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
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
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
The Wicked and the Just - Perfect for that reader who loves to watch a character learn and grow and change, who enjoys two competing points of view, who finds the past compelling and engaging. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-wicked-a... 10/
The Wicked and the Just. 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
November 24, 2025 at 5:25 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming - Perfect for that reader who has ever been the new kid in town, who has ever felt like something they want is out of reach, who has ever struggled to find a place in an unusual family. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-many-ref... 9/
The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming. Illustrated book cover. A girl in a blue dress is walking away from us up a wooden pier, toward a town. Straight ahead of her is a steep hill surrounded by trees. The sky is rainy, but clearing a little a the top. Text reads The Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:24 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
R is for Rebel - Perfect for that reader who has a deep sense of justice and yearns to change the world, who loves a character ready to fight for what they believe in, who has ever dreamed about taking over their school. www.jandersoncoats.com/r-is-for-rebel 8/
R is for Rebel. Illustrated book cover. A girl with short hair in a white dress stands with her back to us on a rooftop. She is holding a flag with the letter R on it, and surrounding her are girls wearing similar dresses. Beyond, surrounding the building they are on, are gathered soldiers. Text reads R is for Rebel by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:23 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Green Children of Woolpit - Perfect for that reader who loves a fairy tale retelling, anything weird or unexplained, something that’s creepy and unsettling, or all of the above. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-green-ch... 7/
The Green Children of Woolpit. Illustrated book cover. Two children, a boy and a girl, sit at the bottom of a pit. Their skin is green, and they are surrounded by strange plants and bones. The girl is peeking behind her hands, while the boy looks at you. Above them, at the edge of the pit, a white girl looks down at the two children. Text reads The Green Children of Woolpit by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:22 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Spindle and Dagger - Perfect for that reader who loves an immersive historical set in the middle ages that centers self-discovery and strong female friendships. www.jandersoncoats.com/spindle-and-... 6/
Spindle and Dagger. Illustrated book cover: A girl in a medieval-style red dress holds a dagger point-down. Behind her, there is an open field where figures on horses ride toward each other. In the distance, there is a castle. The text reads Spindle and Dagger by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:21 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Night Ride - Perfect for that reader who has already read every horse story in the library twice, and either 1) wishes like anything for a horse of their own, or 2) can’t spend enough time in the saddle. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-night-ride 5/
The Night Ride. Illustrated book cover. A white girl is riding a chestnut horse in a field at night. There are trees behind them, and a crescent moon in the sky. The girl is wearing riding clothes and her hair is braided. Text is The Night Ride by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
A Season Most Unfair - Perfect for that fan of Catherine, Called Birdy who loves a cozy medieval adventure that centers finding your purpose, friendship, and just a little bit of sneaking around. www.jandersoncoats.com/a-season-mos... 4/
A Season Most Unfair. Illustrated book cover. A white girl stirs a kettle in a courtyard. A white boy stands behind her looking nervous. There is a thatch-roof cottage in the background. Some cats are trying to see what the girl is doing. The text reads A Season Most Unfair by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:18 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Loss of the Burying Ground - Perfect for that reader looking for a YA pirates-and-castaways adventure with tons of twists and turns but no romance. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-loss-of-... 3/
The Loss of the Burying Ground. Illustrated book cover. Two girls stand back to back. One looks upward with a determined look on her face; the other looks down, seeming pensive or sorrowful. Below them, between them, is a three-masted sailing ship. The sky behind them is a pale orange-pink color, while the waves that splash on either side of them are turquoise. The text reads The loss of the Burying Ground by J. Anderson Coats.
November 24, 2025 at 5:17 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls – Perfect for that reader who has has a secret (or not-so-secret) fantasy of living in a library. www.jandersoncoats.com/the-unexpect... 2/
The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls. 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.
November 24, 2025 at 5:16 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
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
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
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
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
English-occupied Wales in the thirteenth century had complex power relationships. So does a high school lunchroom. YA fiction goes medieval. Ebook available now: 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 5, 2025 at 5:06 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
It's come to my attention that some people have a set of matching silverware and not a bunch of random utensils from the ten-cent bin at the thrift store.
Four forks lined up on a wooden table. Each fork has a different style handle: one has a curly floral-ish design in a gumdrop shape, one has straight flutes, one has a diamond-shape with some flowers at the tip; one has a teardrop shape with some flowers at the arch. The forks are lined up with the tines pointing toward you.
November 3, 2025 at 7:55 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Your periodic reminder that reviews help authors in all kinds of ways. If you love a book, please consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice. Thanks for your support!
An infographic about how reviews help authors.
November 3, 2025 at 5:16 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
How much do I love seeing a talented friend's awesome new middle-grade book splashed ALL OVER THE HOME PAGE of @bookshop.org! Congrats, @lynnekelly.bsky.social!
A screen shot of the homepage of Bookshop.org, featuring Lynne Kelly's new middle-grade book, Three Blue Hearts. The book cover (pink and swirly, featuring an octopus and the silhouette of a child) is on the lefthand side, and the text in the middle reads A Boy. An Octopus. A life-changing bond.
October 31, 2025 at 7:07 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
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.
October 31, 2025 at 5:55 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
In a mutual attempt to look at screens less, my daughter and I are doing a zine exchange. Here's mine so far. Making it has been unlocking memory after memory of my misspent youth when I made these constantly. Wonder if 1990s me would think a jam-making zine is awesome, or cringe af.
A homemade zine about making jam at home. It's made of folded printer paper; text reads "How to make homemade berry jam."
October 20, 2025 at 4:01 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
It's spooky season, and if you like a little bit of creepy in your middle grade, and you like retellings of medieval legends, and you like unusual pigs, I hope you'll give The Green Children of Woolpit a looksee! www.jandersoncoats.com/the-green-ch...
Illustrated book cover. Two children, a boy and a girl, sit at the bottom of a pit. Their skin is green, and they are surrounded by strange plants and bones. The girl is peeking behind her hands, while the boy looks at you. Above them, at the edge of the pit, a white girl looks down at the two children. Text reads The Green Children of Woolpit by J. Anderson Coats.
October 17, 2025 at 3:36 PM
jandersoncoats.bsky.social
Had a great time at the Bigfoot Kids Book Festival! There were tons of readers with so many great questions. Thanks to the folks on the @bigfootbookfest.bsky.social committee for putting on such an amazing event!
A sign with the logo for the Bigfoot Kids Book Festival, which is an orange Bigfoot carrying some books. Author J. Anderson Coats, a white woman with long dark hair, wearing a gray cardigan. She is at the Bigfoot Kids Book Festival; in the background you can see people browsing books at different tables. She is sitting at a table surrounded by copies of her latest book, The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls.
October 13, 2025 at 4:18 PM