Our COVID-19 Response
Books loved by one million children
Realistic, representative books for
socially thoughtful children.
Books loved by one million children
Realistic, representative books for
socially thoughtful children.

We help the next generation of readers fall in love with books that make a difference.
We are an independent publishing company that produces a select number of books each year. We work diligently to release children’s literature that represents today’s diversity while remaining dedicated to messages that make a difference.

For Librarians
Cardinal Rule Press only provides books that empower, entertain & educate children.Order our titles for your library.

For Educators and Book Lovers
You will find a list ranging from timeless and modern topics like courage, empathy, diversity, STEAM, LGBTQ and more on our bookshelf.

For Booksellers
We are pleased to work with you as you bring books to children and families worldwide. See how to order our titles for your collection.
Our Biggest Fans

Meet Our Founder
Maria Dismondy started out in the classroom years ago before writing ten books. She loved getting powerful messages into the world through realistic fiction. So much that she began Cardinal Rule Press in 2015. A million copies sold and counting, these books loved worldwide continue to share timeless messages with modern diversity.
From The Blog
Literary Agent Interview Series {Eva Scalzo}
Welcome to our Literary Agent Interview Series! This series originally took place in the Fall of 2020. This is a recap of one of the interviews. These recaps are perfect for aspiring writers and authors who are looking to get published. Learn the inside scoop on...
Five Things that Make me Want to Read a Query
This article was written exclusively for Cardinal Rule Press by Mark Gottlieb, literary agent at Trident Media Group. One: The Hook Having a strong sales pitch for a book can go a long way. We sometimes call this the elevator pitch. I like to work with authors that...
Literary Agent Interview Series {Joyce Sweeney}
Welcome to our Literary Agent Interview Series! This series originally took place in the Fall of 2020. This is a recap of one of the interviews. These recaps are perfect for aspiring writers and authors who are looking to get published. Learn the inside scoop on...