When I was in 7th grade, my junior high science class raised money to purchase a baby boa constrictor. Richter The Boa Constrictor named after the instructor, Mr. Richter. It was allowed to wiggle free in the classroom, so I had to perform active surveillance before selecting a desk each day. These were desks with […]
Category Archives: Author Posts
January
15
Cover Reveal: MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU by Barbara Dee
posted by CBethM
How do you write a book about sexual harassment without any sexual content? This was my challenge in writing MAYBE HE JUST LIKES YOU. Ever since the #MeToo movement got rolling last year, I knew I wanted to write a middle grade novel about the “boys-will-be-boys” behavior which, if unchecked, eventually leads to the kind […]
January
11
Fact VS Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In the Age of Fake News by Jennifer LaGarde and Darren Hudgins
posted by donalynm
Let’s start by making one thing clear: writing Fact VS Fiction: Teaching Critical Thinking Skills In the Age of Fake News was not a labor of love. Don’t get us wrong, we loved working together. We loved our research driven writing process. We loved our editorial team. And we loved being able to share […]
January
08
BECOMING A WRITER WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF FAMILY, CULTURE, READING, AND AN AVOCADO by Susan Kuklin
posted by CBethM
My grandfather, who we all called Pop, was a Russian immigrant. He was the kind of person who couldn’t bear knowing that people were being mistreated, especially because of their race, ethnicity, or beliefs. He believed strongly that “all men are created equal,” and he was grateful that his adopted country provided him with a […]
January
06
SO NOT MARY POPPINS! by Margo Sorenson
posted by CBethM
The world of children is abuzz! Disney says its new Mary Poppins movie released in December will be truer to the books than the original movie in 1964, starring Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews. Ah! Truer to the books—what a wonderful concept! Reading the Mary Poppins series aloud to children who have seen only […]
No More Ghosts by Kari Anne Holt
posted by CBethM
It’s still dark outside when I have to get my kids up for school in the morning. We stagger through what we call our Morning Night routine, then we pile in the car and make our way out into the world. On these dark mornings we pass other houses full of other people going through […]
December
19
Two Nice Humans Talking About One Evil Cat With Emily Chenoweth and Johnny Marciano
posted by CBethM
Emily: Okay, so we talk all the time these days–via text, email, and even on that antique piece of human technology, the phone–but this is the first time we’ve really set out to discuss our writing process on the Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat series. So thank you, Nerdy Book Club, for giving us the […]
December
17
Mostly Can’t Shut Up by Christina Uss
posted by CBethM
Years ago, I volunteered to chop vegetables in the kitchen of the Kripalu Center for Yoga in the Berkshires of Massachusetts in return for all the yoga classes I could stand. This struck me as a pretty good deal. The best bit, though, was the badge I got to wear. “In Loving Silence,” it said. […]
December
13
READING IN SOVIET LINES by Eugene Yelchin and M.T. Anderson
posted by CBethM
Eugene Yelchin: A good third of our waking lives my family spent standing in lines. In the Soviet Union where we lived, the goods were scarce. We stood in lines for everything — food, clothing, furniture, light bulbs — you name it. Waiting took hours. Often, by switching shifts between my father and my mother, […]
December
11
Origins of The Poesy Ring by Bob Graham
posted by CBethM
As much as is possible I write my stories intuitively. I am now trusting myself to do this, and at the end of the process if more is needed I have helpful back up from my editor Lizzie and designer Deirdre at Walker Books. I don’t go looking for stories. More, I like to sit […]
