I’ve been away for a bit, but I’ve certainly been keeping busy during these hot humid days. Seems it’s a summer filled with weddings, showers, concerts and other fun get-togethers. But, aside from these pleasant distractions, there’s only a month or so to go until the release of my new middle grade novel: Roller Boy,… Read more »
2018 Picture Books
Below are some new favorite picture books I’ve recently added to our library. These are all 2018 releases and several have it’s-about-time sensitive subjects included, but they are all uplifting and well worth the read. There were a few others I would have liked to include, however not all were checked-in when I read and… Read more »
Books of Childhood
When I run out of time, as I often do nowadays, but know I’m long overdue for a post, I think fondly of the books that got my mind and heart into this writing business in the first place. Anybody else remember The Five Little Peppers? Other favorite series from childhood were Donna Parker and… Read more »
Write What You Know
Writers are often told to write what we know rather than pretending to be in someone else’s shoes. I’m not sure how I feel about this. For the most part I get what it means, but I also think one can completely immerse themselves into a different lifestyle, time, place, or even person, especially if… Read more »
NESCBWI18 SPRING CONFERENCE
Every year, the New England Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators hosts many events including a big annual conference. This spring it was, once again, held in Springfield, Massachusetts. One of 700 attendees last weekend, I was fortunate to be able to stay overnight in the same hotel where the conference was held. Although… Read more »
Picture Book Biographies
I’m finally getting around to writing another of my all-time-favorite posts—picture book releases! This time my focus is on picture book biographies. There are an abundance of excellent ones appearing on the scene. I don’t see this type of book ever losing ground in popularity. With their lavish illustrations and informative back matter, picture book… Read more »
Roller Boy Cover Reveal
I am so excited to share the cover illustration for my upcoming novel geared toward readers aged 9 to 14. Roller Boy will be released by Fitzroy Books in late September. After working on the inside text for so many months (years!) I have to admit I was nervous about how the cover would turn… Read more »
Walking for Writers
We’ve all heard we have to “get into the chair” to accomplish our work. We’ve also all heard we have to “walk 10,000 steps” to stay healthy. ‘They’ say that sitting is the new smoking—yikes. Since there are only so many hours in a day, how can we possibly achieve this on a daily basis?… Read more »
American Library Association Awards 2018
Congratulations to all the winners for this year’s ALA awards! There are so many wonderful new books released each year and it’s certainly not easy to stand out in the crowd. Here are a few winners from the children’s books categories who did stand out. John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s… Read more »
Hans Christian Andersen’s Paper Art
I’ve been busy writing and editing, hence the gap between posts this month, but I’ve also been thinking about the art of paper-cutting. I’ve always found this craft fun to do and fascinating to see displayed. I went to a wonderful exhibit of paper cutting at the Currier Museum in Manchester, NH, last May. As… Read more »
