From The Mixed Up Files

Let’s give a warm welcome to Charlotte Watson Sherman, a former librarian and author of children’s picture and middle-grade books. She’s going to dish about her latest works and share her best librarian recommendations for middle-grade readers to enjoy during Black History Month and beyond. So, settle in and enjoy! Tell me about This Opening Sky. How did the idea for the book come about? This Opening Sky is a middle-grade verse novel about two 12-year-old girls – one Black, one White – coping with the end of the Civil War. Aurelia, the daughter of...

  As we watch chilling news footage of ICE agents in Minneapolis, we are both horrified by the brutality and heartened by the thousands of individuals braving extreme temperatures to raise a unified voice in an effort to protect their neighbors and reclaim their city.  Among those affected by the chaos, we find independent bookstores struggling to maintain sales, school librarians trying to nurture and protect their students, and members of the publishing industry stepping up to lend a hand. The broader literary community can help Minneapolis by staying informed and offering support.   Support Minneapolis Booksellers According to a...

For a short month, February is overflowing with brand new middle grade books. Have a look and let us know which of our Middle Grade New Releases you’re looking forward to reading.     Serendipity by Gabbie Benda Serendipity is the luckiest kid in the world. But what happens when...

How Do Molecules Stay Together? by Madeline J. Hayes, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani How Do Molecules Stay Together? is a picture book that introduces readers to some basic chemistry concepts. This could be a good read-aloud as an introduction to chemistry, although I suspect older students may find the call-and-response...

Alice With a Why by #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna James (Pages & Co., Chronicles of Whetherwhy), illustrated by Matthew Land. AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE BOOKS ARE SOLD! In this enchanting standalone retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice’s granddaughter, Alyce—with a Y—finds herself tumbling down into a Wonderland at war. The once-whimsical world is now divided between the...

Once You Find a Podcast You Love, You Want More Like It I think this is true for most everyone out there. My husband loves to listen to podcasts about history and politics and he doesn’t just want one, he wants multiple podcasts on each subject. For those of us...

Alice With a Why by #1 New York Times bestselling author Anna James (Pages & Co., Chronicles of Whetherwhy), illustrated by Matthew Land. AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE BOOKS ARE SOLD! In this enchanting standalone retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice’s granddaughter, Alyce—with a Y—finds herself tumbling down into a Wonderland at war. The once-whimsical world is now divided between the...

Once You Find a Podcast You Love, You Want More Like It I think this is true for most everyone out there. My husband loves to listen to podcasts about history and politics and he doesn’t just want one, he wants multiple podcasts on each subject. For those of us...