From sweet treats and mysteries to baseball and rivalries, these books have it all! We are so thrilled to be hosting these incredible middle grade authors and their fantastic stories for what’s sure to be an unforgettable event. Tune in from anywhere to hear from TRACY BADUA, author of Their Just Desserts, SANDRA W. HEADEN, author of Warrior on the Mound, WENDY WAN-LONG SHANG, author of The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun, and BRITTANY J. THURMAN, author of Opal Watson: Private Eye. It's going to be delightful!

Their Just Desserts by TRACY BADUA: In the rollicking follow-up to The Cookie Crumbles, Laila and Lucy are living it up at the top of the junior high food chain as eight graders. But between busy schedules and (kinda) boyfriends, they just haven’t gotten to hang out as much. So, when ex-competition rival Jaden begs them to step back into the shadowy world of cooking competition crime, the answer is yes.

Warrior on the Mound by SANDRA W. HEADEN: In 1935, Twelve-year-old Cato wants nothing more than to play ball. He trains to perfect his pitch, and hopefully, meet Mr. Satchel Paige––the best pitcher in Negro League baseball. But when he and his teammates “trespass” on their town’s whites-only baseball field for a practice, the resulting racial outrage burns like a brushfire through the entire community. It threatens Cato, his family, and every one of his friends.

The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun by WENDY WAN-LONG SHANG: Esme absolutely doesn't care about winning or trophies or the kind of praise her sisters get from her mother. Nope. Not at all. But when she discovers that her growth spurt has made her a really fast swimmer, it turns out that maybe does care (just a little bit). In fact, it turns out that she wants to break the freestyle record at a swimming competition.

Opal Watson: Private Eye by BRITTANY J. THURMAN: Opal Watson loves being a detective. Whether its a missing cat goes missing a lost cookbook, she's on the case! Madison, her best friend, has heard disturbances in the apartment building she and Opal live in, the Crescent -- and nobody know where the noise is coming from. Even worse, the historic building is the target of developers wanting to tear it down. Can Opal solve the mystery at the Crescent and save her home? And what hidden truths will she uncover along the way?

Sunday, June 1st at 3pm ET via Crowdcast!

Great Middle Grade Reads