About

Sally J. Pla is the 2024 ALA Schneider Family Award-winning author of THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE McGINN, as well as the Dolly Gray Award-winning THE SOMEDAY BIRDS and several other novels and picture books. Her books have starred reviews and appear on many state awards lists and “best books” roundups. Sally, who is neurodivergent, has appeared on television and radio as an author and autism advocate. She also runs the website resource A Novel Mind (anovelmind.com). Sally believes in kindness, respect, and the beauty of different brains. We are all stars shining with different lights! Visit her at www.sallyjpla.com.

Featured Work

The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn

2023
silhouette of young girl staring out at enormous waves at sunset - colors of fiery red-orange sky blend to blue-green of ocean.

2024 ALA Schneider Award Winner. Neurodivergent Maudie is ready to spend an amazing summer with her dad, but will she find the courage to tell him a terrible secret about life with her mom and new stepdad? This contemporary novel by the award-winning author of The Someday Birds is a must-read.

Other Works

  • Rowan + Gemma

    2026

  • Invisible Isabel

    2024

  • Ada and Zaz

    2023

  • Stanley Will Probably Be Fine

    2018

  • Benji, The Bad Day, and Me

    2018

  • The Someday Birds

    2017

Awards and Recognition

  • THE SOMEDAY BIRDS: – Winner of the Dolly Gray Children’s Literature Award for 2018 – New York Public Library Best Children’s Book of 2017 – Junior Library Guild Selection 2017 – Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee – Bank Street Best Children’s Book of 2017 – Publishers Weekly Starred Review – Shelf Awareness Starred Review – CommonSense Media Five Star Rating – Nerdies Award Winner 2017 – Dorothy Canfield Fisher (VT) Book Award Nominee – Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee – Wisconsin Library Ass’n Children’s Book Award Finalist – Young Hoosier Book Award Nominee - Amazon "Teacher's Pick"
  • STANLEY: A New York Public Library Best Kids Book * A Kirkus Best Book * A Bank Street Best Children's Book * Amazon "Teacher's Pick"
  • BENJI: Bank Street Best Children's Book, Winner of San Diego Book Award 2019, Amazon "Teacher's Pick," CCBC Choices
  • THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE MCGINN: ALA Schneider Family Book Award Winner 2024. Children's Literature Council-SoCal Juvenile Fiction Award Winner. Publishers Weekly Starred Review, SLJ Starred Review (audio), NY Public Library Best Book,Bank Street Best Book (starred), Cybils Awards Finalist, Sakura Medal Finalist, AL Yellowhammer Award Honor, CA Golden Poppy Award Finalist,CA Young Readers Medal Nominee, FL Sunshine State Young Readers Award Nominee, IL Rebecca Caudill Award Nominee, KS Wm. Allen White Award Nominee, KY Bluegrass Award Nominee, Texas Lonestar List, TX Bluebonnet Award Nominee, OK Sequoyah Award Finalist, VT Golden Dome Award Nominee, Maine Student Book Award Nominee, Michigan Mi-Self in Books List, MO Truman Book Award Nominee, MD Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Nominee, NH Great Stone Face Book Award Nom, NM Battle of the Books List, NC Battle of the Books List, SC Junior Book Award Nom, VA Reader’s Choice Nom, TN and WA state lists, 2024 DogEared Bk Award Winner.

Press and Media Mentions