New Books in Children's Literature

Sister Mary Josefa of the Eucharist is a Benedictine nun in Missouri; she and the sisters of her community recently wrote a charming children’s book, Brides of Christ (Sophia Institute Press, 2023), which invites the reader into the rhythms of their contemplative life through the course of the day and cycle of the year. She talks about this life with me and also the discernment that drew her into it.We also discuss the late Sister Wilhelmina Lancaster who founded their community who drew the attention of the world earlier this year when her exhumed body was miraculously not corrupted four years after death, nor her garments (though the fabric of her coffin was completely rotted away).Finally, we discuss the special charism and Marian consecration of this Benedictine community who emulate the quiet, loving role of the Mother of God in the years between the Ascension of Jesus and her own Assumption, supporting the Early Church. The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles website The new book, Brides of Christ, from Sophia Institute Press Articles about Sr Wilhelmina Lancaster’s uncorrupted remains: in the New York Times, in the Catholic News Agency, and in the Catholic Review. Krzysztof Odyniec is a historian of Medieval and Early Modern Europe; he is also the host of the 'Almost Good Catholics' podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Andy Hunter, Founder and CEO of Bookshop.org, discusses his journey creating a revolutionary online book retailer that supports independent bookstores. They talk about empowering independent bookstores, supporting local bookstores with bookshop.org, overcoming challenges, and the future of Bookshop.

Savannah Brooks started her agenting career as an intern with the Jennifer De Chiara team in 2017, moving to associate agent in 2018. In 2022, she joined the KT Literary as an agent, where she now works full-time representing all of kid lit and most adult fiction. She’s especially interested in stories that teach her something new, add to a larger sociopolitical conversation, and highlight underrepresented identities and cultures. In our wonderful and candid conversation, we talk about her life, career and her thoughts on agenting and children's literature in general. Oh yes, and what she is looking for these days.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes mostly picture book biographies of women in STEM. Her titles include Code Breaker, Spy Hunter: How Elizebeth Friedman Changed the Course of Two World Wars; Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code; and Hedy Lamarr's Double Life. In our discussion, we discuss her brand new book, Rivka's Presents (Random House Studio, 2023)), a heartwarming fictional story of a young Jewish girl living on the Lower East Side who can't start school because her father is sick, so she makes a trade with her neighbors: chores for lessons.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Lisa M. Bolt Simons has published over 60 children's nonfiction books, with many more in preparation. In our conversation we talk about two of her recent "Curious About" books, but focus on her recent historical fiction graphic novel The Vanished Northwest Passage Arctic Expedition (Capstone, 2022), illustrated by Eugene Smith Both and published by Capstone Press. Lisa talks about her childhood, her outstanding success as an educational writer, and the challenges of publishing the stories of her heart. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today I speak to the wonderful Leslie Kimmelman, as we celebrate her brand new picture book, Ready, Set, Run!: The Amazing New York City Marathon, published by Random House Studio, (and also A Book about Bupkes, published by Kar-Ben). Both books launched on August 1st! Leslie is author of over forty picture books under her own name and many more written under a pseudonym (revealed in our conversation!). She was also an editor at Sesame Workshop so she knows how to get to Sesame Street. Join us for a fun, animated conversation about her career, her books, and her thoughts on children's literature.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anna Olswanger is an award-winning children's author and highly regarded literary agent, with clients include the New York Times best-selling author Michael Hall and the Newbery Honor Book winner Vince Vawter. Anna's middle grade novel Greenhorn (2012) is based on the true story of a young Holocaust survivor that she heard from Rabbi Rafael Grossman. Anna is also the author of Shlemiel Crooks (2005), a Sydney Taylor Honor Book and PJ Library Book, and a graphic novel titled A Visit to Moscow (2022). Anna is also curator of her dad's (Berl Olswanger's) jazz career and music, all wonderful reasons to interview her about her careers and life.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publisher at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, then later as Publisher at Egmont USA, and more recently as the backlist and special projects editor at Holiday House Books for Young Readers. Elizabeth has also works as a professional consultant with writers and artists. In this wonderful follow-up interview, we talk about the advantages (and tribulations) of traditional publication, to those of self-publishing. You are welcome to contact Elizabeth at ElawReads.com, and Twitter, @ElawReads. And if you find the 'mistake' in Bemelman's Madeline, don't tell me. I'm not sure I want to know.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our interview, Sarah Sassoon celebrates the success of her award-winning children's book, Shoham's Bangle, published by Kar-Ben (2022), and discusses her life journey and career from Australia to South Africa and now as an author and poet in Jerusalem. Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is my second interview with the wonderful Shelli R. Johannes, who is the author of 18 books with more due out in 2024. She is the co-author (with Kimberly Derting) of the popular Cece Loves Science series and Penny (An Engineering Tale of the Fourth Pig). In addition to her tween and teen novels, she is also the author of the Theo Thesaurus series and Shine Like a Unicorn. In our interview we talk about her new chapter book Florence Nightingale which just came out in in Chelsea Clinton’s “She Persisted” series (Philomel Books, 2023)). We also discuss the questions of whether authors should 'write for the market' and whether independent publishing is a viable option to traditional publishing.Mel Rosenberg is a professor emeritus 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 co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with some 240,000 ebooks that allows anyone to create and share flipbooks comprising text, pictures and videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices