The Picture Book Buzz - August 2025 Interview with STEAM Team Books Members (Part 1)

Whether you're here to support the STEAM Team authors, curiosity, or because you love nonfiction books, I hope you read to the end because you'll discover some amazing authors and super spectacular books!

Today I have the pleasure to introduce you to four authors from the STEAM Team Books – a group of authors

and illustrators who joined together to celebrate and help promote their STEAM books. I hope you enjoy this peek at these delightful books and fascinating creatives.

"STEAM Team Books is a group of authors who have a STEM/STEAM book releasing in 2025. It includes fiction & nonfiction, trade or educational books.” Check out their website for other interviews, activities, and bios.

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write? What drew you to STEAM books? etc.)

Lydia Lukidis - Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals (Capstone 8/1/2025) – I love writing STEAM titles because of my own insatiable curiosity! Good thing children are just as curious. I’ve been writing my whole life but after a short career in puppetry, I shifted to exclusively writing for children in 2013 and have never looked back. I love doing research so writing nonfiction comes naturally and I tend to spend quite a bit of time in the research phase. Not all my ideas make to the manuscript phase so I’ve learned to be very selective on which ideas would make the best books that would engage children.

[Author of numerous books for kids, including Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere, illustrated by Katie Rewse (2025), Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights, illustrated by Sawyer Cloud (2024), and Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench, illustrated by Juan Calle (2023).]

Lynn Street –- The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest (Peachtree 8/5/2025) – I’m a science-inspired author and poet who loves the intersection of nature and language. I’m a naturalist and birder. I enjoy research and always have ideas swirling in my head that I want to get down on paper. STEAM felt like a natural fit for my interests and lyrical writing style. I did not like nonfiction as much when I was younger. It was written in a matter-of-fact dry tone and usually had photos as illustrations. Now that nonfiction also includes gorgeous art and poetic language, I’m hooked on it!

I’ve been writing for many years. I had my first publication at age twelve, a letter to “Everybuggy” in Cricket Magazine. I wrote poetry and essays for contests throughout high school and studied creative writing in graduate school. In 2016, I began taking classes in crafting picture books. I sold my first book, this debut about blue jays and oak trees, in 2022.

I like to write when it’s quiet, and I have a desk or table in almost every room in my house. I also sit at my local library or take notes as I’m walking outdoors.

[Debut Author]

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown (Astra/Calkins Creek 8/12/2025) - I began my writing career as a newspaper intern here in my hometown, the summer after my freshman year of college in 2001. I’ve worked as a reporter, editor, and columnist most of the years in between. That’s why I love writing nonfiction narratives. My journalistic training in brevity must also be why I’m drawn to poetry. What drew me to STEAM books? My childhood was spent exploring nature on my family’s farm in Kansas. I steal away to write from my porch swing whenever I can escape the noise-stream of my two teen boys and husband, who also works from home.

[Author of – Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm, illustrated by Xin Li  (2024), No World Too Big: Young People Fighting Global Climate Change, co-authored with Jeanette Bradley and Keila V. Dawson (2023), Beatrix Potter, Scientist, illustrated by Junyi Wu (2020), No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History (2020) and Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices, co-authored with Jeanette Bradley and Keila V. Dawson (2020).]

Katie Venit – Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth  (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 8/12/2025) – I’ve been writing creatively since I was 10, but I really got into it when I was 12 when I wrote Star Trek fan fiction in old composition books I hid under my mattress.  But then in my 20s, life got real busy. I only got back into creative writing in my mid-30s when my kids were babies. I wrote before they woke up and after they went to bed, but still there was no way I had the brain space to write a novel, so I studied short formats (flash essay, flash fiction and picture books) for years until I decided to focus solely on picture books.

My kids are in middle school now and often stay up later than me, but I still try to mostly write before they wake up. I’m also only working my day job 24 hours a week at the moment, so there’s time during the school day when I can fit in writing.

I don’t know that I have a favorite type of book to write, but I do know that I need to be emotionally invested in the topic, by which I mean I have to feel some sort of strong emotion as I write, be it awe or bittersweetness, or delight, or tension… The topic has to emotionally pull me in or I can’t sustain interest long enough to polish the drafts. Hopefully, that emotion carries across to the reader. You’ll have to let me know!

[Author of Forts, illustrated by Kenard Pak (2025).]

What helps you to be inspired? (perhaps a certain place, music, activity, etc.)

Lydia Lukidis – There’s no rhyme or reason to the way my inspiration works. I wish there was. Inspiration comes after I’ve given something a lot of thought, but it often emerges at odd times like when I’m driving or taking a walk. I’ve learned that it’s important in those moments to take notes otherwise the idea slips away. Sometimes, it feels like inspiration may be blocked, but in those moments, I work on a different project or do research. Reading up on topics often leads to increased inspiration, in general. Some days are more “productive” than others, but we need those slower days too. We’re human after all, not machines.

Lynn Street – Walks and nature! There is a three-mile trail near my house. I go out daily and love to watch birds and spot deer.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Visiting my family’s farmstead is like church to me. I feel such a connection to the land, to the Earth, that I often come up with new story ideas while spending time there. I also love taking long walks while listening to music. Doing so frees my brain to wander, leaving me plenty of space to wonder.

Katie Venit – Reading other picture books—especially picture books in translation from other countries—is always a great source of inspiration to me. My favorite picture books are the ones that are little experiments. I can just picture the author thinking, “I wonder if I can get away with this?” 

Okay, now that we know a little more about all of you, what sparked your interest and caused you to write this book?

Lydia Lukidis - Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals (8/1/2025) – I was approached by Capstone to write a WFH book on this topic. I took the project immediately because I love writing about animals, especially animals that are misunderstood or villainized in some way. Bats do get a bad rap, often portrayed as scary or dangerous, especially in myths, horror stories, and movies. But in reality, bats are incredibly important to ecosystems and to humans.

Lynn Street –- The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest (8/5/2025) – My ideas come from just about any place: words, images, or personal experiences. A photo of a blue jay carrying and acorn in its beak sparked this story. I knew about squirrels and acorns, but I had never heard about blue jays gathering and hiding acorns as a winter food source—and helping to grow forests in the process! Oaks are a keystone species, and blue jays are, too. I was amazed that these birds can alter a landscape, over time, based on where they bury their acorns and how many they hide.

My research on jays led to more and more questions and moments of wonder, and I knew then that I had the seed of an idea for a compelling story.

From my childhood, I kept a coloring book about birds that I would work on at my grandparent’s house during school vacations. It had a page about blue jays, and I’ve always liked that particular bird. My debut book is dedicated to my grandfather, who taught me all about nature.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown (8/12/2025) – I saw a Facebook post that said the Supreme Court declared tomatoes a vegetable in 1893. This factoid sparked delight and curiosity in me, and I could see it might do the same for kids. I had just wrapped up a serious and depressing writing assignment and needed a fun palate cleanser. While I researched the Nix v. Hedden case, I learned its many layers: STEM, history, tariffs, courts/debate. And I added humor with food fight language and as many puns as I could muster.

Katie Venit – Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth (8/12/2025) – Cassini’s Mission was inspired by an episode of the Netflix show Seven Days Out. Each episode looked at the lead up to a huge events, like the Kentucky Derby. The first one I watched was the seven days before the end of the Cassini mission when it crashed into Saturn (on purpose—this was the planned end). I was fascinated by the science that Cassini discovered, but what really hooked me was the emotions. I cried—sobbed, really—then I made my family watch the episode and I cried again. So I knew there was something in that story that resonated with me.

I love all the different ways you were each inspired to research and writes these awesome stories. What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?

Lydia Lukidis – I love both writing and connecting with children, so being a kidlit author is the perfect fit! In addition, I always joke with the students I meet that I’m still a grade 3 kid stuck in a big person’s body, meaning, I haven’t lost some of the innocence, wonder, and imagination I had when I was younger. I think these are important ingredients in writing for this audience. I just love the way children think and see things, and am endlessly inspired by them.

Lynn Street – I loved reading as a kid. I believed a picture book was written with me in mind, even if the author penned it before I was born! Books are magical that way. When we read a great story, it feels as if the author is speaking directly to us.

I’ve carried my favorite books with me as I’ve moved across the country. I have most of the picture books and middle grade chapter books that I read in elementary school. Scholastic and Weekly Reader books were favorites.

I hope to pass on my passion for reading to kids today. There are so many exciting discoveries in science to write about and explore.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – The youth are our future. I want them to grow up with all the knowledge I didn’t have, so our world can have a more just, kind, and equitable future. I write for the kid I used to be, and for the kids who will inherit the Earth.

Katie Venit – I want to write books that kids like to read because then they grow up to be adults who like to read. But when you write picture books, it’s a hard line to walk because you also need to write a book that adults would like to read to a kid. You’re not just writing a book, you’re writing an experience, a chance for kid and adult to bond. That’s important. That’s sacred. Even when I write silly books, I take that mission very seriously.

Thank you for sharing this peek into yourselves and why you each are passionate about writing for kids. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book?

Text © Lydia Lukidis, 2025.

Lydia Lukidis - Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals (8/1/2025) - Yes! There are so many misconceptions about bats. But bats are incredibly important to the environment. They help control insect populations, pollinate plants, and spread seeds that support healthy ecosystems. If bats died out, insect populations could surge, leading to damaged crops and increased use of harmful pesticides. Many plants would struggle to reproduce without bats to pollinate flowers and spread seeds, causing ecosystems to become unbalanced.

People should know that bats are gentle, helpful creatures that play a vital role in nature. They aren’t blind or dangerous, they help farmers, protect forests, and even pollinate some of our favorite fruits!

Text © Lynn Street, 2025. Image © Anne Hunter, 2025.

Lynn Street – The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest (8/5/2025) – I want readers to know that they can see this acorn gathering and hiding process in real time if they practice observing. While writing this book, I had blue jays visit my yard daily. My neighbor’s oak tree produces acorns every other fall, so I’ve marked my calendar to start watching—and listening—for the blue jays’ visits to begin. I’ve been able to see where the acorns (or peanuts from my feeder) are being hidden. And if readers are in the western U.S., there are jays out there with these same nut-caching behaviors.

Text © Lindsay Metcalf, 2025. Image © Edwin Fotheringham, 2025.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown (8/12/2025) –Although tariffs weren’t a factor when I wrote Tomatoes on Trial, the Nix v. Hedden arguments centered on the 1883 Tariff Act. I had no idea that aspect of the story would be relevant when the book released, but the story serves as a kid-friendly introduction to the concept of tariffs for young readers who may not understand all they’re hearing in the news.

The book’s central case, Nix v. Hedden, arose because the produce merchant John Nix tried to import a boatload of tomatoes from Bermuda. When his steamboat arrived in New York City, the Customs House collector labeled them vegetables, which were subject to a 10 percent tariff. Fruits were not, and Nix was sure he had science on his side. The case he filed wound its way through the courts until it finally reached the SCOTUS, which ruled against Nix and deemed tomatoes a vegetable, not because of science, but because of the way people consume them, in main dishes instead of desserts.

Text © Katie Venit, 2025. Image © Julia Blattman, 2025.

Katie Venit – Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth (8/12/2025) – My aim was to make the grownup reading the book cry—I still haven’t gotten through it without getting misty eyed—but for the kid listener to just think it’s a cool adventure. Hopefully we achieved that.

Oh, and if you like space and/or art, seriously check this book out if for no reason other than for Julia Blattman’s amazing art. Don’t even worry about reading the words if the story doesn’t suit. Just flip through her artwork. Each page is absolutely gorgeous.

What was the hardest, or most challenging, part of writing or researching your book? Was there a bit of your research you didn’t get to include?

Lydia Lukidis - Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals (8/1/2025) – I always do more research than necessary because I feel that’s what it takes to write an interesting book. You lay out the best/most interesting and important facts, then decide what makes it into the book. I found the part about early indicator species harder to write so I spent longer researching this. Sometimes, it takes a while before you fully understand a concept and can then distill it down to a few summarizing sentences.

Lynn Street – The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest (8/5/2025) – Including the most up-to-date research was important to me. The blue jay scientists that conducted the acorn-caching studies did not write up their findings for the general public, so I had to use academic papers. I read hundreds of pages and then followed up with the authors to ask questions. Those interviews helped me to fill in gaps in the narrative and ensure accuracy.

Because of space limitations, I did not include information about the blue jays’ nesting behaviors or how they raise their young. I kept the focus on the symbiotic relationship between the trees and the birds. The back matter contains more information about this plant-bird interaction, and how blue jays transporting acorns are credited with expanding oak forests northward after the last ice age.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown (8/12/2025) – The hardest part was finding an image of John Nix for the back matter. Even after the book was acquired, I had no idea what he looked like, and I was tasked with finding images. I made it my mission to find Nix, not only for the back matter, but also because I wanted to help the illustrator, Edwin Fotheringham, achieve accurate visual portrayals of Nix. After weeks of searching, I found an obituary in an obscure archive of a produce trade journal. An etched illustration of Nix accompanied the obit. Jackpot!

As for research I didn’t get to include, I loved but had no room for the detail that Nix had a thing for George Washington. Nix founded John Nix and Company at age 14 on George Washington’s birthday; he had a stand in New York’s Washington Market; and he gave all of his sons the middle name “Washington.” These tidbits weren’t relevant to the story of the tomato case, but they revealed some of Nix’s quirky personality!

Katie Venit – Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth (8/12/2025) – The hardest part was precisely trying to figure out what to leave out! Cassini made so many amazing discoveries, such as dropping off the Huygens lander on Titan. The lander sent back a video as it fell through the methane-rich atmosphere of Titan. It’s astounding. Cassini had some tools that could peer through Titan’s thick haze and discovered the moon has a “methane cycle” like how Earth has a water cycle. It has methane rivers and lakes that evaporate and form methane clouds, and then it rains methane rain. None of that made it into the finished book, and it broke my heart, but when you only have a 900-words to tell the story of a 20-year mission, you have to leave some stuff out.  

Ultimately, I decided I had to focus on the emotional core of the story, which was Cassini’s discoveries on Enceladus. And I even had to truncate those to make the most sense to a kid reader. Hopefully when they get bigger, they’ll keep reading about this amazing mission, one of the most successful in NASA history.

It is always so fascinating to learn of the struggles each book presents and the fun nuggets that didn't make it into the book. Thank you all for sharing these with us. Are there any upcoming projects that you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

Lydia Lukidis - This year was extra exciting because I released three books. On January 1, the book Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere came out. Then on July 15, my first ever early reader graphic novel, Groucho the Grouchy Groundhog was released, and now, my book about bats. This pretty much summarizes my writing preferences; I love writing about STEAM concepts but once in a while, a fiction book makes its way into my roster. I also wrote 2 novels in verse on fairly serious topics but time will tell when/if they make it into the world. I feel grateful to be where I am and able to write from the heart!

Lynn Street – I have another book—about birdwatching—coming out in early 2027. I’ll be excited to promote both of these books about our feathered friends!

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Yes! We are in the page-proofing stage of my debut YA, a STEM biography-in-verse about the woman who discovered the carbon dioxide’s warming properties in 1856, and whose work was lost to time until recently. Footeprint: Eunice Newton Foote at the Dawn of Climate Science and Women’s Rights comes out in February 2026 with Charlesbridge Teen.

Then in June 2026, Charlesbridge will release No Brain the Same: Neurodivergent Young Activists Shaping Our Future, a companion poetry anthology to No Voice Too Small and No World Too Big, all coedited by me, Keila Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley and illustrated by Jeanette. There aren’t many nonfiction picture books about neurodivergent people, so I can’t wait to see this book baby hit shelves.

Katie Venit – I can’t seem to only have one project cooking at a time. I am currently going through edits for a project about two fascinating robots. Hopefully I can announce that project soon. I’m working through the early drafts for a fabulist middle grade novel inspired by my daughter. I’m writing a historical fiction picture book about a ship. And on the backburner is what I hope will be the final draft to a fiction PB that I’ve been working on since 2019. And of course, I’m working on getting the word out about Cassini’s Mission, and my other picture book out this summer, Forts, which was illustrated by Kenard Pak.

Intriguing, we will have to keep our eyes open for these books. Best of luck with your to all of you. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?

Lydia Lukidis –  I’ve been wanting to write about remote places around the world with bizarre and thriving ecosystems like Movile Cave in Romania. I actually did draft a proposal on this idea, so fingers crossed!

Lynn Street – After learning so much about the blue jays, I’m very hooked on observing my backyard. I hope that future story ideas will include the wonders of small things in nature.

Lindsay H. Metcalf – As I write this, I’m preparing for a family trip to Alaska. There’s a whole group of animals unfamiliar to me — grizzlies, moose, etc. — that fascinate me but could unalive me. I should study up before I leave.

Katie Venit – I am absolutely fascinated by the deep sea. I get claustrophobic, so I’d never want to go there in those tiny death traps—um, submersibles. But I watch every nature show about them when other brave people go down there.

And of course, I wish we knew more about Enceladus and the other ocean moons in the solar system like Europa, places that seem promising in the search for life beyond Earth. I’m eager for the results from the Europa Clipper mission, which we should start getting in 2030.

NOW, let me take a moment to introduce you to these amazing STEAM books!

 Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals by Lydia Lukidis (Capstone 8/1/2025) – Interspersed within the main text about bats are fun information ("Bat Trivia," and "Meet Some Bats") or activity (Echolocation experiment) panels. Using a lightly conversational tone, and stunning photographs, the book combats some common myths and folktales about bats, introduces some interesting facts about their behavior and examines serious threats to bats. Wrapping up with a look at their beneficial role in nature and suggestions for helping bats. Back matter contains a glossary and additional resources. It's a great STEM book to encourage readers to take an honest look at these important animals.

Synopsis:

There’s more to bats than meets the eye! Some bats are hairless. Others have giant ears. Besides their fascinating physical features, bats play an important role in the world’s ecosystems. Young readers will dispel misconceptions about these night-time fliers and find out why their conservation is so important. Dynamic photos, activities, and engaging narrative shine a light on these mysterious and misunderstood mammals.

The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest by Lynn Street, illustrated by Anne Hunter (Peachtree 8/5/2025) –

This a gorgeously illustrated ode to the symbiotic relationship between the blue jay and the mighty oak tree. Both considered keystone species, yet each reliant on the other for survival. Gentle lyrical text focuses on the jays and pairs well with the softly textured pen, ink, and colored pencil illustrations, While a multitude of acorns fall from an oak, if not eaten by forest animals, they are too shaded to grow. Luckily the blue jays are motivated to carry thousands of acorns far and wide and stash them for winter food. If only they remembered where they put them all. And "over time, with the help of the jays. . . a new forest grows," Great back matter offers detailed information on Oak tree, Blue jays, additional jay species, and a call to plant a tree. A wonderful STEM book, especially for bird lovers.

Synopsis:

Take a lyrical journey on the wings of blue jays as they bury thousands of acorns for next season’s food and help Mother Nature extend the oak forests.

Most of us know about the mighty oak tree, and how important oaks are as a keystone species. But we may be less aware of the role that blue jays play in assisting the expansion of oak tree forests.

Covering one full year from season to season, we learn about the habits of the blue jays. All summer long they feed on bugs, berries, and seeds. But as autumn approaches, they perch in the canopy waiting for the acorns to ripen. With cold weather coming soon, this blue crew hauls away acorns, each bird taking as many as five per load. They fly over a farm or two and hide the acorns in a sunny open area where they can find them later when other food is scarce. But not all acorns will be eaten. Little do the jays know that the treasures they bury may one day become the beginnings of a new oak forest.

This debut picture book from poet Lynn Street lyrically celebrates the connection between blue jays and oak trees. It will appeal to readers fascinated by the behavior of birds and by the reciprocal relationships found in nature. While jays depend on acorns for food, the oak depends on jays to scatter its fruit far and wide. Blue jays have specially developed pouches in their throats that allow them to carry several acorns at a time, and they can travel as far as 1,500 miles in a season burying their acorns. A keystone species in oak forest ecosystems, these familiar birds are thought to have contributed to reestablishing oak forests after the last ice age. The detailed back matter provides further information about oaks and jays.

Geisel Honoree artist Anne Hunter, who lives in the jay-filled woods of Vermont, illustrated this book with great affection for these beautiful, clever, and sometimes noisy birds. After reading this book, you will see blue jays in an entirely new light.

Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown by Lindsay H. Metcalf, illustrated by Edwin Fotheringham (Astra/Calkins Creek 8/12/2025) – Humorously depicting the U.S. Supreme Court case over the classification of the tomato as a fruit or a vegetable, the author's bountiful food puns and onomatopoeia are marvelously magnified with the whimsical blotted line and color wash illustrations. Depicting this case as "team vegetable" (defendants) versus "team fruit" (plaintiffs), brings the arguments and evidence to a level that will entice and appeal to elementary kids. Great back matter includes vocabulary, photographs, tomato facts, and tips on how to win an argument. A truly ingenious STEM nonfiction book.

Synopsis:

Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? The US Supreme Court takes on the case in this juicy history picture book for kids ages 7 to 10.

In the late 1800s, American produce king John Nix just wanted to sell tomatoes. But when import taxes on popular vegetables impacted his profits, he knew he had to remedy the situation. Nix set out to prove that tomatoes, which have seeds and grow on vines, were clearly fruits. That was the claim Nix argued all the way to the US Supreme Court. With Nix on Team Fruit, and the US government on Team Vegetable, both sides slung definition after definition in an epic, legal food fight. This little-known agriculturally-based story from American history will fascinate young readers and encourage them to take a stand and defend their opinions.

Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth by Katie Venit, illustrated by Julia Blattman (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 8/12/2025) - With an opening line like, "[a]nd when she was all grown up, she left home," the book is indeed aiming to make the adult reader at least blurry eyed or sniffly. This is a fun nonfiction account of the Cassini Saturn Mission and the unexpected discovery of water, hydrogen, and energy on Saturn's "shiny, tiny moon" Enceladus. All the building blocks necessary for life. Stunning illustrations capture the wonder, mystery, and excitement for this mission and Cassini's journey. The honest and bitter sweet ending leaves open a lot of questions and room for discussion and investigation. Back matter offers information on finding finding life in space and further NASA missions. It's a stunning book sure to intrigue future scientists and everyone who is fascinated by space.

Synopsis:

Real-life spacecraft Cassini makes surprising discoveries on her visit to one of Saturn’s moons in this graceful blend of science concepts and the awe of space exploration.

Cassini was built to explore Saturn and its moons. Her engineers pack her full of tools that can measure, take pictures, and taste chemicals. It takes her seven years to reach Saturn’s orbit, where she investigates Enceladus, the shiniest moon in the solar system. To the amazement of her scientists back home, Cassini makes a series of incredible discoveries: liquid water, chemicals, and energy—the ingredients for life! But Cassini doesn’t have the right tools or enough fuel to answer the big questions that come next. This bittersweet true story is rich with both science and wonder, with illustrations that capture the breathtaking scale of our solar system. Back matter provides further insight and information, as well as additional educational resources.

Thank you all for giving us a little peek into yourselves and your books. Wishing you all enormous success.

To learn more about these writers, or to contact them:

Lydia Lukidis - Bats!: Mysterious and Misunderstood Mammals (Capstone 8/1/2025) –

Website: http://www.lydialukidis.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LydiaLukidis

Blog: https://lydialukidis.wordpress.com/

Lynn Street –- The Blue Jays That Grew A Forest (Peachtree 8/5/2025) –

Website: https://lynnstreetbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynn.street.1466

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/Lynnstreetbooks/

Bluesky:  https://bsky.app/profile/lynnstreetbooks.bsky.social

Lindsay H. Metcalf – Tomatoes on Trial: The Fruit v. Vegetable Showdown (Astra/Calkins Creek 8/12/2025) –

Website: https://www.lindsayhmetcalf.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindsayhmetcalf

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindsayhmetcalf/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/lindsayhmetcalf.bsky.social

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@lindsayhmetcalf

Katie Venit – Cassini’s Mission: A Spacecraft, a Tiny Moon, and the Search for Life Beyond Earth (Candlewick/MIT Kids Press 8/12/2025) –

Website: https://katievenit.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katievenit/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/katievenit.bsky.social