From The Mixed Up Files

We have some ravenous readers in my house. My oldest can blaze through a few middle grade books in a single week. Sometimes it feels like my wife and I can barely keep up, and reloading his Kindle with picks from our local library is a nightly ritual. Of course we’re delighted that our kids love to read, but sometimes it’s tough to find books that are engaging and complex without being overly mature. Our oldest is only nine, after all, and as much as I’d like to hand him some Michael Crichton, we’re still...

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....

We have some ravenous readers in my house. My oldest can blaze through a few middle grade books in a single week. Sometimes it feels like my wife and I can barely keep up, and reloading his Kindle with picks from our local library is a nightly ritual. Of course...

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...