WRITERS' RUMPUS

Ooh! Ahhh! Whoaa! Interview and Giveaway with Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal, the AWEsomely Creative Team Behind AWE!

June 16, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Yes, the title of this post borrows from this gloriously AWEsome picture book (published March 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press), but I totally couldn’t resist! Both a visual treat (thank you, Susan) and an inspiring read (thank you, Chana), what makes AWE! vault into being one of the best picture books I’ve ever read is how the words and pictures meld together to create a memorable, soul stirring, heart lifting experience.

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Interview with #Kidlit Coauthor of Unbreakable – Jolene Gutiérrez

June 9, 2026 Monica Acker

Storytelling unites generations, preserves culture, and shares the human experience. It can connect us to the past in the hope of a better future. This

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When Narration and Puzzles Intertwine: Creating Storified Puzzle Books

June 5, 2026 Alumni & Guests

Guest Post by Derek Reid I’ve always dealt in the truth and glory of the real universe. When I was five or six years old,

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Picture Book Review: In The World of Whales

June 2, 2026 Genevieve Rossi

In The World of Whales, written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan, was published by Neal Porter books on June 17, 2025. Upon

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I Wish I Didn’t Have To Tell You This

May 26, 2026 Marti Johnson

I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS was written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, a Russian-born American author and an artist of many

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Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan, a review

December 24, 2019 Marti Johnson

Ngan’s recently released second book in the trilogy is as compelling as the original. If you have gift cards to spend this holiday season, these

Middle Grade Book Review: The Mystwick School of Musicraft by Jessica Khoury

December 20, 2019 Rebecca Moody

Budding young musician Amelia Jones has always had one goal: to be accepted into the Mystwick School of Musicraft, where her mother, who died when Amelia was young, was once a star flute player and maestro.

December Debuts

December 13, 2019 Kim Chaffee

Well, folks, we have come to the end of a year of fantastic picture book debuts. I’ve loved sharing these silly, heart-warming, historical, lyrical, emotional,