Tag Archives: children’s 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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The gunpowder dilemma: Telling a good story without setting a bad example

Posted on June 7, 2023 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

When the original Home Alone film was released in 1990, one of my friends wasn’t allowed to watch it. On its surface, the movie is just a family comedy. Unruly eight-year-old Kevin McCallister accidentally gets left home alone for a … Continue reading →

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8 books to empower young girls

Posted on November 12, 2016 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

“I would have girls regard themselves not as adjectives, but as nouns.” — Elizabeth Cady Stanton Today is Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s birthday. In honor of the suffragist and civil rights pioneer (and in light of the current political climate), here’s … Continue reading →

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Writing update: Work is underway on ‘The Mountain of Dempsey Molehill’

Posted on June 6, 2016 by Julie Stroebel Barichello

I took some time off work last week to get to know Dempsey Molehill. Dempsey lives in Pickettstown, Illinois, and just started fifth grade at Pickettstown Unit School. Even though it’s June in the rest of Illinois, it’s August right … Continue reading →

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