Past Meets Present in YA and MG Fiction

By Editorial Director Amy Fitzgerald

As a kid, I was obsessed with historical fiction. For me, it was an exciting escape from my generally comfortable but uneventful middle-class white life. Only later did I notice that it’s usually white people who fantasize about living in a different time.

Meet Enly Wu Lewis, aspiring musician. He’s determined to go to band camp, but with his mother working two jobs and saving every penny for his older brother’s college tuition, he’s going to have to earn enough money himself. Enly decides to earn money busking on the streets of Altamont, but a series of misadventures upend his plans.

Author Jennie Liu joins us today to discuss writing Enly and the Buskin’ Blues. Read on to find the free downloadable discussion guide!

Check out February new releases from Lerner Publishing Group!

While the winter lingers, the school year carries on and middle graders can get a bit antsy waiting for spring. I know I’m impatiently waiting for the snow to melt, myself. So we’ve compiled a list of middle grade fiction, nonfiction, and graphic novels to soothe the most restless of reader. The irresistible middle grade fiction will charm and delight as the characters experience challenges and joys. The mind-blowing nonfiction will amaze and inspire, while the graphic novels will set imaginations soaring. What are you waiting for? Jump in!