From The Mixed Up Files

What Happened to our Starry, Starry Night? If you go outside on a moonless night, what do you see? A planet, maybe a handful of stars if you’re lucky. Unfortunately, for too many of us the city lights diminish the night sky. Streetlights and other artificial lights do more than illuminate our world. They create problems for plants and animals living in and around our cities, including seasonal migrators. Who Hid the Stars? How Light Pollution Changes Our World by Danio Miserocchi & Maciej Michno; illus. by Valentina Gottardi, and translated by Sylvia Notini This...

Kwame Alexander, author of popular books such as Acoustic Rooster, The Crossover, The Door of No Return, and Caldecott Medal-winning The Undefeated will partner with Sourcebooks to launch Kwame Alexander Books in spring 2027. The imprint, with the goal to “[champion] bold authors across generations,” will publish children’s books from picture books through YA, as well as adult titles. The imprint will also have to-be-announced initiatives to help discover and support new writers....

Summer can be an exciting season, inviting more time with friends and family, campouts under the stars, or fun-filled travel plans. However, the break in predictable school-centered schedules can also invite big changes! For me growing up, summers often meant relocation and new schools, for others it can bring big...

What Happened to our Starry, Starry Night? If you go outside on a moonless night, what do you see? A planet, maybe a handful of stars if you’re lucky. Unfortunately, for too many of us the city lights diminish the night sky. Streetlights and other artificial lights do more than...

What a treat it is to welcome author Christina Diaz Gonzalez to the MUF blog! You may recognize Christina as the creator of gripping historical fiction novels and an Edgar Award-winning mystery.    In more recent years, you may have been introduced to Christina’s English-Spanish graphic novel Invisible. This groundbreaking...

I have this thing for rereading books. I like to revisit favorite titles and try to get at least a five-year interval to have another read. The Power of the Reread is a post I wrote a few years ago. The post is about the continuation of the philosophy first...

July’s New Releases happen to include several spooky, creepy tales to read around a summer campfire. None with fireworks, but lots of stories to keep you up at night. All the more reason to read with a friend. So choose a book, keep your nightlight on, and have a joyful...

I have this thing for rereading books. I like to revisit favorite titles and try to get at least a five-year interval to have another read. The Power of the Reread is a post I wrote a few years ago. The post is about the continuation of the philosophy first...