π Middle Grade π
Just a few of the many writers of Middle Grade authors who have appeared on First Draft, including many fan favorite episodes.
Find more at First Draftβs searchable archive of previous episodes!
Kate DiCamillo
Kate DiCamillo is one of six people to win two Newbery Medals, for her novels The Tale of Despereaux and Flora & Ulysses, and author of Newbery Honor book Because of Winn-Dixie, National Book Award finalist The Tiger Rising, New York Times bestselling novels The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Magicianβs Elephant, ο»Ώthe Mercy Watson series, and the Three Rancheros trilogy, Beverly, Right Here, Raymie Nighingale, and Louisianaβs Way Home.
DiCamillo was the U.S. National Ambassador for Young People's Literature for 2014 and 2015.
Soman Chainani
Soman Chainani, New York Times bestselling author of the School for Good and Evil series: School for Good and Evil, A World Without Princes, The Last Ever After, Quests for Glory, A Crystal of Time, and One True King each debuting on the New York Times bestseller list and an upcoming major motion picture from Netflix.
Stuart Gibbs
Stuart Gibbs, New York Times bestselling author of the Spy School series, the FunJungle series, the Moon Base Alpha series, and The Last Musketeer series. His newest series kicked off in 2019 with Charlie Thorne and the Last Equation. He also has a new FunJungle book, Tyrannosaurus Wrecks, and a new Spy School book, Spy School Revolution.
Pseudonymous Bosch and Shane Pangburn
Pseudonymous Bosch, the pen name for Raphael Simon, is the New York Times bestselling author of The Name of This Book is Secret and the Secret series, Bad Magic and the Bad series. Shane Pangburn is a writer and illustrator and producer of YALLWEST (hear his First Draft interview here). Simon wrote, and Pangburn illustrated, The Unbelievable Oliver and its sequel, The Unbelievable Oliver and the Sawed In Half Dads.
Pseudonymous Bosch, Shane Pangburn, and Melissa de la Cruz are joining forces for a new middle grade series, The Reject Room, out in 2021.
John August
John Augustβscreenwriter known for Go, Big Fish, and more, and host of the Scriptnotes podcast, is also the middle-grade author of the Arlo Finch adventure series: Arlo Finch in the Valley of Fire, Arlo Finch in the Kingdom of Shadows, and Arlo Finch in the Lake of the Moon.