WRITERS' RUMPUS

BAN THIS BOOK by Alan Gratz: a MUST read!

I found BAN THIS BOOK on the Banned Books Table at my local library, the wonderful Memorial Hall Library in Andover, MA. My first impression from scanning the table was how many of the books I’d read and enjoyed. This slim novel stuck out from the title alone, though I wasn’t familiar with it. So of course, I checked it out!! And wow, I’m so glad I did!!

Before We Turn the Page: The 2022 Writers’ Rumpus Year in Review

December 20, 2022 Laura Fineberg Cooper

2022 brought a marvelous array of posts to inspire, inform, teach, and delight Writers’ Rumpus readers, but don’t fret if you missed one here or there. Each December, it’s my honor to highlight one post from each of our talented contributors with an image, a link, and a brief summary. So kick back with your favorite beverage and cuddly blanket while you peruse the 2022 Writers’ Rumpus Review.

Teen girl reading next to a Christmas tree

5 YA Christmas RomComs to Stuff in Your Stocking This Year

December 16, 2022 Rebecca Moody

The RomCom is having a moment, and if you’re interested in exploring the Christmas RomCom scene, there’s still time! Here are five YA titles you can stuff in your own stocking this year.

#kidlit Interview with the fabulous author, JYOTI RAJAN GOPAL

December 13, 2022 Carol Gordon Ekster

Carol Gordon Ekster: Having connected with Jyoti through the Courage to Create program through the Writing Barn, I wanted to share her wisdom, strength, and

This is How We ‘Book Fair’!

December 9, 2022 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

School book fairs…do you remember yours from when you were a kid? I bet you do. Mine were held in my school’s gymnasium and accompanied

Keep Calm and Ask a Librarian!

December 6, 2022 Keri Demers

Over the past few years, in my role as an Elementary Literacy Coach, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Tinamarie Sheckells, the most amazing Elementary Librarian a School District could ever hope for. She is kind, brilliant, humble, and possesses a wealth of information (which you will see for yourself!)

Between Writer and Reader: A Significant Responsibility

December 2, 2022 Joyce Audy Zarins

When I purchase a book, that transaction comes with an innate expectation that the contents of its pages will take me on a ride worth

Social Media and the KidLit Community

November 22, 2022 Marti Johnson

Fifteen years ago, probably at a NESCBWI conference, I learned that Agents and Editors preferred writers to maintain a social media presence. Ten years ago,

Kidlit Interview with Amy Makechnie

November 18, 2022 DrZatHome

As a homeschooling mama of three young kids, the opportunity to read for myself is precious! When I found myself devouring an entire book (Ten Thousand Tries) in a single day, I needed to hear more from the magician who had crafted this truly un-put-downable book with resonating characters. Slight spoiler alert: I definitely cried at the end.

The Differences Between PLOT and THEME … and How They Intertwine

November 15, 2022 Laura Fineberg Cooper

I’m certain that most book writers are intimately familiar with how difficult it can be to write a PLOT that engages readers from the first sentence to the last. But determining, developing, and maintaining the THEME (singular or plural) of your book demands a considerable amount of effort, too.