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A popular girl and a geeky boy discover they hav more in common than they think in this slice-of-life manga.
Troubled girls being stalked, dragon gods and a heroic girl, a DORIAN GRAY retelling, life after an apocalypse, and an anti-bra campaign.
Can you guess the children’s book by its scathing one-star review on Goodreads?
We talk today with the often imitated (and never replicated) Jon Klassen about why, precisely, he's been so drawn to the board book form recently (and what it has to give).
"The very best antidote or response to a stereotype (in life or fiction) is the shining particularity of an individual." We debut Amy Alznauer's middle grade novel and have a marvelous talk about Deaf culture, horses, and stumbling on prophetic ideas from your younger self.
After his father dies, Lamont moves in with his aunt in West Virginia, but bloodthirsty spirits haunt his every step.
Monsters, pet rocks, an environmental club, a lost dog, a forest-dwelling boy, an Ojibwe skater, and more!
Over on The Yarn podcast, I talked with Elisha Cooper about his excellent new picture book The Rare Bird. Elisha and I chat about what it means to make art for an audience, the joys and challenges of making a book based on your own pet, and why artists think every book has one picture […]
Coal reaffirms the everyday as well as the extraordinary specialness in Black boys. He struggles, he’s not perfect, but he’s such a good guy!
Travis: It was a pleasure to talk with Caldecott Honor winning author/illustrator Elisha Cooper about his latest book, The Rare Bird. In this episode, Elisha talks about the push and pull between making art and considering your audience, and the importance of coffee in his creative process. We hope you enjoy this episode. Subscribe below […]
Here's a look at the graphic novels that publishers have been acquiring, and when we can expect to see them.
Author Janice Milusich joins us to talk about her Schneider Family Book Award Honor book, I HEAR THE SNOW, I SMELL THE SEA
I felt like doing a bit of a dive into a 2025 picture book bio that didn't get nearly enough attention last season. If you don't immediately know the name "Ulugh Beg" consider this your educational platform for the day.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Tamia and the Memories of the Dragon from Papercutz and Minecraft Heart of Cobblestone Volume 2 from Dark Horse Books.
Publishers Weekly just released data on the best selling children’s and YA books of 2025. Here are three things I noticed: 1. After the top three, the hardcover backlist crushes the hardcover frontlist in sales. Save for the three bestselling new books of 2025, the hardcover backlist (Oh, The Places You’ll Go!, The Very Hungry […]
Of mice and mail. We discuss an all new early chapter book series with a woman unafraid of maps, typefaces, ADHD, and meticulous ink.
Teen Librarian Karen Jensen reviews the latest Natalie D. Richards teen thriller, TWO PERFECT LIES by Natalie D. Richards
Sometimes it seemed like she had climbed into my head, plucked out the words, and recorded them in her journal, fifty years before I’d thought them.
My list of 13 books for the Raina fans in your life.
In a dual celebration of Black History Month and Valentine's Day, I figured the logical connection came in the form of Eloise Greenfield's Honey I Love. But which version?
Neri takes the facts of what happened when his family embarked on the road trip to beat all road trips, and ties that summer during the bicentennial into the state of the country today. Deeply fun, utterly smart, and visually arresting.
And now, a word from Mr. James Kennedy...
A humanoid barista, a kid who wants to fit in, cooks falling in love, a sibling story, and a figure skaters.
"An irony of having so many excellent nonfiction books for children is that it can appear that we already know everything: that our world is all mapped, archived, indexed, sorted. That’s not true, of course. But it can feel that way."
The greatest event not in the Winter Olympics.
Bibi loves Peter. Peter would love Bibi if he wasn't talking to Amy. When Bibi becomes friends with Amy, it shouldn't be a problem since Bibi loves Peter... right?
Lonely Planet Kids is excited to announce a brand new kids series Let’s Go, perfect for budding scientists, nature lovers and families looking for screen-free activities.
A first look at the cover for PICADILLO FOR PAULINA.
Regenerative body parts and feathery gills are not usually part of the original Cinderella story.. but maybe they should be! We discuss glass slippers and smiling reptiles in today's cover reveal and Q&A.
A heartfelt story of found family and identity.
When they're not having to deal with faux Franklin AI schlock, the folks at Kids Can Press are releasing a pretty keen line-up of titles this year. Take a gander!
I have some friends here who are writers who cannot write. I can write, but this is all I can write about now.
Stuck at home with no internet, two siblings have nothing better to do than play a board game. But the game is much more than a game.
A toxic familial relationship shows that “abuse is more than bruises” in this emotionally resonant and nuanced look at pressure, expectations, and manipulation.
Here are five beloved books that will see graphic novel adaptations in 2025.
Imagine a Pinter play as an informational book for kids, highlighting a natural disaster, and you'll have a sense of what author Mary Kay Carson has pulled off with her dual releases in 2026. Hear her words and see her covers!
Imagine a Pinter play as an informational book for kids, highlighting a natural disaster, and you'll have a sense of what author Mary Kay Carson has pulled off with her dual releases in 2026. Hear her words and see her covers!
The February Penguin TBR has landed with reviews for THE MOON WITHOUT STARS, SUNDOWN GIRLS, THE CELESTIAL SEAS, and THE ESCAPE GAME
Snowlands Volume 1 A Blood Moon from Graphix tops this week’s list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, along with a new graphic memoir from Random House Graphic.
Writing the middle grade biographical series, Muslim Mavericks, means stepping into lives wildly different from my own—from disabled comedians to trailblazing Olympians—and learning to tell Muslim stories with humility and breadth.
We're a stop on the Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour today, so let's celebrate one of the Honorees with our customary flair (and interview questions).
It’s the first day of the 2026 Sydney Taylor Book Award Blog Tour (click here for the full schedule) and I’m honored to talk with Suzy Ultman, author and illustrator of Shabbat Shalom: Let’s Rest and Reset, a Sydney Taylor Picture Book Honor winner. Travis: Congratulations, Suzy! Shabbat Shalom is a wonderful book. Thanks for taking part on the blog tour. How […]
"It's just a book about a creative bunny." Due to a snafu, we review today's book a little earlier than we should have. Was it worth bending the rules? You'll have to listen to find out.
Today we're viewing books from Barefoot Books, Beetle Books, Child's Play, Cicada Books, and Creston Books. Quite the line-up!
I have information for you on current scholarships from Boyds Mills, grants from REFORMA and WNDB’s new Unbanned Book Network for classroom educators.
Noah Van Sciver dissects another American legend in an insightful new graphic novel, this one about the Wild West heroine we know as Calamity Jane.
A family cafe, angry girls, a taekwondo wiz, a mysterious painting, and a heist inspired by Indigenous American mythology.
Tuck Everlasting: The Graphic NovelBy Natalie Babbitt; adapted and illustrated by K. Woodman-MaynardFarrar, Straus and Giroux, 2025, $14.99Grades 4 and up The classic middle-grade fantasy novel by Natalie Babbitt has been adapted into a graphic novel. Unlike the 2002 film version, this adaptation closely adheres to the original text, capturing the depth of Babbitt’s writing […]
Author Jarrett Dapier joins us to talk about his new book, WAKE NOW IN THE FIRE.
Author James Ponti joins us to talk about his new book, CITY SPIES: EUROPA.
Every year, after the Youth Media Awards are finished, I kick myself. Why? Because I wished I had taken screenshots of the Amazon sales rankings for some of the contenders so I could compare the before and after. Well this year I am not kicking myself, because I did it. The morning of the announcements, […]
Here are some highlights to whet your whistle for the months ahead (and restore your faith in humanity in general)
Teen Librarian Cindy Shutts walks us through a Minecraft themed Escape Room
Misha and their mother, Audrey, take a wrong turn on a road trip and end up in a mystical world of spirits and monsters.
Writing to me feels like the closest thing you can get to that sense of wonder of digging up something new, only the digging happens on the page.
As a former fairy chaser, I can tell you that representation changed my life. It’s what led me to the library, becoming an author, and finding my community.
Are you curious at all about this clever little Stonewall Honor winner? Then I suspect you're going to truly enjoy my talk with its creator here today.
Carolina Ixta joins us to talk about her new book, FEW BLUE SKIES.
There's something for everyone in today's preview. Picture books. Board books. Middle grade fiction. Nonfiction. Books for every possible taste, so we haven't a moment to waste. Let's get into it!
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Club Zodiac #1 from Keenspot Entertainment and Startup Squad One for the Dogs from Philomel Books.
When I began working on The Aftermyth, I wasn’t interested in retelling Greek myths as they’ve always been told. I was interested in what happens after the myth ends.
"Welcome to our library crib!"
Today, it's all about the fish. Fish and photography, baby. Flotsam turns 20 years old this year, so we finally have a chance to determine if it's a modern day classic or not.
Sometimes an author just works themselves up to the book of a lifetime and you are lucky enough to watch that happen in real time. That’s pretty much what we have here. The kids that get to read this book for the first time are lucky too.
Here's a look at the graphic novels that won ALA Youth Media Awards this year.
The 2026 Award season is officially over, so Heavy Medal will take a break. We'll return with 2027 suggestions starting in March, and Mock Newbery discussions resuming in September.
With (at least) two Little Women reimaginings coming out in 2026, let's see what other retellings there are!
We've a mere four titles in today's publisher preview but whatta four it is!
How many times had I been called too loud? Annoying? Too much? In my original draft, I was unknowingly touching a tender spot in my life that I hadn’t even realized was there.
Behind the scenes of the StoryKind podcast with Kelly Yang and Kate DiCamillo!
Proceeds from this auction will support organizations providing legal aid, emergency assistance, food, and community resources to those in urgent need.
It's time to look ahead to the 2027 Newbery medal. We don't have a lot on our radar, what's on yours?
Author Jarrett Dapier discusses banned books, youth activism and his new graphic novel
If educators let kids see their experiences as expertise, they could really thrive and assimilate a lot more quickly.
As a longtime reader and writer, I’ve found light in words. My hope is that young people also find it in the pages of my books.
Taking a look at upcoming books by our new Caldecott Medal and Honor winners.
Today, Elisha talks with us a bit about his latest title, as well as its debt to Where the Wild Things Are, PLUS he has a very nice rant about respecting children's art, and he also confesses which book did him in "in the best way".
Today we have the first announcement of The Stone of Shiro: The Fall of Shiro, a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel that centers a hero who is kind, courageous, and resilient, traits that seem particularly important right now.
A love triangle, a foster kid, a GATSBY reimagining, book banning, a hurricane, and more.
Here's the full roster of the new ALA YMA winners (Newbery, Caldecott, etc.) including a collection of behind-the-scenes info with interviews, videos, and reviews of some of the titles.
In this illustrated work of fiction, Baptiste connects with her roots in Trinidad and Tobago to write about the experiences of Fia Hosein whose family just moved to Peppermint Falls.
The 2026 Newbery Medal winner is ALL THE BLUES IN THE SKY by Renee Watson. Share your reactions to this news and to the other award winners that were announced.
Check out this week's list of new comics, manga, and graphic novels for readers 12 and under, featuring Unfairies from G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.
I like bold statements, so here's one: The Moon Without Stars is one of the best books I will read this year.
A classic Boynton gets our official podcast treatment. How has it aged? I'll let you guess our answer to that one.
Nearly 100 people cast ballot on our Heavy Medal Reader's Poll, and the winner is: THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner.
By Don Everts, author of Oscar and the Mystery of the Glowing Orbs Hey, Dad! Can you help me find a book to read? I’ll never forget the day that text came in from my youngest son. I was surprised because Victor, a young teenager, had never caught the bug for reading (except for Harry […]
Thanks to all who participated and attended our annual webinar. It was surprising to see the HMAC and viewers poll Mock Newbery winners.
A teenage matchmaker is reborn as a gun-toting cupid in this fun manga.
A ghost story, a teen investigative podcaster, a Great Gatsby reimagining, a Sundown Town thriller, and a reimagining of The Winter's Tale.
To wrap up our Pooh coverage, we end today with two Winnie-related releases and what they have to say about the silly old bear in the 21st century.
ALA's Youth Media Awards will be announced on Monday, including the Newbery, Caldecott, and many more. We have no idea what will win, but it's fun to guess, so....Predictions!
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