There are tons of books I can’t wait to see in 2019. Every year, I love the steps publishing, especially small and independent publishers, take towards being more reflective of the reality of the current world we live in. We are not making near enough strides fast enough but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate…
I’m finally back from vacation and back on track now that school has started. PHEW is there any rush like the end of summer programs meeting the beginning of the school year? After all the delays and holidays I am finally returning to Lock & Mori which was released YESTERDAY – wheeeeee! You might remember my…
I honestly can’t think of anyone in YA who does what Marcus Sedgwick does. Perhaps this is why I am so entranced by everything he’s ever written. Sedgwick won the Printz Award last year (that is the highest honor in young adult literature) for Midwinterblood, which remains one of the most atmospheric and overwhelming YA books…
I think there’s something primal about fairy tale re-tellings. I really do. And I think that they are a staple of YA because of this very thing, because they say to teen readers: you can pull the sword from the stone, you can evade the evil step-parent, you can save the day. And, yes, you…
11/28/14 We have a FOURTH list of titles for Ferguson! Believe it or not, we got through the third list in less than two days. This is amazing, world. These titles have been approved by Scott Bonner. They fill gaps in Ferguson’s popular reading collection for teens (lots of African-American authors) and expand their collection of titles…
“What kids need and deserve is to feel respected – not just by their classmates, but also by teachers and school leaders who ought to have faith in young people’s ability to read, think, and decide.” – Meg Medina Yesterday, I wrote a short review of Meg Medina’s Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass…
I love middle grade! Boy, do I love middle grade! This is one of the reasons I am so crazy about Walden Pond Press – they are an amazing middle grade imprint full of all sorts of interesting stuff written for the 8-14 year old range. I was super-excited for the chance to work with…
When I think about Malinda Lo, shivers of delight run up my spine. And why’s that? It’s because whenever I read something by her I know that piece is going to be quintessential YA – a story about a teenager figuring out their place in their world and finding their own voice. And, even more…
Lush. If I had to pick just one word to describe Laini Taylor’s startlingly original new novel Daughter of Smoke and Bone that word would be: lush. Lush in every definition of the word – full of sensory detail, a world that you can sink right into and be totally immersed. If you follow YA…
When I started thinking about why I loved The Monstrumologist series (the series is The Monstrumologist, The Curse of the Wendigo and the forthcoming Isle of Blood, which – DON’T FORGET – releases next week and is the book we’re currently doing a PR push for!) why I thought it was so damn special in…
