WRITERS' RUMPUS

QUILT OF STARS: Out-of-this-World Book Talk and Giveaway with Co-Authors Astronaut Dr. Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats

September 29, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Happy Book Birthday to QUILT OF STARS: Astronaut Karen Nyberg Stitches a Dream! This inspiring and beautiful written picture book, published by Familius, is co-authored by the impressibly accomplished and talented duo of Dr. Karen Nyberg and Ann McCallum Staats and gorgeously illustrated by Alida Massari.

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INTERVIEW WITH #JEWISH #KIDLIT #MIDDLEGRADE AUTHOR MIRIAM CHERNICK

September 22, 2026 DrZatHome

I dove into Miriam Chernick’s The Zuzu Secret with great excitement and anticipation–and was not disappointed. As a molecular biologist and geneticist who has taught

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MG Book Review: GRACIELA IN THE ABYSS by Meg Medina

September 15, 2026 Jennifer Finkle

Meg Medina’s GRACIELA IN THE ABYSS (Candlewick Press, 2025) is an absolutely delightful dual POV story that alternates between the perspectives of a spirit girl named Graciela and a young mortal boy named Jorge.

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Interview with debut picture book author Laura De La Cruz … and a giveaway of LOWRIDER FOR SALE!

September 8, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Happy Book Birthday to LOWRIDER FOR SALE, the heartwarming picture book debut by talented and gracious author Laura De La Cruz. Laura has impressed me with her positive and supportive comments on our blog, so when she inquired about an interview, it was my honor and pleasure to enthusiastically say yes!

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Cool off on Winter Solstice Hill with Cathy Stefanec Ogren!

September 4, 2026 Marcia Strykowski

I’m excited to have talented author Cathy Stefanec Ogren here on the blog today! Her latest picture book releases on October 20, 2026, and I

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Cats, Chess, and Finding Your People: An Interview with CAT TAKES QUEEN Author Ilona Bray (and a Giveway!!)

September 1, 2026 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

I first connected with Ilona Bray through social media and its vibrant online kidlit community. Right away, I was drawn to her warmth, thoughfulness, and

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The Snow Fell Three Graves Deep: Voices From the Donner Party by Allan Wolf

June 5, 2020 Joyce Audy Zarins

When George Donner posted an ad on March 18, 1846 in a Springfield, Illinois newspaper under the title Westward, Ho! for Oregon and California,

Picture Perfect: Authors and Photo Research

May 29, 2020 Alumni & Guests

By Lori Alexander In 2017, I was excited to make my first nonfiction sale, ALL IN A DROP: HOW ANTONY VAN LEEUWENHOEK DISCOVERED AN INVISIBLE

Bridging the Gap: Why KidLit Needs More Upper-Middle Grade Books

May 26, 2020 Alumni & Guests

Guest Post by Josh Roberts, author of debut middle grade novel THE WITCHES OF WILLOW COVE, available today from Owl Hollow Press. Josh may be

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

May 22, 2020 Laura Fineberg Cooper

The cover of Song for a Whale drew me in like a moth to flame: the outline of a young girl, standing with her arms outstretched on a pier, conducting a song for the whale below. Immediately, questions swirled in my head! Why is she there? How did she get there? Can the whale hear her? I was hooked before reading the first page.