From The Mixed Up Files

A retelling of Rebecca with cats? I was in. Kara LaReau’s Licorice follows Kitty, a shelter cat who gets adopted by kind, gentle Max. It should be a dream come true. But once she arrives at her new home, Kitty finds herself living in the shadow of Max’s former cat, Licorice. I loved how Kitty’s worries about fitting in and being good enough felt so familiar. There’s plenty here for middle grade readers to connect with—and plenty for the grown-ups reading along, too. I’m happy to welcome Kara to From the Mixed-Up Files of Middle-Grade...

“Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” That’s the theme of this year’s Banned Books Week. A joint effort by the American Library Association (ALA) and the Banned Books Week Coalition, this annual week of focus provides the opportunity to make a bold, collective statement about the freedom to read.    This year’s campaign features three separate illustrations that highlight the importance of libraries. According to the ALA, award-winning illustrators Hyesu Lee, Loveis Wise, and Mikey Burton created artwork that “embraces joy and creativity as acts of resilience, reminding our communities that a handful of people running organized censorship...

In recent news, the Guiness Book of World Records just named Advay Jain as the youngest person to publish a book at the tender age of 3 years and 345 days old! This news caught my eye since it takes me longer than that to simply finish a draft for...

I read the following books from this month’s list as the basis of the activities below. The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army by Penny Parker Klostermann, illustrated by Anne Lambelet Have you ever heard of the woman who harvested spider silk to help U.S....

A retelling of Rebecca with cats? I was in. Kara LaReau’s Licorice follows Kitty, a shelter cat who gets adopted by kind, gentle Max. It should be a dream come true. But once she arrives at her new home, Kitty finds herself living in the shadow of Max’s former cat,...

We love a good mystery, and a little mayhem, which means Heist at the Museum! The Greatest Jewel Heist in U.S. History is right up our alley. Today, we’re chatting with Sam Subity about his latest middle grade adventure. Break out your top-secret notepad and get ready to crack the...

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...