Gabbie Benda, author/illustrator of the graphic novel Serendipity shares some of the quirks and differences of drafting a graphic novel manuscript. Combining art and text can be a bit trickier than most novice writers assume, so be sure to avoid some of these pitfalls when drafting your graphic novel!
What Makes a Personal Memory Worth Writing About?
Julie Leung’s new picture book, Navigating Night, takes a different path from her earlier biographies of well-known Chinese Americans. Drawing on her own childhood, she highlights the Chinese American experience, showing both its challenges and successes. She hopes to honor these important stories and help young readers understand their value.
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The Risks We Take
Àlàbá Ònájìn isn't afraid to break the mould – he teaches people to ditch the script and trust their gut.
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Creating “Emily Saw a Door”
Author Mel Rosenberg and illustrator Orit Magia share a behind-the-scenes conversation about their creative journey making Emily Saw a Door. Discover how their collaboration brought Emily’s story to life through heartfelt text and striking, minimalist illustrations.
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Slice of Life Tuesday
It's Tuesday! Write. Share. Give.
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From Picture Books to Chapter Books: Bridging the Gap
Author and illustrator Lauren Castillo reflects on her journey from struggling reader to celebrated creator, sharing how her love of pictures in books inspired her to create the illustrated chapter books she wished she’d had as a child. In her guest post, Lauren discusses the importance of bridging the gap between picture books and chapter books, and how her “Our Friend Hedgehog” series helps young readers make that transition with confidence.
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The 11th Annual Author Spotlight Series Preview
Welcome to the 11th Annual Author Spotlight Series! This week, we’re featuring daily posts from an inspiring lineup of children’s authors and illustrators: Gabbie Benda, Lauren Castillo, R. Gregory Christie, Julie Leung, Àlàbá Ònájìn, Mel Rosenberg, and Orit Magia. Each creator will share their creative journeys, writing tips, and reflections on topics like bridging reading… Continue reading The 11th Annual Author Spotlight Series Preview
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“Dear Future Me…”: An End-of-Year Activity That Builds Confidence for Next Year’s Writing Workshop
Your students filled notebooks, found their voices, and grew as writers this year—don't make them start from scratch in September. Try “Dear Future Me…”, a simple end-of-year writing tradition that helps students reflect, celebrate progress, and walk into next year’s workshop already confident, capable, and ready to write from day one.
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Slice of Life Tuesday
Happy Tuesday! We’re so glad you’re here. Write a Slice of Life. Share your link in the comments section of this post. Give comments to at least three other Slice of Life stories.
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Inviting Students to “Read Like a Writer”
Are you looking for a way to integrate writing into your reading block? Consider introducing mentor text work as part of students' reading time.
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People, Places, and Things: Connecting Labels to Drawings in the Pre-K Classroom
Recently, I thought about what I could teach my particular group of pre-k students who are all getting to the point where they know most of their letters and sounds, and are up for a challenge. Knowing that they will be doing a lot of labeling next year in kindergarten, I thought, "Why not give it a try now?"
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Slice of Life Tuesday
Happy Tuesday! We’re so glad you’re here. Write a Slice of Life. Share your link in the comments section of this post. Give comments to at least three other Slice of Life stories.
