Yesterday I was reading an article by Jon Scieszka about his two years as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. It was interesting to hear about his experiences and to get a breakdown of some of the advice he’s been giving people about children and reading over the past two years. Overall the advice [...]
Yesterday I caught part of an NPR interview with John Irving. He talked about his latest book (his 12th!) and a bit about writing in general. At the end of the interview, when asked why he thought literary fiction wasn’t as popular as it used to be, Irving said something that really struck me. He [...]
I’ve only read the first of Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid books but it’s no secret they’re hugely popular right now. In a recent NPR piece, Maureen Corrigan praised the books’ humor and their ability to speak to young readers. I don’t think anyone can deny that the books have struck a chord with children, though [...]
I hope everyone had a good long weekend. Mine was filled with errands, revising, and some family time. Overall it was a productive few days during which I barely used the internet (which was actually very nice). I did find a children’s literature gem at the end of last week that I had to share. [...]
Yesterday was absolutely perfect weather here in Massachusetts and a lovely day to go apple picking. After some careful tree-combing, we came home with two bags of delicious apples. Now we have to figure out what to do with them all. If you have any favorite apple recipes, I’d love to hear them! To start [...]
I’ve been working on a WIP recently which I’ve given the code name Lightning here, but the working title I have is The Wielding. I wasn’t sure if that would be the final title, but I figured I’d worry about that once the manuscript was done. Then, earlier today, I read a query critique on [...]
I started reading Catching Fire last night and was instantly sucked in. Suzanne Collins really knows how to up the stakes from the beginning and keep you wanting more. I tend to like second books in series the best, and this book continues that trend. I think I enjoy followup books because we already know [...]
I’ve done quite a few posts on free book previews recently, which indicates that they’re becoming an increasingly popular trend. The latest one I’ve come across is for Catching Fire, the much anticipated sequel to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Though the release date is quickly approaching, for those of us who can’t wait [...]
As I was browsing the NPR website yesterday, I came across a list of must-read children’s classics. There are many lists out there of books children should be reading, but this article really encourages adults to introduce children to classics so that books that have been loved for years can continue to thrive. While some [...]
For anyone who hasn’t read Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, here’s a chance to get a copy of the book for free! Although Westerfeld has enjoyed a great deal of success and his new book, Leviathan (which comes out in October and sounds intriguing) will probably sell huge numbers without much marketing involved, it seems the [...]
