Grab a book. Grab a bite. Join the conversation! Welcome to Episode 1 of Author Lunch Bunch with the Word Nerd, a fun author interview series designed to connect middle school students with the people behind the books they love!
In this first episode, I'm sitting down for lunch with FOUR incredible children's and middle grade authors: Gordon Korman, Rebecca Caprara, Joanne Levy, and Eoin Colfer!
Perfect for middle school ELA classrooms, school libraries, reading classes, book clubs, and independent reading programs, Author Lunch Bunch gives students a chance to get to know authors beyond the pages of their books—and hopefully discover a new book they can't wait to read.
ON THE LUNCH BUNCH MENU
We asked each author:
1. Hot lunch or cold lunch—and what was your favorite thing to find in the lunch line or your lunchbox?
2. Which book character would you WANT sitting beside you at lunch... and which one would you definitely NOT invite? 😂
3. In middle school, I was voted "Most Likely To..." ______.
4. Who was your favorite teacher, and what made them memorable?
5. Where do you do your best writing?
6. Which author or book helped shape you as a writer?
Along the way, you'll hear stories about middle school, favorite books, writing habits, memorable teachers, beloved characters, and what it's really like to be an author.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Gordon Korman — bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids and teens, including Restart, The Unteachables, Ungifted, and the Swindle series.
Rebecca Caprara — author and poet whose books for young readers include novels in verse and stories exploring friendship, family, identity, and finding your voice.
Joanne Levy — award-winning author of funny, heartfelt books for young readers, including Sorry for Your Loss, Small Medium at Large and How to Walk a Dog.
Eoin Colfer — internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series. Global and many other adventures for young readers.
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: Try showing Author Lunch Bunch during lunch, advisory, library time, First Chapter Friday, independent reading, or whenever your students need a fun dose of bookish inspiration. Students can even bring their lunches and turn it into your own classroom Author Lunch Bunch!
⭐Want YOUR students' questions featured in a future episode?
Word Nerd Collaborative MVP classrooms help create Author Lunch Bunch by submitting questions for our featured authors and participating in special Mystery Author activities before each episode.
www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
I'm Amanda Zieba—the Word Nerd—author, educator, and creator of First Chapter Friday. My goal is simple: help teachers connect kids with books they actually WANT to read. Grab a book. Grab a bite. Join the conversation!
Music Credit: Amanda Zieba and Suno Pro (2026)
#AuthorLunchBunch #MiddleSchoolELA #MiddleGradeBooks #AuthorInterview #ReadingEngagement #SchoolLibrarian #MiddleSchoolBooks #ClassroomLibrary #BookRecommendations #FirstChapterFriday #GordonKorman #EoinColfer #RebeccaCaprara #JoanneLevy #ReadingTeachers
In this first episode, I'm sitting down for lunch with FOUR incredible children's and middle grade authors: Gordon Korman, Rebecca Caprara, Joanne Levy, and Eoin Colfer!
Perfect for middle school ELA classrooms, school libraries, reading classes, book clubs, and independent reading programs, Author Lunch Bunch gives students a chance to get to know authors beyond the pages of their books—and hopefully discover a new book they can't wait to read.
ON THE LUNCH BUNCH MENU
We asked each author:
1. Hot lunch or cold lunch—and what was your favorite thing to find in the lunch line or your lunchbox?
2. Which book character would you WANT sitting beside you at lunch... and which one would you definitely NOT invite? 😂
3. In middle school, I was voted "Most Likely To..." ______.
4. Who was your favorite teacher, and what made them memorable?
5. Where do you do your best writing?
6. Which author or book helped shape you as a writer?
Along the way, you'll hear stories about middle school, favorite books, writing habits, memorable teachers, beloved characters, and what it's really like to be an author.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Gordon Korman — bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids and teens, including Restart, The Unteachables, Ungifted, and the Swindle series.
Rebecca Caprara — author and poet whose books for young readers include novels in verse and stories exploring friendship, family, identity, and finding your voice.
Joanne Levy — award-winning author of funny, heartfelt books for young readers, including Sorry for Your Loss, Small Medium at Large and How to Walk a Dog.
Eoin Colfer — internationally bestselling author of the Artemis Fowl series. Global and many other adventures for young readers.
TEACHERS & LIBRARIANS: Try showing Author Lunch Bunch during lunch, advisory, library time, First Chapter Friday, independent reading, or whenever your students need a fun dose of bookish inspiration. Students can even bring their lunches and turn it into your own classroom Author Lunch Bunch!
⭐Want YOUR students' questions featured in a future episode?
Word Nerd Collaborative MVP classrooms help create Author Lunch Bunch by submitting questions for our featured authors and participating in special Mystery Author activities before each episode.
www.wordnerdcollaborative.com
I'm Amanda Zieba—the Word Nerd—author, educator, and creator of First Chapter Friday. My goal is simple: help teachers connect kids with books they actually WANT to read. Grab a book. Grab a bite. Join the conversation!
Music Credit: Amanda Zieba and Suno Pro (2026)
#AuthorLunchBunch #MiddleSchoolELA #MiddleGradeBooks #AuthorInterview #ReadingEngagement #SchoolLibrarian #MiddleSchoolBooks #ClassroomLibrary #BookRecommendations #FirstChapterFriday #GordonKorman #EoinColfer #RebeccaCaprara #JoanneLevy #ReadingTeachers