Please check back often. Author bios and book information are being updated regularly.

Alphabetical by last name

R. W. ALLEY is an only child and has always told himself stories. Words came much more slowly to him than pictures. So, his storytelling always began with doodles of characters and places. He has never been the type of artist who made pictures to hang on walls. The printed book has always been the goal. The year after graduating college (not an art school), he published his first book. In all, Alley has written and/or illustrated over 150 books for children in all genres. Over the last twenty-one years, he has illustrated Michael Bond’s Paddington Bear books. Paddington at St. Paul’s is the latest. Mr. Bond passed away at age ninety-one in 2017 after having just completed the manuscript. Pearl and Wagner One Funny Day by Kate McMullan received a Geisel Honor and There’s a Wolf at the Door by Zoë B. Alley, his spouse, was selected as a Washington Post Best Book of the Year. After having grown up on the Chesapeake Bay, he now makes stories by the Narragansett Bay.
 
Paddington at St. Paul's
Celebrate the 60th anniversary of Paddington Bear with this final classic picture book adventure from beloved author Michael Bond. Paddington Bear’s adventures never go quite as planned. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t filled with fun and laughter! When Mr. Gruber takes Paddington on a special outing to St. Paul’s Cathedral, there is one surprise after another. And the biggest surprise of all comes when Paddington is mistaken for a choir bear and suddenly finds himself taking part in a most unusual rehearsal. For six decades, stories of Paddington have charmed readers all over the world. Now another generation of fans can join the beloved bear in this brand-new adventure written by Michael Bond and illustrated by artist R. W. Alley.

---

KEYNOTE​​​​
M. T. ANDERSON has written stories for adults, picture books for children, adventure novels for young readers, and several books for older readers (both teens and adults). His satirical book Feed was a Finalist for the National Book Award and was the winner of the LA Times Book Prize. The first volume of The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation duology, The Pox Party, won the National Book Award and the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. Both the first and second volumes of that two-part series were Printz Honor Books. He has published stories for adults in literary journals like the Northwest Review, Colorado Review, and Conjunctions. (photo credit: Deborah Noyes)

Landscape with Invisible Hand
When the vuvv first landed, it came as a surprise to aspiring artist Adam and the rest of planet Earth—but not necessarily an unwelcome one. Can it really be called an invasion when the vuvv generously offered free advanced technology and cures for every illness imaginable? As it turns out, yes. With his parents’ jobs replaced by alien tech and no money for food, clean water, or the vuvv’s miraculous medicine, Adam and his girlfriend, Chloe, have to get creative to survive. And since the vuvv crave anything they deem "classic" Earth culture (doo-wop music, still-life paintings of fruit, true love), recording 1950s-style dates for the vuvv to watch in a pay-per-minute format seems like a brilliant idea. But it’s hard for Adam and Chloe to sell true love when they hate each other more with every passing episode. Soon enough, Adam must decide how far he’s willing to go—and what he’s willing to sacrifice—to give the vuvv what they want.

---

EMILIE BOON was born in the Netherlands and spent her childhood in California and Mexico. She is the illustrator or author-illustrator of more than twenty books. Ella and Monkey at Sea was inspired by Emilie’s own childhood experience sailing to America. There really was a hurricane, and Emilie really did draw a picture of the sun during the storm! Emilie lives in the Boston area.

Ella and Monkey at Sea
Ella’s best friend, Monkey, doesn’t like good-bye hugs. He doesn’t want to say good-bye to Oma. And he doesn’t want to move away forever. Neither does Ella. But Papa is waiting for them in New York. So Ella and Monkey must board the ship with Mama and leave their old home in Holland for their new home in America. Along the way, there is fish for dinner (Monkey hates fish), a playroom full of new kids (Monkey doesn’t like strangers), and stormy seas that leave everyone feeling sick. Can Ella and Monkey find a way to weather the storm? Will they ever feel at home again? This sweetly illustrated picture book will appeal to anyone who has left home behind—and to children who find creative ways to share their emotions.

---

JEN CALONITA is the author of the Secrets of My Hollywood Life series and other books like Sleepaway Girls and I’m with the Band. Fairy Tale Reform School and Royal Academy Rebels are her first two middle-grade series. She rules Long Island, New York, with her husband, Mike; princes, Tyler and Dylan; and their two Chihuahuas, Captain Jack Sparrow and Ben Kenobi. The only castle she’d ever want to live in is Cinderella’s at Walt Disney World. 

Wished (Fairy Tale Reform School Series, book 5) 
With big-time villains Rumpelstiltskin and Alva still on the loose and the citizens of Enchantasia on high alert, things at Fairy Tale Reform School have been a little ... stressed. So when Maxine finds an old lamp that turns out to house an overly-enthusiastic genie, she knows exactly what to do; wish for everyone to be happy! But the wish has some unexpected consequences ... suddenly, ex-villains are singing, trolls and ogres are getting along, and the whole school is more focused on putting on a musical than figuring out how to deal with Rumpelstiltskin. Can Gilly help Maxine break the spell before it's too late?

---

NANCY CASTALDO, an award-winning author and environmental educator, has written books about our planet for over twenty years. Her 2016 title, The Story of Seeds: From Mendel’s Garden to Your Plate, and How There’s More of Less to Eat Around the World, earned the 2017 Green Earth Book Award and was a Junior Library Guild Selection. Her latest book, Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction has received starred reviews and the Crystal Kite Award, and is long listed for the Green Earth Book Award. Nancy believes that we all can make a difference and always instills that theme in her books. Her research has taken her all over the world from the Galapagos to Russia, and she loves sharing her adventures with her readers. 

Back from the Brink: Saving Animals from Extinction
How could capturing the last wild California condors help save them? Why are some states planning to cull populations of the gray wolf, despite this species only recently making it off the endangered list? How did a decision made during the Civil War to use alligator skin for cheap boots nearly drive the animal to extinction? Back from the Brink answers these questions and more as it delves into the threats to seven species, and the scientific and political efforts to coax them back from the brink of extinction. This rich, informational look at the problem of extinction has a hopeful tone: all of these animals' numbers are now on the rise.

---

MARCYKATE CONNOLLY is a New York Times bestselling children’s book author who lives in New England with her family and a grumble of pugs. Like the main character in her Shadow Weaver duology, she once had an imaginary friend who did very naughty things like eating directly from the sugar bowl and playing hide-and-seek with her parents—without telling them—whenever they went to department stores. Later in life, she graduated from Hampshire College (a magical place where they don’t give you grades) where she wrote an opera sequel to Hamlet as the equivalent of her senior thesis. It was also there that she first fell in love with plotting and has been dreaming up new ways to make life difficult for her characters ever since. ​(photo credit: Cheryl Colombo Photography)

Comet Rising (Shadow Weaver Series, book 2)
The thrilling conclusion to MarcyKate Connolly's Shadow Weaver duology follows Emmeline and Lucas as they face the darkness once and for all. Emmeline and Lucas are safe from the evil Lady Aisling and her soldiers for the time being. The only thing that mars their peaceful life is Emmeline's imprisoned former shadow, Dar. Then one night the Cerelia Comet, the reason for their magical abilities, returns ... but it's twelve years too early. The return of the comet can only mean one thing: Lady Aisling has a Sky Shaker under her control and is hoping for a new batch of talented children to add to her collection. Emmeline and Lucas decide to journey to find other magical children to help in the fight against Lady Aisling. But when Dar escapes, and the two friends realize many of the children they seek have already been taken, they know they are in for the fight of their lives.

---

PAT CUMMINGS is the author and/or illustrator of over forty books for young readers. Along with teaching children's book classes at Pratt and Parsons, she holds a summer Children’s Book Boot Camp that brings writers and illustrators together with top editors and art directors. She serves on the boards of the Authors Guild, the Authors League Fund, and The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and is a member of The Writers Guild of America. She also serves as Chair of the Founders Award Jury for the Society of Illustrators’ Original Art Show. Pat’s most recent picture book, Beauty and the Beast, set in Africa, was translated from the original French fairy tale and retold by her husband, H. Chuku Lee, a founding member of NABJA. Her debut middle-grade novel, Trace, was published by HarperCollins. 

Trace
Trace Carter doesn’t know how to feel at ease in his new life in New York. Even though his artsy Auntie Lea is cool, her brownstone still isn’t his home. Haunted by flashbacks of the accident that killed his parents, the best he can do is try to distract himself from memories of the past. But the past isn’t done with him. When Trace takes a wrong turn in the New York Public Library, he finds someone else lost in the stacks with him: a crying little boy, wearing old, tattered clothes. And though at first he can’t quite believe he’s seen a ghost, Trace soon discovers that the boy he saw has ties to Trace’s own history—and that he himself may be the key to setting the dead to rest. 

---

JULIE C. DAO is a proud Vietnamese-American, who was born in upstate New York and then was raised amidst the autumn fields and sloping mountains of New England. She went to college to become a doctor but (go figure) came out ready to pursue her passion of creative writing. She is greatly influenced by the work of Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling, Maggie Stiefvater, Jhumpa Lahiri, Neil Gaiman, and Laini Taylor. She is the author of two young adult novels, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns and Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix. Her third novel, Song of the Crimson Flower, will be released November 5, 2019. Julie lives in New England. (photo credit: Jonathan Dao)

Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix
Princess Jade has grown up in exile, hidden away in a monastery while her stepmother, the ruthless Xifeng, rules as Empress of Feng Lu. But the empire is in distress and its people are sinking into poverty and despair. Even though Jade doesn’t want the crown, she knows she is the only one who can dethrone the Empress and set the world right. Ready to reclaim her place as rightful heir, Jade embarks on a quest to raise the Dragon Lords and defeat Xifeng and the Serpent God once and for all. But will the same darkness that took Xifeng take Jade, too? Or will she find the strength within to save herself, her friends, and her empire? Set in an East Asian-inspired fantasy world filled with breathtaking pain and beauty, Kingdom of the Blazing Phoenix is filled with dazzling magic, powerful prose, and characters readers won’t soon forget.

---

BARBARA DEE is the author of nine middle-grade novels published by Simon & Schuster. Her books have earned several starred reviews and have been included on many best-of lists, including the ALA Rainbow List Top Ten, the Chicago Public Library Best of The Best, the King County (Seattle) Library Best Books of the Year, and the NCSS-CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. Halfway Normal (2017) was named to state lists in Vermont, Pennsylvania, and Missouri. Star-Crossed was a Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist and listed on the 2018 Texas Lone Star Annotated List. Everything I Know about You was one of A Mighty Girl's Best of 2018. Maybe He Just Likes You (Aladdin/S&S, October 1, 2019) will be the first MG to explore the "boys-will-be-boys" origins of sexual harassment. Barbara is a founder of the Chappaqua Children's Book Festival. She lives with her family in Westchester County, New York. (photo credit: Doublevision Photographers)

Everything I Know about You
During a class trip to DC, twelve-year-old Tally and her best friends, Sonnet and Caleb (a.k.a. Spider) are less than thrilled when they are assigned roommates and are paired with kids who are essentially their sworn enemies. For Tally, rooming with “clonegirl” Ava Seely feels like punishment, rather than potential for fun. But the trip is full of surprises. Despite a pact to stick together as much as they can, Sonnet pulls away, and Spider befriends Marco, the boy who tormented him last year. And Marco just might “like” Tally—what’s that about? But the uneasy peace in Ava and Tally’s room is quickly upended when Tally begins to suspect something is off about Ava. She has a weird notebook full of random numbers and doesn’t seem to eat anything during meals. When Tally confronts Ava, Ava threatens to share an embarrassing picture of Tally with the class if Tally says anything to anyone about her suspicions. But will Tally endanger more than her pride by keeping her secret? This is one class trip full of lessons Tally will never forget: how to stay true to yourself, how to love yourself and embrace your flaws, and how being a good friend can actually mean telling a secret you promised to keep …

---

ANIKA ALDAMUY DENISE is the author of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré (a Junior Library Guild and Kids’ Indie Next selection); Lights, Camera, Carmen!; Starring Carmen!; and many more celebrated books for young readers. Her forthcoming titles include Bunny in the Middle, illustrated by her husband, New York Times bestselling illustrator Christopher Denise, The Love Letter, illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins, and Rosita Rising, a picture book biography of legendary Puerto Rican actress and singer Rita Moreno, illustrated by Leo Espinosa. Anika grew up in Queens, New York, and now lives in Rhode Island with her family.

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré
When she came to America in 1921, Pura Belpré carried the cuentos folklóricos of her Puerto Rican homeland. Finding a new home at the New York Public Library as a bilingual assistant, she turned her popular retellings into libros and spread story seeds across the land. Today, these seeds have grown into a lush landscape as generations of children and storytellers continue to share her tales and celebrate Pura’s legacy. Brought to colorful life by Paola Escobar’s elegant and exuberant illustrations and Anika Aldamuy Denise’s lyrical text, this gorgeous book is perfect for the pioneers in your life.

---

CAROL GORDON EKSTER was a passionate elementary school teacher for thirty-five years. Now retired, Carol is grateful that her writing allows her to continue communicating with children. Her third book, Before I Sleep: I Say Thank You, won 3rd place in the children’s category of the Catholic Press Association Book Awards and was a finalist for the ACP Excellence in Publishing Awards 2016. Her newest picture book, You Know What?, came out first in Dutch. The English version was released in September 2017 and was a CLEL Bell Picture Book Awards Nominee for Talk (2018) and a finalist for the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award in New England, 2018. Korean, Arabic, and Chinese versions are in process. When Carol Gordon Ekster is not thinking about writing or teaching, she does yoga and biking, and is involved in critique groups and working on her books.

You Know What?
It's bedtime, but there is so much Oliver has to tell his mother first—every little thing he noticed that day, the books he has read, what he sees around him ... And of course, that he loves her. A sweet and oh so recognizable bedtime story for children ages four and up.

---

JANNIE HO is the author/illustrator of Bear and Chicken, published by Running Press Kids/Hachette. Born in Hong Kong and raised in Philadelphia, Jannie received her BFA in illustration from Parsons School of Design in New York. After graduating, she worked as an art director at TIME for Kids and an in-house graphic designer at Nickelodeon and Scholastic. Jannie is an illustrator of numerous board and novelty books, including the Tiny Tab, Violet Rose, and ABC series published by Candlewick Press/Nosy Crow. Her artwork also appears in toys, stationery, and digital media. Jannie lives with her family near Boston.
 
Bear and Chicken
When Bear finds a chicken frozen in the winter snow, he brings it home to try to defrost it. As Chicken thaws—um, awakens—he fears that Bear is actually prepping to eat him. Oh no! All signs are pointing to a fateful end for Chicken—being wrapped like a burrito, chopped basil and veggies sitting on the counter, the huge pot on the stove that's just the right size for a chicken to fit inside. It's almost time for lunch, so Chicken makes a run for it! But in the end, Chicken learns that perhaps he too quickly jumped to conclusions. This funny and clever friendship tale teaches kids that things are not always as they seem, while learning a thing or two about making soup with a friend!

---

TIFFANY D. JACKSON is the critically acclaimed author of YA novels including the NAACP Image Award-nominated Allegedly and Monday’s Not Coming, a Walter Dean Myers Honored Book and Coretta Scott King New Talent Award winner. She received her bachelor of arts in film from Howard University and her master of arts in media studies from the New School. Jackson has over a decade in TV/Film experience. The Brooklyn native is a lover of naps, cookie dough, and beaches, currently residing in the borough she loves, most likely multitasking. Her forthcoming novel, Let Me Hear a Rhyme (HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books), will be released on May 21, 2019.

Monday's Not Coming
Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable—more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn’t turn up for the first day of school, Claudia’s worried. When she doesn’t show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn’t just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year’s rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now Claudia needs her best—and only—friend more than ever. But Monday’s mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday’s sister April is even less help. As Claudia digs deeper into her friend’s disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she’s gone?

---

KARA LAREAU worked as an editor at Candlewick Press and Scholastic Press, and through her own creative consulting agency, Bluebird Works. Among other celebrated titles, she edited Kate DiCamillo’s Because of Winn-Dixie (winner of a Newbery Honor), The Tiger Rising (finalist for the National Book Award), The Tale of Despereaux (winner of the Newbery Medal), The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane (winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award), and the Mercy Watson series. She now works as a copywriter at Hasbro. Kara is the author of picture books such as Ugly Fish, illustrated by Scott Magoon, and Goodnight Little Monsters, illustrated by Brian Won; an award-winning chapter book series called The Infamous Ratsos, illustrated by Matt Myers; and a middle-grade trilogy called The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters, illustrated by Jen Hill. Kara lives in Providence with her husband and son and their cat.

Flight of the Bluebird (The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters Series, book 3)
​Fasten your seat belts for some unexpected turbulence ahead, as Jaundice and Kale Bland are back for their final unintentional adventure! Now that they’ve returned from the Uncanny Valley to find their home in Dullsville in absolute shambles, the sisters are rescued by high-flying aviatrix Beatrix Airdale. This time, they’re jetting off (literally) to Egypt to uncover the mysteries of a magical scarab. By way of Casablanca and after foiling multiple attacks along the way (thanks to Jaundice’s nautical knot-tying skills and Kale’s super-sleuth powers of observation), the Bland Sisters are reunited with their parents. But it turns out that Mom and Dad aren’t as bland—or as “Bland”—as Jaundice and Kale remember. Thanks to their mother’s old archeology notebook, the Bland Sisters uncover their parents’ real identities and help them achieve victory in one final, family-filled adventure. 

---

LEE GJERTSEN MALONE is the author of The Last Boy at St. Edith’s (2016) and Camp Shady Crook (coming May 2019). As a journalist she has written about everything from why people hiccup, to the causes of the financial crisis, to how we make chocolate. A non-native New Englander, she spent most of her life in Long Island, Brooklyn, and Ithaca, New York. She likes traveling, animals, making cheese, volunteering, and complicated baking projects. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where she, her husband, and her daughter are outnumbered by their pets.

The Last Boy at St. Edith's 
Seventh grader Jeremy Miner has a girl problem. Or, more accurately, a girls problem. 475 of them to be exact. That’s how many girls attend his school, St. Edith’s Academy. Jeremy is the only boy left after the school’s brief experiment in co-education. And he needs to get out. His mother—a teacher at the school—won’t let him transfer, so Jeremy takes matters into his own hands: he’s going to get expelled. Together with his best friend Claudia, Jeremy unleashes a series of hilarious pranks in hopes that he’ll get kicked out with minimal damage to his permanent record. But when his stunts start to backfire, Jeremy has to decide how far he’s willing to go and whom he’s willing to knock down to get out the door.
 

---

DAVID NEILSON is the author of two middle-grade horror/comic/fantasies published by Crown Books for Young Readers: Dr. Fell and the Playground of Doom (2016) and Beyond the Doors (2017). A classically trained actor, David works as a professional storyteller based in Sleepy Hollow, New York, and spends much of October spooking the bejeebers out of people or performing one of his one-man shows inspired by the works of H. P. Lovecraft. He lives with his wife, son, daughter, and two very domineering cats.

Beyond the Doors
When a family disaster forces the four Rothbaum children to live with their aunt Gladys, they immediately know there is something strange about their new home. The crazy, circular house looks like it stepped out of a scary movie. The front entrance is a four-story-tall drawbridge. And the only food in Aunt Gladys’s kitchen is an endless supply of Honey Nut Oat Blast Ring-a-Dings cereal. Strangest of all are the doors—there are none. Every doorway is a wide-open passageway—even the bathroom! Who lives in a house with no doors? Their unease only grows when Aunt Gladys disappears for long stretches of time, leaving them alone to explore the strange house. When they discover just what Aunt Gladys has been doing with all her doors, the shocked siblings embark on an adventure that changes everything they believe about their family and the world.

---

ERIN PETTI is a Massachusetts-based children's book author who loves to read about magic, folklore, and ghosts. She has a Master of Education and a background in improvisational comedy. Erin lives with her husband Ryan and two excellent daughters. She makes very good grilled cheese. Erin's debut middle-grade book is The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee (Mighty Media Press, 2016).
 
The Peculiar Haunting of Thelma Bee
Eleven-year-old budding scientist Thelma Bee has adventure in her blood. But she gets more than she bargained for when a ghost kidnaps her father. Now her only clues are a strange jewelry box and the word "Return," whispered to her by the ghost. It's up to Thelma to get her dad back, and it might be more dangerous than she thought--there's someone wielding dark magic, and they're coming after her next.

---

ANTOINE REVOY is a French author-illustrator, who was raised in Tokyo and Mexico City. He has created award-winning illustrations for clients such as Der Spiegel, Hasbro, and the New York Times. His debut graphic novel, the detective fiction/horror story Animus (First Second Books), was distinguished as one of the 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the Young Adult Library Services Association. Animus was also highlighted as one of the 20 Best Kids Comics of 2018 and among the all-time 31 Best Scary Comics for Kids by Paste Magazine. He is currently working on a follow-up graphic novel, Ghost Notes, due for publication in 2021. Revoy teaches illustration and storytelling classes at RISD and is an MFA thesis advisor at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. He lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with his wife, award-winning illustrator Kelly Murphy, and their many animal companions. (photo credit: Kelly Murphy)

Animus
The residents of a quiet Japanese neighborhood have slowly come to realize that inauspicious, paranormal forces are at play in the most unlikely of places: the local playground. Two friends, a young boy and girl, resolve to exorcise the evil that inhabit it, including a snaggle-toothed monster. In Animus, a beautiful but spooky young-adult graphic novel of everyday hauntings, Antoine Revoy delivers an eerie tale inspired by the Japanese and French comics of his childhood.

---

DIANNA SANCHEZ is the not-so-secret identity of Jenise Aminoff, whose superpower is cooking with small children. She is an MIT alumna, graduate of the 1995 Clarion Workshop, frequent participant in Odyssey Online, and an active member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, the Author’s Guild, Broad Universe, and New England Speculative Writers, and former editor at NewMyths.com. Dianna has published two novels in her Enchanted Kitchen series: A Witch’s Kitchen (Dreaming Robot Press, September 2016), and A Pixie’s Promise (Dreaming Robot Press, October 2018). An Elf’s Equations is scheduled for release in October 2019. Her short fiction appears in the 2017 and 2018 Young Explorer’s Adventure Guides. A Latina geek originally from New Mexico, she now lives in the Boston area with her husband and two children. (photo credit: Felix Rust Photography)
 
A Pixie's Promise (The Enchanted Kitchen Series, book 2)
Petunia's tired of being overlooked just because she's six inches tall. But when the Enchanted Forest is threatened, can she measure up to the task? She gets lost at home among her bazillion brothers, sisters, and cousins. Even her own parents don’t remember her name! And no one ever takes a pixie seriously. When Petunia’s best friend, Millie, offers a vacation at her house, Petunia jumps at the chance. Cooking for Millie’s witch of a mother and babysitting a tree should be easy, right? But when an epidemic of spickle pox hits the Enchanted Forest, and Millie’s mother comes down with a mysterious illness, Petunia must pitch in to brew cures as quickly as she can, even if that means using up all her pixie dust. And when the cure doesn’t work as well as it should, it’s up to Petunia to figure out how to change the formula to save the Enchanted Forest, while living up to all the promises she’s made.

---

JULIA SARCONE-ROACH studied film and animation at the Rhode Island School of Design, and her award-winning animated short, Call of the Wild, has been shown in film festivals around the world. She is the author and illustrator of The Secret Plan, Subway Story, and The Bear Ate Your Sandwich, which was an Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award winner and a New York Times bestseller. Her most recent book, There Are No Bears in This Bakery, was published in January 2019 by Knopf. Sarcone-Roach is also the illustrator of Incredible Inventions by Lee Bennett Hopkins and the Ezra Jack Keats Honor Award book Excellent Ed by Stacy McAnulty. (photo credit: Ryan Cunningham)

There Are No Bears in This Bakery
A tough gumshoe of a cat—the name's Muffin—protects his territory: The Little Bear Bakery. But there are no bears here. Not on Muffin's watch. One night, Muffin hears a suspicious noise. Mouse? Raccoon? Bat? Nope, not the usual suspects. But Muffin hears … growling. Could it be? Yup. A bear. Just a cub. Whose stomach is definitely growling. Muffin's got this case solved—clearly this bear needs some donuts. In this wonderfully noir-tinged tale, Julia Sarcone-Roach gives us another funny story of a hungry bear in the wrong place at the right time. This tale is sly and sweet, with sprinkles on top.

---

LAURA SHOVAN debut middle-grade novel, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, was a National Council of Teachers of English 2017 Notable Verse Novel and a Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Book of the Year (2017), and won a Cybils Award for poetry. It was an Arnold Adoff Poetry Award for New Voices honor book and was a Rhode Island Children's Book Award nominee. Shovan’s novel Takedown was selected by Junior Library Guild and PJ Our Way, and was on the American Library Association’s 2019 Amelia Bloomer Project List. A Place at the Table, written with author/activist Saadia Faruqi, will be published in 2020. She is a longtime poet-in-the-schools in Maryland. (photo credit: Linda Joy Burke) 
 
Takedown
Mikayla is a wrestler; when you grow up in a house full of brothers who wrestle, it's inevitable. It's also a way to stay connected to her oldest brother, Evan, who moved in with their dad. Some people object to having a girl on the team. But that's not stopping Mikayla. She's determined to work harder than ever, and win. Lev is determined to make it to the state championships this year. He's used to training with his two buddies as the Fearsome Threesome; they know how to work together. At the beginning of sixth grade, he's paired with a new partner—a girl. This better not get in the way of his goal. Mikayla and Lev work hard together and become friends. But when they face each other, only one of them can win. 

---

ANNA STANISZEWSKI, born in Poland and raised in the United States, grew up loving stories in both Polish and English. She is the author of over a dozen books for young readers, including The Dirty Diary, Secondhand Wishes, and Dogosaurus Rex. She was a Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public Library and a winner of the PEN New England Discovery Award. Anna currently lives south of Boston and teaches in the MFA Writing for Children program at Simmons University.

Secondhand Wishes
Lexi has to keep the universe in balance. If she does enough good things, like being on time, then the bad things, like her little brother needing more surgery, won't happen. It doesn't always work, but she has to keep trying. Just in case. On an extra bad day, Lexi finds a bag of four wishing stones in the antique shop in town, and wishes that her BFF Cassa and the new girl would stop talking to each other. That night, Cassa calls Lexi, crying over the end of her friendship with Marina. The wishes work! Sort of. When she wishes on the Success stone for the courage to try out for dance club, Lexi wows the entire auditorium with . . . singing? And when she wishes on the Health stone, her little brother starts squeaking like a hamster. This isn't the first time those wishing stones have been wished on—and secondhand wishes come with unexpected consequences! This sweet and funny story from Anna Staniszewski is perfect for anyone who's wished for a dash of magic in their day! 

---

MARCIA STRYKOWSKI, a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, is the author of Call Me Amy, which was selected by Bank Street College of Education for Best Children’s Books of 2013. A sequel, Amy’s Choice, was released in 2014. Both books were published by Luminis Books and are for readers ages nine and up. Roller Boy, for the same age group, is a 2018 release from Fitzroy Books and was chosen for 11 Great Works of Realistic Middle Grade Fiction. Strykowski received her BS in Fine Arts from Northeastern University and worked for seven years in textbook publishing before becoming a freelance writer, editor, and librarian. Never far from the coast, she was born and raised in New England and continues to live there with her family.
​
Roller Boy
Mateo always assumed he’d make the baseball team with his buddy Jason, but when only Jason makes the team, his mood sinks low. So low, he knows he must do something about it. But what? What can he be good at? When Mateo wins free lessons, he discovers he’s pretty good at roller-skating. And it doesn’t hurt that the most beautiful girl he’s ever laid eyes on happens to be Roller City’s star skater. But still, roller-skating? No way can Jason find out Mateo is whirling around in girly skates—anybody halfway to cool would be hanging at a skate park, on boards or blades. Other issues stacked against him are the strong reservations of his mother who feels Mateo should be spending his time studying, not skating, and his inability to eat gluten—no more grabbing a pizza with the guys. Despite these conflicts, Mateo keeps his sense of humor and channels his innermost strength into an incredible ride on roller skates that just might take him all the way to regionals.

---

SUSAN TAN is the author of Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire (winner of the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association Children’s Honor Award), Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book is A Classic, and Cilla Lee-Jenkins: The Epic Story (forthcoming in 2019). She received her BA from Williams College and her PhD from the University of Cambridge, and was the 2015 Gish Jen Emerging Writers Fellow at the Writers' Room of Boston. She currently lives in Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood in Boston, and is a post-doctoral teaching fellow at UMass Boston.

Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic (Cilla Lee-Jenkins Series, book 2)
Priscilla “Cilla” Lee-Jenkins has just finished her (future) bestselling memoir, and now she’s ready to write a Classic. This one promises to have everything: Romance, Adventure, and plenty of Drama―like Cilla’s struggles to “be more Chinese,” be the perfect flower girl at Aunt Eva’s wedding, and learn how to share her best friend. In Cilla Lee-Jenkins: This Book Is a Classic, author Susan Tan seamlessly weaves experiences as a Chinese American with universal stories about being a big sister, making friends, and overcoming fears. Cilla Lee-Jenkins will bulldoze her way into your heart in this winning middle-grade novel about family, friendship, and finding your voice.
​​

---

CHRIS TEBBETTS is the author and co-author of many books for young readers. Titles include the #1 New York Times bestselling Middle School series as well as Public School Superhero with James Patterson and illustrator Laura Park; the New York Times bestselling Stranded series with Jeff Probst; the young-adult novel M or F? with Lisa Papademetriou; and The Viking series. He has received children’s choice awards in Oregon and Hawaii, a Sunshine State Young Readers Award nomination, and a nod on the New York Public Library’s annual list of Books for the Teen Age. His new young-adult novel, Me, Myself & Him, will be available July 9, 2019. (photo credit: Ellen Wittlinger)

Middle School: Born to Rock (Middle School Series, book 11)
In the next book in James Patterson's and Chris Tebbetts’s bestselling Middle School series, Rafe Khatchadorian's hilarious little sister, Georgia, is back for another rollicking adventure! This time, she's vying to be crowned winner of the Battle of the Bands—if she doesn't die of embarrassment first! It's not easy being Rafe Khatchadorian's sister. He's got quite a reputation around school, and Georgia's got it hard enough as is! With a supersecret crush on her classmate Sam Marks, a Rube Goldberg machine challenge to dominate, and constant confrontations with vicious Missy Trillin and her evil Princess Patrol to look forward to, Georgia can't help but throw all her energy into the one thing that makes her happy: her kick-butt, all-girl rock band, We Stink! When Georgia's favorite rock band, Lulu and the Handbags, advertise a major music competition where the winner gets to jam with Lulu herself, Georgia will pull all the stops to make sure We Stink wins—even if it means asking her annoying older brother, Rafe, for help! Will his crazy ideas work, or land her in serious trouble?

---

MONICA TESLER is the author of the Bounders series, a middle-grade science fiction adventure series from Simon & Schuster. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and their two boys. She earned her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Michigan. Tessler writes on the commuter boat, in coffee shops, and at her kitchen table.

The Heroes Return (Bounders Series, book 4)
After escaping the Youli’s attack on Alkalinia, Jasper and Mira find themselves trapped with the lost aeronauts in the rift, a rip in space where time moves differently. For every minute they spend in the rift, they are losing days back home. Just when Jasper fears they’ll be stuck in limbo forever, the most unlikely ally shows up: the Youli. The Youli promise to rescue everyone in the rift, but their help comes at a price. First, Jasper must tell Earth Force that the Youli want peace. And second, Mira can’t return with Jasper. She has to leave with the Youli. Back home, almost a year has passed. The Youli war is public, Bounders are in space full-time, and Jasper’s pod is divided. Cole and Lucy have been promoted. Marco and Addy are missing. Jasper delivers the Youli’s message, but the admiral isn’t interested in peace talks. Instead, she sends Jasper and the aeronauts on a publicity tour of Earth to build support for the war. At first, Jasper revels in the spotlight. But it soon becomes clear that if Jasper doesn’t convince Earth Force to stop fighting—and soon—there won’t be an Earth left to fight for, and he may never see Mira again.

---

KEYNOTE​​​​
PADMA VENKATRAMAN lived in five countries, explored rainforests, and was chief scientist on oceanographic vessels before becoming a United States citizen. Her latest novel, The Bridge Home, a contender for the Global Read Aloud initiative and winner of an Earphone Audiobook award, was released this February to five starred reviews by School Library Connection and in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Booklist, and School Library Journal. Her previous novels, A Time to Dance, Island’s End, and Climbing the Stairs, were also released to multiple starred reviews and received several honors and awards.
 
The Bridge Home
Four determined homeless children make a life for themselves in Padma Venkatraman's stirring middle-grade debut. Life is harsh in Chennai's teeming streets, so when runaway sisters Viji and Rukku arrive, their prospects look grim. Very quickly, eleven-year-old Viji discovers how vulnerable they are in this uncaring, dangerous world. Fortunately, the girls find shelter—and friendship—on an abandoned bridge. With two homeless boys, Muthi and Arul, the group forms a family of sorts. And while making a living scavenging the city's trash heaps is the pits, the kids find plenty to laugh about and take pride in too. After all, they are now the bosses of themselves and no longer dependent on untrustworthy adults. But when illness strikes, Viji must decide whether to risk seeking help from strangers or to keep holding on to their fragile, hard-fought freedom.

---

ROB VLOCK writes fun, funny, fast-paced kids’ books that are perfect for reluctant readers. Author of Sven Carter & the Trashmouth Effect (2017, Simon & Schuster/Aladdin) and Sven Carter & the Android Army (2018, Simon & Schuster/Aladdin), Rob strives to write books with the kind of pacing, action, and humor that everyone can enjoy. Kirkus Reviews says Sven Carter & the Trashmouth Effect is “a totally out-there adventure that switches things up at every turn.” And the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books calls it “a page-turner that’s entertaining right down to the Acknowledgments section.” When he’s not toiling away at a computer keyboard, you can usually find Rob somewhere in the greater Boston area trying to make his trumpet sound like something other than a dying goose. It’s a work in progress. Rob is represented by John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret Literary Management.
 
Sven Carter & the Android Army
All Sven wants is a normal life, or whatever normal means for a Tick—a cyborg who is programmed to destroy the world. His hopes are dashed when he learns that he is just one of the seven Ticks loose in North America. Even worse, he learns about their master plan to destroy the human race. In an effort to stop them, Sven speeds across the country in a decrepit RV, collecting the rest of the Ticks—ranging from a pop star whose songs can brainwash people into submission, to a dog whose mission is to raise an army of creatures to attack every human in sight. Everything seems to be going well as Sven convinces the cyborgs to join him in saving the world. But the very last Tick, One Omicron, is nothing like the rest of them. Until One Omicron can be stopped, the world is in more danger than ever.

---