Welcome! 

I'm glad you're here. I always tell kids, no matter how many books I write, my work isn't done until I get those books into the hands of readers. 
If you'd like a copy of any of my books signed and personalized, you can order online from my local independent book store, 
Bear Pond Books. Just scroll down to the end of the store's checkout form to the comment box and specify your requested personalization.
Music and Silence and America's Founding Myths are both available NOW for Pre-Orders. (Just click those links.)
​I'll stop by the store and sign for you. Thanks for supporting indies!

AND announcing an exciting EVENT
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 Please join us on April 25 (Indie Bookstore Day!) to celebrate the release of Music and Silence, the beautifully illustrated picture book about one of my heroes, the brilliant cellist and activist for peace, Pablo Casals.
We'll be at Inklings Children's Books, 106 Mad River Green. 11:00.
Details below.

New in 2026

Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals

Sharing the story of the brilliant cellist and steadfast advocate for peace, Pablo Casals, in a picture book beautifully illustrated by Catalan artist Mariona Cabassa.
  • "A lyrical tribute to a Catalan child who grew up to become one of the 20th century’s most renowned cellists." ~KIRKUS REVIEWS
  • "Mihaly’s lyrical text sings and dances with alliterative phrases like 'tender and trembling' and 'beautiful and beguiling.' The back matter includes a wealth of information, including author and illustrator notes, a time line, additional details, listening suggestions, and other sources. A moving choice for picture book–biography collections." ~BOOKLIST
  • ​ "Music and Silence introduces children to a man who was not just a master of the cello, but a remarkable model of sacrifice and artistic protest." Zinn Education Project (recommended)
(Eerdmans Books for Young Readers)

​America's Founding Myths (And What Really Happened)

​In time for America's 250th birthday, this myth-busting picture book is filled with surprising facts and Marta Sevilla's lively art.
  • ★ "A visually dynamic, intellectually rigorous resource that challenges young readers to question historical narratives and recognize bias" School Library Journal (star)
  • “America’s Founding Myths teaches young people the art of asking questions—not to shatter our national ideals, but to provide a sounder foundation for them. Because history, like Oz, is never exactly as it seems.” ~ Gregory Maguire, author of Wicked.
  • "Playful, provocative, and packed with perspective" ~KIRKUS REVIEWS​
  • ★ "Mihaly delivers refreshing doses of reality that will deepen any reader’s understanding of our nation’s complex history and values." ~ BOOKLIST (star)
(Barefoot Books)

More Books
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​OUR CONGRESS offers a kid-friendly introduction to the history of Congress and its importance in our lives today. Alice's mom has just been elected to Congress and Alice is not happy about it. She visits the Capitol and runs into a series of helpful guides -- spectral and living -- and comes away with a deeper appreciation for this pivotal institution and its role in our democracy.
Kirkus calls it (among other things) "timely" and "refreshingly frank."
Publishers' Weekly likes it too!
I chatted with fellow author Mima Tipper about this and related topics, here.
And here's more about my work to engage kids in the workings of our government.
Welcome! Feel free to look around! There’s information here about my books, events, and writing.
Questions?
​Fill out the contact form.
​Barefoot Books WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery has earned numerous honors including a Nautilus Book Awards Gold. Gorgeously illustrated by Mariona Cabassa, this book is super-sized and filled with fun features like flaps and fold-outs. Read this endorsement.

Kirkus Reviews gave WATER a STAR and called it "Oceanic in scope--but clear and refreshing!" Dive in, and immerse yourself in fascinating facts about water. Watch the trailer and read more here.  And check out the Shepherd page, with a great review, here. The Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) also recommends it. 

Want a SIGNED COPY? Order online at Bear Pond Books. I'll sign and personalize your book. (Just scroll to the end of the online order form to request your personalization.)
THE SUPREME COURT AND US introduces young readers to the history and role of the U.S. Supreme Court, by way of a pair of lively protagonists who take a tour of Washington, D.C.
Illustrated by Neely Daggett and published by Albert Whitman, this picture book is great for ages 6 to 10. 

Calling it a "child-friendly legal primer," Kirkus says this "creative and informative" book "will be a great addition to home and school libraries."

Looking for more great kids' books about the Court? I've posted my  top five recommendations, here.  
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If you order your copy online at Bear Pond Books, I'll personalize and sign your copy. (Just leave your instructions in the "comments" box at the end of the online order form.) Thanks for supporting indie bookstores! 
FREE FOR YOU AND ME: What Our First Amendment Means is full of poems and stories about our First Amendment freedoms, with kid-friendly illustrations by Manu Montoya. It's a lively book for young readers (and I hear from adults that they love it too)! (Albert Whitman, 2020.)  Now in both hard cover and paperback.
Indie bookstore Bear Pond Books is a great place to order it online, and if you make a request at the bottom of the order form, I'll sign and personalize your copy. ​
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Want to know more about the book? Watch this awesome BOOK REVIEW video by Mrs. Dunlap's fourth grade class. 

Looking for more great kids' books about civic engagement? I've posted my  top five recommendations, here. 

PLUS: A Teacher's Guide, from Curious City.
HEY, HEY, HAY!
A Tale of Bales and the Machines That Make Them
A Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and recommended by the American Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture. 
A rhyming romp in the hayfields, this tale follows a mother-daughter team making hay on their farm --with tractors!

Now in both hard cover and paperback editions.

Teacher's Guide available here; watch a video I made for National Ag in the Classroom about how I share HAY with kids: here or here.

Read about what inspired me to write HEY, HEY, HAY, here. 
Order a personalized, signed book online at Bear Pond Books, here.
DIET FOR A CHANGING PLANET: Food for Thought
​(Twenty-first Century Books/Lerner 2018)
Short-listed for the Green Earth Book Awards, this YA nonfiction invites readers to consider how their food choices affect the environment ... and how eating unexpected dishes is a stop toward healing the earth. Crickets, weeds, invasive species -- check it out!
Mel Brooks:  A Little Golden Book Biography, Illustrated by Kelly Kennedy

Because every kid deserves to know all about Mel Brooks! Little Golden Book Biographies are a great way to introduce young readers to nonfiction -- so check out this inspiring little book, for kids and Mel Brooks fans of all ages. Kelly Kennedy's art is amazing, too! I chat about this new LGB here and here.
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 Patience, Patches! "takes the standard dog-meets-new-baby and mother-loves-baby themes and weaves them together into a sweet, humorous, unique creation. There's many nods to parents, walking the floor with a crying baby and waiting impatiently for baby's first word; to siblings, learning to adapt to a new baby and their parents' divided attention; to the humorous viewpoint of a dog to this strange new addition to the household.
Verdict: A delightful story to add to read-alouds about babies, dogs, and moms, this is a must-have for most collections that will delight readers young and old."
​~Jean Little Library
Website Special: 
​This new-baby picture book is out of print, but you can buy a copy from Inklings Children's Books in Waitsfield, VT, or by contacting me (from the Contact page). I'll sign it and send it to you.    ($17.99)​
Represented by Erzsi Deàk
Hen & Ink Literary         
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I love the magic and power of words, and I'm convinced that writing for kids is the best job ever. I'm always learning something new . . . about topics from the machines that make hay to eating invasive insects, from solar power to jumbo squids to unsung heroes to the magic of the water cycle. 

I'm a presenter with the the Children's Literacy Foundation (CLiF) and love getting into schools and libraries. You can see more about my work with CLiF and see some videos here. 

I am a founding member of GROG, the group blog for writers and readers of children’s literature. I have lived in Oregon, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, New Hampshire, California, and Spain. I'm now settled happily with my family in rural Vermont, where I write at a table overlooking fields and forests, under the supervision of my dog and my cat. Want to know more about my “writing life”? Click HERE.
Thanks for visiting!
Moose graphic: Tanja Bauerle