Brains, neurodiversity, and mindset: these books celebrate unique ways of thinking, creating, problem solving, and approaching the world.

I Am a Masterpiece!: An Empowering Story About Inclusivity and Growing Up with Down Syndrome, written by Mia Armstrong and illustrated by Alexandra Thompson, is accessible and honest to children and adults alike. Actress and author, teenage Armstrong celebrates her life living with Down Syndrome through sharing a personal experience. Through her story, she provides the reader the opportunity to see the strengths one has when creating art and seeing the world in a unique, superpower way. Sensitively and honestly written, this book is an important read regarding neurodiversity.

Wanda Hears the Stars written by Amy S. Hansen and Wanda Díaz Merced and illustrated by Rocío Arreola Mendoza (2025) is the life story of astrophysicist Wanda Díaz Merced. After Wanda lost her eyesight, she persisted in achieving her goal of becoming an astrophysicist, even though astrophysics is a field of study that often relies on visual data to study and interpret data about the stars and space. Wanda’s experiments with sonification, a process of turning data into sound, enabled her to study space using sound instead of sight.

Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor, written by Temple Grandin (2019), provides biographical information about the author, encourages readers to make things and discover how things work. It focuses on paper, levers and pulleys, things that fly, things that are made of wood, and optical illusions. The book is full of project ideas. The author shares the message that people’s brains work in different ways, but there is no limit to the kinds of contributions they can make. This book inspires creativity, curiosity, imagination, a willingness to learn from mistakes, and an open mind. It uplifts that there are many ways to approach a problem.

The ADHD Teen Brain Organizer for School: An Executive Function Activity Guide to Improve Academic Performance, written by Paola Dabel and edited by Christopher Dabel, is for students ages 9-18.  In this book, the author incorporates inspirational quotes, prompts, each step necessary toward successful executive functioning, and journaling ideas. The purpose is to provide just enough structure to assist the mind so that students can create and maintain healthy habits and have success.

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley (2019) shares the life story of Temple Grandin, a scientist and advocate who used her unique way of thinking to make groundbreaking improvements in the livestock industry. This rhyming book provides a window into Temple’s childhood and career and shows how her unique way of thinking helped her to become a powerful voice in modern science.

ADHD!: Understanding You, Your Brain, and How to Survive in a Neurodiverse World by Rachel Brian, is one of four books in the Be Smart about books. In this book of the series, the author provides information about ADHD, strategies to use, and ways to build on strengths. Written for students whether they have ADHD or not, the book has many illustration, information about neurodiversity, and the opportunity for children and families to see in words what they may be observing or experiencing.

Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary Executive Skills Approach to Helping Kids Reach Their Potential by Richard Guare, Peg Dawson, and Colin Guare, provides the boost for teen to “resolve conflicts, assess risks, control emotions, work independently, get organized, resist peer pressure, follow through, manage a schedule and plan ahead.” Adhering to science-based data, the authors provide step-by-step strategies. Worksheets and forms are included.

Wonderfully Wired Brains: An Introduction to Neurodiversity, written by Louise Gooding and illustrated by Ruth Barrows (2023), explores how the brain works and its amazing abilities. It challenges misconceptions and stereotypes about the brain. The book shows readers that no two brains function exactly alike, and brain differences should be celebrated.

Neurodivergent Teens: 12 Success Stories of Teens with ADHD and Autism Who Learned to Thrive by Richard Bass focuses on weekly plans, reflections, and proven strategies. Readers met twelve teenagers who are thriving. Written in a straight-forward style, the author provides each story and follows up with empowering youth through systems that work, information on how to find community, build community, and be authentic.

Everything But Typical: Influential Neurodivergent People Who Have Shaped the World written by Margeaux Weston and illustrated by Jessica Cruickshank (2025) is a collection of stories about remarkable people who have made important contributions in education, entertainment, sports, and other fields. The book features activists, actors, athletes, illustrators, journalists, musicians, songwriters, poets, and race car drivers.

This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Bev Schellenberg is an author (A Prince Among Dragons; A Princess Among Dragons), as well as a writer of creative nonfiction, poetry, and picture books. She’s an advocate of STEM who was a science fair national winner and high school robotics club sponsor, and passionate about young people discovering, following the passion inside them and flourishing. She’s taught grades kindergarten to grade 12 and is currently an academic advisor, careers teacher, and armchair futurist. Learn more about Bev at BevSchellenberg.com.

Carolyn Pfister is a STEM Content Developer, writer/illustrator, and coordinator of the California Early Math Project. She is interested in encouraging family and community STEM opportunities and maintaining children’s early love and success with math and science. Carolyn writes a monthly Substack on behalf of the California Early Math Project – https://carolynpfister.substack.com/. Learn more about Carolyn at Carolynpfister.com

The post STEM Tuesday– Neurodiversity/Mindset– Book List appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

An Octopus Named Houdini

Out of the Clear Blue Sky

Salt Water Blood

Park Survival: Lost in Alaska

The First Flame

Brittle Magic

Nearly every member of the Brittle family has an extraordinary talent—except Shiloh.

Her aunt makes pickles that tell your fortune. Her great-aunt brews tea that gives you good dreams. Her sister can grow pumpkins the size of a small house. And her older brother—who died before Shiloh was born—had a gift no one will talk about. Her mom says Shiloh doesn’t need a talent to be special. But Shiloh knows she’s destined for greatness. And with the Brittle family reunion coming up, she’s determined to prove it to all her relatives.

When Auntie Dee’s fortune-telling pickles reveal that Shiloh does have a talent—and that it’s somehow connected to her late brother—Shiloh feels more confused than vindicated. Why would her mom have kept this from her?

The pickles’ prophesy offers cryptic clues for finding her talent—something involving an oven? and a new friend?—and Shiloh throws herself into the search. But discovering the truth about herself means digging up secrets her mom would rather keep buried.

This year’s family reunion may well be the most dramatic one yet…

Newbery Honor winner Kate O’Shaughnessy gives us a moving, magic-tinged story about family, friendship, forgiveness . . . and fortune-telling pickles!

Did You Hear What Happened at the Alamo?

The Texas Revolution of 1835-36

Brain vs. Screen

How Screen Time Affects Our Brains

The post New Releases for November 2026 appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

It’s frightening and overwhelming to read about the ongoing assault on the freedom to read, but there are things you can do. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Read the PEN America report, which was written by the Freedom to Read Program experts Philomena Polefrone, PhD, senior manager and Kasey Meehan, director.
2. Read PEN America’s report on the attacks on the freedom to read hitting our local public libraries. Both of these pieces are alarming, but important to understand.
3. PEN America has a TON of ways to take action, from writing letters to politicians to reporting on books bans in your community.
4. You can also buy yourself or someone else a gift membership to support the work of PEN America.
5. You can join Authors Against Book Bans.

6. And finally, you can further educate yourself about these issues and vote!

Image via PEN America

The post Texas and Florida Lead in Banning Books in Schools + More Book Censorship News appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Jackie is a former Writers House intern and currently an Associate Literary Agent and Foreign Rights Agent at Storm Literary Agency. Now she’s adding debut middle grade author to that list with Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas, coming October 31 from Piñata Books, an imprint of Arte Público Press.

The story follows twelve-year-old Izzy as she moves from the Bronx to suburban New Jersey and starts navigating new friendships, questions about her Puerto Rican identity, and some complicated feelings about her hair. Being the new kid is already a lot. Figuring out who you are while everyone else seems ready to tell you? That’s even more.

And there’s something especially cool about this book: readers can read the full story in English, flip it over, and read it in Spanish.

Let’s talk with Jackie about Izzy, belonging, and why finding yourself doesn’t have to come with a tidy answer.

Welcome, Jackie! Why did middle grade feel like the right age category for Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas and Izzy’s story?

Twelve felt like the perfect age for Izzy because it was the age when I went through so much of this myself.

It is a pivotal coming-of-age time. You are going through puberty and beginning to transition into your teenage years, but you are also becoming much more aware of yourself in relation to everyone around you. Peer comparison starts kicking in. Things you may never have questioned before, like how you look, where you fit, or how other people see you, can suddenly feel enormous.

That is exactly where Izzy is. She’s the new kid in school who’s ready to shine amongst her classmates. But when she gets there, she is surrounded by new people and new ideas, including five other blonde kids with the same name in her class, which completely ruins her attempts to feel unique. It’s a blow to her self-worth.

From an adult perspective, many of her concerns seem small or even funny. But for her, at twelve, they feel nearly insurmountable.

That is why middle grade felt like such a natural home for this story. Kids this age are beginning to ask complicated questions about culture, beauty standards, community, and identity, sometimes for the very first time.

What made you want to center this Puerto Rican coming-of-age story around hair?

To me, this is really a two-part question: Why Puerto Rican, and why hair?

Why Puerto Rican? At the heart of it, I wanted to write the kind of book I did not have as a kid for all the kids like me out there.

I am Puerto Rican, and I never really saw a character like me in a children’s book. I did not have that mirror in literature. Representation has grown, but Puerto Rican kids still do not get a huge spotlight in U.S. children’s literature. That saddens me because Puerto Ricans are Americans too. Our stories are part of the American story, and yet we are often pushed to the margins. I wanted to center one Boricua experience and hopefully provide a mirror for other kids who have been looking for one too.

And why hair? Hair gave me a very tangible way to explore all of this. Hair can carry ideas about culture, self-expression, and how other people perceive us before we have even said anything. There are also deeply rooted ideas about what is considered “good” or “bad” hair within Puerto Rican and broader Latine culture.

Izzy goes through a journey in which her hair affects her confidence at home while also becoming this strange vessel through which other people make assumptions about what someone Puerto Rican is “supposed” to look like. It is a strange experience, but it is also a very real one.

Those questions resonate more widely across Latino communities and with kids in general. Hair texture, skin tone, appearance, assimilation, and belonging can carry a lot of weight. But so can the simple childhood experience of suddenly noticing something about yourself and wondering if everyone else notices it too.

Friendship plays a big role in Izzy’s journey, especially through Paddy and Laser. What did you want their friendships to bring to the story?

I wanted Paddy and Laser to show that Izzy is much more supported than she sometimes realizes.

When you are in the middle of something affecting you emotionally, it can be very easy to get stuck inside your own head and convince yourself that you have to solve everything alone. Paddy and Laser give Izzy somewhere to land. They listen to her, make her laugh, contradict some of the things she has convinced herself are true, offer perspective, and remind her that she is still herself even when she feels uncertain.

That was important to me because we talk a lot about independence and confidence in coming-of-age stories, but learning to lean on other people is part of growing up too.

Paddy and Laser also bring their own ways of thinking and experiencing the world into the friendship. They are ASD- and ADHD-coded, but I never wanted that to become the sole point of either character. They get to be funny, loyal, awkward, insightful, and fully themselves. Their differences are simply part of the friendship, just as Izzy’s are.

Family is central to Izzy’s understanding of herself. How did you approach writing the family relationships in Pesky Roots, particularly between Izzy and her mother?

I wanted family to be the foundation Izzy can return to while she figures things out for herself.

She has what some people might call a nontraditional family, but really, it is a structure many kids will recognize. Her parents are separated, she lives with her mom, she has an adult brother who is not home very often, a father who is present but not central to her daily life, and a tía who carries cultural knowledge and family wisdom.

Her relationship with her mom is really the anchor. They are incredibly close. Her mom gives advice and guidance, but she does not pretend to have every answer. When Izzy brings her questions about what it means to be called a “minority” to her, her mom becomes a sounding board rather than someone who simply tells her what to think.

I wanted that because sometimes the most loving thing an adult can do is admit that something is complicated and give a child room to think through it. Izzy’s family gives her a network to lean into, but they also give her the freedom to decide what the things she is learning mean to her, even if she feels cultural pressure.

Despite some of the complicated subjects Izzy is navigating, Pesky Roots has plenty of humor, friendship, and tween awkwardness. How did you find the right balance in tone?

The biggest thing was remembering to think like a kid.

Izzy is dealing with some complicated subjects, but she is not an adult sitting down to analyze identity. She is a tween. Kids can be going through something that feels absolutely world-ending and then five minutes later be laughing with their best friend about hot sauce and meatballs.

So I leaned into banter, silly dialogue, metaphors, awkward situations, and comic relief. Even when Izzy encounters tough topics, like being called a “minority” by an adult, she does not approach them academically. To her, the word sounds almost like an insult, or at the very least wildly inaccurate. Her reaction is much closer to, “Wait. What does that mean, and why does everyone suddenly seem to know something about me that I don’t?”

Even the five blonde kids with the same name in her class work that way. It is funny, but for Izzy it also feeds into everything she is noticing about comparison, appearance, and fitting in. The Halloween party toward the end gave me another kid-centered setting to explore appearance and belonging without losing the fun of being twelve.

I never wanted PESKY ROOTS to feel like an “issue book.”

Izzy is not a lesson. She is a kid.

The humor lets readers know her as a whole person first. Then the heavier questions have room to exist alongside everything else that makes up a tween life.

Labels come up again and again in Izzy’s story: the ones she gives herself, the ones she inherits, and the ones other people give her. Why did you want to explore that idea?

I wanted to explore labels because they can both help us understand ourselves and make us feel confined, depending on who is using them and why.

Izzy begins the story with one understanding of herself, shaped by being Puerto Rican, by her family, and by growing up in the Bronx. Then she moves to suburban New Jersey and encounters a different set of words and assumptions.

What interested me is that Izzy has not changed overnight. Her surroundings have. But with a new community come different labels, and the question becomes: How do we navigate that?

I did not want the answer to be that labels are simply bad. Labels can connect us to culture, history, family, and community. Sometimes having language for an experience can be incredibly freeing.

What I wanted Izzy to learn was to investigate the labels she encounters instead of automatically accepting or rejecting them. Where did this word come from? What does it mean? Does it help me understand myself, or is someone else using it to put me into a box?

I hope that gives teachers, librarians, parents, and kids room for conversation too. The goal is not one correct answer. It is learning that we are allowed to think critically about the words we use for ourselves and the words others give us.

Readers can flip Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas over and read Izzy’s story in either English or Spanish. What does having your debut published as a bilingual tête-bêche novel mean to you?

It means so much to me because my own relationship with Spanish has taught me how important access can be.

My spoken Spanish is not nearly as strong these days as I wish it were. In fact, it’s pretty much gone! I lost a lot of it simply through not using it enough, so I think often about how easily language can fade when we do not have opportunities to practice it.

There are so many kids living somewhere in that in-between space. Some speak Spanish at home. Some are completely bilingual. Some understand far more than they speak. Some are heritage-language learners, and others are learning Spanish at school. I want all of those kids to feel like this book can belong to them.

That is what I love about the tête-bêche format. A reader can read the entire story in English, flip the book over, and find the full story in Spanish. They can stay completely within the language that feels comfortable or explore the other side when they are ready. It does not have to feel like homework.

There is also a very personal reason that matters to me. My mom was completely bilingual growing up in New York City, but she did not realize she could really read Spanish until someone put a Spanish-language book in front of her. She could already do it. She simply needed access to discover that she could.

I think about that all the time.

I have also heard from nonprofits and literacy organizations about the need for more bilingual English-Spanish middle grade books. There are wonderful options for younger readers, but those choices become much thinner as kids age up.

My hope is that PESKY ROOTS / RAÍCES FASTIDIOSAS gives bilingual, multilingual, heritage-language, English-learning, and Spanish-learning readers another place to experiment with language without pressure.

There is no wrong way into the book.

What do you hope middle grade readers take away from Izzy’s journey?

More than anything, I hope they understand that finding yourself is a process, not a problem you are supposed to solve all at once.

One thing that was very important to me was not giving Izzy a perfectly tidy answer at the end. She can feel confident one day and uncertain the next. She can learn something new and rethink something she believed before.

Identity can hold complexity.

I hope adults take something from that too. We do not always have to rush in and solve every identity question for a child. Sometimes we can give them stories, language, and a safe place to think out loud.

That is one reason books can be so powerful. A child does not have to begin by talking about themselves. They can begin with Izzy.

And, if they want to, they can find their way from her story back to their own.

Finding yourself happens little by little, through questions, relationships, mistakes, changes, and new experiences. It is okay if you keep changing along the way.

Thank you, Jackie! I love that reminder that finding yourself isn’t something you have to figure out all at once. There’s so much pressure at twelve to know who you are and where you fit. Giving kids room to keep asking questions feels like a pretty wonderful place to start.

Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas arrives October 31, 2026—yes, Halloween!—from Piñata Books, an imprint of nonprofit publisher Arte Público Press. The bilingual English-Spanish novel is 272 pages, with a list price of $12.95. ISBN: 979-8-89375-045-4.

Photo credit: P Studios.

About Jackie

Jackie Garcia-Morales is a Puerto Rican author, literary agent, and publishing professional. A former Writers House intern, she currently serves as an Associate Literary Agent and Foreign Rights Agent at Storm Literary Agency. Pesky Roots / Raíces fastidiosas is her debut novel.

Jackie is also the founder of the Catalyst Creators Scholarship for underrepresented student authors and co-founder/director of The Storytellers Foundation. A longtime advocate for representation in children’s literature, she founded the USBBY Latido Honor List for Latino children’s literature.

Connect with Jackie on her website, Instagram, or Substack.

Readers, what middle grade book helped you feel seen—or helped you understand someone else a little better? Let us know in the comments!

The post Hair, Heritage, and Finding Yourself: Talking Pesky Roots with Jackie Garcia-Morales appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

During the 2026 Tour, I decided to borrow a middle-grade book from each library I visited to bring home and read. Here are just a few that I particularly enjoyed.

AMINA’S VOICE  by Hena Khan (2017). 208 pp.

Amina has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She is happy just hanging out with her best friend, Soojin. Except now that she’s in middle school everything feels different. Soojin is suddenly hanging out with Emily, one of the “cool” girls in the class and even talking about changing her name to something more “American.”

Does Amina need to start changing too? Or hiding who she is to fit in? While Amina grapples with these questions, she is devastated when her local mosque is vandalized.

Read an interview with the author here.

THE BUTTON WAR  by Avi (2018). 229 pp. 

Twelve-year-old Patryk knows little of the world beyond his tiny Polish village; the Russians have occupied the land for as long as anyone can remember, but otherwise life is unremarkable.

Patryk and his friends entertain themselves by coming up with dares — some more harmful than others — until the Germans drop a bomb on the schoolhouse and the Great War comes crashing in. As control of the village falls from one nation to another, Jurek, the ringleader of these friends, devises the best dare yet: whichever boy steals the finest military button will be king.

But as sneaking buttons from uniforms hanging to dry progresses to looting the bodies of dead soldiers — and as Jurek’s obsession with being king escalates — Patryk begins to wonder whether their “button war” is still just a game. When devastation reaches their doorstep, the lines between the button war and the real war blur, especially for the increasingly callous Jurek.

CONFESSIONS OF A MANGO  by Kate Lumsden & Nate Pieplow (2026). 224 pp.

Ruby Emmerson has always felt like the “dumb” twin. Struggling with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia, she feels out of place at her competitive charter school, especially as her twin brother Bryce excels both academically and socially. When she fails a math test despite getting extra help, she fears she’ll flunk out of Benton Academy and drag her brother back to their old school.

In a moment of frustration, Ruby vents anonymously online, describing herself as an imposter—a mango among lovebirds. But to her surprise, she’s far from alone.

As her account gains a following, tensions rise with her brother and her posts draw the unwanted attention of the school administration. Now, Ruby must find the courage to challenge Benton’s high-pressure environment and advocate for herself and all the other “Mangoes” out there.

DEER RUN HOME  by Ann Clare LeZotte  (2024). 224 pp. 

Effie and her older sister, Deja, have recently moved into their father’s trailer after an incident at their mom’s house. Daddy communicates with Effie by pointing, stomping on the floor, and making thoughtless jokes. Even if they did understand each other, could she tell the terrible secret she carries when telling feels impossible―and dangerous?

But what if telling is the only way to be seen?

This tender, spare, emotionally charged story about the impact of abuse and the power of love explores what it feels like to be an outsider in your own family and to awaken―through friendship, writing, and kinship with the natural world―to a new understanding and appreciation of yourself.

Read an interview with the author here.

DR. ZEUS  by James Patterson & Chris Tebbetts  (2026). 352 pp.

Nick Andino isn’t exactly “hero” material. He’s perfectly happy working at his family’s Greek diner, pining over his crush, and avoiding his bully. His life isn’t very exciting … until destiny comes calling.

Dr. Zeus, the over-the-top king of the gods, zooms into town with a quest that Nick must complete to save Andinos past and present from being erased from history. Accompanied by a fast-talking Hermes, Nick journeys back to ancient Greece, where his ancestors await—along with new friends and a whole host of Greek gods and monsters. Can Nick be the hero the Andinos need, or will his story be another Greek tragedy?

This fast-paced, feel-good adventure from the world’s favorite storytellers has black-and-white illustrations throughout, and amphitheaters full of humor and heart.

THE HAUNTING OF WALKER POND  by Nancy Tandon (2026). 368 pp. 

Frankie Wilkins waits all year for her favorite thing—summers in coastal Maine. This time, she and her best friend, Parker, are Leaders-in-Training at Camp Asticou on nearby Walker Pond. For Frankie, it’s not just about proving her skills but also the hope that a successful LIT run will convince her dad and stepmom to stay in the area, rather than move them all to Long Island.

During their first night there, the LITs learn about a local legend called The Bride of Rippowam. A young woman named Eugenie fell in love with a sailor, but after a tragic accident, she and her fiancé, Raleigh, both drowned. And weird happenings have occurred at the camp ever since, with incidents increasing in recent years.

People suspect that something is keeping Eugenie from officially crossing over, and Frankie realizes Eugenie is trying to send urgent messages about what really happened with her and Raleigh. With their campers in danger, Frankie, Parker, and the rest of the LITs are determined to help Eugenie cross over. But are they willing to break almost every camp rule to do so, and will they find what Eugenie is after—and why—before tragedy strikes again?

Read an interview with the author here.

HOUDINI AND ME  by Dan Gutman (2021). 224 pp.

Eleven-year-old Harry Mancini has always admired the famous escape artist Houdini. And when Houdini asks for help in coming back to life, it seems like an amazing chance … or could it be Houdini’s greatest trick of all?

Harry is NOT Harry Houdini–the famous escape artist who died in 1926. But Harry DOES live in Houdini’s old New York City home, and he definitely knows everything there is to know about Houdini’s life. What is he supposed to do, then, when someone starts texting him claiming that they’re Houdini, communicating from beyond the grave? Respond, of course.

It’s hard for Harry to believe that Houdini is really contacting him, but this Houdini texts the secrets to all of the escape tricks the dead Houdini used to do. What’s more, Houdini’s offering Harry a chance to go back in time and experience it for himself. Should Harry ignore what must be a hoax? Or should he give it a try and take Houdini up on this death-defying offer?

Read an article about Dan Gutman’s Weird Writing Tips here.

THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR  by Ellen Oh (2025). 192 pp. 

But the vicious forces lying within the house are plotting something evil, something that puts Jack’s little sister in extreme danger. Soon, Rory understands he’ll need the help of his new friend and some friendly ghosts in order to stand a chance at defeating whatever lurks within its walls for good. But what exactly lives in the house next door, and will Rory and Jack find out in time to save the day, or can its evil never be evicted?

THE LOST LIBRARY  by Rebecca Stead & Wendy Mass (2023). 215 pp.

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.

Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.

Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It’s about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you).

Read an interview with Rebecca Stead here.

MAGNOLIA WU UNFOLDS IT ALL  by Chanel Miller (2024). 160 pp. 

Magnolia Wu is a ten-year-old sock detective bent on returning all the lonely only socks left behind in her parents’ NYC laundromat.

Down at the bottom of the tall buildings of New York City, Magnolia Wu sits inside her parents’ laundromat. Magnolia has pinned every lost sock from the laundromat onto a bulletin board, in hopes that customers will return to retrieve them. But no one seems to have noticed. In fact, barely anyone has noticed Magnolia at all.

What she doesn’t know is that this is about to be her most exciting summer yet. When Iris, a new friend from California arrives, they set off across the city to solve the mystery of each missing sock, asking questions in subways and delis and plant stores and pizzerias, meeting people and uncovering the unimaginable. With each new encounter, Magnolia learns that when you’re bold enough to head into the unknown, things start falling into place.

NOWHERE BOY  by Katherine Marsh (2018). 366 pp.

Fourteen-year-old Ahmed is stuck in a city that wants nothing to do with him. Newly arrived in Brussels, Belgium, Ahmed fled a life of uncertainty and suffering in Aleppo, Syria, only to lose his father on the perilous journey to the shores of Europe. Now Ahmed’s struggling to get by on his own, but with no one left to trust and nowhere to go, he’s starting to lose hope.

Then he meets Max, a thirteen-year-old American boy from Washington, D.C. Lonely and homesick, Max is struggling at his new school and just can’t seem to do anything right. But with one startling discovery, Max and Ahmed’s lives collide and a friendship begins to grow. Together, Max and Ahmed will defy the odds, learning from each other what it means to be brave and how hope can change your destiny.

THE SEVEN WONDERS OF SASSAFRAS SPRINGS  by Betty Birney (2005). 224 pp. 

Life in Sassafras Springs has always been predictable, boring even, but one afternoon that changes when Eben McAllister’s pa challenges him to find Seven Wonders in Sassafras that rival the real Seven Wonders of the World. The reward? An adventure that Eben’s been craving — a trip to Colorado.

Eben doesn’t think he’ll have any luck — he can’t think of one single thing that could be considered wondrous in Sassafras — but he’s willing to try. Little does he know that the Wonders he’ll discover among his neighbors, friends, relatives, and family will give him the adventure of a lifetime … without ever leaving home.

SMALL WONDER  by Ross Montgomery (2026). 224 pp.

Remember everything I taught you, Small Wonder. Take care of Leaf. Take care of Pebble. I’ve done all I can. The rest is up to you . . .

Tick, called Small Wonder by his grandfather, lives peacefully at the edge of Ellia, along with his little brother and faithful horse. But then a deadly assassin and an invading army arrive. The kingdom is in danger and Tick has six moons to get to King’s Keep and warn their ruler.

Traveling through forests and over mountains, encountering bandits and rogue knights, Tick is determined to honor his grandfather’s last words of advice … “make it count.” Can Tick warn the kingdom in time and protect his little brother from the dangers they encounter? As they make their treacherous journey through Ellia, Tick starts to uncover a long-buried history that will change everything he thought he knew.

THE STRANGE DISAPPEARANCE OF IMOGEN GOOD  by Kirsty Applebaum (2026). 231 pp. 

A hidden garden. An ancient tale. A missing child. This is an addictive mystery with crossing narratives that’s impossible to put down.

Fran doesn’t want to stay with her aunt and uncle and her annoying cousin, Imogen. Imogen is rude and unfriendly and, as it turns out, missing. And worst of all, her parents don’t seem to remember who Imogen is. They think Fran is being silly because … they don’t have a daughter. So it’s up to Fran, and Imogen’s best friend, Bex, to find out what’s happened to her.

Except Bex doesn’t know who Imogen is either. All Fran knows is that it’s got something to do with the hidden garden at Stillness Hall and the twelve statues that belong there. Could a mysterious old tale, a story of enchantment and death, hold the answers?

THE SUMMER WE FOUND THE BABY  by Amy Hest (2020). 192 pp. Center Moriches PL

On the morning of the dedication of a new children’s library in Belle Beach, Long Island, eleven-year-old Julie Sweet and her six-year-old sister, Martha, find a baby in a basket on the library steps. At the same time, twelve-year-old Bruno Ben-Eli is on his way to the train station to catch the 9:15 train into New York City. He is on an important errand for his brother, who is a soldier overseas in World War II.

But when Bruno spies Julie, the same Julie who hasn’t spoken to him for sixteen days, heading away from the library with a baby in her arms, he has to follow. Holy everything! he thinks. Julie Sweet is a kidnapper.

Of course, the truth is much more complicated than the children know in this heartwarming and beautifully textured family story by award-winning author Amy Hest. Told in three distinct voices, each with a different take on events, the novel captures the moments and emotions of a life-changing summer — a summer in which a baby gives a family hope and brings a community together.

Read an interview with the author here.

THREE PENNIES  by Melanie Crowder (2017). 192 pp. 

For a kid bouncing from foster home to foster home, The Book of Changes is the perfect companion. That’s why Marin carries three pennies and a pocket-sized I Ching with her everywhere she goes. Yet when everything in her life suddenly starts changing—when Marin lands in a foster home that feels like somewhere she could stay, maybe forever—the pennies don’t have any answers for her.

Marin is positive that all the wrongs in her life will be made right if only she can find her birth mother and convince her that they belong together. Marin is close, oh so close—until she gets some unwelcome news. Her resolve, like the uneasy Earth far beneath the city of San Francisco, is shaken.

Next summer, check your local library to see if they host a Library Tour. You never know what you may find.

Here are some photos of my favorite library spaces:

The post Touring the Public Libraries appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Welcome to October’s STEM Tuesday author interview! This is where you get a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like to research and write a STEM book.

This week we’re chatting with Penny Parker Klostermann, author of several books including The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army, illustrated by Anne Lambelet.

Andi Diehn: I had no idea that spider silk was used for scopes! How did you come across this fact? How did it lead to a full book?

Penny Parker Klostermann: For years I visited a website named Wonderopolis (ed note: sadly, Wonderopolis shit down in July 2025). Each day there was a kid’s question or “Wonder of the Day.” It was a great way to learn a little bit about a variety of topics. One particular day, the question was, “How did spiders help the Allies win World War II?” That caught my attention! The article explained that spider silk was used as crosshairs in scopes and, like you, I had no idea and wanted to learn more.

Nan Songer wasn’t mentioned in the Wonderopolis article, but it wasn’t long before I found old newspaper and magazine articles mentioning her work. She wasn’t the only person who harvested silk from spiders for the war effort, but she took the process to a whole new level. It was Nan that led to a full book. I knew I’d come across an “unknown and unsung hero” and that her story had to be told.

AD: I love how Nan’s process for finding the best silk for the job really reflects some of the principles of the scientific method and engineering design process – gather information, track your research, change your variables, etc. Even though Nan didn’t formally study science, how did her work reflect her scientific approach to her passion?

PPK: When I was working on the discussion guide for this book, I was reminded once more of how Nan met the many challenges she encountered along the way. I actually put together several scenarios based on the scientific method, so I thought I’d share them in answer to this question. (This activity didn’t make it into the discussion guide, but it can be downloaded from my website.)

Think Like a Scientist

Nan was a self-taught scientist. Scientists use a process called the scientific method to solve problems. Once you’ve read or listened to the book you know that Nan found solutions to problems she faced while raising spiders and harvesting their silk for the war effort. Here’s how the scientific method helped Nan find solutions.

She identified the problem.

She asked herself questions to find out as much as she could about the problem.

She formed a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a smart guess or a prediction about a solution.

She tested her hypothesis through experimentation.

She decided if her hypothesis provided a solution. If not, she repeated the process.

Think like a scientist.

Put yourself in Nan’s place. Consider the problem and answer the questions that led to the solution.

Problem: Nan nudged a spider over the edge of a ruler but only gathered a small amount of silk.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: A thread of silk trailed behind the spider. Nan caught it with the tweezers, attached it to a wooden frame, and turned the frame. The strands on the frame were a mess! But Nan couldn’t believe how much she reeled before the spider quit spinning!

Problem: The experts thought raising spiders in captivity was unlikely since spiders eat other spiders.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: Species that might eat their roommates lived in jars. Others lived in cabinets with screen doors.

Problem: Progress was slow. Sunlight shone on her workbench for a short time each day.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: She experimented with her own lighting system — a lightbulb in a popcorn can did the trick.

Problem: After testing silk from more than fifty species, Nan settled on two that spun strong, smooth draglines. The green lynx and the yellow garden spiders. But the adults of these species die in the fall soon after they lay their eggs.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: After gathering one frame of silk, Nan knew she would have heavier strands any time of year.

Problem: The silk from her spiders wasn’t fine enough for crosshairs in some gunsights.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: The needle slid to the spinneret, and she reeled a single fine strand.

Problem: The silk from her spiders wasn’t heavy enough for crosshairs in bombsights.

Why was this a problem for Nan?

What questions do you think she asked herself?

What hypothesis did she form?

Explain the experiment that led to the solution.

Solution: Nan constructed a gadget to reel and twist silk.

AD: Sound affects how a spider spins silk? That’s amazing! What were some of the things that surprised you the most as you researched Nan Songer?

PPK: I was surprised by so many things and sound affecting the spider as it spins was one of them. It’s all about vibration and how the spider reacts. Does the vibration mean food? Does it mean danger? Something else? I can’t pretend to know what a spider thinks but they spin up to seven different kinds of silk for different purposes so when I thought about it, it made sense that vibration might cause them to spin a different kind of silk.

It was so interesting to me that the spider would continue to spin as Nan turned the frame to pull silk from the spider. I learned a spider attaches silk to an object like a branch or another strand of its web or something else. Then the silk is pulled from them as they crawl away or drop. But given that spiders are so sensitive to sound and movement, I was surprised that Nan’s presence didn’t frighten them. In her papers, she said she felt they became accustomed to her as she fed them and spent her days in the spidery.

Maybe the thing that surprised me the very most was the amount of research Nan needed to do in such a short time in order to supply silk for all the different scopes. When she reached out to spider experts and crosshairs manufacturers they couldn’t provide guidance. War seemed imminent and Nan realized it was up to her. She’d already discovered that not all spiders spin strong, smooth silk so she set out to test silk from over fifty species. Her papers described the male and female from every species and the size of silk each spider spun at different ages. She tracked the life span of each species. She made notes describing eggs sacks from every species and observed females to learn from them as they spun strong silk for their egg sacks. She determined when females were ready to lay their eggs and placed them in a hatchery so that she could track the ages of the spiderlings once they emerged from the egg sacks. She compiled all this data while providing samples to crosshairs manufactures. She noted their feedback and sent more samples until they could confirm the different sizes of silk needed for each scope. She fed her spiders by capturing and attracting an assortment of insects so that every spider of every age was satisfied.

Seriously! When did the woman sleep? And on another note … HOW did she sleep with up to ten thousand spiders living in a room in her home. Let’s face it, some of those spiders ventured out, right?

AD: The illustrations are gorgeous – I love how light plays such an important role in the illustrations, just as it does in the spinning of silk. Were you involved in the illustration process?

PPK: Anne Lambelet did an amazing job! She was perfect for this book. This is a great example of an editor and art director knowing what will make the best book! I have them to thank for choosing Anne.

I was involved to a small degree … more of a fact checker. Since I knew Nan’s story so well, it was beneficial for me to provide feedback for accuracy. The feedback I gave was minimal. Here are a couple of examples. When Nan studied spiders as a girl there was a spiral notebook on her desk. I checked and spiral notebooks weren’t around when Nan was young. There was also a pop can amongst the garbage Nan set out to attract insects. I’m old enough to remember that pop used to only come in glass bottles, so I caught that, also. A spider expert weighed in on the spiders to make sure their body parts were accurate. I really enjoyed poring over the sketches and art and reading what the spider expert had to say.

AD: In your author’s note you talk about getting to read Nan’s own writings – how did this help with your book?

PPK: Oh my! I had sold the manuscript and gone through several rounds of revisions with Carolyn Yoder before finally finding Nan’s great grandson who had kept her papers. It was Nan Songer’s daughter’s ex-husband’s daughter that put me in touch with the great grandson. Tracking down Nan’s writings was as complicated as it sounds. The genealogy sites weren’t helpful. I turned to “people search” sites. It took years and many phone calls to random people that might have lived at the same address as anyone connected to Nan Songer. I called people in Oregon, Arizona and California during the process.

The search was certainly worth it! Getting to know Nan by reading her words was like an exclusive interview. There were many details in her writings that weren’t in the newspaper and magazine articles. Knowing how Nan felt as she tackled each part of this complicated task was so important. Before, the story didn’t have as much emotion because I had to imagine what Nan felt. After reading her words, it was all fact. The kinds of facts that make readers connect with the subject of a biography.

AD: What do you recommend for any kid who’s interested in spiders or science?

PPK: When I sign my name in this book, I also write “Rise to the Challenge!” To me, that’s the message I send to kids who are interested in spiders or anything science related. Just in the world of spiders, over fifty thousand species have been discovered, and experts suspect there are another fifty thousand species yet to be discovered. This is true of science in general. Scientists constantly uncover new information. I suspect many of them, like Nan Songer, were interested in science as a kid. So, if a kid is interested there are discoveries waiting for them. “Rise to the Challenge!”

Penny Parker Klostermann is the author of Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid WWII Army,  Merry Christmas, Dear Mars, There Was an Old Dragon Who Swallowed a Knight and A Cooked-Up Fairy Tale. She spent her childhood in the beautiful Crystal River Valley near Redstone, Colorado. She now lives in Abilene, Texas, The Storybook Capital of America, where inspiration is all around. Penny loves all kinds of books — especially very silly picture books that make her laugh and inspiring nonfiction books that tweak her curiosity. She’s been known to hug her favorite picture books and seriously hope that her books will gain huggable status too.

Andi Diehn has written over 20 children’s science books, plus a picture book on mental health called MAMA’S DAYS from Reycraft Books. She works as a children’s book editor and marketer at Nomad Press and visits schools and libraries around the country to talk about science, poetry, mental wellness, and anything else kids want to know! Andi also works as a bookseller at her local indie in Vermont – The Norwich Bookstore – and lives in rural New Hampshire with her husband, three sons, and too many pets.

The post STEM Tuesday — Spiders– Author Interview appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Read Aloud Nonfiction

How often do you choose a nonfiction book for a read aloud in your classroom? There are nonfiction picture books and middle grade books about any topic you can imagine! Nonfiction books are great for linking to your science or social studies curriculum, and you can find a ton of books about artists and musicians too.

Book Talk Nonfiction

In my classroom, we participate in First Chapter Friday, where I share the beginning of a middle grade book with my fifth graders. In addition to middle grade chapter books, graphic novels, and novels in verse, I also make sure to feature nonfiction middle grade books as well. These are a few of the most-popular middle grade nonfiction books in my classroom library.

All Thirteen: the incredible cave rescue of the Thai boy’s soccer team by Christina Soontornvat is as gripping as any fiction book. I already knew the outcome from the news, but I could not put this book down!

Chinese Menu: the history, myths, and legends behind your favorite foods by Grace Lin is a mouth-watering, information-packed book about your favorite Chinese foods. While you won’t want to read it on an empty stomach, you will be hungry for more stories once you start!

Kid-ventors: 35 Real Kids and their Amazing Inventions written by Kailei Pew and illustrated by Shannon Wright is a collection of stories and biographies about real-world kids who invented something new. My students find this one really exciting and inspiring!

Where Are the Aliens? The Search for Life Beyond Earth written by Stacy McAnulty and illustrated by Nicole Miles is a super-engaging look at the evidence and the science behind the search for extraterrestrial life.

And one more (missing from the photo because it’s currently checked out): Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires written by Jessica Stremer and illustrated by Michael Garland is a fascinating (and reassuring) look at wildfires and how nature responds.

Write Nonfiction

Expository writing is an element of many classroom curricula, and narrative nonfiction addresses many of the same skills as narrative fiction. In my fifth grade classroom, we spend a month immersed in nonfiction picture books while my students are brainstorming, researching, and writing their own nonfiction picture books.

We begin in the school library, and our librarian introduces students to Melissa’s Stewarts Five Kinds of Nonfiction. Students read and discuss a wide range of picture books, slotting them into each category: active, browsable, expository, traditional, and narrative.

Later, we analyze published picture books as mentor texts, and students choose a specific book that matches the style or structure they want to emulate. By the end of the unit, students have developed their skills in research, note-taking, writing, synthesizing, drafting, revising, and even visual design.

Students often say that this is one of their favorite projects of the year–especially because they get to read their books aloud to their second grade buddies! Nothing beats an authentic audience.

What are your favorite ways to use nonfiction with students?

The post From the Classroom: Don’t Forget about Nonfiction! appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

There are wonderful books that can help kids learn about themselves and what they’re going through.

October is ADHD Awareness Month. In honor of the awareness, today’s blog post lists books whose incredible and amazing main characters have ADHD.

Honestly Elliott by Gillian McDunn

Elliott isn’t sure where he fits in. Ever since his best friend moved away and his dad and stepmom announced the arrival of their new baby, he’s been feeling invisible. Plus his dad just doesn’t seem to understand what having ADHD really feels like, or why cooking is the one activity where Elliott’s mind clicks into place.

When he’s paired with the super smart and popular Maribel for a school project, Elliott worries she’ll be just another person who underestimates him. But Maribel is also looking for a new way to show others her true self and this project could be the chance they’ve both been waiting for. Sometimes the least likely friends help you see a new side to things . . . and sometimes you have to make a few mistakes before you figure out what’s right.

A Perfect Mistake by Melanie Conklin

Max wishes he could go back in time to before he was diagnosed with ADHD, before he grew to be the tallest kid in his class, and before he and his best friends went into the woods in the middle of the night. Max doesn’t remember what happened after he left his friends Will and Joey and the older kids who took them there. He’s not sure if he wants to remember. Knowing isn’t going to make Joey talk to him again, or bring Will out of his coma.

When the local authorities run out of leads, Max realizes that without his help, they may never know what really happened to Will. Charged by the idea that he may be the key to uncovering the truth, Max pairs up with classmate and aspiring journalist Sam to investigate what really happened that night. But not everyone in the community wants that night to be remembered.

The No-Brainer’s Guide to Decomposition by Adrianna Cuevas

Frani must fight to stop the undead from rising in her father’s body-farm laboratory—that is, if she can embrace the true nature of her brain and its ADHD.

No one has ever called Frani Gonzalez squeamish. Seriously, whether it’s guts (no big deal), bugs (move aside, she’s got this), or anything else that you might find at the Central Texas Forensic Anthropology Research Facility, to her and her dad, the university’s body farm is just home.

Having bodies buried in her backyard doesn’t exactly make Frani the most popular kid in school, and the imaginary spider that lives in a web in her brain isn’t helping either. Arañita’s always to blame for the distracted thoughts weaving through Frani’s mind. But when a hand reaches out of the ground and grabs her ankle, Frani realizes that she’s got bigger problems.

Not everything is as it seems at the body farm, and now Frani must help the teenage zombie that crawled out of the dirt…before he gets too hungry. But as more and more zombies begin to appear—and they seem to get less and less friendly—can Frani embrace the true nature of her brain and count on new friendships to solve the body farm’s mystery before it’s overrun with the undead?

Focused by Alyson Gerber

Clea can’t control her thoughts. She knows she has to do her homework . . . but she gets distracted. She knows she can’t just say whatever thought comes into her head . . . but sometimes she can’t help herself. She know she needs to focus . . . but how can she do that when the people around her are always chewing gum loudly or making other annoying noises?

It’s starting to be a problem-not just in school, but when Clea’s playing chess or just hanging out with her best friend. Other kids are starting to notice. When Clea fails one too many tests, her parents take her to be tested, and she finds out that she has ADHD, which means her attention is all over the place instead of where it needs to be.

Clea knows life can’t continue the way it’s been going. She’s just not sure how you can fix a problem that’s all in your head. But that’s what she’s going to have to do, to find a way to focus.

Check Mates by Stewart Foster

Some people think that I’m a problem child, that I’m lazy and never pay attention in lessons. But the thing is, I’m not a problem child at all. I’m just a child with a problem.

Felix is struggling at school. His ADHD makes it hard for him to concentrate and his grades are slipping. Everyone keeps telling him to try harder, but no one seems to understand just how hard he finds it.

When Mum suggests Felix spends time with his grandfather, Felix can’t think of anything worse. Granddad hasn’t been the same since Grandma died. Plus he’s always trying to teach Felix boring chess. But sometimes the best lessons come in the most unexpected of places, and Granddad soon shows Felix that there’s everything to play for.

Each Tiny Spark by Pablo Cartaya

Emilia Torres has a wandering mind. It’s hard for her to follow along at school, and sometimes she forgets to do what her mom or abuela asks. But she remembers what matters: a time when her family was whole and home made sense. When Dad returns from deployment, Emilia expects that her life will get back to normal. Instead, it unravels.

Dad shuts himself in the back stall of their family’s auto shop to work on an old car. Emilia peeks in on him daily, mesmerized by his welder. One day, Dad calls Emilia over. Then, he teaches her how to weld. And over time, flickers of her old dad reappear.

But as Emilia finds a way to repair the relationship with her father at home, her community ruptures with some of her classmates, like her best friend, Gus, at the center of the conflict.

The post Books in Honor of ADHD Awareness Month appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Interview with Linda Williams Jackson for All the World’s a Stage: A Young Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare’s Characters

 

In today’s Author Spotlight, Jo Hackl chats with Linda Williams Jackson, a born and raised Mississippi Delta author of award-winning middle grade novels centered around some of Mississippi’s most important historical moments. Her first book, Midnight Without a Moon, centered around the Emmett Till murder, is an American Library Association Notable Children’s Book, a Jane Addams Honor Book for Peace and Social Justice, and a Washington Post Summer Book Club Selection. Her second book, A Sky Full of Stars, the sequel to Midnight Without a Moon, received a Malka Penn Honor for an outstanding children’s book addressing human rights issues and is a Bank Street College Best Book of the Year. The Lucky Ones, is inspired by Robert Kennedy’s 1967 Poverty Tour of the Mississippi Delta and is loosely based on the author’s own family’s experiences. The Lucky Ones is recognized by Good Housekeeping magazine as one of the best 50 kids’ books of all time. Her most recent release, Saving Jimmy, is a whimsical tale of a young girl’s journey to the afterlife. Her upcoming release, All the World’s a Stage: A Young Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare’s Characters, an illustrated guide to classic characters from Shakespeare’s plays introduces middle grade readers to some of the most famous kings, queens, fools, and fairies in literature. Broken into Tragedies, Comedies, and Histories, this compendium highlights twenty plays and teaches readers about some of Shakespeare’s most famous characters.

 

Interview Questions

JH: Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Linda! Your new book, All the World’s a Stage: A Young Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare’s Characters, is a departure from your previous middle-grade novels. Can you tell us how the idea for this book came about?

LWJ: Thanks for having me back! It’s always an honor. I wish I could take credit for coming up with the idea for All the World’s a Stage: A Young Reader’s Guide to Shakespeare’s Characters, but the idea actually came from the publisher, Running Press Kids. Allison Cohen, the book’s editor, was looking for a writer for the project. When my agent inquired about my interest in writing the book, I quickly said, “Yes!”

JH: The last time you visited the Mixed-Up Files, you talked about the Shakespeare quotations woven through Saving Jimmy. You told us that after “What’s in a name?” popped into your head, you discovered that you could find a Shakespeare quotation to match each chapter in the book. Did working on Saving Jimmy help plant the seed for All the World’s a Stage?

LWJ: As I mentioned earlier, the project came through my agent. But, the fact that I had just published a book with Shakespeare-loving characters constantly quoting Shakespeare felt serendipitous, and it might have helped me seal the deal.

Statue of Henry “Hotspur” Percy

JH: Most readers know you for historical novels rooted deeply in Mississippi and in events that affected your own family and community. What was it like to move from writing historical fiction to creating an illustrated nonfiction guide—and from twentieth-century Mississippi all the way to Shakespeare’s England?

LWJ: Honestly, it was a little difficult at first because the fiction writer in me wanted to weave a little storytelling into the manuscript. However, I was told to stick strictly to the facts—but make them fun and engaging. So, I did. Interestingly, Mississippi and Shakespeare’s England do have something in common. Allegedly, the renowned Percy family of Greenville, Mississippi, claimed to be descendants of Henry “Hotspur” Percy, who is prominently featured in Shakespeare’s Henry IV plays—the plays that established Shakespeare as a playwright.

JH: Shakespeare can feel intimidating even to adults. What did you most want to do differently in introducing his work to young readers?

LWJ: Oh, boy. The tragedies were especially hard to write about for young readers. Shakespeare, as you know, had no trouble allowing characters to end their lives on their own terms. Even though I was very careful about how I worded these situations, my editor and I also felt it was necessary to include a trigger warning in the opening of the book. So, in terms of “doing differently,” I wanted to make sure I didn’t glorify the tragedy of the characters in any way. I’m not saying that Shakespeare glorified the tragedies. I know that, as a writer, he was simply giving the audience what they wanted.

JH: Which Shakespeare character surprised you the most once you began researching and writing about them?

LWJ: Ha! I thought I knew Shakespeare until I began working on the book. I found out I knew very little Shakespeare, so I think I was surprised mostly that so many characters across the various plays shared the same names, or very similar names. And many of the plays shared plot elements and themes. So I wasn’t as surprised by the characters as much as I was surprised by the plots.

JH: Is there a Shakespeare character who strikes you as particularly relatable to middle-grade readers today?

LWJ: Interestingly, I created personality quizzes for four of the plays—Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, As You Like It, and The Tempest—so middle-grade readers will get to decide for themselves which characters are most relatable to them.

JH: On the flip side, was there a character who was especially difficult to explain to a young audience?

LWJ: There were three actually—Othello (Othello), Shylock (The Merchant of Venice), and Caliban (The Tempest). All three of these characters were subjected to racism in the plays. Even though Othello was the main character and portrayed positively, overall, his actions were quite disturbing. Caliban, on the other hand, was portrayed in a very negative way in The Tempest, but I don’t point this out in the book. And poor Shylock was treated so poorly that I was tempted to ask the editor if we could replace that play with another one. I skipped over it and had to come back to it at the very end and do the character sketches for it because the plot was so upsetting to me.

JH: Shakespeare remains deeply embedded in popular culture, from movies to contemporary music. Why do you think these characters and stories still keep resurfacing more than four hundred years later?

LWJ: Shakespeare’s plays and characters are very interesting—very entertaining as well. His body of work is immense. There are so many great quotes, so many great thoughts, so many interesting plot lines that his work will be used until the end of time.

JH: What do you hope happens after a reader closes your book?

LWJ: I hope that a reader will want to read some of the young-reader editions of Shakespeare’s plays. And I hope they will want to witness some of his plays if they are staged for a younger audience.

JH: What did writing this book teach you about Shakespeare that you didn’t know when you began?

LWJ: I had never actually studied the man himself, so I was surprised to find out that he died rather young (age 52) and that he has no living descendants. Only two of his three children reached adulthood, and only one of his grandchildren lived to adulthood. And that grandchild had no children. But I’m happy that his works of literature live on even if his direct lineage didn’t.

JH: And the question Mixed-Up Files readers always want answered: What are you working on next?

LWJ: I am back to historical fiction, the Mississippi Delta to be exact, 1939. 

Shakespeare Lightning Round

JH: No interview is complete without a lightning round, so here we go:

Comedy, tragedy, or history?

Comedy

Favorite Shakespeare play?

As You Like It

Favorite Shakespeare character?

Rosalind, As You Like It

Shakespeare character you’d most like to have dinner with?

Rosalind, As You Like It

Shakespeare character you would absolutely not want as a houseguest?

Iago from Othello

Best Shakespeare villain?

Iago from Othello

Favorite Shakespeare quotation?

“Et tu, Brute! (You too, Brutus?!)” -Caesar, Julius Caesar

Favorite Shakespeare insult?

“Lord, what fools these mortals be!” -Puck, A Midsummer’s Night Dream

If you could give one Shakespeare character a completely different ending, who would it be?

Shylock, The Merchant of Venice

If Shakespeare could read one modern middle-grade novel, which one would you hand him?

Saving Jimmy by Linda Williams Jackson (I think he’d love reading about my Shakespeare-loving characters).

Jo: Thanks for chatting with us, Linda!

The post Author Spotlight: Linda Williams Jackson appeared first on From The Mixed Up Files.

Finding a way into a challenging topic: Writing about something scary

“Look, there’s a spider!”
If someone says that to you, would you jump away? Or lean in closer?

Spiders elicit widely varying emotional responses—appealing to some and appalling others—which makes writing about them a fascinating task.

With such wide-ranging reactions, how do you reach readers to teach them about these marvellous creatures without scaring them away?

Here are some tried and true tricks:

1. Zoom in! Think of your scary, spooky subject as a character. Who are you writing about? What are their goals? Fears?
2. Put your character in a scene (using facts!) – what are they doing, where…?
3. Give your character a social setting – with whom are they interacting, how and why?
4. Find your hook – What about your subject is most fascinating?

Believe it or not, you can apply these questions to your nonfiction writing and research. Let’s take a look at these examples that are as different as they are similar.

Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider
by Jessica Lanan (Roaring Brook Press, 2023)

This story uses two key tactics to engage readers. First, it elicits curiosity and empathy by asking “What if?” questions to help readers imagine being a spider and how their lives parallel the main character’s life.

Second, the spider is written as a charming main character. She has a name—Jumper—a mission, and superpowers to help her reach her goals. As readers get to know this personality-filled character, their sense of connection grows.

Appeals to readers who: like to imagine; enjoy getting to know a character up-close.

The Secret World of Spiderwebs by Jan Beccalon and Namasri Niumim (Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2025)

To get immediate buy-in, this story focuses on one of the most fascinating elements of spiders: their webs. This hook is beautiful, not scary, which helps draw in readers who might not reach for a book on spiders.

The book then treats each type of spider as a character: describing the setting, names, and social interactions (hunting, living with others, making and repairing their homes and traps) that make each spider inherently fascinating. These details help explain the type of web each spider weaves.

Appeals to readers who: like to learn deeply on a topic; enjoy comparing different experiences.

The Pet to Get: Spider: Everything You Need to Know About Cool and Unusual Pets by Rob Colson (Wayland, 2017)
This book dives deep into details. Multiple small sections on each page address diverse topics (e.g., types of spiders, how to care for them, their life cycle, and the best homes and food) plus large, detailed photos. With so much to learn, readers will quickly move from hesitation to fascination.

Appeals to readers who: want a pet spider; like to get up close with the details of crawly creatures.

Spiders: The Ultimate Predators by Stephen Dalton (Firefly Books, 2008)
In this book, spiders are organized by hunting style. The text is heavy on facts, uses a more scientific voice, and reads a little bit like an extended encyclopedia article. Even still, the spiders are presented as characters (albeit scientific ones) who exist in their specific worlds with their specific goals. Best of all, the photographic images of the spiders that illustrate the text are surprisingly playful, energetic, and beautiful. Together, the images and text show spiders as individuals alive and trying to survive in their environments, while inviting readers to look closely and make their own discoveries.

Appeals to readers who: like straight forward facts and real-life pictures, and who want to spend time learning about spiders without having to follow a storyline.

SCIENCE COMICS: Spiders Worldwide Webs by Tait Howard (First Second NY, 2021)
Talk about storylines! This graphic novel follows two kids turned spider-sized who go on an unexpected adventure through the world of spiders. Using fact-filled humor, illustrations, and easy-to-follow text, this story covers everything you might want to know about spiders. Like, did you know they don’t breathe through their mouths? They breathe through special organs called book lungs! (And when you see the illustrations, you’ll know why they’re called that.) This book would probably technically fall in the informational fiction (vs nonfiction) category since there is, you know, a shrink ray and a talking spider in a tiny lab coat.

Appeals to readers who: learn visually and/or like when facts are woven into a good story.

Activity

Now it’s your turn. What scary topic or creature interests you? Make an idea web about your creature—what are its character traits, what setting does it inhabit, what is its social world?—and then write about it.

Bios

Alexandra Millarhouse (she/they) is a researcher, science communication professional, and writer focused on the intersection of nature, science, and self. Her nonfiction picture book, THE ANIMAL QUEENDOM, comes out in Jan 19, 2027 with Simon & Schuster. Living in Vermont, Alexandra is often tracking wildlife across a cemetery, or sitting by the water with a sketchbook. Visit them online at https://www.foxandindigo.com/

Kamilla Milligan is a kidlit writer who explores themes of home, connection with nature, and cultural diversity in her stories. Kamilla has lived in Canada, the southern US, and Russia, and applies her PhD in education to her work in equity and human rights. Outside of reading, Kamilla enjoys gardening, fibre projects, and nature walks. Visit Kamilla online at http://kamillamilligan.com/

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