Interviews (scroll down) with book creators and others in the children’s book community. I’m still gradually moving these over from the old site; thanks for your patience.
Many of these book creators were kind enough to offer useful Advice For Young Writers and Illustrators.
Paul Coccia is a Toronto author with an MFA in Creative Writing from UBC and an avid home-baker. His debut young adult novel, Cub, is part of Orca’s Soundings Series: short, high-interest novels specifically for teens. Paul lives and bakes with his nephew, three dogs and a little grey parrot. You can find . . .
Ishta Mercurio is an author and actor. Raised in Cincinnati, she has traveled to England, Scotland, Italy, France, and all over the United States. She now lives in Brampton, Ontario, where she films and photographs plants and wildlife, from the tall to the small, in her backyard. I met Ishta through . . .
Pat Cummings was one of my first illustration mentors, through the SCBWI Illustration Mentorship Program, and I’ve valued her friendship ever since. She’s smart, funny, honest — and incredibly experienced in the world of creating children’s books. I’m thrilled to have her visit my blog! Author and/or illustrator of over 40 . . .
June Smalls is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and a lover of literature. She resides in Northern Virginia with her hubby, The Kid, and an ever-growing assortment of animals. I so enjoyed meeting June at Highlights last year, and am excited about the April 16th launch of . . .
Nikki Barthelmess is a journalist and author of young adult books. She entered foster care in Nevada at twelve and spent the next six years living in six different towns. During this time, Nikki found solace in books, her journal, and teachers who encouraged her as a writer. The Quiet You Carry is . . .
Frank Murphy is a teacher who writes and a writer who teaches. He spends most days at Holland Elementary School in Bucks County, Pennsylvania teaching 6th graders. I first came across Frank via Twitter, when I was impressed by his positive energy and joyous enthusiasm for teaching and children’s books. You . . .
Earlier this year, I was so impressed to see Mira Campbell’s posts about a Book Tasting Café that she and fellow educator Shelly Narayan created for students at F.H. Miller Jr. PS in Toronto. I asked Mira if she would share some info about what went into this project — . . .
Sarah McGuire and Fred Koehler were once both awkward teenagers who mostly grew out of it. Each draws on their unfortunate adolescence to write stories for young readers. They met at a writers conference and decided to get married. In common they share: love of travel and adventure, dogs over cats, and sci-fi . . .
Thanks to Nancy Tupper Ling and Andrea Offermann for answering Three Questions for me today! Their picture book, The Yin-Yang Sisters And The Dragon Frightful, comes out on Sept. 18th from G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers. Curious about how the cover got created? Read Andrea’s behind-the-scenes peek (with sketches and photos) on an earlier . . .
I met Deborah Kerbel through our local Torkidlit group. Deborah is the author of eight books for young readers. She was born in a police station, smack-dab in the centre of London, England but moved to Canada before she was old enough to cultivate a love of marmalade. She’s the proud mom . . .