So often the first advice given to writers is “Write what you know.” Fleur Bradley has a different take on that advice, which she shares below. Wandering outside her comfort zone led her to her brand new novel, Midnight at the Barclay Hotel (Viking Books for Young Readers) and, perhaps, some ideas for more terrific… Read more »
First time author Rachel Trusty zeroes in on a life principle that she and her main character share in common in her essay below and in her brand new book, Lilly: Beyond the Horizon. Read on to learn what that is! “If you can’t let go, then you’ll never get to the other side.” My… Read more »
What a pleasure it is to once again host Jo Watson Hackl for Friend Friday. Jo is not only a lovely person and fabulous writer with a fondness for blackberries, she has a huge heart. Her concern for others lead her to find a way to stretch the story of Smack Dab in the Middle… Read more »
I believe this is the first time I’ve ever hosted a costumed friend for Friend Friday; maybe we can start a trend? Nancy B. Kennedy’s outfit not only evokes the suffragette era, her smile speaks to the suffragettes’ hopefulness in undertaking the long battle. As Nancy acknowledges below, her wonderful new book, Women Win the… Read more »
Today’s guests are supreme examples of writers who have built long, successful careers through hard work and innovation. Joan Holub and I have a special connection (my name inspired one of her chapter books about pen pals!) and Suzanne Williams has been a good friend since we were baby writers. The post below gives you… Read more »
A key characteristic of a successful writer is perseverance. Kristin L. Gray might win the prize in that department! As you will discover below, she did not quit when a perfectly brilliant idea did not gain traction. Read on for how she responded to a big obstacle in her writing path, and ended up with… Read more »
What fascinating women Laurie Wallmark has chosen as subjects of her picture book biographies: Ada Lovelace, Grace Hopper, Hedy Lamarr. Her newest biography also offers insight into another determined woman, Sophie Kowalevski. Laurie’s post today also offers insight into the tough decisions a writer makes in bringing complex characters to life within the tight constraint… Read more »
What a genuine honor and pleasure it is to count Laurie Ann Thompson as a friend and to celebrate her newest book, Elizabeth Warren’s Big, Bold Plans, illustrated by Susanna Chapman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon Shuster). Laurie never ceases to inspire me through her personal actions as well as her wonderful books (Emmanuel’s Dream;… Read more »
I sure wish I’d had Kate O’Shaughnessy’s debut novel when I was a kid because I would’ve loved to read about a character who knew what it was like to move away from friends, as I frequently had to. But Maybelle faces challenges that I certainly never had to, as you will discover when you… Read more »
If a heart had fingerprints, you would find evidence of Kim Baker’s huge one all over her newest book. (spoiler alert: I’m a huge fan.) While I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Newt Gomez on my first read, after reading Kim’s essay below, I plan to go back and re-read The Water Bears (Wendy Lamb… Read more »