Author Spotlight Series · middle grade novel

Rejection, Love, and Writing

Middle grade author Elly Swartz shares how true authenticity and emotional resonance are the secret sauce in her writing, and how important it is for children to dream big and understand that rejection doesn’t define them.

Author Spotlight Series

Writing Ten Blocks to the Big Wok

Author-illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu is reminiscing the sunny walk in San Francisco’s Chinatown that brought about the creation of her author-illustrator solo debut Ten Blocks to the Big Wok. The sights, sound and tight-knit community she witnessed come together in a picture of happiness she tells in her story.

Author Spotlight Series · graphic novel · middle grade novel

Graphic Novels Combine Words and Images to Create a Unique Art Form

Cartoonist Gavin Aung Than shares the process of creating his middle-grade graphic novel series, Super Sidekicks.

library

Wonder Woman in a Cardigan: The Librarian Who Changed My Life

Lydia M. Sigwarth and her childhood librarian, Deb Stephenson, have created five tips for finding the best ways for libraries and librarians to be a safe haven for disenfranchised children. Check out their tips and then leave a comment on Lydia's guest blog post for a chance to win a copy of her debut picture book, DEAR LIBRARIAN.

Author Spotlight Series · immigration · picture book

How My Immigrant Experiences Inspires My Book Ideas

Aya Khalil shares how she got ideas for her award-winning picture book, THE ARABIC QUILT, and experiences that inspired it. She talks about the importance of telling own voices and immigrant stories.

Author Spotlight Series · middle grade novel

Writing Elephants and Jungles in Suburban England

Middle grade author Nizrana Farook lives in the leafy English county of Hertfordshire in the UK. Find out how she came to write a tropical adventure of jewels, elephants, bandits, and jungles.

Author Spotlight Series · middle grade novel · neurodiversity

Writing, Mind-Blindness & Parenting a Neurodiverse Child

Author Victoria Bond discusses how aspects of her son’s autism helped her to see some of her own blind spots while editing the last novel in the Zora & Me Trilogy, The Summoner.