Earlier this week I walked past one of my favorite stores, the Bibelot, in northeast Minneapolis. I saw that the shop has its winter holidays products on display already. Part of me said, “Yay! Christmas ornaments!” Because I don’t have enough of those, you know. But another part of me said, “Wait, what about Thanksgiving?!” […]Read more "Pilgrims and Jello Molds"

By Domenica Di Piazza, Editorial Director, TFCB It’s hard not to blow your own horn when a book in your imprint is recognized in a meaningful way. And that’s just what’s happening for TFCB’s Tupac Shakur biography by Carrie Golus in our USA TODAY Lifeline Biographies series. The biography not only received a Booklist star […]Read more "Top Ten for Tupac"

Illustrator Jeni Reeves shares the story behind her research for Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo. Young Enrique Esparza hooked me. Susan Taylor Brown’s account of the Tejano boy caught up in the tragedy of the Alamo was inspired. I could hardly wait to begin drawing. Pictures, at once vivid and heartfelt, popped […]Read more "Guest Blog: Jeni Reeves on Enrique Esparza and the Battle of the Alamo"

By Sara HoffmannSenior Editor I tend to come across a lot of random information in my job. Most editors probably do. While I don’t remember all of it, the most interesting facts I learn have a way of sticking with me. In the spirit of the upcoming Halloween weekend, I thought I’d pass along some […]Read more "Spooky Facts to Know and Tell"

I’m going to pretend I didn’t help organize the thing and that I’m just an editor advising authors on how to spend their conference dollars wisely. So, should authors do conferences like this? I think the answer is yes. If for no other reason than to feel part of a community that extends well beyond […]Read more "KidLit Con: A Backward Glance"

Marlene Targ Brill provides a behind-the-scenes look at how this book came to be. I believe every story has a story. That’s the case with Annie Shapiro and the Clothing Workers’ Strike, part of the new History Speaks: Picture Books Plus Reader’s Theater series. This book began many years ago when my brother’s wife sent […]Read more "Guest Blog: Marlene Targ Brill on Annie Shaprio and the Clothing Workers’ Strike"

I got to spend a couple hours yesterday watching a great American illustrator work. (Free book to the first person to comment with his name.) Watching an artist work in his studio is a rare treat. Watching the artist take requests is almost too good to be true. I took the pictures you see here, […]Read more "Sometimes my job is too much fun"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press Remember the screaming? It was here and here. Oh, okay, I’ll play it again for you: <img style="BORDER-BOTTOM-STYLE: none; BORDER-RIGHT-STYLE: none; BORDER-TOP-STYLE: none; BORDER-LEFT-STYLE: none" alt="" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_wdqJfhPgZTI/TFb_4cs1p6I/AAAAAAAAAZU/OatjYFY8Ljs/video321425dc373c%5B2%5D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="'\" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('b04b1a53-0146-4a04-a857-a2c790d65ed5'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = " http://height= As Betsy explained on her blog, the reason for the screaming is our […]Read more "History Speaks: What All the Screaming Is About"