25 June 2026, Thursday
The Fighting Ground is another of my historical novels set during the Revolutionary War — a great choice during America’s 250th birthday celebrations. As the Kate on Kids Books blog said of the title: “American kids will experience what it is like when a war is fought in your own community and maybe be more sympathetic to current world events.”
Kate on Kids: https://bit.ly/4eovuMP
The Fighting Ground: https://bit.ly/3U6jFPj
23 June 2026, Thursday
2026 Summer Blog Series: Gary D. Schmidt
“When St. Augustine was working on his De Rhetorica, he began by trying to define what words are — not a bad place to start. He concluded that words are signs of real things.” St. Augustine, Charles Dickens, dogs, gardening, and more.
Gary D. Schmidt’s article: https://bit.ly/4fWaNsJ
16 June 2026, Tuesday
2026 Summer Blog Series: Tracey Baptiste
“First, you need to experience a lot of stories … To learn, you need to pay attention to the details.”
Tracey Baptiste’s essay: https://bit.ly/4xy2LfR
Tracey Baptiste: https://www.traceybaptiste.com
11 June 2026, Thursday
Father’s Day is coming up quickly — it’s on June 21 — but there’s still time to check your local library or bookstore for my title The Most Important Thing: Stories About Sons, Fathers, and Grandfathers. Book columnist Kendal A. Rautzhan described it by saying: “Equally important for fathers as it is for sons, this is a must-read.”
The Most Important Thing: https://bit.ly/3qu5lFX
9 June 2026, Tuesday
2026 Summer Blog Series: V.T. Bidania
“And you never know the impact your work might have on others. … I hoped for but didn’t anticipate I would hear these reactions again and again: your characters have made my kids proud of their background, your books turned my students into readers, and most often, your work is changing lives.
V.T. Bidania essay: https://bit.ly/4dXjFgj
V.T. Bidania: https://www.vtbidania.com
4 June 2026, Thursday
“Newbery Medalist Avi channels the mood, language, and danger of the Revolutionary War in this seamless blend of history and fiction,” said Publishers Weekly in their starred review of my novel Sophia’s War when it originally came out. Now the book has been newly released with a brand-new cover — just in time for America’s 250th birthday! And don’t miss the chance to also learn more about the story behind this story by visiting my website.
Story Behind the Story of Sophia’s War: https://bit.ly/4dHBrnM
More about Sophia’s War: https://bit.ly/4veVSOz
2 June 2026, Tuesday
2026 Summer Blog Series: Nikki Grimes
“It’s one thing to imitate another writer to practice a certain technique, but when it comes to telling our own stories, it’s crucial that we learn to tell them in our own way, using our own language, writing in our own voice and style. The earlier a writer understands this, the better.”
Nikki’s essay: https://bit.ly/4dKU6z3
Nikki Grimes: https://www.nikkigrimes.com
28 May 2026, Thursday
I just put together that it would be fun to do a compare/contrast exercise with my newest novel The Road from Nowhere and one of my established favorites, Gold Rush Girl. The new title features Colorado silver mining in 1893 — the older title features the California gold fields in the same century. Silver and gold, and two very intriguing times in western US history!
Gold Rush Girl: https://bit.ly/4579aj5
The Road from Nowhere: https://bit.ly/3Mbfv9d
26 May 2026, Tuesday
2026 Summer Blog Series: Avi
This week we’re kicking off my Summer Blog Series 2026 …
This summer’s essays are prompted by “At almost all of my school author visits, a young person will raise a hand and ask a variant of this question: ‘What advice can you give so I can become a writer?’”
Join us throughout the summer for 14 essays by writers I admire answering this question. We trust you will find inspiration for your teaching, your own writing, and your reading.
Avi’s Summer Blog Series 2026: https://bit.ly/4fIoLy4