Many of John and Crosley's favorite readers are fifth graders. When this school year comes to a close in a few short weeks, they will be saying goodbye to elementary school. This is an exciting transition; emotions may run from happy to nervous to happy again and even a little...
Who doesn't love a good holiday? It's fun to look forward to special days and to plan special celebrations. But don't limit yourself to the BIG holidays; pick some unusual, lesser-known holidays and observances and incorporate them into your 2023 plans. HolidaysandObservances.com offers hundreds of suggestions, but we've listed a...
Perhaps you've heard the lore about how the Night Buddies' adventures started as bedtime stories made up by Sands Hetherington and his John. Five years ago, we investigated what it takes to become a master at crafting nighttime tales. So grab a pillow and blanket and settle in as we...
We are smack dab in the middle of three big holidays. The dates for these three spring holidays move each year based on the moon. Ramadan began on March 22nd and goes through April 20th. It is celebrated by Muslims worldwide and is one of their holiest times of year....
April 1st is known as the day for pranks and hoaxes. But why? Who decided this would be the day for shenanigans? Crosley's great-great-great grandfather crocodile loved to pull pranks. He'd send his kids on phony errands (fetch me the gizmo that turns off the sun, etc.) and set up...
Think about the last book you bought. Did you choose it because you found it on a real or virtual bookshelf? Did you go looking for it because a friend recommended it? Or did you read a review that piqued your interest? As we shop more online, we increasingly look...
It's that time of year when people who pay no attention to college basketball suddenly can't get enough. Productivity and focus decrease as people watch college men and women shoot half-court shots and buzzer-beaters during the NCAA basketball tournaments. If you can't look away from the action, include your middle-grade...
In 2016, author Sands Hetherington, who was a single parent raising a son, started a campaign called Boys Who Read, which encouraged children and parents together to make reading an enjoyable habit in their lives. Seven years later, it’s worth revisiting and renewing our efforts to create a generation of...
Are leprechauns real? And if so, what exactly are they? Good questions and perfect for March! Leprechauns are small creatures that some believe are related to faeries or elves. They hail from Ireland, so the bearded fellows are often depicted wearing green and have become associated with St. Patrick's Day....
Way back in 2014, when the Night Buddies' adventures were new and just starting to be discovered, kids wanted to know if they had what it takes to be a Night Buddy. Author Sands Hetherington ciphered on that a bit and came up with five characteristics that qualify a person...
What Night Buddies book did you read first? It really doesn't matter, because once you read one, you'll want to gormandize* all four books just as fast as you can! Before the newest Night Buddies adventure is released, we thought we'd give you the skinny on all of John and...
Worldbuilding can be one of the most fun and exciting parts of writing. Night Buddies, author Sands Hetherington, wanted John’s world to feel familiar but not too particular. While some people guess the action is set in New York City, Sands says, “I realize it has NYC aspects, but I...
Night Buddies creator Sands Hetherington loves dogs! He loves them almost as much as nighttime programs and red crocodiles. Dogs have always been a part of the author’s life, beginning with Whiskers, a cocker spaniel. When his wonderful boxer Hube died, he despaired of finding a boxer who could match...
As we prepare to launch the fourth Night Buddies adventure, we thought we’d revisit author Sands Hetherinton’s journey from single dad to author. Sands wrote about his transition to full-time dad and then to author for The Good Men Project in October 2015. When my son John was born,...
This is the last post in our three-part series on librarians’ picks for the best middle-grade fiction of 2022. Each year, the School Library Journal names its top books. We share four more of their selections for readers eight through twelve with your today. Visit our previous posts to see...
Today we bring you part two of librarians’ picks for the best middle-grade fiction of 2022. Each year, the School Library Journal names its top books. We share four more of their selections for readers eight through twelve with your today. The books are presented in alphabetical order by the...