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After more than four years of not recording a new episode, I finally have the time (I hope) to start releasing episodes on a regular basis. So much has changed in my life in the last four years, but my love of middle grade stories remains the same. This episode focuses on books about social activism. Here is the modified transcript:

Show intro

Welcome to another episode of Happy Reading, a podcast that spotlights and celebrates fabulous middle grade stories. I’m Sarah Threlkeld, a former 6th grade reading teacher and elementary librarian who’s currently working toward a Master’s in Children’s Literature and an MFA in Writing for Children at Simmons University in Boston, MA. I have been obsessed with children’s books since I was a kid and absolutely love recommending them to readers of all ages. I’m that person who eavesdrops on families in libraries and bookstores and then offers unsolicited advice on which books to take home.


For those of you joining me for the first time, each episode is formatted the same way. I summarize a
handful of books that fit a theme and read a short excerpt from each one so you get a sense of the characters’ voices and storyline. While I truly believe middle grade books can be enjoyed by people of all ages, they are generally thought of as a good fit for 8- to 12-year-old readers, although some books do skew younger, while others are classified as older middle grade because of mature themes. Not every book on this podcast will be appropriate for every reader, and occasionally I may recommend chapter books or young adult books that fit the episode’s theme. Now that you know what you’ve gotten yourself into, let’s get started!

“Amplify,” a reverso poem by Lindsay H. Metcalf from No Voice Too Small

I thought Metcalf’s poem was the perfect way to open this episode, since it spotlights five middle grade books

about young people challenging social structures and working toward change in their communities. A ton of middle grade

stories about activism have been published in the last few years, so the ones I feature are just a taste of what’s available

at your local library and bookstore. 

A Good Kind of Trouble

Our first book is A Good Kind of Trouble by Lisa Moore Ramée, published by Balzer + Bray in 2019. Here’s the summary from the dust jacket:

I’m going to share chapter 7 with you since its events spark Shayla’s interest in social activism.

Dress Coded

Our next book is Carrie Firestone’s Dress Coded, published in 2020 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons. You can

probably guess from the title that it’s about challenging school dress code policy. The format of this book

is really interesting because it weaves together interviews, lists, texts, letters, and regular narration. The

chapters are generally short, which tricks you into thinking you have time for just one more section…or two

more….or maybe three more. I’ll share the book’s summary and then read a few different sections from the

beginning of Dress Coded so you get a sense of Firestone’s approach to the story.

Take Back the Block

Our third book centers around the effects of gentrification, particularly on communities of color.

Take Back the Block by Chrystal D. Giles was published by Random House in 2021 and tells the story

of Wes Henderson, who, much to his surprise, becomes an activist when his neighborhood is threatened

by development. The book’s summary reads as follows:

And here’s chapter five, where Wes and his friends find out about the development deal.

Turn the Tide

Released by Clarion in 2022, Turn the Tide by Elaine Dimopoulos is a novel in verse about

environmental activism. Here’s the summary:

Since Turn the Tide is written in verse, I’ll read a selection of poems that provide insight into the

inspiration behind Mimi’s crusade to ban plastic bags in her town.

Small Town Pride

The last book I’ll spotlight is Small Town Pride by Phil Stamper, which was published by Harper  in 2022. The book cover summary reads:

Much like Shayla in A Good Kind of Trouble , Jake is more interested in surviving middle school and

spending time with his friends than he is in making waves, until something happens to shift his perspective.

I chose to share part of chapter 7 since it sets the scene for Jake’s newfound commitment to transforming

his community into a place where everyone feels accepted. 

I hope you are as inspired as I am after hearing about these wonderful middle grade books. As I mentioned

at the start of this episode, there are tons of other great titles out there about kids and social activism, so

you are bound to find a couple stories that focus on whatever you’re passionate about.

Outro

Thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Happy Reading podcast. I hope you discovered some new books that you are excited to read or that you were reminded of some that have been hanging out on your TBR stack. If you know of other wonderful middle grade books that fit this episode’s theme, I’d love to hear about them. You can find me on Twitter as Wordnerd153 and on Instagram as Kidlit_Lover. You can also message me through the Happy Reading website at happyrdng.blogspot.com. If you enjoy this podcast and want to help other people discover it, please take a moment to rate and review it on Apple Podcasts. Thanks again for spending some time with me. Until next time, happy reading!