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.

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.

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.

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.