Latest Grades 4-8 Podcast Episodes
Episode 89: Back to the 90s
Two Lit Mamas - May 09, 2024 03:00 - 46 minutesThe Mamas stroll down memory lane with historical fiction set in the 90s. Once they get past the uncomfortable fact that their young adulthood is considered vintage–plaid skirts and flannel shirts included, the Mamas gleefully dig into a variety of books for Middle Graders (ages 8-12), Young Adu...
Episode 88: YA Short Stories
Two Lit Mamas - April 25, 2024 02:00 - 52 minutesThe Mamas get dark, emotional, and angst-y with a collection of short stories for Young Adults (ages 14-18) that they may be too old to fully understand but fully enjoyed anyway. Join the Mamas as they discuss the significance of collections, the struggles facing modern teens, and the power of w...
Episode 87: New MG Fantasy
Two Lit Mamas - April 11, 2024 02:00 - 40 minutesThe total eclipse (of the sun not the heart) inspired the Mamas to explore gilded worlds and travel through time (and party like it’s 1999) with new Middle Grade fantasy books for ages 8-12. As you may have suspected, the Mamas were once just two farm girls waiting to be picked from obscurity fo...
Episode 86: March Mysteries
Two Lit Mamas - March 28, 2024 03:00 - 49 minutesIn episode 86, the Mamas party like it’s 1999 with their favorite genre, mysteries. Heather brings you a new Middle Grade mystery and rebel Mama, Margie, shares one of her favorite newer grown up series. The Mamas also explore the mystery of the Middle Grade slump and follow up the book chat wi...
Episode 85: Middle Grade March
Two Lit Mamas - March 14, 2024 01:00 - 41 minutesHappy Middle Grade March! The Mamas are in their element, celebrating new Middle Grade book releases that cover a roller coaster of categories from Emily Post’s etiquette tips and environmental activism to Dungeons & Dragons style quests and cryptid monsters from other dimensions. Margie follows...
Episode 84: Spies & Heists
Two Lit Mamas - February 29, 2024 03:00 - 41 minutesIn episode 84, the Mamas go full fangirl swooning over beloved spymaster James Ponti, author of the bestselling City Spies series and Crime Fighters series for middle grade (ages 8-12). The Mamas fell for Ponti back in 2020 with the first City Spies book and wanted to catch up with the series, c...
Episode 83: Hot off the Presses
Two Lit Mamas - February 14, 2024 20:00 - 32 minutesThe Mamas have burned their little mom fingers to bring you the hottest new books for 2024. From grown up books in the book chat to picture books in the Pick 6, the Mamas are sharing the latest books that grabbed them in a world with so many books and too little time. What do you think of their ...
Episode 82: Graphic Novels R Cool (Who Knew!)
Two Lit Mamas - February 01, 2024 03:00 - 42 minutesIn this episode of the Two Lit Mamas podcast, the Mamas get graphic but Tipper Gore can chill – no warning label required for this bundle of sweet, fun, and entertaining Middle Grade (ages 8-12)and Young Adult (ages 13 and up) novels in comic form! That’s right, the mamas are chatting about grap...
Episode 81: Books for Grown Ups
Two Lit Mamas - January 18, 2024 00:00 - 32 minutesThe Mamas want to help you through the dark days of winter with recommendations for the grown up books they plowed through over the holidays. Don't worry, they'll be back with kid book recs next time around, but for episode 81, all you parents, teachers, and writers out there, prepare to get y...
Episode 80: Mystery & Mayhem for the Holidays
Two Lit Mamas - December 07, 2023 02:00 - 36 minutesThe Mamas get festive for the last episode of 2023 with a holiday-themed short story collection for 8–12-year-olds filled with murder, mystery, and mayhem. If you enjoy a holiday haunted house, listen in as the Mama’s say good-bye to 2023 with a book chat about creepy funhouses, famous cat burgl...
Episode 79: 2023 Holiday Gift Guide, Part 2
Two Lit Mamas - November 23, 2023 00:00 - 58 minutesStuff your mouth with turkey while the Mama’s share their opinions on funny, sexy, and murdery Grown Up books that made the top of their lists in 2023. Heather went for fantasies filled with dragons and angry gods, while Margie nabbed myths, space murders and, of course, zombies. You can’t go ...
Episode 78: Holiday Gift Guide, Part 1
Two Lit Mamas - November 09, 2023 06:00 - 51 minutesThe Mamas have once again donned their pointy hats and elf ears for another Holiday Gift Guide Extravaganza-ganza-ganza! As a special treat, they've also included an highlight reel for 2023. Get out your pen or open an app so you can make your list. Don't forget to check it 500 times. Happy Shop...
Episode 77: Ghost Stories for Spooky Season
Two Lit Mamas - October 26, 2023 03:00 - 41 minutesEpisode 77: Ghost Stories for Spooky Season It’s the Mamas’ favorite time of the year when they happily scare themselves silly with ghost stories that are not only bone-chilling but also life affirming. The Mamas start the book chat by chanting Bloody Mary’s name three times in the dark so watc...
Episode 76: Game On!
Two Lit Mamas - October 12, 2023 02:00 - 43 minutesThe Mamas want to help get your Middle Schoolers off screens with game-themed novels for 8-12 year olds! Join the book chat as the Mamas share two new fantasy/sci-fi novels that will appeal to gamers: one book is set in a haunted woods and includes three sixth-graders who play a game to save the...
Episode 75: Middle Grade Mysteries
Two Lit Mamas - September 28, 2023 04:00 - 41 minutesThe Mamas shine in their diamond episode, geeking out over their favorite genre, mysteries. First, the Mamas fangirl about TV cozies, then they chat it up with two new mystery novels for kiddos, ages 8-12: one that Margie recommends for the classroom and one that Heather recommends for family ca...
Episode 74: This Magic MG Moment
Two Lit Mamas - September 14, 2023 03:00 - 42 minutesIt’s a magical moment indeed when Margie realizes a book can have too many fart jokes. Heather didn’t even use her witch wand to open Margie’s eyes. Shocking! In the latest episode of the Two Lit Mamas podcast, the Mamas sprinkle fairy dust on their Middle Grade book chat to spin stories filled ...
Episode 73: Blast Off to Space!
Two Lit Mamas - August 24, 2023 03:00 - 49 minutesThe Mamas boldly and happily leave Earth for an hour to stowaway with space pirates and explore mars with a sentient rover in the 73rd episode of the Two Lit Mamas Podcast. If your Middle Schoolers would rather blast into space than go back to school, then listen in for books that will help them...
Episode 72: Falling Out of Summer
Two Lit Mamas - August 10, 2023 03:00 - 40 minutesThe Mamas are back from summer hiatus and fangirling hard for MPH’s newest book Falling Out of Time, a companion piece to Running Out of Time (for kids aged 8-12). They have a lot to say about the two Middle Grade novels but not until they get caught up after a month off. Hear how the Mamas got ...
Episode 71: MG Books for Foodies
Two Lit Mamas - June 22, 2023 02:00 - 41 minutesThe Mamas revisit their favorite topic, food! Gather the kid foodies in your life and share these fun summer reads for ages 8-12 that focus on diversity, overcoming adversity, friendship, family and most importantly delicious foods. The Mamas will wet your appetite for fiction, fusion food and c...
Episode 70: Hidden Folk in Middle Grade
Two Lit Mamas - June 08, 2023 04:00 - 41 minutesThe Mamas go in search of fairies, gnomes, and magical folk in Middle Grade novels (for 7-12 year olds) to kick off summer! Well, let's be honest, Heather went in search of them and Margie stomped along begrudgingly but that didn't keep them from bringing you two winners along with a fun round ...
Episode 69: YA! YA
Two Lit Mamas - May 25, 2023 03:00 - 51 minutesIn this episode, the Mamas ditch Middle Grade books (although their humor remains squarely in Middle School - don’t worry) for Young Adult reads to provide the sweet, stinky teens in your life with recs for fun summer fiction and the perfect high school graduation gift. Then, the Mamas share new...
Episode 68: Judy Blume FanMamas
Two Lit Mamas - May 10, 2023 22:00 - 47 minutesThe Mamas revisit their own middle school trials, traumas, and triumphs through a book chat around Judy Blume’s famous 1970 children’s book, Are You There, God, It’s Me Margaret and the new movie of the same title. If that isn’t enough, they also dig into the Amazon documentary Forever Judy Blum...
Episode 67: Short & Sweet
Two Lit Mamas - April 27, 2023 01:00 - 46 minutesThe Mamas are serving up short and sweet stories for your snacking pleasure in the 67th episode of the Two Lit Mamas podcast, a kidlit book review show, highlighting light-hearted short story collections that are perfect for the Middle Grade classroom. Book Chat: Super Puzzletastic Mysteries...
Episode 66: Revisiting the Pandemic (not as bad as it sounds)
Two Lit Mamas - April 12, 2023 03:00 - 24 minutesThe sun is shining, the birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming – it’s the perfect time to revisit the global pandemic (record scratch) – wait, what? Margie would like it known that it was Heather’s idea to read Middle Grade books about the pandemic during spring break. Don’t worry, dear li...
Episode 65: STEM Books that Rock
Two Lit Mamas - March 30, 2023 03:00 - 37 minutesWould you rather read STEM books or STEAM books? The Mamas say yes to both. The book chat this episode is loaded with STEAM themes as well as hot topics that impart natural life lessons gently and honestly without being preachy. The Mamas couldn't be happier with their chosen Middle Grade reads ...
Episode 64: For the Birds
Two Lit Mamas - March 16, 2023 02:00 - 46 minutesThe Mamas are flying high with two lower middle grade books that helped them escape into fun fantasy worlds filled with talking parrots and pigeons who cooed and plucked their way into the Mama’s hearts. If you have a bird loving 8–12-year-old or just want to flip birds in your mind, join our fl...
Episode 63: Happily Ever After
Two Lit Mamas - February 28, 2023 05:00 - 56 minutesThe Mamas went in search of lighthearted, feel-good reads to balance out the important yet difficult Middle Grade stories they’ve been consuming lately. Luckily they found them in a fantasy story and an historical fiction book. So, if you (or your kiddo aged 8-12) need some balance in your readi...
Episode 62: Important Stories of Adversity
Two Lit Mamas - February 16, 2023 01:00 - 41 minutesEpisode 62 of the Two Lit Mamas podcast hits all the feels, including the good, the sad and the funny, with a book chat about two important diverse stories for middle grade (ages 8-12) that plumb the depths of tragedy and adversity through the agony of racism and classism. The Mamas hope you wi...
Episode 61: Censored Books in Middle Grade
Two Lit Mamas - January 26, 2023 04:00 - 46 minutesThe Mamas fight censorship and much more with the help of special guest, Staci Schwarz, who dazzles the Mamas with her witty book critique and the scrumptious details of her new Middle Grade Book subscription box. Listen in to get the deets. (Please ignore Margie’s violent tendencies, we’re bla...
Episode 60: New Year, New Book Series
Two Lit Mamas - January 12, 2023 02:00 - 53 minutesThe Mamas started the New Year on the right foot with middle grade book series about gothic water parks, bubble aliens, and fart jokes! 2023 may or may not be a good year – the Mamas are sneaking in quietly so as not to provoke it – but, whatever the next 12 months bring, you can count on the Ma...
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