New Books in Children's Literature

Maira Kalman was born in Israel and moved to New York at the age of five where she fell in love with America (Coca Cola and the smells of street food, in particular). Maira is the author and illustrator of over thirty children's books (with three new ones coming out this year), starting with the iconic Staying Up Late in 1987.  Maira is currently working on an animated movie script. We talk about her career path and her thoughts on writing, illustrating and the life and calling of an author.Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alysson Foti Bourque began her career as a teacher and subsequently an attorney. After practicing law for six years, she traded in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books. Her new picture book, Alycat and the Cattywampus Wednesday is the fifth book of The Alycat Series, and was released by Arcadia Publishing/Pelican Publishing (2022).Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this interview we talk to Salma Hussain about her surprisingly candid and revealing middle grade book, The Secret Diary of Mona Hasan (Tundra Books, 2022). Mona Hasan is a young Muslim girl growing up in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, when the first Gulf War breaks out in 1991. The war isn’t what she expects — “We didn’t even get any days off school! Just my luck” — especially when the ground offensive is over so quickly and her family peels the masking tape off their windows. Her parents, however, fear there is no peace in the region, and it sparks a major change in their lives. Over the course of one year, Mona falls in love, speaks up to protect her younger sister, loses her best friend to the new girl at school, has summer adventures with her cousins in Pakistan, immigrates to Canada, and pursues her ambition to be a feminist and a poet.SALMA HUSSAIN, author, grew up in the U.A.E., and immigrated to Canada when she was thirteen years old. Her short stories and poems have been published in filling Station, West Coast Line, Other Voices, and in the anthology Homebound: Muslim Women Poetry Collection (Outburst Press). She lives with her family in Toronto. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Cindy Williams Schrauben lives in Michigan where she writes stories for kids that range from the truly serious to the seriously silly. Before embarking on this path, she held positions as a preschool administrator, teacher, and assistant director of a children’s museum -- always striving to empower kids. When not writing or honing her craft, Cindy might be found dissecting her grandsons’ shenanigans for story ideas, reading on the floor in the bookstore, or eating ice cream. Her first picture book, This Could be You (Cardinal Rule Press, 2022) was just published by Cardinal Rule Press and is the main subject of our engaging conversation.Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Helen H. Wu is a children’s book author, illustrator, and translator. She is the author of TOFU TAKES TIME, illustrated by Julie Jarema (Beaming Books, 2022) and LONG GOES TO DRAGON SCHOOL, illustrated by Mae Besom (Yeehoo Press, 2023). Helen is the Associate Publisher of Yeehoo Press, a San Diego based children’s book publisher. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, Helen loves to share stories that can empower children to understand the world and our connections. Born and raised in Hefei, China, Helen moved to the US in her 20s. Currently, she lives in San Diego, California, with her family and two kids. Learn more about Helen at helenhwu.com and follow her on Twitter and Instagram at @HelenHWu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jennifer Wolf Kam has been writing since she could hold a crayon. Today she holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her young adult supernatural novel, Devin Rhodes is Dead, winner of the NAESP Award, was published by Charlesbridge and nominated to Voya Magazine's Top Shelf for Middle School Fiction. Jennifer’s debut picture book, Until the Blueberries Grow, will be published by PJ Library in May 2022, and will join the PJ Library family of books.Jennifer is a five-time finalist for the Katherine Paterson Prize for Young Adult and Children’s Writing, and winner of the Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest for Middle Grade Fiction. Her supernatural short stories have appeared in the journal, Hunger Mountain. She lives in New York with her family, her rescue kitty, KitKat, and a love of history and chocolate. Visit Jennifer at www.jenniferwolfkam.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I talked to James Michael Thibeault, the author of the lovely children's book Melanie and the Box (2021).Melanie wants to be just like her mother: someone who wears a giant box whenever they go out. In fact, everyone wears a giant box when they are old enough. Now that Melanie is the appropriate age to start wearing a box, what design will she pick and does she even want to wear one? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our interview Pat Zietlow Miller and I talk about her path to fame and fortune as a children's author, the story behind her classic (and premier) children's book, Sophie's Squash, and her advice to aspiring writers. We are also celebrating the very recent (three weeks ago) launch of her new book,In our Garden (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2022) is an uplifting classroom tale about students who create a vegetable garden on their school's rooftop.Millie has recently moved to a new city, from a place more than an ocean away. More than anything she misses the garden where her family used to grow food. Then one day she has an idea—the school has a fine flat roof, perfect for a garden. Soon her teacher and classmates are on board, but it takes more than ideas to build a garden. It takes supplies and hard work; it takes a lot of learning; and it takes a whole school—a whole community—coming together to help. And of course, it also takes a lot of waiting. But as Millie's teacher Miss Mirales says, “Be patient. Good things take time.”From building the beds and planting the seeds to the first glorious harvest, here's the story of a garden—and a girl—in bloom, and what it takes for a new place to finally feel like home.Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In my conversation with author-illustrator Laurie Smollet Kutscera we celebrate the launch of her new picture book, Maya's Treasure (Peter Pauper Press, 2021), published just five months ago by Peter Pauper Press. "Keeping close the words and memories of her grandmother, a young girl is determined to craft a treasure from cast-off bits of shell."Laurie Smollett Kutscera was born in New York City, and studied fine art and children’s book illustration at Queens College. Her love for art, storytelling, and most of all those stories representing characters who discover hidden strength flourished throughout her graphics design career, leading her to illustrate Ravita and the Land of Unknown Shadows. Maya’s Treasure, her second solo project after middle-grade novel Misadventures of a Magician’s Son, also shares a story inspired by a dear friend. Laurie lives on the north shore of Long Island with her husband, and rescue dog Abby, where she continues to bring her stories to life.Mel Rosenberg is a professor of microbiology (Tel Aviv University, emeritus) who fell in love with children's books as a small child and now writes his own. He is also the founder of Ourboox, a web platform that allows anyone to create and share awesome flipbooks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Growing Out of Communism: Russian Literature for Children and Teens, 1991-2017 (Brill, 2021) explores the rise of a new body of literature for children and teens following the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and the subsequent transformation of the publishing industry. Lanoux, Herold, and Bukhina first consider the Soviet foundations of the new literature, then chart the influx of translated literature into Russia in the 1990s. In tracing the development of new literature that reflects the lived experiences of contemporary children and teens, the book examines changes to literary institutions, dominant genres, and archetypal heroes. Also discussed are the informal networks and online reader responses that reflect the views of child and teen readers. Marshall Poe is the founder and editor of the New Books Network. He can be reached at marshallpoe@newbooksnetwork.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices