
THREE BLUE HEARTS by Lynne Kelly
I first heard about Lynne Kelly's award-winning middle grade book Song for a Whale a few years ago, and I've always been fascinated by the 52 Hertz Whale. I'm thrilled to report that Lynne Kelly has a new book, THREE BLUE HEARTS, that stars…

THE DREADED CLIFF by Terry Nichols
When I first saw that there was a middle grade book starring a packrat, I was immediately intrigued for multiple reasons. First, it has a great premise and a wonderful beginning. Also, it is published by Artemesia Publishing/Kinkajou Press.…

THE JUNCTION OF SUNSHINE AND LUCKY and THE MISTLETOE ON MAIN STREET (Ruby’s Regulars) by Holly Schindler
I first hosted Holly Schindler on this blog all the way back in 2012 (!). Years later, I found out she's on Smack Dab in the Middle as part of a group of (mostly) MG authors. Holly was kind enough to interview me for Smack Dab in the Middle…

THE VISITORS (TALES FROM CABIN 23) by Yamile Saied Mendez
I had the honor of meeting Yamile Saied Mendez at 2024's ALA Annual Conference in San Diego. When I first heard about THE VISITORS, I reached out to Yamile for a feature. THE VISITORS (TALES FROM CABIN 23) was published on August 26, 2025 and…

PRESENT, STILL MISSING by K.G. Mach
I love historial novels, especially Middle Grade ones, and when I heard about the premise for PRESENT, STILL MISSING by K.G. Mach, I was excited to feature it (she was also kind enough to read The Etiquette of Voles during her summer trip to…

POCKET BEAR by Katherine Applegate
It's always a pleasure to interview Katherine Applegate! I was so excited with the premise of her upcoming book POCKET BEAR (September 9, 2025) I couldn't wait to learn more about it. And feel free to check out Katherine's additional past interviews…

MATTEO by Michael Leali
Last year, I was excited to feature Michael Leali's brilliant middle grade book, The Truth About Triangles. I also learned about his previous books, including one called MATTEO. MATTEO has an amazing low-fantasy premise centered on family and…

OPHELIA STARCLUCK SAVES THE GALAXY by Kristen Gwen
When I interviewed Kristen Joy Wilks about the latest book in her Phooey Kerflooey series, she mentioned a few books her readers might enjoy. One of those was OPHELIA STARCLUCK SAVES THE GALAXY by Kristen Gwen. Have a look:
Two…

PHOOEY KERFLOOEY AND THE BATTLE SQUIRREL by Kristen Joy Wilks
I featured the first Phooey Kerflooey book in July of last year, and when I heard the title of the follow-up, PHOOEY KERFLOOEY AND THE BATTLE SQUIRREL, which came out on June 3, 2025, I had to feature it too. Have a look:
Phooey…

THE CEO GIRLS CLUB series by Kristina Renee
When I first heard about the concept behind this series, The CEO Girls Club, I knew I had to feature it. It shares a lot of themes with The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin, a series that I first read at the age of seven and the one…
