A meeting place for a world of reflective writers.
Middle grade author Elly Swartz shares how true authenticity and emotional resonance are the secret sauce in her writing, and how important it is for children to dream big and understand that rejection doesn’t define them.
Author-illustrator Ying-Hwa Hu is reminiscing the sunny walk in San Francisco’s Chinatown that brought about the creation of her author-illustrator solo debut Ten Blocks to the Big Wok. The sights, sound and tight-knit community she witnessed come together in a picture of happiness she tells in her story.
Cartoonist Gavin Aung Than shares the process of creating his middle-grade graphic novel series, Super Sidekicks.
On March 29, 2022 something interesting, something unexpected, something I almost didn’t welcome-in happened.
Alice Faye Duncan shares three overlooked resources for biographical research. They include newspapers, museums, and family photo albums.
Author Aisha Saeed shares her writing inspiration and the relationship between authors and their young readers and how they inspire her storytelling.
Lydia M. Sigwarth and her childhood librarian, Deb Stephenson, have created five tips for finding the best ways for libraries and librarians to be a safe haven for disenfranchised children. Check out their tips and then leave a comment on Lydia’s guest blog post for a chance to win a copy of her debut picture book, DEAR LIBRARIAN.
Aya Khalil shares how she got ideas for her award-winning picture book, THE ARABIC QUILT, and experiences that inspired it. She talks about the importance of telling own voices and immigrant stories.
Middle grade author Nizrana Farook lives in the leafy English county of Hertfordshire in the UK. Find out how she came to write a tropical adventure of jewels, elephants, bandits, and jungles.
The biggest surprise about becoming an author and illustrator has been just how much standing up in front of hundreds of children I would have to do. Then the second biggest surprise has been how much I would come to LOVE it.
Author Victoria Bond discusses how aspects of her son’s autism helped her to see some of her own blind spots while editing the last novel in the Zora & Me Trilogy, The Summoner.
Award-winning author-illustrator Satoshi Kitamura details the inspiration for his picture book The Smile Shop. He explains how his introduction to the Spanish language planted the idea in his head and how the book is a tribute to the London he knew and loved when he was living there and developing his career as an artist.
Michelle Meadows provides a look at her writing process for her new picture book biography about Simone Biles, gymnastics champion and Olympic superstar.
Poet and educator Georgia Heard discusses My Thoughts Are Clouds: Poems for Mindfulness and talks about how both poetry and mindfulness invite us to slow down, be present, listen more deeply, while quieting our restless minds.
Author Brooke Smith hopes to bring a little nature into children’s lives, by introducing them to wild words that were taken out of the Oxford Junior Dictionary and are now celebrated in this joyous picture book.
Writing a professional book can feel like jumping from a high-dive. Author Katie Cunningham explains how it requires getting comfortable with the uncomfortable including having the courage to start, the vulnerability to keep going, and the willingness to receive feedback from a place of humility.
Kelly Starling Lyons shares about her experience of writing Dream Builder, a picture book biography about Philip G. Freelon, an architect who created he National Museum of African American History & Culture.
Henry Cole’s childhood paper lunch bag is the main character here. Find out how something so mundane can end up being a connection to the past, and a symbol of planet conservancy.
In this behind-the-scenes glimpse, author Helena Ku Rhee delves into her process of writing The Paper Kingdom. The book is based on her childhood memories of accompanying her parents to their job as night janitors.
Carole Lindstrom discusses the inspiration behind WE ARE WATER PROTECTORS and talks about how she approaches nonfiction stories.
TWO WRITING TEACHERS 