GIGGLE-WORTHY POEM PROMPTS FOR KIDS by Sandra Athans
GIGGLE-WORTHY POEM PROMPTS FOR KIDS released this past spring. Co-authored with Mike Downs, this book is filled with easy-to-follow guidelines, how-tos, tips, advice, and poetry prompts for kids from 8-12. It highlights free verse, haiku, limericks and more. Red Wolf Press, March 2025.
LIGHT AND AIR by Mindy Nichols Wendell
LIGHT AND AIR is now out in paperback. It's 1935, and tuberculosis is ravaging the nation. When Halle and her mother both come down with TB, they are shunned – and sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital. Tucked away in the woods of upstate New York, it’s far from home, far from family, far from the world. The hospital is a closed and quiet place, but it’s not a prison. Holiday House, July 2025.
MILO'S MIDNIGHT MISSIONS by Kathleen Blasi
Milo’s Moonlight Mission, illustrated by Petronela Dostalova. Captain Milo is ready for takeoff! If only he didn't have to wait for his Second-in-Command--or as he also calls her, Mom--to report for duty. Yet Mom's list of daily tasks grows ever longer, and she can't launch until they're done. So, like any good captain, Milo offers to help! Relaunched from Picnic Heist Publishing, August, 2025.
WHITE HOUSE SECRETS by Gail Jarrow
White House Secrets [Medical Fiascos series] Did you know President Woodrow Wilson suffered a paralyzing stroke that his wife and doctors concealed for months? Neither did the American public. The public also didn’t know that President Grover Cleveland had life-threatening cancer surgery in 1893 – on a boat! This book is filled with shocking-yet-true stories of presidential medical cover-ups from the 19th to the 21st century. Calkins Creek, September 23, 2025.
ORDER OF THE NIGHT JAY by Jonathan Schnapp
ORDER OF THE NIGHT JAY (BOOK 2): THE RIVER RISES. Return to the wilderness with nervous bear Frank and excitable raccoon Ricky as they dive deeper into the long-lost (and supernatural) secrets of Camp Jay Bird. Frank and Ricky are in trouble. They broke camp rules, made enemies of all the other scouts, and released something dark and scary in the forest that might be out to get them! Top Shelf Productions, October 7, 2025.
WHO WAS WILMA MANKILLER? by Andrea Page
WHO WAS WILMA MANKILLER? ? Illustrated by Stephen Marchesi. Wilma Mankiller became the first woman principal chief of the Cherokee Nation in 1985, but her political activism and dedication to her Native community began long before then. From aiding the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1969 through the present, she has never stopped fighting for the rights of Native Americans. Penguin Workshop, September 2, 2025.
Our PAL members are a diverse group of regional authors, author/illustrators, and illustrators who have been published by a traditional publishing house. They have a passion for creating books that engage and inspire readers. We hold PAL talks 2-3 times a year to discuss various aspects of publishing and our careers. Our PAL members have been invited to speak at Regional Events, and Regional and National Conferences. Many of us work with schools and libraries to create quality, fun, and educational programs for students. Got questions? Need help? Contact PAL Coordinator, Sue Heavenrich.
PAL Coordinators
Literacy Liaison
2025-26 Directory of Regional Authors & Illustrators Who Visit Schools
Our PAL Members