Family, no matter how we define it, is the place where the “Who am I?” begins. As we grow and search for heroes, no matter how we define them, we begin the lifelong exploration of “Who will I be?” The 2017 Nerdy Poetry and Novels in Verse will enrich the lives of readers […]
Author Archives: donalynm
December
29
The 2017 Nerdies: Poetry and Novels in Verse Announced by Mary Lee Hahn
posted by donalynm
December
28
The 2017 Nerdies: Nonfiction Picture Books Announced by Karen Terlecky
posted by donalynm
I am so excited to share the winners of the nonfiction picture book category today. This category is near and dear to my heart–back when I was a classroom teacher looking for great informational books to share with my students, as a literacy coach sharing nonfiction titles with teachers, and now, as I teach children’s […]
December
27
The 2017 Nerdies: Early Readers and Chapter Books Announced by Alyson Beecher
posted by donalynm
One of my favorite new holiday traditions is getting an early peek at the Nerdy Book Award Winners and writing the post to announce the Early Readers and Chapter Books winners. Over the past five years, this is the one category of the Nerdy Book Awards that I have seen the biggest changes. Every […]
December
01
Our 6th Nerdversary by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
“If you give people a good book to talk about, you can build a community out of a diverse group. A common language grows out of it.” ― Nancy Pearl The Nerdy Book Club blog began on December 1, 2011 with this post announcing the First Annual Nerdy Book Club Awards. Now known as […]
October
15
On the Level by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
While I was visiting an elementary school library in Chicago last spring, a group of third graders came into the library to return and check out books. The children wore index cards clipped to their shirts. On one side of the card was the child’s name. On the back, layers of sticky labels with […]
October
13
Cover Reveal: Takedown by Laura Shovan
posted by donalynm
I’m thrilled to be revealing the cover of my next middle grade novel at Nerdy Book Club today! Writing this book was a big stretch for me. My first book, The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary, was a verse novel. Not only is Takedown written in prose, it’s a sports story. My son had been wrestling […]
September
10
Cover Reveal: The King of Bees by Lester Laminack
posted by donalynm
Waiting on a new book is something like waiting for a baby to arrive. There is much excitement and great anticipation. Though you know both parents, you are eagerly waiting to see that new little face in the world. Getting that first glimpse of the cover (and all the illustrations on the interior) for The […]
August
27
Rituals by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
This weekend, we moved our youngest daughter, Sarah, into her college dorm room. Moving someone’s belongings 170 miles carries built-in challenges, but the physical transition was relatively smooth. The past few weeks of planning, shopping, cleaning, and packing paid off. Sarah had almost everything she needed for her classes and her living space. We unpacked […]
July
23
Education Is a Political Act by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
Nerd Camp Michigan (#nerdcampmi) kicks off with seven-minute Nerd Talks from a rotating group of speakers. This year’s speakers included Stacey Riedmiller, Chad Everett, Shannon Hale, Teri Lesesne, Tracey Baptiste, and me. This post includes the text of my speech. All Nerd Talk recordings will be featured on the Nerdy Book Cast this fall. […]
Fake News, George Washington, and the Plight of the Overworked History Educator by Ben Thompson
posted by donalynm
For any of you who have been unlucky enough to find yourselves unexpectedly tractor-beamed into the horrific quagmire of misery known as the Internet Political Comment Flame War, you’ve almost certainly encountered a particularly wide-ranging and equally-noxious sub-section of humanity that loves to spray the phrase “Fake News” around, repeatedly, in full-capslock, with all the […]
