Nonfiction

Ring in The New Year With Middle Grade Books!

The New Year is just around the corner, so there is much to celebrate! Along with resolutions and fresh starts, there is an epic batch of middle grade books for you to discover.

To give you a small sample of what’s to come, I’ve selected 24 titles to set your sights on in 2024.

And because I am a HUGE Taylor Swift fan  . . . I placed my book, HART & SOULS at number 13 on the countdown.

Have fun shopping!

1. PLAY THE GAME by Amar Shah (3/5/24) 

Raam Patel is eager to prove himself ever since he didn’t make the middle school’s basketball team. So, when Hoop Con comes to town he is determined to be there and take his shot. His big moment proves to be unforgettable… but not in the way he’d hoped. Raam gets schooled by the camp’s golden boy right in front of his NBA idol. To make matters even worse, this fail goes viral.

Raam is used to being the underdog, but becoming the newest meme might be something even he can’t overcome alone. He skips town in an effort to lay low and take a break from basketball. However, he’s met with new courts, fresh kicks, and tough new competition, changing his whole outlook on the game. Raam has the skills, but now it’s time to unlock the mental game.

2. FINN AND EZRA’S BAR MITZVAH TIME LOOP by Joshua Levy (5/14/24) 

Finn and Ezra don’t have a lot in common—except, of course, that they’re trapped in a bar mitzvah time loop, reliving their celebrations in the same New Jersey hotel over and over and over again. Not ideal, particularly when both kids were ready for their bar mitzvahs to end the moment they began. Ezra comes from a big family—four siblings, all seeming to get more attention than him, even on his bar mitzvah weekend. Finn is an only child who’s tired of his parents’ constant focus, even worse on his bar mitzvah weekend. They just want to get past it, just want to grow up. And now they’re both stuck. Friday. Saturday. Sunday. No way out.  

Until Finn and Ezra meet and realize they’re not alone.

Teaming up, they try everything they can think of to break the loop. But nothing works, and after every reset, the boys’ schemes become more desperate. As their frustrations build, the questions mount and real-life problems start to seep through the cracks. With all the time in the world, can Finn and Ezra ever figure out how to move forward?

3. THE CURSE OF EELGRASS BOG  by Mary Averling (1/2/24) 

Nothing about Kess Pedrock’s life is normal. Not her home (she lives in her family’s Unnatural History Museum), not her interests (hunting for megafauna fossils and skeletons), and not her best friend (a talking demon’s head in a jar named Shrunken Jim). 

But things get even stranger than usual when Kess meets Lilou Starling, the new girl in town. Lilou comes to Kess for help breaking a mysterious curse—and the only clue she has leads straight into the center of Eelgrass Bog.

Everyone knows the bog is full of witches, demons, and possibly worse, but Kess and Lilou are determined not to let that stop them. As they investigate the mystery and uncover long-buried secrets, Kess begins to realize that the curse might hit closer to home than she’d ever expected, and she’ll have to summon all her courage to find a way to break it before it’s too late.

4. THE WRONG WAY HOME by Kate O’Shaughnessy (4/2/24)

Twelve-year-old Fern’s lived at the Ranch, an off-the-grid, sustainable community in upstate New York, since she was six. The work is hard, but Fern admires the Ranch’s leader, Dr. Ben. So when Fern’s mother sneaks them away in the middle of the night and says Dr. Ben is dangerous, Fern doesn’t believe it. She wants desperately to go back, but her mom just keeps driving.  Suddenly Fern is thrust into the treacherous, toxic, outside world. 

At first she thinks only about how to get home. She has a plan, but it will take time. As that time goes by, though, Fern realizes there are things she will miss from this place—the library, a friend from school, the ocean—and there are things she learned at the Ranch that are just…not true.

Now Fern will have to decide. How much is she willing to give up to return to the Ranch? Should she trust Dr. Ben’s vision for her life? Or listen to the growing feeling that she can live by her own rules?

5. DAUGHTERS OF THE LAMP by Nedda Lewers (2/20/24) 

Sahara Rashad lives by logic. Loves science. And always has a plan. Except her dad just whisked her away to her uncle’s wedding in Egypt, upending every single plan she had for the summer.

In Cairo, Sahara’s days are filled with family—and mystery. First, Sahara’s cousins claim the pretentious bride-to-be is actually a witch. Then her late mother’s necklace starts glowing—and disappears.

Sahara’s attempts to recover the necklace lead her to the greatest mystery yet. Deep in an underground chamber lies Ali Baba’s magical treasure. Hidden from a line of sorcerers who threatened to use its powers for evil, the treasure was given to Sahara’s ancestor Morgana for safekeeping and passed down from mother to daughter for generations. Now only Sahara stands in the sorcerers’ way. Can the girl who’s never believed in magic trust the unknown and claim her legacy as the treasure’s keeper?

6. ISABEL IN BLOOM by Mae Respicio (4/9/24)

Twelve-year-old Isabel is the new kid in her San Francisco middle school. It’s the first time in many years that she’ll be living with her mother again. Mama’s job in the US allowed Isabel and her grandparents to live more comfortably in the Philippines, but now Isabel doesn’t really know her own mother anymore.  

Making new friends in a new city, a new country, is hard, but joining the gardening and cooking club at school means Isabel will begin to find her way, and maybe she too, will begin to bloom.

In this beautifully rendered novel-in-verse, Mae Respicio explores how growth can take many forms, offering both the challenges and joy of new beginnings.

7. THE COLOR OF SOUND by Emily Barth Isler (3/5/24)

Twelve-year-old Rosie is a musical prodigy whose synesthesia allows her to see music in colors.Her mom has always pushed her to become a concert violinist, but this summer Rosie refuses to play, wanting a “normal” life.

Forced to spend the summer with her grandparents, Rosie is excited to meet another girl her age hanging out on their property. The girl is familiar, and Rosie quickly pieces it together: somehow, this girl is her mother, when her mother was twelve. 

With help from this glitch in time―plus her grandparents, an improv group, and a new instrument―Rosie comes to understand her mother, herself, and her love of music in new ways.

8. MIND OVER MONSTERS by Betsy Uhrig (4/16/24)

FACE YOUR FEARS! That’s what the meditation app with the cheesy name De-stress-o-rama is telling Lena to do. She’s one of seven always-worried middle schoolers trying out this new app to see if it can help students handle stress. But something is going wrong—very, very wrong. 

The group’s fears are becoming all too real, first lurking and dangling, then chasing them around and threatening to swallow them whole. From a stubborn inky blob that is fear of the dark, to the queasy giant in sweaty underpants that is fear of public speaking, monsters are invading Cranberry Bog Middle School! Can Lena’s group of worriers figure out how to conquer their fears before the whole school is swarmed?

9. ON ALL OTHER NIGHTS : A PASSOVER CELEBRATION IN 14 STORIES Edited by Chris Baron, Joshua Levy, Naomi Milliner (3/26/24) 

Welcome to Passover, a Jewish holiday that has been celebrated for thousands of years. The heart of Passover is the seder—a meal full of rituals, special foods, and songs—where we gather together to retell the story of the Exodus, when the Jewish people achieved freedom from Egypt. 

And yet this story is about more than the ancient past. The seder’s themes of freedom, joy, tradition, and more, are timeless and universal, for all.

In this unprecedented collection of short stories, 14 bestselling and award-winning authors each reimagine a different step of the seder for today’s young readers. Through historical and contemporary fiction, verse and prose, fiction and nonfiction, these gifted writers from different Jewish traditions and backgrounds gather around the seder table and invite everyone to join them.

 

10. HEROES OF HAVENSONG: THE LAST ICE PHOENIX  by Megan Reyes (1/23/24)

Blue, River, Shenli, and Wren are still reeling from the discovery that they are the four heroes foretold to save their world. The weight of their destiny and the expectations that come with it is a heavy burden, but when danger once again finds them and the people they love, there’s no choice but to act. 

Shenli and Wren both remain outsiders—one as a prisoner tired of being a pawn and the other banished from the home she fought to save. Meanwhile, Blue and River face a quest for a mythical creature that will take them beyond the world they know—with the fate of the Meraki people hanging in the balance. Although they just found one another, the four heroes are once again scattered across Haven—all facing new journeys, impossible choices and shocking truths. As their world prepares for war, will they be able to unravel what the Fates have in store for them and find their own path?

11. CRUSHED by Melanie Conklin (7/16/24)

Sophie Valentine would rather be at home, doing school virtually. Instead, she’s waiting in a crowded middle school building for her best friend, Eve, who’s finally back after an extended absence, which only Sophie knows the truth about.

But when Eve returns, things aren’t the same. First, Eve stops walking to school with her in the morning. Then, she’s ditching Sophie to hang out with the Crash Crew, a group of popular kids notorious for their social media dares. Eve seems to fit right in, but Sophie is devastated: Did she just lose her best friend?

When rumors surface that Eve is hiding a painful secret she didn’t share with Sophie, Sophie is spurred on an investigation to discover what—or who—caused the incident behind Eve’s sudden change…and why all clues lead back to the Crash Crew. Using lessons from her forensics class and the help of a new friend, Sophie will have to uncover the truth before more harm is done.

12. MOUNTAIN OF FIRE: THE ERUPTIONS AND SURVIVORS OF MOUNT ST. HELENS by Rebecca E. F. Barrone (5/14/24)

For weeks, the ground around Mount St. Helens shuddered like a dynamite keg ready to explode. There were legends of previous eruptions: violent fire, treacherous floods, and heat that had scoured the area. But the shaking and swelling was unlike any volcanic activity ever seen before.Day and night, scientists tried to piece together the mountain’s clues―yet nothing could prepare them for the destruction to come.

The long-dormant volcano seethed away, boiling rock far below the surface. Washington’s governor, Dixie Lee Ray, understood the despair that would follow from people being forced from their homes. How and when should she give orders to evacuate the area? And would that be enough to save the people from the eruption of Mount St. Helens?

13. HART & SOULS by Lisa Schmid (7/23/24) 

After getting bullied at Figueroa Elementary, Stix Hart wants nothing more than to fly below the radar at middle school. He’s heard all the horror stories, but none involved ghosts. 

On Stix’s first day of sixth grade, his anxiety is off the charts. It doesn’t help when he spots a kid who reminds him of his old bully, Xander Mack. Soon after, he encounters two other students who take a keen interest in him. He quickly learns the spooky truth—the trio are lost souls in need of a solid. When the ghosts tell him they’ve been stuck in middle school for decades, it’s up to Stix to figure out how to help these not-so-normal new friends.

Solving this paranormal predicament will take some serious sleuthing and a tremendous act of courage. Can Stix solve this mystery and help these spirits move on before it’s too late?

 

14. NOT THE WORST FRIEND IN THE WORLD by Anne Rellihan (2/6/24)

It’s the thirty-fourth day of sixth grade at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Missouri, and eleven-year-old Lou wishes she could rewind time. 

Lou wants to go back to the ninth day of sixth grade—the day before she fought with her best friend Francie and said the terrible, horrible things she can’t unsay. Or better yet, she would go back to fifth grade when Francie was still the Old Francie.

Then the new girl, Cece Clark-Duncan, passes Lou a mysterious note. It says she was kidnapped. (!) If Lou can help Cece, maybe she can prove she’s not the world’s worst friend.

But as observant Lou uncovers the complicated truth about Cece’s family, she starts to panic. Can she help Cece without hurting her? Or will Lou end up losing another friend instead?

15. LEI AND THE INVISIBLE ISLAND by Malia Maunakea (6/4/24)

After saving her best friend and ancestral guardian, Kaipo, from Pele the Fire Goddess’s traps, and successfully preventing lava from destroying her Tūtū’s house, all Lei wants to do is take a nap. The only problem? Kaipo’s ʻaumakua pendant is missing, and without it, he will soon disintegrate . . . emotionally and physically.  

So Lei, Kaipo, her favorite talking bat, Ilikea, and newcomer Kaukahi—a fiercely independent fashionista—set off on a journey to an invisible island where they hope to find Kaipo’s pendant. To get there, they’ll have to contend with sharks, jump over a rainbow, and literally float on clouds. And when they arrive? The crew realizes that the missing pendant is the least of their problems. For there are evil spirits on this island, and they’re out for blood.

16. THE MUTANT CRITTER SITTER by Heather Macht (Fall 2024)

Chloe’s summer was supposed to be filled with skateboarding, hanging out with friends, and staying up late every single night watching scary movies. But, after a trip to the skatepark left her skateboard broken in two, her entire summer was ruined. Now, her dad is forcing her to work all summer long so she can learn responsibility and earn a new one. What a bummer! 

After a morning of searching for jobs, Chloe answers an unusual ad that turns her summer upside down. Somehow, she said yes to being a Critter Sitter for a Not-So-Mad Scientist’s crazy mutant creations. One thing’s for sure, whether it’s being chased by a giant Mean-us Flytrap, bathing an Electric Seal, caring for Pea Monkeys, or walking a fluffy pet Pali-gator, Chloe’s summer is filled with extraordinary and unexpected adventures.

17.THE LOST FOREST: AN UNEXPECTED DISCOVERY BENEATH THE WAVES by Jennifer Swanson (4/2/24)

Take a deep dive with scientists exploring a sunken cypress forest that had been undisturbed in the Gulf of Mexico for fifty thousand years.

18. JAMIE by L.D. Lapinski (5/28/24) 

Jamie Rambeau is a happy 11-year-old, nonbinary kid who loves hanging out with their two best friends, Daisy and Ash. But when the trio find out that their local middle schools separate into a school for boys and a school for girls, their friendship suddenly seems at risk. And when Jamie realizes no one has thought about where they are going to go, they decide to take matters into their own hands.

As the friends’ efforts to raise awareness eventually become a rooftop protest against the binary rules for the local schools, Jamie realizes that if they don’t figure out a way forward, they could lose both their friends forever.

19. THE DETENTION DETECTIVES: MURDER BY MISTAKE (1/25/24) by Lis Jardine

Headstrong Lydia leads the new case. As a school reporter, she’s great at getting the facts. But when someone unexpected arrives at Gran’s, it’s clear she’s missing some clues… 

Sensitive Daniel is convinced this case is linked to their first. As a young carer he’s got a lot on his plate, so he needs the trio to work on this together. He just needs to persuade…

Not-so-new-boy Jonno, who’s settled in at Hanbridge High. But he’s so distracted by his new band – maybe solving crimes just isn’t cool anymore? Or maybe he’s scared of finding out the truth…

20. THE HAUNTED STATES OF AMERICA by 52 Different Authors  (7/9/24)  

Every state has an urban legend that evokes fear and curiosity in equal parts, and we’ve chronicled all of these logic-defying horrors here in the Haunted States of Americaanthology.  

From the Jersey Devil to La Llorona, each story included introduces a new chill inducing, stomach churning monster, spectre, or poltergeist certain to keep you up at night. A broad ranging collection of authors, including seasoned veterans and some first timers making a fright-tastic debut, have all united to unearth the scariest lore from each state in the US, as well as D.C. and Puerto Rico. Make sure to strap in for this spooky cross country tour, but be extra careful not to let any of these terrors follow you home.

21. THE GREAT ZOODINI by PJ Gardner (7/23/24)

After his latest zooscape goes wrong Zoodini winds up at the Twin Buttes Drive-In and Animal Sanctuary. At first he’s disappointed. How is a fennec fox supposed to make the news and get famous breaking out of this place? Simple, break ALL the animals out.

22. SKYLIGHT by Patchtree Jones (7/23/24)

Five-foot-eight and only in the seventh grade, Sofia Luana is used to being bullied in her Colorado school. After her parents suddenly decide to move to California, Sofia’s only hope is her best friend, Cara Felicity, who says her family’s moving to California, too. 

On their plane ride halfway across the country, Sofia and Cara see a magical door in the clouds where the girls soon find themselves in a new land filled with a shapeshifting octopus, winged warriors, and the exiled sorceress, Muet, starting a war to take the throne.

With her best friend, Sofia must learn to embrace her royal lineage, figure out who can be trusted, and find the courage to make her own decisions to end the war—or else Muet and her Night Army will extinguish Sofia’s skylight forever.

23. INVISIBLE ISABEL by Sally J. Pla (7/9/24)

Isabel is a small, kind, shy girl who feels a bit invisible at home and school.One day, some worry-moths appear in her belly. A tender little novel in verse for younger middle-graders about friendship, anxiety, shyness, and the mysterious mind/body connection.

24. THE RULE OF THREE by Heather Murphy Capps (8/6/24)

When the rules no longer apply, how do you keep your head in the game?

Wyatt has a three-part Plan for Life, and it starts now, at the beginning of seventh grade, with tryouts for his local travel baseball team. A biracial kid in a mostly white town, he’s always felt like a bit of an outsider. The baseball field is the only place where he feels like he truly belongs. If he can just make the team, everything else will fall into place: school, friends, even his relationship with his often-distant dad. But after upsetting incidents at tryouts, something inexplicable happens: wisps of smoke form around Wyatt.
As Wyatt tries to figure out what’s causing this mysterious smoke and how to control it, he discovers it’s connected to a painful family history. The more he learns, the more Wyatt begins to question the rules he’s always followed to fit in. With tensions rising at school and on the field, can he face the injustices of the past while keeping his cool in the present?

Feeling Lucky with Author Heather Alexander

Welcome to MUF, Heather Alexander, author of The Good Luck Book: A Celebration of Global Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore (DK Children), out November 2023. Heather Alexander is the acclaimed author of more than 70 books for children, and she also works as a children’s book editor, packager, and literary scout. Here, she talks to MUF contributor Andrea Pyros about luck, her research process, and why we really cover our mouths when we yawn. 

Mixed-Up Files: Tell us a little bit about The Good Luck Book. Where did the idea for this come from?

Heather Alexander: THE GOOD LUCK BOOK is a large, illustrated, middle-grade nonfiction book that explores fascinating traditions and superstitions from all over the world. Kids will discover how and why they started, why people still do them today, if they hold up to science, the good luck charms we share, and the unique ways we wish for good fortune. All my nonfiction titles spring from my curiosity of the world around me or from articles that spark my interest. This one originated very close to home. You see, I generally pride myself on being very logical, but then I realized how many little superstitious rituals I do without thinking. They range from the typical, like crossing fingers or wishing on shooting star or blowing out the candles on a birthday cake, to the more personal, like knocking the side of an airplane before I enter. It got me thinking about lucky numbers, lucky foods, lucky animals–and when the list went on and on, I knew there was a book there.

The Good Luck Book by Heather Alexander

MUF: What was your research process like? How did you find all the different traditions and beliefs about luck?

HA: I always scour libraries and used bookstores, both in person and online. And for this book, I looked at a lot of university folklore websites and even checked out international message boards on the topic. Everything I found was then cross-referenced for multiple sources. There are sooooooo many superstitions and lucky charms throughout the world so I tried to focus on the more popular ones. Also, there are a myriad of variations on similar rituals, depending on where you live or where your family is from, so the one I ended up choosing may not be exactly way the reader has heard it.

MUF: How did you and your illustrator work together? What was that like? (The art looks great!)

HA: I know, right? The art is stupendous! It was created by four different artists: Ruth Burrows, Teo Georgiev, Sonny Ross, and Sarah Walsh. Usually, I only have the honor of working with one illustrator on a book, but because there was so much to illustrate in a relatively short time Stefan Georgio, the art director at DK, decided the more, the merrier–and the faster. While I didn’t interact directly with the talented artists, I did give art notes through Vicky Armstrong, my editor, and Stefan.

MUF: We’re sure you learned all sorts of fascinating things during your research and writing journey on The Good Luck Book. Can you tell us a few facts that really surprised you?

Author Heather Alexander

HA: It’s hard to pick a few! How about:

• Covering your mouth when you yawn comes from a very old superstition. Your hand was there to block spirits from coming out of or going into your open mouth!
• “If birds fly low, expect rain and a blow,” is a popular saying. Can birds predict “fowl” weather? It seems so! Most birds have a Vitali organ. This is a special receptor in their middle-ear that can sense a drop in atmospheric pressure, and that drop means a storm is on its way.
• Many shops and homes in India hang seven chilies and a lemon from a thread on the door. It’s an old superstition meant to keep away Alakshmi, the goddess of misfortune. She likes eating sour and hot things, so if she’s happy with the treat, it’s believed she won’t enter to bring bad luck. But, it turns out, this is actually a supersmart natural pesticide. When the cotton thread pierces the chilies and lemon, a pungent and sour odor is slowly released, and this stench helps to repel flies and mosquitoes!

MUF: What do you want readers to know about the concept of luck?
HA: Lucky charms can be fun and superstitions interesting to learn about, but the most important thing is to make smart choices and search for real answers. We each have the power to decide what we believe and what we don’t, what we let scare us and what we don’t, what wishes we send out into the universe, and—most of all—what kind of luck we bring to ourselves and the people around us.

Learn more about Heather at her website or on Instagram @halexanderbooks.
The Good Luck Book: A Celebration of Global Traditions, Superstitions, and Folklore by Heather Alexander, illustrations by: Ruth Burrows, Teo Georgiev, Sonny Ross, and Sarah Walsh.

Children’s Books to Honor Arab American Heritage Month

In honor of Arab American Heritage month, I wanted to offer a half dozen children’s books that shed a spotlight on Arab Americans as well as an understanding of the Arab world. In particular, the books selected are geared towards elementary school children and focus on various experiences of Arab American migration as well as a celebration of the achievements of Arab women. A diversity of Arab American faiths is also represented.

1) The Turtle of Oman by Naomi Shihab Nye

This moving middle grade novel shines a light on the struggles of moving (in this case from Oman to Ann Arbor, Michigan) and leaving behind family and friends. It is ultimately a warm tribute to the love between a boy and his grandfather. The exploration of what it means to feels like to relocate are handled with nuance and levity.

Aref’s father had checked a large blue suitcase. He’d been urging Aref to get rid of extra possessions for weeks now, so Aref wouldn’t try to pack too much. But Aref didn’t like letting go of his things.

–from The Turtle of Oman

2) Spell it Like Samar by Shifa Safadi and illustrated by Saliha Caliskan

When Samar moves the United States from Syria, she confronts new challenges. While at first Samar is intimidated by Jenna, a class bully, as well as her new surroundings, she learns to stand up for herself. An uplifting story about the importance of persistence and resilience. And as a bonus, it’s by MUF member Shifa Safadi!

Samar’s face turned red. “I can’t do it, Ms. Bryan!” she said. In Syria, she had been the best student in her class. But here, it felt like she was the worst.
–from Spell it Like Samar

3) Farah Rocks Fifth Grade by Susan Muaddi Darraj and illustrated by Ruaida Mannaa

This is the first in a series of chapter books about 10 year-old Farrah Hajjar, a Palestinian American who deals with sibling relationships (her brother Samir has special needs), and stands up to bullying. The family is part of a tight knit community that goes to St. Jude’s Orthodox Church and supports Farah’s journey to attend a magnet school. Throughout the narrative, it is evident that Farah loves learning.

Even though I don’t like the word gifted, I’m thrilled about going to Magnet.
–from Farah Rocks Fifth Grade

4) Other Words for Home by Jasmine Warga

The story of Jude’s relocation from Syria to Cincinnati is poignant and relatable. The novel-in-verse, which was awarded a Newbery Honor in 2021, is accessible and beautiful. It also will challenge stereotypical ideas of Syria.

But our city does not look like Aleppo, before, or after./ It is not sprawling and noisy with buildings/pressed up against/one another/like they are crammed together in an elevator/with no room to breathe. 
–from Other Words for Home 

 

5) Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time by Saira Mir and Aaliya Jaleel

This compilation of 21st century Muslim women who are leaders is inspirational. Nineteen women are profiled in this upper elementary picture book, from Amani Al-Khatahbeh, the creator of the website, Muslim Gir,l to NASA’s Hiba Rahmani Kuwait to Dalia Mogahed, an advisor to President Barack Obama.

Mogahed tells girls to be: “Be bold, be fearless and be confident, because you matter”

–from Muslim Girls Rise: Inspirational Champions of Our Time 

6) If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World by Hillary Homzie and illustrated by Udayana Lugo

I’m thrilled to include my newest release, a nonfiction picture book aimed at elementary school students. If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World features the stories of actual princesses who have made a difference in their community. Several princesses are from the Arab world, including Princess Alia of Jordan who established a wildlife sanctuary, Princess Rema of Saudi Arabia who has trekked up Mount Everest in honor of cancer patients (who is on the cover of the book) and Princess Nisreen el-Hashemite from Iraq, an MD/PHD researcher who worked at Harvard Medical school and established the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.

After Princess Haya of Jordan’s mother died, her father presented a young horse to the princess to help her heal. This gift inspired a passion for show jumping. Princess Haya became the first Arab woman to compete in the Olympics, and then served on the International Olympic Committee

–from If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders Around the World

Hillary Homzie is the author of the Ellie May chapter book series (Charlesbridge, 2018), Apple Pie Promises (Sky Pony/Swirl, 2018), Pumpkin Spice Secrets (Sky Pony/Swirl, 2017), Queen of Likes (Simon & Schuster MIX 2016), The Hot List (Simon & Schuster MIX 2011) and Things Are Gonna Be Ugly (Simon & Schuster, 2009) as well as the Alien Clones From Outer Space (Simon & Schuster Aladdin 2002) chapter book series. She’s also a contributor to the Kate the Chemist middle grade series (Philomel Books/Penguin Random House). And her nonfiction picture book, If You Were a Princess: True Stories of Brave Leaders From Around the World is a look at historical and current princesses from many diverse lands who have made their mark (Simon & Schuster, August 2022). During the year, Hillary teaches at Sonoma State University. In the summer, she teaches in the graduate program in children’s literature, writing and illustration at Hollins University. She also is an instructor for the Children’s Book Academy.

She can be found at hillaryhomzie.com and on Instagram, her Facebook page as well as on Twitter