I first connected with Ilona Bray through social media and its vibrant online kidlit community. Right away, I was drawn to her warmth, thoughfulness, and
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#Kidlit Interview with the Effervescent Children’s Author Kelly Swemba
Friendship is a special, wondrous thing. Great thinkers and creatives throughout time have shared their thoughts about how special friendship is: Kelly Swemba and illustrator
Meet #kidlit Debut Author Evgenia Mantikas
CAROL GORDON EKSTER: I met Evgenia at the Kindling Words East retreat in 2026. What sweet and contagious energy she has! I am so excited
Researching and Writing Nonfiction
Guest Post by Lauren H. Kerstein I am beyond thrilled to be here. I’ve long enjoyed reading Writers’ Rumpus posts and am excited to share
Transitional Readers – Diving into Early Readers and Chapter Books
I recently launched my newest series, One Mad Cat. My publisher calls it a “graphic reader.” SLJ calls it an “early reader.” JLG calls it a “chapter book.” So what on earth is it? And does it even matter? I’m going to talk about the world of early readers, including the various formats, craft considerations, and pitching.
The Puffin Who Whispered: Interview with #kidlit talent Marcia Strykowski … and a giveaway, too!
In this interview, I’m excited to interview my gracious and uber talented friend about The Puffin Who Whispered on its fledgling day. Although this charming book is fiction, I guarantee you’ll be as puffin-obsessed as I am after reading Marcia’s responses!
WRITERS' RUMPUS 