Augusta Scattergood (Glory Be, Making Friends with Billy Wong) emailed me awhile back, raving about a friend’s new book. “It’s sooo good,” she said. Well, if Augusta recommends something, that’s the gold standard! I immediately asked for the friend’s email address and that friend — Linda Williams Jackson — agreed to be today’s Friend Friday guest…. Read more »
What an honor to host H.M. Bouwman today! Her book, A Crack in the Sea, (G.P. Putnam and Sons Books for Young Readers) just came out on Tuesday, and it is such a terrific and thought-provoking read. But I’m going to step aside and let her talk about it! The value of slash-and-burn revision I… Read more »
I can’t think of a more fitting way to ring in the new year than with the words and thoughts of Nikki Grimes. She and I have never met but after I read about her newest project, a stunning new illustrated poetry collection, One Last Word: Wisdom from the Harlem Renaissance (Bloomsbury; multiple illustrators), I knew… Read more »
The first time I met Lynn Brunelle, she asked for ground pepper. A whole dish of it! And our host was happy to provide it because we were dining al fresco, being harassed by wasps. Evidently, wasps do not like pepper and after it was placed on the table, we finished our meal in peace. Lynn… Read more »
Please welcome Robert Wilder today and help me celebrate his new book, Nickel (Leaf Storm Press), with its can’t miss cover! When I handed an early draft of NICKEL to my friend Christopher to read, he said the first person voice of my narrator Coy was almost impossible to understand. I had based Coy and… Read more »
Though Erin Hagar and I have never met, I know we would be fast friends over our shared love of history. When I learned about her new book, Doing Her Bit: A Story about the Woman’s Land Army of America, illustrated by Jen Hill, (Charlesbridge), I begged her to be a guest for Friend Friday. Lucky us!… Read more »
If you ever hesitate about writing an author a fan letter, don’t. That’s how my friendship with the inimitable Barbara O’Connor began! And what a friendship it’s been. From late night encouraging phone calls, to writing retreats, to surviving fires in restaurants — it’s been a wonderful ride so far. I consider Barbara the Betsy… Read more »
I have waited FOREVER to host the talented, big-hearted, talented, fun-loving, talented, thoughtful Jaime Temairik. She is one of those illustrators who really gets a story and her art is chockfull of emotion — sometimes silly, sometimes wistful, always honest. Though I am lucky to know (a little bit) the two rapscallions who inspired Jaime’s… Read more »
Generally on Fridays, I introduce you to new books and the writers behind them. I guess the birth of my fourth grandchild this week has made me nostalgic. Today, I’m thinking of the writers who blazed the trail for us, and for me in particular. As a newbie writer, I first fell in love with middle… Read more »
Talent, heart, sense of humor — Dana Arnim has it all! In addition to sharing her talents with Little Bigfoot/Sasquatch Books as the illustrator for Bartholomew Quill, A Crow’s Quest to Know Who’s Who, (Thor Hansen), she is co-Regional Advisor of the Western Washington Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators with Dana Sullivan. So… Read more »