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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 02/10/2026

It's spooky time, and you don't get one better than this! Two kids are forced to cross a magical forest full of monsters ready to turn them into monsters, too. It's a book in verse which works so well with the scary story. I LOVE the FABULOUS illustrations, too. @l.kharkiv.author.illustrator

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 25/09/2026

Everything about this book is fabulous. Queso's father has passed away, but he gets to go back in time and hang out with his father at his age. Time travel is my favorite genres, but this one is special. My mom passed away when I was 5. I'd love to go back in time and know her better.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 18/09/2026

SHARK! This book is so funny, and I love the illustrations. Just look at the eyes on the cover. Also, I learned a lot about sharks in between my giggles. Plus, there's a surprise ending. Loved the whole thing.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 11/09/2026

This one has it all! Time jumping, pirates, a curse, treasure, mystery, intrigue and middle school detectives who figure it out. AND!!!! It's part of a series so I can read more with these great characters.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 04/09/2026

This is a very fun book to read with kids. There's flip the flaps, pages to turn sideways, and lots of silly jokes. I'm a tall person and I was a tall kid. This book just hit with me. Even if you aren't a giraffe like me, I think you'll laugh and laugh.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 28/08/2026

I really enjoyed this book even though I was never a horse girl. I thought it might be for me. But I was wrong! Harper is also not a horse person, but when she moves next to a horse farm and rescues a horse, she becomes a horse girl. There’s a wonderful cast of characters in this book.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 14/08/2026

Do you like to do the silly voices when you read out loud? Yeah, me too. This book is perfect for that. I had so much fun with this book. And there's a twist at the end. I love that!

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 07/08/2026

I loved this one. Its post apoplectic which isn’t usually the kind I like. Twelve-year-old Zuzu Santos doesn’t want a robot. Until Snap comes into her life, and proves to be irresistible. This is a beautiful book about friendship and family.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 06/08/2026

Happy birthday, Sadie! I can't believe it's been 2 years already.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 31/07/2026

This book cracked me up. Poor Fish can't sleep so tells all his problems to Crab. The more he talks, the sillier it gets. Finally, Fish can fall asleep, but then Crab can't sleep. Loved it.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 24/07/2026

Who needs a little silliness this morning? I do! But I always love silly. This book is perfect for the sillies. It'll have you giggling. And I love the illustrations, too!

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 23/07/2026

The Crankiest Angel will be a part of @thepilgrimpress.bsky.social 29-30 catalog. Just like building a house, it'll look like nothing is happening for a while. But then all of sudden we'll have a flurry of activity, and then a house. In this case, a new picture book.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 20/07/2026

Only a few days left to subscribe to the August mail club. This month's story is about a vacation. I've included some of the artwork that I created around the theme. Mail Club is $10 a month. Unsubscribe at any time. And mailing is free. susandrewart.net

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 17/07/2026

This is a fun middle grade cozy mystery. It's set in the south with lots of great characters. When thirteen-year-old Tucker finds a neighbor dead in her home, he and his friends set out to find the killer.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 10/07/2026

I used to think I didn't like non-fiction books. Until I read this one. Meet Fergus who lives in the deepest, darkest part of the ocean and is afraid of the other fish. Or is he? This book is so funny, and has a surprise ending. Loved it.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 03/07/2026

Super cute book about an adopted girl who finds out that she's actually a princess - who rides horses, fences, & makes dancing TikToks with her grandpa. Throw in some mummies, & an ancient curse. It's a great summer read. I hope there's a sequel. The characters are so much fun!

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 26/06/2026

I like this book a lot. It starts with a wild idea – everyone around town is giving out dinosaurs. It never backs down from that or takes it back. It just keeps going.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 24/06/2026

I used to watch "To Tell the Truth" with my Gran. My Abby is the inspiration behind my picture book - Abbey and the Missing Cookies. You can read the story and get the Abby stickers by joining my mail club. There's still time. My first Mail club goes out in July. susandrewart.net

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 22/06/2026

Was it "Where the Wild Things Are"? "The Velveteen Rabbit"? "Nancy Drew"? This is what I was reading when I was young:

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 19/06/2026

I really liked super fun mystery. I liked how Lucy’s feelings were dealt with. She has turbo tears and gets overwhelmed by things. I cry at parades and various commercials so I felt seen by this character. This is a good one to listen to - it's set on Prince Edward Island and the accents are great.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 12/06/2026

What would you do if you saw your grandpa's ghost - at his funeral! Basil did in this super fun book. Grandpere is back to help navigate Basil through a tricky situation. I learned so much about New Orleans, and the swamp, and what it means to be Cajon.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 05/06/2026

Finally, it's summer, and this is the perfect summer read. My kids spent a couple of summers on swim team, and I could relate to much of this book. Follow Esme as she makes new friends, figures out what place winning should hold, and navigates a complicated relationship with her mother.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 01/06/2026

It's the start of a new month and lots of new possibilities! My big news is that my MAIL CLUB IS OPEN! If you join by the June 20th, you'll get the first edition in July. I'm mailing on the 10th. Go to susandrewart.net/collections/... to join.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 29/05/2026

I've never seen or felt a book quite like this one. The book pages are black with white letters. The illustrations are raised, like engravings. Above the words is braille. The book itself is about different colors, but you can learn through touch and your imagination.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 26/05/2026

Another little snippet from Lark and the Missing Diary. Lark is in a jam and turns to her trusty bird friends for help. But what can a crow do to help? You're going to have to read the book to find out!

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 25/05/2026

In this month's Substack I'm introducing my new mail club! Stories, stickers, postcards and prompts. I hope you'll check it out. open.substack.com/.../p/im-sta....

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 22/05/2026

I love all things silly, so of course I love this book. Two turtles are playing together, one wearing a bearsuit. The two friends make up what they think a bear will do. Just try not to laugh out loud at this book. You can't do it.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 15/05/2026

This is a cool book about a big sister entertaining her little siblings. She takes the littles down below the sea. At that point you have to turn the book over. The illustrations are beautiful.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 08/05/2026

Ohhh...I love this one. A little girl breaks her grandma’s mug and tries to blame it on the cat. Until she can’t take it anymore and admits what happened. And her grandma isn’t even mad! Great story and illustrations. Even the author/illustrator bio is fun.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 01/05/2026

This is a very sweet book and a good one to give as a gift. I love the illustrations. It feels right today to be dreaming as we enter into the time of graduations and weddings.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 28/04/2026

From "Lark and the Missing Diary". My book is in formatting now. It's hard to wait, but I know things are going on behind the scenes. @kidsbookswithheart

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 24/04/2026

I love this sweet book, perfect to read during April’s Poetry month. Langston and his dad move to Chicago during the great migration, because his mom has just died. Langston has a hard time adjusting, and his classmates are mean to him. And then he finds the library and Langston Hughes.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 17/04/2026

This is a sweet book about pet adoption from the perspective of the cat. I especially love the illustrations. The artist (who's also the author!) used a limited color palette. It's something I like to play around with and it's done here perfectly.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 10/04/2026

I think we've finally broken the back of winter-the first green buds breaking through in my garden! This book is perfect for spring. It's about a boy who makes friends with plants, even though he's misunderstood. This book has super fun illustrations. And one detail I love - great end pages!

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 03/04/2026

This is a stunningly beautiful book. A little boy and his dad go fishing early in the morning to catch food for the family. While they're fishing, the dad tells the boy about when he was young in Vietnam.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 27/03/2026

Now this is a really cool book. Not quite a picture book, not quite a novel, more like a graphic novel all about Pi. Who would have thought that a math book could be this much fun! You get a lot of information but really silly jokes, too. And the illustrations - fabulous! I love the color palette.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 24/03/2026

While you're waiting for Lark and the Missing Diary to come out, here are some other fun books I've read recently that feature birds.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 20/03/2026

This is really sweet story, told in the way of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie. In the story, a little boy makes a call and a gorilla picks up. They share their secrets and lives. The pictures are fabulous. I love the little details in each one. You can spend a while just looking at them.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 13/03/2026

This is an adorable book. A little boy wants a dog, but he lives in a pet-free apartment building. He puts on his thinking cap and figures out a way around it! I don't want to give away the surprise ending, but you'll love it. @rebeccalangstongeorge @kidsbookswithheart

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 06/03/2026

This is an old one, but a sweet one. My favorite part is that bears give hugs if sounding out words is hard. Because it is! I remember when my kids struggled to sound out words. But books can take you to new places, maybe with a bear. 😊

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 27/02/2026

This is a fun mystery -- how did Great Aunt Jane really die, and could the killer be in the family! You don't often get a murder mystery for middle grade. Our detective is 12-year-old Mizzy, who also has Down Syndrome.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 26/02/2026

My February newsletter is up. You can find a link in my bio. susandrew.substack.com/p/family-sto... What stories do you tell time after time?

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 20/02/2026

This is really a love poem to reading. My favorite lines: "Don’t rush through: your eyes need time to taste. Your soul needs room to bloom." The illustrations are fabulous, too--collage! I would buy the book just for the illustrations even if I wasn't so enamored by the poetry.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 13/02/2026

What would you do if you found a valuable painting at a flea market? That's the story of Edwin, who found a Picasso under a poster he bought. And became an overnight sensation. The twists and turns in this story are fun, and you learn a lot about the famous artist, too.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 06/02/2026

I need this one today because I'm feeling tired and draggy. This cold, cold winter is getting to me. This book is the perfect antidote to the blahs! I love the bold, colorful illustrations.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 30/01/2026

I love Millie Fleur and I hope we see more books about her! In this one, she plants a garden full of wonderfully strange plants that the people in town don't appreciate. I love the puns - Colonel Stick-in-the-Mud is a favorite. The illustrations and the color scheme of the book are so great, too.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 29/01/2026

It's a cold one again today! Perfect for reading, art projects, and hot chocolate by the fire. Check out the activity pages that go with my picture book. susandrewwrites.com/resources/ @harborlanebooks @everimaginebooks @butterbee_illustrates #coloringpages #colddayfun #picturebooks

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 27/01/2026

This month I talk about success - how it looks to me, and what I'm doing to chase it. You can link to my Substack in my bio. #querying #writerslife #justkeepgoing #success 5m

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 23/01/2026

This book is special. It’s about the Pack Horse Librarians & told by Cal who can’t read and doesn’t understand why anyone would waste their time on books. But his sister teaches him how and of course he loves it. It's a lyrical book, almost like a long poem. I loved it. Wonderful pictures too.

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Susan Drew @susandrewwrites.com · 16/01/2026

This book is hard to classify. An 8th grader finds out she has a time portal type thing -- a wormhole, in her school locker. She's able to connect with other girls (now grown women) who have had the same locker. They work together to piece together the secrets of the locker.

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