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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

And looking ahead to a not-yet-published middle grade novel: SLJ is calling Sita Jit's THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US "highly anticipated"! It's out Feb 2 but you can preorder it from many sites already! www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/A-Feas... bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

Cover for THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US by Sita Jit. Full-color illustration. A tween girl with medium-brown skin and long, curly black hair, shown from the knees up, walks toward the lefthand side of the image, while looking behind her over her left shoulder. She wears a T-shirt and jeans and holds a sheet of paper in her left hand. Above her, separated from her by the title text, two other figures are shown from the waist up. On the far right is a middle-aged woman with medium-brown skin and long black hair, wearing a suit jacket. She faces the righthand side of the image but turns her head to look toward the center. Behind her, at the top center of the image, is an older woman with medium-brown skin and gray hair in a bun, facing away from the viewer but looking over her shoulder toward the lefthand side of the image. She wears glasses and a simple top with a sash draped over her left shoulder. In the background are large overlapping sheets of multicolored paper with doodles on them, including musical notes, headphones, a laptop, flowers, and buildings.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Second: Jennie Liu's THE RED CAR TO HOLLYWOOD (gripping YA novel set in 1920s LA) has won the California Library Association's Beatty Award! www.cla-net.org/page/113 lernerbooks.com/shop/show/24... (Longtime fans will remember it also won the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature💖)

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's by Maria Parrott-Ryan and the book design is by Kim Morales, and it's so much fun!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The horrors persist but so does Things That Happened Thursday, my updates on kids' books. First: a much-belated shoutout to AN ASTONISHING CIRCLE, edited by my colleague Jesseca Fusco, a *rollicking* nf book about the discovery of the circulatory system! Out now! lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26...

Cover image for AN ASTONISHING CIRCLE: THE DISCOVERY AND DENIAL OF THE CIRCULATORY SYSTEM by Maria Parrott-Ryan. Cover design by Kim Morales. Off-white-parchmenty background, framed by an ornate black border. Big red title text, and a red and black painting of a heart in the middle.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

For several years my plan for when It Happens was to buy one of their entire cheesecakes and I still haven't settled on a new plan!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

(disclaimer, this is not a defense of complacency or doomerism or loser tech bros who can't get dates, this is about an annoying interpersonal interaction that happened months ago and that I am ruminating about on my bus ride)

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"Have You Tried Being an Individual Solution to a Systemic Problem?" brought to you by Friends of the Systemic Problem

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

How soon will there be an Oscar-nominated Brad Pitt movie adaptation of this?

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This has been another edition of Things That Happened Thursday, when I pretend I'm using this app to promote books and not to follow the health of Mitch McConnell. As you were!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Speaking of nonfiction, WITNESS, a YA poetry anthology edited by Ari Tison and Ty Chapman, is out now! I had nothing to do with it (shoutout to Shaina Olmanson and @carolhinz.bsky.social), I'm just here to tell you it rocks. Kirkus and SLJ agree, via starred reviews! lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26...

Cover for WITNESS: POEMS TO ADDRESS THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF POLICING, edited by Ari Tison and Ty Chapman, with artwork by Damon Davis. Several merged brown faces, disembodied, float against a stark white background.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

And on the nonfiction side, a slew of positive reviews for PLAYBOOK FOR JUSTICE, out in Nov! Foreword Reviews: "An essential history book about the power of peaceful protests." SLJ: "Interesting and useful... Recommended." Kirkus: "Brings hope in dystopian times." lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26...

Cover for Playbook for Justice: James Lawson and the Nonviolent Movement in America by Lesley Younge. Black and white photo of Lawson, a thirtysomething Black man, being escorted to a police car by a police officer, against a multicolored background.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

In other news: BEING AMANI by Annabelle Steele got a starred review from PW, which called it "a powerful and affecting outing about grief and healing." It's out in October! lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26...

Cover of BEING AMANI by Annabelle Steele. Full-color illustration of a smiling Black girl, shown from the shoulders up, eyes closed and head tilted upward.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Time for a quick round of Things That Happened Thursday! First off, Marie Miranda Cruz's awesome middle grade novel, A BOY CALLED HERO, was published this month. It features time travel, a banned book, a colonizer villain, and delightful tweens resisting oppression! lernerbooks.com/shop/show/26...

Cover image for A BOY CALLED HERO by Marie Miranda Cruz. Full-color illustration of three kids surrounded by a leafy, thick-trunked tree. Center kid stands next to a sack full of books and wears a glowing amulet.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

In elementary school we sang a song for music class that went "What is a Hoosier? Who made up that name?" and offered no answers.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

We have lost one of the most unbroken clocks to ever tick. You couldn't make Dolly Parton today! She'd be right about too many things!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Extremely hard to narrow it down but, going way back to the picture book stage, I do think The Christmas Miracle of Jonathan Toomey might explain my entire personality

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

GUESS WHAT, today I'm sharing book news PROMPTLY for a change! When It's Your Turn for Midnight by Blessing Musariri is a finalist for the Kirkus Prize for Young Readers' Literature! There are only 6 finalists! Out of all the past year's kids' books! Whoa! www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...

kirkusreviews.com

Finalists for the 2026 Kirkus Prize Revealed | Kirkus Reviews

The awards in three categories, worth $150,000 in total, were established in 2014.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

The incident in Chapter 12 is the most harrowing part of the book for me because it is illegal levels of relatable

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Hark! A pub day! PALOMA JOINS THE CIRCUS by Lupe Ruiz-Flores is out today. Paloma is traveling with her family's tent show. She vows to become a wire-walker like her mother. But at what cost?!? And what else might she discover about circus life along the way??? READ BOOK. FIND OUT. EVERYBODY WINS.

Cover image for Paloma Joins the Circus by Lupe Ruiz-Flores. Full-color illustration of a smiling girl with brown skin walking across a tightrope.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

"I lowered the bar to the basement and you rented an excavator to tunnel underneath it" feels like the kind of line I should be able to auction off to the blockbuster screenplay most in need of a punch-up, or to the slam poet with the most family money at their disposal

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Tag yourself: I'm "out of control (monitored)"

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

This should be getting the same attention as Renee Good's and Alex Pretti's deaths. ICE will keep doing this until abolition. They will keep getting away with murders until they are prosecuted. Not an original observation but one that needs repeating until we get justice.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Is everything actually exhausting all the time or am I just chronically under-caffeinated? This post brought to you by a 16-oz latte and its contrast with my usual single cup of green tea per day (Answer: both??)

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Reposted by Amy Fitzgerald

Jason Chavez @jchavezmpls.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Trans girls are girls. Trans women are women. Trans boys are boys. Trans men are men. Gender expansive people are people. No executive order, federal rollback, or court ruling with ever take that away. 5/

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

Been thinking about Jane Yolen since yesterday's news. I got to work with her a bit on one of her zillions of books and was amazed at how down-to-earth she was. Pleasant, open to feedback, even gracious when a colleague and I had a version control issue with the manuscript. The best kind of legend.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

I do sometimes wonder what the first draft of a presidential tweet looks like before Miller copyedits it using the pre-dementia manual of style

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

Ugh, I'm so sorry. I hate to think of folks getting messed with this way.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

I recently found out I'm among the (MANY) editors whose names are being used in this genre of email scam targeting writers. Naomi's thread breaks down what to check for if you ever get a message purporting to be from a random publishing professional.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

The Summer Scrapbook by @florencemigga.bsky.social is out now! Imagine if The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants followed middle schoolers, featured a scrapbook-in-progress instead of magic pants, & offered what PW calls "an affirming portrait of friendship in transition." Sounds delightful, right?!

Cover image for THE SUMMER SCRAPBOOK by Florence Migga. Full-color illustration showing three polaroid-type photos, each of a different tween Black girl having a great time, along with a variety of stickers, ticket stubs, and multicolored and textured backgrounds mimicking scrapbook paper.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Kirkus gave it a starred review and called it "a sparkling jewel of a story grounded in emotional truths." Horn Book praised it for offering "both intimacy and weight." Booklist called the story "wholly fresh." SLJ's only complaint was that it's short—an ideal weekend read for a busy teen!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Flashback Friday Funpost: WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN FOR MIDNIGHT by Blessing Musariri came out in the US this month! It's a stunning YA novel about a girl who learns that her dad isn't her bio father, goes to stay with her maternal grandmother, and discovers a new definition of family.

Cover image for WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN FOR MIDNIGHT by Blessing Musariri. Bold white title text against a multi-hued green background adorned with flame lilies, flowers with long narrow red petals that curve to form a globe shape.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

It makes me so angry that she now has to carry this knowledge on top of her own trauma, when none of it is her fault and none of it cost the perpetrator a wink of sleep. I hope she's surrounded by love and support, as everyone in her position deserves.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 09/03/2026

Jacob Frey's voicemail message has the same energy as Peter Callaghan's answering machine in While You Were Sleeping; it's worth calling just to experience that level of cringe from an anthropological standpoint. As a bonus, you get to express support for your neighbors.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

Usually I'm like "Hoarding is too sad of a subject for me, please give me three books about bereavement instead" but this story pulled me in!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 03/03/2026

It's publication day for Shannon Hitchcock's WILD MOUNTAIN IVY, a middle grade novel about two girls with chronic illness—one in the present and one who lived in the same house 100 years ago—finding new ways to navigate their worlds. Booklist calls it "sweet" and "uplifting," "like a warm hug."

Cover image for WILD MOUNTAIN IVY by Shannon Hitchcock. Full-color illustration of a girl sitting on a bench with a dulcimer in her lap, with a black cat next to her, and with a mountainous landscape in the background.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

This is why you can't give discrimination a little capitulation as a treat. It will only keep escalating. You should push back even if it magically stops at one targeted group, but fyi it never does. You should care even if it isn't coming for you too, but btw it is. bookriot.com/hr7661-book-...

bookriot.com

A Nationwide Book Ban Bill Has Been Introduced in the House of Representatives

Hours after the State of the Union address, House republicans introduced legislation banning LGBTQ+ books from public schools nationwide.

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Reposted by Amy Fitzgerald

Greg Pak @gregpak.net · 23/02/2026

Tim Walz isn't declaring an eviction moratorium in Minnesota, so many families affected by ICE are at risk of eviction in a few days. Please donate to the rent funds at keepMNhoused.com if you have some scratch.

keepmnhoused.com

Stand With Minnesota

Stand With Minnesota is a hub for supporting, learning, and taking action to support Minnesotans impacted by ICE and federal enforcement.

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Reposted by Amy Fitzgerald

ashley fairbanks @ziibiing.com · 19/02/2026

Today we are launching a new intitative of Stand With Minnesota—KeepMNHoused.com, a rent-relief campaign backed with a $1.5 matching fund from the Wilson Foundation. Thousands of MN families are at risk of eviction because of the ICE occupation’s lasting impacts. We can keep them housed.

Keep Minnesota Housed!
Much of the medía has left, but ICE is still in Minnesota and hundreds of families need help with rent in order to avoid eviction.
Visit keepMNhoused.com to adopt a rent or donate to rent funds!
#keepMNhoused

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Can't say it enough: They did this to a white man in broad daylight in front of multiple witnesses. That tells you everything you need to know about what they're doing out of sight to people they deem less than human. Absolutely nothing short of abolition should even be on the table.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

This is what I wondered about as someone who moved into a place with a preexisting Ring doorbell I've never paid for: It's still recording and sharing that footage. Take it offline or cover the camera till you can get a new doorbell. Even if, like mine, it's not in a spot where it can "see" much.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Tim! Buddy! Your voicemail* is about to hear from me about this again... *651-201-3400 just fyi for my MN neighbors

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

This fundraiser is really close to its goal... AND February is a short month so rent will be due again very soon (not to mention utility bills etc etc). It'd be great to give these families a little cushion!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Two books I edited are out today: CHOIR GRRRL by Ashley Granillo (middle grade, contemporary, delightful) and BEYOND SEVEN FORESTS by Amanda McCrina (young adult, historical, gripping). I love them both. Read 'em. Thanks. @lernerbooks.bsky.social @missashleyjean.bsky.social @mccrina.bsky.social

Cover image for Choir Grrrl by Ashley Granillo. Full-color illustration. A tween girl sings into a microphone that she holds in her left hand while holding a guitar in her right hand. Her eyes are closed and her mouth is wide open. A purple spotlight shines down on her against a black background. She has long, wavy black hair with a short pink streak framing either side of her face. She wears a dark purple shirt, a black necklace, a black cuff on each wrist, and black nail polish. A wide diagonal strip of this image is missing, as if ripped out, revealing part of another image that stretches from the upper righthand corner to the lower lefthand corner of the cover. The alternate image shows the same girl’s body, clothed in a reddish-orange choir robe, against a light pink background with several rows of black musical staffs and notes. In this partial image, the girl’s hands hold a piece of paper instead of the guitar and microphone, though they still sport black nail polish. Title text is in uneven uppercase white lettering. Two short horizontal white lines underscore the last R and the L. Author name is in uneven title case white lettering in the bottom right corner.

Front cover of Beyond Seven Forests by Amanda McCrina. Bluish-white uppercase title text is stacked against a light blue snowy background. Numerous snowflakes dot the image. Sloping hills or mountains near the top of the image give way to a darker stretch of trees. Near the bottom right corner, surrounded by snow-covered ground, is a small house with a peaked roof and a tiny window that shines with yellow light. Author name, beneath the house and centered near the bottom of the page, is in uppercase red letters.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 02/02/2026

Me, fresh off of two post-breakfast chocolate chip cookies, to my governor's voicemail: "Where are we at with that eviction moratorium, buddy? My neighbors can't pay their rent because they're being terrorized by slave catchers, we need it done yesterday" The #, for fellow Minnesotans: 651-201-3400

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Anyone who still wants to get in on the Publishing for Minnesota fundraiser has until 11:45 pm EST TONIGHT (1/30!) to bid on offerings like manuscript critiques, AMAs, and swag from authors, agents, and editors. $$ supports Minnesotans impacted by ICE. 💙 www.32auctions.com/organization...

32auctions.com

Publishing for Minnesota

Silent auction 'Publishing for Minnesota' hosted online at 32auctions.

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Fun fact, today is 1/29 and tomorrow is 1/30. The auction runs through Friday, 1/30!

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Amy Fitzgerald @amyarielfitz.bsky.social · 29/01/2026

Welp that date's wrong; today is 1/29 and tomorrow is 1/30!

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