SpookyMiddleGrade

autumn is here! time for ghosts and ghouls! and your semi-regular reminder that I have two creepy, magical little middle grade books perfect for when there's a fresh chill in the air <3

Have you read THE GIRL IN THE WALLS? Would you be willing to leave an honest review? So far have 33/50 reviews, which allegedly makes a difference with the algorithms. Every review helps!

Instagram graphic showing that the picture book Zombie and Brain Are Friends went from Number 5 on the NYT bestseller list to Number 3.

... we surpassed Stephen King on the NYT bestseller list?

My gob has been well and truly smacked.

THIS BOOK DIED ON SUBMISSION!

I'm so overwhelmingly grateful for all the love. Team Zomsbury is THE BEST.

Just left a bunch of signed books at @auntiesbooks.bsky.social. They ship. 🖤

One week until Canada’s largest Children’s Book Festival!!!! I’ll be at the Telling Tales Festival on October 4 and 5, and presenting in the preteen tent on Saturday from 4-4:45!! Come hear me chat about THE GHOSTS OF BITTERFLY BAY, and join in on some spooky crafts 🖤🍂

www.aacpl.net/event/how-i-...

Reading Rainbow Is Back, With Mychal the Librarian Hosting! - Reactor The butterfly is back in the sky; can’t wait to fly twice as high.

EVERYONE STOP EVERYTHING Mychal the Librarian is hosting the Reading Rainbow revival!!!

reactormag.com/reading-rain...

A lovely review from @marylannireads.bsky.social! Thank you! ☺️

IT'S TIME IT'S TIME!!! Ok, you don't actually need it to be October for spooky reads, but it doesn't hurt! Time for scary books and horror movies, hot cider and the crunch of falling leaves. Cozy blankets and ghosts and ghouls. Let's do this!

Listen the fact is BROKEN DOLLS is the best thing I have ever written and @claymcleod loved it so that all you need to know

Follow along with @allymalinenko.bsky.social this month for spooky recommendations!

Perfect!

Spooky Middle Grade Still Sells With editors looking for shorter, more plot-driven middle grade projects these days, agents have seen an uptick in the horror genre for younger readers.

No surprise that "Spooky Middle Grade Still Sells" as @publisherswkly.bsky.social writes here. Children's librarians always tell me that kids LOVE spooky #MG because it's a safe way to experience fun scares. This is why I love writing #spookymg www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/... #kidlit

If you come out on the 30th you’ll get to meet Tamzin, Eudora, Jangling Jane and Miss Abyss all featured in Broken Dolls

"Sean laughs bitterly, 'more weight.'" 'Seriously,' agreed Charity. 'Good thing I work best under pressure.' 'More weight?' Lilith asked. 'It's something we say when bad stuff keeps piling up.' I was a big fan of less weight." A book cover appears under the text on a black background with flames in the front. A boy with wings stand with his friends on the power lines above a hellish neighborhood. Flames border the bottom of the page.

On this day in 1692, Giles Corey was pressed to death at the age of 81, for not entering a plea, thus not allowing himself to be tried for witchcraft, during the Salem Witch Trials. His last words were, "More weight..."

Anyway, more than 300 years later he gets a shout out in my kid's book so...

so exciting to see both Eelgrass Bog AND Bitterfly Bay on the back cover of The Week Jr magazine!! alongside some other fabulous Penguin Young Readers titles!!!

Last chance to sign up for my newsletter and get the chance to win a copy of ARROW and FREE author visits for your class or child’s class. #kidlit

Oh crap I have a book out tomorrow. It's called PENNIES. You can read it before or after the other Blight Harbor books or even all by itself.

It has a beautiful cover by @redolaf.bsky.social and @karynslee.bsky.social.

I'm proud of it and I hope you like it.

Preorders, library requests, etc.

🖤🖤🖤

Broken Dolls coming next Tuesday

FREE VIRTUAL Q&A Calling all teachers and librarians in grades 3-8! Schedule your free 30-minute Virtual Q&A today with a panel of spooky middle grade authors. We will answer all of your students’ burning…

Oh goodness, sorry this snuck by us! We offer visits all year long! You can find more info here. spookymiddlegrade.com/virtual-qa/

Hope to see you at Bouchercon!
#mysterywriters #bouchercon #kidlit #mglit #yalit #mystery

Three books covers are in the middle of the page with falling leaves, a fire with s'mores and a ghost in the corner. The books are Grounded for All Eternity, The Afterlife of the Party and S'more Spooky Stories.

The weather here is cooling down and the trees are starting to turn. It may still be August but it's feeling like Spooky Season! So, here's a reminder that I write books for that Halloween vibe. Check them out!

-----DEADLINE EXTENDED SEPT 17------

Ready to take your Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror novel to the next level? Check out the fall Whole Novel Workshop @highlightsfound.bsky.social ✨

WHEN: October 8 - December 10, 2024

Broken Dolls \"Put it on your list!\" -Stephen King Author of Ghost Girl and This Appearing House Ally Malinenko brings to life a terrifying middle grade novel...

Broken Dolls comes out in exactly four weeks! Pre-orders are appreciated and if you're in the NYC area, I'll be doing a launch at The Twisted Spine with @claymcleod.bsky.social
www.harpercollins.com/products/bro...

New York Public Library Vibrant Voices New Books from Authors of Color. Kingdom of Dust by Lisa Stringfellow In this West African-inspired fantasy, a ruthless king conquesrs the kingdom of kun, turning the once-opulent city into ruins. When Amara learns of her destiny, she goes off to restore magic and justice--before Kun is lost forever.

Thrilled and honored to see KINGDOM OF DUST included on NYPL's Vibrant Voices Titles for Kids list for 2025-2026!

Thank you to the librarians and staff of the library for sharing my book with your patrons!
www.nypl.org/books-more/r... @harperkids.bsky.social

It's that time of year again (again??) - B&N presale sale. 25% off forthcoming books. I have one coming out soon. Maybe preorder it or something else. Books are good. 🖤

As always, I hope you'll support your local indie but if the sale makes the difference between getting a book or not, here you go.

The three book covers of the series - The Horrible Bag of Terrible Things, The Twisted Tower of Endless Torment, and The Cursed Cloak of the Wretched Wraith.

In the Horrible Bag series, Zenith Maelstrom must rescue his sister Apogee from GrahBhag, the bizarre world inside the bag. He encounters a gargoyle who dines on earwax, an eight-foot-tall living rag doll with a deadly definition of friendship, and many other creepy creatures.

A children's book expert picks the best spooky Halloween books for kids and tweens - FamilyVacationist The best Halloween books for kids blend horror, humor, and adventure into spooky stories that are just right for younger readers.

Happy to see many of my fellow Spooky Middle Grade members featured here as we gear up for the Halloween season!

familyvacationist.com/halloween-bo...

Really and truly honored to find out THE LONELIEST PLACE is a Washington State Book Award finalist. A nod from my home state - where I grew up and am raising my family - is extra special.

Thank you to The Washington Center for the Book and Washington State Library.

I spy @medenkuyatt.bsky.social!