From The Mixed Up Files

Interviewing a middle-grade author is always a pleasure, but it’s even more exciting when the author happens to be fellow Mixed-Up Files member Shifa Saltagi Safadi! Shifa, who won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature in 2024 for her debut novel, Kareem Between, is here to tell us about her latest novel, Sisters Alone, a novel-in-verse about two sisters who survive a dramatic blizzard and live to tell the tale. The book releases from Penguin Young Readers on September 8th. And now, without further ado, please join me in welcoming Shifa to the...

The Association of American Literary Agents (AALA) has revised its Canon of Ethics, with changes set to take place September 1, 2026.   Significant Changes to Note   While agents still may not charge a client for editorial work done to prepare a manuscript for submission, other avenues of generating revenue have opened up. As reported by medium.com, agents can now “offer clients paid services, such as marketing, publicity, web design, and, in some circumstances, editorial services, as long as representation is not contingent on purchasing those services.”   A significant change to the Canon, while not encouraging agents to...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today, we’re interviewing Martha Brockenbrough author of Future Tense: How We Made Artificial Intelligence and How It Will Change Everything (Feiwel & Friends, March 2024). This 23-chapter deep dive into the history, prevalence, and...

M. D. Payne on His Newest Book Pumpkin Apocalypse Karen Reeder: Matt, when I saw the cover and title of Pumpkin Apocalypse on the list of interview opportunities I was like, ‘yes! That ridiculousness is just what I need in my and my kids’ life! (And I hope you take...

What better way to greet students as we head back to school than with an amazing classroom library! Whether you are building a classroom library or reorganizing one, here are a few ideas for you to consider. Building a Classroom Library A well-stocked, high-quality classroom library can generate interest and...

Author Interview with Maire Roche Today’s author interview is with Middle Grade author Maire Roche. If you like monsters and retellings, then then buckle up for a fun read! So, without further ado…. KATE: Our Mixed-Up-Files readers would love the inside scoop on your latest book, Little Monsters! Can you...

A question I hear often from kid readers is “How can you write for us when you’re an adult?” There’s a lot of reasons why this question pops up, but one of the biggest is the fact that adults simply aren’t kids. In their minds, we don’t look like them,...