I'm way overdue to post about the US release of this stunning YA novel, but obviously I had to wait till I was wearing something that matched the energy of the cover.*
WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN FOR MIDNIGHT by Blessing Musariri is about what happens after fifteen-year-old Chianti finds out her dad isn't her bio father (and he finds out at the same time). With her nuclear family in chaos, she goes to visit her maternal grandmother, who's both very cool and slightly mysterious—and who has some very cool and slightly mysterious besties, the gogos. As Chianti struggles to make sense of her own origin story, she gets drawn into the gogos' past too and eventually finds a new definition of family.
Kirkus gave this book a starred review and called it "a sparkling jewel of a story grounded in emotional truths." Horn Book praised it for offering "both intimacy and weight." Booklist called it "wholly fresh." SLJ's only complaint was that it's short—an ideal weekend read for a busy teen!
*Cover design by Emily Harris <3
#yanovel #youngadultnovel #yafiction #youngadultfiction #kidlit #justhashtaggingforfunatthispoint
Not only was SOMETIMES THE GIRL by Jennifer Mason-Black a Kirkus Best Teen Book of the Year in 2025 and a Stonewall Honor Book, it’s ALSO on this year’s YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults List.
Holi, the eighteen-year-old protagonist, discovers that “who we are” isn’t static or preordained. We determine who we are every day through the choices we make, through the people we connect with, and through the voice inside us we strive to listen to.
In Minnesota-related news, you can donate to rent support efforts or even adopt a rent through standwithminnesota.com.
Minneapolis residents who are so inclined can call Mayor Jacob Frey’s office (612-673-2100) and ask him to support the city council’s measure to extend the timeline for eviction notices from 30 to 60 days.
I wish I had a Cool Third Thing to recommend but I think it’s just to hang in there and keep caring about other people and keep listening to the voice inside you.
Book cover design by Emily Harris!
#youngadultnovel #youngadultlit #YAlit #YAbooks #kidlit #childrensbooks #ALAAwards #ALAyma #YALSA
Wild Mountain Ivy by Shannon Hitchcock came out last week! It's a middle grade novel about two girls dealing with chronic illness while living in the same house... a hundred years apart.
I edit a lot of contemporary fiction, a lot of historical fiction, and the occasional ghost story, but I rarely get to edit a novel that exists in the magical center of that Venn diagram. Especially one that weaves the power of music, nature, and community care into its plot.
Booklist praises it for featuring "found family that feels like a warm hug, interwoven historical narratives... and a compelling protagonist."
Here's my favorite line (spoiler alert, I guess?): "Jessie’s story had given me hope. Hope that someday, I’d be like her—able to have a happy life, even when things didn’t go the way I’d planned."
Cover art by Stephanie Singleton & book design by Athena Currier ❤️
#newmiddlegrade #mgfiction #mglit #kidlit #middlegradenovel
So excited to announce the book deal for GOALBALL DREAMERS with coauthor and silver-medaling Paralympian @mattsimpson77 🎉🎉🎉
And huge thanks to our agent Dorian Maffei at @kcandaliterary and our editor @amyarielfitz
Even burnout and a lack of Canva proficiency can't dent my enthusiasm for these two novels, which are both out TODAY.
CHOIR GRRRL by Ashley Granillo is a middle grade novel about Alondra, whose tweenage rebellion takes the form of secretly joining a choir while her family expects her to carry on her dad's alt-rock legacy. Booklist praises its "lyrical text" and its exploration of "the creative power of music to express new ideas, make meaningful connections, and heal damaged hearts."
BEYOND SEVEN FORESTS by Amanda McCrina is a young adult novel set in Europe during World War I. It follows Polish countess Renia as she tries to survive a snowstorm while trapped in her house with two soldiers and a ton of secrets. Kirkus calls it "Sharp, compelling, and thoughtful."
I love that these books are pub day buddies: a contemporary story and a historical one; one with a vibrantly emotional writing style and one with a conspicuously composed narrator who only gradually reveals her deeper layers; one about owning your truth, and another about owning your truth. Happy book birthday!
(CG cover illustration by Sol Salinas, design by Viet Chu. BSF cover design by Kim Morales.)
#middlegradebooks #middlegradenovels #youngadultnovels #YAnovels #kidlit #newrelease
This auction will benefit eight organizations that are helping my vulnerable neighbors in Minnesota (and beyond) survive an incredibly dangerous and difficult time.
I'm donating a critique of the first 25 pages of a middle grade or young adult manuscript (I mean, you COULD send me 25 pages from the middle, you do you) PLUS a 30-minute Ask Me Anything phone call or video chat.
The auction starts TOMORROW, Thursday, January 29, at 12:15 a.m. EST.
It ends Friday, January 30, at 11:45 p.m. EST.
Take a gander at the offerings! Maybe place a bid on mine (direct link in bio) so I won't feel silly and so I can give you feedback on a project!
Graphic design has once again become my passion, because these three wonderful books were all recognized by the American Library Association's Youth Media Awards.
THE RED CAR TO HOLLYWOOD by Jennie Liu is an APALA winner for young adult literature.
SOMETIMES THE GIRL by Jennifer Mason-Black is a Stonewall Book Awards young adult honor book.
THE PECAN SHELLER by Lupe Ruiz-Flores has won the Pura Belpré Author Award.
Even—especially—with everything else going on, I'm grateful for any chance to celebrate stories of openheartedness, courage, and hopefulness. Even if it forces me to remind everyone how bad I am at Canva.
Cover designs by Emily Harris (Red Car), Kim Morales (Sometimes), and Sol Salinas (Pecan).
#alayma #apala #stonewallawards #purabelpréaward #childrensbooks #kidlit
I am not working today, but I did make this lil video in advance to share some news and resources!
DISPLACED by Patrick Ochieng was a Kirkus Best Middle Grade Book of 2025 and is on this year's Notable Books for a Global Society list, a recognition given by the International Literacy Association to 25 books that enrich young readers' understanding of people and cultures throughout the world.
Speaking of lists, here’s a roundup of Minnesota businesses—in the Twin Cities and beyond!—that are closed today (January 23, 2026) in community solidarity:
bringmethenews.com/minnesota-lifestyle/growing-number-of-minnesota-businesses-announce-plans-to-close-for-jan-23-strike
Consider patronizing them when they reopen! BIPOC-owned and immigrant-owned businesses could particularly use your dollars right now.
And here are some other ways to support Minnesotans:
standwithminnesota.com
Book cover art by Moera. Links in bio.
#middlegradenovel #middlegradefiction #MGfiction #MGlit #middlegradlit #MGbooks #kidlit #childrensbooks #minnesota
Amateur video content will continue until morale improves.
EYES OPEN by @lynmillerlachmann , a Social Justice Literature Award Honor Book, is a YA novel in verse set in 1960s Portugal—and has turned out to be a great read for These Times. (Cover design by our own @emilylaurelharris .)
For some ways to support the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota through our particular slice of These Times, check out standwithminnesota.com. (Much gratitude to creator/compiler Ashley Fairbanks.) Link in bio.
#youngadultnovel #YAnovel #youngadultlit #YAlit #YAbooks #kidlit #versenovel #poetry #childrensbooks #minnesota
Baby's first reel. Because obviously the best time to pivot to video is when you're too fried to design a regular post in Canva.
THE PECAN SHELLER by Lupe Ruiz-Flores was a Kirkus Best Book of 2025 and is a finalist for the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award. This middle grade novel was inspired by the 1938 San Antonio Pecan Shellers’ Strike. It’s a story about ordinary people standing up for each other and standing up to injustice.
P.S. Cover art by the amazing Sol Salinas.
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#middlegrade #mgnovels #middlegradenovels #kidlit #childrensbooks #historicalfiction #laborhistory #minneapolis #iceout #abolishice
Marcia Argueta Mickelson's THE WRITING ROOM is out today. It's set in NYC! It's about the teen daughter of a Guatemalan immigrant standing up to her racist, rich white dad and the bigoted politician he's funding! And it's about telling new stories when the old ones fail us.
I finished editing this book almost exactly a year ago, wondering what kind of reality it would be born into. Wondering if it would feel quaint, dated by now. Turns out the only thing about it that's aged poorly is that it depicts the NYT as doing real reporting lol.
Meanwhile, the themes—caring for your community, rejecting the manipulations of rich bigots, and making room for many voices including your own—belong to today as much as my lil "I VOTED" sticker. (Don't worry, that sticker was previously on my jacket and has lost all its adhesiveness. No books were damaged during this photo shoot!)
School Library Journal calls THE WRITING ROOM "atmospheric and relevant. Recommended." Publishers Weekly praises its "smoothly wrought narrative." And Booklist sums it up: "With a unique take on the current political climate, this novel explores finding one's footing in the adult world and standing behind one's beliefs."
Cover image by the amazing Kim Morales. Plants by me.
#youngadultbooks #newYAnovels #contemporaryYA
