From The Mixed Up Files

Picture a 12-year-old. It’s 8 p.m. on a school night. Homework is finished, responsibilities have been fulfilled, and it’s wind-down time. What will they choose to do with this time? According to current surveys and sales records, it’s unlikely that this young person will be picking up a book to read. “Is There a Reading Recession?”  This is the title of a recent article shared on the Scholastic Blog. It echoes the concerns expressed in a previous Mixed-Up Files post about “The Middle Grade Slump.” A documented decrease in middle grade book sales is a...

June is designated as Pride Month, a month-long celebration of the LGBTQ+  community. It’s a time to shine a positive light on people who are often marginalized while honoring those who took a stand during the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan.   In recent years, the publishing world has made progress in producing books that both raise awareness about and showcase joy within the LGBTQ+ community. The American Library Association (ALA) brings attention to these books in June, which they refer to as Rainbow Book Month™.   What is Rainbow Book Month?   According to the ALA, “Rainbow Book Month™...

Juneteenth is upon us, and in honor of this day, we are recommending some beautiful Black-authored MG titles to read. June 19th marks a Federal day of Independence in American history, an important day commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. And what better way to celebrate this...

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Why are author interviews such an important part of STEM Tuesday? For one, it’s fun for kids (and adults!) to read about doing research and writing from the person doing the work. Plus, getting...

I’m thrilled to welcome Carly to discuss her new book, THE GHOSTS OF NAMELESS ISLAND (Andrews McMeel Kids 7/23/24). I recently met Carly at ALA and fell in love with her and her hilarious/spine-tingling middle-grade novel. I am delighted to say we share the same publisher, and our ghost stories...

Picture a 12-year-old. It’s 8 p.m. on a school night. Homework is finished, responsibilities have been fulfilled, and it’s wind-down time. What will they choose to do with this time? According to current surveys and sales records, it’s unlikely that this young person will be picking up a book to...

I’m thrilled to welcome Carly to discuss her new book, THE GHOSTS OF NAMELESS ISLAND (Andrews McMeel Kids 7/23/24). I recently met Carly at ALA and fell in love with her and her hilarious/spine-tingling middle-grade novel. I am delighted to say we share the same publisher, and our ghost stories...

What a pleasure it has been to get to know Kelly Dyksterhouse, a literary agent with the Tobias Literary Agency. Kelly has her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults and specializes in building the careers of authors and illustrators who work on a broad range of projects from...