Inside the ALA Conference: Conversations with Bestselling Authors

Scholastic Kid Reporter Sara Adibi pictured with Alan Gratz, author of War Games

At the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference, authors are invited to speak about their critically acclaimed novels and bestselling books in hopes of inspiring aspiring writers. Their novels present a variety of characters that can help readers feel connected and open their eyes to what’s going on or what has happened around the world.

Diving into Alan Gratz’s War Games

First, I was able to interview Alan Gratz, who shared more about his new book, War Games, coming out October 7, 2025. War Games follows 13-year-old American gymnast Evie Harris during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. At the Olympics, Evie finds herself in the middle of a plan to rob the Reichsbank, the German national bank, to steal Nazi gold.

Gratz began War Games with an extensive research process. He spent over eight months researching Germany before WWII, the Summer Olympics, how to rob a bank and other topics that appear in the book. He explained that he often begins his research by checking out numerous books from libraries, watching different documentaries and learning about the topics from people who experienced them firsthand.

Gratz’s inspiration to write War Games came from Jesse Owens’ remarkable performance at the Berlin Olympics. A Black American track and field star from Alabama, Owens won four gold medals and became a global icon during the Summer Games. There were two major themes that Gratz wanted to portray in his novel. The first that “all that glitters is not gold” — in other words, appearances, like that put on by Nazis, can be deceiving. For example, during the Olympics, there were Nazi flags positioned all across Berlin hiding anti-Jewish propaganda underneath the flags. The second theme is: it’s not about winning or losing; it’s how you play the game and how you treat people.

When asked if he believed there was a benefit to young readers being exposed to real-world experiences through literature, Gratz responded, “Books are, in a way, windows into the world. Readers learn to understand others' points of view through literature.”

Gratz concluded, “I hope for future generations to realize that we are stronger when we work together and for those generations to develop empathy for people different from them.”

Discussing The Freedom Seeker with Ruchira Gupta

Next, I had the opportunity to sit with Ruchira Gupta for her novel, The Freedom Seeker, published on August 5, 2025. The Freedom Seeker follows 12-year-old Simi who lives in India with her parents who are from two different faiths — Hinduism and Islam. In some countries, marriages between faiths can lead to judgment and unjust treatment. Because of this, Simi and her parents ultimately leave India to pursue the long and difficult journey to citizenship in the United States.

When I asked Gupta why it is important for younger readers to be exposed to topics that she writes about in The Freedom Seeker, she shared that young people must understand what others their age are going through and that it can help them understand the world.

Gupta said that the main theme throughout her novel is how small acts of kindness can have a huge effect on others. She explained that when a nurse at the refugee shelter gave Simi information, it might have been a small act of kindness, but to Simi, finding someone who cared enough to help her in her journey left a huge impact on her. There are countless other times in the story where this theme can be applied.

When asked what stories inspired her to write this novel, she stated that there were a few articles in the news cycle that piqued her curiosity. One of them was about an Indian family that was separated after trying to cross the border from Mexico into the United States. Gupta wondered: What made them risk so much to cross the border? Another story that inspired Gupta was about a family that froze to death crossing the Canadian-American border.

Sara pictured with Ruchira Gupta, author of The Freedom Seeker

Talking about Outside with Jennifer Holm

Then, I had the chance to speak with Jennifer Holm about Outside, which will be published on October 7, 2025. Outside is a chilling but heartfelt story of a girl being raised in a compound, in total isolation from the outside world.

In the novel, Razzi, the main character, gets a heart transplant from a greyhound dog. Holm told me she was always interested in medicine, and animal transplants always fascinated her. For her novel, she had to research organ transplants from different animals to fully understand how this could affect Razzi. This research took Holm about a year.

Holm drew from her own experiences, which inspired her to write this book. She gave an example of a little white lie her dad would tell her, as many parents do, that she discovered when she was older.

When asked about the reaction she hopes readers will have from her novel, she said, “I want readers to first be startled and then I want them to learn to ask questions, and not always accept things as they are.”

Sara pictured with Jennifer Holm, author of Outside

Braided Roots by Pasha Westbrook

My last interview was with Pasha Westbrook, author of Braided Roots, coming out on November 4, 2025. Braided Roots is Pasha Westbrook’s first book and is a picture book that follows a father braiding his daughter’s hair and, while braiding her hair, sharing stories of their culture and ancestors.

Westbrook told me this was based on a similar experience with her father who shared stories of their heritage, particularly of their ancestors, who walked the Trail of Tears.

Westbrook told me that the message she wants to convey in her book is that no one is truly alone because everyone has thousands of ancestors with them at all times.

When asked about the illustrations, Westbrook said that the illustrations capture the love between Pasha and her father beautifully. She also shared, “As a child, I didn’t have books about my culture, and I desperately needed them to feel as if I belonged. Now we have so many, and it’s so beautiful for children everywhere to learn that they have a place in this world.”

The story emphasizes the strong connection everyone has with their ancestors, heritage and culture, but it also emphasizes a father’s deep love.

Sara pictured with Pasha Westbrook, author of Braided Roots

Overall, the ALA and the author events were amazing opportunities to learn about soon-to-be-published books.