Meet #kidlit Debut Author Evgenia Mantikas
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Evgenia at the Kindling Words East retreat in 2026. What sweet and contagious energy she has! I am so excited Continue reading
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Authors & Illustrators Wild About Kidlit!
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Researching and Writing Nonfiction
Guest Post by Lauren H. Kerstein I am beyond thrilled to be here. I’ve long enjoyed reading Writers’ Rumpus posts and am excited to share Continue reading
Transitional Readers – Diving into Early Readers and Chapter Books
I recently launched my newest series, One Mad Cat. My publisher calls it a “graphic reader.” SLJ calls it an “early reader.” JLG calls it a “chapter book.” So what on earth is it? And does it even matter? I’m going to talk about the world of early readers, including the various formats, craft considerations, and pitching. Continue reading
The Puffin Who Whispered: Interview with #kidlit talent Marcia Strykowski … and a giveaway, too!
In this interview, I'm excited to interview my gracious and uber talented friend about The Puffin Who Whispered on its fledgling day. Although this charming book is fiction, I guarantee you'll be as puffin-obsessed as I am after reading Marcia's responses! Continue reading
HOW TO MIDDLE GRADE
Hi! My name’s James Ponti, and I write Middle Grade book series such as City Spies and The Sherlock Society. I’m excited to share some pointers with you, but only with a major caveat. I know a bunch of writers and we all do it differently. I’m not talking plotting vs. pantsing, but radically different approaches. Continue reading
SKIPSHOCK by Caroline O’Donoghue: A Master Class in World Building
For writers of fantasy, science fiction, and romance, this genre-blending novel is a master class in how to create details and imagery that pull readers into the plot and keep them riveted from first page to last, and importantly, leave them eager for more. Continue reading
Writing Side by Side: Adriana Mather and James Bird on Books, Family, and Finding the Magic
Writing is often described as a solitary pursuit. Most of us spend our days alone with our thoughts, our characters, and a blinking cursor. Yet Continue reading
Celebrating America’s Birthday with a talented author/illustrator team!
We’re just in time to celebrate America’s 250th birthday with Roxanne Troup and Jennifer Doehring. They have a beautiful new picture book, Happy Birthday America, Continue reading
#kidlit Interview with the Awesome and Talented Caroline Perry
Carol Gordon Ekster: Welcome, Caroline! I’m so excited to highlight you here at Writers’ Rumpus. Can you tell us about your journey into becoming a Continue reading
Ooh! Ahhh! Whoaa! Interview and Giveaway with Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal, the AWEsomely Creative Team Behind AWE!
Yes, the title of this post borrows from this gloriously AWEsome picture book (published March 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press), but I totally couldn't resist! Both a visual treat (thank you, Susan) and an inspiring read (thank you, Chana), what makes AWE! vault into being one of the best picture books I've ever read is how the words and pictures meld together to create a memorable, soul stirring,…