always been fascinated by fairy-tales and their ability to span generations and cultures. Also, they’re so quirky and bizarre! The tale of Rumpelstiltskin particularly fascinates me because although he is the title character, we know next to nothing about him. Where does he come from? How did he get his name? Why’s it so important? How did he learn to spin straw to gold and why on earth does he want a baby? So I set out to write a story from his point of view and answer these questions. I went the extra mile and decided I wanted Rumpelstiltskin to be not only understood, but also loveable. I found the center and voice of his story when I shortened his name to the bare minimum. How can you not love a runty fellow called Rump?

What was your publication process like, from initial idea to sale?
It took about 9 months to write and revise RUMP before I queried agents. I secured an agent within a month. We revised together for about a month and we had an offer about a month after submission. So from idea to sale was about a year.

I realize this all seems very smooth and quick. Part of this was simply luck, but I feel it necessary to add that I worked for several years prior to this, studying the craft, writing other books and stories, and learning about the publishing industry in general. This was all part of my process and I feel it has helped me immensely in my publication journey. That said, I also realize that I was lucky to find the right people for my work at the right time. There is and element of luck, magic, karma, forces-beyond-this-world. I love magic! (So long as I have some.)

What books have shaped you as a reader and writer, from childhood to the present?
As a child I loved The Boxcar Children, Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Wait Till Helen Comes, and anything by Shel Silverstein or Roald Dahl, particularly Matilda. Gail Carson Levine and Shannon Hale have also influenced my writing, and I wish they had been writing when I was growing up.

Today I read all over the place. I never stick to one genre, and I think it’s important for writers to read widely, but I always love a mixture of serious and silly and I think that’s evident in my own writing style.

What is one thing people misunderstand about fairy tales?
That fairy-tales are somehow irrelevant because they are not realistic reflections of our life experience. Fantasy and the fairy-tale are purely escapism, a way to ignore reality and it’s inconvenient laws of nature. “Life is not a fairy-tale,” people often say, but I couldn’t disagree more. I think what they mean to say is, “Life is not a Disney animation film.” Despite my love for Disney and the joy they bring to my life, they have butchered the integrity of fairy-tales for generations.

The real fairy tales, the ones collected by the Brothers Grimm, Perrault, Andersen and others, are generally brutal and often tragic. Take a look at the original tales of The Little Mermaid, Cinderella, or various origins of Little Red Riding Hood. They are not pretty, friends. Tragic love, cannibalism, and pecked out eyes. Some of them don’t even end well, and a few of them do not live happily ever after. They don’t even live. Why then do we say that life is not a fairy-tale as though we have somehow been duped? Consider the following statement made by a man who actually collected and penned some of the most famous fairy-tales.

“Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale.”
-Hans Christian Andersen

Was this man delusional? I don’t think so. He didn’t mean that life is all butterflies and fairy dust and happily ever afters. There’s a sprinkling of that in real life. Of course there is great joy in this life, but many will suffer betrayal, heartache, and tragedy, and children are no exception. Fairy-tales, I believe, are great metaphors for real life. It’s beautiful, but it’s also ugly. It’s happy, but it’s also sad. It’s sweet, but it’s also bitter.

It is all wonderful.

So I implore you, whenever someone says “Life is not a Fairytale,” you should yell “YES, IT IS YOU, IDIOT!”

Are you working on anything new?
Yes! I’m currently working on another MG fairy tale retelling, a picture book, and a YA novel. I’m all over the place, mostly because I never know what’s going to really sing once I get into it. I go where the energy guides me!

Five Debut Mid-Grades for 2012

Here are five new middle grade novels I'm looking forward to next year:

Glory Be - Augusta Scattergood

releasing January 1, 2012

A Mississippi town in 1964 gets riled when tempers flare at the segregated public pool. Augusta Scattergood has drawn on real-life events to create a memorable novel about family, friendship, and choices that aren’t always easy. 

The Mapmaker and the Ghost - Sarvenaz Tash

releasing April 24, 2012

A simple decision to map a forest lands 11-year-old Goldenrod in the midst of a true blue adventure involving a gang of brilliant troublemakers, a mysterious and very ugly old lady, and an exceedingly unexpected—and long dead—questmaster.

Chained - Lynne Kelly

releasing May 8, 2012

The touching story of a boy and an elephant who have a friendship that’s stronger than any lock, shackle, or chain.

One for the Murphys - Lynne Mullaly Hunt

releasing May 10, 2012

In the wake of heart breaking betrayal, Carley Connors becomes a foster child who finds herself in the hands of the bustling, happy Murphys, a family that shows her a side of life she’d believed did not exist.

Small Medium at Large - Joanne Levy

releasing July 3, 2012

Because being 12, flat-chested and harassed by the school’s popular girl isn’t bad enough, Lilah Bloom’s life changes forever when she is hit by lightning and can suddenly hear dead people.

Any here you might add to your reading list?