Author of magical middle grade books

Celesta Rimington

You never outgrow hope and wonder!
New book releasing from Penguin and Nancy Paulsen Books in January 2026!

REACH

Wishtree meets Song for a Whale, in this beautifully moving story about a boy whose wish for his family to return to the way it used to be, teaches him the real meaning of roots and the new ones that can grow if we let them.
Ever since getting a little stepbrother named Harlan, Denver hasn’t felt like he fits into his own family. Lots of people find Harlan charming, but not Denver. His pesky stepbrother tags along everywhere Denver goes, breaking things and wanting Denver’s attention every. single. second. After an especially disastrous morning, Denver escapes to the forest, experiencing a whiff of ancient magic when he meets an old and dignified but lonely tree named Spiro. When Spiro offers to turn Harlan into a tree for a few hours, Denver jumps at the chance—only to realize he’s made a mistake when nobody, including his mom and stepdad, seems to remember Harlan existed. And now Spiro isn’t certain he can reverse the transformation. To save Harlan, Denver will need to find out what happened to Spiro to make him so disconnected from the other trees in the forest . . . but to do so, the change he might have to make first is within himself.
Find more magic!

Discover Celesta's Books

A zoo mystery
Join Lexington Willow and her best friend Fisher on a magical adventure to discover Lex's mysterious connection to the elephant Nyah who saved her life.
Magic in the desert
When tragedy strikes, Harrison enlists the help of his new friends and a stray desert dog to restore magic to a small town and his family.
Write your own stories!
From four published middle grade authors, this creative writing guide and workbook is full of tools and ideas for writers aged 8-13.
See All Books
Story Details

Fun facts from Celesta's books

Celesta finds the shiny gems of her story plots by researching details to make the story more immersive (and to discover where she can add magical elements!) Here are some fascinating things she researched for her books: ~ Elephant communication through infrasound (frequencies too low for human hearing) ~ How to build circuits for a robot ~ Desert falconry ~ Tornado classifications based on degrees of damage and the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale ~ Root systems in natural forests ~ Steam train engines and how they work ~ Pests and diseases that threaten ponderosa pines ~ Elephant conservation and sanctuaries
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"When you find friends in the pages of a book, you learn things about yourself and other people. Readers have the potential to be the kindest humans."

Celesta Rimington
Educator Reviews

What educators say about Celesta's books and assemblies

Check out the author visit options Celesta offers for schools and book clubs here.
  • What a wonderful book! Well-defined main characters, a thoroughly described setting, and a clear climax make this not only a terrific read for students in grades 4-7, but an excellent choice for a class read aloud or small group literature circle. Highly recommended with no reservations in areas of profanity, sexual content, or violence. -Educator Review for The Elephant's Girl, a Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee 2021
    Melanie D.
  • We loved listening to [Ms. Rimington] talk about the writing process! We're going to be using [her] questioning process to begin our next writing unit: writing realistic fiction stories.
    Ms. Tumbleson's 4th grade class
  • [Celesta's] presentation flowed seamlessly and she had an interactive piece to get students involved. She even had volunteers picked before the presentation so they could engage as well. Her slideshow was professional looking and she found ways to connect with students as writers and readers. She encourages students to write about what they know and gave a simple format to follow for creating stories with genres students love. I would have her back in a heartbeat!
    Clarissa G., Texas librarian
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Contact info
info@celestarimington.com danielle@madwomanliterary.com
Address
49 Keys Writing P.O. Box 769 Lehi, UT 84043
© Copyright 2025 Celesta Rimington. All rights reserved. All registered trademarks herein are the property of their respective owners.