She's done it again! One of our favorite writers, Patricia Leavy, has a new novel that is, already, the must-read book of the year. Twinkle of Doubt is a testament to the humanity in our lives—the joys of love, friendship, and laughter, as well as the challenges of trauma and life-changing events. I started reading it as a gift to myself and wished that I had it sooner to hold in my heart during the last difficult year.

I’ve got the BEST picture book to share with you. It’s perfect for read-alouds, classrooms, sports teams, and all kinds of live action readings (ask me how I know!). While it looks to be about soccer (something that will draw in entire swaths of sports-loving readers), the book turns out to be about something else entirely.

Picture book cover of There's a Griffin on my Back, with a young soccer player and a much larger griffin behind him

What does it mean to delve deeply into your life to write a novel? How do you even start? How does an author write deep, diverse characters? 

Such were the questions that AJ Frazier worked through to write his new novel, Mariel

Author AJ Frazier on Writing, Diverse Characters, and Mariel

He answered them, and then some, in this fascinating thriller that encompasses extraordinarily complex themes in a new and interesting way.

There is so much to discover in Paris that a lifetime isn't enough. And what to do, when we are far away and planning (or dreaming about) a trip? What to see, do, eat, buy? We need help (and inspiration).

Enter the most BEAUTIFUL and inspiring new bookParis Shopfronts, illustrated by Joel Holland, words by Vivian Song, foreword by Sarah Andelman