Welcome to our Community Celebration Station!
This is the place where we’ll share the good news and more that we hear from our community.
Our team tries our best to compile these posts. If we missed you, or if you have a new story or a piece of good news to share, please let us know here. We’d love to hear from you!
New Books
Megan E. Freeman Shares a “Highlights Baby”!
Megan says: “My novel, AWAY, was conceived, begun, and later revised at Highlights during writing retreats with Middle Grade Authorcade (one of our Custom Retreat partners.) It was released on February 11, 2025, and you’ll see a big tip of the hat to Highlights in the acknowledgments. Thanks for all you do for readers, authors, and illustrators!”
Debut Novel from Linda Joan Smith
The Peach Thief, Linda’s debut novel, came out in March! She says: “That the book exists at all is directly thanks to the Highlights Foundation; the entire first draft of the story was written during Patricia Lee Gauch’s two-part “Heart of the Novel” workshop many years ago.”
Book Birthdays!
Here are some recent Book Birthdays that were celebrated on our blog:
Cover Reveal for
M. García Peña
Mia Garcia’s first picture book, When We Find Her, arrives on September 9, 2025!
Cover Reveal for Cordelia Jensen
One of our verse novel faculty has a new novel in verse publishing on August 19, 2025: Lilac and the Switchback.
Cover Reveal from M.O. Yuksel
Here’s the cover of M.O. Yuksel’s newest book, The Prince of Stars: Ulugh Beg’s Quest to Map the Stars and Seasons. She says: “I’ve been working on this forever at various Highlights workshops!”
Trisha Tobias: Debut YA
Faculty member Trisha Tobias just published her first YA book, Honeysuckle and Bone. Check out her blog post about it: Choosing Connection: The Power of Found Family in Stories and Beyond.
Melissa Fraterrigo: The Perils of Girlhood
Melissa’s memoir, The Perils of Girlhood, arrives in September. She says “Last year, I attended Highlights to continue work on my personal essays after a lack of time and energy at the desk. The quiet and comfortable space you provided gave me the motivation to keep writing personal essays, and I’m so grateful for the opportunity!”
Awards and Features
Walter Awards: Renée Watson
The winner of the 2025 Walter Award for teens was Black Girl You Are Atlas, written by Renée Watson and illustrated by Ekua Holmes. The poetry collection, which celebrates Black girlhood, was also a Coretta Scott King Honor Book.
Hanh Bui at the Met
In January, Hanh Bui did two storytimes at the Met as part of Lunar New Year celebrations! She says, “I’m honored and grateful to have been invited to share my stories at this meaningful space in 2025, the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war and the beginning of my life in the United States. During a time when there is so much divisiveness and rise in racism in our country, sharing a love of books across cultures with children and families feels even more important.”
2025 Rainbow Book List
We spotted books by both Highlights faculty and students on the 2025 Rainbow Book List from the American Library Association. You can check out the full list here.
Naama Benziman: Exhibition
2024 PJ Library Illustration Retreat attendee Naama Benziman was featured in an exhibition during the annual celebration Outline – Illustration and Words in Jerusalem. Find out more here.
Julie Dao’s Rise of the Empress Series Coming to Prime Video
Congratulations to faculty member Julie Dao! Learn more about it here.
PW Features Padma Venkatraman
We loved reading Padma’s reflections in Oceans Apart: Children’s Author Padma Venkatraman Showcases BIPOC Scientists, accompanying her newest book, Safe Harbor.
More Good News On Our Blog
Celebration Station: Winter/Spring 2025
Scholarship Recipient Christine Hartman Derr Thrives at Native Creatives Retreat
The Jade Bracelet: Celebrating a Book Birthday With Hà Dinh
Highlights Foundation Invests in 55 Storytellers to Support Their Work to Inspire Kids
With Scholarship Help, Varsha Seshan Expanded Her Verse Novel Horizons
The Midas Trees: Celebrating a Book Birthday With D.J. Brandon
The Adventures of Marie and LeeLee: celebrating a Book Birthday With Lisa Cortez
Scholarship Stories: Celebrating With Lindsay Cordero
#HFGather: 2025 Scholarship Celebration and Information Session
4 Amplify Black Stories Alums Celebrate The Antiracist Kitchen
The Highlights Foundation Will Award 50+ Scholarships In 2025; Introduce 9 New Special Scholarships
