Tag Archives: books

6 middle grade books to kick off 2026

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

Happy 2026! With the start of a new year, people turn their focus to resolutions, self-improvement, and positive change in the world around them. Those concepts aren’t exclusive to adults, and they also aren’t exclusive to January. Here are six … Continue reading →

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It’s finally happening! New book coming in November

Posted on July 3, 2025 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

Ten years. That’s how long it’s been since Sarah & Katy and the Book of Blank was published. It was my sophomore children’s book, independently published in November 2015. Riding the high of a recently released novel, I immediately started … Continue reading →

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Why you should be reading aloud with older kids, too

Posted on May 1, 2019 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

I clearly remember the first time I read the Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia C. Wrede. I was about 9 years old, tucked away in the odds-and-ends room of my childhood home, surrounded by shelves and Sterilite plastic totes filled … Continue reading →

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5 great TED Talks about children’s literature

Posted on January 30, 2017 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

I got hooked on TED Talks over the weekend. Despite the fact I kept telling myself, “Just one more, and then I’m going to stop watching these,” I kept watching. (No regrets.) Below are five talks about children’s literature worth … Continue reading →

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Representation matters. Here’s why you should care.

Posted on January 11, 2017 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

I didn’t think much about diversity in childhood. I grew up in a rural Midwestern elementary school district primarily comprised of white middle class students. A portion of the student body was Hispanic and Latino. Throughout my entire grade school … Continue reading →

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