What a joy to sit down with two fellow 2025 Judy Lopez Award winners, Ali Terese (Free Period) and Aida Salazar (Ultraviolet) for a wonderful discussion moderated by Brein Lopez of Children’s Book World! It's an honor to be on this list with so many of my all-time favorites. #JudyLopezAward2025

I am honored that THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN has been awarded the Northern California Book Award for Middle Grade, alongside THE WRONG WAY HOME by @kloshaughnessy.bsky.social. Thank you to the Northern California Book Reviewers Association, and congratulations to each finalist and awardee!

I LOVE this quote. "If we didn't have libraries, many people thirsty for knowledge would dehydrate." - Megan Jo, age 12

Today at 5:00pm PT, join me and the one and only @kaaauthor.bsky.social at Kepler's Books to celebrate her beautiful new #mglit novel, POCKET BEAR! ⭐ Today is also the anniversary of Book 2 in our Dogtown series. 🥳 Can't wait to see you! buff.ly/n9EQCbP @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

If you plan to read THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN with your class, this Educators’ Guide may be helpful! It's free on my website. Teachers and librarians, thank you so much for sharing my books with your readers. buff.ly/54oxcpc @randomhousekids.bsky.social

Next week, I can't wait to join my friend @kaaauthor.bsky.social on her book tour to celebrate her new #mglit novel, POCKET BEAR! ⭐ Join us 9/17 at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. It's also the anniversary of Book 2 in our Dogtown series! Would love to see you there. buff.ly/n9EQCbP

Every dog deserves a forever home. Even the 'unadoptables.' ❤️🐶💕 Art by Wallace West from DOGTOWN and MOUSE & HIS DOG ✏️ @kaaauthor.bsky.social @choldenko.bsky.social #MouseandhisDog #MouseandhisDogBook #KatherineApplegate #GenniferCholdenko

Happy pub day to POCKET BEAR by my dear friend, @kaaauthor.bsky.social! ⭐ I'm delighted to join her 9/17 at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Not only will we celebrate POCKET BEAR, but it's also the anniversary of Book 2 in our Dogtown series. I'd love to see you! buff.ly/n9EQCbP

Wow. MOUSE AND HIS DOG is out in paperback today! If you haven't read Book 2 in the Dogtown series yet, I hope you get to soon! @kaaauthor.bsky.social and I are working on Book 3 right now... buff.ly/ec8oUry @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

There is nothing better than receiving a beautiful letter from a librarian about your book. Thank you, Patricia. ❤️ "We have a few students in our school who are going through tough times just like Hank. Thank you for helping me to have more empathy, patience, and compassion."

My #mglit book ORPHAN ELEVEN was partially inspired by a terrible study on stuttering that was conducted on orphans in 1939. #OnThisDay, September 4, the real kids in the "Monster Study" won their court case. @randomhousekids.bsky.social

Love to see the Turkish editions of DOGTOWN and MOUSE AND HIS DOG! 🐶❤️ @kaaauthor.bsky.social Thanks to the publisher, dogancocukyayinlari on Instagram, for the photo

I'm honored to share that THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN has been nominated and shortlisted for the Northern California Book Award (NCBA) for Middle Grade, as one of the best works by a northern California author or translator published in 2024! Thank you to the NCBA. I am verklempt.

I want to extend a big thank you to the Perrot Library Young Critics' Club for naming THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN as your #1 Favorite Book of the Year! Hearing that young readers love Hank and Boo's story? That's about as good as it gets. buff.ly/zgDlUQ8

On this #InternationalDogDay, I want to thank my writing buddy, Shea. She may kick me off the couch when I'm trying to write, but she always knows when it's time for a scenic walk to clear my head. Will you share a picture of your dog with me?

Today I'm sharing my seventh and last #WritingTip for collaborations: Enjoy the process! Collaborating with @kaaauthor.bsky.social on our Dogtown #mglit series has blown the top of my head right off. ❤️ Now I want to know... What are YOUR writing tips, #WritingCommunity? @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

Educators, I hope you have had relaxing, restful summer vacations! As we head into the school year, I wanted to share the resources page on my website. There are teaching guides, discussion questions, and more for many of my books! 📚 buff.ly/pTS2pJW

My sixth #WritingTip for collaborations is: Be wrong. It can be hard to think that we could ever be wrong about our creative babies. But trust me, we can be. 💙 #mglit @kaaauthor.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

Happy #WorldElephantDay! 🐘 Elephants are my favorite animals. When I got to visit elephant sanctuaries in Thailand as part of the research for my last #mglit book, ORPHAN ELEVEN, I was overjoyed. It was the best trip of my life.

#OnThisDay in 1934, the federal penitentiary on @alcatrazisland.bsky.social opened. Today, I am thinking about the Flanagans from my #TalesFromAlcatraz series and all of their real-life counterparts. You can read some of my interviews here: buff.ly/5wV2xWT @penguinkids.bsky.social

Happy #BookLoversDay! ❤️ My mouth waters when I’m picking out my next read. Anybody else feel that way? Here's to bookmakers and booktalkers everywhere.

Today is my Dad's birthday. He was a Disney Legend honored for his work running Disney Music. Most days he read at least one book from start to finish. He died when I was 18, so he never knew that I would make my living as an author. I can't tell you how many times I've imagined telling him.

It's time for another #WritingTip for collaborations! My fifth tip is: Take advantage of weaknesses. They are an opportunity to learn from your writing partner. I know @kaaauthor.bsky.social and I have both learned a lot while writing the Dogtown books together. 💙 #mglit @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

✨Book giveaway!✨ Today is the 10-year anniversary of CHASING SECRETS, my #mglit novel about a deadly pandemic in San Francisco in 1900. 🐎🌉 To celebrate, I'm giving away 4 signed copies over on my Instagram page. See details here! buff.ly/jRbcFcI @randomhousekids.bsky.social

My fourth #WritingTip for collaborations is: Take advantage of your team's strengths. I look forward to sharing another writing tip with you next week! #mglit @kaaauthor.bsky.social @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

I loved receiving this letter from a reader. "I wanted to reach out to let you know how much your book Notes From a Liar and Her Dog meant to me as a young person. I probably read it over 15 years ago. It definitely shaped me as a person and I really identified with the main character Ant."

This year, THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN won the Judy Lopez Memorial Award. It's an honor to be in the company of some of my all-time favorite books, including: El Deafo, Wonder, Pax, The Night Diary, Esperanza Rising . . . Complete list here: buff.ly/Ls1K6VM

My third #WritingTip for collaborations is: Be patient. Working on the Dogtown series with my friend @kaaauthor.bsky.social has been one of my favorite writing experiences. I'll share another collaboration tip next week. #mglit @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

What are you reading now? What do you recommend? Just finished GATHER by Kenneth M. Cadow. Love, love, loved it. I'm in the middle of an arc for A WORLD WITHOUT SUMMER by Nicholas Day. Like his previous book, MONA LISA VANISHES, this one is terrific. . . but in a terrifying kind of way.

I'm back with another #WritingTip for collaborations: Communicate about everything! I created these tips from my experiences working on the Dogtown series with my dear friend @kaaauthor.bsky.social. I'll share another tip next week! #mglit @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

Today's #WritingTip: Make a lot of mistakes! As author Margaret Bechard once said, “Early drafts and wrong choices in a story are like the manure spread on the field so that the right choices can later flower.”

"My name is Hank Hooperman, but my little sister calls me Pooperman. We are Hooperman and Pooperman, according to Boo. I'd like it to be Hooperman and Superman, but try telling that to Boo." (Fun fact: During the last draft change, I finally saw that "Hooperman" rhymes with "Pooperman.")

Writing the Dogtown series with a friend like @kaaauthor.bsky.social is as wonderful as it sounds. ❤️ We've put together 7 #WritingTips for working on a collaboration, and I'll share one every week! Here's my first tip: Put the team first. #mglit @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

I have a summer challenge for your young writers: One-minute writing lessons! ✍️ These videos are a quick, fun way to sharpen writing skills for ages 8-13. What will your young authors create? Let me know! buff.ly/ga1hFpX

It's Lasagna Awareness Month. 🍅 I'm celebrating by sharing Bea Trixle's signature recipe, from my #TalesFromAlcatraz series! It should feed 6-8 adults. Unless one of them is Moose — that kid has a hollow leg. 😂 buff.ly/SEqR5mm @penguinkids.bsky.social #mglit

Did you know that there's an annual picnic in San Francisco called the "Tri-Pawed Picnic" that celebrates three-legged dogs? I love this idea. It reminds me of DOGTOWN's narrator, Chance! 🐶📚 @kaaauthor.bsky.social Do you have a three-legged dog?

Last month, I was overjoyed to virtually join the Pasadena Public Library for a DOGTOWN Celebration! Families received gift copies of the book, art students made a doghouse guessing game, and two bonded dogs were adopted from Pasadena Humane Society. Thank you, Pasadena. It was a magical day.

July is Disability Pride Month! My sister, Gina, had Autism and is one reason why I believe in the importance of portraying neuroatypical characters in my books. Thank you to @mackidssl.bsky.social for this list of books to read and share! buff.ly/tuVCRS6

The school year is coming to a close, which means your summer of reading is here! ☀️ We're returning with Camp Mackids to provide you with reading recs all summer long 😍🏕️ To help prepare you for the dog days of summer, here's a fabulous list of middle grade featuring man's best friend - dogs! 🐶

Full disclosure: Without the help of coffee and chocolate, I would be unpublished.

When it comes to research, there is nothing like first-hand experience. While researching ORPHAN ELEVEN, I attended the Circus Historical Society's annual conference in Baraboo, Wisconsin! 🎪 @randomhousekids.bsky.social

I take my book research very seriously, and one of the high points of my career was getting to research ORPHAN ELEVEN. 🎪🐘 I traveled to Chiang Mai, Thailand to visit four of the most respected elephant sanctuaries. It was the best trip of my life. @randomhousekids.bsky.social

One of the most common questions readers ask me is how I came up with the idea for AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS. 👕🔑 I got the idea from an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about kids who lived on Alcatraz. I signed up to volunteer on Alcatraz Island the very next day!

"Mom went out last Wednesday. She said she'd be home early, but when I woke up the next morning, she wasn't there." Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and shared my #mglit book, THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN. 💙

"Happy #Juneteenth! 🌟 One great way to celebrate is to read, recommend, and support books centering Black characters and experiences. Here is a list of recommended titles, a directory of Black-owned bookstores, and more from @libro.fm! buff.ly/QA7ZhxA%22

Just finished @kaaauthor.bsky.social's new book, POCKET BEAR. The cat Zephyrina is a hoot. POCKET BEAR is a perfect balance of funny and poignant. Her books are hopeful without ever sugarcoating. Launches Sept 9.

Happy Father's Day. 💙 I dedicated DAD AND THE DINOSAUR, a #picturebook written by me and wonderfully illustrated by @dansantat.bsky.social, to my father and all the loving dads out there. @penguinkids.bsky.social

Thank you to @mackidssl.bsky.social for sharing this collection of books created by LGBTQIA+ authors and illustrators to celebrate #PrideMonth! Browse their selection of picture books, middle grade, YA, and graphic novels: buff.ly/x7sTyQi @mackidsbooks.bsky.social

Happy first birthday to THE TENTH MISTAKE OF HANK HOOPERMAN! In many ways, this book was inspired by childhood memories of my big brother. It's deeply personal to me, and it means all the more that it has resonated with so many of you. Thank you for reading and sharing Hank and Boo's story. 💙