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Books to Get Kids Excited About Reading This School Year
Featured

Books to Get Kids Excited About Reading This School Year

A new school year is the perfect time to build a reading habit. Book picks for every age, from picture books to teen reads, mixing beloved classics with new releases, plus tips for reluctant readers.

By Library Tales Publishing 4 min read
Jen Knox, author of Radicals

Author Interviews

A Conversation with Jen Knox, Author of Radicals

Victoria Woodhull ran for president before women could vote. Jen Knox's novel Radicals sets her story beside a modern woman's, and asks what ambition costs. We talked with the author ahead of the November 17 release.

October 2, 2026

3 min read
Richard S. Sargent, author of Revenge of the Horror Movie Cookbook

Author Interviews

A Conversation with Richard Sargent, Author of Revenge of the Horror Movie Cookbook

46 horror films, 92 recipes and cocktails, and drinking games that won't wreck your night. Richard Sargent on hosting the perfect scary movie night, five dozen eggs, and the movie night that got out of hand.

October 2, 2026

1 min read
Ever Wonder Where Lost Shoes Go? This Book Has the Answer

Book Announcements

Ever Wonder Where Lost Shoes Go? This Book Has the Answer

Every shoe on the side of the road got there somehow. In Holly Carrington's Lost Soles, one of them wakes up, and a funny, tender farm adventure begins.

October 1, 2026

1 min read
Holly CarringtonLost Soleschildren's books
Robert Redford Signed a Drawing of a Red Ford: Inside Alex Leeds's Dumb Drawings

Behind the Scenes

Robert Redford Signed a Drawing of a Red Ford: Inside Alex Leeds's Dumb Drawings

Ken Burns signed Mr. Burns. Sean Bean signed Mr. Bean. How a Cincinnati comedian spent a decade and $5,000 in stamps getting celebrities to autograph terrible puns.

September 29, 2026

1 min read
Alex LeedsDumb Drawings Autographed By Celebritieshumor
What a Vampire Without Fangs Can Teach Kids About Feeling Different

Editorial

What a Vampire Without Fangs Can Teach Kids About Feeling Different

Viola is the only little vampire at school without fangs. Why a spooky-cute picture book is a smart way to talk with kids about teasing, kindness, and belonging, plus questions to ask as you read.

September 29, 2026

1 min read
Jessica PitcaithlyViola Vampchildren's books
Read Yourself to Sleep. Your Brain Will Thank You.

Editorial

Read Yourself to Sleep. Your Brain Will Thank You.

Six minutes of reading can cut stress by up to 68 percent, and bedtime stories hand children a million extra words. The science behind the oldest good habit there is.

September 29, 2026

1 min read
readingsleepscience
How to Host a Horror Movie Night People Will Talk About for Years

Editorial

How to Host a Horror Movie Night People Will Talk About for Years

Forty-six horror films, ninety-two recipes and a drinking game for every movie. Inside Richard S. Sargent's sequel to The Horror Movie Night Cookbook.

September 28, 2026

1 min read
Richard S. SargentRevenge of the Horror Movie Cookbookhorror movies
The Dog Who Taught Rafael Mantesso to Draw With Less

Behind the Scenes

The Dog Who Taught Rafael Mantesso to Draw With Less

A cartoon, a pig movie and two dogs on a Rio boardwalk made Rafael Mantesso a Bull Terrier person for life. After Jimmy, he drew the whole breed.

September 28, 2026

1 min read
Rafael MantessoBull Terriersdogs
Cover of David Friedman, Stories of My Life

Company News

Meet David Friedman in Palm Springs on October 24

Composer and author David Friedman signs his new memoir, Stories of My Life, on Saturday, October 24, from 1:00 to 3:00 PM at Just Fabulous in Palm Springs. Everyone is welcome.

September 24, 2026

3 min read
David FriedmanStories of My Lifebook signing
The Movies We Love Are Really About the People We Watched Them With

Behind the Scenes

The Movies We Love Are Really About the People We Watched Them With

For Chris Bujold, every chapter of life begins with a movie. His memoir uses the films of the '80s and '90s to tell a funny, heartbreaking story about family, fatherhood, and the mom who taught him to love cinema.

September 8, 2026

1 min read
Chris BujoldRobot Dreams and Suburban Nightmaresmemoir
A Hurricane, a Real Estate Office, and a Houston Cold Case That Was Never Solved

Book Announcements

A Hurricane, a Real Estate Office, and a Houston Cold Case That Was Never Solved

The day after Hurricane Alicia tore through Houston in 1983, three women were found dead in their Memorial Drive real estate office. Johnny Teague reopens one of Texas's most haunting cold cases.

August 18, 2026

1 min read
Johnny TeagueA Real Estate Nightmaretrue crime
Breaking Broadway Silence: David Friedman's Stories of My Life

Book Announcements

Breaking Broadway Silence: David Friedman's Stories of My Life

David Friedman's Stories of My Life is a deeply human memoir about building an authentic life in theater and beyond—a perfect read for Pride Month and every month.

August 18, 2026

3 min read
memoirBroadwayLGBTQ+
Books to Get Kids Excited About Reading This School Year

Editorial

Books to Get Kids Excited About Reading This School Year

A new school year is the perfect time to build a reading habit. Book picks for every age, from picture books to teen reads, mixing beloved classics with new releases, plus tips for reluctant readers.

August 13, 2026

4 min read
back to schoolreading guidechildren's books
Why We Reread Books We Already Know the Ending To

Editorial

Why We Reread Books We Already Know the Ending To

You know how it ends, and you're reading it anyway. Why rereading favorite books is so rewarding, what researchers have found, and why you should never feel guilty about it.

August 12, 2026

4 min read
rereadingbook culturecomfort reading
Why Drawing Matters for Kids' Confidence: 5 Ways Parents Can Help

Editorial

Why Drawing Matters for Kids' Confidence: 5 Ways Parents Can Help

Drawing builds fine motor skills, observation, storytelling, and confidence. Here's why it matters for kids, and five simple ways parents can encourage it at home.

August 11, 2026

4 min read
drawing for kidschild developmentcreativity
What If Hades and Persephone Had a Daughter, and She Tended Bar in Seattle?

Book Announcements

What If Hades and Persephone Had a Daughter, and She Tended Bar in Seattle?

Ava tends bar in Seattle and never looks back. Then she learns she's the forgotten daughter of Hades and Persephone. Jordan McCaffrie's From the Ashes gives Greek myth a sharp, modern edge.

August 10, 2026

4 min read
Jordan McCaffrieFrom the AshesGreek mythology
Two College Sweethearts, One Night in 1990, and a Houston Case Still Unsolved

Book Announcements

Two College Sweethearts, One Night in 1990, and a Houston Case Still Unsolved

In August 1990, college sweethearts Cheryl Henry and Andy Atkinson went out on a date and never came home. Working with their families, Johnny Teague revisits Houston's unsolved Lovers' Lane murders.

August 2, 2026

4 min read
Johnny TeagueThe Lovers' Lane Murderstrue crime
The Grief Nobody Talks About: Losing a Brother or Sister

Behind the Scenes

The Grief Nobody Talks About: Losing a Brother or Sister

On Valentine's Day 2014, Susan Casey learned her brother Rocky had died suddenly in Hong Kong. Her memoir weaves her story with those of siblings worldwide to give voice to an overlooked grief.

July 16, 2026

4 min read
Susan CaseyRock Onmemoir
Can a Book Actually Help You Heal? What Research Says About Bibliotherapy

Editorial

Can a Book Actually Help You Heal? What Research Says About Bibliotherapy

Can the right book help you heal? A look at bibliotherapy, from its roots in World War I hospitals to modern research, why stories help when advice doesn't, and how to use books to support your well-being.

July 16, 2026

4 min read
David Friedmanself-helphope
Teaching Kids to Talk About Feelings: Why It Starts With Stories

Editorial

Teaching Kids to Talk About Feelings: Why It Starts With Stories

Many kids don't have the words for what they feel. Why emotional literacy matters, how stories help children name and handle big feelings, and questions to ask after reading together.

July 16, 2026

3 min read
Shani Rogerschildren's booksemotional intelligence
At Eighteen, Donna Chaffee Went to Work for Robert F. Kennedy

Behind the Scenes

At Eighteen, Donna Chaffee Went to Work for Robert F. Kennedy

In 1965, an eighteen-year-old joined Robert F. Kennedy's Senate staff. Her memoir First Great Sorrow shows the man behind the legend and a young woman coming of age as the country came apart.

July 9, 2026

4 min read
Donna ChaffeeFirst Great SorrowRobert F. Kennedy
What Film School Doesn't Teach You About Making Movies

Editorial

What Film School Doesn't Teach You About Making Movies

Film school teaches theory. The set teaches decisions under pressure, managing people, turning constraints into ideas, and finishing. Lessons from indie filmmaking that apply to any creative project.

July 9, 2026

4 min read
Usher Morganfilmmakingindie film
Why Reading About Change Isn't the Same as Changing

Editorial

Why Reading About Change Isn't the Same as Changing

You read the self-help book, felt inspired, and then nothing changed. Why insight isn't enough, what real practice looks like, and why workbooks can bridge the gap.

July 9, 2026

4 min read
David Friedmanself-helpworkbook
A Thousand Stories From the Composer Behind "We Can Be Kind"

Behind the Scenes

A Thousand Stories From the Composer Behind "We Can Be Kind"

Composer David Friedman worked on Beauty and the Beast, recorded with Diana Ross and Barry Manilow, and wrote "We Can Be Kind." His memoir tells nearly a thousand stories from a remarkable life.

July 9, 2026

4 min read
David FriedmanStories of My Lifememoir
What Happens When Santa Claus Shows Up on the First Night of Hanukkah?

Reading Lists

What Happens When Santa Claus Shows Up on the First Night of Hanukkah?

On the first night of Hanukkah, Harvie discovers Santa Claus in his house. David Michael Slater's funny, heartfelt picture book is about two holiday heroes who become friends.

July 9, 2026

3 min read
David Michael SlaterHanukkah Harvie vs. Santa ClausHanukkah
What It's Really Like to Have the World's Rarest Hair Color

Book Announcements

What It's Really Like to Have the World's Rarest Hair Color

Only one to two percent of people are natural redheads. Photographer Shelley Corcoran spent nearly two decades capturing their portraits and their stories of confidence, difference, and belonging.

July 8, 2026

3 min read
Shelley CorcoranRedheadsphotography
A Kid Raised in a Video Store Learns Real Life Has No Rewind Button

Book Announcements

A Kid Raised in a Video Store Learns Real Life Has No Rewind Button

Raised in his family's video store, Andrew Wilden learned everything he knows from the movies. Then his family falls apart and he has to face a real world that doesn't follow a script.

July 3, 2026

3 min read
Mike BernardThe Reel Life of Andrew Wildenfiction
A Guide for Young Survivors Who Are Ready to Be Warriors

Behind the Scenes

A Guide for Young Survivors Who Are Ready to Be Warriors

A trauma-informed guide for teen girls and young women healing from assault and abuse. Jenifer DeBellis's Warrior Sister, Cut Yourself Free is about reclaiming confidence, self-worth, and a future.

July 1, 2026

3 min read
Jenifer DeBellisWarrior Sistersurvivors
She Started Running at 46. Then She Ran Five Half Marathons.

Behind the Scenes

She Started Running at 46. Then She Ran Five Half Marathons.

At forty-six, Hildee Weiss asked herself a simple question: what if I tried? Her memoir follows a self-described couch potato mom to five half marathons and Spartan races, and proves it's never too late.

May 21, 2026

4 min read
Hildee WeissEmbracing My Inner Athletememoir
A Senator Is Dead, and the President Wants Silence

Book Announcements

A Senator Is Dead, and the President Wants Silence

A senator is murdered with an ice pick, and the President demands silence. J.J. Burke's fast, lean political thriller follows Secret Service agent Sam Carstairs into a conspiracy inside the government itself.

May 21, 2026

3 min read
J.J. BurkeThe Carstairs Directivepolitical thriller
A Boy, a Wheelchair, and a World That Wasn't Built for Him

Book Announcements

A Boy, a Wheelchair, and a World That Wasn't Built for Him

A hunting accident leaves fifteen-year-old Gordy McCann paralyzed in 1950s America, and his father's guilt threatens to tear the family apart. Marcia Calhoun Forecki's Wheel Man is a novel of resilience and acceptance.

May 21, 2026

1 min read
Marcia Calhoun ForeckiWheel Manhistorical fiction
He Lost Both Hands. Then He Coached an Undefeated Team.

Behind the Scenes

He Lost Both Hands. Then He Coached an Undefeated Team.

A flesh-eating infection took soccer coach Scott Martin's hands and parts of his feet. Twenty-five years later, he led a team of twelve-year-olds to an undefeated state championship.

May 21, 2026

3 min read
Scott MartinPlay From Your Heartmemoir
A Coded Message, a CIA Veteran, and a Conspiracy Reaching Into Royal Circles

Book Announcements

A Coded Message, a CIA Veteran, and a Conspiracy Reaching Into Royal Circles

A coded transmission crosses Northern Ireland, Spain, and Morocco. Then someone mentions Oujda. Randall Stephens's The Fat Man's Watch follows a veteran CIA station chief into an international conspiracy.

May 21, 2026

3 min read
Randall StephensThe Fat Man's Watchspy thriller
Why Kids Love Drawing Monsters, and How to Help Them Do It Well

Editorial

Why Kids Love Drawing Monsters, and How to Help Them Do It Well

Kids love monsters, skulls, and creepy creatures. Catherine V. Holmes's student-tested drawing guide turns that love of all things spooky into real art skills. Perfect for Halloween.

May 20, 2026

3 min read
Catherine V. HolmesHow to Draw Awesome StuffChilling Creations
LTP

Editorial

Why Most People Communicate Badly, and How to Fix It

Unclear communication costs us time, money, and opportunities. Former Wall Street Journal Europe writer Philip Yaffe shows why writing and speaking well is easier than you think.

March 20, 2026

4 min read
Philip YaffeOn Writing & Speaking Wellwriting
A Mad Magazine Humorist Goes Home to Bury His Father, and Finds Himself

Behind the Scenes

A Mad Magazine Humorist Goes Home to Bury His Father, and Finds Himself

When his estranged father died, Mad Magazine humorist Garth Gerhart flew to Montana carrying decades of silence. His memoir is a brutally funny, achingly honest story about coming undone in midlife.

March 10, 2026

3 min read
Garth GerhartMontana Madememoir
An Opera Singer Who Lost Her Voice, and the Tiger That Helped Her Find It

Behind the Scenes

An Opera Singer Who Lost Her Voice, and the Tiger That Helped Her Find It

Former opera singer Ally Shaw buried her past for decades until it all came rushing back. Her survivor memoir, now in a second edition with a new final chapter, is about reclaiming your voice and finding the tiger within.

February 16, 2026

4 min read
Ally ShawChasing Tigers in the Darkmemoir
LTP

Book Announcements

Dungeons & Dragons, Atari, and a Family on the Verge of Exploding

Growing up in the 1980s with manipulative sisters, a famous father, and Holocaust-survivor grandparents, Jonathan Schwartz's life is chaos. David Michael Slater's novel is heartbreaking and hilarious.

February 10, 2026

3 min read
David Michael SlaterFun & Gamesfiction
An Orphan, a Privileged Boy, and the Friendship a Secret Could Destroy

Book Announcements

An Orphan, a Privileged Boy, and the Friendship a Secret Could Destroy

Abandoned as an infant, Clover Nelson grows up isolated at Whispering Hearts Orphanage until a friendship with a privileged boy changes everything. Then the truth about his past begins to surface.

February 7, 2026

3 min read
Rohini S. BhambiTorn Symmetryliterary fiction
The Kid Nobody Believes In Is the Only One Who Can Save His Sister

Book Announcements

The Kid Nobody Believes In Is the Only One Who Can Save His Sister

Bullied, overlooked twelve-year-old Jonas Pail is the only one who believes his sister didn't run away. Then a creature bursts out of the fireplace. A funny, thrilling middle-grade fantasy.

November 14, 2025

3 min read
Hilkka WiesnerJonas Pailmiddle grade
A Girl Made of Paper Learns What It Really Means to Be Brave

Book Announcements

A Girl Made of Paper Learns What It Really Means to Be Brave

Kiko is a girl made of paper who longs to explore but is afraid she'll tear. Tessa Mellinger's beautifully illustrated picture book teaches kids that bravery means taking the next step, even when you're scared.

October 26, 2025

3 min read
Tessa MellingerKiko's Origami Adventurepicture books
Never Sewn a Stitch? You Can Still Make a Stage-Ready Costume

Editorial

Never Sewn a Stitch? You Can Still Make a Stage-Ready Costume

Want to make costumes but don't know how to sew? Veteran theatre costumer Michelle Elliot Winchester's beginner's guide takes you from threading a machine to performance-ready costumes.

October 21, 2025

4 min read
Michelle Elliot Winchestersewingcostuming
Your Calendar Is Full. But Is Your Life?

Editorial

Your Calendar Is Full. But Is Your Life?

What does it mean to live richly? Emmy-winning producer Helene Lerner says it's not about money. Her research-backed guide helps women tackle burnout, guilt, and time pressure.

September 28, 2025

3 min read
Helene LernerSmart Women Live Richlyself-help
A Coloring Book That's Part Pep Talk, Part Permission to Relax

Book Announcements

A Coloring Book That's Part Pep Talk, Part Permission to Relax

Bubble baths, sweatpants, and messy hair meet empowering, sassy quotes in Liz Ferro's Girl Power Coloring Book. A fun, feel-good way to relax, recharge, and celebrate yourself.

September 25, 2025

3 min read
Liz FerroGirls With Solecoloring book
Three Generations of Women, and the Traps Each One Tried to Escape

Book Announcements

Three Generations of Women, and the Traps Each One Tried to Escape

An orphan escapes prewar London, her daughter flees to a finishing school in America's heartland, and her granddaughter takes on Hollywood. David Michael Slater's UGLY is a darkly funny family saga.

September 21, 2025

3 min read
David Michael SlaterUGLYfiction
What If Healing From Chronic Pain Isn't Just About the Body?

Behind the Scenes

What If Healing From Chronic Pain Isn't Just About the Body?

A musician's life was upended by chronic back pain, surgeries, and a paralyzed foot. Lili Road's memoir tells how she refused to give up and found a new way to understand her pain.

September 20, 2025

4 min read
Lili RoadBreaking Free from Chronic Painmemoir
Try Drawing Without Looking at the Page. It Might Change How You See

Editorial

Try Drawing Without Looking at the Page. It Might Change How You See

Draw without looking at the page. Switch to your other hand. Doodle over a magazine. Artist Sandrine Pelissier's 16 playful activities help teens and adults rediscover the joy of drawing.

September 13, 2025

4 min read
Sandrine PelissierA Creative Exploration of Drawingdrawing
The Pilot Who Flew Jimmy Buffett, and 60 Years of Stories From the Cockpit

Behind the Scenes

The Pilot Who Flew Jimmy Buffett, and 60 Years of Stories From the Cockpit

Len Curreri has logged more than 21,000 hours in the air, from Navy service in the Vietnam era to flying Jimmy Buffett and the Grateful Dead. His memoir opens the cockpit door.

August 12, 2025

3 min read
Len CurreriHidden Runwaysmemoir
The Art of the Memoir: An Interview with Meredith Beardmore

Author Interviews

The Art of the Memoir: An Interview with Meredith Beardmore

Psychotherapist Meredith Beardmore on why she turned her journals into a memoir, what somatic healing taught her, and why the things you think will break you usually don't.

July 1, 2025

4 min read
When the Therapist Needs Healing: A Memoir of Betrayal and Reinvention

Behind the Scenes

When the Therapist Needs Healing: A Memoir of Betrayal and Reinvention

Psychotherapist Meredith Beardmore helped clients through betrayal for years. Then she discovered her husband's infidelity. Her memoir is a raw, empowering story of healing and reinvention.

June 23, 2025

3 min read
Meredith BeardmoreThe Plan B Chroniclesmemoir