Tell us about the story’s  blobby beginnings. Constance: When my son was little, Picture Day was a time for rigorous hair brushing and fancy, stiff outfits. How fun was it to reimagine that national rite—Picture Day—at a Monster School? From this original, humorous concept emergeda tiny blob with the soul of a dreamer. Itty Bitty Betty Blob is a blob... Read More

With stories of protests dominating the news these days, parents, teachers, and librarians may be struggling with how to talk to kids about activism.  What does it mean to be an activist? What is the history of activism in the United States? How is activism alive today?  These books for young readers from Calkins Creek,... Read More

Do you ever wonder how a book or a series came to be – the “story behind the story”? Take a glimpse behind the curtain with this fascinating chat between Kane Press executive editor Harold Underdown and author Jennifer Berne (Manfish, On a Beam of Light, and How the Sea Came to Be). They reveal... Read More

Katie Hoffman, Senior Editor at DAW Books, has acquired North American rights to The Serpent Called Mercy, a Malaysian Chinese-Inspired epic fantasy novel from debut author Roanne Lau.  Fans of the tense, dynamic action of The Witcher and Squid Games, and readers of Asian speculative fiction like works by Shelley Parker-Chan, Sue Lynn Tan, and... Read More

Meet Lauren! Lauren Paige Conrad, who is based in Asheville, North Carolina, has a background in fashion, textiles, and illustrations. She works in cut paper, gouache, colored pencil, and Neocolor crayon, all of which come to vibrant life in her picture book This Is a Window, where the power of children’s imaginations takes center stage.... Read More

A supernatural family saga, a searing social critique, and a lyrical and potent account of displaced lives, We Are a Haunting unravels the threads connecting the past, present, and future, and depicts the palpable, breathing essence of the neglected corridors of a pulsing city with pathos and poise. Download the free reading group guide and book club... Read More

At turns funny and poetic, sunny and tragic, Happy is a daring feat of postmodern literature, a polyphonic novel about the urgent, lovely coping mechanisms created by generations of diasporic people. Download the free reading group guide and book club kit below, and order your copies of the book today. “Leaping, chattering, dancing atop this conundrum [of global migration] comes the hero... Read More

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

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

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