WRITERS' RUMPUS

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

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.

The Gift of Highlights

September 19, 2023 DrZatHome

by Danna Zeiger Last year, PJ Library gave me the greatest gift I could never give myself: the gift of treating myself seriously and calling

Don’t Let ALMOST Sabotage Your Plot!!

September 15, 2023 Laura Fineberg Cooper

If almost works in real life, why doesn’t it work in our novels? It’s no fun for readers when a scene builds up tension and … almost happens.

TOP 5 STEPS FOR EVALUATING ONLINE WRITING CONFERENCES

September 12, 2023 Alumni & Guests

You’ve just received another email for an online writers’ conference. How do you know if it’s right for you? Will it really advance your writing career? Is there such a thing as a free conference? I’m the host of Picture Book Summit, and I’ve worked in the online conference space since 2011.

Interview with Author, Illustrator, and Inventor Vicky Fang…and a Book Giveaway!

September 8, 2023 Hilary Elizabeth Margitich

I consider myself super-duper lucky, as a Writers’ Rumpus blogger, to be able to meet and interview so many talented kidlit authors. I learn new

A Perfect Pair: Science and Poetry in Picture Books

September 5, 2023 Alumni & Guests

Poetry and science often go hand in hand in children’s literature. Candace Fleming’s Honeybee, winner of the 2021 Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, is a perfect example of how lyrical language can bring science to life in a fresh and compelling way. But why do science and poetry pair so well?

THE STRANDED, a debut YA novel by Sarah Daniels

September 1, 2023 Marti Johnson

Does a dystopia set in the near-future and full of action and adventure capture your attention? If so, I strongly recommend you read The STRANDED. Sarah Daniel’s debut novel hooked me with the seventh line on the first page: