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Joy McCullough

Joy McCullough writes books and plays from her home in the Seattle area, where she lives with her husband and two children. She studied theater at Northwestern University, fell in love with her husband atop a Guatemalan volcano, and now spends her days surrounded by books and kids and chocolate. Blood Water Paint is her debut novel.

Genres: Young Adult Fiction, Children's Fiction

New and upcoming books

May 2026

Kestrel Takes Flight

June 2026

Izzy vs. Cheerleading
(Team Awkward, book 3)

Series

Team Awkward (with Veeda Bybee)
   1. Jojo vs. Middle School (2025)
   2. Leah vs. Art (2025)
   3. Izzy vs. Cheerleading (2026)

Novels

   Blood Water Paint (2018)
   A Field Guide to Getting Lost (2020)
   We Are the Ashes, We Are the Fire (2021)
   Across the Pond (2021)
   Great or Nothing (2022) (with others)
   Not Starring Zadie Louise (2022)
   Enter the Body (2023)
   Code Red (2023)
   Basil & Dahlia (2024)
   Everything Is Poison (2025)
   Kestrel Takes Flight (2026)

Picture Books show

Books containing stories by Joy McCullough

That Way Madness Lies (2021)
edited by
Dahlia Adler

Joy McCullough recommends

This Moth Saw Brightness (2025)
A A Vacharat
"A.A. Vacharat is a bold and strange new YA voice, with shades of A.S. King. This Moth Saw Brightness defies description; at once sweeping and specific, full of huge ideas and beautifully honest relationships, this is a debut from a fascinating new writer. I can't wait to see what she does next."

I Am the Swarm (2025)
Hayley Chewins
"I feel like Hayley Chewins looked directly into my soul and wrote I Am the Swarm just for me. But this astonishing book is going to resonate for so many readers. Brilliantly crafted in raw, unflinching verse threaded through with delicate magic, Nell's heart-wrenching journey is both harrowing and hopeful. I am madly in love with this book."

Song of Freedom, Song of Dreams (2024)
Shari Green
"Crafted as intricately as a Bach concerto, SONG OF FREEDOM, SONG OF DREAMS swept me into a historical world as well researched and compellingly depicted as it is relevant to today's reader."

All the Fighting Parts (2023)
Hannah V Sawyerr
"Gutsy and defiant, All the Fighting Parts is a battle hymn for loud-mouthed girls, and a searing invitation to all - but especially survivors - to speak their truth."

Spin (2023)
Rebecca Caprara
"In Spin, Rebecca Caprara pulls together threads of millennia-old stories and weaves a completely fresh tapestry that unravels what we thought we knew of Arachne. From the first page, lush, self-assured verse immerses readers in a world both mythic and all too familiar. A tour de force!"

No Matter the Distance (2023)
Cindy Baldwin
"A luminous tale of friendship, family, and belonging."

The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejia (2023)
Alexandra Alessandri
"The Enchanted Life of Valentina Mejia is a fast-paced, epic adventure in a vivid, magical world. Readers will love rooting for Valentina to overcome her obstacles as they devour this enchanting tale."

The Name She Gave Me (2022)
Betty Culley
"Told in spare, evocative verse, The Name She Gave Me is a love letter to anyone finding their way home. Betty Culley's characters have worked their way into my heart and will stay with me long after finishing their beautiful story."

One for All (2022)
Lillie Lainoff
"The fierce, disabled heroine of One for All discovers her strengths and defies expectations in this swashbuckling tale of girls who have each other's backs. A delightful, empowering adventure!"

Never Saw You Coming (2021)
Erin Hahn
"This is the purity culture-smashing book I needed as a teen. With clear respect for genuine faith, Hahn eviscerates the Church that emphasizes judgment before love. Never Saw You Coming somehow manages to be both sex-positive and faith-positive, and will be a balm to the bruised souls of so many readers."

Lucky Girl (2021)
Jamie Pacton
"With heart, humor, and honesty, Lucky Girl explores what it truly means to have enough. Jamie Pacton has written another smart, relatable heroine readers will rootfor to the last page (and beyond!)."

If I'm Being Honest (2019)
Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
"If I'm Being Honest puts a frehs, feminist spin on The Taming of the Shrew, with a main character who won't be tamed as she navigates shifting friendships, challenging family dynamics, and unexpected love."

Heretics Anonymous (2018)
Katie Henry
"Katie Henry deftly weaves a nuanced coming-of-age story with the hilarity of medieval church history, feminist theology, and the achingly real struggle of coming to terms with one’s faith. I loved this book like WHOA."

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