Storytime: Author Rachel Vail reads Cat Ears on Elizabeth

Spun off from her beloved Justin Case middle grade chapter books, Rachel Vail’s A Is for Elizabeth series—featuring illustrations by award-winning children’s book artist Paige Kaiser—follows a young second grader as she navigates schoolwork, friendships, and the growing pains that occur along the way. Perfect for SEL units, Elizabeth learns to deal with her “loud feelings” in each book in this heartwarming and funny series.

Watch author Rachel Vail read along with the third book in the series, Cat Ears on Elizabeth, here! When two of Elizabeth’s classmates come to school with cat-ear headbands, Elizabeth decides she needs a cat-ears headband immediately (even though headbands squish her brain out).

Chapters 1-2:

Chapters 3-5:

Download a teacher’s guide for the first book in the series, A is for Elizabeth, here!

Watch more author storytimes here.

Storytime: Author Emmy Kastner reads Nerdy Babies: Weather

Nerdy Babies is a picture book series that will ignite curiosity in even the youngest readers and encourage them to ask questions and explore the world around them. With bright colorful art and easy-to-read text, the Nerdy Babies series encourages the youngest readers to explore the natural world around them from the depths of the ocean to the farthest reaches of space!

In Emmy Kastner’s newest picture book, Nerdy Babies: Weather follow our intrepid babies into the eye of the storm. Experience sunshine, wind, rain, and other weather patterns. Plus, learn about how we predict the weather in this simple text written in question and answer format. Watch Emmy read from the book below:

Download the Nerdy Babies Activity Kit here, for more STEM-filled fun!

Watch more author storytimes here.

Books for Mental Health Awareness Month

These books for kids and teens sensitively deal with tough topics and big emotions. Perfect for SEL units, these stories normalize mental health issues, promote the importance of self-care, and provide more resources for young readers who are struggling to process big emotions like anger, sadness, anxiety, and loss. Share these stories with young readers to let them know they are not alone.

Find books for Mental Health Awareness month here →

Bad Kitty: Wash Your Paws

In Bad Kitty’s newest adventure she learns why it is so important to WASH YOUR PAWS! This FREE black and white downloadable story is the perfect way to keep your kids and students engaged and entertained, while also emphasizing a very timely message. Print it out, read it aloud, and color the pages!

Download the book for FREE

FRtbr: Move these books to the top of your Young Adult TBR list!

Don’t miss these four virtual author events!

Everyone knows hindsight is 20/20 and since it is 2020 AND the year of social distancing, our friends at Fierce Reads are taking this extra time indoors to reorganize their TBR list and revisit some of our favorite books! Find some YA books you may have missed here + join the authors for a virtual visit during BookCon Virtual!

Find YA books you may have missed + more author event details here →

Writing Tips from Author Josephine Cameron

Author Josephine Cameron shares creative writing tips about how choosing the perfect setting can help you shape the character, plot, and relationships in your story.

Check out Josephine’s books for readers ages 8-12 here:

Watch Macmillan’s TLA 2020 Publishers Preview!

Hear about Macmillan’s upcoming books for kids, teens, and adults! Marketing representatives from MacKids School & Library, Macmillan Library Marketing, and Tom Doherty Associates share upcoming books you shouldn’t miss!

Visit our TXLA Virtual Booth
to watch more videos from our authors and request digital ARCs of our upcoming books!

Keep reading to learn more about the Macmillan Children’s books featured in our preview!

Learn more about our preview titles here →