I always enjoy hearing the story behind the story and Vicki Conrad’s story behind her newest picture book biography is full of twists and turns, not unlike the swampy Everglades themselves. A Voice for the Everglades: Marjory Stoneman Douglas (Albert Whitman and Company) led Vicki on a several year “scavenger hunt” (to borrow her phrase)… Read more »
While I love supporting all of my book creator friends, it’s always particularly wonderful when those friends, like Ellie Peterson, live in the Pacific Northwest. As a STEM educator AND author/illustrator, Ellie meshes her passions for science and art in her kid-friendly picture book explorations of the natural world. She was my Instagram Live Story… Read more »
Though I love to read nonfiction, I am almost more fascinated by why its writers choose the topics that they choose. That is why I am especially grateful that Loree Griffin Burns has stopped by today to share just such insights about her newest book, Life on Surtsey, Iceland’s Upstart Island (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt). Though… Read more »
Jo Hackl was born and raised in Mississippi, now lives in South Carolina and is the embodiment of southern hospitality. Once, while attending a reading association conference in South Carolina, I was taken under Jo’s wing, and treated like visiting royalty. So when I was sent an advance copy of her debut novel, Smack Dab… Read more »
I “met” Jamie Hogan through a (then) correspondence course through the Institute of Children’s Literature. I was technically her instructor, but mostly I tried to get out of a very talented person’s way. I was thrilled a few years back when Jamie was serendipitously paired with another dear friend, Susan Blackaby, for a charming collection… Read more »
Ginger Wadsworth and I met at the amazing Humboldt County Authors Festival eons ago. She is a lovely person and wonderful writer and a fellow dog lover. So it’s no surprise that her latest title is Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field (Charlesbridge). You are going to need it for the dog lovers in… Read more »
This is the second time I’ve had the privilege of hosting Ana Maria Spagna here to celebrate a new book. When she is not wearing her writing hat, Ana Maria serves as the Assistant Director of the Northwest Institute of Literary Arts MFA program (more info here). It’s a program I was honored to be… Read more »
I love having so many friends but hate running out of Fridays. Ah well, that makes Monday more interesting. At least, it makes this Monday more interesting because I get to introduce you to the thoughtful Sarah Fox and her book, Downwind. As someone with a dear friend who grew up as a Downwinder and… Read more »