In this Q&A series, SLJ poses five questions and a request for a book recommendation to a debut YA author. Shannon J. Spann discusses A Stage Set for Villains in this latest installment.

Author Ashley Hope Pérez teaches the 1960s movement to help her Ohio State University students understand the impact of the current book bans and learn how to take action against censorship now.

As she dealt with grief herself, Watson wrote All the Blues in the Sky to give readers permission to feel all of the emotions related with loss and help them cope with it.

Halfway through the process, the heart of Matthew Burgess's book revealed itself to Cátia Chien, who then created a visual tribute to the freedom of childhood.

The anthology, edited by Cynthia Leitich Smith, includes established and new Indigenous authors in a title Smith says would not have been possible less than 10 years ago.

Carolina Ixta's sophomore novel, Few Blue Skies, publishes in February 2026. Here, the author reflects on the idea for this ambitious novel, blurring the lines between fiction and nonfiction, and comparing the work to her award-winning debut.

YA author Erik J. Brown speaks with SLJ about writing across genres, the value of found family, and the safety in thrillers.

StoryKind aims to connect with readers, spark an interest in reading and writing, and help wean kids off a steady diet of short-form video.

The former librarian shares how her first job at her former high school changed the trajectory of her writing career.