Excellent middle grade reads for Hispanic Heritage Month and beyond ..read more

The 10 title longlist for the National Book Awards in Young People's Literature has been announced and it is GOOD ..read more

Here are the children's books you'll want to have on your TBR releasing this month ..read more

Calling all youth sleuths ..read more

An Ada Limón picture book? Yes, please ..read more

What's your favorite new children's book of 2024 so far ..read more

While I usually think of the summer months as a time to get outside and play, as it was during my childhood, the scorching temperatures caused by climate change has made it almost impossible to have outdoor play after lunch, particularly where I live in the south. That means lots of time spent indoors reading and playing instead. These 10 July children’s book releases are a great way to pass the time during these too-hot afternoons. Just make sure to keep that water bottle filled, even while indoors. In July picture book releases, I review five phenomenal books about the Summer Olympics, rocks ..read more

From award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson, You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!) shows kids the great things that can happen when we approach others and ourselves with empathy, patience, and love. In this debut picture book from Taraji P. Henson, quirky, stylish and a bit off-the-cuff Lil TJ is ready for her first day of school. But when she gets there, TJ finds that everything she does is a little different than everyone else and is filled with anxiety and doubt until she looks inside to her own creativity and personality, she figures out how to help herself make new friends! Availa ..read more

In 2017, I got a last-minute opportunity to attend BookExpo, a huge annual trade show for the publishing industry. I was new to writing about books and so nervous to be surrounded by Publishing People, but I had a question that I was dying to ask. “What is your next book about fat people?” 2017 doesn’t seem like a long time ago, but the reaction to this question was from a different era. People outright laughed, blushed, or stammered. A few got this panicky look behind their eyes. Some people muttered about Julie Murphy’s groundbreaking YA novel, Dumplin’, which had been out for several years ..read more

It’s June, and summer is upon us. Pools are open, kids are out of school, and parents are desperate to find childcare. Things are getting hot, and I’m not just talking about the temperature (though it’s plenty hot here in the Southern United States, let me tell you). I mean that these June children’s book releases are on fire. As always, it was hard for me to narrow them down to ten. June’s picture book releases include books about steppin,’ horseback riding, and three that tackle different aspects of school—buses, lunches, and the first week. June’s middle grade releases include books about i ..read more