Authors N.H. Senzai and Shannon Hitchcock stop by Nerdy Book Club to share the cover of their upcoming book, Flying Over Water, how the story began, and their collaborative process writing the book. What inspired this story? Shannon: My friend’s daughter converted to Islam and that piqued my interest in the religion. I […]
Category Archives: Author Posts
January
17
Set to Simmer… by Jacqueline Alcántara
posted by CBethM
I loved the “Freedom Soup” manuscript as soon as I read it and even though I am not Haitian, I connected with it in many ways; loving family parties, grandmas cooking, and the importance of food and traditions. I could instantly see the movement of the characters dancing, stirring and chopping. But once I sat […]
January
16
Cover Reveal: MY LIFE IN THE FISH TANK by Barbara Dee
posted by CBethM
There’s more than one way to tell a story. That’s one of the things I’m hoping readers take away from MY LIFE IN THE FISH TANK (Aladdin/S&S, September 15, 2020). It’s my eleventh middle grade novel, and a bit of a departure for me. Most of FISH TANK is a regular first-person narrative from the […]
January
14
The Sowing Circle by Alice Faye Duncan, Tameka Fryer Brown, Kelly Starling Lyons and Vanessa Brantley-Newton
posted by donalynm
Thanks so much for hosting us on the Nerdy Book Club. The Sowing Circle is a collective of four Black women children’s book creators – Alice Faye Duncan, Tameka Fryer Brown, Kelly Starling Lyons and Vanessa Brantley-Newton, whose mission is to sow words and images into the hearts of children. We hope people […]
January
09
Cover Reveal: The Wild Path by Sarah R. Baughman
posted by CBethM
Talking about the reality of addiction is important to me both generally, because it’s a widespread issue affecting millions of people, and personally, because I have loved ones who have struggled with it. According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 19.7 million American adults (aged 12 and older) battled a substance use disorder […]
January
07
Thank You, Aretha by Katheryn Russell-Brown
posted by CBethM
Music was a big part of my childhood. It seems I was always either about to do or doing something related to music. I listened to songs while I got ready for school, in the car going someplace or another, and at the end of my school day. I would sit for long spells on […]
January
05
History with a Side of Humor by Michael Spradlin
posted by CBethM
Every writer who writes history for young readers, struggles to make it relatable and relevant. In my new book, CLOSE CALLS: How Eleven US Presidents Escaped from the Brink of Death, I felt I had some exciting subject matter to deal with. Presidential assassinations have been studied for years. But what about the time the […]
November
23
How I Found Finding Kindness by Deborah Underwood
posted by CBethM
Getting an idea for a picture book can be the trickiest part of the process. But sometimes you get lucky, and an idea is given to you. In March of 2017, I was out of town caring for my dad, who’d been seriously ill. I had been too stressed and busy with the demands […]
November
22
“I’m Glad You’re My Child’s Teacher” by Torrey Maldonado
posted by CBethM
“I’m glad you’re my child’s teacher.” A Black mom recently told me that on the same day that a white dad did. During my twenty years of teaching middle school, families and kids of all backgrounds have told me they’re glad I teach. As class ends, kids say, “I wish we had you for […]
November
21
How When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed Came to Be
posted by CBethM
How did you two meet? OMAR: We met when Victoria visited Church World Service, the organization I work for that is dedicated to showing welcome to refugees, immigrants, asylum-seekers and other uprooted people within the United States, who are seeking safety and the opportunity to rebuild their lives. I was introduced to her by my coworker […]
