There are a few different origin stories for this particular super pig. There’s the Batpig that appears in my novel WINK, a creation of the main character Ross Maloy. And there’s the origin story of that character you can find in my new graphic novel WHEN PIGS FLY – that involves a mildly radioactive bat, […]
Category Archives: Author Posts
April
30
Nerdy Book Club Cover Reveal — EGG MARKS THE SPOT by Amy Timberlake, with pictures by Jon Klassen
posted by CBethM
Amy’s questions for Jon! 1. Where did the cover design come from? I know you collect books, so any inspirations from your collection? Also, I love how much of the story is compressed into that cover! Where did that come from? This cover was so much fun. When we started this series I had a rough […]
April
29
Flavors of Summer by Ira Marcks
posted by CBethM
Like a recipe, the perfect summer can be conjured with the right ingredients. Here are my personal favorite flavors of summertime. There are too many flavors of friends to get into here. I like to have a balance of sweet and sour. Make sure a few of them contain some essential vitamins. Growing up, I’ve […]
April
20
Finding My Happy Ending for Negative Cat by Sophie Blackall
posted by CBethM
We all want kids to read. To read widely, and happily, and voraciously. But for lots of kids, reading can be a challenge, and even a chore. For some kids, it might be about finding the right book. For others, it might be about finding the right cat. An extraordinary thing has been happening in […]
April
17
Ten Ways to Add Diversity in Aging to Picture Book Collections by Lindsey McDivitt
posted by CBethM
In childhood we celebrate every birthday and developmental milestone. As adults we cheer on milestone birthdays like ninety and one hundred yet stereotype older adults. Somehow our naturally increasing years are tainted with a sense of doom and failure. This is ageism, not reality. This needs to change, and picture books can be an important […]
April
13
THIRD GRADE by Jon Klassen
posted by CBethM
If there is some kind of a clock inside us that ticks as long as we’re alive, marking days and years and things, it feels like the main ticking hand of the clock sometimes pauses a little bit and leaves a sort of ghost impression of itself at key parts of our life. It’s hard […]
April
12
A Purging of Pity and Fear by Marion Dane Bauer
posted by CBethM
It was a small town and an even smaller library. The children’s section formed an open cube, perhaps six feet on each side. But the small size didn’t matter to me, because every time my mother and I went to the library, I brought home the same book. That book lives in me still, and […]
April
11
How to Write A Great Children’s Book by Elisha Cooper
posted by CBethM
10. Be Forgetful. Forget your bad ideas and put them in a box and put that box under your bed. Ten years ago I had an idea for a children’s book about a puppy. One puppy, racing around a backyard, getting in trouble. I gave the idea a good title – Big Trouble – but […]
April
10
Reading the Extreme: 10 Tips for Amping Up your Reading Game! by Ann McCallum Staats
posted by CBethM
Hey, you there! I dare you. Yes, you. I dare you to become an extreme reader. And no, I’m not talking about laminating a book to bring it underwater while you feed the sharks. Or suggesting you strap it to your torso so you can take it with you when you go skydiving. Reading the […]
On Connections by E.B. Vickers and Jenn Bishop
posted by CBethM
The Nerdy Book Club is a community built on connections—between educators, authors, and especially readers. I was lucky enough to form a Nerdy connection with middle grade author extraordinaire Jenn Bishop, whose latest book, Where We Used to Roam, is gorgeous and heartfelt and beautifully written. When I realized all the connections between Jenn’s book and my […]
