15 Empowering Middle Grade Novels for Kids Interested in Social Justice
For generations, young people all over the world have taken an interest in social justice and found the courage to…
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An Interview With Lupita Nyong’o On Her Debut Picture Book, Sulwe, and the Seed of Self-Value
In this interview, Nyong’o shares more about the inspiration for her debut picture book and her hopes for a new…
The Space Between: A Guest Post from A Swirl of Ocean Author Melissa Sarno
My friends and I spent a lot of that sticky-hot summer in the coolness of my basement. We taught my…
Friendship, Art, and Family Are At the Center of Laura Tucker’s Debut Middle Grade All the Greys on Greene Street
Laura Tucker’s debut novel All the Greys on Greene Street takes place in 1981, throughout the network of streets and…
An Interview With Nicole Melleby, Debut Author of Hurricane Season
Nicole Melleby’s novel tells the story of Fig, a young girl dealing with her father’s mental illness as the looming threat…
Book Review: Exploring Mental Health and Acceptance in Nicole Melleby’s Hurricane Season
Hurricane season is a time of uncertainty. The months can pass by without any fanfare at all. Or the winds…
“The Power of Story to Change Hearts and Minds”: An Interview with Zenobia July Author Lisa Bunker
Lisa Bunker is the author of the critically acclaimed Felix Yz, about a boy with a hyperintelligent fourth dimensional being…
An Interview With Pop-Up Book Creator Robert Sabuda as He Releases Believe: A Pop-Up Book of Possibilities
His latest vision is Believe: A Pop-Up Book of Possibilities, whose dreamy and stark white pop-ups inspire us to imagine life’s possibilities.…
A Trio of Mermaids, School Superheroes, and Carnival Magic: 10 New Middle Grade Books We Love
It’s summer! And with warmer temperatures come a brand new batch of middle grade books perfect for gearing up for…
Forgotten Dragons, Dead Talking Heads, and a Kingdom Made of Cardboard: 10 Middle Grade Adventures for Summer
Get ready for a summer of epic middle grade adventure! Readers can explore ancient wizard dungeons, step foot in the…
A Coming-of-Age Diary Dance: Sunny, Book 3 in Jason Reynolds’ Defenders Track Team Series
As his story unfolds, we come to understand why he stopped. Sunny, who believes that every move has a sound,…
6 Stories of Women in Sports to Inspire Young Athletes
The Winter Olympics in Pyeong Chang are in full swing and young readers everywhere are watching athletes from all over…
Kayak Rides, Gingerbread Men, and the Festival of Colors: 10 New Picture Books We Love
The authors and illustrators of these brand new picture books will introduce young readers to inspiring historical figures, the Indian…
Toys with Hidden Agendas, Unexplained Blackouts, and a Gargoyle Superhero: 7 Exciting New Middle Grade Reads
From alternate realities in the toy industry, to whimsy and magic on high-speeds trains, going back in time to when…
An Interview With Little Leaders Author Vashti Harrison
The B&N Kids blog sat down with Vashti Harrison, the author and illustrator of this book of trailblazers. An artist…
8 New Graphic Novels to Excite Kids’ Imaginations
From the trials of middle school to the nuances of magical foreign lands, these graphic novels and their plucky main…
Chimeras, Shadows, and a Black Hole: 5 New Science Fiction and Fantasy Middle Grade Books for the Fall
This fall, we’re buzzing over middle grade science fiction and fantasy, with these five novels that run the gamut from…
We’re Just Another Layer of Lava: An Interview with Sarah Carroll, Author of The Girl in Between
The Girl in Between is a story about a homeless girl, living a life that is invisible to the rest of…
Shannon Hale Explores the True Test of Friendship In her Graphic Memoir Real Friends
Real friends. We’ve all had them or tried to find them; we’ve thought we had them and realized we didn’t;…