In which Jason Reynolds manages to capture the very essence of Newbery Medalist Renee Watson: www.hbook.com/story/articl...

When You Read Reneé Watson, This Is Why It Feels like That: Profile of 2026 Newbery Medal Winner Reneé Watson

From the July/August 2026 issue of The Horn Book Magazine: Special Issue: ALA Awards.

hbook.com

"Finish your chapter and THEN we can talk about popcorn." (Words I just spoke out loud. To myself.) #writerlife

A new book from @philbildner.bsky.social & @mikecurato.bsky.social? Yes, please! Looking forward to this one - TOO BIG TO SAY feels like a title that needs to be in every middle school library. Here's the cover reveal & interview from @fuse8.bsky.social! afuse8production.slj.com/2026/07/27/c...

Cover Reveal and Q&A: Too Big to Say with Phil Bildner and Mike Curato - A Fuse #8 Production

"I will be relentlessly defending this book. I will be defending its right to exist. I will be defending the right for young people to have access to this book and their right to read this book." - Ph...

afuse8production.slj.com

Loved being included with bright lights @katemessner.com and @andreaywang.bsky.social in this @bookriot.bsky.social list of summer camp middle grade! bookriot.com/middle-grade...

5 Great Middle Grade Books About Summer Camps

From Black excellence to monster mayhem, kids will love reading these five middle grade books about summer camps.

bookriot.com

Some great news - now that THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES is available in paperback!

Andrea Brown Literary Agency@andreabrownlit.bsky.social · 2w ago

✨ THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by Kate Messner—a heart-filling journey as a boy who agrees to climb forty-six Adirondack High Peaks in a single summer and along the way finds his path to healing—is a Publishers Weekly Bestseller!! Congratulations, Kate! 🎉 @katemessner.com @literaticat.bsky.social

Great to see @kylelukoff.bsky.social's charming & funny book THE KIDS IN MRS. Z'S CLASS: SEBASTIAN METZGER SOLVES A STICKY SITUATION included in this terrific @slj.com chapter book roundup! www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/15-cha...

15 Chapter Books and Early Readers from Kate DiCamillo, Kwame Alexander, and More | SLJ 2026 Stars So Far

Longtime favorite characters, such as Pete the Cat and Lola Levine, are joined by new protagonists in these selections for transitional readers.

schoollibraryjournal.com

Out today!! (flails hands wildly...goes back to work on the next book in the series...)

Lori Tecler@loritecler.bsky.social · 2w ago

THE SPACE RACE, @katemessner.com's latest HISTORY SMASHERS book, mixes history & humor, sharing facts & dispelling misconceptions to give #MGLit readers a comprehensive overview of history of space programs run by the US & USSR. Perfect for readers interested in space after the Artemis II launch.

Gosh, I love a Storywalk® - Looking forward to visiting this one for OVER AND UNDER THE POND in South Burlington soon! www.burlingtonfreepress.com/picture-gall...

City Center Park is completed after decades. What it looks like today

A large crowd gathered at City Center Park to celebrate the natural area's grand opening on July 7, 2026, after many years of development.

burlingtonfreepress.com

Seeing the premiere of this new musical at @lajollaplayhouse.bsky.social this week & could NOT be more excited! lajollaplayhouse.org/show/the-fam...

THE FAMILY ALBUM | La Jolla Playhouse

A humorous and poignant original musical about a singer-songwriter finding her voice and using it for change.

lajollaplayhouse.org

So cool to see KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON featured as Book Trailer of the Day on @shelf-awareness.com! (If you love Broadway and books, you need to check it out!) www.shelf-awareness.com/theshelf/202...

Book Trailer of the Day: Keep the Ghost Light On

Keep the Ghost Light On by Kate Messner (Bloomsbury Children's Books), a trailer that brings music from the book to life, with lyrics written

shelf-awareness.com

And if you can't make it this weekend, next weekend is also good!

Libro.fm@libro.fm · 4w ago

Hi, it's me, reminding you that this weekend is a great weekend to not only visit your indie bookstore, but to treat yourself to a book or two 😍 (And if you can't make it in person, treat yourself to an audiobook or two!)

Anybody recognize this determined golden retriever? Delighted to see RANGER IN TIME featured in this great roundup from @100scopenotes.bsky.social in today's @nytimes.com! www.nytimes.com/2026/07/10/b...

10 Kids’ Books for Fans of the Magic Tree House Series

Ten recommendations for fans of Mary Pope Osborne’s time-travel chapter book series.

nytimes.com

Wally Funk & the other Mercury 13 women are featured in HISTORY SMASHERS: THE SPACE RACE, which comes out this month - and profiled in great detail in Tanya Lee Stone's ALMOST ASTRONAUTS. Share their stories! www.nytimes.com/2026/07/09/s...

Wally Funk, Who Set an Age Record for Space Travel, Dies at 87

nytimes.com

THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES by @katemessner.com is now available in paperback and a lot of people think you should read it. Bestselling and award-winning author Kate Messner takes readers on a heart-filling journey as a boy finds his path to healing. Get it now! www.bloomsbury.com/us/trouble-w...

Finn, Seymour, and I are celebrating a paperback book birthday today! (Finn is off hiking, Seymour is busy drooling, and I'm celebrating by writing my next book - whee!) Hope you'll pick up a copy of THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES for your favorite reader who loves adventure, humor, and drooly dogs.

I want to put LISTEN TO THE GIRLS by @chrystaldgiles.bsky.social on your reading radar, especially if you're a teacher, librarian, or caregiver for middle schoolers. It's incredibly well done and so, so important. bookshop.org/p/books/list...

Listen to the Girls

Check out Listen to the Girls - <b>When Calla finds out her favorite teacher has been accused of inappropriate conduct, she decides to take action in this&nbsp;powerful story about growing up and spea...

bookshop.org

Starting TODAY! Need a little boost to your writing routine? Find helpful prompts, revision tips, inspiration, community and more. Such a great (free) program geared toward teacher & librarian writers with fantastic author mentors. #skybrarian #writingcommunity #teachers #edusky

Kate Messner@katemessner.com · last mo.

Teachers & Librarians Write, our free online summer writing camp for teachers and librarians, starts tomorrow!! Are you signed up yet? katemessner.com/get-ready-fo...

THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES comes out in paperback tomorrow! (and just in time - it's already landed on 23 state book award lists and kids need this affordable edition!) bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

The Trouble with Heroes

Check out The Trouble with Heroes - <p><b>An instant <i>New York Times</i> bestseller!</b><br><br><b>A <i>USA Today</i> bestseller!</b><br><br><b>Read with Jenna Jr. Summer Reading List Pick!</b><br><...

bookshop.org

Support the Right to Read Act! Senator Jack Reed (RI) and Representative Adelita Grijalva (AZ-07) have introduced the Right to Read Act (H.R.6440 / S.3365), landmark legislation that invests in school libraries, strengthens literacy, and defends students' freedom to read.

SEND AN EMAIL: Support the Right to Read in the United States

In a moment when censorship is spreading rapidly, and school libraries remain dramatically under-resourced, this bill sends a clear message

action.everylibrary.org

Teachers & Librarians Write, our free online summer writing camp for teachers and librarians, starts tomorrow!! Are you signed up yet? katemessner.com/get-ready-fo...

My kids and I love these books! 💙📚 #freadom #history

Kate Messner@katemessner.com · last mo.

Paul Revere didn't shout "The British are coming!" He never finished his midnight ride. And GW never chopped down that cherry tree either. Smashing myths is a great way to mark America's 250th birthday, don't you think? bookshop.org/p/books/hist...

Terrific feature about THE SCARIEST KITTEN IN THE WORLD illustrator MacKenzie Haley! www.courier-journal.com/story/entert...

How this Louisville artist broke into the children's publishing world

MacKenzie Haley reveals the hard work behind her success in the children's book industry, including illustrating Dolly Parton's “Billy the Kid” books.

courier-journal.com

Paul Revere didn't shout "The British are coming!" He never finished his midnight ride. And GW never chopped down that cherry tree either. Smashing myths is a great way to mark America's 250th birthday, don't you think? bookshop.org/p/books/hist...

History Smashers: The American Revolution

Check out History Smashers: The American Revolution - <b>Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth behind the Revolutionary War with beloved educator/author Kate Messner. The fun mix of sidebars,...

bookshop.org

It's here!! The first song from my new novel KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON (coming 2/23) features lyrics by me, music by Broadway music director/composer Haley Bennett, & vocals by Gianna Harris (who's currently starring in & JULIET on Broadway!) youtu.be/kIdk15MWVD4 Learn more & preorder: bit.ly/ktglo

Daphne's "I Want" Song from KEEP THE GHOST LIGHT ON

YouTube video by Kate Messner

youtu.be

Love!!!!! @katemessner.com

We loved reading this new book from @katemessner.com and Brian Biggs. A fantastic book, with beautiful illustrations, that tells a story from two perspectives based on the direction the story is read. 🤯 Sure to be loved by students of all ages. #librarian #picturebook #picturebooklove #podcast

If you're at #ALAAC2026 this weekend, please come find me to say hello and get a book! I'll be signing with @randomhousekids.bsky.social Saturday and with @harpercollins.bsky.social, @bloomsburybooksus.bsky.social, and @chroniclekidsbooks.bsky.social on Sunday!

Kicked off the ALA Conference in style last night at the launch party for Ten Speed Young Readers & got to celebrate AXOLOTL-ELLA: A SORT OF CINDERELLA STORY (with art by @liantomato.bsky.social!) with my agent @literaticat.bsky.social!

Incredibly humbled that the New Atlantic Booksellers Association has named THE TROUBLE WITH HEROES its MG Book of the Year for 2026! I'm so, so grateful to all of the booksellers who have been sharing this novel since it came out last year. Thank you!! ❤️

Am I allowed to be excited that Margaret Atwood is speaking at NCTE this year and at the same time wish that her work felt just a little less timely?