Dinosaurs. Cattle Rustlers. Ancient Babylon.

We have three new authors at New Classics, and I want to tell you all about them!

Let’s start with Marie Sontag, author of various kidlit novels, including The Bronze Dagger and the Stolen Jewels, featured by New Classics. A retired teacher, she’s now in Texas hanging out with her grandkids—and writing books.

Why did you write The Bronze Dagger and the Stolen Jewels?

I lived in California and taught sixth-grade social studies and language arts for more than 15 years (using my Ph.D. in education). Teaching about ancient civilizations was part of the curriculum, but I couldn't find any good historical fiction novels I wanted to include in my lessons. That's when I started writing The Bronze Dagger & the Stolen Jewels. I wanted to immerse my students in the ancient Mesopotamian culture through the eyes of kids their age.

What were your favorite books as a kid?

This will date me, but when I was in elementary school, I read the Hardy Boys books and Encyclopedia Brown. I loved adventure and mysteries, musing over puzzles that were tricky to figure out. 

Learn more:

Website and Book Trailers: MarieSontag.com  

Newsletter Signup: Marie's Newsletter

Next on our welcome list is Donna Alice Patton. She lives in Ohio, where she writes mysteries and westerns for middle-grade readers. Her New Classics book is the middle grade Western, Jenny Cameron’s Cattle Rustling Catastrophe, set in 1889 California. It is one of the winners of the 2025 prestigious Will Rogers Medallion Award.

Donna, how does where you live influence what you write?

I live in a rural farming area, which is perfect when I want to visit my neighbor's livestock for a refresher course on animals! It's also very peaceful and laid back.

Your favorite author as a kid?

I can still remember standing on tiptoe at 7 to reach the Laura Ingalls Wilder books on the library shelves. I read those books over and over, still do. If there was any one author who made me into a writer, it was Laura.

Learn more:

Website: DonnaAlicePatton.com

Newsletter signup: Donna's Newsletter

To finish the spotlight on our new authors, most homeschooling parents need no introduction to Jeannie Fulbright. She is a popular homeschooling speaker and champion, has written much Bible-based curriculum, especially on science and history. Perhaps you have heard her speak. Now she’s written middle-grade Bible-based fiction, beginning with Dinosaur Days, book one in her new Rumble Tumbles Through Time series, which sends a modern family tumbling through time and meeting up with real-life historical people (and dinosaurs!)

What is your biggest challenge in writing your new fiction books?

My biggest challenge is . . . TIME. It's difficult to focus on my wonderful little characters and their adventures when I have so many other writing projects going on--updating the Apologia science books, my American history curriculum, blogs, articles. So many ideas! So little time!

How did you come up with your idea for the Rumble Tumbles Through Time series?

The idea came of combining my three youngest children into an adventure story, where the kids experience the Bible in real life. They go back in time and realize that the Bible is true, while also learning valuable lessons along the way. The characters' personalities are very similar to my own children, which makes it fun (and easy) to make the characters seem real—lots of honest dialogue mixed with sibling snarkiness. I love these characters as if they were my own children—mostly because they are—and it seems like readers love them too. 

Learn more:

Website & Newsletter signup: JeannieFulbright.com

We hope you have enjoyed this introduction to three brand-new New Classics authors. Don't forget! You can download free study guides for all three of these new books (plus many more) on this New Classics Study Guides page >

Scroll down to find the guides to all of our books.

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