WRITERS' RUMPUS

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.

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

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,

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

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

The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

January 27, 2015 Kirsti Call

Post #2: Morris Award Finalist Blog Tour Week YALSA’s Morris Award honors the year’s best young adult novel by a debut author. The Morris Award

The Story of Owen: Dragon Slayer of Trondheim by E. K. Johnston

January 26, 2015 Joyce Audy Zarins

Post #1: Morris Award Finalist Blog Tour Week YALSA’s Morris Award honors the year’s best young adult novel by a debut author. The Morris Award

Revising Your NaNoWriMo Mess-terpiece

January 23, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Heather Fenton If you, like me, participated in the highly-focused, highly-caffeinated National Novel Writing Month this past November, hopefully you have a 50,000 word

Illustration Revision in Mariana Ruiz Johnson’s Book, I Know a Bear

January 20, 2015 Alumni & Guests

By Diana Zipeto Recently, I bought Mariana Ruiz Johnson’s beautiful picture book, I Know a Bear. Published in 2014 by Schwartz & Wade, the book is about

The Writer Magazine: Fuel for the Aspiring Writer

January 16, 2015 Alison Potoma

While browsing through Barnes and Nobles, a magazine caught my eye. The Writer. Tag line: Imagine, Write, Publish. On the cover: Boiling down the bones: