The best way I can explain this book is to describe how the idea came to me. In another lifetime before I was a children’s book author, I taught high school English. We had a very special set up with seminars that students could choose based on themes such as “Wit and Wisdom: Satire in […]
Author Archives: CBethM
February
23
Digging Deeper: The inspiration and research behind Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan
posted by CBethM
I spent my childhood in the Andean highlands. All of my kid memories—”sledding” down a glacier on a shower curtain, wandering the artisan and traditional healing markets on weekends, (accidentally) eating roast guinea pig—take place on the altiplano of Bolivia. Then, when I was ten, my eyes were damaged by the UV radiation ravaging South […]
February
22
Cover Reveal for Now You Say Yes by Bill Harley
posted by CBethM
Einstein’s real genius was in his thought experiments. He imagined what it was like to travel through the universe at the speed of light, and that imagining became the basis for his theories of relativity. I am no Einstein, but as a creator of stories, I do practice a similar process, asking myself, “What would […]
February
21
Cover Reveal – Word Travelers: The Mystery of the Taj Mahal Treasure by Raj Haldar
posted by CBethM
As a kid growing up in a bilingual household, I remember these interesting moments where my two worlds would collide. My parents immigrated from India and we mostly spoke our mother tongue, Bengali, at home. By the time I was in third or fourth grade, I can remember already being fascinated when I’d hear English […]
February
16
It’s Okay to Just Be “Okay” by Jen Petro-Roy
posted by CBethM
When I was a kid, I tried a lot of sports. In elementary school, I did ballet and gymnastics for a few years, like most of the other young girls in my suburban town. (I was…not the most graceful child.) I tried rec league soccer, softball, and basketball, and while I liked being on a […]
February
11
Trailer Reveal: EAT BUGS: PROJECT STARTUP by Heather Alexander
posted by CBethM
Have you ever eaten a bug? A year ago, I would’ve said, “No way, not me.” Today, I’m a proud member of Team Bug. What happened? Two amazing entrepreneurs–Laura D’Asaro and Rose Wang–opened my eyes to the importance of entomophagy (the practice of eating bugs). If you’re a Shark Tank fan (I mean, who’s not?), […]
February
10
Cover Reveal for Ear Worm! by Jo Knowles
posted by CBethM
I used to tell myself if I had a book idea in the middle of the night, it was no use getting up to write it down—if it was a good one, I’d remember. As I’ve gotten older though, I’ve started to wonder if that’s really true. So recently when I had a dream about […]
February
09
Cover Reveal: The Great Bear by David A. Robertson
posted by CBethM
My favorite book ever is Tom’s Midnight Garden, a classic middle-grade novel about a boy named Tom who goes through a portal every night once a grandfather clock strikes 13. Through the portal, he travels to the past. There, he meets a girl named Hatty, and develops a relationship with her as he meets her […]
February
08
The Question That Took Me By Surprise by Jamie Littler
posted by CBethM
‘What made you include so many illustrations in your book?’ It’s a question I’m regularly asked about my debut middle-grade book Voyage of the Frostheart, and its upcoming sequel, Escape From Aurora. Middle-grade books aren’t typically as heavily illustrated as chapter books for younger readers. For those who don’t know, the Frostheart series is a […]
February
02
Cover Reveal for VIOLETS ARE BLUE by Barbara Dee
posted by CBethM
Remember in-person, non-virtual conferences? To me it feels as if NCTE 2019 happened a million years ago, and also last week. I keep thinking about the hugs, the talks, the many conversations with folks I interact with mostly online. I also think about my three amazing panels— the talent in the chairs beside me, and […]
