MG Reading for December

 

MG Reading for December

 

It’s been a difficult month for many of us, and I’ve found comfort in reading—including some new middle grade novels! On my blog Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, I’ve interviewed a few MG authors recently, and here’s what they had to say about their books…

 

Carol Matas is the author of the new novel Zevi Takes the Spotlight. In our Q&A, she explained how her character got his name: “Earlier that year my eldest grandchild, Zevi, joked that no one would ever use his name in a book because it’s too hard to pronounce. 'Challenge accepted!' I replied. When I submitted the manuscript, I asked the editor if we could change the lead character’s name to Zevi and she thought it was a great idea!”

 

Esty Schachter’s MG novel is titled Anya’s Echoes. She said of her character Lea: “I experienced a social situation as a younger person where I did not speak up when I saw something happening that wasn't okay. With bullying and peer pressure being such common issues for upper middle grade readers, I wanted Lea to understand that ‘nothing is something.’ I got to write a possibility I didn't realize I had back then.”

 

Oriane Livingston is the author of the new novel The Guardians of Earth. Describing her protagonist, Oona, she said: “Oona is very imaginative, precocious and curious. Like me, Oona is a budding astronomer and feels like she doesn’t belong. Her challenging childhood reflects my own upbringings. The roles are reversed in Oona’s home, which forces her to become a little adult, but also frees her to embark on her own ‘hero’s journey.’”

 

Keep reading and carry on!

 

--Deborah Kalb