“No one who reads this can remain unmoved by this tiny bird’s tenacity; this is sure to create avid new bird-watchers.” – Kirkus Imagine a
Category: Book Reviews
Body of Stars: A Stunning Debut by Laura Maylene Walter
The back cover of this dystopian novel asks this thought-provoking question: What if your body held the map to your future?
INTERVIEW WITH #JEWISH #KIDLIT AUTHOR CHARLOTTE OFFSAY ABOUT MATZAH DAY, PLUS A GIVEAWAY
By Danna Zeiger I was lucky to “meet” Charlotte before I actually met her at last year’s NCTE. Through her prolific books (my kids and
Meet Joyce Uglow and her debut picture book, Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar
Guest Post by Suzy Zemel Joyce and I met in 2022 in a class sponsored by Highlights Foundation. During that time, she was excited about
How to “Stay in your lane” – and Still Write the Novel You Want
Guest Post by Naomi Milliner After my first middle grade novel, Super Jake & the King of Chaos, debuted in 2019, I was asked
A Universe of Poets – Creating a Debut Anthology
Guest Post by Matt Forrest Esenwine I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a type-A kind of person or if it’s because I’m too ignorant
Bibsy Cross Might Be Too Much for Some, But She’s Everything to Me!
This past November, something kind of amazing and once-in-a-blue-moon happened. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) had its annual conference in my home
Interview with Rajani LaRocca, celebrated author of SONA and the GOLDEN BEASTS
Rajani pours her heart and incredible talent into each new story for children she writes: it’s no wonder she has garnered so many well-deserved awards!
Helping Writers and Readers Cope
The themes in picture books are intended to assist children in dealing with the world around them, and authors benefit in the same way. These
Atmospheric Poetry: New STEM picture book Up, Up High joins Deep, Deep Down
Lydia Lukidis’s STEM picture books, Up, Up, High and Deep, Deep Down, blend poetic storytelling with scientific information, offering engaging journeys through Earth’s atmosphere and ocean depths for readers of all ages.
2025 Caldecott Contender: The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
School buses have been an inspiration for lots of picture books over the years. Just peruse any children’s library and you’ll find stories about nervous
Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall Are Back At It…With STELLA & MARIGOLD!
One of the great highlights of my summer, besides attending a fantastic writing retreat in the green mountains of Vermont, was receiving an advanced reader copy of Stella & Marigold from Chronicle Books (thank you from the bottom of my book-loving heart, Chronicle). It’s the first book in a brand-new early reader series for children 6-9 years old, by the magical author-illustrator duo Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall.
The 2024 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’re invited to peruse my 2024 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review! As another year draws to a close, I continue to marvel at the variety and quality of our posts, and thank all of our authors and readers for your commitment to our kidlit blog. Once again, I’ve been honored and challenged to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, date link, and brief summary. Enjoy!!
Interview with Cathy Stefanec Ogren, #kidlit talented author
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Cathy Ogren is one of those talented writers we’re all glad to have in our critique groups. Lucky me! She’s in two of my groups. And she’s an inspiration. She has hung in there for many years while she waited for her next book contract. Let’s get inspired!
WRITERS' RUMPUS 