From The Mixed Up Files

Today’s interview is a little extra special for me. I’ve had the honor of working with Jackie Garcia-Morales as her marketing and publicity assistant, and along the way, we’ve become friends. Getting to celebrate her debut here at From the Mixed-Up Files makes me so happy. Jackie is a former Writers House intern and currently an Associate Literary Agent and Foreign Rights Agent at Storm Literary Agency. Now she’s adding debut middle grade author to that list with Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas, coming October 31 from Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press....

According to PEN America’s Index of School Book Bans, the 2025-2026 school year had the biggest number of unique titles banned in public schools. YA titles accounted for 58% of book bans, adult titles 26%, and middle grade 10%. PEN America reports that “The vast majority of recorded book bans this school year came from just two states: Texas and Florida. Both states have become blueprints for educational censorship, where special interest groups, state laws, and politicians have converged to pressure school districts to restrict and remove access to books.” It’s frightening and overwhelming to read about the ongoing assault...

Sometimes you wonder if anyone else has the same struggles as you or if you’re alone. You’re not alone! There are wonderful books that can help kids learn about themselves and what they’re going through. October is ADHD Awareness Month. In honor of the awareness, today’s blog post lists books...

Welcome to October’s STEM Tuesday author interview! This is where you get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to research and write a STEM book. This week we’re chatting with Penny Parker Klostermann, author of several books including The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army, illustrated...

Today’s interview is a little extra special for me. I’ve had the honor of working with Jackie Garcia-Morales as her marketing and publicity assistant, and along the way, we’ve become friends. Getting to celebrate her debut here at From the Mixed-Up Files makes me so happy. Jackie is a former...

Kids love fiction and nonfiction books, and among younger readers, studies often show that they prefer nonfiction books! Elementary school teachers know that certain nonfiction series fly off the shelves in younger grades: Who Would Win? or the Who Was? series. But at all grades should share, promote, and encourage nonfiction reading. Read Aloud...

Get cozy this fall and cuddle up with one of these amazing new books. October 6th The Creeps By Tahlor Mejia Front Desk meets Stephen King! In this perfectly frightening middle grade read, a twelve-year-old boy moves into a creepy motel where breaking the rules doesn’t just mean getting kicked...

“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write.” This famous quote by Stephen King encapsulates an important truth for writers: We should always be reading, and the parenthetical in that quote tells us why. Reading gives us tools, and the only...