I downloaded Mockingjay at 12:23am the day of the release. In my pajamas. If my friend Adam Heine (*title credit belongs to him) had a Nook, I could have lent him my copy, rather than having to wait weeks for it to ship to Thailand And I lent my copy of The Forest of Hands and Teeth to my niece in… Read More
Introducing myself as an author: cool Showing kids my mini-laptop and Nook gadgets: fun Talking about writing and word choice with bunches of second graders: highlight of my month The kids wanted to know how long it took to write my book (6 mos) and I told them how I revised it many times and had three editors to make… Read More
I’m giving my first writing seminar! Ok, so it’s to a class of second graders – what, you were expecting Harvard? (I’m not even sure if Harvard has a creative writing program.) Later this fall, I’ll be stopping by Worm Burner’s class to talk about writing and publishing a book. Well, Mighty Mite got wind of this, and being the… Read More
Picture credit Picture credit Picture credit Picture credit Picture credit Back tomorrow with the seriousness . . .
Today’s books for kids have child protagonists the same age as their readers (or a couple years older – kids like to “read up”). It wasn’t ever thus. Fairy tales, the children’s fiction of yore, sometimes featured children, but just as often had adult heroes (and villains). While children’s fiction should by definition be books that appeal to children, today’s… Read More
September 14, Tuesday Do you have a child who worries? I do. He’s been worrying since he was two. I worry that his worrying will keep him from having fun, playing with other kids, and trying out for the swim team. I think it’s contagious. I talked before about Rachel Vail’s adorable book Justin Case: School, Drool and other Daily Disasters,… Read More