Astra Young Readers News
A Party at Ramadan

Picture Books to Celebrate Ramadan and Eid

In these picture books, young readers can learn about Eid and Ramadan, religious holidays celebrated by Muslim families every year... Read More

Biographies, Picture Books & Graphic Novels for Kids Ideal for Black History Month (updated 1/2025)

Celebrate Black achievement, innovation, and history during Black History Month! Our collection of picture books bring alive the stories... Read More

A Star-Studded Year at Astra!

2024 was a dazzling year for Astra Books for Young Readers, with over 40 starred reviews across our childrens’ imprints! What makes a starred books? These titles received shining reviews in 2024! Here’s to celebrating our star-studded titles that released this past year: ★ “As a model of a flamboyant, loudmouthed liberal, it would be hard... Read More

Astra Books for Young Readers Holiday Gift Guide

From aspiring chefs to sports fans, Astra Books for Young Readers is here to help you find the perfect gift for all the young readers in your life. For the reader… Who can’t stay out of the kitchen! Featured in the 2023 New York Times Holiday Gift Guide! The first of its kind, Look and... Read More

It’s Time for… MONSTER SLAM!

WHO. WILL. WIN?!?! Filled with humor, poetry, and MONSTERS (of course!), George McClements’ HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! and Vikram Madan’s BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK are two ferociously fun books! In this fun Q+A, hear from both creators on their love for the fantastical, their methods for poetry-writing, and which monster they think would conquer. Tell us... Read More

About My Tatita

A guest post by author/illustrator Imapla Imapla is an award-winning picture book creator and graphic designer from Barcelona whose books are published throughout the Spanish-speaking world. In her picture book Come Closer, Tatita (also available as a Spanish edition), a young girl’s five senses take her on a journey through sweet memories of her tatita, her... Read More

A note from Hannah Chung, the creator of THE MOST PERFECT PERSIMMON

Dear Reader, I’m so thrilled to connect with you through my book! Persimmons hold a specialplace in my heart. They can be enjoyed in various forms—fresh, dried, frozen, andripened. My favorite is the most ripened persimmon, called hongshi. My grandmother makes the best hongshis with the freshest persimmons. When Iwas little, whenever I visited her... Read More

SHACKLED Q&A WITH AUTHOR CANDY J. COOPER

Shackled: A Tale of Wronged Kids, Rogue Judges, and a Town that Looked Away is the explosive story of the Kids for Cash scandal in Pennsylvania, a judicial justice miscarriage that sent more than 2,500 children and teens to a for-profit detention center while two judges lined their pockets with cash. Author Candy J. Cooper,... Read More

8 Poetry Picture Books with “Elementary Energy” (updated 3/2024)

Perfect for elementary school age readers... readers of all ages will enjoy the whimsical artwork and rhymes. Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, has picture books for kids at every age & every stage! Read More

7 Moving MG/YA Poetry Picks

This collection is perfect for more sophisticated young readers who love to dive deeply into beautiful, touching, sometimes painful, sometimes joyful stories. Wordsong, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, has picture books for kids at every age & every stage! Read More

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