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 »
Children’s Books
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 »
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 »
Five Favorite Children’s Books
I’ve been tagged to nominate my top five children’s books. Thank you, Jennie! Rules: 1. Thank whoever’s nominated you and share their blog link. 2. Let us know your top five children’s books. 3. Nominate 5 people to do the same. 4. Let your nominees know you nominated them. It’s near impossible to choose only… Read more »
More 2017 Picture Books!
It’s that time again and I’m happy to share another baker’s dozen of 2017 picture books. These are all recent releases from a wide variety of publishing houses. My brief first impressions are jotted down beside each cover, but I’m sure you’ll agree these thirteen books are all worth a look. Here they are in… Read more »
The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss
My last post was about a visit to Emily Dickinson’s house in Amherst, Massachusetts. Well, during that same trip, we also visited The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum in nearby Springfield. Since The Cat in the Hat is celebrating its 60th year in print, it seemed a good time to check it out. Theodor Seuss… Read more »
More 2017 Picture Books
After a couple of posts in summery locations, it’s time to get back to books. Scanning my list of new library purchases I realize I’ll have to save at least half for another post, not only because I haven’t had a chance to read many of them, but because they are checked out. At my library we used to… Read more »
The Tiniest Books
After enjoying your comments on my Tiny Books post, I decided to do a post on even tinier books. These first pictures show books I’ve had since childhood. All are hardcover with book jackets. First up is the Christmas Nutshell Library by Hilary Knight. This cute little boxed set includes 4 tiny books, each 2 1/2″ x… Read more »
