Self-isolating and working from home for the past eight months, my reading life has been challenging to maintain. It takes more effort to settle into a book and stick with it. The six half-finished books sitting on my coffee table ooze judgement. Reading seems self-indulgent and I cannot sit still for long before I feel […]
Author Archives: donalynm
Cover Reveal: Sarah’s Solo by Tracy Brown, illustrated by Paula Wegman
posted by donalynm
My new book Sarah’s Solo is about the unexpected joy found in the midst of disappointment. In the story, Sarah’s parents make a difficult choice for their busy family. They decide that everyone will attend a family wedding rather than their daughter’s dance recital. As parents, we have all experienced our children’s disappointment at being […]
Cover Reveal: Soosie: The Horse That Saved Shabbat by Tami Lehman-Wilzig, illustrated by Menahem Halberstadt
posted by donalynm
There is no common denominator between bakeries, horses, and Israel, but for me, each one has a special connection. You can imagine my excitement of being able to thread the three together into one book! But first, here’s my quirky backstory. Growing up, once upon a time, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, a bakery was […]
Cover Reveal: Not So Fast, Max: A Rosh Hashanah Visit with Grandma by Annette Schottenfeld, illustrated by Jennifer Kirkham
posted by donalynm
I am thrilled to reveal the cover for Not So Fast, Max: A Rosh Hashanah Visit with Grandma on The Nerdy Book Club! The characters in the story are near and dear to my heart and I hope they will become your friends as well. The Story Idea The seeds for the story were planted […]
On Being American: An Author’s Thoughts On The White House’s Attempt to Curb “Un-American” Conversations by Padma Venkatraman
posted by donalynm
This September, a memo and an executive order were sent by the president, ordering the heads of all executive departments and agencies to “cease and desist” from engaging in “any training” related to critical race theory or white privilege, and commanding federal agencies to stop “divisive un-American propaganda training sessions.” As I and others such […]
Love and Friendship by Mike Jung
posted by donalynm
In April 2013 my friend Julie Solleder, who I’d known back in high school as Julie Forte, passed away suddenly from a fast-moving case of leukemia. I hadn’t seen Julie in decades, but around the time I signed my first book contract she was one of the few people I’d known in high school to […]
Where Are the Introverts–in Your Books and in Your Classroom by Donna Gephart
posted by donalynm
Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Or something in between? An ambivert? Before researching for my book, Abby, Tried and True, I’d have told you I’m an extrovert with a sprinkle of introvert thrown in for good measure. Was I ever wrong! After reading articles and watching Susan Cain’s wildly popular 2012 TedTalk, The […]
Cover Reveal: Taking Up Space by Alyson Gerber
posted by donalynm
To my readers— In these unprecedented times, when space and access to food is limited and comparative suffering is prevalent, my hope is that Taking Up Space will help readers recognize how much they matter and see that if something negative is taking up space in their minds, even if there isn’t a name for […]
Reading or Not, Here We Go: A Social Distancing #Bookaday Challenge by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
“The world is indeed full of peril and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps greater.” —J.R.R. Tolkien If you asked me three months ago what I would do if the world […]
Cover Reveal: Turning Point by Paula Chase
posted by donalynm
I’ve always thought one of my author super powers was titling my books. The vibe of a book usually speaks to me and the title springs from that vibe. I have successfully (in my opinion) named seven books and had no reason to think that my streak would end. Then in walks, Turning Point. […]