Publishers Weekly Pw Kidscast

Author Gordon Korman discusses his new middle grade novel, ‘Whatshisface,’ and bringing Shakespearean humor into the digital age.

Author Dave Eggers talks about his new middle grade adventure novel, ‘The Lifters,’ and promoting literacy through his nonprofits 826 National and ScholarMatch.

Author-illustrator Ryan T. Higgins discusses his new picture book, ‘We Don’t Eat Our Classmates,’ as well as his love of comics and animals.

Author Blue Balliett talks about her new middle-grade ghost story, ‘Out of the Wild Night,’ and the rich history of Nantucket.

Authors Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead discuss ‘Bob,’ their new middle-grade novel about an extraordinary friendship, as well as the joys of collaboration.

Debut author Tomi Adeyemi discusses ‘Children of Blood and Bone,’ kicking off a YA fantasy series inspired by West African mythology, as well as her path to publication.

Marcus Emerson talks about ‘The Super Life of Ben Braver,’ about a middle schooler who discovers a world of kids with superhuman abilities, and discusses his entry into writing through the world of self-publishing.

Christopher Paul Curtis discusses his new novel, ‘The Journey of Little Charlie,’ as well as his past Buxton novels and the effect that his Newbery Award and Honors have had on his career.

Roshani Chokshi talks about her middle grade novel ‘Aru Shah and the End of Time,’ the first book in the Pandava series, inspired by Hindu mythology, as well as the first book in the Rick Riordan Presents publishing program.

Tui T. Sutherland discusses the graphic novel adaptation of ‘The Dragonet Prophecy,’ the first book in her popular Wings of Fire series about young dragons destined for greatness.

Tracy Barrett discusses ‘Marabel and the Book of Fate,’ a series opener that both uses and subverts fairy-tale stereotypes and conventions as a princess sets out to rescue her “Chosen One” twin brother.

Kiki Prottsman talks about ‘My First Coding Book,’ an interactive introduction to underlying concepts of computer science and coding, as well as misconceptions about coding, why it can be like poetry, and the importance of failure.

Ellen Wittlinger talks about ‘Saturdays with Hitchcock,’ in which a 12-year-old girl named Maisie deals with thorny changes at home and with friends, as well as with the stirrings of first romance.

Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen talk about ‘The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse,’ as well as about the importance of the element of surprise in a picture book, and how their collaborations have evolved over the years.

Ten years after ‘Iggy Peck, Architect,’ Andrea Beaty talks to PW KidsCast about that book, the books that followed—‘Rosie Revere, Engineer,’ and ‘Ada Twist, Scientist’—and about why the series has struck a chord with readers.

British author-illustrator Katie Green discusses her graphic memoir ‘Lighter Than My Shadow,’ which traces her long struggle with and recovery from anorexia, as well as why telling the story visually was so important.

Francisco X. Stork talks about his new novel, ‘Disappeared,’ set in contemporary Juárez, Mexico, about a newspaper reporter who is targeted because of her stories about young women who have gone missing, including her best friend.

Julie Fogliano and Christian Robinson talk about their new picture book, ‘When’s My Birthday?’ and about tapping into the excitement, energy, and anticipation that surrounds these annual celebrations.

Illustrator Pam Smy discusses ‘Thornhill,’ an eerie novel told in alternating written and visual narratives, about a girl named Ella who is mysteriously drawn to an abandoned building near her new home.

Rob Buyea talks about his middle grade novel ‘The Perfect Score,’ which follows the struggles and successes of a group of sixth-graders, a book he says is about doing “the wrong thing for the right reasons.”