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Author Amy Hest and Illustrator Philip Stead speak to Vice President & Publisher Neal Porter about their new book, SOMETIMES IT’S NICE TO BE ALONE, which centers around a child’s imaginings and celebrates being alone (sometimes). Check out this episode of THE GUEST BOOK for a discussion about their collaborative creation process and the technical details on what made SOMETIMES IT’S NICE TO BE ALONE such a beautiful book.   SOMETIMES IT’S NICE TO BE ALONE is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Philip Stead at @number5bus on Instagram. Amy Hest is not on Social Media. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jay Hosler, creator of SANTIAGO RAMÓN Y CAJAL! ARTIST, SCIENTIST, TROUBLEMAKER, talks with Holiday House Associate Marketing Manager Darby Guinn about the process of introducing Cajal’s life and legacy to kids. The Spanish Nobel Prize Winner, known as the “Father of Neuroscience,” whose illustrations of brain cells are still used today was indeed, as the subtitle indicates, an Artist, a Scientist, and a Troublemaker all in one. From the choice to use a graphic novel format and the benefits of blending art and science, to the relationships and experiences that influenced Cajal's success, check out this episode of The Guest Book.   SANTIAGO! is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Jay Hosler at @Jay_Hosler on Twitter and @hoslerjayon Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 available everywhere books are sold. You can find Jamie Pacton at @jamiepacton on Instagram and TikTok.   Follow Peachtree Teen @peachtreeteen on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok more book info and for book giveaways!  Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 visit the IDA (International Dyslexia Association)’s website at https://dyslexiaida.org for more information about Dyslexia, including self-assessment tests and links to local organizations.   THE CURIOUS LEAGUE OF DETECTIVES AND THIEVES #1: EGYPT’S CURSE is available everywhere books are sold. CLARA POOLE AND THE LONG WAY DOWN (CLARA POOLE #1) will be out Mar 7, 2023. You can find Tom Phillips at @tphillipswriter on Twitter and Instagram and Taylor Tyng @taylortyng on Twitter and Instagram.   Follow Pixel+Ink on Twitter and Instagram @PixelandInkBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 @kendallkulper on Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Follow Pixel+Ink @peachtreepublishing on Instagram, @PeachtreePub on Twitter and Peachtree Publishing on Facebook for more book info and for book giveaways!  Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 tea and a snack) to this conversation about food and family and what it means to find your home.   LULI AND THE LANGUAGE OF TEA and THE LITTLE HOUSE OF HOPE/LA CASITA DE ESPERANZA are available everywhere books are sold. You can find Andrea Wang at @AndreaYWang on Twitter.Terry Catasús Jennings is @terry.c.jennings on Instagram.  Follow Holiday House @HolidayHouseBks, Pixel+Ink @PixelandInkBks, and Peachtree @PeachtreePub and @peachtreepublishing on social media for more about these books and for book giveaways! Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.   AMARA’S FARM and MIGUEL’S COMMUNITY GARDEN are available wherever books are sold through Peachtree Books. You can find JaNay Brown-Wood at @janaybrownwood on Twitter and Instagram. Em Shipman is on Twitter @EmShipman and @em.shipman on Instagram. KidsGardening is @KidsGardeningon Twitter and Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Follow Pixel+Ink @peachtreepublishing on Instagram, @PeachtreePub on Twitter and Peachtree Publishing on Facebook for more book info and for book giveaways!  Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 wherever books are sold through Margaret Ferguson Books and Pixel+Ink respectively. You can find Jonathan Case at @jonathancasecartoonist on Instagram and @Jonathan_Case on Twitter. Michael D. Beil is on Instagram @michaeldbeil. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Follow Pixel+Ink @pixelandinkbks on Instagram and Twitter and Pixel+Ink on Facebook for more book info and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.   The KING AND KAYLA Series books are available wherever books are sold. The latest, KING & KAYLA AND THE CASE OF THE LOST LIBRARY BOOK is out as of February 2022. You can find Dori Hillestad Butler at @dorihillestad on Instagram and @Dorihbutler on Twitter and Nancy Myers at @nancydrewitmn on Instagram and @nancydrewit on Twitter.  Follow Peachtree Publishing @peachtreepublishing on Instagram, @PeachtreePub on Twitter and Peachtree Publishing on Facebook for more book info and for book giveaways! Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 from a very early age.It was her skill at dress-making that allowed her to collect the means and opportunities to bargain for her freedom as well as her son’s. Through collecting actual quotes from Elizabeth Keckley’s biography for the text, to fabrics that mimic those of the time period, STITCH BY STITCH: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom is an inspiring tribute to a woman whose name should be remembered for her strength of character and contributions to history.   STITCH BY STITCH: Elizabeth Hobbs Keckly Sews Her Way to Freedom is available wherever books are sold. You can find Connie Schofield-Morrison at @i_c_o_n_n_i_e on Instagram and Elizabeth Zunnon at @lizzunon on Instagram and @ElizabethZunon on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Cristin Basharai at @cristinbishara on Instagram and Jodi Meadows at @jodimeadows on Twitter and @unicornwarlord on Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 of the final sections of the book. Includes an excerpt read by the author.   SONG FOR JIMI from Neal Porter Books / Holiday House is available wherever books are sold. You can find Charles R. Smith Jr. at @CRSjr on Twitter and Edel Rodriguez at @edelstudio on Twitter and @edelrodriguez on Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more book news and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. You can find Dianne K. Salerni at @diannesalerni on Twitter and Mary Amato at @maryamato on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about these books and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 speech types (specifically stuttering) to the way in which the illustrations impact the way in which the text is read.    We’re chatting today timed to International Stuttering Awareness Day, which is October 22nd.      I TALK LIKE A RIVER from Neal Porter Books / Holiday House is available wherever books are wols. You can find Jordan Scott at @jscottwrites on Twitter and @squeezedlight on Instagram and Sydney Smith at @Sydneydraws on Twitter and Instagram. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more book news and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 FOR AMERICA by Carmen Agra Deedy, and THE PLACES WE SLEEP by Caroline Brooks DuBois are available wherever books are sold. Follow Holiday House on social media @HolidayHouseBks and Peachtree on Twitter and Facebook @PeachtreePub and Instagram @PeachtreePublishing. Subscribe to hear future episodes on The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 available wherever books are sold. You can find Crystal Maldonado at @crystalwrote on Twitter and Instagram and Kate Albus at @katealbus on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about this series and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 sold. THE DREAMWEAVERS by G.Z. Schmidt goes on sale September 14. You can find Nizrana Farook on Instagram and Twitter @NizRite, and you can visit G.Z. Schmidt’s website at gzwrites.com. Follow Holiday House on social media @HolidayHouseBks and Peachtree on Twitter and Facebook @PeachtreePub and Instagram @PeachtreePublishing for more about this series and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes on The Guest Book with other Holiday House, Peachtree, and Pixel+Ink authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 commitment to global health is reflected in Stephen's book about providing comfort and reassurance to our children.     To learn more about PROJECT HOPE, head to www.projecthope.org. You can also follow the organization on Twitter and Instagram @projecthopeorg.   AND THEN CAME HOPE is available wherever books are sold. You can find Steven Savage @savageillustrator on Instagram and @Savageartist on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about this series and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 more about this series and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 books are sold. You can find Candace Fleming @candaceflemingbooks on Instagram and @CFlemingBooks on Twitter. Follow Holiday House on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @HolidayHouseBks for more about this series and for book giveaways. Subscribe to hear future episodes of The Guest Book with other Holiday House authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.