novels – The Lerner Blog

A Pocketful of Stars: An Interview with Author Aisha Bushby

Heartfelt and magical, A Pocketful of Stars follows Safiya who has never seen eye-to-eye with her mother. When her mother falls into a coma, Safiya comes to terms with their complicated relationship and discovers more about herself through dreams that transport her to her mother’s childhood in Kuwait. Author Aisha Bushby joins us on the […]Read more

Author Interviews

The Weight of Everything: An Interview with Author Marcia Argueta Mickelson

The new YA novel The Weight of Everything strikes the perfect balance between grief, romance, and self-exploration through the eyes of one girl’s personal experience. Six months ago, Sarah’s beloved mother died in a car accident. Her dad fell apart, and Sarah had to leave her fine arts boarding school to take care of him […]Read more

Past Meets Present in YA and MG Fiction

By Editorial Director Amy Fitzgerald As a kid, I was obsessed with historical fiction. For me, it was an exciting escape from my generally comfortable but uneventful middle-class white life. Only later did I notice that it’s usually white people who fantasize about living in a different time.Read more

Guest Post: The Right to Read Out of Darkness

As we approach Banned Books Week, authors are facing challenges for books that deal with tough topics. Out of Darkness is a gripping novel about race, segregation, and love that has won numerous awards including a Printz Honor. Although the book was published by Carolrhoda Lab in September 2015, it has just recently been banned […]Read more

Middle Grade and YA Summer Reads

It’s been a rough school year, but summer is looming. And if ever there was a summer to keep kids well stocked with fun books to read . . . well, it was the summer of 2020, but 2021 has to be a close second. Here are some suggestions for middle-grade and young adult readers […]Read more

Q&A with Author Ginger Garrett

We spoke with Ginger Garrett about the inspiration for her new middle-grade novel, Name Tags and Other Sixth-Grade Disasters, which follows twelve-year-old Lizbeth’s quest to make friends, thwart nemeses, and figure out how to express herself through art in time to participate in a mandatory school talent show. Were you stuck with labels you hated […]Read more

Six Books You Don’t Want to Miss

Here’s a roundup of some delightful titles that we don’t want you to miss!Read more

Escapist Middle-Grade Reads

by Amy Fitzgerald, Editorial Director, Carolrhoda Books I always tell people that my mission is to publish stories that reflect the real world honestly for young readers, and that’s true. But sometimes, leaving the world as we know it has its upsides. Here are a few books that offer readers alternate universes to explore.Read more

Four Faves for Mysterious Fun

Do you like a little mystery on your bookshelf? Check out these four titles for the little sleuths in your life!Read more

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