WRITERS' RUMPUS

Ooh! Ahhh! Whoaa! Interview and Giveaway with Chana Stiefel and Susan Gal, the AWEsomely Creative Team Behind AWE!

June 16, 2026 Laura Fineberg Cooper

Yes, the title of this post borrows from this gloriously AWEsome picture book (published March 3, 2026 by Scholastic Press), but I totally couldn’t resist! Both a visual treat (thank you, Susan) and an inspiring read (thank you, Chana), what makes AWE! vault into being one of the best picture books I’ve ever read is how the words and pictures meld together to create a memorable, soul stirring, heart lifting experience.

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Interview with #Kidlit Coauthor of Unbreakable – Jolene Gutiérrez

June 9, 2026 Monica Acker

Storytelling unites generations, preserves culture, and shares the human experience. It can connect us to the past in the hope of a better future. This

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When Narration and Puzzles Intertwine: Creating Storified Puzzle Books

June 5, 2026 Alumni & Guests

Guest Post by Derek Reid I’ve always dealt in the truth and glory of the real universe. When I was five or six years old,

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Picture Book Review: In The World of Whales

June 2, 2026 Genevieve Rossi

In The World of Whales, written by Michelle Cusolito and illustrated by Jessica Lanan, was published by Neal Porter books on June 17, 2025. Upon

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I Wish I Didn’t Have To Tell You This

May 26, 2026 Marti Johnson

I WISH I DIDN’T HAVE TO TELL YOU THIS was written and illustrated by Eugene Yelchin, a Russian-born American author and an artist of many

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Grace Lin and the Story That Heals

February 3, 2017 Joyce Audy Zarins

Grace Lin may not know it yet, but she can heal a tortured heart. This is a power that the best creators of books for

Me? A Mentor for Writing with the Stars?

January 31, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Paul Czajak Ever since my first SCBWI conference I have touted the importance of attending these functions to every writer who asks me how

ReFoReMo 2017 Presenters Revealed

January 27, 2017 Kirsti Call

Reading for Research 2017 Challege!

Want to Know Your Characters? Try a Character Sketch.

January 24, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Dana Nuenighoff One of the hardest aspects of writing a novel, a good novel, is creating characters that are relatable. Whether you’re writing a

The Making-Of the NESCBWI17 Logo

January 20, 2017 Alumni & Guests

By Sarah Lynne Reul Last summer, I was honored to be selected as the illustrator for the NESCBWI17 logo. The logo is used as a

3 Ways to Keep Writing Resolutions

January 17, 2017 Kirsti Call

I’ve written resolutions on New Year’s Day faithfully since I was 8 year old. And somehow writing resolutions have almost always appeared. Some years I needed the writing resolutions more than others. Until I got married, I hardly needed them…I have 65 filled journals to prove my writing was free and unfettered!