We’ve all been there… That feeling of being overwhelmed, overworked, and yes, even underappreciated. A few years back, I was feeling stretched too thin, saying ‘yes’ to too many things and not giving myself enough downtime for my art and creativity. Then it dawned on me. I needed to draw clearer boundaries! Suddenly I saw […]
August
21
Donald and Carol Carrick: Sepia Toned Understanding by Jake Nuckolls
posted by CBethM
I have a list in my head of currently touring bands that I don’t want to miss. Some that I admit that I probably won’t see thanks to ticket pricing. Josh Ritter, Wilco, Arcade Fire, James Taylor. I have a similar list for authors. It isn’t nearly as easy to see authors if you don’t […]
August
20
Why I Wrote The Real Us by Tommy Greenwald
posted by CBethM
WE ALL HAVE BLEMISHES A beautiful girl with a giant pimple in the middle of her nose. That’s the first thing that popped into my head — no pun intended, I swear! — when I embarked on the story that became THE REAL US. This was a few years ago, and up […]
August
19
Top Ten Books for Neurodiversity by Kacy Smith
posted by CBethM
It was a sheer and happy accident that I started teaching and working with neurodiverse students. I teach sixth, seventh, and eighth grade gifted students, a number of whom are twice-exceptional (2E), meaning they possess both the gifts of neurodiversity and of high intelligence. While the definition of neurodiversity is evolving, I use the term […]
August
18
Revising Jigsaw Jones by James Preller
posted by CBethM
Writers are not often given the opportunity to revise our work post-publication. We labor like the dickens throughout the writing process -– drafting, daydreaming, dithering -– until those last desperate hours of corrections. Then we let the book go scampering off into the wild. Not perfect, not ever perfect, but the best we could do […]
August
17
Planet Jupiter by Jane Kurtz – Review by Jennifer Jacobson
posted by CBethM
I have been eagerly awaiting Planet Jupiter, the newest middle-grade novel by Jane Kurtz. Kurtz’s novels contain the number one thing I search for in stories: HEART. Planet Jupiter is no exception. It is a deeply layered and incredibly moving. For this reason alone, I want to thrust it into the arms of young readers, […]
August
15
POLL: What Books Are You Most Looking Forward to Sharing This School Year?
posted by CBethM
It’s the time of year when so many of us are starting the beginning of a new school year and with that comes the enthusiasm of starting over. It’s also a time when our minds start to race about which titles we are looking forward to sharing in the coming weeks. We’re curious about which […]
August
14
Fact vs. Fiction: Portraying Middle-Grade Memories in a (Sort of) Truthful Light by Melissa Roske
posted by CBethM
When I set out to write my first middle-grade novel, Kat Greene Comes Clean, I knew Kat would be a fun-loving, cake-eating, Harriet the Spy-reading New Yorker whose mom has OCD. (I’m a fun-loving, cake-eating, Harriet the Spy-reading New Yorker whose dad has OCD.) I also knew she’d go to a fictionalized version of the […]
August
13
Happy Birthday to Donalyn Miller!
posted by CBethM
There are many of us who have been lucky enough to be impacted by Donalyn Miller, and so we couldn’t let her birthday pass this year without a chance to celebrate what she means to us. While this entire post is a giant birthday card to her, we also hope that you, dear Nerdy […]
August
12
Top Ten Books with Rural and Small Town Settings by Elaine Fultz
posted by CBethM
My school is in the country. I hear a rooster crow every morning when I walk from my car to the building. For many of my students, a trip to the nearest city is rare and intimidating while a ride around a field on a tractor or ATV is a daily pastime. As their […]
