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Author Voices

Pre-K

Growing Reader

The Creators of Last Stop on Market Street Are Back with a New Collaboration

Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson have returned with a timely, poignant, and heartfelt new picture book that is sure to win over readers everywhere: Carmela Full of Wishes.

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Pre-K

Growing Reader

Meet the Illustrator: Corinna Luyken

We all have a desire to seem good at what we do, especially when there is an audience. But when you are making art with kids, it’s important to model what the creative process actually looks like — and nothing about creativity is perfect! Creativity is messy.

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Tween

Why Kids Need the Freedom To Choose the Books They Read

If we want to pass a love of reading to the next generation, we have to allow them to have joy when they read. This sometimes means reading books with fart jokes, books with wizards that defeat evil, graphic novels, series, and books that speak truths that resonate with kids. Unfortunately, these books are often banned.

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Pre-K

Growing Reader

Listen Up! 3 Kid-Friendly Activities To Build Listening Skills

How can we help our chatty children understand that too much talking can get in the way of collaborating with those around them? Start with these fun, kid-friendly activities.

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Tips & Advice

Simple Ways to Build a Reading Routine Your Busy Family Can Enjoy

Fostering a love of reading in your child can be extremely helpful as they grow and learn — but it can be challenging to find time in overcrowded schedules. Here are some easy steps you can take to encourage yourself and your kids to make time for reading.

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Tween

How Growing Up in a Ghost Town Inspired a Novel

The best ghost towns are full of stories, discoveries, mysteries, and possibilities — and that’s exactly what I found in the ghost town where I grew up.

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Tween

Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson Discuss We Rise, We Resist, We Raise Our Voices

Cheryl Willis Hudson and Wade Hudson’s new anthology features poems, essays, letters, art, and more, all part of a collective message of love designed to empower young readers.

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Tween

Tight Is a Reflection of Real-Life Kids and the Settings They Know

Kids will love the books if the books love them. I have taught middle school for nearly 20 years and I feel that is true. My dream as a teacher is my dream as an author: to provide books for kids to love, books that will love kids back, and to share stories that help them see things as more complex.

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Tween

Confessions of a STEM Girl

I am a STEM girl and have been since stem was only part of a plant and not a career path. Here’s what being a “STEM girl” has meant for me.

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Pre-K

Growing Reader

One Test Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story: An Author’s Writing Journey

When author Alexandra Penfold recently found a state test report that deemed her “minimally proficient in writing” in fourth grade, she reflected on what the result now means to her.

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Tween

Help! My Editor Is a Fifth Grader!

Sometimes, a middle grade novel just needs a fresh pair of eyes — or 34 of them.

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Growing Reader

Meet the Illustrator: Jen Betton

In her new picture book, Hedgehog Needs a Hug, Jen Betton tells the story of a hedgehog who wakes up feeling a little down in the snout. Will he ever get the hug he needs to feel better?

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