What a pleasure to celebrate author/illustrator Don Tate today! The experiences he shares below remind me a bit of the cruel experiments that inspired Gennifer Choldenko’s Orphan Eleven, where kids were berated for the way they spoke until some gave up speaking altogether. Today’s readers are so grateful Don did not give up and that… Read more »
I so appreciate Suzanne Kaufman for many reasons, two of which are her perseverance with getting this post to me despite the cyber-imps working overtime to keep it from happening, and her honesty. Because picture books are so beloved and so slim, there is often the stereotype that writing them is all rainbows and unicorns…. Read more »
Laurie Wallmark poses an intriguing question in today’s essay. I wonder how other book creators might answer it? While I wouldn’t describe my passion for historical fiction a rut, I’ve had a fabulous time trying my hand at a contemporary middle grade novel this last year or so. As I read Laurie’s essay, I discovered… Read more »
Sometimes you just got to go for it! And that’s what I did when I summoned my courage to email a literary hero of mine, Lynne Rae Perkins to invite her to be a guest on Friend Friday. Her novel, Criss Cross, changed my thinking about what novels can be AND contains one of my… Read more »
Oh, I wish I had known Carolyn Crimi’s secret when I read her delightful novel, Second-Hand Dogs (Balzer+Bray); it would have made reading the book all that much more enjoyable. I did find myself wondering as I read how on earth she was going to get her dog-stars out of their various pickles. And now… Read more »
I regret that Hannah Hall is (as of yet) only a cyber-friend as I know she and I would be able to sit long into the night over cooling mugs of tea to commiserate about being asked to change a story. How many times have I said the very words Hannah reports saying: This is… Read more »
I am so pleased that Danielle Joseph took time to visit with us today to share a bit of the story behind the story of her new picture book, I Want to Ride the Tap Tap, illustrated by Olivier Ganthier (FSG/Macmillan). This book is the perfect summer read with its upbeat energy and colorful illustrations!… Read more »
It is so much fun to celebrate my fellow book creators and especially so when they’re practically neighbors. Kerri Kokias’ story-behind-the-story of Clever Hans is proof positive that writing for kids is anything but easy (trust me, there are lots of folks who think it is). Kerri’s essay also lends weight to the argument that… Read more »
Generally, I write an introduction here which shares my connection with my Friend Friday guest. Today that is Jeff Gottesfeld, the author of TWENTY-ONE STEPS: GUARDING THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIER, illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick). His piece below is so moving, I just want to let it speak for itself. Until exactly three… Read more »
Suzanne Slade studied mechanical engineering and worked in the field — on car brakes and rockets– after getting her degree. But she eventually returned to her first passion: writing. (Visit her website to see her very first work, which received two stars. . .and a smiley face.) And while most of us were out hunting… Read more »