The Guest Book: Recent Episodes

Holiday House & Pixel + Ink

Be our guest! We’ve invited acclaimed children’s, middle-grade and YA book Authors and Illustrators from Holiday House Books + Pixel+Ink to share the stories behind their stories, with all of you!


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Peachtree Publishing Editor Jonah Heller speaks with author Marc J. Gregson and Book One of the Above the Black trilogy audiobook narrator Vikas Adam about SKY’S END. From whether or not writing a NYTimes Bestseller gives you street cred in a classroom to the audiobook recording process (including which SKY’S END character was the most fun to voice), check out this conversation for behind the scenes looks at one of the most anticipated YA books of the year!

SKY’S END is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Marc J. Gregson at @MJG_Write on Twitter/X, Instagram, and TikTok. Vikas Adam can be found at @vikasadam on Twitter/X and Instagram.

Follow Peachtree Teen @peachtreeteen on Instagram and Twitter/X 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!


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Peachtree Teen Senior Editor Ashley Hearn speaks with authors Andrew Joseph White (HELL FOLLOWED WITH US/THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH) and Autumn Krause (BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE HERE) about gothic horror, body horror, and the horror of societal expectations. From video games to Johnny Appleseed, catch up with these authors about the things that inspired their historical horrors!

THE SPIRIT BARES ITS TEETH and BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOU’RE HERE are available everywhere books are sold. You can find Andrew Joseph White at @AJWhiteAuthor on Twitter/X and Instagram. Autumn Krause can be found at @autumn_krause on Instagram and @autumnkrause on TikTok.

Follow Peachtree Teen @peachtreeteen on Instagram and Twitter/X 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!


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Holiday House Trade Marketing Manager Alison Tarnofsky speaks with Creators Landis Blair (THE NIGHT TENT, Margaret Ferguson Books) and Tom Gauld (THE LITTLE WOODEN ROBOT AND THE LOG PRINCESS, Neal Porter Books). From their shared beginnings in illustrations for adult publications to the incorporation of dark themes in books for young readers, check out this episode for more information from these renowned creators about their most recent titles.

THE NIGHT TENT and THE LITTLE WOODEN ROBOT AND THE LOG PRINCESS are available everywhere books are sold. You can find Landis Blair at @landisblair on Twitter/X and Instagram. Tom Gauld can be found at @tomgauld on Twitter/X and 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!


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Just in time for Hispanic Heritage Month, Holiday House Associate Editor Alex Aceves speaks to Michael Genhart and Illustrator John Parra about their new book SPANISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF MY FAMILY, which was simultaneously published in Spanish as EL ESPAÑOL ES LA LENGUA DE MI FAMILIA. Centered around the National Spanish Spelling Bee, which was started in 2011, the story explores intergenerational connections through language. Inspired by the generations of Latine people who were punished for speaking Spanish, Michael and John discuss their own family histories with the Spanish language and what the story means to them personally.

SPANISH IS THE LANGUAGE OF MY FAMILY and EL ESPAÑOL ES LA LENGUA DE MI FAMILIA is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Michael Genhart at @MGenhart on Twitter/X and @michaelgenhart on Instagram. John Parra can be found at @johnparraart on Twitter/X and 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!


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Author Suzanne Slade and Illustrator Thomas Gonzalez talk to Peachtree Vice-President and Associate Publisher Kathy Landwehr about their book BEHOLD THE OCTOPUS. From how to choose which of the hundreds of octopuses to represent to their preferred methods of research on octopus trivia, check out this conversation about many folks’ favorite cephalopod and how to do it justice in both text and art.

BEHOLD THE OCTOPUS is available everywhere books are sold. You can find Suzanne Slade at @AuthorSSlade on Twitter/X and Instagram.

Follow Peachtree @peachtreepublishing on Instagram and @peachtreepub on Facebook and Twitter/X 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!

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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!


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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!


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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!


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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!

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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!

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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!


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

Born a slave in 1818, Elizabeth lived through many hardships 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!


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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!


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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!


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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!

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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!


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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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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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 & MEis 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!


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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.

HONEYBEEis 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!


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

WE WILL LIVE IN THIS FOREST AGAIN is available wherever books are sold. You can find Gianna Marino @giannamarinobooks. 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!


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Publisher and Editor Neal Porter (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House) talks with Caldecott Medalist Matthew Cordell about his book Hello, Neighbor! The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, rediscovering Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood as an adult, how the recent revival of interest in Fred Rogers affected the book-writing process, what it was like meeting with members of the original cast and crew of the show, and why a message of kindness is so essential today and every day!

Recorded in celebration of World Kindness Day, November 13th!

In the words of Fred Rogers himself:

“There are three ways to ultimate success:

The first way is to be kind.

The second way is to be kind.

The third way is to be kind.”

Hello, Neighbor! is available wherever books are sold. You can find Matthew Cordell at @cordell_matthew on Instagram and @cordellmatthew 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!


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Publisher and Editor Neal Porter (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House) talks to Author Mark Shulman (and Neal’s personal friend and neighbor) about his book I VOTED Making a Choice Makes a Difference, how to explain the voting process to children, how the book was crafted in time for the 2020 election, and how foreign translations are being updated to reflect the voting processes in countries outside of the United States. Includes excerpts from the book read by the author.

I VOTED is available wherever books are sold. Mark Shulman is not on social media. You can find I Voted’s Illustrator Serge Bloch @serge.bloch on Instagram and @bloch_serge 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!

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Publisher and Editor Margaret Ferguson (Margaret Ferguson Books / Holiday House) talks to Authors Polly Horvath and Christina Uss about their new books PINE ISLAND HOME and THE COLOSSUS OF ROADS. The discussion covers everything from why children’s books often feature orphans, to what it’s like finding out you inspired someone to quit college, move across the country and start working at a fishery, to car sickness and talking stomachs.

PINE ISLAND HOME tells the story of four sisters who, after suddenly being orphaned in Borneo, are sent to live with their Great Aunt Martha on Pine Island off the coast of British Columbia. Upon arrival, they find out their Great Aunt has just passed away, and they are without a guardian. To keep social services from splitting up the girls, they come up with a plan to tell no one of their situation and struggle to keep the secret and stay together as a family

THE COLOSSUS OF ROADS tells the story of Rick Rusek and his talking stomach, who decide to fix the worst traffic jams in Los Angeles in order to save Rick’s family’s catering business, and to prove that Rick has a talent that matters.

Pine Island Home and The Colossus of Roads are available wherever books are sold. Follow Christina Uss @ChristinaUss on Twitter and Instagram. Polly Horvath is not on social media. 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!


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Steven Banks, author of the MIDDLE SCHOOL BITES Series, and tv writer for shows like Spongebob, talks about his writing process with his Holiday House Editor Sally Morgridge. The two chat about topics ranging from the difference between writing books versus tv scripts, his experience writing for shows like Spongebob, The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, and CatDog, to why monsters were the perfect way to dive into the real-life horror that is Middle School.

MIDDLE SCHOOL BITES tells the story of eleven-year-old Tom, who gets bitten by a vampire, a werewolf, and a zombie, right before the first day of school. As you can imagine, it’s not easy being the only Vam-Wolf-Zom known to humankind.

Middle School Bites is available wherever books are sold. The sequel, Middle School Bites: Tom Bites Back, will be released September 8th, 2020. Follow @vamwolfzom on Twitter and @middleschoolbites on Instagram for updates on the Series. 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!


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In this two-part interview, award-winning author Jon McGoran talks to Holiday House editor Kelly Loughman about the books in his YA Sci-Fi trilogy: Spliced, Splintered, and Spiked, which follow sixteen-year-old Jimi Corcoran as she risks her life to save that her friend from genetic experimentation, a field which threatens to destroy everything in her world...

In this second episode, Jon talks about his third and final book in the series, Spiked, which was released in April 2020, and discusses how aspects of the books, including climate change and the aftermath of a global pandemic, have become more relevant than ever.

Spliced, Splintered, and Spiked are available wherever books are sold. Follow Jon McGoran on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @JonMcGoran. 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!


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In this two-part interview, award-winning author Jon McGoran talks to Holiday House editor Kelly Loughman about the books in his YA Sci-Fi trilogy: Spliced, Splintered, and Spiked, which follow sixteen-year-old Jimi Corcoran as she risks her life to save that her friend from genetic experimentation, a field which threatens to destroy everything in her world...

In this first part, Jon talks about the initial world-building that went into the first two books. Spliced and Splintered address issues like genetic engineering, political turmoil, severe climate change, loss of biodiversity, and a global pandemic. Learn about what type of research is needed to build a believable new world, how the series evolved to reflect new technologies and social issues, and how some of the series’ true-to-life aspects were completely coincidental.

Spliced, Splintered, and Spiked are available wherever books are sold. Follow Jon McGoran on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @JonMcGoran. 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!


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