On July 16, 2020 I was so thrilled to be a part of the first-ever nErdCampPA!! The day started off with an incredible keynote from Paula Chase on "How Convenience is Killing Reading": I participated in five panels, including: "Diversity and #ownvoices in Kidlit" with Mayra Cuevas, … [Read more...]
nErDCampNJ 2020: Virtual But Valuable!
I was thrilled to participate in nErDCampNJ 2020 with so many amazing authors and educators! Click below to view the panels I participated in: Reading and Writing Verse Novels with Chris Baron and Laura Shovan: Document/Notes Link Balancing Research and Imagination in Fiction with Josh … [Read more...]
How About Those F & G’s?!
This week I got a very special delivery from my editor at Lee & Low Books! “Folded and Gathered” (F & G) copies of my debut picture book, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS: A TALE OF MUSIC AND MATH, arrived at my house! An F & G is a copy (two copies in my case, which I didn’t realize until I opened … [Read more...]
The Soaring20s Take Over The Children’s Book Podcast!
From April 27-May 1, 2020, creators from my debut picture book group, The Soaring20s PB, "took over" The Children's Book Podcast with Matthew Winner! Click the links below to hear my fellow members and me talking about various aspects of our debut picture books, including experiences that inspired … [Read more...]
My Webinar on Writing Picture Books with the Highlights Foundation!
I was honored to give a free webinar through the Highlights Foundation on writing picture books—a topic that is very near and dear to my heart! I hope to inspire both new and experienced picture book writers with my presentation, "So You Want to Write a Picture Book?" You can watch the whole … [Read more...]
A Big Birthday Giveaway!!
Today is my birthday. It’s a BIG birthday. Today, I turn 50! Unfortunately, I’m not celebrating it the way I thought I would. The world is dealing with a pandemic. We’re being socially distant. Schools are closed, people are working from home, the streets are empty, and we’re not sure how … [Read more...]
Celebrating Math Picture Books on ReFoReMo!
If you want to write picture books, you need to read picture books — lots of them! Reading For Research Month, or ReFoReMo, is a fantastic resource for learning about all kinds of recent picture books. This year, I wrote a guest post featuring recent picture books that celebrate math! Check out the … [Read more...]
SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS Cover Reveal and Interview with Mr. Schu!
I am overjoyed to share the cover of my debut picture book, SEVEN GOLDEN RINGS, which will release this year from Lee & Low Books, gorgeously illustrated by the incredible Archana Sreenivasan, on Mr. Schu's blog! The brilliant cover is below, and you can read my interview with Mr. Schu here! … [Read more...]
Farewell 2019, Hello 2020!
Last year, I chose a theme word for 2019 using this word generator and got "savor," which felt perfect for me and my baking-themed debut novel. Here's what I said looking ahead to 2019: 2019 is going to be full of exciting moments, and I'm going to try to savor them, to slow down and revel a bit … [Read more...]