Tucson Festival of Books

Creativity in Writing Middle Grade Novels


Three bestselling authors share their processes of creativity in writing middle grade novels and advice about writing in the time of AI. Tracey Baptiste is the author of The Jumbies series and Moko Magic series. Sara Pennypacker is the author of "Pax" and "The Lion's Run." Mari Mancusi is the author of sci fi and fantasy, including “Dawn of the Dragons" and "New Dragon City."


Panelists
Tracey Baptiste

Tracey Baptiste is a New York Times bestselling author of twenty-six books for children, including the popular Jumbies series (“The Jumbies,” “Rise of the Jumbies,” and “The Jumbie God’s Revenge”) and the picture book “Looking for a Jumbie....

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Mari Mancusi

Mari Mancusi is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 sci-fi and fantasy books for children, teens, and adults. A former Emmy-winning TV news producer, her series have been featured on state reading lists, in Scholastic book fairs, and honored by the American Library Association’s “Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers....

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Sara Pennypacker

Sara Pennypacker is the bestselling author of several acclaimed novels for middle grade readers, including "The Lions' Run," "Pax," "Pax, Journey Home," the Clementine series and its spinoff series, Waylon, and "Summer of the Gypsy Moths," "Here in the Real World" and "Leeva at Last....

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Books:
Carnival Chaos
Tracey Baptiste
Children
Disney-Hyperion
January 2024
ISBN 9781368074377
400 pages

The Lions' Run
Sara Pennypacker
Children
Balzer + Bray
February 2026
ISBN 9781250392817
288 pages

New Dragon City
Mari Mancusi
Children
Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
February 2024
ISBN 9780316376792
352 pages