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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How to Rehearse Your Story

July 31, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Amy Courage This is me in the third grade from my first public performance. With a perm in my hair and legwarmers on, I

What’s So Great About The Picture Book Summit?

July 28, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Carrie Charley Brown I love going to conferences and have flown across the country to pursue some of the best. When you factor in

Pain-free Writing and Art

July 24, 2015 Joyce Audy Zarins

most visuals by author Here’s something for writers and illustrators to consider: the painful physical effects of your work. Don’t laugh. I kid you not.

Common Core for Writers

July 17, 2015 Alison Potoma

This week I have been grueling at my computer, writing curriculum maps for Visual Arts Standards grades K-8. When I am done, it will be

Do You Share Any of These Offbeat Ways Authors Pick Character Names?

July 14, 2015 Alumni & Guests

Today my “show biz insider-y” YA romance Map to the Stars releases (shameless sales plug: it’s only $1.99 right now for your e-reader!) and in honor of it being an unapologetically light and fun beach read, I thought I’d pick an equally frothy topic to explore today: cool and/or silly ways authors name characters.