-Posted on: June 16, 2020
A 2.5 Minute Bumpy Blog
by Bibi Belford
I bumped my head last week and saw stars. Right before I opened an email reminding me that I signed up to write a blog post and it was due. For a …
-Posted on: May 15, 2020
The Complex Journey Toward Resilience
My debut novel in verse, Reeni’s Turn (September 13, 2020) explores the complex nature of emotional resilience in this body positive story of a shy, self-conscious tween’s urgent search for courage, self-acceptance, and identity. Reeni …
-Posted on: April 15, 2020
My mantra as a nonfiction author has always been to have fun. As a mother navigating home schooling, my new mantra is to teach with fun. That doesn’t mean my house is the Wild West with kids flinging slime at …
-Posted on: March 13, 2020
Social Constructs Made Visible
One question I’ve heard a lot since I launched my debut middle grade time-travel series, starting with Jagger Jones and the Mummy’s Ankh, is: Why middle grade? For me, the answer lies in my own middle …
-Posted on: February 11, 2020
Plus Activity Ideas
By Eileen Meyer
History and poetry meld together in my just-released picture book, The Superlative A. Lincoln: Poems about our 16th President. The topic is a natural fit with the elementary school curriculum’s study of Abraham …
-Posted on: January 12, 2020
How I Make Research Fun
By Natalie Rompella
We’ve all read our share of uninspired student research papers. Why? We’re often asking for boilerplate facts (Where does your animal live? What’s its diet?). These details are important for …
-Posted on: December 14, 2019
When I talk to educators and librarians about READ LOCAL, there is one question they don’t ask:
Why should I host an author visit?
That’s because everyone knows that bringing an author or illustrator to your school has a bunch …
-Posted on: November 14, 2019
When researching the life of Charles H. Turner, the pioneering African American entomologist, I learned about Turner’s Circling, the phenomenon where ants meander as they try to find their way home. Turner was the first to describe this action …
-Posted on: October 14, 2019
Are you a writer? Illustrator? Teacher? Librarian? If so, you know that a good school visit is uplifting and inspiring for everyone involved.
But what makes a “good” school visit? To me, there are three tenets:
- Entertain
- Educate
- Connect
Based …
-Posted on: September 15, 2019
The Idea
Did I ever think that I would be writing a blog, let alone a blog about children’s books? No way, Never!!! I’m a nurse for goodness sake. I’m used to speaking medical jargon and educating patients on how …
