By Danna Zeiger I was lucky to “meet” Charlotte before I actually met her at last year’s NCTE. Through her prolific books (my kids and
Category: Inspiration
Meet Joyce Uglow and her debut picture book, Stuck! The Story of La Brea Tar
Guest Post by Suzy Zemel Joyce and I met in 2022 in a class sponsored by Highlights Foundation. During that time, she was excited about
How to “Stay in your lane” – and Still Write the Novel You Want
Guest Post by Naomi Milliner After my first middle grade novel, Super Jake & the King of Chaos, debuted in 2019, I was asked
A Universe of Poets – Creating a Debut Anthology
Guest Post by Matt Forrest Esenwine I’m not sure if it’s because I’m a type-A kind of person or if it’s because I’m too ignorant
Bibsy Cross Might Be Too Much for Some, But She’s Everything to Me!
This past November, something kind of amazing and once-in-a-blue-moon happened. The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) had its annual conference in my home
Interview with Rajani LaRocca, celebrated author of SONA and the GOLDEN BEASTS
Rajani pours her heart and incredible talent into each new story for children she writes: it’s no wonder she has garnered so many well-deserved awards!
Interview with talented #kidlit author/illustrator, Kari Percival
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Kari when a mutual friend started a critique group. I was instantly impressed by Kari’s writing and illustration talents as
Helping Writers and Readers Cope
The themes in picture books are intended to assist children in dealing with the world around them, and authors benefit in the same way. These
The Secret Sauce to Successful Author Visits for Libraries
Are you finding that author visits at your library are hit or miss? You get a famous writer, coordinate with a local bookstore to bring
2025 Caldecott Contender: The Yellow Bus by Loren Long
School buses have been an inspiration for lots of picture books over the years. Just peruse any children’s library and you’ll find stories about nervous
Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall Are Back At It…With STELLA & MARIGOLD!
One of the great highlights of my summer, besides attending a fantastic writing retreat in the green mountains of Vermont, was receiving an advanced reader copy of Stella & Marigold from Chronicle Books (thank you from the bottom of my book-loving heart, Chronicle). It’s the first book in a brand-new early reader series for children 6-9 years old, by the magical author-illustrator duo Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall.
SPECIAL MOMENTS
Around the globe people are celebrating. Why December in particular? I can only speculate. AI suggests that as darkness comes earlier each day, we all need a reason to seek joy.
Interview with Cathy Stefanec Ogren, #kidlit talented author
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Cathy Ogren is one of those talented writers we’re all glad to have in our critique groups. Lucky me! She’s in two of my groups. And she’s an inspiration. She has hung in there for many years while she waited for her next book contract. Let’s get inspired!
World of Books 13: Spain
Here are two picture books by different author-illustrators from Spain that encourage individuality and whose characters are insects and other arthropods. Coincidentally, among the protagonists
WRITERS' RUMPUS 