Rajani LaRocca

Award-winning Children's Book Author

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE in Korean!

Copies of the Korean translation of RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE arrived today, and they are so beautiful they made me weepy! The cover and interior are absolutely stunning, and it includes QR codes to my RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE Inspiration playlist on Spotify! And check out that gorgeous interpretation of … [Read more...]

2022 Newbery Celebrations!

The most exciting part of the ALA Annual Conference was celebrating the Newbery Awards! On June 25, I got to attend the #Newbery100 Celebration — which, as you might guess, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Newbery Award, the oldest children's book award in the world! We learned about … [Read more...]

The 2022 American Library Association Annual Conference!

From June 24-27, 2022 I went to Washington, DC to attend my first ever ALA Annual Conference, the first held in person since the pandemic started! I was so grateful to see so many friends, hang out with my publishers, meet amazing librarians, and sign books. And it was the thrill of a lifetime to … [Read more...]

The 2022 Walter Awards Ceremony!

I was honored and thrilled to attend the 2022 Walter Dean Myers Awards for Outstanding Children's Literature at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library in Washington, DC on June 23! After a wonderful panel featuring Honorees Kekla Magoon, Eden Royce, and Natasha Donovan, Grace Lin introduced … [Read more...]

The Cover Reveal for MIRROR TO MIRROR!

I'm absolutely delighted to share the cover of my forthcoming novel in verse, MIRROR TO MIRROR, coming in March 2023 from Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins! MIRROR TO MIRROR is about musical identical twins, anxiety, misunderstanding, forgiveness, and a bond that is stronger than fear. I can't wait for … [Read more...]

TLA 2022!

What an incredible time I had at my first in person Texas Library Association conference! The weather was beautiful in Fort Worth, and I had such a great time meeting wonderful librarians from all over Texas! I got to sign copies of RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE (at my first in person conference!), I'LL GO … [Read more...]

Greenwich, Connecticut School Visits

What an amazing week I had in Greenwich, CT visiting three superlative schools: Greenwich Academy, Sacred Heart Greenwich, and Greenwich Country Day School, where I had breakfast with their Newbery Club, which had selected RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE as their winner, complete with Tiger Claw medal! There … [Read more...]

Newton CAS AuthorFest 2022!

I had such a lovely time at the 2022 CAS AuthorFest in Newton! On Tuesday, April 12, I visited Williams, Cabot, and Underwood elementary schools, then returned to Cabot in the afternoon for an awesome book signing where I got to see so many author friends! Then on April 13, I headed to Angier … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE an Anti-Defamation League Book of the Month!

I'm so honored that the Anti-Defamation League chose Red, White, and Whole as their ADL Book of the Month in April 2022. The ADL Book of the Month program features books that "teach about bias and prejudice, promote respect for diversity, [and] encourage social action." As part of its Book of the … [Read more...]

An Amazing Time at the Oxford Children’s Book Festival!

What an incredible time I had in Oxford, MS on March 31 for the Oxford Children’s Book Festival, where I presented about WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET to first graders, and MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM to fifth graders! Huge thanks to the University of Mississippi Center for the Study of Southern Culture, the … [Read more...]

A Wonderful Book Birthday for I’LL GO AND COME BACK!

Nine years ago, I got an idea for a picture book, a “mirror story” about a girl and her grandmother and traveling between cultures, and understanding each other despite not speaking the same language. Four years ago today, I sold that book — my first book, a story about about flying across … [Read more...]

Discussing Book Bans and the Need for Diversity on Basic Black on WGBH Boston!

I was thrilled to be on Basic Black on WGBH TV Boston! Host Callie Crossley and panelists Jabari Asim, Denise Adusei, Mia Wenjen, and I had a fantastic discussion about book bans and the need to read diversely. … [Read more...]

MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL Wins a 2022 Mathical Honor!

I'm so thrilled that MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL has won a 2022 Mathical Honor! Each year, the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) announces 2022 winners of the Mathical Book Prize, which recognizes outstanding fiction and literary nonfiction for youth ages 2-18. I'm so glad that MUCH ADO … [Read more...]

A Sparkly Giveaway!

In honor of the one-year Book Birthday for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, its new shiny Newbery Sticker, and a STAR for my forthcoming picture book, I'LL GO AND COME BACK, I'm giving away a signed copy of both books! Both these books are very close to my heart, and I'm so grateful to have them in the … [Read more...]

A Star for I’LL GO AND COME BACK!

I'm thrilled and honored that my forthcoming picture book, I'LL GO AND COME BACK, has received a STARRED review from Publishers Weekly! This story, inspired by my own grandmother, is about a grandmother and granddaughter, and loves that flies across the world. I'LL GO AND COME BACK is gorgeously … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE Wins a 2022 Newbery Honor!

I'm over the moon that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE has won a Newbery Honor Award!! Given to "most distinguished American children's book published the previous year," this is the oldest children's book award in the world! I'm so grateful to the Newbery Committee and the American Library Association for … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE has won the 2022 Walter Award for Outstanding Children’s Literature!

I'm utterly thrilled and honored that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE has won the 2022 Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Readers! The Walter Awards are given by We Need Diverse Books to works of outstanding children's literature that celebrate diversity. When I first wrote this book of my heart, I wasn't … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is a 2022 Notable Books for a Global Society Award Winner!

So honored to see RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on the 2022 Notable Books for a Global Society Award list along with 24 other marvelous books! Each year, a committee of the Children’s Literature and Reading Special Interest Group of the International Literacy Association selects 25 outstanding trade books … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is A Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year!

I was thrilled to find that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE has been selected as a 2021 Book of the Year by A Might Girl! A Mighty Girl has incredible suggestions for books, toys, and movies for smart, confident and courageous girls, and I love that they recommend my books MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, RED, WHITE, AND … [Read more...]

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