A few years back, I was chatting with Varian Johnson after a long day of conference presentations. He was debating leaving his day job to write full time. He had the pros and cons spelled out, as an engineer would. Luckily for children’s literature, the pros won out. I am so pleased to host Varian… Read more »
Three squeezes are woven into the fabric of the Larson family household. From the time my kids were itsy, they knew that three squeezes when holding hands meant “I love you.” So my heart was immediately captured by Jason Pratt’s poignant picture book, Three Squeezes, illustrated by Chris Sheban (Roaring Brook Press). Jason takes that… Read more »
What a treat it is to be part of Josh Funk’s Short & Sweet/Long & Savory blog tour! In fact, we’re the final stop; check the calendar at the end of this post if you want to see other blogs Josh has visited. As you can tell by his books, Josh is a very funny… Read more »
Who offers a complete stranger a ride from the Detroit airport to nErDCamp? Anica Mrose Rissi, that’s who. She’s so generous, she not only gave me that ride some years back, she introduced me to Cracker Barrel! And as you learn below, Anica also found a way to be a true light during this difficult… Read more »
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 »
I first “met” Gennifer Choldenko through her wonderful middle grade novel Notes From a Liar and Her Dog many years ago. Since then, I’ve been fortunate — blessed!– to share many meals, laughs and heart-to-hearts with Gennifer. I’ve always adored her and her work but after reading her true confession below, I adore her even… 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 »
I so appreciate that complete strangers will allow me to count them as friends! Often, I see a mention of a new book and I boldly contact the author, asking if he/she/they would be willing to be my Friend Friday guest. That’s what happened with Patricia Hruby Powell and her newest picture book biography, Lift… Read more »