My guest blogger today is Melissa Conroy (Yes! She has a famous author dad!) whose sweet new book Grandma is an Author releases today. It’s an interactive story and journal about creativity and writers’ block. But after visiting her amazing website and browsing her many creative endeavors, I have a hard time believing Melissa is… Read more »
Great Reads
Lovely First Reviews for LIGHT UP THE NIGHT!
Swooning! LIGHT UP THE NIGHT [KIRKUS STARRED REVIEW!]By Jean Reidy; illus. by Margaret Chodos-Irvine The coziest of quilts becomes a rocket ship in this gorgeous, mesmerizingly rhythmic read-aloud that explores a boy’s small place in a vast world. Sporting star-spangled pajamas, the not-too-sleepy astronaut wraps his red-and-white quilt around his shoulders and zooms off into… Read more »
Win an TOO PURPLEY! Board Book on Goodreads!
To celebrate the release of the TOO PURPLEY! Board Book, I’m giving away a free autographed copy on Goodreads. Check it out!
Audrey Vernick on Brainstorming and The Bufflalo’s Bucket List
Last summer when I traveled to Uganda I was quite picky about my traveling companions. They had to be fun, hardy and have a LOT of heart. That’s why Audrey Vernick’s buffalo made the cut. After all, if he could handle kindergarten, he could handle most anything. Sure enough, I found that this treasure of… Read more »
Writing Book Review: Second Sight
Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adultsby Cheryl B. Klein Paperback: 320 pages Publisher: Asterisk Books (March 9, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0615420826 When I received the request to support Scholastic (Arthur A. Levine Books) editor, Cheryl Klein, in her endeavor to publish this book, I… Read more »
Children’s Author Chris Barton Takes on a New Identity
Bestselling children’s author, Chris Barton, is known for his award-winning picture books The Day Glo Brothers and Shark Vs. Train. But these days, he’s donning a new disguise – or genre, if you will. His young-adult book Can I See Your I.D.? True Stories of False Identities recently hit bookstore shelves with rave reviews. Publisher’s… Read more »
Writing Book Review: Between the Lines by Jessica Page Morrell
Between the Lines: Master the Subtle Elements of Fiction Writing by Jessica Page Morrell Paperback: 304 pages Publisher: Writers Digest Books (April 25, 2006) Language: English ISBN-10: 158297392X Buy it here! I didn’t remember the subtitle of Jessica Page Morrell’s book until I looked at the cover again to write this review. I was ready… Read more »
MOCKINGBIRD and “Showing” Emotion
So I pulled MOCKINGBIRD from the shelf because I’d been aware but not completely in touch with the praise it’s received. I hadn’t read the reviews. I didn’t even know what it was about. I just knew that people – a lot of people – thought it was good – really good. But I’m not… Read more »
When You Read This …
I just finished reading WHEN YOU REACH ME – winner of the 2010 John Newbery Medal and wow! I’m not always the biggest fan of story-within-a-story books, but by weaving bits of A WRINKLE IN TIME into the 1979 setting, Rebecca Stead hints at elements of time-travel without the book slipping fully into science fiction… Read more »
The Temptation to Teach a Lesson
I recently autographed dozens of bookplates for TOO PICKLEY! with personalizations for children, but requested primarily by adults. In many of the requests, I was instructed to inscribe mini-warnings like “Remember to eat your veggies” or “Fruits come first.” I find it interesting that, as adults, we can’t seem to let go of those “teachable… Read more »
My Books
