J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
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jandersoncoats.bsky.social
J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
@jandersoncoats.bsky.social
1.4K followers 1K following 410 posts
YA/MG author. Newest: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls (2025); The Loss of the Burying Ground (2024). She/Her. Located near the Salish Sea. Rep'd by ACM. https://www.jandersoncoats.com/
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jandersoncoats.bsky.social
J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · Aug 8
Hello friends! Just a quick note to remind everyone that I write books, and when you buy them, I can eat. Thank you! www.jandersoncoats.com
Nine illustrated book covers set in three rows of three. The book covers are set on a background that looks like ice crystals. All titles are by J. Anderson Coats, and include: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls, The Loss of the Burying Ground, A Season Most Unfair, Spindle and Dagger, The Night Ride, The Green Children of Woolpit, R is for Rebel, The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming, and The Wicked and the Just.
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
garius.bsky.social
EARLY CAT: What that?
HUMAN: A fish. You can eat them.
EARLY CAT: Mine now. I need it. I need the fish. Without fish I die. Gimmie fish.
HUMAN: But you're from the desert. How can you possibly-
EARLY CAT: WOE. WOE FOR KITTY. HUMAN INFLICTS A THOUSAND WOES ON-
HUMAN: God. Fine. Have it.
December 3, 2025 at 9:57 AM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
For the afternoon crowd!
jandersoncoats.bsky.social J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 5d
Some of you may know that The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls is inspired by my grandmother's life. I'm hoping that young readers will find themselves curious about lives of the elders they know - their grandparents, family friends, and other older folks who love and care about them. 🧵1/
Illustrated book cover. At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. Some are on foot; others are in horse-drawn buggies. There is a large archway with "Welcome" across the top, and beyond it is Seventeenth Street full of people. There are buildings with arched windows on either side of the street. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is wearing an beige dress and carrying a messenger-style bag over her shoulder. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is shades of turquoise blue and an orangey-red, with purple accents. In the middle of the image is the book's title in white text: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. Also the author's name in red text: J. Anderson Coats.
December 2, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
pollyf.bsky.social
How cool is this?
jandersoncoats.bsky.social J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 5d
I've created a little downloadable notebook to help kids interview their elders to find out what it was like when they were growing up. The guide includes interview tips and sample questions, along with plenty of space to take notes. Available here: www.jandersoncoats.com/the-unexpect... 2/
Two interior pages of a downloadable notebook designed to help kids interviews with elders they know and care about. This alt-text box doesn't provide enough space to share the entirety of the text, but here is some of it: Tell your grown-ups (your mom or dad, stepparent, guardian, etc) that you want to interview a particular elder. They will be able to help you make plans to do the interview and gather any equipment you might want to use. If it won't work out to interview this elder, they can help you choose a different one. Once your grown-up is on board with the interview plan, ask your elder what day and time works best for them. Do your best to allow plenty of time for the interview so the conversation isn't rushed. Your grown-up may want to come with you to do the interview. This is totally fine! Stories are for everyone to share. It's a good idea to make some kind of record of the interview so you can remember later what stories your elder shared. Decide if you want to use a device (such as your phone, computer, or tablet), or if you want to take notes with pen and paper, or both! Before you start recording, whether you're using a device or pen and paper, ask your elder if it's okay. It's not a good idea to record someone without them knowing, and it's just good manners to ask. Come up with some questions beforehand, but if your elder is excited to talk about a particular subject, let the conversation go where it wants to go. During the interview, make sure that you are listening actively. This means you are not thinking about other things, checking your phone, or looking out the window. You are paying attention to what your elder is saying, and if it makes sense, asking follow-up questions such as, "Then what happened?" Active listening shows that you care. Once the interview is over, remember to thank your elder. You could also write a short note, draw a picture, or make a little thank-you video if you're feeling inspired!
December 2, 2025 at 4:48 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
This is definitely one of the interview suggestions! 😊
jasonpaul.bsky.social Jason Siempre ANTIFA Paul @jasonpaul.bsky.social · 5d
Please audio record them too whenever possible.
December 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Some of you may know that The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls is inspired by my grandmother's life. I'm hoping that young readers will find themselves curious about lives of the elders they know - their grandparents, family friends, and other older folks who love and care about them. 🧵1/
Illustrated book cover. At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. Some are on foot; others are in horse-drawn buggies. There is a large archway with "Welcome" across the top, and beyond it is Seventeenth Street full of people. There are buildings with arched windows on either side of the street. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is wearing an beige dress and carrying a messenger-style bag over her shoulder. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is shades of turquoise blue and an orangey-red, with purple accents. In the middle of the image is the book's title in white text: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. Also the author's name in red text: J. Anderson Coats.
December 2, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
weneeddiversebooks.bsky.social
This #GivingTuesday, consider helping We Need Diverse Books to Defend Our Stories!

📚 bit.ly/DefendOurStories

What does it really mean to Defend Our Stories—and how can your donation make a direct difference? Here are just a few ways your dollar makes a huge difference! ⬇️
White graphic titled “Make Your Dollar Go Further With We Need Diverse Books”. Beneath the title is the hashtag #GivingTuesday, and at the bottom of the graphic is an illustration of a wooden bookshelf full of colorful books and a potted plant. White graphic titled “Help WNDB Defend Our Stories”. Body text beneath says, “This giving season, We Need Diverse Books is aiming to raise $48,957 by December 31st in order to fight back against the erasure of diverse books and voices. Read on to see how your gift helps defend our stories—and the young readers who need them most.” Underneath the body text is a search bar graphic containing the URL “bit.ly/DefendOurStories”, which will redirect folks to learn more about WNDB’s Defend Our Stories campaign. At the bottom of the graphic is an illustration of a wooden bookshelf full of colorful books and a potted plant.
December 2, 2025 at 3:30 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
In case anyone is doing some Winter Holiday shopping today! 📚❤️📚
jandersoncoats.bsky.social J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · 13d
It's gifting season for many folks, and we all know books make excellent presents! If you plan to gift one of my books to someone (or yourself!), I'm happy to send a signed bookplate and swag if you email me a mailing address. Here’s a thread to match my books with the reader on your list: 1/
A graphic displaying all book covers for kidlit author J. Anderson Coats. The background of the graphic is a white snowflake-style crystal pattern; inside there is a white square to make the covers stand out. The covers are in a three-by-three grid, for a total of nine covers. They are, from left to right: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls (a white girl with a long braid, carrying a messenger bag, looks up at an arched gateway leading to a city street) The Loss of the Burying Ground (two girls stand back to back; below them is a three-masted sailing ship; there is water splashing up on both sides of the girls) A Season Most Unfair (a white girl stirs a kettle in front of a medieval-style house while a boy looks on, seeming worried) Spindle and Dagger (a medieval teen girl in a red dress is holding a dagger point-down while a skirmish is happening behind her) The Green Children of Woolpit (two green children look sketchy and suspicious at the bottom of a pit while a white girl looks down at them from the pit edge) R is for Rebel (a white girl with short hair stands on a rooftop holding a flag while other girls surround her; they are looking down at a gathered army) The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming (a white girl in a blue dress walks up a pier into a town; there are seagulls flying around her) The Wicked and the Just (a town with houses crowded together against a pinkish sunset sky) Alt text has been abbreviated to fit the space. For a more detailed version of each book cover, please see subsequent posts in this thread. :)
December 1, 2025 at 5:12 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
I spy The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls on The Horn Book's list of #YA works with families affected by history, and it's in some excellent company. Thanks, @thehornbook.bsky.social! See the whole list here: www.hbook.com/story/newsle...
A screen shot of a review of The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats, from The Horn Book Review. The text reads: In 1910 small-town Colorado, Stanislava’s plan for getting out of her Slovene immigrant community — going by the “American name” of Sylvia, concealing her heritage to avoid discrimination, and one day going to college — comes to an abrupt halt when her older sister, Stina, runs away to get married. When their mother demands she stay home to do the never-ending housework in Stina’s stead, Stanislava/Sylvia runs away, too, ending up at the public library in Denver. One of the librarians recruits her to serve as translator for the library’s outreach to Denver’s Slovene community. As she helps to bridge the cultural gap, she meets women who show her that Slovenians are not all just like the ones she grew up with, allowing her to embrace both her Slovenian and American identities as she charts a course for herself. Anderson brings lots of threads together with skill, telling a cohesive story that has as much to say about the present — in terms of gender, ethnicity, race, religion, heritage, assimilation, classism, self-determination — as about its historical setting. Sylvia has an effective balance of naiveté and worldliness, making her an easy protagonist to root for, and her quest for independence is resolved in a gratifying but not overly neat way. This is historical fiction at its best, fusing period details with a compelling narrative and challenging assumptions of then and now. SARAH RETTGER. There is also a picture of the cover: At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is turquoise and shades of red/peach.
November 28, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
thehornbook.bsky.social
@jandersoncoats.bsky.social @reemfaruqi.bsky.social @danielmiyares.bsky.social @ptrckochieng.bsky.social
November 26, 2025 at 8:47 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
I'm starting to suspect that yelling about book bans and the planet-killing plagiarism machine that is AI has put me in Bluesky's "Rude" category. Perhaps this picture of Doomkitty looking cute in the sun will get me out?
A Bengal/tabby cat sits on an olive green sofa in the sun. There is a dark pink blanket on the back of the sofa with a southwest pattern in black and yellow. She does not look impressed with my nonsense.
November 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
It's gifting season for many folks, and we all know books make excellent presents! If you plan to gift one of my books to someone (or yourself!), I'm happy to send a signed bookplate and swag if you email me a mailing address. Here’s a thread to match my books with the reader on your list: 1/
A graphic displaying all book covers for kidlit author J. Anderson Coats. The background of the graphic is a white snowflake-style crystal pattern; inside there is a white square to make the covers stand out. The covers are in a three-by-three grid, for a total of nine covers. They are, from left to right: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls (a white girl with a long braid, carrying a messenger bag, looks up at an arched gateway leading to a city street) The Loss of the Burying Ground (two girls stand back to back; below them is a three-masted sailing ship; there is water splashing up on both sides of the girls) A Season Most Unfair (a white girl stirs a kettle in front of a medieval-style house while a boy looks on, seeming worried) Spindle and Dagger (a medieval teen girl in a red dress is holding a dagger point-down while a skirmish is happening behind her) The Green Children of Woolpit (two green children look sketchy and suspicious at the bottom of a pit while a white girl looks down at them from the pit edge) R is for Rebel (a white girl with short hair stands on a rooftop holding a flag while other girls surround her; they are looking down at a gathered army) The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming (a white girl in a blue dress walks up a pier into a town; there are seagulls flying around her) The Wicked and the Just (a town with houses crowded together against a pinkish sunset sky) Alt text has been abbreviated to fit the space. For a more detailed version of each book cover, please see subsequent posts in this thread. :)
November 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Love #historicalfiction but not so excited about romance? The Wicked and the Just has complex power dynamics, medieval mean girls, and throwing muck at tax collectors. Get it here: www.jandersoncoats.com/the-wicked-a...
Illustrated book cover. There are a number of small, old-fashioned houses clustered together at the bottom, to look like a town. The houses have tall windows and slate-style roofs. There are small birds on some of the rooftops. The sky above the town is pinkish, pale at the bottom and growing to a darker pink at the top right. Text reads The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats. The teaser text at the top reads "Caernarvon's the last place there'll be trouble..." The review pull quote above the houses reads, "Brilliant." ~ Kirkus Reviews Text from the starred reviews (all text preceded by a small black star): "Brilliant: a vision of history before the victors wrote it." ~ Kirkus (starred review) "[A]n instantly gripping story of injustice spawned by subjugation." ~ School Library Journal (starred review) "[An] unusually honest portrait of the effects of power ... [Coats] offers a potent historical novel." ~ The Horn Book Review (starred review) "[A] harrowing picture of life as two cultures clash." Shelf Awareness (starred review)
November 21, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
nooskadraws.bsky.social
ye olde trans rights. now and forever. 🏳️‍⚧️✨

#TDOR #TransDayofRemembrance
A digital illustration of a medieval banner. It says in medieval inspired script "ye olde trans rights". It is decorated with plants and blue, pink, and white flowers.
November 20, 2025 at 12:08 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
This sounds awesome, @taradairman.bsky.social! Can't wait to read it!
taradairman.bsky.social Tara Dairman @taradairman.bsky.social · 20d
Hey, that's my YA debut--WE ARE THE DEVILS--getting a mention in the @publisherswkly.bsky.social Rights Roundup! 😈
The Latest in Children's and YA Deals: New projects this week include The Gods Will Sing Our Song by Autumn Krause, a YA historical fantasy pitched as Divine Rivals meets Lovely War, about two Japanese American teenagers in a WWII incarceration camp, who collide with ancient magic and confront heart-wrenching injustices; Tara Dairman’s We Are the Devils, a darkly humorous YA novel about five cheerleaders who resolve to bully a new teammate off the squad—until that teammate's violent agenda starts to transform their lens on femininity, perfection, and themselves; and Livia Blackburne’s middle grade fiction debut, Echoes Across the Water, set in the aftermath of the Chinese Civil War, in which two girls, one in Mao’s China and one in Kuomintang-ruled Taiwan, find their lives intertwined through dreams as they navigate a secret that may heal their families or tear them apart.
November 17, 2025 at 8:45 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Poulsbo Kids Book Festival was a blast! Highlights include an author parade led by the high school marching band, talking books with a ton of amazing readers, and meeting one of my literary heroes, Karen Cushman. Big thanks to Liberty Bay Books for putting on such a great event!
A large rectangular hanging banner outside a high school with metal doors (one is standing open) and a brick wall. The banner has a white background with two cartoon otters on either side of the text, which reads: Poulsbo Kids Book Festival, Saturday, Nov 15, North Kitsap High School, Poulsbo, WA Author J. Anderson Coats, a white woman with long dark hair, sits behind a table with a white tablecloth. On the table are copies of her books: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls, A Season Most Unfair, and The Night Ride. Behind her is a metal screen. Kidlit author Karen Cushman sits next to kidlit author J. Anderson Coats. They are both smiling for the camera. Karen has white hair, glasses, and is wearing a dark red sweater with a gold brooch pinned to it. J has long dark hair, and she's wearing a gray cardigan with a pride flag pin on it. They are both wearing sticky nametags.
November 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Horse books for small readers! 📚🐴 ❤️
terrifarley.bsky.social Terri Farley @terrifarley.bsky.social · 26d
My first #picturebook! The Phantom Stallion's family is warm & STEMy for K-2. Coming in Jan '26. Available for #preorder now! #horses #wildhorses #STEM #KidLitChat #KidLit #Skybrarians
November 11, 2025 at 5:28 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
ICYMI!
jandersoncoats.bsky.social J. Anderson Coats (she/her) @jandersoncoats.bsky.social · Oct 31
I'm a huge fan of #kidlit historical fiction author Caroline Starr Rose, and she was kind enough to invite me to share some thoughts on The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls on her blog. A snippet appears below, but you can read the whole thing here: carolinestarrrose.com/an-interview...
A screen shot of an interview with J. Anderson Coats. It's all text: You have written an number of middle grade and YA novels, almost all of them historical fiction. In fact, Booklist once called you a “historical fiction master.” What draws you to historical fiction? What keeps you coming back? Mostly I keep coming back because there’s a certain section of the population that really, really doesn’t want people to read, consider, and grapple honestly with historical events in their raw, real form. These people especially don’t want kids to explore and work toward an understanding of history that doesn’t center the particular version of the past they wish existed, or that they need to fabricate in order to prop up their vision of what the future ought to look like. Our shared human past is far from perfect. There’s a lot that’s hard to learn about, to know about. It can be deeply unsettling to sit with the idea that you benefit from other people’s dispossession and marginalization, whether you want to or not, and how events from years past contribute to systems and mindsets that govern our current reality. But when young people learn history in an honest way, developing differences in perspective that encourage them to challenge those entrenched systems, they are better equipped to notice when they’re being manipulated with half-truths and misrepresentations deployed by those who want to control the narrative and steer it in a direction that benefits the powerful at the expense of everyone else.
November 11, 2025 at 4:53 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
PNW friends! It's going to be a great festival - time for a road trip! Hope to see you there. 📚❤️📚
bysonjathomas.bsky.social Sonja Thomas @bysonjathomas.bsky.social · 27d
I'm so excited for the Poulsbo Kids' Book Festival this Sat, Nov 15th 11AM - 3PM! I'll be there with over 30 AMAZING authors and illustrators at North Kitsap High School in Poulsbo, WA. Visit lnkd.in/eGU5H5dK for more details. YAY!

#childrensbooks #libertybaybooks #kidsbooks #mglit #kidlit
November 10, 2025 at 8:50 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
lisadiedrich.bsky.social
This point seems important: "Students should not carry the responsibility of overturning book bans. This isn’t a mess they’ve created; it’s one created by adults who fail to recognize children & teenagers are autonomous individuals with their own rights."
heykellyjensen.bsky.social kelly jensen @heykellyjensen.bsky.social · Nov 7
Last month, it was teenagers who got 8 books banned in a statewide Georgia reading bowl back into the competition. These literary heroes deserve recognition–get to meet three of these rad book-loving intellectual freedom champions.

bookriot.com/teens-who-ov...
Meet the High Schoolers Who Overturned a State Reading Bowl Book Ban: Book Censorship News, November 7, 2025
A Georgia statewide reading bowl banned eight books. These students led the charge to get the bans overturned and succeeded.
bookriot.com
November 7, 2025 at 1:52 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
A heads-up for writer friends who are following the Anthropic case.
November 7, 2025 at 7:08 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
School Library Journal has nice things to say about The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls! “[T]he notion of living in a library will engage young readers, including those who may not generally gravitate to historical fiction.” Thanks, SLJ! www.jandersoncoats.com/the-unexpect...
A graphic sharing a School Library Journal review for The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats. On the lefthand side is an image of the illustrated book cover. At the top of the image is a street scene from early twentieth century Denver, with people of all ages in suits and long dresses. Some are on foot; others are in horse-drawn buggies. There is a large archway with "Welcome" across the top, and beyond it is Seventeenth Street full of people. There are buildings with arched windows on either side of the street. At the bottom left is a white girl with a single braid. She is wearing an beige dress and carrying a messenger-style bag over her shoulder. She is looking up at the archway with an excited expression on her face. At the bottom right is an Eastern European folk art motif with flowers and viney stems. The color scheme is shades of turquoise blue and an orangey-red, with purple accents. In the middle of the image is the book's title in white text: The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. Also the author's name in red text: J. Anderson Coats. On the righthand side of the graphic is the text of the quote: “Brisk chapters, strong character development in the protagonist, nuanced themes related to immigrant identity, and the notion of living in a library will engage young readers, including those who may not generally gravitate to historical fiction.” - School Library Journal. The background of the graphic is sky blue. The text is on a reddish background that fades as you go down. Both the cover and the text box are offset in a pale orange/peachy color.
November 7, 2025 at 4:09 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
PNW friends! The Poulsbo Kids Book Festival is coming your way on Saturday 11/15 from 11-3. If you've never visited the beautiful Kitsap Peninsula, here's your chance to see some pretty scenery and meet some talented #kidlit authors. Free and open to the public! www.poulsbokidsbookfest.com
A graphic advertising the Poulsbo Kids Book Festival. A cartoon otter is holding a stack of books. A baby otter pops out from behind the big otter holding a sign that reads "#2" since this is the second festival. The grown-up otter looks fondly at the baby otter, and the baby otter has its paws up in excitement while looking at the big otter. The background is yellow. Text reads "Poulsbo Kids Book Festival."
November 6, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
jasonkoebler.bsky.social
Once you start thinking of AI as a war on humanity, on human thought, on human inquiry, on human labor, on nuance and critical thinking, it slots in pretty seamlessly with the right wing ideological project, oligarchical political projects, big tech's political projects, etc
The future being pushed by both AI boosters and educational censors is one where access to information is tightly controlled. Children will not be allowed to read certain books or learn certain narratives. “Research” will be performed only through one of a select few artificial intelligence tools owned by AI giants which are uniformly aligned behind the Trump administration and which have gone to the ends of the earth to prevent their black box machines from spitting out “woke” answers lest they catch the ire of the administration. School boards and library boards, forced to comply with increasingly restrictive laws, funding cuts, and the threat of being defunded entirely, leap at the chance to be considered forward looking by embracing AI tools, or apply for grants from government groups like the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which is increasingly giving out grants specifically to AI projects.
November 6, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Reposted by J. Anderson Coats (she/her)
behan.bsky.social
“Fascism and AI, whether or not they have the same goals, they sure are working to accelerate one another,”
jasonkoebler.bsky.social Jason Koebler @jasonkoebler.bsky.social · Nov 6
The long-running ideological war on libraries, education, and government workers is not separate from AI boosterism. It is the same ideological war on human knowledge and expertise. In some cases AI is being used to directly supercharge this effort:

www.404media.co/ai-is-superc...
AI Is Supercharging the War on Libraries, Education, and Human Knowledge
"Fascism and AI, whether or not they have the same goals, they sure are working to accelerate one another."
www.404media.co
November 6, 2025 at 5:13 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Freezing her furry buns off because she's unwilling to admit it's fall. (Also it means my house is cold because I have to leave the door open for her. Yes, she is very spoiled.)
A Bengal/tabby cat sits in some tall-ish grass under a stand-up planter made of 2x4s. She looks unimpressed. You can't see it in the picture, but there is a cat fence so she is outside safely.
November 5, 2025 at 8:57 PM