On February 14th Diana Haneski, the library media specialist at Margery Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, saved the lives of fifty students and
Author: Joyce Audy Zarins
A member of SCBWI, the Writer’s Rumpus, and NEST, Joyce is the author of five books for young readers and illustrator of twenty. She is currently working on new YA, MG and a non-fiction PB. Sculpture is her other passion. Life is a creative experience.
Jerry Mahoney’s Middle Grade Humor
“I think humor has to work in service of the plot, not the other way around.” – Jerry Mahoney transparency fun fact: Sky Pony Press
Not Giving Up on Readers Who Struggle!
My first thought after reading an article in the SCBWI Winter 2018 newsletter about accommodations for dyslexic readers was that this significant problem seemed easy
Telescoping in: Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
The Fault in Our Stars, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Paper Towns, and Looking for Alaska are radiant novels by John Green. His newest YA, Turtles
Three rules: being brutal enough when revising.
Our stories are often long in gestation and as personal to us as if they were born of our flesh and blood. If you want
Editors for Hire
You’ve revised and polished your manuscript, which your critique group has been helping you tweak, and perhaps you’ve even received feedback from a beta reader.
The Wonderling by Mira Bartók
Note: I was given a review copy of this book. Imagine a world where “the line between animals and humans was not so clearly defined”
Interview with Amazing Illustrator Carol Schwartz
Carol Schwartz’s illustrations are resplendent with color and texture in detailed, accurate scenes showing wildlife and ecosystems rendered for children. She specializes in science and
The Girl in the Well is Me by Karen Rivers
At the bookstore how could I not pick up this book? Right on the cover are the words “Uh oh…” The Kammie’s-eye-view image tells me
Surviving Your Self
Writing is a solitary profession. You face the page, the words head-on, alone with only your mind to feed your message. Letters accrue into
World of Books: Ecuador, Chile, Lakota
A discouraging event in recent news regarding the American attitude toward our environment inspires a look at children’s books offering another perspective. I’ve chosen to
Realistic Fiction: Hunt, Quick, & Green
This post originally appeared earlier here. Powerful books about kids dealing with major issues. Troubled kids; wise and compassionate kids. Be Someone’s Hero is the
