Publishers Weekly PW KidsCast

Author-illustrator Mike Curato talks to PW KidsCast about his new picture book, ‘Little Elliot, Big Family,’ about the continuing big-city adventures of a small, polka-dotted elephant, as well as his own path into creating books for children.

Writer Mercedes Lackey discusses bringing fantasy elements to a post-apolalyptic setting in her new YA novel, ‘Hunter.'

David Stabler and Doogie Horner discuss ‘Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends,’ which takes a humorous look at the upbringings of 16 top athletes and the storied careers that followed.

Lindsay Mattick, whose great-grandfather rescued the bear cub that inspired Winnie-the-Pooh, and artist Sophie Blackall discuss their picture book ‘Finding Winnie,’ about the story behind this literary legend.

Alan Zweibel and Adam Mansbach talk about their middle-grade novel, ‘Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in My…,” which follows a cheeky, time-bending exchange of letters between a seventh-grade boy and his Founding Father namesake.

J. Scott Savage discusses ‘Fires of Invention,' the first book in his steampunk Mysteries of Cove series, as well as the sense of “magic” that has kept him writing middle-grade fiction.

Debut author Dawn Kurtagich talks about ‘The Dead House,’ a YA horror novel about a deadly boarding school fire, which blends psychological and supernatural elements and unfolds through diary entries, interviews, and found evidence.

R.L. Stine and Marc Brown talk about their creepy new picture book, ‘The Little Shop of Monsters,’ and about why the project felt like a departure for both of them.

Author and former publisher Kathy Lowinger discusses ‘Give Me Wings: How a Choir of Former Slaves Took on the World,’ a nonfiction account of the life of Ella Sheppard for middle-grade readers.

Debut author-illustrator Elise Parsley talks about her picture book, ‘If You Ever Want to Bring an Alligator to School, Don’t!’, in which a girl named Magnolia reveals the pitfalls of taking a daring approach to show-and-tell.

Linda Urban talks about her latest novel, ‘Milo Speck, Accidental Agent,’ including why she decided to try her hand at an action-oriented fantasy with this book and why she’s right at home writing in the voice of an 11-year-old.

Newbery Medal Winner Rebecca Stead, author of 'When You Reach Me,' discusses her latest novel, 'Goodbye Stranger,' about a group of students exploring their identities, the bonds and limits of friendship, and what it means to be true to oneself.

Robie H. Harris discusses her picture book ‘Turtle and Me,’ about a boy and his well-loved stuffed turtle, as well as the importance of honesty and directness when writing for children.

Meg Cabot talks about bringing her bestselling Princess Diaries series to a younger audience with ‘From the Notebooks of a Middle School Princess,’ in which 12-year-old Olivia Harrison learns that she’s related to Princess Mia Thermopolis of Genovia.

Lane Smith, the author and artist behind numerous award-winning picture books, talks to PW KidsCast about his first novel, ‘Return to Augie Hobble,’ as well as the unsung work of a book designer and the way death tends to pop up in his books.

Mac Barnett and Patrick McDonnell talk about creating their noir-tinged new picture book, ‘The Skunk,’ about a man being ominously pursued through town by a skunk.

Brothers Lev and Ellis Rosen talk about their middle-grade novel ‘Woundabout,’ in which two orphaned siblings try to unlock the secrets of a strange town, with help from new friends and their pet capybara.

Billy Steers, creator of the Tractor Mac picture books, discusses the 2015 relaunch of his series with Macmillan, as well as the brand-new adventures that await the anthropomorphic tractor and his friends.

Debut author Virginia Boecker discusses the historical inspirations for her YA novel ‘The Witch Hunter,’ set in an alternate 16th-century England in which the king’s forces track down powerful wizards, and a girl named Elizabeth Gray becomes caught between both sides.

Andy Griffiths talks to PW KidsCast about ‘The 39-Story Treehouse,’ the third book in his wild, self-referential series, illustrated by Terry Denton, about the madcap misadventures of friends Andy and Terry in their ever-expanding treehouse.