Andrew Hacket's Blog
September 12, 2026
The Backstory: THE LEGEND OF LEO
When I heard my local author friend, Monica Acker, had not one but two books releasing this year, I knew it was time to bring The Backstory back from hiatus to share the scoop on these wonderful titles with all of you. AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behind not one, but two of your recent books. First off, please tell us a little bit about The Legend of Leo. MA: The Legend of Leo, brilliantly illustrated by Mikel Valverde, follows a...
Published on September 12, 2026 12:13
March 9, 2026
Kirkus Review is in! + Preorder Giveaway
Our very first trade review is in and it's a good one! Many thanks to Kirkus for their kind words and for taking the time to review IN THIS CLASSROOM written by me, illustrated by Arthur Lin, and published by Red Comet Press. Read the full review HERE . Sharing our words with the world is nerve wracking at every step of the writing process, but the closer I get to publication the more that judgement can weigh on me. Will my words be perceived in the way I intended? Will the message of the...
Published on March 09, 2026 12:42
September 30, 2025
The Backstory: SOMETIMES STORMY
The Backstory welcomes back my friend Amanda Davis with her author-illustrator debut, SOMETIMES STORMY. Amanda has a special talent for...
Published on September 30, 2025 06:25
September 13, 2025
Holes in my Underwear - Poetry Playoffs
Hi friends! I'm here today to share all about a brand new poetry anthology that just hit shelves, that you and your teacher and parent...
Published on September 13, 2025 07:31
August 31, 2025
COVER REVEAL and sneak peek!
If you don't know, publishing is a slow , extremely slow , glacially slow industry full of secret news and waiting. Oh, so much waiting!....
Published on August 31, 2025 06:31
August 26, 2025
The Backstory: GILBERT AND THE GHOST
I am thrilled to welcome Heather Pierce Stigall to the blog today. She is here with her latest picture book, GILBERT AND THE GHOST...
Published on August 26, 2025 06:01
July 10, 2025
Crystal Kite Award Finalists & Two Giveaway Opportunities
It's been a minute! Between wrapping up the end of the school year and kicking off summer with the family the blog has been a bit hard to...
Published on July 10, 2025 09:02
May 28, 2025
The Backstory: WILL AND KRILL
The Backstory welcomes Stacey Byer to the blog today. She is here with her author-illustrator debut, WILL AND KRILL (Beaming Books) which...
Published on May 28, 2025 13:57
May 21, 2025
The Backstory: WONDER WINGS: GUESS WHO'S FLYING
After a little bit of a break The Backstory is back and ready to dive into a wonderful new text, WONDER WINGS: GUESS WHO'S FLYING,...
Published on May 21, 2025 11:49
April 15, 2025
The Backstory: AND THEN CAME YOU
I am excited to welcome Christina Shawn to The Backstory today. Christina joins us with her picture book, AND THEN CAME YOU (Chronicle)...
Published on April 15, 2025 13:34


