7 Ways to Write Health Issues into a Middle Grade Novel—Without Preaching or Making It the Whole Story by Donna Galanti and The Secret Winners Club Giveaway

 Happy Monday, Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Donna Galanti here to celebrate the release of her new MG contemporary, The Secret Winners Club. It sounds like a fantastic contemporary story that is on a lot of bloggers’ anticipated 2026 lists, and I’m looking forward to reading it. 

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

 

1st Rule of The Secret Winners Do whatever it takes.Thirteen-year-old Sunny Whitlock has alopecia; an autoimmune condition that’s made her lose her hair—and she’s desperate to be seen as more than just the bald kid. But how? By setting an epic win her school’s junkbot club competition. And if she’s #1, then other kids will have to see beyond her disease … and she’ll finally fit in.

Sunny’s immune-deficient best friends are also tired of looking different and achieving second place in their school competitions. With a bold plan, Sunny bands with them to create The Secret Winners Club, a club devised to win—at any cost—and push them outside their comfort zones.

They promise to trust no one else. It’s all classified! And in total secrecy they aim to help one another become #1 before this middle school year is over. But as they start to succeed, they quickly discover that crossing the line and hurting others can make them even more visible and even more an outsider. 

Now here’s Donna!

March is Autoimmune Awareness Month, and which is why I’m grateful that my newest middle grade book by Wild Trail Press, The Secret Winners Club, publishes this week because it has three characters with autoimmune diseases—just like me. As an adult, having conditions that make me look different is often a challenge. However, when it struck me just how much harder this would be for young people in middle school, I wanted to create a story for them. 

Writing about medical or health issues in middle grade fiction is powerful, but it’s also tricky. Kids don’t want lectures. They want stories that move, surprise, and entertain them. With this in mind, I wanted to weave health realities into the fabric of the story, so they feel authentic, not instructional. 

If you’re writing about characters with medical conditions, here are seven craft approaches that can help health issues exist meaningfully on the page without becoming the entire point of the book. 

1. Let the Character Want Something Bigger Than the Condition

In The Secret Winners Club, the main character, Sunny Whitlock, doesn’t wake up every day thinking about her alopecia, she’s thinking about winning the junkbot competition. Her health condition matters, but it’s not her driving force. Middle grade readers connect most strongly to goals they recognize like belonging, achievement, friendship, and independence. When a character’s primary motivation reaches beyond their diagnosis, the story stays character-driven instead of issue-driven. 

2. Show the Condition Through Obstacles, Not Explanations

Rather than stopping the story to explain a diagnosis, let the condition quietly shape what’s harder—or different—for the character. A moment of hesitation before a public event, an extra layer of planning, or a social misstep can convey more than a paragraph of exposition. Kids are super smart at picking up context clues. Trust them to understand without being told exactly what to think. 

3. Make the Health Issue One Thread in a Bigger Tangle

Middle grade lives are messy. School pressures, friendships, family dynamics, competition, jealousy, and secrets all overlap. Medical issues should be one strand among many, not the entire rope. In The Secret Winners Club, Sunny and her two friends, Vee and Trev, each deal with visible autoimmune diseases. They also want to win their individual school competitions so they can be seen as more than their conditions and beat out their rivals. When it comes to Sunny’s alopecia, Vee’s vitiligo, and Trevor’s psoriasis, these threads all intersect with ambition, moral choices, loyalty, and identity—so it feels like part of life, not the lesson of the book. 

4. Avoid the “Inspiration” Trap

Kids with health challenges don’t exist to inspire others. They exist to live full, complicated lives. Let your character be funny, flawed, competitive, jealous, or wrong. Sunny and her friends make questionable choices in pursuit of winning, which I hope keeps them human and relatable. When characters with health issues are allowed to fail or act selfishly (like we all can at times), they feel real and just not symbolic. 

5. Use Peer Relationships to Reflect Reality

Friendships are where middle grade stories truly shine. Showing how peers respond—supportively, awkwardly, incorrectly, or inconsistently—mirrors real-life experiences kids recognize. Sunny’s friendships aren’t perfect, and that’s the point. By letting relationships strain, heal, or shift, the story explores health issues socially without moralizing. 

6. Let Consequences Do the Teaching

If there’s a message, let it come from outcomes, not speeches. In The Secret Winners Club, the “win at any cost” mindset creates consequences that Sunny and her friends didn’t anticipate. Readers learn alongside the characters, discovering that shortcuts and secrecy can backfire. This approach respects young readers by allowing them to draw conclusions themselves. 

7. Trust Kids with Emotional Complexity

Middle grade readers can handle nuance. They understand that someone can be proud and insecure at the same time, or brave and scared in the same chapter. Health issues don’t need to be softened or oversimplified, but they also don’t need to dominate every emotional beat. When you trust kids with layered emotions, the story resonates longer and deeper.

The most effective middle grade novels don’t teach kids what to think—they invite them to feel, question, and reflect while making their own choices. When health and medical issues are written as part of a character’s lived experience rather than the moral center of the story, readers come away not with a lesson, but with empathy. This is far more powerful than preaching. 

About Donna Galanti:

Donna Galanti is the author of middle-grade books with the Unicorn Island series, Joshua and the Lightning Road series,  Loon Cove Summer, and The Secret Winners Club (3/3/26). She’s also the author of the paranormal suspense Element Trilogy for adults. Donna has lived in fun locations including England, her family-owned campground in New Hampshire, and in Hawaii where she served as a U.S. Navy photographer for Fleet Intelligence Pacific. Donna is an avid outdoor adventurer and nature lover. She volunteers for the Old-Growth Forest Network and the National Audubon Society. For more information on her books, online courses, speaking, and events, visit her at: www.donnagalanti.com. 

Giveaway Details

Donna is generously offering a paperback of The Secret Winners Club for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by March 14th. If I do not have your email (I can no longer get it from your Google Profile), you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites and/or follow me on Twitter or Bluesky or follow Donna on her social media sites, mention this in the comments, and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.  

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops 

Wednesday, March 4, I have an interview with Stacey Lee and a giveaway of her YA Heiress of Nowhere 

Monday, March 9, I have an interview with Ciera Burch and a giveaway of her MG Olivia Gray Will Not Fade Away 

Wednesday, March 11, I have an agent spotlight interview with Lindsey Aduskevich and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, March 16, I’m participating in the Chasing Rainbows Giveaway Hop 

Monday, March 23, I have a guest post by Aaron Starmer and a giveaway of his MG You Are Now Old Enough to Hear 

Wednesday, March 25, I have an agent spotlight interview with Rob Broder and a query critique giveaway 

Monday, March 30, I’m participating in the Honey Bunny Giveaway Hop 

I hope to see you on Wednesday!

 

 

Grow Your Characters: 6 Tips to Enrich MG Characters by Author Donna Galanti and $50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway to Celebrate Loon Cove Summer

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Donna Galanti here to celebrate the release of her MG Loon Cove Summer. This is a contemporary story, which is not what Donna usually writes. I’m looking forward to reading it this summer.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

"A warm-hearted novel ... balances profound loss with humor and hope." – Kate Allen, author of The Line Tender

Thirteen-year-old Sarah Richardson is determined that her life will finally get unstuck this summer. She just knows it. Her to-do list? Brave the lake again. Save the loons. Stop missing Mom. Her one bright spot: volunteering at the local wild bird rehabilitation center.

The summer looks even brighter when Sarah meets Theo, the boy staying at her family's Maine lakeside campground who cares about protecting the loons just like she does. But when Sarah's family may have to move, she adds a new to-do item: save their home. And when she suspects Dad is dating Theo's aunt, the naturalist helping research environmental dangers to the loons, Sarah is caught in a new world of grief.

With the looming reality of losing her dad, her home, and the loons, Sarah must make a big statement to take control of her life. Capturing inspiration from her late mother's Appalachian Trail hiking journal, she boldly plans a solo wild adventure. But as her challenges mount, she wonders if her courage will earn her the voice she seeks-or if she's made a reckless choice that just might claim her life.

More praise for Loon Cove Summer:

“An original and fun read from start to finish … inherently compelling and skillfully crafted. With its unexpected plot twists and deftly crafted characters, this thoroughly 'kid friendly' action/adventure novel is unreservedly recommended.” – Midwest Book Review

"As sparkling, refreshing, and mysterious as a Maine lake in summertime." – Cathy Carr, author of 365 Days to Alaska

“The cast of unforgettable characters and tender relationships stays with you.”
– Jessica Rinker, author of The Dare Sisters

“A page-turning read set in the wilds of Maine.” – Paul Greci, author of Surviving Bear Island 

Now here’s Donna!

Middle grade readers tend to live life more in the moment. As a writer, our readers are living busy, mundane often overwhelming lives so we must give them something to read that surprises them, thrills them, and lifts them up. We must give them a story that transports them to a new world from the one they are in.

These readers also want to get deep into the mind of their characters. They want to love them or hate them—and passionately. So, bring passion to the page! This starts with YOU being passionate about your main character.

Here are 6 ways to enrich writing your middle grade (MG) characters:

1.     UNDERSTAND THE MIND OF AN MG READER

First, let’s get more inside the mind of an 8- to 12-year-old reader. They live in a contrasting world. For example, they…

·       Want to be loyal to their family but crave independence

·       Want to define themselves with their own identity but want to fit in

·       Feel a yearning to grow up and make big choices but also want to feel safe and have things decided for them when life gets tough.

·       Are focused on themselves.

·       See how friendships start to get complicated.

·       Come to understand that things they once thought about friends and family changes (like believing their parents were perfect or invincible).

·       Have many new experiences for the first time.

This contrasting world of tweens offers resourceful areas to explore and deepen your character development.

2.     VOICE

Are there places in your book where the language feels a little too formal? Could you change formal

dialogue to contractions to be more conversational? You can have mature MG characters, but make sure when writing for tweens, you think like a tween. The reader needs to believe that this is a 12-year-old boy or girl that is going through all of this. Her thoughts, actions and reactions need to match that. 

Also, be consistent with your character’s voice. Does one character speak formally without contractions unlike the others? Carry that through. You don’t want your readers to say “Oh, she wouldn’t say that or talk like that. That’s so out of character.”

3.     SLOWLY BUILD UP YOUR CHARACTER

In your manuscript, do a search for character info dumps. Do you have sections where things are moving along and then a new character enters the story, and you give us a description dump list?

For example, the “author” stops the action to narrate and tell us about Emily with:
“Emily was tall. She had deep blue eyes and light brown hair that was mid-shoulder length. Emily was leading her class with a 4.6 grade point average. She played flute in the orchestra, first chair, and three days a week she worked at the gift shop at the hospital; where she also volunteered evenings.” Etc. etc. etc.

Have you done this in your novel?
TIP: Rewrite this section in the character’s voice to see how much stronger this scene can be told or show us the main character from another character’s point of view (POV).

Build up your characters as you write them. Show us their faults, their desires, their conflicts with others—and especially show us their reactions. Reactions are stronger than “telling” us how they feel and even stronger than “dialogue” because  what characters “tell” us is not always the truth (like an unreliable narrator). However, it’s their reactions that show us who these characters truly are.

4.     REWRITE ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS INTO 3D

Could your characters be one-dimensional?

Ask yourself: Are your characters people we are being told about? We need to get a sense of their personality or what they fear, or what they are capable of from an emotional or physical standpoint. We can’t see this if mostly the narrator (you) tells us.

The kinds of characters that have a history, actions, and reactions are the most well-developed— and the most enjoyable to read—and the ones we can create an emotional connection with. Using the senses to show character is a great way to do this.

Ask yourself: Is your main character always having one emotion or the other? Like being shown as either angry or super sad. How else can he feel? Show him feeling other things. Look for repetitive sections where he is telling us what he feels and change to action. SHOW him reacting vs. TELLING us what’s in his head.
TIP: Revealing setting through you character’s eyes is a great way to show their emotional state.

Finally, do a global search for your character’s actions. Are they always throwing their hair back? Snapping their fingers? Tapping their feet? Chewing their bottom lip? Waving a hand? Grinning? Trying mixing up their actions.

5.     DIALOGUE

How to beef up your dialogue? First, check for long blocks of dialogue and cut them up. Skim your manuscript visually to see where these blocks reveal themselves.

Once you’ve identified these blocks you can shorten info dumps, sprinkle the information throughout the story as needed, or incorporate dialogue in creative ways such as through characters quizzing another, news articles, journal entries, or action scenes.

Every piece of dialogue is important so be selective. Keep in mind that we don’t get to know a character because they are talking—but because they are reacting (once more!).
Ask yourself: What would this character be DOING in this situation instead of SAYING?

Are you a fan of exclamation points? Then you might have too many in your dialogue. A character that is always hollering, screaming, and shouting does not reveal a fully dimensional character. So, DELETE that exclamation and see how else you can write that sentence/scene without it to convey the urgency and excitement. You don’t want your characters to be simply remembered as characters that yell a lot!!! :)

Are you writing in the first person? It’s hard to avoid using “I this” or “I that” in first person narrative BUT you must find alternate sentence structures to reduce those “I” sentences. It will bring your readers closer to your character. My editor of my first children’s book made this very clear to me and I had to re-work the entire manuscript. Because of this, I am very conscious of reducing my “I’s” in writing. In doing so, it also helps me write a tighter first draft with a final draft mentality.

Here’s an example from my first children’s book, Joshua and the Lightning Road:
Original sentence in the manuscript in Joshua’s POV:
“I searched for Charlie in the dark, but I couldn’t make out the heads on other bunks.”

Compare it to the final version in Joshua’s POV with no “I’s”:
“In the dark it was hard to make out the heads on the other bunks. Where was Charlie?”

Can you see how this gets us closer to Joshua’s POV and delivers a stronger effect?

Try this throughout the novel. Your readers will thank you for it.

6.     CHARACTER CLICHÉS AND QUIRKS

Watch out for character clichés when writing for pre-teens. You’ve likely read them in other books:

·       The dumb jock

·       The nerd kid who’s a genius

·       The mean, popular girl

·       The kid who gets powers at a certain age

·       The goth kid who wears black and hates the world

·       The secret spy kid

·       The kid who’s prophesied to change the world

Take these clichés and see how you can change things up to make interesting and different but relatable characters. Give them a big goal, show us their world view, show us how they relate to others, and give them a specific characterization detail that shows us who they are.

TIPS:

·       Write a scene where  your character is forced to make a decision and must do the right thing.

·       Give your character a conflict: Then write about her internal conflict with it (what she feels about her life and about herself) then write about how she feels about it with an external conflict (something going on in the world around her).

Think LESS is MORE. It’s fine to give your character a quirk or special detail but not five! Don’t overdo it and make them chaotic and cartoonish.

A fun way to get to know your character is to journal about them in their voice and in the first person—even if their character is written in third-person in your story. This can be a stream of consciousness about what they desire, are anxious about, and can involve their past, present, and future.

Journaling is a powerful way to lean into your character and truly discover who they are—and help you get deep into their mind so your readers can too.

Do you have more tips on how to enrich your middle grade characters? Share them here!

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Donna! You can find Donna at:

Donna’s website:  https://www.donnagalanti.com/loon-cove-summer/

Giveaway Details 

Sorry the Rafflecopter giveaway looks a bit weird. Please enter only once.

$50 Barnes & Noble Gift Card Giveaway: Runs 5/6/25 – 5/13/25 Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ddcc91cd33/? Embed giveaway code in your website: a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Wednesday, May 7th I have an interview with author Aimee Phan and a giveaway of her YA The Lost Queen and my IWSG post

Monday, May 12th I have a guest post by author Leah Stecher and a giveaway of her MG A Field Guide to Broken Promises

Wednesday, May 14th I have an agent spotlight interview with Analía Cabello and a query critique giveaway

Friday, May 16th I’m participating in the Moms Rock Giveaway Hop

Monday, May 19th I have a guest post by author Carol L. Pauer and a giveaway of her MG Rowley Peters and the Lumberjack Ghost

Wednesday, May 21st I have an agent spotlight interview with Isabel Lineberry and a query critique giveaway

Sunday, June 1st I’m participating in the Berry Good Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, June 4th I have an interview with author Aaron Starmer and a giveaway of his YA Night Swimming and my IWSG post

Monday, June 9th I have an interview with author Nancy McCabe and a giveaway of her MG Fires Burning Underground

Wednesday, June 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Mark O’Brien and a query critique giveaway

Monday, June 16th I’m participating in the Dad-o-Mite Giveaway Hop

Monday, June 23rd I have an interview with author Michael Spradlin and a giveaway of his MG Threat of the Spider

I hope to see you on Wednesday!