Meet the author of the young adult novel Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. Aiden shares more about their inspiration for this book, their most memorable teachers and librarians, their favorite childhood books, and more!
Read a Q&A with Aiden Thomas here →
Santa Baby by Jonathan Stutzman; illustrated by Heather Fox
Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox, the duo behind Llama Destroys the World, take their trademark hijinks up to the North Pole in this laugh-out-loud, heartfelt Christmas-themed picture book.
Santa is feeling old, and being in the business of Christmas for centuries is . . . well, it isn’t all milk and cookies. In hopes of regaining some of his pep, Santa asks the spirit of Christmas to give him something for a change: skim off a couple of years and make him younger.
But Christmas magic is powerful, and Santa gets more than he wished for. Instead of a fresh new outlook and boundless energy, he needs diapers and a nap—stat. With Christmas only a few days away, the elves rush to teach Santa Baby the basics. But will there be enough time to prepare their new bundle of holiday joy for the job?
“Plenty of laughs…playfully complemented by Fox’s child-friendly illustrations.” —Horn Book
Discover your next favorite book! Hear from Associate Marketing Manager Melissa Croce from the School & Library team as she presents some of our wonderful upcoming titles that are coming out Winter 2021. See the full presentation here.
We’re ready and eager to spread the word about upcoming books, from our computers to yours! Check back here as more upcoming events will be added soon. Plus, watch archived videos from author events, webinars, book buzzes, and more!
November 5: LJ & SLJ LibraryCon Live (FREE ARCHIVE)
Join Library Journal and School Library Journal for a day-long celebration of fandom-beloved stories and characters, featuring the creators behind mind-bending speculative fiction, innovative comics, and fan-favorite graphic novels. Don’t miss panels with Hafsah Faizal (author of We Free the Stars) and Daniel Kraus (author of They Threw Us Away) and more!
November 6-8: YALSA YA Services Symposium
Join YALSA for their virtual Symposium as they discuss literature, activities, and programs needed to serve and inspire today’s teens. Don’t miss author panels with April Henry (Playing with Fire), Aiden Thomas (Cemetery Boys), George M. Johnson (All Boys Aren’t Blue), Adalyn Grace (All the Stars and Teeth), Anna-Marie McLemore (The Mirror Season), and more! Plus, tune in for the Margaret A. Edwards Award speech from winner Steve Sheinkin!
November 6: YALSA Trivia Night
Join authors Mike Curato, Adalyn Grace, April Henry, and June Hur for a night of fun and games! Flex your bookish trivia skills and enter for your chance to win books! RSVP for Trivia Night here!
November 19-22: NCTE Virtual Annual Convention
Join us for the National Council for the Teachers of English Virtual Convention! Stay tuned for our full roster of author speakers, our NCTE Virtual Booth, and more resources!
December 4-6: NCSS Virtual Conference
Join us for the National Council for the Social Studies Virtual Conference! Stay tuned for our full roster of author speakers, our NCSS Virtual Booth, and more resources!
The Runaway Belly Button by John Flannery; illustrated by Mika Song
In the charming and lighthearted picture book, The Runaway Belly Button, John Flannery and Mika Song bring to life the sweetly goofy Belly Button as she reminds you how nice it is to be sparkling clean.
Grace loved to get dirty. But she was also pretty good at getting clean—she took proper care of Hands, paid extra attention to Feet, and even remembered to scrub behind Ears. There was just one body part she tended to forget: Belly Button.
Day after day, Belly Button got dirtier… and stinkier… and filthier. Until after one particularly neglectful bath, Belly Button decides she’ll have to get outie there to look and smell great again.
“Both solid entertainment and useful hygiene instruction.” – Publishers Weekly
Meet the author of the middle grade graphic novel Snapdragon by Kat Leyh. Kat shares more about her inspiration for this book, her most memorable teachers and librarians, her favorite childhood books, and more!
Read a Q&A with Kat here →
For the majority of the United States’ history, the right to own a gun belonged to a “well regulated militia.” That changed in 2008 with the historic District of Columbia v. Heller case, which ruled that the Second Amendment protected an individual’s right. In the years since, the debate over gun legislation has reached a crescendo. And the issue grows ever relevant to children across America, with an estimated three million exposed to shootings every year. From metal detectors to see-through backpacks to shooting drills, kids face daily reminders of the threat of guns.
Hana Bajramovic’s Whose Right Is It? The Second Amendment and the Fight Over Guns reveals how a once obscure amendment became the focus of daily heated debate. Filled with historical photos and informative graphics, the book will show young readers how gun legislation has always been a part of American history and how money, power, and systemic racism have long dictated our ability to own guns.
“The story is fascinating and, in its evenhanded treatment of the subject, valuable for research and classroom use…Extremely well documented, the book concludes with an epilogue that brings the book up-to-date, making it both important and timely.” —Booklist
“[E]ven readers personally invested in the gun rights position will find the historical context eye-opening.” —The Bulletin for the Center of Children’s Books
Meet the creators of the stunning picture book We Are Water Protectors, Carole Lindstrom and Michaela Goade! Carole and Michaela share more about their inspiration for this picture book, their most memorable teachers and librarians, their favorite childhood books, and more!
Read a Q&A with Carole and Michaela here →
Creators Mike Curato (Flamer), John Patrick Green (Investigators), and Sara Goetter & Natalie Riess (Dungeon Critters) spoke with Booklist on their podcast Shelf Care about the creation process and backstory of their graphic novels. Click here to listen to their interview!
Author Jenn Reese spoke with TeachingBooks.Net about the creation process and backstory of her middle grade novel, A Game of Fox & Squirrels. Click here to listen to Jenn’s interview!