Our first ⭐️ starred ⭐️ review for CLAYDATE, the long-awaited followup to CLAYMATES, from Kirkus! ⭐️ “A sublime blend of the snarky and sweet.” You can find this madcap silliness by me and @eldridgestudio.bsky.social in April. Available for preorder now! #kidlit #picturebooks

The Youth Media Awards Press Conference will air live from Chicago on Monday, January 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM CT! 8:00 AM (PT) - 9:00 AM (MT) - 11:00 AM (ET) www.ala.unikron.com

Today’s book purchase

I read three wonderful middle-grade graphic novels today: Wish I Was a Baller, Super Boba Cafe: Home Sea Home, and Middle School Monsters.

I only have one book coming out this year, a picture book with the impossibly talented LeUyen Pham. You can scroll through the whole thing right here... Go on, take a peek! online.flippingbook.com/link/418062/

"Wombat Waiting tells the story of a 'Destiny Dog': a dog determined to find her person, against all odds — even deadly fires sweeping through southern California." — @kaaauthor.bsky.social mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/10/cove...

While spending time with Chase and Finnegan, words like friendship, family, connection, love, light, and joy kept racing through my mind. Most of all, the story filled me with HOPE! mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/05/the-...

I’m reading . . .

Here are twenty-nine books publishing in 2026 that I've already read and thoroughly enjoyed: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

Excited about the Feb.24 launch of I'M BUSY, written by @michaelianblack.bsky.social & illustrated by yours truly (Simon & Schuster BFYR), part of our I'M series about kids' emotions. Available for pre-order! Thanks Kirkus for nice review: www.simonandschuster.com/books/Im-Bus... #KidLit #ImBusy

"The Claiming tells the story of Teddy, Lila, and Caleb’s continued ghostly adventures!" —Jasmine Warga mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...

Este es un cuento releases next week!! mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/09/este...

Moments from December 2025! www.instagram.com/p/DS5wabmkUj...

I’m reading . . .

Preorder Este es un cuento, the paperback editions of This Is a School and This Is a Story, and Lily-May's Joyful Day from BN.com and get 25% off with code PREORDER25!

A brand new issue of the newsletter is out today, and I'm trying something new: presenting the best picture books of the year as if I were on the Caldecott committee. First up is EVERY MONDAY MABEL by Jashar Awan (I'm also giving away a copy) open.substack.com/pub/travisjo...

"When I started drawing the pictures for Lily-May’s Joyful Day, I let myself slow down and listen. The characters were already part of my world from Ruthie Rose’s Big Idea, so it felt like meeting old friends again." —Holly Hatam 100scopenotes.com/2025/12/10/c...

#Bookaday I added Sara Amini and Shadia Amin's Mixed Feelings to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

#Bookaday I added @dansantat.bsky.social's Thick as Thieves (Sidekicks #2) to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

Un cuento puede empezar con unas palabras en una página, pero evoluciona y se convierte en mucho más. Un cuento es una forma de explorar nuevas ideas, reunir a las personas y ayudar a darle sentido al mundo. mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/09/este...

#Bookaday I added @authorgracelin.bsky.social's Ling & Ting’s Lunar New Year: Two Times Lucky to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

I love when Jasmine Warga leaves presents on my front porch!

2026 Mock Caldecott List: mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/11/2026...

Something for your holiday listening pleasure. @colbysharp.bsky.social and I take a look back at children's books in 2025 on The Yarn podcast: theyarn.slj.com/2025/12/24/t... @slj.com

Sent out my first newsletter from Substack this morning. You might have to add me as a contact to save it from the dreaded Promotions Tab in the future. Here it is in case you missed it! travisjonker.substack.com/p/welcome-to...

I’m E-X-C-I-T-E-D to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tonight. I spent most of 2025 writing a novel about a 5th grader who loves spelling bees. A B-O-O-K that will be announced in 2026!

The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books of 2025 100scopenotes.com/2025/12/01/t...

"Cats are not goats. That’s a fact. But, is there overlap?" —Elisha Cooper mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...

Thank you for sharing The Gift of Story!

Check out The Gift of Story www.routledge.com/The-Gift-of-...

When the weather outside is chilly, there’s no better time to cozy up with a good book! For two books that warm the heart and the mind, check out The Gift of Story by John Schu and The Heart of Fiction by Kate Roberts.

Este es un cuento releases on January 6! mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/09/este...

26 books I'm looking forward to booktalking in 2026: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

Today’s book purchase in New York City:

I’m seeing . . .

"With Rare Bird I switched from a Faber-Castell 5B to a 6B, sometimes even an 8B. I wanted the pencil line to be rougher, propulsive, quick like a cat." —Elisha Cooperhttps://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-rare-bird-by-elisha-cooper.html

#Bookaday I added Anca Sandu Budisan's The Home We Dreamed to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

A new @mrschureads.bsky.social book is always a cause for joy! ❤️ I can't wait to meet Lily-May next fall. Catch the cover reveal and an interview between John, illustrator @hollyhatam.bsky.social, and @100scopenotes.bsky.social here:

#Bookaday I added Corey R. Tabor's Bear for a Day to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

Jasmine Warga's brilliant and heartfelt storytelling made my heart soar. While spending time with Chase and Finnegan, words like friendship, family, connection, love, light, and joy kept racing through my mind. Most of all, the story filled me with HOPE! us.macmillan.com/books/978125...

Thank you, @kaaauthor.bsky.social!!!

I wish Exposures had been available when I was in middle school; it would have helped me explain to my parents what was going on inside my brain and would have made me feel less alone. us.macmillan.com/books/978125... @mackidssl.bsky.social

#Bookaday I added Spendin’ Time, by @garyrgrayjr.bsky.social and @rahele.bsky.social, to my 2026 Books I Love presentation: www.pinterest.com/mrschureads/...

"An endearing, deeply moving story of healing." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...

Este es un cuento releases next month! mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/09/este...

2026 Mock Caldecott List: mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/11/2026...

"The Rare Bird’s endpapers bookend the story. The front endpapers are a blue ocean, with a whale, an octopus, a dolphin with cat-like spots." —Elisha Cooper mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/12/the-...

A huge thank-you to United South High School 9th Grade campus, United South High School main campus, and LBJ 9th Grade High School campus for sharing stories together! What a memorable and heartwarming experience! www.instagram.com/p/DSXr1zujn2...

I loved returning to Ruthie Rose and Lily-May’s school. I wrote much of the companion book while revising Louder Than Hunger. My heart needed to focus on joy while I was writing about such heavy topics. mrschureads.blogspot.com/2025/12/lily...

All the teachers who attended the presentations wore T-shirts that said, "Take care of your heart," which is what I often write inside copies of Louder Than Hunger.