By Carol Hinz Editorial Director, Millbrook Press The Minneapolis Institute of Arts is currently exhibiting a number of works of art from the Louvre. I went to the museum recently, and for me one of the highlights was seeing The Astronomer by Jan Vermeer. Last year I edited Bob Raczka’s book The Vermeer Interviews, so […]Read more "The Vermeer Interviews: Not Just for Art Class"

by Erin Finnegan, editorial intern Following up last week’s focus on Tintin Pantoja, I have another Artist Spotlight. This time I asked the same questions of Stephanie Yue. Stephanie is the artist behind our exciting new series Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye by Colleen AF Venable. Q. What computer programs and/or what kind of […]Read more "GU Comics Day: Shining a spotlight on: Stephanie Yue"

I love the fact that LPG has so many content-creation processes in the house. For example, one of the ways we generate new series ideas is through an annual all-day session of raw brainstorming. Every person in my department participates and is required to bring an idea. (We also get ideas from authors, sales reps, […]Read more "The Way We Do the Things We Do"

Earlier this month (November 3), we had citywide elections for mayor, park board, and a referendum on changing the structure of the board of taxation. Voter enthusiasm was low, so when I showed up at my polling place at 2:00 p.m., I was only the 125th person to show up for voting. All the same, […]Read more "Election Day Reading"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press Those writing fiction are often told, “show, don’t tell.” This little phrase is a reminder that the statement “Kate was mad” is far less powerful than showing us through Kate’s actions that she’s mad. (Slamming a door could be one example, but that’s a cliché. Even better would be […]Read more "Show, Don’t Tell and Nonfiction"

Author Blythe Woolston asked a good question (possibly because I was begging for it) in a comment on my last post: “Can you explain why covers for YA are always hard to do?” Several reasons: 1. I don’t think you can look for a literal narrative image in the book for an effective cover. I […]Read more "Why YA covers are hard"

As I’ve mentioned before, author Steve Brezenoff and and I have been working with a YALSA Galley Group in St. Paul called Teen Know Best to figure out the best way to put a cover on that guy’s book, The Absolute Value of –1 (|-1| for short). We’re almost done. I’ll let  Steve and TKB […]Read more "We’ve been busy."

By Sara HoffmannSenior Editor I love blogs. In fact, the number of blogs I read is probably a little ridiculous. I read friends’ blogs. I read family members’ blogs. I read blogs on random subjects that I find personally interesting. And then there are the blogs I read for work. It keeps me pretty busy. […]Read more "A Few of My Favorite Blogs"

By Carol HinzEditorial Director, Millbrook Press This weekend, I attended a celebration commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Kerlan Collection at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Irvin Kerlan, a University of Minnesota graduate, worked as chief of medical research for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in Washington, D.C. He began collecting children’s books after […]Read more "Happy 60th Birthday, Kerlan Collection!"