Congrats to Renee Watson, who's just been named a TIME Visionary - the only author on the list! I love that they chose a writer and advocate who's been such a true ambassador for poetry, stories, and the voices of young people. time.com/collection/v...

More info & talking points on HR 8705, which has passed out of committee & is waiting to be introduced to the House. (As if Sunday evening)

Member of @authorsabb.bsky.social @jerroldconnors.bsky.social came through in the best way and assembled this for us all! Know thine shitty bills!

New newsletter, in memory of an incredible poet and professor: MDB. theirwillbetypos.substack.com/p/the-death-...

The ambassadors of young people's literature I know and respect relentlessly and vociferously defend book access. The ambassadors of young people's literature I know and respect are relentlessly and vociferously condemning, denouncing, and working to defeat HR 7661. Silence is complicity.

Big news for library lovers! A federal court has finalized a major victory, securing the future of the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) following a lengthy legal battle. www.ala.org/news/2026/04...

Indie Bookstore Day! Tabling for Main Street Books Literacy Foundation and getting to meet the great Amanda Sellet and Megan Bannet (and buy their books of course!)

As the editor of a book on this list, allow me to say again that book banning is a catastrophe for freedom of speech in America. There is no silver lining. It's all harm. You can fight back by calling your reps to demand they vote against HR 7661, which is effectively a national book banning bill.

Very excited to meet librarians today at the Missouri School Librarians conference!

Back in Maine for some course visits at the University of Maine at Farmington Visiting Writers Series! Come see me Thursday 7:30 at The Landing!

Come see me at The University of Maine Farmington's Visiting Writers Series, Thursday, April 16, 7:30 pm The Landing. I'm excited to be back in Maine for mud season!

Fuck this. As an industry, we are in an existential crisis of book banning because of homophobia and transphobia weaponized by racist authoritarians. “Dirty books” are not the problem. Censorship is. Make whatever books you like, but don’t you dare call other books dirty in your shitty marketing.

“If you could read Toni Morrison, why would you read AI?” As a teacher in Texas, this quote caused me an involuntary sob.

March Wrap Up: Goodbye to Dial Books for Young Readers open.substack.com/pub/theirwil...

Thank you for making No Kings 3 the biggest day of mass protest that America has ever seen. #NoKings

Hurray, @publisherswkly.bsky.social just posted the cover reveal of Judy Blume bks from Atheneum/S&S with MY ART!!! 🩷 Incl. quotes from Judy, Lauren Rille, & me. Huge thanks to @jpchanda.bsky.social & @simonkids.bsky.social for the opportunity. www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/... #KidLit

This was such fun! I loved working with the students at North High and their librarian who is making dreams come true! Thank you!

Need another reason to bring Catalog of Burn Objects by @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social ?? Red-lining is still a thing. The outcome of our devastating fires would be vastly different if the collective we cared about the collective we. @penguinschoollib.bsky.social #TLSky #EduSky Art by Howard Barry.

Such an abfab author visit with @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social !!! author of #YA Catalog of Burnt Objects. Students loved it all: keynote, writers' workshops, book signing convos, lunch! The person makes the day. Shana delivers. Yes, you want her, too. #TLSky #librarians @penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social

Five stars for Bakersfield's North High and the terrific librarian @katiejmcnamara.bsky.social, what a special place! Central California is so completely underrated.

I am so excited to head out to Bakersfield next week for two school visits! Interested in having me or another writer come to your school, but don't know where to start? Katie has master resources for author visits!

New Newsletter: Spot a typo for a chance to win a hot-off-the-press paperback (not out until FEB, but my author copies will be here before the next newsletter, so you might win I am giving out up to two copies. . ) theirwillbetypos.substack.com/p/everyone-h...

Finalizing curriculum for abfab @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social author visit. Sometimes I impress myself 😊 Socratic Seminar option: Are we more defined by what we have or what we have lost? #YA 📚 belong in the classroom #TLSky #EduSKy @penguinschoollib.bsky.social

What is on your winter to read list?

If you or your dog likes signed books, order mine from my local indie Main Street Books St Charles today and they will ship to you. If you want them PERSONALIZED, make a note to whom they should be signed, and allow a few extra days to ensure I can drop in the store.

Author Visit books. Students love having the book AND the memories it represents. Which ironically ties into this year's- Catalog of Burnt Objects by abfab @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social #TLSky

not éireann making me want to re-read a christmas carol?!?!

If you or your dog likes signed books, order mine from my local indie Main Street Books St Charles today and they will ship to you. If you want them PERSONALIZED, make a note to whom they should be signed, and allow a few extra days to ensure I can drop in the store.

I've seen a lot of depressed takes today about modern students, who in these stories are completely disinterested and disconnected from their classes. I don't really want to disagree with takes which come from real experience. But I do want to note that this has not been my experience at all. 1/?

Some good news out of Missouri!

An MA parent is using a recent SCOTUS decision to sue his school district, claiming he should have been able to opt-out his kindergartener before child’s class read 2 books that included same-sex parents. It’s the same district that saw a similar case in 2008. #BookSky mombian.com/2025/11/17/p...

Seven years ago, my hometown was decimated by the Camp Fire. In the wake of the disaster, I wrote my novel, A Catalog of Burnt Objects, and watched my friends rebuild. Now, the PHS Cheer team got invited to Nationals. These girls are the spirit of the town, join me in support gofund.me/17332b646

Friends! I'll be in upstate New York next week! Come say hi!

So happy to be seeing stars. If you read it, you can give it some too. Consider leaving a review on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you!

Sometimes the author is the last to know: A Catalog of Burnt Objects officially earned three starred reviews! www.shelf-awareness.com/sar-issue.ht...

#NoKings Saint Peters, MO

Hey! Do me a favor and drop the name of your favorite author who lived or worked in London?

Today my daughter's preschool is holding a farewell assembly for one of her classmates whose mother has no choice but to self deport. The school is hoping it will be joyful in tone, so we might make this less upsetting for this 3 year old. There's just no words for the uselessness of this cruelty.

Yesterday attended a school event with @jodywrites4kids.bsky.social as a board member of the MSB Literacy Foundation. We gave away copies of PANDAS to all the K and 1st graders & after I was as inspired & joyful as the kiddos! Thanks, Jody!

Inspired by a post I just saw in which someone admitted they hadn’t seen a single episode of Friends nor the film Love Actually… what cultural hole do you have that’s a bit weird for your generation? I’ll go first: I haven’t seen Dirty Dancing.

I went on an @umnenglish.bsky.social MFA book buying spree this week! Can't wait to read @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social's A Catalogue of Burnt Objects, Cheri Johnson's Annika Rose, & Kevin Fenton's brand new Cyan Magenta Yellow Black! #amreading #authorsky #writingcommunity #booksky

Happy #PunctuationDay to all you Oxford comma haters and advocates! Though I learned from @hunderdown.bsky.social & others that the term "Oxford comma" is relatively new Internet coinage, that the proper term is "serial" comma.

New newsletter on character groundwork and being a girl from Paradise (that inspired the new movie The Lost Bus). open.substack.com/pub/theirwil...

Author Visits with ME 😉 Dropping 9/1. All kinds of tips for success, planning, and why this years' selection is Catalog of Burnt Objects by @shanayoungdahl.bsky.social Ep 53 on @schoollibln.bsky.social Listen and start planning. #TLSky #EduSky #Books #Librarians @penguinschoollib.bsky.social

My husband has this cool new podcast, Meta doesn’t allow him to link to it. . . www.fascismonfilm.com @fascismonfilm.bsky.social

The last thing you read that made you happy?

So excited to learn that A Catalog of Burnt Objects is and A-List Editors Choice Award pick at St. Louis Mag! www.stlmag.com/a-list/arts-...

We're interviewing for two roles at Literary Mama: Publisher and Marketing Director. LM staff are volunteers. Click on the link below for details, and please share!

Across the country, thousands of books are being stripped from schools and libraries—many of them LGBTQ-affirming stories that help young people feel seen. Think you know which ones made the banned list? Take our quiz and see how many you can spot. act.glaad.org/page/86470/d...