From The Mixed Up Files

Interview with Middle Grade Author Jamie Sumner Karen Reeder: Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little bit about Wish You Well? Jamie Sumner: Absolutely. I’m Jamie Sumner, and I write middle grade novels. Some are in verse, some are in prose, and I have a graphic novel adaptation of my first book coming out in about a year, which I’m really excited about. That’s been a lot like working on a script—hard and amazing. Wish You Well is written in prose, but the premise is anything but traditional. Three kids...

The Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) has revised its Canon of Ethics, with changes set to take place September 1, 2026.   Significant Changes to Note   While agents still may not charge a client for editorial work done to prepare a manuscript for submission, other avenues of generating revenue have opened up. As reported by medium.com, agents can now “offer clients paid services, such as marketing, publicity, web design, and, in some circumstances, editorial services, as long as representation is not contingent on purchasing those services.”   A significant change to the Canon, while not encouraging agents to...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today, we’re interviewing Martha Brockenbrough author of Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence and How It Will Change Everything (Feiwel & Friends, March 2024). This 23-chapter deep dive into the history, prevalence, and...

Interview with Middle Grade Author Jamie Sumner Karen Reeder: Thank you for joining us today. Can you tell us a little bit about Wish You Well? Jamie Sumner: Absolutely. I’m Jamie Sumner, and I write middle grade novels. Some are in verse, some are in prose, and I have a...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

Author Interview with Maire Roche Today’s author interview is with Middle Grade author Maire Roche. If you like monsters and retellings, then then buckle up for a fun read! So, without further ado…. KATE: Our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love the inside scoop on your latest book, Little Monsters! Can you...

A question I hear often from kid readers is “How can you write for us when you’re an adult?” There’s a lot of reasons why this question pops up, but one of the biggest is the fact that adults simply aren’t kids. In their minds, we don’t look like them,...