We woke up on Thursday morning to news of another mass shooting in America, this time at a California bar. It was college night. As the mom of two college students, I was shaken once again. It had only been eleven days since Jews were gunned down in their Pittsburgh synagogue. Twelve since a man […]
November
14
The Other New Girl by L.B. Gschwandtner – A Book Review by Prasanthi Pathiyil
posted by CBethM
It all started when Susannah Greenwood and Daria McQueen met after a very long time. Seeing Daria in front of her reminded her of the different episodes of her life, which she thought was long forgotten. Susannah Greenwood started Fox hall Prep School as a sophomore and wanted to be accepted by her peers just […]
November
13
Five Doors Into Memoir by Ralph Fletcher
posted by CBethM
Memoir continues to be an intensely popular genre. We love to peer into other people’s lives. We are fascinated by the heartbreaks and triumphs experiences by others. But writing memoir is challenging. It involves a great deal of craft: dealing with time, finding an authentic voice, conveying a sense of significance, and so forth. These […]
November
10
The Legacy of Todd Bol by Leigh Anne Eck
posted by CBethM
Game Changer! Book Access for All Kids by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp has been released. I know I cannot wait to read their ideas for providing book access to children, as I believe we all have a role in becoming a game changer. I recently learned the founder of The Little Free Library, Todd […]
November
07
Finding the Words by Matthew Swanson and Robbi Behr
posted by CBethM
I am Matthew. This is Robbi. We are married. We also make books together. Before we had kids, I wrote books for adults. Which meant there was no limit on the words I could use. Long words. Complex words. Words with silent letters and diabolical spellings. No matter, as long as they […]
November
05
Best Books for a Knee-Slapping, Side-Splitting, Spirit-Lifting Belly Laugh by Kate Hannigan
posted by CBethM
There’s nothing like the joy of snuggling in with a small friend and sharing a picture book. And it’s even better when the book is funny. Not just funny ha-ha, but funny HA-HA! A real knee-slapper. A side-splitter. An I-can’t-talk-right-now-because-I’m-laughing-too-hard kind of book. They’re tricky to find. But when you do, O, the Hilarity! […]
November
03
An Unexpected Friendship by Kris Barr Paquette
posted by CBethM
Growing up an only child in the small town of Reading, Michigan left me with a lot of free afternoons to seek out my own fun. We lived in the country near a lake. There weren’t a lot of kids within walking distance of my house, but if I ran down this giant hill towards […]
November
02
CHARACTERS DON’T JUST FADE AWAY : THE GREAT JEFF by Tony Abbott
posted by CBethM
My novel Firegirl was published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers in 2006. The story was narrated by seventh-grader Tom Bender, and it centered on the three weeks that a severely burned student named Jessica Feeney joined his class. A number of small incidents made up the drama, both in and out of school. […]
October
31
AT LAST I SEE THE (Reading) LIGHT – How My Fifth Grade Classroom Changed When I Became an Author by Jake Burt
posted by CBethM
My second novel, THE RIGHT HOOK OF DEVIN VELMA, is set to release on October 2. I’m certainly excited; we’ll be celebrating with a full-scale launch party at our local indie bookstore (shout-out to RJ Julia!), I’m heading out on book tour to promote it across the country, and I’m hosting a plethora of giveaways […]
October
25
May I Ask a Favor? Cover Reveal for Shouting at the Rain by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
posted by CBethM
HELLO, NERDIES! This feels like a sweet reunion. I am honored and thrilled to return to Nerdy to reveal my cover of Shouting at the Rain, brilliantly designed by Maggie Edkins at Penguin. But I am also here to… If you are a teacher, librarian, or parent who knows any child who has enjoyed either […]
