The Guest Book

Jamie Pacton, author of THE VERMILION EMPORIUM, talks with Peachtree Teen Editor Ashley Hearn about her whimsically magical young adult romantic fantasy novel from pitch to finish. Through loss, hope, historical inspirations, fantastical world creation, and the need for happy endings, catch up on this conversation about the book and the unlikely sources of inspiration that brought it to life.

THE VERMILION EMPORIUM is avai...

Tom Phillips, author of THE CURIOUS LEAGUE OF DETECTIVES AND THIEVES series, and Taylor Tyng, author of the CLARA POOLE series, discuss their experiences with Dyslexia and how it shaped their paths to becoming debut authors. From text-to-speech and other modern tools to work around reading difficulties, to making the transition from working for the screen to crafting a series narrative for middle grade readers.

You can vis...

MURDER FOR THE MODERN GIRL Author Kendall Kulper and Holiday House Senior Editor Sally Morgridge talk about writing dual perspectives, 1920’s slang, the birth of forensic science, and why sometimes you just need to get your frustrations out with a story about a girl who kills those who hurt others.

MURDER FOR THE MODERN GIRL is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Kendall Kulper at @Kendall_Kulper on Twitter and @...

LULI AND THE LANGUAGE OF TEA and THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE/LA CASITA DE ESPERANZA both center around the immigrant experience—through shared experiences, shared spaces, and shared words. The authors discuss many aspects, from the research behind the 10 different languages featured in LULI and the personal family stories that helped inspire LA CASITA, to both illustrators’ contributions to the books. Listen (with a cup of t...

Author JaNay Brown-Wood discusses her “Where in the Garden” Series of books (Amara's Farm, Miguel's Community Garden) with Em Shipman, Executive Director of KidsGardening. From the importance of encouraging curiosity about the natural world to the importance of diverse representation, as well as the way in which education can encompass both hands-on work and more traditional media, this conversation covers a lot of ground.

Associate Marketing Manager Alison Tarnofsky talks with LITTLE MONARCHS Author/Illustrator Jonathan Case and SWALLOWTAIL LEGACY #1: WRECK AT ADA’S REEF Author Michael D. Beil. From first child worries and monarch butterfly migration patterns to new families, maps, and dealing with big changes in your life (and solving mysteries as you go).

LITTLE MONARCHS and SWALLOWTAIL LEGACY #1: WRECK AT ADA’S REEF are available whereve...

Peachtree Publishing Vice President and Associate Publisher Kathy Landwehr talks with KING AND KAYLA Author Dori Hillestad Butler and Illustrator Nancy Myers. From the history of the Geisel Honor award-winning series, to investigating mysteries and the collaborative nature of creating early reader books, the King & Kayla series has a place in both Butler and Myers’ hearts only comparable to their love of canine companions.

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Holiday House Executive Editor Grace Maccarone talks about the inspiration for STITCH BY STITCH: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom, Elizabeth Hobbs Keckley, with author Connie Schofield-Morrison and Illustrator Elizabeth Zunon. From prophetic dreams to intriguing textiles, Elizabeth Keckley’s story proved to be inspiring for both author and illustrator.

Born a slave in 1818, Elizabeth lived through many hardships fr...

Holiday House Editor Mora Couch talks fantasy with Authors Jodi Meadows (NIGHTRENDER) and Cristin Bishara (VIAL OF TEARS). From childhood favorites to writing styles and the challenges of complex world-building, these YA authors cover the challenges and rewards of writing and publishing their latest novels.

VIAL OF TEARS is available wherever books are sold. NIGHTRENDER will become available January 11th, 2022. You can find Cr...

Neal Porter Books / Holiday House Vice President & Publisher Neal Porter talks to SONG FOR JIMI’s author/illustrator duo Charles R. Smith Jr. and Edel Rodriguez about everything Jimi Hendrix. From their personal connections to the superstar guitarist, their discussions on how to decide where to finish Hendrix’s story, to the use of songwriting conventions when writing the story and how the colors built up to the psychedelic art...

Holiday House Editor in Chief Mary Cash talks Sci-Fi with Authors Dianne K. Salerni (JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS) and Mary Amato (STAR STRIKER: GAME ON!). From their Sci-Fi inspirations (both hard and soft), early starts in Sci-fi TV and fanfiction, and how all of the above influenced their Fall 2021 debut middle grade novels in the genre.

JADIE IN FIVE DIMENSIONS and STAR STRIKER: GAME ON! are available wherever books are sold. Yo...

Author Jordan Scott and Illustrator Sydney Smith talk about their book I TALK LIKE A RIVER with Sylvia M. Vardell, Ph.D.Professor at Texas Woman's University School of Library & Information Studies, with a focus on Poetry for Young People. A year on from publication, what are the takeaways from the Author/Illustrator duo? The discussion covers a variety of topics, from how poetry allows for creative expression in depicting spee...

Authors Janet Nolan, Carmen Agra Deedy, and Caroline Brooks DuBois join Associate Marketing Manager for Trade Elyse Vincenty to discuss their books SEVEN AND A HALF TONS OF STEEL, 14 COWS FOR AMERICA, and THE PLACES WE SLEEP. They discuss the inspiration for writing their stories, the importance of bringing stories about September 11th to children today, and more.

SEVEN AND A HALF TONS OF STEEL by Janet Nolan, 14 COWS F...

Authors Crystal Maldonado (FAT CHANCE, CHARLIE VEGA) and Kate Albus (A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON) talk with The Guest Book Producer Keith Strunk about their books, both published in Spring 2021. From the inspirations behind their stories to the way in which they can relate to each other's characters, their go-to quarantine reads, and the titles they’re working on now!

FAT CHANCE, CHARLIE VEGA and A PLACE TO HANG THE MOON are ...

Authors Nizrana Farook and G.Z. Schmidt join Associate Marketing Manager for Trade Elyse Vincenty to discuss their middle grade novels THE GIRL WHO STOLE AN ELEPHANT and THE DREAMWEAVERS. From their inspiration for writing adventure stories, their experience as debut authors, how their cultural backgrounds influence the books they write, and more.

THE GIRL WHO STOLE AN ELEPHANT by Nizrana Farook is available wherever books are s...

Author/Illustrator Stephen Savage talks to Project Hope’s Chief Development/Communications Officer, Cinira Baldi, about his new picture book AND THEN CAME HOPE. This episode covers topics from Stephen’s quarantine inspiration for the book, to his goal to create a vehicle for parents and young children to connect about health and wellbeing, to Project Hope’s mission to provide medical aid all over the world. Project Hope’s commitmen...

Holiday House Editor Elizabeth Law talks to Author Dan Gutman about his new title HOUDINI & ME. From the joys of school visits, to using flashcards to outline a story, to why kids still know of Houdini today!

HOUDINI & ME is available wherever books are sold. You can find Dan Gutman @dangutmanbooks on Instagram and @DanGutmanBooks on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for...

Holiday House General Manager Derek Stordahl talks to Author Candace Fleming and Illustrator Eric Rohmann about their highly acclaimed book HONEYBEE. From demystifying bees through a single Honeybee’s life, to painting the prairie from a bee’s point of view, this duo talks about the importance of the Honeybee and how this closer look creates more empathy and interest in helping save the bees.

HONEYBEE is available wherever boo...

Publisher and Editor Neal Porter (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House) talks to author/illustrator Gianna Marino about her book We Will Live in This Forest Again and how the book was inspired by her experience during and after the 2017 fires in Northern California. They discuss the difficulty of picking an appropriate title, hitting the right balance between hope and realism, and a cliffhanger about a horse stuck in a ranch amidst th...