Children's publishing

For our latest look at the middle grade category of children's books, we turn to the professionals who work in, well, the middle of it all: the literary agents who serve as intermediaries between authors and publishers. A handful of agents revealed some of the middle grade trends they are observing from their unique vantage point.

Like almost every other children's writer I know, my overwhelming desire is to get children reading. I want them to pick up the book and remain immersed in its pages for as long as is reasonable to expect any 21st century digital native to remain immersed in anything.  Read more

In every skirmish in the ‘culture war', be it fought in universities, Twitter or Parliament, there's an inevitable reference to Harry Potter. The Potter references can seem like a joke; the perpetual furore around the politics of a ‘mere' children's author more so. But it is no laughing matter.  Read more

A leading expert on racism in children's literature has said the decision by the Dr Seuss Foundation to withdraw six books should be viewed as a "product recall" and not, as many claim, an example of cancel culture.

Nosy Crow is this morning 'delighted to announce a call for picture book submissions from writers of colour', with a view to increasing the diversity of its picture book list. The scheme is also open to writer-illustrators, who can submit illustrations along with their picture book stories.  Read more