Tag: Author Interview

MacKids Spotlight: Jas Hammonds

Jas Hammond’s stunning YA debut We Deserve Monuments is a swoon-worthy romance and a slow-burn mystery set in a smalltown full of secrets. This layered and powerful coming-of-age story is a love letter to queer Black teenagers. It celebrates the beauty of community and friendship, while also exploring generational trauma and how racial violence can ripple down through history.

Read on to learn more about Jas’s inspiration for their must-read debut + request a digital review copy of We Deserve Monuments on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Jas Hammonds here →

MacKids Spotlight: Dhonielle Clayton

Bestselling author, former teacher and librarian, COO of We Need Diverse Books, and owner of CAKE literary Dhonielle Clayton makes her magical middle grade debut in The Marvellers! This fantasy adventure set in a global magic school in the sky completely redefines the genre — the Arcanum Institute is like no magic school you’ve ever visited before! This is an inclusive, global celebration of the unique magic that lives within each us. ✨

#1 New York Times bestselling–author Rick Riordan says, “The Marvellers deserves the highest compliment I can give a book: I want to live in this world. You can stop looking at admissions brochures for all those other schools of magic. The Arcanum Training Institute for Marvelous and Uncanny Endeavors is definitely where you want to apply.”

Dhonielle shares more about her inspiration for the story and the enchanting world of The Marvellers here! Plus, request a digital review copy of The Marvellers on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Dhonielle Clayton here →

MacKids Spotlight: Daniel Kraus

Meet the author of the middle grade series The Teddies Saga, Daniel Kraus! Daniel shares more about his inspiration for this series, his most memorable teachers and librarians, his favorite childhood books, and more in this Q&A!

Book 2 of the Teddies Saga, They Stole Our Hearts is now available! Plus Book 1, They Thew Us Away, is now available in paperback! Five teddy bears set out on an epic journey to figure out why they were left behind—and maybe learn the meaning of life, too—in this action-packed middle grade trilogy from New York Times-bestselling author Daniel Kraus. Perfect for Five Nights at Freddy’s fans!

Read a Q&A with Daniel here →

MacKids Spotlight: Lizz Huerta

Lizz Huerta is the debut author of The Lost Dreamer. A stunning YA fantasy inspired by ancient Mesoamerica, this gripping debut introduces us to a lineage of seers defiantly resisting the shifting patriarchal state that would see them destroyed—perfect for fans of Tomi Adeyemi and Sabaa Tahir.

Lizz shares more about her inspiration for the story and her advice for young writers here! Plus, request a digital review copy of The Lost Dreamer on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Lizz Huerta here →

MacKids Spotlight: Julian Randall

Julian Randall is the debut author of the blockbuster middle grade fantasy, Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa. The Land of Stories meets Dominican myths and legends in a new duology for fans of Tristan Strong and The Storm Runner.

Julian shares more about his inspiration for the story and his advice for young writers here! Plus, request a digital review copy of Pilar Ramirez and the Escape from Zafa on NetGalley!

Read our Q&A with Julian Randall here →

MacKids Spotlight: Jennifer Mathieu

Watch a recording of Jennifer Mathieu’s classroom visit below!

Jennifer Mathieu is the author of Devoted, Afterward, The Liars of Mariposa Island, and The Truth About Alice, which won the Teen Choice Debut Author Award. Her 2017 novel, Moxie, was developed into a film by Amy Poehler for Netflix. Jennifer teaches high school English in Texas, where she lives in the Houston area with her husband and son.

Jennifer shares more about her inspiration for the story and her advice for young writers here!

Read our Q&A with Jennifer Mathieu here →