Chapter Books to Middle Grade Novels: Stepping Up the Reading Ladder by Michele Knott and Victoria J. Coe

November 28

Imagine a newly-independent reader who’s ready for longer stories. Chapter books set them up for success, right? Think about it. Chapter books feature appropriate vocabulary, simple sentence structure, appealing characters, and a predictable storyline with a satisfying outcome. And they’re presented in short chapters with lively illustrations. Even better – they come in series! So […]

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THE STORY UNDER THE CITY UNDER THE CITY by Dan Yaccarino

November 17

I’m so excited to share my new book, City Under the City! It’s unlike any book I’ve ever created. FORMAT I have a deep abiding passion for picture books,but have been thinking about the early reader/graphic novel format for quite some time. I’ve been telling stories using sequential images my 30-year career in books, but […]

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A Menu of Mentors: Reading for Possibility by Lynsey Burkins and Franki Sibberson

November 12

“Educators ‘layer texts’ when they teach and learn from multiple powerful texts. These texts are print and nonprint and are intellectually compelling.” Dr. Gholdy Muhammad, Cultivating Genius Anyone who knows us knows that we love a good text set! There is nothing like curating a set of books that helps move children forward as readers […]

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A Tale of Languages and Alphabets by Sam Winston

November 03

I didn’t realize that most languages have never appeared in books. It feels like a strange thing to say but when working on my latest picture book, One & Everything, I began to focus on the world’s languages, especially the ones with unique writing systems. 5 years in the making and incorporating over 50 different […]

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The Book A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree Mirrors the Struggle of the Emergent Reader by Daniel Bernstrom

November 01

I wrote my book A Bear, a Bee, and a Honey Tree after the kinds of books that taught my son to read. Teaching Reading is Hard Work Reading is hard work. Teaching reading is hard work. I remember when my mother tried teaching me how to read. It didn’t go well—for her or me. […]

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See Mike Wohnoutka and David LaRochelle talk about their upcoming Beginning Reader: See the Ghost

October 26

Mike: Hey, David. It’s a pretty special day today, isn’t it? David: It is indeed, Mike! Thank you for remembering that it’s my birthday! Mike: Uh…what I had in mind was that today is the cover release of our next book together, See the Ghost: Three Stories About Things You Cannot See. David: And what […]

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Author’s Notes and Not-So-Trivial Pursuits by Sarah Albee

October 25

Teachers often tell me that authors’ notes are useful pedagogical tools for their classroom book discussions. As it turns out, authors’ notes are extremely helpful tools for authors as well. I usually write my author’s note at the very end of the writing process (usually when my editor reminds me to do so). And in […]

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What If by Laura Sebastian

October 24

The most magical words in existence aren’t Abra Kadabra, they’re What If. When I was five or six, my parents taught me an ongoing game that I still play almost subconsciously to this day called What If. It went like this: I would be doing something I shouldn’t be, like running inside or refusing to […]

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How to See Creatures That Live in the Dark by Julia Kuo

October 19

As an illustrator, I rely on existing imagery to learn about subjects I haven’t seen with my own eyes, especially when most of these creatures live in the deep sea. When I started to work on my picture book Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the Night, my first question was: what do bioluminescent creatures […]

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Reading with Siblings by Constance Lombardo

October 18

As the fourth of five children, I was very thankful for my younger brother, Frankie. At last, there was SOMEONE less informed about the world than I! Between us kids, there was a lot of competition – to get parental attention at the crowded dinner table, for the best spot on the couch to watch […]

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