Caroline Carlson
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carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Caroline Carlson
@carolinecarlson.bsky.social
1.3K followers 560 following 340 posts
I write books for kids (VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES, WICKED MARIGOLD, & more). Next: THE TINKERERS (2025). Rep: Allison Hellegers. https://carolinecarlsonbooks.com
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carolinecarlson.bsky.social
I absolutely loved chatting with brilliant author Uma Krishnaswami about how I wrote THE TINKERERS. Find the whole craft-y chat on Uma’s blog here: www.umakrishnaswami.com/blog/process...
If we have tremendous power, how should we use it? If we don’t have tremendous power, how can we still make positive change in the world?
October 29, 2025 at 12:52 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Tonight at White Whale Bookstore in Pittsburgh, come celebrate the launch of THE TINKERERS, my new novel for young (and not-so-young) readers! whitewhalebookstore.com/events/48225
Launch party at White Whale, 10/11 at 7 pm, Caroline Carlson with Joy Givens discussing The Tinkerers
October 11, 2025 at 1:34 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
THE TINKERERS is on sale today! I’m so proud of this weird, magical, cozy, mini-time-travel book, and I really hope you enjoy it. www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/787553... #kidlit #mglit
The Tinkerers by Caroline Carlson is “brilliant” (the Horn Book starred review) and “warmhearted” (Kirkus).
October 7, 2025 at 1:31 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Just saw an ARC of THE TINKERERS being sold illegally on eBay. (They didn't even read it first!) Don't buy an ARC for $13 to support a jerk--buy the gorgeous hardcover for only a little more money and support me (a fairly nice person) and all the very nice people who worked hard on this book.
The Tinkerers by Caroline Carlson, 10/7/25, Candlewick Press
August 21, 2025 at 4:27 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
The first trade review for THE TINKERERS is a lovely one from Kirkus! I’m so grateful for their thoughtful read of the book.
August 18, 2025 at 12:25 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
If you are a @barnesandnoble.com member, you can get 25% off all preorders—including my cozy fantasy for kids, THE TINKERERS, coming in October from @candlewickpress.bsky.social !

Here’s the link for more info: www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-tinker...

#kidlit #bnpreorder
Preorder The Tinkerers at BN.com for 25% off. Preorders help authors keep writing the books you love!
July 9, 2025 at 2:26 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Happy paperback release day to WICKED MARIGOLD! I have been so happy to watch readers discover this fun fantasy adventure over the past year, and I hope that it will be able to reach even more kids in its new format. #kidlit #mglit #summerreading

www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/746873...
Wicked Marigold is now in paperback! A People Magazine Best Book for Summer!
July 8, 2025 at 4:42 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Everything is awful and I feel like I need to acknowledge that, but it feels useless to say so, and I think a lot of us are feeling at a loss right now. So. I saw some nice flowers the other day and they gave me hope?
June 22, 2025 at 12:31 AM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Are you in a pirate mood or a princess mood this summer? (Or maybe in the mood for both?) 🏴‍☠️ 👑

WICKED MARIGOLD and MAGIC MARKS THE SPOT are great for elementary and middle school readers, and they’re available in audio for family car trips, too!

Visit carolinecarlsonbooks.com for more info.
What are you reading this summer? A pirate book (magic marks the spot) of a princess book (wicked marigold)? Magic marks the spot is a funny, magical pirate adventure for kids! Wicked Marigold is a funny fractured fairy tale for kids!
June 18, 2025 at 5:15 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
This is almost as bad as when they didn’t accept CARYATID! I’m giving you a disdainful look, #spellingbee.
June 16, 2025 at 1:16 AM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
It’s B&N presale time again, and this time around, I have two books to plug awkwardly to you! If you enjoyed my VERY NEARLY HONORABLE LEAGUE OF PIRATES series, I think you’ll love both of these.
B&N preorder sale graphic for middle grade fantasy novels THE TINKERERS and WICKED MARIGOLD.
April 23, 2025 at 2:35 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
OMG
The saying "don't kiss a fish on the ears" is a humorous way of saying to avoid a pointless or ridiculous act. It's a metaphor for doing something illogical or nonsensical. The image of a fish's ears (which are not where a human would kiss) and the act of kissing in general, creates a comical, absurd picture, highlighting the absurdity of the situation. It's similar to phrases like "don't wear a silk hat to a bullfight" or "don't count your chickens before they hatch.
April 23, 2025 at 1:21 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
This is amazing.
The phrase "bringing peanut butter to dinosaurs" is an idiom that suggests anachronism or a situation that is out of place and illogical. It implies presenting something modern and familiar (peanut butter) to a time period (dinosaurs) where it wouldn't have existed, or using a concept that's out of context.
April 23, 2025 at 1:18 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
From now through the end of April, you can support your favorite indie bookstore (and me!) by ordering a copy of WICKED MARIGOLD, my funny middle grade fantasy novel. I'll send you or the young reader you love a personalized signed bookplate and a WICKED MARIGOLD bookmark. #kidlit #indiebookstore
To get a signed bookplate, order “wicked marigold” from an indie bookstore by April 30 and send me proof of purchase at caroline@carolinecarlsonbooks.com.
April 22, 2025 at 10:31 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
When you are five years old and learning to read, but you don't have any books you feel like reading, and your mom is a children's book author who occasionally takes commissions... this is the result.
Once upon a time, there was an ant named Pant. There was also a cookie named Cookie. Pant the ant and Cookie the cookie were best friends. Pant could carry Cookie on her back! Cookie could tell funny jokes. Pant could write stories. Cookie could not. But he liked to hear the stories Pant told. At night, they had pizza for dinner and hot chocolate for dessert. Then Pant crawled into her ant bed. And Cookie rolled into his cookie jar. “Goodnight, best friend,” said Cookie. “Goodnight, best friend,” said Pant. THE END
April 21, 2025 at 9:29 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Who out there is a sleep researcher who can replicate this study? And would you please sign me up as a participant? I would LOVE to help you. For science.

(From "Why Am I So Tired?" by @olgakhazan.bsky.social in @theatlantic.com. Gift link: www.theatlantic.com/family/archi...)
Then there’s “sleep debt”: All those nights of waking up frequently to feed a baby or to tend to a sick child contribute to a serious sleep deficit, one that takes a while to pay off—potentially weeks or months, depending on how large the debt is. A mother may have gotten eight hours of sleep last night, but not enough over the past six months. Walch told me about an old study that sounds like every new parent’s fantasy, in which healthy people were confined to a dark room for 14 hours a day. The first night, they slept about 12 hours, and the following night about 10, and so forth. Slowly, they drained the sleep deficit they had accrued over a lifetime.
April 15, 2025 at 2:29 AM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
I’m listening to a @taskmaster.tv podcast and doing laundry, and I just opened my dryer to find… this.

(I have never seen it before in my life, but I suspect Little Alex Horne is responsible.)
A small plastic duck
April 9, 2025 at 6:31 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
So your work has not changed (quote from the movie Clue)
March 26, 2025 at 2:06 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Yesterday in my newsletter, I shared the cover of my next middle grade novel, THE TINKERERS, coming in October from Candlewick Press!

The cover is illustrated by Junyi Wu and designed by Lissi Erwin. Isn’t it stellar?

More info here: carolinecarlson.substack.com/p/introducin...
The cover of THE TINKERERS by Caroline Carlson. People gather in a mountain village and look up at a colorful aurora in the night sky.
January 30, 2025 at 11:45 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Look how blue the sky is this morning, Bluesky!
November 24, 2024 at 3:59 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Come chat middle grade fantasy with us at 1:15 today! And then find me at Candlewick booth 714 at 3 pm for a WICKED MARIGOLD signing. #ncte2024
November 23, 2024 at 5:36 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Oh hey! If you’ve been waiting for the WICKED MARIGOLD audiobook, I’m excited to let you know it’s out TODAY, narrated by Katherine Anderson! Find it wherever you love to buy audiobooks.

Preview on Audible: www.audible.com/pd/B0DL84PPG...

#kidlit #mglit #audiobook
Wicked Marigold by Caroline Carlson, narrated by Katherine Anderson, from RB Media
November 19, 2024 at 2:07 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
Will you be attending #NCTE in Boston next week? I'll be there on Saturday, November 23rd, and I'd love to see you! Come chat with me and wonderful co-panelists about using children's fantasy literature in the classroom, or stop by the Candlewick booth to pick up a signed copy of WICKED MARIGOLD.
Find me at NCTE on Saturday, November 23! Panel: Dreaming for Change, 1:15-2:30 pm, Room 207 Signing Wicked Marigold, 3:00-3:30 pm, Booth 714 NCTE 2024: I'm presenting
November 17, 2024 at 12:04 AM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
WICKED MARIGOLD, a funny middle grade fantasy adventure about a princess who can’t quite figure out how to be perfect and decides to try her hand at villainy instead, coming from Candlewick on 7/16/24! carolinecarlsonbooks.com/books/wicked...
March 29, 2024 at 10:41 PM
carolinecarlson.bsky.social
How I imagine it went down between the prosecutors and Caroline Ellison:

"Will you take this plea deal?"
"No, thank you."
"If you plead guilty, you can tell the court about all the extremely dumb stuff your ex used to say, and the New York Times will report it to the entire world."
"...you're on."
October 11, 2023 at 2:05 AM