Want to instill a love of reading in your kids? The DMV has an abundance of talented children’s book authors, including several below who released new titles in 2025. Consider supporting these writers as the holiday season gets underway. While you’re at it, do some shopping at local booksellers such as One More Page Books, Fonts Books and Gifts, Child’s Play Toys and Books and Kinder Haus Toys.
Winging It, by Megan Wagner Lloyd, Illustrated by Michelle Mee Nutter
The book: In this graphic novel about family, friendship and self-discovery, 12-year-old Luna grapples with a move from California to Virginia, where she must live with a very formal grandmother she barely knows. But visits to historic Washington, D.C., and the National Museum of History spark her curiosity. Her discoveries there may just help her make new friends, learn to feel at home in her new life and understand the mother she never got to know. The author: Megan Wagner Lloyd is the author of the best-selling kids’ graphic novels Allergic and Squished. The Arlington resident grew up in a family of six kids. She loves to read and usually reads between 50 and 100 books each year.
The Best Worst Summer of Esme Sun, by Wendy Wan-Long Shang
The book: Esme Sun never cared much about winning shiny trophies, but on the first day of summer, she finds that a recent growth spurt has helped her become a really fast swimmer. Suddenly she discovers she cares a lot about winning. In fact, she wants to beat the pool’s freestyle record. But when competition in the swim lane creates competition in her friendships, she begins to wonder if winning really is important. Or is there another way to compete and be a good sport and good friend? The author: Previous books by Falls Church author Wendy Wan-Long Shang include Not Your All-American Girl and The Secret Battle of Evan Pao. The American Girl franchise selected her to write the novels for the 2022 American Girl doll of the year: Corinne Tan, its first Chinese American girl of the year.
Max Meow, When Pancakes Go Bad (Really Bad), by John Gallagher
The book: The sixth and newest book in the Max Meow graphic novel series finds the superhero with cat-itude and his best friend, Mindy (aka Science Kitty), attempting to clean up a massive mess in Kittyopolis. Pancakes are turning monstrous and flipping out. And a bunch of Max’s old foes are organizing into a Legion of Nasty to put Max on permanent pawse. Will Max and friends be able to put things straight? The author: John Gallagher is an art teacher at Spring Hill Elementary school in McLean. Before that he was the art director of the National Wildlife Federation’s Ranger Rick magazine, and co-founder of Kids Love Comics, an organization that uses graphic novels to promote literacy. Gallagher learned to read through comics and earned the distinction of reading every book in his elementary school library. Today he lives in Fairfax with his wife and three kids. His youngest helped name the characters in the first Max Meow book and suggested some of the ideas for the story.
Special Teams, by Fred Bowen
The book: Leo really wants to be a wide receiver on his football team—the player who catches passes and scores touchdowns. He’s disappointed when his coach disagrees. In this middle-grade reader, Leo must figure out other ways to score. His team is counting on him to know his strengths and make the right play. This newest book in the Fred Bowen Sports Story series comes out on Nov. 18, but is available for pre-order now. The author: Special Teams is Bowen’s 30th sports-themed book for children. A DMV resident for 50 years, now living in Silver Spring, Maryland, Bowen previously wrote a weekly sports column for kids in The Washington Post. He has two grown children, one of whom is the head baseball coach at UMBC and the other is a school librarian with D.C. Public Schools.
These ABCs Belong to Me!, by Alicia McKenzie, Illustrations by Sarah Demonteverde
The book: Released in October, this ABC picture book is designed to help kids reclaim words that may have been used to describe them (such as “bossy,” “quiet,” or “picky”) and transform those labels into strengths. The author: Alicia McKenzie is a former competitive USAW CrossFit athlete and a mother of five who drew on her 18 years of parenting to write the book. “Someone might use a word meant to limit or define your child, but it’s up to us as parents to teach them how to flip that script—turn a negative into something positive so that you and your child have the power to create their extraordinary narrative,” she says. McKenzie lives in McLean with her husband, George; their children, Ava, Makayla, Maddox, Maverick and Maya; and their dogs, Huck and Olive.
The Cat Who Couldn’t Care Less, by J. Michael Whalen
The book: An inquisitive cat watches the busy city go by from the front window of a house. Passersby often wonder who this feline is and try to get its attention. Many people have thoughts about the cat, but one thing everyone can agree on is that the cat couldn’t care less. The author: Arlington resident John Whalen is donating a portion of the book’s proceeds to local no-kill animal shelters, including the Animal Welfare League of Arlington (AWLA), where his son used to read to cats through the Paws & Read program. Whalen is a filmmaker, writer and photographer. (You’ll see some of his photography in Arlington Magazine.) His publishing company, Pisces Rising Press, based in Falls Church, has released several children’s books, including Mark and His Magical Camera of Awesomeness. A follow up to that book is in the works and slated to publish in 2026.
Time for Hamantaschen, by Madelyn Rosenberg, Illustrated by Raaya Karas
The book: A tasty introduction to the Jewish holiday Purim, this rhyming board book takes young children through the process of folding, baking, packing, sharing and (finally) eating the triangular, fruit-filled treats known as hamantaschen. Author Madelyn Rosenberg says she’s a fan of apricot filling, but the rest of her family is divided between poppy and Nutella. The author: Rosenberg, an Arlington resident, is the author of more than a dozen picture books and novels for children, including One Small Hop, and Not Your All-American Girl, which she co-authored with fellow local author Wendy Wan-Long Shang (also included on this list). A former newspaper reporter, she works full time for an affordable housing nonprofit in D.C. and is a contributor to Arlington Magazine.
The Gingerbread Man: New Friend on the Loose, by Laura Murray, Illustrated by Mike Lowery
The book: This is the fourth book in the Gingerbread Man series of rhyming graphic novels geared toward emergent readers (ages 5-7). The Gingerbread Man’s class is back in the kitchen and the Gingerbread Man knows just what he wants to bake—a new puppy. But when the puppy comes to life and runs amok through the school, the students must strategize to lure him back home. The author: Murray was a kindergarten teacher in Nashville and Orlando before moving to Virginia when her first book came out. Now a McLean resident, she has been doing author presentations in local schools for 14 years. She is also a scuba diver and has logged more than 100 dives.
Truth, Lies, and the Questions In Between, by L.M. Elliott
The book: This young adult work of historical fiction is set in D.C. and Old Town Alexandria in 1973, the year of the Watergate hearings, the Equal Rights Amendment and Roe v. Wade. The main character is a teenage girl, Patty Appleton, serving as one of the Senate’s first female congressional pages. She’s paving the way for other politically minded girls and also has a front-row seat to the debates dividing the nation. As the Watergate scandal intensifies, Patty worries her dad, a fundraiser for President Nixon, could somehow be involved. The book is illustrated throughout with real-life images and headlines from the era. The author: L.M. (aka Laura Malone) Elliott publishes under two names: L.M. for her historical/biographical novels and Laura Malone for her picture books for younger children. She has penned 14 middle-grade and YA novels set during eras including WWII, the Italian Renaissance and the Great Depression. Her book Bea and the New Deal Horse is the winner of the Scott O’Dell award for historical fiction, and is currently a finalist for Virginia Readers Choice. The Great Falls resident is a frequent guest speaker at Arlington County schools.
Ánh’s New Word, by Hanh Bui
The book: A child living in a Vietnamese refugee camp struggles with life in a new world, and learning a new language. A warm-hearted teacher helps Ánh with the foreign sounds, and to brave speaking English in class. This story of finding your voice is inspired by true events from the author’s childhood. The author: Hanh Bui was inspired by her first teacher at a refugee camp. She went on to obtain a master’s degree in early childhood education and became a teacher herself. Bui also wrote The Yellow Áo Dài, a story celebrating Vietnamese heritage. She says her next book, I Stand in Line, will be published in 2027, with another planned release in 2028. A mother of three, Bui lives in Northern Virginia and is a regular presenter at Arlington County schools as part of Reading is Fundamental NoVA’s Authors in Schools Program.