In episode 237 of the Your Kid’s Next Read podcast:
10 minutes with Maddy Mara
It’s launch week for the Your Next Read junior fiction series and we chat to superstar author Maddy Mara about ‘The Lonely Lunch Club’, illustrated by Laura Stitzel. But get ready for a surprise…
Books we mention
Click on the titles to find out more or buy. See contact page for affiliate disclosure.
Sign up here for the Your Kid’s Next Read newsletter and your chance to win our #bookmail.
Bookmail and TBR pile
‘The Lonely Lunch Club’ by Maddy Mara and Laura Stitzel
‘Bea, Bart and The Birds’ by Katrina Nannestad and Cheryl Orsini
‘Will Fin Win?’ by Jane Godwin and Tom Jellett
‘The Missing Pencil Case’’ by Jasmin McGaughey and Jade Goodwin
Other
YOUR NEXT READ LAUNCH EVENT with Katrina Nannestad
Live on Zoom. Free, but bookings essential. Details and tickets here.
Episode 784 of Words and Nerds Podcast
Allison and Tash Besliev (publisher Affirm Press/Simon & Schuster) chat to host Dani Vee about the origin story of Your Next Read
Teacher Resources for the Your Next Read series
10 minutes with Maddy Mara
About Maddy Mara
Maddy Mara is the pen name of Australian creative due Hilary Rogers and Meredith Badger.
Working together, they have created many international hit series including Dragon Girls(which has sold more than 5 million copies worldwide), Itty Bitty Kitty, Jet Set Pets, Forever Fairies, Dragon Games, and the upcoming Max Beast. And now they’re a part of Your Next Read!
They also write picture books including Brave in Every Which Way, The Greatest Mistakes that Went Right, and The Wonders of Never Giving Up.
The authors live and work on the lands of the Wurundjeri and Bunurong Boon Wurrung people in Melbourne, Australia.
About
Hilary is a writer, editor, and former children’s publisher.
She’s best known as half of the ‘Maddy Mara’ creative duo with friend and longtime collaborator Meredith Badger. Hilary and Meredith have created international hit series such as Dragon Girls, Forever Fairies, and Itty Bitty Kitty, among others. They are now obsessed with working together, and may actually be one human cut into two (quite small) parts.
As a publisher, Hilary commissioned several multi-million-selling series. She’s also the author of the Girltopia trilogy. Hilary lives on the lands of the Wurundjeri in Melbournewith her family and ironically enormous cat, Itty Bitty.
About
Meredith Badger had her first book published in 2005 and hasn’t stopped writing since. Her books range from picture books through to award-winning YA.
In 2019 her writing life completely changed when she began collaborating with longtime friend and her one-time editor, Hilary Rogers, under the name ‘Maddy Mara’. Together, they have created many popular series, including Dragon Girls and Forever Fairies, and have decided two heads are better than one when it comes to writing.
When not working on books, Meredith tutors in English as a second language. If she’s doing neither of these things, she’s probably off on a walk somewhere, getting lost and wondering if dragons can breathe fire under water.
She currently lives with her family and ridiculously fluffy cat in Melbourne, on Bunurong Boon Wurrung lands.
About
Laura Stitzel is an illustrator, author and animator who has been working as an independent artist in Canada and Australia since 2008.
She is the author and illustrator of two books – Moonlight Mums and Mr Mo Starts to Grow. She is the illustrator of several picture books for children, and her artwork also appears on many book covers.
Her art has also appeared in many television series. Laura has created background art, character animation and storyboards at studios creating content for Disney, PBS, Adult Swim, Fox Entertainment and Netflix.
Laura completed Post Graduate study in Animation and Interactive Media at RMIT in Melbourne and studied classical drawing and painting at the New York Academy of Art.
About ‘Your Next Read Silver: The Lonely Lunch Club’
Do you like FRIENDS, SCHOOL and FUNNY STORIES?
Then this book is YOUR NEXT READ.
One lunchtime, Benji goes to the worst bench in the whole school instead of playing footy. There he meets a girl named Alice and a spider named Mabel. And Mabel needs their help!
But can Benji and Alice do it alone?
Maddy Mara’s book recommendations
Ivy and Bean (series) by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
Friday Barnes (series) by R. A. Spratt
Squishy Taylor (series) by Ailsa Wild and Ben Wood
Other episodes you might like
Episode 228: 10 minutes with Katrina Nannestad
Episode 214: Encouraging Reading At Home
Our books
The Mapmaker Chronicles series by A. L. Tait
The Ateban Cipher (duology) by A. L. Tait
The Maven & Reeve Mysteries by A. L. Tait
The First Summer of Callie McGee by A. L. Tait
Willow Bright’s Secret Plot by A. L. Tait
Danger Road by A. L. Tait
The Beehive by Megan Daley
Teacher, Teacher (anthology), edited by Megan Daley
Raising Readers by Megan Daley
Connect with your show hosts
Facebook | Allison Tait | Megan Daley
Instagram at Allison Tait | Megan Daley
The YKNR community on Facebook here.
Meet Allison Rushby, the third member of #teamyknr. Find out about Allison and her books here.
0 Comments