Ruth Behar’s lyrical and moving historic tale, Across So Many Seas, touched my heart, so I’m thrilled to be able to welcome her to our blog today. Thank you for being here, Ruth. We have so many questions for you. I’d like to start with when you were young. Did you have any childhood dreams for when you grew up? If so, did they come true? I dreamed of traveling, and especially of going to different places where Spanish is spoken. I was enchanted by the Spanish language since I was a child. And I dreamed of writing stories that let me see the world in new ways and that might eventually become b ..read more

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! This month’s featured STEM author is Meg Thacher, author of Sky Gazing: a guide to the Moon, Sun, planets, stars, eclipses, constellations (Storey Publishing, 2020). Meg teaches astronomy at Smith College and is the academic director for Smith’s Summer Science & Engineering Program for high school girls. Plus, she writes for kids! Sky Gazing is a fun and fascinating tour of our solar system, with many extra bonus points for its glow-in-the-dark co ..read more

I wish I had a photographic memory. But I don’t. In order to remember something, I typically need to write about it. And as a children’s author, I want to remember the books that I read. Through the years, I’ve tried several methods to chronicle the books I read. These techniques include the following: A Reader Response Journal This is where I note my immediate responses to a book. My writing is sloppy and comes out in a gush. In classrooms, teachers say they enjoy using this method as a way for students to learn how to become close readers. Readers organically engage with texts, and this fee ..read more

WNDMG Wednesday: Author Interview with Aida Salazar Welcome to WNDGM Wednesday. I’m so excited to be able to introduce you and interview accomplished award-winning author Aida Salazar today. Aida’s newest book is Ultraviolet (Scholastic) and it launches on April 2, 2024. I absolutely love anything Aida writes. I am specifically a huge fan of her verse novels- A SEED IN THE SUN and LAND OF THE CRANES made me feel so much emotion while reading, and I hung onto every word of gorgeous poetry. I cannot wait to dive into this new book! I encourage everyone to buy a copy for themselves and their cla ..read more

  What an incredible time to be a young scientist! Yesterday’s total solar eclipse was an exciting and memorable event for students (and adults) across the country. Interest in learning about about eclipses and astronomy in general is at a high. Thankfully, there are a plethora of incredible books on these subjects that students can read and enjoy. These books can be used as a springboard for classroom discussions and activities.   Can’t Get Enough Space Stuff: Fun Facts, Awesome Info, Cool Games, Silly Jokes, and More! by Julie Beer and Stephanie Warren Drimmer This highly browsab ..read more

I am beyond excited to share the cover of one of my most anticipated books this year:  The Winterton Deception 2: Fault Lines, by the wonderful writer (and my great friend), Janet Sumner Johnson.   Before we reveal the cover, please tell us a little bit about the Winterton Deception 2:  Fault Lines. The Winterton Deception 2: Fault Lines has a kidnapping, a clue hunt, lots of family tension, and, of course, a treasure to find. After the incredible events of the last official Winterton Bee, Hope and Gordon Smith have discovered that having an extended family isn’t so bad . . . a ..read more

Looking for a great coming-of-age book? Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine has a little bit of everything. It will be the perfect summer read. I love getting a chance to interview the author and learn more about how the book came to be. About the Book Hi Nicole! I really enjoyed Winnie Nash Is Not Your Sunshine. It reminded me a lot of Judy Blume’s Are You There, God, It’s Me Margaret in that your character was relatable and a great example of a young teen trying to make sense of the world and her place in it. Can you give us a short summary about the book? Winnie Nash is a twelve-year-old kid ..read more

This is an active month for sky-watchers. Not only will the “Great North American Eclipse” happen on April 8, but the night sky will feature a comet that you should be able to view without a telescope. Eclipse Chaser: Science in the Moon’s Shadow (Scientist in the Field) by Ilima Loomis, photos by Amanda Cowan This is a story about the last “Great North American Eclipse” – August 2017 – and how a science team studies eclipses. Not only do they have to find the best place for observing the event, they have a lot of instruments to set up and test prior to the day. Plus, a bagel production li ..read more

It’s raining awesome new middle-grade titles for young readers! This month’s releases include fantasy, adventures, a memoir, a fun creative art book, fascinating book on the octopus, and a collection of stories from award-winning authors. Check them out! The Deadlands: Survival by Skye Melki-Wegner, Henry Holt Books, April 2. Wings of Fire meets Jurassic Park in the thrilling finale of this action-adventure series about five outcasts—and former enemies—who are the only hope to save their warring dinosaur kingdoms from impending doom.As bloody battle rages between the two surviving dinosaur k ..read more

We love spotlighting agents and editors every month! There’s so much you can learn from their interviews. Are there any MG agents or editors you hope we’ll spotlight soon? If so, please let us know in the comments. Any MG agents or editors who would like to be interviewed—please tell us and we’ll be in touch with you as soon as possible. Just in case you’ve missed some of these interviews, here’s a list of them to check out. Happy reading! *Things may have changed with some of agents and editors from older interviews. The best thing to do is check for agents at https://querytracker.net/ for u ..read more