MG Book Party
Cheryl Caldwell and Heather Clark
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Top 10 MG Book Party Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best MG Book Party episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to MG Book Party for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite MG Book Party episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
04/08/22 • 54 min
"When you meet people, you don't hate them anymore."
This quote from Hilary during this interview expresses so much about her humanity, her love, and her wisdom. Her historical WWI and WWII novels, The Skylarks' War, and Swallow's Flight are exquisite novels that delve into the life of people who lived these wars. Specifically, Swallow's Flight does a gorgeous job of presenting compelling characters who lived on both sides of World War II, and following the family from Skylark's War into the next generation of children is a gift. We learn so much from HIlary in this interview, and we just didn't want the conversation to end. On a personal note, Hilary McKay is one of the two authors who I credit with my decision to write middle grade. Her Casson Family series is real, heartfelt, hilarious, and just a beautiful emotional experience.
Hilary McKay is the award-winning author of The Time of Green Magic (which received five starred reviews), The Skylark’s War (which was a Boston Globe Best Book, and received three starred reviews), Binny Bewitched (which was a Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year and received two starred reviews), Binny in Secret (which received three starred reviews), Binny for Short (which received four starred reviews), and six novels about the Casson family: Saffy’s Angel, Indigo’s Star, Permanent Rose, Caddy Ever After, Forever Rose, and Caddy’s World. She is also the author of Wishing for Tomorrow, the sequel to Frances Hodgson Burnett’s A Little Princess, and The Swallows’ Flight--releasing in the US on October 19th. Hilary lives with her family in Derbyshire, England. Visit her at HilaryMcKay.co.uk.
You can connect with Hilary and follow her books at the following links:
Hilary's Website
Twitter: @hilary_mckay
Purchase Books by Hilary McKay
Saffy's Angel
Indigo's Star
Binny Bewitched
The Skylark's War
The Swallow's Flight
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
06/30/22 • 34 min
What's it like to write, publish, and promote a book a year?
Here to tell us today is middle-grade author Mae Respicio, author of the award-winning The House That Lou Built, Any Day with You, How to Win a Slime War, and more!
Mae shares her thoughts on:
- How our twelve-year-old selves greatly influence who we become as adults.
- Using a science project board in your outlining process.
- Research in the writing process.
- Setting realistic writing goals.
- Her incredible writing journey.
- Seeing yourself in books.
- Playing the long game.
- And, of course, the best recipes for making SLIME!
You can connect with Mae at her website!
Or on Twitter!
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
All links to books are on Bookshop.org, and support indie bookstores and give a small percentage to support this podcast at no charge to you!
fREADom Fighters Interview
MG Book Party
02/09/22 • 29 min
We are so pleased to join two wonderful school librarians, and members of the @FReadomFighters—Nancy Jo Lambert and Becky Calzada for an interview about censorship, #FReadom, and access to books for children. Along with Carolyn Foote and other librarian colleagues, these women launched the #FReadom hashtag which has trended nationally to the tune of 13,000 tweets!
Their goal: Shine a light on the positive impact that books make as we ensure they are accessible from many diverse viewpoints. These educators inspired us, striving to unite everyone behind the common goal of connecting children with books as we foster their learning and growth. This movement grew in the wake of a daunting number of book challenges and book bannings nationwide in recent months.
Consult the following resources mentioned in this podcast for concrete action items, and monthly challenges to help you get involved in protecting freedom of information and helping people work in harmony with our school libraries to provide the best possible reading experience for students.
1. Find out about the #FReadom movement in this news article. And more here. And here.
2. Find out what you can do to help at the @fReadomfighters Campaigns and Actions page.
3. Find out more about the credentials and expertise of school librarians in these social media posts.
4. Find out more about helpful responses and frequently asked questions on the FreadomFighters website.
5. Follow the @FReadomFighters on Twitter.
Becky Calzada
Becky Calzada is a District Library Coordinator in Leander ISD which is located NW of Austin. She is a Director-at-Large for AASL, an advisory member for The Center for the Future of Libraries Advisory Group, on the Legislative Committee for TxLA, and Past Chair for the TxASL. Becky can be followed on Twitter @becalzada.
Nancy Jo Lambert
Nancy Jo Lambert is a Google Certified Trainer and HS teacher-librarian in Frisco, TX at Reedy High School. She is a presenter advocating for libraries by telling the story of the learning happening in her library. She holds positions in TLA, TCEA, ALA, AASL, and TASL. She was named TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Curriculum Champion in 2019. She co-founded #TeachPride, EduPrideAlliance. She is also a #FReadom organizer. She is known for sharing her professional work on Twitter @NancyJoLambert and nancyjolambert.com and her library website reedylibrary.com.
We'll close with a a moving, important quote shared by Nancy Jo Lambert during the interview.
In the words of Rudine Sims Bishop, “Literature transforms human experience and reflects it back to us, and in that reflection, we can see our own lives and experiences as part of the larger human experience. And when there are enough books available that can act as both mirrors and windows for all our children, they will see that we can celebrate both our differences and our similarities, because together they are what make us all human.”
Cindy Baldwin - Where We Discuss Perfect Character Names, Disability Representation, and Forever Homes
MG Book Party
01/28/22 • 37 min
Author Cindy Baldwin shares her journey writing The Stars of Whistling Ridge! She offers amazing insight into disability representation, and chronic illness in fiction, sharing her own experience so generously! Cindy is so careful to represent her characters well, and her words are as magical as her premise in this book about the wandering family of a fallen star.
You can connect with Cindy and follow her books at the following links:
Cindy's Website
Twitter: @beingcindy
Instagram: @cindybaldwinbooks
Purchase books by Cindy Baldwin on Amazon.
Where The Watermelons Grow
Beginners Welcome
The Stars of Whistling Ridge
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
01/10/22 • 71 min
The opportunity to do this interview with Newbery Honoree and New York Times Bestselling author Gary D. Schmidt was one of the great honors of our professional lives! Were you hoping to get a mini-MFA from this master of middle grade storytelling? You've come to the right episode. You'll notice this one is longer than usual, and we're grateful for every gracious minute Gary shared with us. Learn about Gary's thoughtful, unique writing process. Gain more insights into his characters, and feel the genuine goodness of Gary as a person. We spend extra time on a deep dive discussion of JUST LIKE THAT, a companion novel to Gary's acclaimed novel, THE WEDNESDAY WARS.
You can connect with Gary and follow his books at the following links:
Gary's Website
Email: [email protected]
Purchase books by Gary D. Schmidt on Amazon.
The Wednesday Wars
Okay For Now
Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy
Just Like That
Orbiting Jupiter
Other books mentioned by Gary during interview:
Picture Book: REBEL by John Schoenherr
Charles Dickens- BLEAK HOUSE (mentor text)
Markus Zusak- THE BOOK THIEF
Stranger Things
Katherine Paterson- BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA; JACOB HAVE I LOVED
themes of hope
Liza Ketchum- latest THE LAST GARDEN (autobiography)
endowed object
Patricia Wrightson- THE NARGUN AND THE STARS
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
Jennifer March Soloway - Trust, Navigating Conflict in the Agent / Client Relationship, and Using Flaws to Grow
MG Book Party
11/16/21 • 38 min
We had SO much fun interviewing Super Agent Jennifer March Soloway! Jennifer has had a fascinating career journey, helping her wind up as a highly successful literary agent with a robust client list, with a premier children's literary agency—Andrea Brown Literary Agency. If you are a querying author, and you have wondered about how agent/author relationships work best, what to expect on the call, communication, or the submission process? Jennifer was incredibly generous with her time, sharing so much helpful information.
Jennifer joined the Andrea Brown Literary Agency in 2016, after a career in marketing and public relations. Agenting is her dream job. She loves working with writers and illustrators, and nothing gives her greater joy than to help an author elevate their story. She is most drawn to emotionally compelling voices and fresh perspectives underrepresented in literature. Jennifer represents authors and illustrators of picture book, middle grade, and young adult stories. ... She has an MFA in English and creative writing from Mills College and was a fellow at the San Francisco Writer's Grotto in 2012.
Feel free to query Jennifer or any of her colleagues at Andrea Brown Literary Agency!
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
Agent/Author/Editor Dynamic Part 2: With Scholastic Editor Lisa Sandell and Author Jennifer A. Neilsen
MG Book Party
10/12/21 • 37 min
In Part 2 of our Agent / Author / Editor series with Jennifer A. Nielsen, we dig in to interview prolific author / editor duo: Jennifer A. Nielsen and Lisa Sandell of Scholastic Press. The two have worked together for years, bringing many books into publication together. They've collaborated on such amazing reads as THE FALSE PRINCE, THE MARK OF THE THIEF, WORDS ON FIRE, A NIGHT DIVIDED, RESCUE, and many more. We had way too much fun with this interview, and learned so much. Get the inside scoop on a healthy author / editor relationship. If you missed Part 1, give it a listen also. https://www.buzzsprout.com/1776784/episodes/9201068
Jennifer A. Nielsen
New York Times Bestselling author, Jennifer Nielsen, was born and raised in northern Utah, where she still lives today with her family, a dog that won’t play fetch, and a cat that hallucinates. She is the author of The Ascendance series, beginning with THE FALSE PRINCE; the TRAITOR’S GAME series, the historical novels, RESISTANCE, A NIGHT DIVIDED, WORDS ON FIRE, RESCUE, and several other titles. She loves chocolate, old books, and lazy days in the mountains. Jennifer is the founder of the Book Drop campaign.
Lisa Sandell
Lisa Ann Sandell is the author of three young adult novels, The Weight of the Sky (Viking Children’s Books, 2006), Song of the Sparrow (Scholastic Press, 2007), and A Map of the Known World (Scholastic Press, 2009). She is currently the editorial director at Scholastic Press, and Scholastic Focus, and has also taught creative writing. Lisa was the acquiring editor for Jennifer’s first of many books at Scholastic, The False Prince.
Please help support MG Book Party Podcast by purchasing books by our amazing authors through our affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
Jennifer A. Nielsen:
The False Prince
Rescue
Resistance
A Night Divided
The Mark of the Thief
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
Lisa Moore Ramee: Where we Talk About True Pantsing, Fierce Perseverance, and Taking The Long View
MG Book Party
09/22/21 • 49 min
Our biggest takeaway from our interview with Middle Grade author Lisa Moore Ramée was this: The people who don't make it as authors are the people who gave up. Lisa Moore Ramée took the long way around to get here with her career, and her beautiful books, and she is the most real, down-to-earth, delightful person. You will come away from this interview inspired to carry on, and ready with some fresh tools in your tool belt. Hopefully you'll also come away ready to devour her lovely books. (Links below)
Author Bio:
Lisa Moore Ramee wrote her first book in second grade. It took some time before she got around to writing her second one. A Good Kind of Trouble was her debut novel, published in Spring 2019. Her next book, Something to Say, came out July, 2020. Originally hailing from Los Angeles, CA, Lisa now lives in Northern California with her husband, two children, two cats, and more yard than she can control.
You can connect with Lisa and follow her books and author journey at the following links.
www.LisaMooreRamee.com
Twitter: @Leeseray
Instagram: @Leeseray
Purchase A GOOD KIND OF TROUBLE on Amazon.
Purchase SOMETHING TO SAY on Amazon.
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
Kaela Rivera: Where we Discuss Writing Out of Order, Souls Outside our Bodies, and Practicing Patience
MG Book Party
10/29/21 • 51 min
Our biggest takeaway from our interview with Middle Grade author Kaela Rivera was her final advice to writers —Practice Patience. Kaela's debut novel, CECE RIOS AND THE DESERT OF SOULS was her tenth completed manuscript. In this delightful interview, Kaela talks about how she pushed through the long wait, getting better and better with time, the inspirations from her multicultural family for CECE RIOS, and gives amazing tips on giving three dimensions to side characters. Join us! You won't regret it! Subscribe so you won't miss Part II: THE COMPANION ARC.
Author Bio:
Kaela Rivera was raised to believe in will-o’-the-wisps and el chupacabra, but even ghost stories couldn’t stop her from reading in the isolated treetops, caves, and creeks of Tennessee’s Appalachian forests.
She still believes in the folktales of her Mexican-American and British parents, but now she writes about them from the adventure-filled mountains of the Wild West. When she’s not crafting stories, she’s using her English degree from BYU-I as an editor for a marketing company (or secretly doodling her characters in the margins of her notebook). Her debut novel, Cece Rios and the Desert of Souls, comes out April 13, 2021, and its sequels which will be joining it in Fall 2022, and in 2023
Her biggest hope is to highlight and explore the beauty of cultural differences—and how sharing those differences can bring us all closer.
Ghibli Movies Kaela Mentions:
—Kiki's Delivery Service
—Whisper of the Heart
—Howl's Moving Castle
—Spirited Away
You can connect with Kaela and follow her books and author journey at the following links.
KaelaRivera.com
Twitter: @Kaela_Rivera_
Instagram: @KaelaCub
Purchase CECE RIOS AND THE DESERT OF SOULS
Preorder CECE RIOS AND THE KING OF FEARS
Suggested Mentor Text:
Purchase PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS: THE LIGHTNING THIEF
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
Rajani LaRocca: Where we discuss Shakespeare, Time Management, and Following the Dopamine
MG Book Party
07/22/21 • 46 min
Our biggest takeaway from our interview with Middle Grade author Rajani LaRocca is this new mantra she shared with us—Follow the Dopamine! She says if if doesn't bring you joy, don't do it! And that goes for marketing, career advice, and how to write your books. Our chat with this dynamic, gracious, and hilariously down-to-earth author left us feeling 100% happier! Come find out what it means to lead a Rajani LaRocca kind of life, and get excited about her passions, and discovering your own.
Author Bio:
Rajani LaRocca was born in India, raised in Kentucky, and now lives in the Boston area, where she practices medicine and writes award-winning novels and picture books, including Midsummer’s Mayhem (2019), Seven Golden Rings (2020), Red, White, and Whole (2021), Bracelets for Bina’s Brothers (2021), Much Ado About Baseball (2021), and more. She’s always been an omnivorous reader, and now she is an omnivorous writer of fiction and nonfiction, novels and picture books, prose and poetry. She finds inspiration in her family, her childhood, the natural world, math, science, and just about everywhere she looks. To connect with Rajani and learn more about her and her books visit her at www.Rajani.LaRocca.com or @rajanilarocca on Twitter, Instagram, and Clubhouse.
You can connect with Rajani and follow her books and author journey at the following links.
www.RajaniLaRocca.com
Twitter: @RajaniLaRocca
Instagram: @RajaniLaRocca
Purchase MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL
Purchase MIDSUMMER'S MAYHEM
Purchase RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on Amazon.
As always, please feel free to connect with Heather and Cheryl in the following places:
www.CherylCaldwellAuthor.com
www.HeatherClarkBooks.com
www.MGBookParty.com
Order LEMON DROP FALLS by Heather Clark here.
Twitter: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites, @MGBookParty
Instagram: @SaltyQuills, @HeatherClarkBooks, @MGBookParty
Clubhouse: @CherylCaldwell, @HClarkWrites
Or Join MGBookParty on Clubhouse here.
Disclaimer - Book links on this page are affiliate links through Bookshop.org. By ordering through our links, you are supporting independent bookstores, and also this podcast, through no additional cost to you.
Please consider purchasing titles by ALL MGBookParty Featured Authors here to help support this podcast.
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FAQ
How many episodes does MG Book Party have?
MG Book Party currently has 21 episodes available.
What topics does MG Book Party cover?
The podcast is about Podcasts, Books, Education and Arts.
What is the most popular episode on MG Book Party?
The episode title 'An Interview with MG Author Mae Respicio: Where we talk about Slime Recipes, Writing Journeys, and What We Can Control' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on MG Book Party?
The average episode length on MG Book Party is 45 minutes.
How often are episodes of MG Book Party released?
Episodes of MG Book Party are typically released every 12 days, 21 hours.
When was the first episode of MG Book Party?
The first episode of MG Book Party was released on Jul 9, 2021.
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