Looking for a fun, heartfelt spring read? How about ON A WING AND A TEAR by Cynthia Leitich Smith, cover by Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum)? Ages 8 -12. 3 starred reviews & a Sid Fleishman Humor Book Award Honor. @harperkids.bsky.social @harperstacks.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #KidLit

30 books. 74 stars. Loads of awards. We’re talking today with the founders of the Heartdrum imprint to find out how they did it (and continue to do it) so well. #kidlit 📚👍 afuse8production.slj.com/2026/04/16/h...

★ “a gentle, uplifting portrait of a tween seeking and finding support.” —Publishers Weekly, starred RAVEN, RISING by Christine Hartman Derr (Cherokee), cover art by Madelyn Goodnight (Chickasaw)(Heartdrum, summer 2026). Ages 8-up. @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #KidLit

The support of We Need Diverse Books has created a sea change for Indigenous authors and illustrators. We are grateful for our friends, and we appreciate being welcomed into their circle. It's an honor to work with WNDB!

From Publishers Weekly: “Alyssa Miele, Rosemary Brosnan, and Cynthia Leitich Smith at Heartdrum/@harperkids.bsky.social have bought world rights to The Girl Who Cried Mouse by Choctaw author @stacyvwells.bsky.social (l.), illustrated by Native Hawaiian artist @maliapila.bsky.social." #KidLit

"We sat down with @kauawrites.bsky.social to discuss the power of poetry, the importance of representation and inclusion, and becoming a debut author. Find An Expanse of Blue May 19, 2026!" www.yalsa.ala.org/thehub/2026/... @yalsa.bsky.social @epicreads.bsky.social #YABooks #AuthorInterview

Delighted and grateful to see LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN (Heartdrum, 2025) among the 2027 Rhode Island Teen Book Award nominees, along with wonderful books by Lakita Wilson, Candace Fleming, John Green, Rhonda DeChambeau, Libba Bray, Rex Ogle and more! #BookSky

**Share this post for a chance to win HERE COME THE AUNTIES!** Read my #interview with @cynleitichsmith.bsky.social at: www.sarahsteinbacher.com/blog/intervi... Up next, Kailei Pew on 4/17 & Jessixa Bagley on 4/24. #kidlit #kidlitauthors #picturebooks #booksky #author #indigenous #indigenouskidlit

My first book is coming into the world soon! Dream come true 🙌🏼💞📖 www.orcabook.com/I-Am-Indigen...

Join me at the Bay Area Book Festival May 29 to May 31 in downtown Berkeley, California: www.baybookfest.org #BookSky @epicreads.bsky.social

💐 In Loving Memory of Andrea M. Page (1964-2026) 💐 Andrea was an attendee of WNDB’s Native Intensive, and contributed to expanding WNDB's Indigenous Reads Rising website. She will be dearly missed, but we're heartened to know that her voice will live on in the stories she’s left behind. 💜

WNDB is honored to reveal the cover for GABRIEL’S WINTER COUNT, the late Andrea M. Page’s debut picture book, forthcoming from Charlesbridge on October 6th 💜 🎨 Illustrated by Alfreda Beartrack Algeo 📖 bit.ly/GabrielsWinte...

SHARDS OF SILENCE by @brianyoung.bsky.social (Navajo), cover art by Lynnette Haozous (San Carlos Apache Tribe/Chiricahua Apache, Navajo, and Taos Pueblo ancestry)(Heartdrum, 2026). @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #BookSky

Support NDN Girls Book Club's Bookmobile to put more Indigenous titles in the hands of Native young readers: givebutter.com/ndngirlsbook... @kinsaledrake.bsky.social @littlebadger.bsky.social #KidLit

AN EXPANSE OF BLUE by Kauakanilehua Mahoe Adams (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian), cover art by JT Ojerio (Kanaka Maoli/Native Hawaiian)(Heartdrum, 2026). Ages 13-up. @kauawrites.bsky.social @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #YABooks

The Horn Book raves, “deftly weaves together Bryce’s personal struggles with those of the larger community...strikes an effective balance between serious issues (e.g., the grim prospect of land loss) and lighter ones (with scenes of skateboarding, friendship, and romance).” @byrongraves.bsky.social

★ “A raucous and rousing profile of aunties, this is a story to be enjoyed across cultures and grade ranges.” —School Library Journal, starred review @slj.com @harperkids.bsky.social @aphelandraw.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #KidLit #aunties

Join us for the AILA American Indian Youth Literature Awards, 3-5 p.m. Sunday, June 28 at the American Indian Center, 3401 W. Ainslie St. Chicago IL. Awards reception & speeches from AIYLA authors & illustrators! Free & open to the public! --American Indian Library Association (AILA) #KidLit

★ “…sincere portrait of grief, growth, and finding balance on and off the board.” — @publisherswkly.bsky.social: www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-06-316... @byrongraves.bsky.social #YABooks #BookReview

ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2026 include TO WALK THE SKY: HOW IROQUOIS STEELWORKERS HELPED BUILD TOWERING CITIES, written by Patricia Morris Buckley, illustrated by by E.B. Lewis (Heartdrum, 2025): www.ala.org/alsc/awardsg... #KidLit @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social

★ “A moving multigenerational story that urges us to look forward with optimism even as we acknowledge the pain of the past.” — Kirkus Reviews FREE TO FLY, written by Karina Iceberg (Aleut-Alutiiq), illustrated by Steph Littlebird Fogel (Kalapuya/Chinook)(Heartdrum, 2026). Age 4-up. #KidLit

★ “...as is so often true of poetry, its specificity is what lends to its universality—in the wide expanse of space between Aouli's words, anyone might find a piece of themselves reflected.” —Shelf Awareness, starred @kauawrites.bsky.social @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social

“If these six debuts are anything to go by, this year promises a literary abundance, with compelling debuts to meet every reading desire.” —YA Debuts: 6 Teen Novels That Exceed Expectations by Laura Simeon from Kirkus Reviews: www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea... #YABooks

Invite me to your fall 2026 book event! November dates are still available. For info, contact @carmenoliver.bsky.social at The Booking Biz: thebookingbiz.com/contact/ New titles include HERE COME THE AUNTIES!, FIREFLY SEASON, and LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES. #KidLit #libraries

Indies Choice Book Awards “celebrate the best adult fiction, adult nonfiction, children’s picture books, middle grade, young adult, debut adult and debut children’s voted by indie booksellers: www.bookweb.org/indies-choic... @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social @epicreads.bsky.social #YABooks #Books

★ PW: “Matter-of-fact prose culminates in a textured, nonjudgmental look at one teen’s struggle to navigate culture shock. An illuminating author’s note underscores the novel’s cultural and historical grounding, which entrenches readers in a fully fleshed-out world…” @byoungwrites.bsky.social #YALit

Meegwun Fairbrother is the voice of River from the audio edition of HERE COME THE AUNTIES!, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by @aphelandraw.bsky.social (Heartdrum @harperkids.bsky.social, 2026). #audiobooks #picturebooks

Applications for the 2026 Native Intensive will remain open from March 9th through May 4th, 2026. Applicants can expect to hear about their acceptance/rejections no later than May 15th. 💻 bit.ly/NativeIntensi...

For full program details, eligibility guidelines, and application resources, please visit the Native Intensive program page on our website. 💻 www.diversebooks.org...

🚨 Attention Native, First Nations, and Indigenous writers! It’s time to apply for WNDB’s 2026 Native Intensive! 💻 bit.ly/NativeIntensi...

Join me this weekend at #Tucson Festival of Books: tucsonfestivalofbooks.org?id=67 #KidLit @harperkids.bsky.social @epicreads.bsky.social

Geeking out over *the* phenomenal @authorgracelin.bsky.social, who illustrated the Children’s Book Week poster (among many things), including the spine of my middle grade novel SISTERS OF THE NEVERSEA (Heartrdum) and super excited for Children’s Book Week from May 4-May 10, 2026! #KidLit

We Need Diverse Books will be at #LATimesFOB! Glory Edim, founder of Well-Read Black Girl, will be in conversation with WNDB Board Members Roxane Gay and LeUyen Pham as well as WNDB’s Executive Director, Caroline Richmond. 📅 Saturday, April 18th ⏰ 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM 📍 Town & Gown - Signing Area 1

With your help, we can fully fund the 2026 Native Writing Intensive! Learn more about this essential program at the page below ⬇️ ❤️📖 bit.ly/2026NativeInt...

New blog post: My thoughts on a handful of this year's winners, including ones by @maryshyneonline.bsky.social, @antontreuer.bsky.social, @vanlieshoutstudio.bsky.social, and @cynleitichsmith.bsky.social. www.lisayelon.com/blog/ala-202...

★ “A superlative, culturally relevant coming-of-age story.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) SHARDS OF SILENCE by Brian Young, cover by Lynnette Haozous (Heartdrum, 2026). @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #YABooks

Heartdrum picture-book cover reveal! HERE COME THE GRANDMAS!, written by Cynthia Leitich Smith, illustrated by Aphelandra (Heartdrum, Sept. 8, 2026). Now available for pre-order: bookshop.org/p/books/here... @aphelandraw.bsky.social @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #KidLit

2026 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, from the National Council for the Social Studies: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... #KidLit @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social

Gratitude to five wonderful years of Heartdrum! Together, we're making the world of books better for young readers. Mvto/thank you for your ongoing enthusiasm and support! www.harpercollins.com/pages/childr... #KidLit #YALit @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social

“Look at everything the Cherokee—all Indigenous people—have suffered through and endured. Terrible, without question. But the personal and collective strength required to survive and even thrive is awe-inspiring.” —Ginger Reno cynthialeitichsmith.com/2026/02/auth... @ajeversole.bsky.social #KidLit

“I wanted to honor...tribal beliefs...being handed down by one generation to another to another. It doesn’t happen all in one day or to just one person. It happens layer by layer, like this story.” Karina Iceberg, interviewed by @ajeversole.bsky.social cynthialeitichsmith.com/2026/02/auth... #KidLit

“I wish I could whisper into the ear of my seven-year-old self as she wrote little poems and illustrated them with crayons, ‘You’ll never guess what you get to do when you grow up.’” @deborahmarcero.com, interviewed by @mitumalhotra.bsky.social: cynthialeitichsmith.com/2026/02/auth... #KidLit

“…books are largely ephemeral, some for the moment, a rare few for all time, and most in between...the next writing day, you’ll find there are always new stories.” Cynthia Leitich Smith, interviewed by @ajeversole.bsky.social: cynthialeitichsmith.com/2026/02/auth... #KidLit

“You don’t have to be ‘struggling’ to be a great artist. Artists don’t work in solitude. Having a day job doesn’t make you a lesser artist. You have to live in the world!” — Pooja Makhijani, interviewed by Suma Subramaniam for Cynsations: cynthialeitichsmith.com/2026/02/auth... #KidLit

CCBC Choices 2026 is now available: uwmadison.box.com/s/es4e7usssu... Titles include books by Cynthia Levinson, Jennifer Swanson, Kevin Maillard, Miriam Chernick, Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve, Steph Littlebird, Julie Berry, and Angeline Boulley. #KidLit

★ “Via distinctive and emotionally resonant verse, Adams crafts an evocative story about identity, devotion, and belonging.“ —Publishers Weekly, starred @kauawrites.bsky.social (Heartdrum) @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social #BookSky

Virginia Readers’ Choice 2026-2027 Book Titles include LOOKING FOR SMOKE by KA Cobell (Heartdrum @harperstacks.bsky.social) and MISSION ONE: THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROBLEM (BLUE STARS #1) by @keklamagoon.bsky.social, Cynthia Leitich Smith, and Molly Murakami (@candlewickpress.bsky.social). #BookSky

An honor to receive the card and pin for the Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection of LEGENDARY FRYBREAD DRIVE-IN: INTERTRIBAL STORIES (Heartdrum @epicreads.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social, 2025)! I'm the anthologist and one of 17 contributors. #BookSky

TO WALK THE SKY: HOW IROQUOIS STEELWORKERS HELPED BUILD TOWERING CITIES by Patricia Morris Buckley & EB Lewis (Heartdrum 2025) has been named to the 2027 Children’s Sequoyah Reading List. #KidLit @harperkids.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social

Celebrating the 36th Annual Reading the West Longlist! readingthewest.com/36th-annual-... #BookSky @kategardinerillus.bsky.social @weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social @harperkids.bsky.social