How’s it going? A vast question often impossible to answer these days, I know. The pandemic lingers. The school year limps to an end. Teachers, caregivers, and kids are exhausted. In many families, the fear of COVID-19 remains because of their unvaccinated children or health-fragile family members. In Asian American communities, fear of racist harassment […]
Author Archives: donalynm
May
16
Finding Our Way Back to Reading Joy: The 13th Annual #Bookaday Challenge by Donalyn Miller
posted by donalynm
April
27
New Book Review: The Wonder of the World Leaf by Summer Edward, Reviewed by Josh Hem Lee
posted by donalynm
The children’s picture book The Wonder of the World Leaf is written by Summer Edward with illustrations by Sayada Ramdial. In the book, we follow the quest of Wygenia, a young girl who lives on the island of Trinidad. When her beloved Grannie falls ill, Wygenia determines to find a seemingly magical leaf called Wonder […]
March
22
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 Power of […]
March
21
Excerpt: The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst by Jaclyn Moriarty
posted by donalynm
Nerdy Book Club is delighted to share this special excerpt of Jaclyn Moriarty’s The Stolen Prince of Cloudburst, published by Levine Querido. This marvelous book publishes March 23rd. You can find out more information, including ordering information, here. Download this exciting excerpt here! Jaclyn Moriarty is the award-winning author of uniquely creative and readable books […]
March
20
The Middle Kid and The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Steven Weinberg
posted by donalynm
Of all the questions authors are routinely asked (Where do you get your ideas? How much money do you make? What’s your other job?) the easiest to answer is usually this one: How long did it take you to write your book? Easy, because the answer is almost always, MY WHOLE LIFE. I mean, how […]
March
07
“My Brother Won’t Stop Hitting”: When Children Write about Abuse by Laura Shovan
posted by donalynm
My brother won’t stop hitting, it’s like thunder in the walls, my brother won’t stop hitting, it’s like pouring rain drops… I hold a child’s hand-written poem in my hands. The author – a long ago student from one of my poetry residencies – dated their writing March of 2005. In ten lines, this elementary […]
Imagining Impact: An Educator’s Reflection on a Language Mistake by Nawal Qarooni Casiano
posted by donalynm
All the materials were queued. Slides ready, Jamboard links copied for dropping into the chat. Sign-in and evaluations prepared. I was flushed with gratitude for classroom teachers who were attending after juggling kids in some version of remote or hybrid learning; I was determined to set my face to smile and overwhelm the Zoom room […]
January
17
Join M. Colleen Cruz and Donalyn Miller Live January 21st, 8:00 pm EST.
posted by donalynm
As announced on the blog in December, the Nerdy Book Club is launching a monthly online book club to celebrate and discuss books and reading. Our January title is Risk. Fail. Rise: A Teacher’s Guide to Learning from Mistakes by M. Colleen Cruz. We will kick off the book club discussion with a Facebook Live […]
January
03
The 2020 Nerdies: Young Adult Fiction (Day Two) Announced by a Chapter of Nerds
posted by donalynm
Today is the second day of the 2020 Nerdy Book Club Awards announcements for Young Adult Fiction. You can read Day One here. Congratulations to the authors and publishers of these outstanding books. The variety of voices, genres, and topics on this list will engage young readers’ minds and hearts through the power of story. […]
January
02
The 2020 Nerdy Book Club Awards: Young Adult Literature (Day One) Announced by a Convention of Nerds
posted by donalynm
2020 was a year like no other—the global COVID-19 pandemic has altered every aspect of American life, including dramatic shifts in how young people attend school and teachers and librarians serve their communities. Access to books and technology remains a pressing concern in many places and educators and families must work together to provide young […]
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