Welcome to my new blog, which now includes content from many of the blogs I’ve created over the years. You can now also access content via category from this one page instead of having to search for my individual blogs, which were scattered over various platforms and websites.
Thanks SOOOOO MUCH to Judy Blume and my editor Justin Chanda for this wonderful photo taken yesterday at the annual American Library Association conference (ALA). This photo makes me VERY VERY HAPPY FOR MANY REASONS. Here’s more info about the revamped books from Atheneum/Simon & Schuster, how I became a Judy . . .
Just finished reading SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE by Morgan Matson(Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2014). Loved this book, especially the main character, Emily. How I wish this book had been published years ago! I was very much like Emily when I was a teen: timid and insecure on my own, plus . . .
HOORAY FOR HAT is Brian Won‘s debut picture book, and was published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt earlier this year. Synopsis: “Elephant wakes up grumpy—until ding, dong! What’s in the surprise box at the front door? A hat! HOORAY FOR HAT! Elephant marches off to show Zebra, but Zebra is having a grumpy . . .
Today’s #BookADay: ONE WORD PEARL written by Nicole Groeneweg and illustrated by Hazel Mitchell (Charlesbridge, 2013). Synopsis: Pearl loves words. All kinds of words. Words make up songs, stories, poems . . . and what does a lover of words do? She collects them, of course! But one day, most of Pearl’s words are . . .
Just reread BOY + BOT, written by Ame Dyckman and illustrated by Dan Yaccarino (Knopf/Random House, 2012). Wonderfully entertaining story of friendship. On Goodreads – On Indiebound Synopsis: “One day, a boy and a robot meet in the woods. They play. They have fun. But when Bot gets switched off, Boy thinks he’s sick. The usual remedies—applesauce, reading . . .
Ironically, I recycled one of my old comics from 2006 and revamped the art for the above. 🙂
Catching up on my #BookADay: SAY HELLO TO ZORRO! by Carter Goodrich (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers, 2011). The two dog characters in this story are soooooo adorable. And I was very excited to discover that MISTER BUD WEARS THE CONE just came out! According to a Readeo.com interview, Zorro was apparently loosely based . . .
A while back, I interviewed children’s book author Ame Dyckman about her writing process. If you haven’t read it yet, you should! I loved her quote about libraries so much that I decided to turn it into an illustration. 🙂 Edit: Thanks to Ame for giving me permission to turn this into a print-ready . . .
Today’s #BookADay: THE STAMP COLLECTOR, written by Jennifer Lanthierand illustrated by François Thisdale (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2012). Beautiful story, stunning artwork. A note by Jennifer at the end explains how the story was inspired by two writers. “Jian Weiping is a journalist who spent six years in a Chinese prison for exposing government corruption. . . .
Just finished listening to the audiobook version of THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner (Delacorte, 2010). The book is first in a series for ages 12 and up and soon to be a movie. Here’s the book trailer: James Dashner offered advice for writers on Writer’s Digest website, so be sure to . . .