Do you remember when you first learned to ride a bike? I sure do. It felt shaky, awkward, and a little scary at first. But
Category: General
Before We Turn the Page: The 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review
Whether you’ve been naughty or nice, you’re invited to peruse my 2023 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review! As another year draws to a close, I continue to marvel at the variety and quality of our posts, and thank all of our authors and readers for your commitment to our kidlit blog. Once again, I’ve been honored and challenged to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, date link, and brief summary. Enjoy!!
Celebrating Indigenous North American Life and Contributions…with Kidlit!
In my eyes, there’s nothing like an exquisitely written piece of children’s nonfiction in its ability to teach things and light a fire in a
Don’t Let ALMOST Sabotage Your Plot!!
If almost works in real life, why doesn’t it work in our novels? It’s no fun for readers when a scene builds up tension and … almost happens.
Interview with Author, Illustrator, and Inventor Vicky Fang…and a Book Giveaway!
I consider myself super-duper lucky, as a Writers’ Rumpus blogger, to be able to meet and interview so many talented kidlit authors. I learn new
Exploring the Rain Forest, One Page at a Time
These books are B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L-L-Y crafted with colorful endpapers and full-bleed page spreads that will leave you and your little ones feeling like you just visited the rain forest every single time you open them.
Two Reviews and the Role of a Designer
Birds Everywhere, written by Camilla de la Bedoyere and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup, is a marvelous overview of what it means to be a bird. Filled with fascinating information about the similarities and differences between some of the 10,000 species of birds worldwide, this introduction will make appreciators of young readers.
How Difficult Can A Comp Be?
VERY! That’s my conclusion. I have been reading and writing in both YA and MG for nearly twenty years (where has the time gone). My querying nightmare continues to be comps!
Interview with Author, Editor, and Poet Ryan Van Cleave…And a Double Giveaway!
Today is a very exciting day here on the blog. I have Ryan Van Cleave here with me, who, if you don’t know, is a bit of a writing and poetry rock star. And some of what he does, you may actually not know, because he has ghostwritten many books (in addition to those under his own name) and coaches and mentors many writers behind the scenes.
Flat Publishing Profits in 2022 Continue into 2023–What Does It Mean for Authors?
Last week, Publisher’s Weekly reported that the first quarter numbers were in for a number of major publishers, and those numbers were . . .
The Making of a Picture Book and the Convergence of Author and Illustrator Visions in A GOOD DEED CAN GROW by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and Holly Hatam
I had the unique opportunity to interview author Jennifer Chambliss Bertman and illustrator Holly Hatam about their new picture book, A Good Deed Can Grow: a visually rich, engaging, and empowering picture book with separate stories in text and illustrations. It was such an honor to ask them about their process and journey together!
EVEN: JUST’S SNEAKY COUSIN
in literary terms, the four-letter word EVEN is primarily used to provide emphasis, and once invited into sentences, can infect multiple sentences without a writer’s conscious intention.
WRITERS' RUMPUS 