Rajani LaRocca

Award-winning Children's Book Author

MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM in The Guardian!

I'm so excited that MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM was mentioned in The Guardian on Ali Bejamin's "Top 10 Classic Stories Retold"! This list includes CIRCE by Madeline Miller, THE HOURS by Michael Cunningham, and PRIDE by Ibi Zoboi, so I'm thrilled to see my book in such mighty company! Read the full article … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is a Spring 2021 Kids’ Indie Next Top Ten Title!

I'm so thrilled and honored that RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE is an American Booksellers Association Spring 2021 Kids' Indie Next Top Ten Title! Living in New England, we are fortunate to have so many independent bookstores who help readers and authors alike, and I'm so grateful for their support! See the … [Read more...]

SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS is a Mathical Award Winner!

I'm utterly thrilled that SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS: A TALE OF MUSIC AND MATH, beautifully illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan and published by Lee & Low Books, is the 2021 Mathical Book Prize Winner for Grades 3-5! I was honored to attend the virtual awards announcement on February 9, 2021 and read an … [Read more...]

WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET Cover Reveal!

I was delighted that Mr. Schu hosted the cover reveal for my forthcoming picture book, WHERE THREE OCEANS MEET, which is gorgeously illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan and will publish with Abrams on August 24, 2021! I wrote this story about a road trip a girl takes with her mother and … [Read more...]

A Fabulous Release Week for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!

I was overjoyed to celebrate the release of my MG novel in verse, RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, this week! I started off on release day—Tuesday, February 2, 2021, signing a bunch of books at independent bookstore like Porter Square Books, Silver Unicorn Bookstore, and the Concord Bookshop! That evening, … [Read more...]

World Read Aloud Day 2021!

I visited 17 classrooms across the country for World Read Aloud Day 2021! I read from MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, and even gave some classes a taste of my forthcoming MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL! I had such a wonderful time interacting with teachers and students, and I … [Read more...]

MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection!

I'm honored and SO excited that MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection and will find its way to libraries and classrooms across the country! This companion novel to MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM is a modern, magical take on Shakespeare's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING and features … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on the Children’s Book Corner Blog!

I loved chatting about RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE with Judy Bradbury on her Children's Book Corner blog! In addition to asking some fantastic questions about writing, Judy includes classroom exercises as well as poetry and verse novel recommendations. Read the whole post here!    … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE Finished Copies Arrive!

I was so thrilled to see the finished copies of RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE, a book of my heart that will publish with Quill Tree Books/Harper Collins on February 2, 2021! The fact that they arrived on Inauguration Day, when Kamala Harris was sworn in as the first woman, first Black person, and first … [Read more...]

Lots of Lists for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!

I'm honored to see RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on so many "Anticipated" lists for 2021! Check them out below: Reading Middle Grade Blog Forever and Everly "2021Books to Look Out For" .      Litericious "Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2021" Just Another Teen Reading … [Read more...]

A BookPage STAR for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!!

I was stunned by this incredible starred review from BookPage for RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE!! Among the wonderful praise: "The poems in Red, White, and Whole are vibrant and lyrical, clear and smooth. In her first novel in verse, LaRocca (Midsummer’s Mayhem) showcases the best of what verse can do, … [Read more...]

MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL ARCs Arrive!

I'm at my goofiest here opening a package full of ARCs of my forthcoming MG novel, MUCH ADO ABOUT BASEBALL, coming June 15, 2021 from Little Bee Books! This companion novel to MIDSUMMER’S MAYHEM involves math, baseball, magic, and salty snacks. You can learn more and find preorder links here. … [Read more...]

RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE on the KidLit These Days Podcast’s Most Anticipated of 2021 List!

I was thrilled to hear Matthew Winner and Nicole Young mention RED, WHITE, AND WHOLE as one of their most anticipated books of 2021 on Book Riot's KidLit These Days Podcast! Click on this link, or listen below! … [Read more...]

Goodbye, 2020!

Last year, I chose a theme word for 2020 using this word generator and got "infinite." Here's what I said looking ahead to 2020: We are infinite as creators, and as humans. There’s no telling what we can do through courage, hard work, and perseverance. So that’s what I’d like to do in 2020: … [Read more...]

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