Librarians, teachers, and young readers are searching for stories that address “tough” topics at an age-appropriate level, but how exactly do we handle those topics with care and still leave room for joy? Hear from four award-winning authors who've taken on this age category – Sydney Dunlap, Heather Murphy Capps, Meg Eden Kuyatt, and María José Fitzgerald – whose books cover themes from environmental and social justice to neurodivergence and human trafficking. Sydney Dunlap is a former elementary school teacher turned poet and writer, as well as the author of the multi-award winning debut novel, It Happened on Saturday, and new release, Racing the Clouds. Her books tackle difficult but timely subject matter with hope and heart. Heather Murphy Capps is a former television news reporter and now an educator and author of Indigo and Ida and The Rule of Three. She grounds her stories in history and social justice themes. Meg Eden Kuyatt is the author of award-winning novel in verse, Good Different, and the forthcoming The Girl in the Walls, with themes of identity and self-advocacy from the perspective of a neurodivergent protagonist. María José Fitzgerald is a Honduran storyteller and educator whose debut novel, Turtles of the Midnight Moon, won the 2024 Green Earth Book Award. Join us for this roundtable conversation on the middle grade market and how authors are tackling important and serious topics in ways that are accessible to middle grade readers. Purchase the author's books via Auntie's Bookstore!

*This event is virtual and will premiere on our YouTube Channel at the time listed above. Here's the link!

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