What Does It Mean to Win? | Donna Galanti on The Secret Winners Club
Reading in The Middle · Annisha Jeffries
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (sphinx.acast.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
What happens when kids who feel overlooked finally discover their power?
In this episode of Reading in the Middle, Annisha sits down with Donna Galanti to discuss her middle-grade novel, The Secret Winners Club, a story about belonging, visible differences, bullying, and the true cost of winning.
At the heart of the novel is Sunny, a girl with alopecia who joins a group of kids determined to rise above being underestimated. But as competition heats up—from swim team rivalries to social power struggles—the question shifts from how to win to what winning is really worth.
Together, Annisha and Donna explore:
- Subtle and competitive forms of bullying
- The emotional drive of “beating your bullies.”
- Complex family dynamics, including single-parent households and the return of an absent father
- Why middle grade is the perfect space for moral gray areas
This episode is for librarians, educators, caregivers, and anyone who believes middle-grade books face the biggest questions with the most honesty.
✨ Listen, subscribe, and keep reading in the middle.
Visit Donna on her website: donnagalanti.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.