Multi-award winning author Gail Jarrow’s newest YA nonfiction book will be released on September 10, 2024. Gail Jarrow’s books for young readers have been recognized as Winner of the Excellence in Nonfiction Award from YALSA/ALA; the Robert F. Sibert Honor Book Award; the Children’s Book Guild Nonfiction Award; the Jefferson Cup; the Charlotte Award; the... Read More

Explore and download the reading group guide. Praise for My Men by Victoria Kielland Based on the true story of Norwegian maid turned Midwestern farmwife Belle Gunness, the first female serial killer in American history. My Men is a fictional account of one broken woman’s descent into inescapable madness. More about author Victoria Kielland Victoria Kielland’s first... Read More

Explore and download the reading group guide. Praise for The Town of Babylon by Alejandro Varela More about author Alejandro Varela Alejandro Varela (he/him) is a writer based in New York. His debut novel, The Town of Babylon (2022), was published by Astra House and was a finalist for the National Book Award. His work has appeared in the Point Magazine, Georgia... Read More

A peek at a sublime weekday lunch gathering of Hippo Park friends with editorial director Jill Davis, in honor of our one-year mark and Hippo Park‘s first book of 2024, Pepper and Me. It’s been just a bit over a year since we launched Hippo Park. Ta-da! What a joyful time it’s been. Our very... Read More

Hippo Park believes in stories that reflect the joyful, surprising, and endlessly fascinating world that kids live in. Our discovery wish list for when children look inside our picture books? Ideas that are funny, silly and often true, and illustrations that convey emotion when words might not. It’s this spirit that inspired us to craft our... Read More

As the year comes to a close, we’re celebrating Astra Books for Young Readers’ Best Of 2023 books as voted on by readers! 🏅 A 2023 Horn Book Fanfare Book Who was Coretta Scott King? Her black-veiled image at the funeral of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., was moving and iconic. This book introduces readers to... Read More

Wrap up your holiday shopping for the kids on your list with a little help from the stars. Minerva‘s editorial director Maria Russo has rounded up a list of recommended titles based on every child’s Zodiac sign. ARIES (March 21–April 19): Pangolina It’s no surprise that the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall is herself an Aries.... Read More

Beatrice Alemagna is the author of PEPPER AND ME, now a Kids’ Indie Next Pick. DEAR READER, when I wrote about a girl and the scab on her knee, I was transported back to the painful moments in my own childhood when I fell off my bike or tripped in the schoolyard. I knew this... Read More

‘Tis the season for gifting! 🎁 Delight all kinds of young readers in your life with these book recommendations. For the reader who loves firefighters (& Richard Scarry!) “Firefighters to the Rescue!” written and illustrated by R.W. Alley Follow along as the officers of Breezy Valley answer the call to protect their beloved town. Ladders,... Read More

We asked a few of our authors to share what they love about their local indie bookstore and here’s what they had to say. Kristen Britain, author of the Green Rider series Sherman’s is Maine’s oldest bookstore, and one of the top 10 oldest bookstores in the U.S. renowned for its welcoming staff and the... Read More