General

Middle school can be tough, especially when you’re living out of a car, fighting to keep your Native American Heritage alive, and dealing with your mean brother, Emjay. James Bird, author of the JLG selection No Place Like Home, takes readers on a bumpy road trip through the ups and downs of experiencing homelessness at a young age. Told through the lens of an optimistic, twelve-year-old protagonist—perhaps based on a young James? —this middle school novel will encourage readers to practice resiliency, form their own identities, and preserve their heritage and culture— even in the most destitute of times...

Learn more about how our Editorial Team selects the best books for our Spanish categories, why representation in literature is so important for young readers, and the titles you can read to make Hispanic literature a part of your everyday life! 

Aprende más sobre como nuestro equipo editorial selecciona los mejores libros para nuestras categorías en español, porque la representación en la literatura juvenil es tan importante para los lectores y los títulos que puedes leer para hacer la literatura hispana parte de tu vida diaria.  ...

Maura Jortner is an author, educator, theatre extraordinaire, former puppeteer, lover of Disney World and Dole Whip, a mother, a wife, and an inspiring advocate for kindness. She is currently a literature and creative writing professor at Baylor University, holding both a bachelor's degree and master’s degree in literature, and a PhD in theatre history. During Maura’s interview, she explores the autonomy of names and identity, encourages us to look for a hidden figure on her book cover, and gets real about the messiness of life, love, family, and companionship.

“We all mess up from time to time,” Maura said. “We all make mistakes, and that’s just what makes us human, however, we must also repair our mistakes and fix what we have broken. That’s another part of being human: we must work to make things right.”

Read on to learn more about a special Cat-and-Mouse game, the life rule that Maura lives by, and why middle...

Throughout elementary and middle school, I read nearly every title written by Margaret Peterson Haddix, so having the opportunity to sit down with my literary hero over coffee was naturally the best day of my life. When I met Margaret, she ordered an iced chai latte and immediately commented on the beautiful, summer weather that Ohio was producing. Everything about her screamed “author,” like the way she thoughtfully answered my questions, or the way she’d stop to think about her words and speak them in a calm, cool, and collected manner. She was humble, and loving, and cared deeply for the human spirit. “If kids are going through hard times themselves,” Margaret said, “I hope that this book can be healing for them to read.”

I hope you enjoy reading this interview as much as I enjoyed speaking with Margaret, because getting...