THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS has gotten its first trade review, and it’s a STARRED REVIEW from School Library Journal!!! You can read the full review at Barnes and Noble. I’ve also been so touched by the reviews written by teachers and librarians who have read advance copies of the book and see… Read more »
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School Visits!
I’ve officially become a presenter with the Children’s Literacy Foundation! Their mission is to “inspire a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children up to age 12 throughout New Hampshire and Vermont,” and I LOVE it! I’ve already gotten to visit two summer programs, Green Mountain Camp for Girls and the Title 1… Read more »
#MGBookChat: Building Book Access in Book Deserts
What a fast and furious — and fabulous — #MGBookChat we had last night on Twitter. I had the privilege of co-hosting it with Susan Sullivan, and we focused on the topic of “Building Book Access in Book Deserts.” If you missed it, here are some of the highlights!
A Book Trailer!
I am so excited about this book trailer that students at Brattleboro Area Middle School put together for The Benefits of Being an Octopus. To celebrate, I’m giving away one advanced reader copy of my book! If you’re on Twitter, here’s the tweet with the details. If you’re not on Twitter, leave a comment below… Read more »
#KidsNeedMentors
#KidsNeedBooks Is Evolving to #KidsNeedBooks AND #KidsNeedMentors! We’re thrilled that authors & educators are teaming up to help students learn to love reading & writing. Building relationship between authors and classrooms can be so powerful. Imagine a book delivery from an author in the fall, staying in touch throughout the school year (via postcards or… Read more »
#KidsNeedBooks Update
Wow! What an incredible past few weeks it’s been. Since I wrote my first post about #KidsNeedBooks, hundreds of books have gotten into kids’ hands thanks to the generosity of over 85 authors, and giveaways are still going on. Check out this great article in School Library Journal about the movement! We’re excited to keep… Read more »
A Pre-Order Campaign and a Partnership!
Exciting News! My pre-order campaign launches today! Not only do pre-orders play a key role in a book’s success, but when you pre-order THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN OCTOPUS from Bartleby’s Books, you… 1) Support a fabulous independent bookstore 2) Get a signed, personalized copy 3) Get a pair of super cool octopus tattoos, AND 4) Support… Read more »
#KidsNeedBooks
A few weeks ago, the brilliant Donalyn Miller published a #NerdyBookClub post that highlighted a simple but powerful truth: kids need books. I’m a former middle school teacher, so I know how many obstacles can stand in a teacher’s path, and how many teachers push forward anyway determined to support their students with whatever resources… Read more »
Crossing Our Divides, One Honest Word at a Time
My column in the Brattleboro Reformer this month examines the role that honesty plays in our ability to cross divides, whether it’s a class divide, a racial divide, or if it’s about guns, a theme that run through The Benefits of Being an Octopus. I also had the chance to talk with Olga Peters on WKVT-Green Mountain Mornings… Read more »
Girl Power Books
I recently teamed up with independent bookseller Nancy Braus and children’s librarians Lindsay Bellville and Paige Martin to offer a series of book talks featuring great books that have strong girls as main characters. The group of us all have different taste, so it was super… Read more »