Tucson Festival of Books

Middle Grade Carousel: Invitations to Adventure


Meet a bunch of authors in 60 minutes as they share their new books filled with invitations to adventure. Each author will be seated at a table to talk with a small group about their newest book. Every eight minutes the authors will rotate to a new table in our version of author speed-dating.


Panelists
Tom Angleberger

Tom Angleberger, bestselling author of the "Origami Yoda" series, is known for his humorous and engaging children’s books. His works include "Horton Halfpott", "Fake Mustache", the "Inspector Flytrap" series, "Geronimo Stilton: The Sewer Rat Stink", and "Two-Headed Chicken....

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Kim Bussing

Kim Bussing writes fairy tales for children and adults. She has an MFA from the University of Arizona, where she taught creative writing to undergraduates. Her first book series is The Princess Swap with "Cinderella and the Beast" and "Snow White and the Dragon....

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J.C. Cervantes

J. C. Cervantes is the New York Times bestselling author of the Storm Runner series as well as other books for young people and adults. She currently resides in the Land of Enchantment with her family and spoiled pups but keeps part of her heart in Southern California, where she was born and raised....

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Megan E. Freeman

Megan E. Freeman attended an elementary school where poets visited her classroom every week, and she has been a writer ever since. She writes middle grade and young adult fiction. Megan is also a Pushcart Prize–nominated poet....

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Gale Galligan

Gale Galligan is the creator of multiple New York Times bestselling Baby-sitters Club graphic novel adaptations by Ann M. Martin. They are also the creator of "Fresh Start" and "Freestyle," original graphic novels that they both wrote and illustrated....

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Leah Johnson

Leah Johnson is an eternal midwesterner and author of award-winning books for children and young adults. Her bestselling YA novel, "You Should See Me in a Crown," was a Stonewall Honor Book and named as one of the 100 Best Young Adult Books of All Time by Time....

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Rosanne Parry

Rosanne Parry is the author of the bestselling novels "A Wolf Called Wander," "A Whale of the Wild," and "A Horse Named Sky" as well as "The Wolf Effect." These Voice of the Wilderness stories center the voices of wild animals and their struggle to survive in a dangerous and changing world....

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Jose Pimienta

Jose Pimienta was raised in Mexicali, Baja California and resides in Los Angeles, CA where they work on comics and storyboards for animation and film. "Suncatcher" was their debut YA graphic novel and ended on many best of lists....

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Kim Tomsic

Kim Tomsic was a classroom conversationalist and got in trouble (a lot!) with teachers for talking. The trouble spanned from the East Coast to the West Coast, because she was a military brat and the new girl at eight different schools....

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Books:
Dino Poet
A Graphic Novel
Tom Angleberger
Children
Abrams Fanfare
March 2025
ISBN 9781419772801
96 pages
Buy now

Cinderella and the Beast
Kim Bussing
Children
Random House
January 2025
ISBN 9780593708033
304 pages
Buy now

The Daggers of Ire
J.C. Cervantes
Children
HarperCollins
September 2024
ISBN 9780063312074
384 pages
Buy now

Fresh Start: A Graphic Novel
Gale Galligan
Children
Scholastic Incorporated
January 2025
ISBN 9781338045840
288 pages
Buy now

Bree Boyd Is a Legend
Leah Johnson
Children
Disney Publishing Group
March 2025
ISBN 9781368090100
256 pages

A Wolf Called Fire
A Voice of the Wilderness Novel
Rosanne Parry
Children
HarperCollins Publishers
January 2025
ISBN 9780063415133
256 pages

The Truth about 5th Grade
Kim Tomsic
Children
HarperCollins Publishers
August 2024
ISBN 9780063038714
192 pages
Buy now

Halfway to Somewhere
(A Graphic Novel)
Jose Pimienta
Children
Random House
February 2025
ISBN 9780593569450
256 pages
Buy now