Author Voices
Growing Reader
Tween
Far Out! Author David A. Aguilar On Depicting Never-Before-Seen Outer Space Discoveries for Kids
From alien invasion to asteroids, author David Aguilar uses one-of-a-kind images to explore outer space and the impact interstellar objects could have on our planet.
Grown-Up Reads
How Romance Novels Helped Lift Me Out of My Postpartum Depression
One hundred percent fantasy, one hundred percent escapism, and one hundred percent perfect for me at that precise moment in time.
Grown-Up Reads
Tips & Advice
Win at Losing: How to Help Kids See Success in Their Failures
Author Sam Weinman explains that it's challenging, but crucial, to show children that failure and loss are often experiences we need to grow and learn.
Tween
On Family, Feelings, and Hot Fudge Sundaes: Jerry Spinelli On His Latest Book, The Warden’s Daughter
We were thrilled to chat with Jerry about the inspiration behind his new heartfelt book for middle graders, The Warden's Daughter, and what he hopes kids will take away from it.
Just For Fun
From Scrooge to the Grinch: Why We Love Christmas Curmudgeons
Author Charlie Lovett celebrates the Christmas curmudgeon — that grumpy, sour, hater of the holidays whom we love to watch realize the error of his ways.
Growing Reader
Tween
Illustrators Lou Fancher and Steve Johnson on Giving A Poem for Peter Its Visual Depth
We chatted with the illustrators behind A Poem for Peter about how they reacted when they found out they’d be working on the book, why collage is so exciting to create, and what even the most experienced artists can learn from children.
Growing Reader
Tween
7of My Bad Habits — And Why I'm Amazed I Wrote a Book At All
Iva-Marie Palmer reveals the cover of her new middle grade novel, Gabby Garcia's Ultimate Playbook, which she started while pregnant with her second son and and eventually finished writing despite some (oh-so-relateable) bad habits.
Pre-K
Growing Reader
Tween
My Path to Peter: Andrea Davis Pinkney on Bringing Ezra Jack Keats and The Snowy Day to Life
I was born in the inner city in 1963, the same year Ezra Jack Keats won the Caldecott medal for The Snowy Day. I’m thankful I came into this world with that book to greet me.
Just For Fun
18 Authors on the Wackiest, Weirdest, and Worst Gifts They Received as Kids
To get in the spirit of the holidays, we asked authors to share the wildest gifts they remember receiving as children, and their entertaining answers are as unique as the books they pen.
Growing Reader
Tween
5 Favorite Female Sleuths from Middle Grade Mystery Books
I love middle grade mysteries and capers — they are the reason I fell in love with books. To celebrate the genre, and the lovely leading ladies within it, here are five of the most fantastic female sleuths in tween reads.
Pre-K
5 Things You’ll Want to Know About Anna Dewdney’s Little Excavator
We connected with Anna Dewdney’s longtime editor, Tracy Gates, who gave us an introduction to this adorable new read from Dewdney and offered us five insights into how Little Excavator came to be.
Grown-Up Reads
How the Urgency of Motherhood Made Me a Writer
Rachel Starnes shares how the recent publication of her first book, a memoir of her marriage and journey into parenthood, has afforded her the opportunity to reflect on the role of writing in her life.
