Guest Blogger: Joseph Elliott
"How many middle grade books you have read with a neurodivergent protagonist?"
Guest Blogger: Kaz Windness
"I’m most excited for young readers to meet these funny, heartwarming characters and embrace the message of acceptance."
Guest Blogger: Jennie Liu
"One day, my (then) fifth grader went eagerly to a haul of books, but as he flipped through them, I saw his posture slump, and he said dismally, “Why do you always bring home sad books about kids having some really bad struggle?”"
Guest Blogger: Apryl Stott
"Being creative is being brave. We don’t have to be perfect. If there’s something we love, we can do it because it’s fun. We don’t need to be the BEST to make something or play something or try something."
Guest Blogger: Marcelo Verdad
"I’m a HUGE fan of kids’ art. While I teach, I make sure to pay close attention to their thought process, their mark making, their color palettes, even the way they hold their crayons and paintbrushes. Then I try to re-create what I’m able to observe and inform my own art. Something I’m still working on is unlearning what I’ve learned and trying to go back to that raw, honest, and unapologetic way kids are able to express themselves through any art form."
Guest Blogger: Lyn Miller-Lachmann
"Novels that address tough topics should also leave the reader with possibilities for concrete action—and the hopefulness that emerges from those actions. In Torch, action and hope grow out of the bonds of friendship that Štěpán, Lída, and Tomáš create with each other."
