There’s a common belief among new nonfiction writers that primary sources are the only way to find absolute facts. Secondary sources are assumed to be inferior, less trustworthy, less valuable. I beg to differ. Don’t get me wrong, I get a rush when I find primary sources. As kids in my school visits can attest,… Read more »
They are short and for kids, but nonfiction picture books can require the sleuthing skills of Veronica Mars, the puzzling wizardry of Sherlock Holmes, and the science chops of Bill Nye. When I set out to write about how The Great Blondin engineered his tightrope across the Niagara Gorge in 1859, I hoped to find… Read more »
The back matter for King of the Tightrope is fabulously designed by the smart folks at Peachtree Publishing, but there’s more to the story than fit the limited pages available. In the Author’s Note and Afterword below, you’ll learn a bit more about the uncovered history of Jean Francois Gravelet, The Great Blondin. Watch for… Read more »
I was honored to be featured on author Kirby Larson’s Friend Friday blog about how I was scooped (or pre-empted) on several books. Click here or scroll down to read about how choosing a new focus made King of the Tightrope: When the Great Blondin Ruled Niagara a much better book. For a chance to… Read more »
Word got out about the success of my 2018 online picture book biography class, so I’m bringing it back. If you’d like to join my class, facilitated through a Zoom virtual classroom, click here for more information. I’m not just a fan of picture book biographies, I dedicated my MFA critical thesis to the craft… Read more »
In what section of the library can you get bitten by a snake? —Hisssstory! What does a prank-loving author like me do when she’s booked for fourth-grade expository writing workshops on April Fool’s Day? Why, prank the librarian (sorry, David!) and infuse the workshops with a few shenanigans, of course. It was great fun to… Read more »
Welcome to my March/Spring E-newsletter, reproduced here for your convenience. If you’d like to subscribe to my newsletter so that it arrives in your inbox, click here. Special School Visit Offer Happy almost spring! Thank you for taking a few moments to read my e-news. While 2019 snuck in and raced through the first months,… Read more »
40+ page book of watercolor art, kindness-inspired messages from a third grade class in Iowa made me
I look forward to a school visit in Arlington the day after Easter, followed by three days at the Texas Library Association conference in Dallas. I’ll be schmoozing as many librarians and educators as possible during that time. If you will also be at TLA, please introduce yourself. Here’s my schedule:
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