Skip to main content

Author News & Interviews

Interview: Shea Fontana, author of DC Super Hero Girls: Date with Disaster!

Feb 8, 2018

It might be a new year, but superhero stories never go out of style. With so many superheroes and adaptations to choose from, it can be tough to find the perfect read for you and your children. One of our favorite middle grade series is Shea Fontana's DC Super Hero Girls, a graphic novel series set at Super Hero High, where well-known DC heroes, both male and female, not only attend  classes, but also deal with all the awkwardness of growing up --- oh, and superpowers. The sixth book in the series, DATE WITH DISASTER, is now in stores, and our reviewer, Katherine Szabo, had the pleasure of interviewing the author, Shea Fontana, and illustrator, Yancey Labat, about their process, the series and, of course, their favorite super heroes. Read on for their answers!

Interview: Nidhi Chanani, author of Pashmina

Feb 1, 2018

One of our favorite releases of 2017 was Nidhi Chanani's PASHMINA. In this graphic novel, a young Indian-American girl struggles with her mother's lack of answers to questions about her past. Priyanka desperately wants to know who her father was, and why her mother left India so many years ago, but her mother refuses to answer. But when Priyanka discovers a magical pashmina scarf in her mother's closet, she is transported to a fantastical, colorful version of India that just might hold some answers. Blending snippets of her own youth with bold, vivid colors and a lot of imagination, Nidhi Chanani weaves a powerful tale of self-discovery, blending cultures and identity. We had the opportunity to ask Nidhi a few questions about her book recently. Read below to learn about her inspiration for the book, how she balances her writing/drawing process and what she's working on next.

Interview: Svetlana Chmakova, author of Brave

May 22, 2017

In 2015, Svetlana Chmakova released AWKWARD, a graphic novel set in Berrybrook Middle School, which introduced readers to Peppi, a young girl trying (awkwardly) to navigate the difficult social ins and outs of middle school. AWKWARD was named as one of the School Library Journal's Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2015 and was later added to YALSA's 2016 Great Graphic Novels for Teens. This year, Svetlana returns with BRAVE, which is also set at Berrybrook Middle School, but introduces new characters Jensen, Jenny and Akilah as they navigate the drama of being a pre-teen. In anticpation of the follow-up to Svetlana Chmakova's critically acclaimed graphic novel, Kidsreads.com's Matthew Burbridge spoke to Svetlana about representing diversity in her books, her inspiration, and how she handles both writing and illustrating her books.

Interview: Suzanne Selfors, author of Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins

Apr 3, 2017

One of our favorite childhood movies, Spirit: The Stallion of the Cimarron, is the basis of inspiration for both a new animated TV series on Netflix as well as a book series --- we couldn't be more excited! SPIRIT RIDING FREE: The Adventure Begins by Suzanne Selfors is your chance to meet Lucky, an adventurous young girl who is traveling to her new home in the West, and Spirit, the wild stallion she meets along the way. With the Netflix premiere rapidly approaching, we knew we needed to learn more about this amazing series as soon as possible. Luckily, author Suzanne Selfors was more than willing to talk to us about her fantastic characters, what it's like to write as a horse, and, of course, what we can expect from the show.

Interview: Tania Del Rio, author of Warren the 13th and the Whispering Woods: A Novel

Mar 24, 2017

Beginning in November 2015 with WARREN THE 13TH AND THE ALL-SEEING EYE, Tania Del Rio and Will Staehle's whimsical children's series follows Warren, a Victorian bellop who has taken over the management of his family's hotel. Full of wild and wacky guests, the hotel is home to dozens of adventures, puzzles and mysteries --- oh, and it walks. In celebration of the release of the second book in the series, WARREN THE 13TH AND THE WHISPERING WOODS, we sat down with the incredible team behind Warren and asked them about their inspirations, collaborations and plans for future books.