About Mel Rosenberg

Dr. Mel Rosenberg wanted to become a children's book author, but ended up becoming a university professor (microbiology) and inventor. In his forties, he returned to writing for children. Many of his children's stories are available for free on www.Ourboox.com, a website and platform for authors which he co-founded with Ran Shternin. Currently, Mel teaches introductory academic courses on popular music and personal development writing and pursues his ambitions as a picture book author. His first traditionally-published children's book was published by Tal-May in Hebrew in 2023. Mel is represented by the Liza Royce Agency.

Mel Rosenberg is a scientist who fell in love with children's books as a small child in Ottawa and now writes his own. He is co-founder of Ourboox, a web platform with over 300,000 ebooks that

Mel is represented by the Liza Royce Agency.
Mel's website

NBN Episodes hosted by Mel:

Don Tate, Children's Book Illustrator and Author

July 13, 2024

Don Tate, Children's Book Illustrator and Author

Don Tate
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Don Tate is the award-winning author and/or illustrator of numerous picture book biographies, including Pigskins to Paintbrushes: The Story of Footbal…

Bonni Goldberg, "Doña Gracia Saved Worlds" (Kar-Ben Publishing, 2023)

July 7, 2024

Doña Gracia Saved Worlds

Bonni Goldberg
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Bonni Goldberg, award-winning poet, writer, and educator, writes non-fiction for children and adults. In our animated discussion, we talk about how he…

The Business of Publishing Children's Books: A Discussion with Elizabeth Law

June 19, 2024

The Business of Publishing Children's Books

Elizabeth Law
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Elizabeth Law has worked in the publishing field her whole life, first as an Editor at Viking Children’s Books and Puffin Books, as Associate Publishe…

Lesléa Newman, "Like Father, Like Son" (Abrams, 2024)

June 5, 2024

Like Father, Like Son

Lesléa Newman
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

In our animated interview with prolific, award-winning children's author and poet Lesléa Newman, we celebrate two of her picture books which have just…

Robin Newman, "Who's Writing This Story?" (Creston Books, 2024)

May 25, 2024

Who's Writing This Story?

Robin Newman
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Robin Newman was a practicing attorney and legal editor but has more fun writing children's books about witches, mice, pigs, and peacocks. In our inte…

Jennifer Berne, "A Tour of the Human Body: Amazing Numbers--Fantastic Facts" (Astra Publishing House, 2024)

May 22, 2024

A Tour of the Human Body

Jennifer Berne
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

In this wonderful second interview with Jennifer Berne we celebrate the launch of her newest picture book, and the first in a series: A Tour of the H…

Marie-Louise Gay, "Walking Trees" (Groundwood Books, 2024)

May 11, 2024

Walking Trees

Marie-Louise Gay
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Marie-Louise Gay is an internationally-acclaimed, multi-award winning Canadian author and illustrator of over 60 books. In our interview, we celebrate…

Julie Carpenter, "Harry and the Highwire: Houdini's First Amazing Act" (Green Bean Books, 2024)

May 4, 2024

Harry and the Highwire

Julie Carpenter
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

In this interview, we celebrate Julie Carpenter's first picture book, Harry and the Highwire: Houdini's First Amazing Act (Laura Catalán, illustrator)…

Laura Bower, "The Imposter" (Gnome Road Publishing, 2024)

March 30, 2024

The Imposter

Laura Bower
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

In this heartwarming interview with Laura Bower, we celebrate the launch of her brand new, debut picture book, The Imposter, illustrated by Kerisa Gre…

Michelle Knudsen, "Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten" (Candlewick Press, 2024)

March 24, 2024

Luigi, the Spider Who Wanted to Be a Kitten

Michelle Knudsen
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Michelle Knudsen is the New York Times best-selling author of fifty books for young readers of all ages, including the award-winning picture books (an…

Sue Fliess, "Octopus Acrobatics" (Albert Whitman & Company, 2024)

March 18, 2024

Octopus Acrobatics

Sue Fliess
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Sue Fliess ("fleece") is the award-winning, bestselling author of over 50 children's books including Sadie Sprocket Builds a Rocket, How to Trap a Lep…

Emily Barth Isler, "The Color of Sound" (Carolrhoda Books, 2024)

March 17, 2024

The Color of Sound

Emily Barth Isler
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Emily Barth Isler is the author of AfterMath, an award-winning middle grade novel, and of the forthcoming picture book Always Enough Love. In our inte…

A Chat with a Children's Book Illustrator: Erin Kraan

March 10, 2024

A Chat with a Children's Book Illustrator: Erin Kraan

Erin Kraan
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Erin Kraan has illustrated over half a dozen children's books, with more on the way. In our interview we celebrate her latest illustrated picture book…

Suzanne Slade, "The Music in George's Head: George Gershwin Creates Rhapsody in Blue" (Astra, 2021)

March 9, 2024

The Music in George's Head

Suzanne Slade
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Suzanne Slade is the Sibert Honor author of more than 170 books for children. A mechanical engineer by degree, Suzanne writes about STEM topics, fasci…

Heather L. Montgomery, "Sick!: The Twists and Turns Behind Animal Germs" (Bloomsbury, 2024)

March 2, 2024

Sick!

Heather L. Montgomery
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Heather L. Montgomery writes for kids who are wild about animals, masterfully employing yuck appeal to engage young minds. Her 17 nonfiction books inc…

Get Signed: A Chat with Literary Agent Lucinda Halperin

February 25, 2024

Get Signed

Lucinda Halpern
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Lucinda Halpern is a literary agent with over 15 years’ experience in both the publicity and agency sides of publishing. Before founding Lucinda Liter…

Laurie Wallmark and Raakhee Mirchandani, "Journey to the Stars: Kalpana Chawla, Astronaut" (Beaming Books, 2024)

February 18, 2024

Journey to the Stars

Laurie Wallmark and Raakhee Mirchandani
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Laurie Wallmark is the award-winning author of picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as ficti…

My Friends Maurice Sendak and Leonard Bernstein: A Discussion with Christopher Swann

February 13, 2024

My Friends Maurice Sendak and Leonard Bernstein

Christopher Swann
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Christopher Swann is an award-winning producer and director of documentaries, a playwright, author and editor. In our lively interview we discuss his …

Rebecca Gardyn Levington, "Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A Passover Hide-and-Seek Adventure" (Rocky Pond Books, 2024)

February 9, 2024

Afikoman, Where'd You Go?

Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

In this wonderfully candid conversation with children's book author Rebecca Gardyn Levington, we celebrate her new book Afikoman, Where'd You Go?: A P…

Talk to the Literary Agent: A Discussion with Victoria Selvaggio

January 31, 2024

Talk to the Literary Agent

Victoria Selvaggio
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

For Victoria Selvaggio, books have always played an important role in her life. From an early age, she could easily be found reading in a corner with …

What Makes A Great Picture Book? A Conversation with Betsy Bird

January 26, 2024

What Makes A Great Picture Book?

Betsy Bird
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Betsy Bird is the Collection Development Manager of Evanston Public Library and the former Youth Materials Specialist of New York Public Library. She …

Meet the Literary Agent: A Chat with Leslie Zampetti

January 21, 2024

Meet the Literary Agent

Leslie Zampetti
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Today I speak to the wonderful literary agent Leslie Zampetti, who recently launched her own agency, Open Book Literary. A former librarian in special…

Miriam Halahmy, "A Boy from Baghdad" (Green Bean Books, 2024)

January 16, 2024

A Boy from Baghdad

Miriam Halahmy
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Miriam Halahmy has published 9 novels for children and teens. Her new book A Boy from Baghdad (Green Bean Books, 2024), tells the story for children t…

Meet the Librarian: A Discussion with Louise Lareau, Managing Librarian, Children's Center, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

January 15, 2024

Meet the Librarian

Louise Lareau
Hosted by Mel Rosenberg

Louise Lareau is the award-winning Managing Librarian at The New York Public Library and currently leads the Children’s Center team at the Stavros Nia…