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

Last summer, I took over the challenge of the Kansas/Missouri SCBWI regional volunteer critique coordinator position. One of my first tasks was to find ways for creators in our region to make connections and feel part of the SCBWI community even though our region covers a large geographical area. I had an idea for a virtual event we call Critique & Meet.  The Critique & Meet idea is a monthly virtual gathering that’s part social, part critique, and 100% the KSMO SCBWI community coming together to help each other create. It’s like an open-mic night combined with a speed-dating vers ..read more

  Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today we’re interviewing Stephanie Gibeault, author of Making Sense of Dog Senses: How Our Furry Friends Experience the World.  It’s a fascinating look at how dogs use their senses, often better than the people around them. The School and Library Journal said, “A fun, quirky book about dogs and their many abilities; great for animal lovers, young and old.”   Christine Taylor-Butler: Welcome to STEM Tuesday, Stephanie. I’m always excited to tal ..read more

Storm clouds have gathered over the land of middle grade literature, and the forecast is uncertain. Referring to 2023 sales, consumer behavior advisor Circana reports that “Sales of books for children ages 8-11 are posting the steepest year over year declines within the children’s book market in the U.S.” But haven’t print sales decreased overall? Yes, print sales were down 3% in 2023. However, sales of middle grade books declined by 10%. And that came on the heels of 2022, which saw its own steep decline in the middle grade market. The middle grade market is in a slump. There’s a lot of specu ..read more