My new contemporary YA, Silence (Shadow Mountain, 2015), is a story about a fifteen year old girl who has an accident that changes her life forever. The only person she can relate to is a boy who has his own tragic past. Out of tragedy comes true love.
I spent years writing Silence,
Continue Reading Guest Post & Giveaway: Deborah Lytton on What’s True to You »
Congratulations to Rebecca Van Slyke on the release of Mom School, illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Random House, 2015). From the promotional copy:
In this adorable kid’s-eye view of what would happen if Mom went to school, a little girl imagines Mom School,
By Ann Angel
Right about the time I pitched my first anthology, a writer friend said she’d hate that sort of work.
“It would be so time-consuming to read all those stories,” she said. “I can’t imagine having to edit all that content and you’ll have to write all that front and back matter and it will take away from your own writing.”
Even though everything she said is true,
Continue Reading Guest Post & Giveaway: Ann Angel on The Power of Secrets in Things I’ll Never Say »
Paul Greci is the first-time author of Surviving Bear Island (Move, 2015)(author blog). From the promotional copy:
How did you approach the research process for your story? What was your greatest coup, and how did it inform your manuscript?
Continue Reading New Voice: Paul Greci on Surving Bear Island »
Jean’s children, John and Jane
By Jean Reagan
Many years ago in a writing class, Kathi Appelt said, “Write from the hole in your heart.”
At the time, I had just received sketches for my first picture book, Always My Brother, illustrated by Phyllis Pollema-Cahill (Tilbury House 2009).
Continue Reading Guest Post & Giveaway: Jean Reagan on Writing from the Hole in Your Heart »
By Amy Bearce
One thing I learned while earning my Masters of Library Science and my school librarian certificate is that if you try to censor a book, librarians will Take. You. Down.
“Don’t make me get my gloves out.” (Boxing Glove by Janusz Gawron via freeimages.com.)
Censorship and First Amendment rights are hot-button issues for librarians.
Continue Reading Guest Post: Author-Librarian Amy Bearce on Knowing Your Young Readers »
Congratulations to Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong on the release of The Poetry Friday Anthology for Celebrations (Pomelo, 2015) from Janet Lee Cary at Library Lions Roar! Peek:
JW: There are two huge differences between this book and our other books. First, the subject matter: 156 holidays.
Stacey Lee is the first-time author of Under a Painted Sky (Putnam, 2015)(author blog). From the promotional copy:
An unforgettable story of friendship and sacrifice.
Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a
professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl,
Continue Reading New Voice: Stacey Lee on Under a Painted Sky »
Melody Maysonet
is the first time author of A Work of Art (Merit, 2015)(author blog). From the promotional copy:
Tera is seventeen, shy, and artistically gifted. Her hero and mentor is her father, a famous graphic artist who also protects her from her depressed,
Continue Reading Giveaway & New Voice: Melody Maysonet on A Work of Art »
Translator Laura Watkinson founded the Dutch chapter of the SCBWI. She also translates books into English, from Dutch, Italian and German. Her literary interests vary and her projects range from children’s picture books to adult novels and comics.
Her translation of Bibi Dumon Tak’s Mikis and the Donkey,
Continue Reading 2015 SCBWI Europolitan Con: Translator Laura Watkinson »
