This year’s virtual Middle Ground Book Fest, which took place August 7 and 8, brought together authors, educators, librarians, and book lovers to learn from one another and find new ways to inspire readers ages 8–14. Independent bookstore RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Conn., provided books for sale. The festival was founded in 2020 by Shannon Doleski, Tanya Guerrero, Lorien Lawrence, and Janae Marks, who sought a way to support their fellow debut authors amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. We’ve gathered highlights from the 16 panels, which focused on a variety of middle grade topics and featured a diverse group of authors and other members of the children’s book community. All panels are available to watch on YouTube.
MGBF founders and authors (clockwise, from top l.) Shannon Doleski, Tanya Guerrero, Lorien Lawrence, and Janae Marks welcomed attendees to the festival.
The panel titled “A Good Scare” focused on the importance and craft of the horror, mystery, and thriller genres. (Clockwise, from top l.): moderator Kim Ventrella with authors Jake Burt, Kate Milford, Max Brallier, Supriya Kelkar, and Eden Royce.
(Clockwise from top row, c.) Author Erin Entrada Kelly moderated a discussion on authors’ “Abandoned Manuscripts,” featuring Laurel Snyder, Anika Fajardo, Ronald L. Smith, and Lisa Moore Ramée.
(Clockwise from top row, c.) Educator Alexis Ennis led authors Shakirah Bourne, G.Z. Schmidt, Kaela Rivera, Alyssa Coleman, and Alysa Wishingrad in conversation about "Building an Immersive Fantastical World from Familiar and Real-World Inspiration.”
The “Disability Representation” panel moderated by author Cindy Baldwin (bottom row, l.) brought together a mix of authors and educators (clockwise, from top l.): Sarah Allen, Ness Shortley, William Alexander, Mike Jung, and Karuna Riazi.
(Clockwise from top row, c.) Moderated by Jacqueline West, “From YA to MG” featured fellow authors Joy McCullough, Carlie Sorosiak, Jasmine Warga, and Akemi Dawn Bowman.
