Archive for the ‘Writing and Publishing Q & A’ Category

My new school visit pal, Sammy the CheerREADER, came with me ( and Goldie and Bo Peep) to The Reading Bug last weekend for a Get Ready for Back to School storytime. It’s that time of year, my friends. The Reading Bug–and the classroom-preparation conversations on Twitter–made me realize Hooking the reader is like starting (Read the Rest…)

I have been knee-deep in revisions lately, in between school visits. Photo And for the longest time I couldn’t think of a good blog topic. (You’ve been very patient, @Grade1 ) Then I looked around–literally–and there they were: revisions, revisions–all over my office! I tell students at school visits that sloppy copies are not something (Read the Rest…)

Season’s Greetings! Last fall, when the New York Times declared picture books were “so unpopular these days,” I was surrounded by eager readers at the Oakland Parents Literacy Project’s Family Night where, after teachers and volunteers read aloud to different age-groups, each child received an age appropriate, NEW book. Yes there were chapter books and (Read the Rest…)

This post is about how I teach writing differently these days–now that I get to hang out with children’s authors like Ashley Bryan (pictured), attend SCBWI conferences, and keep up with editors and publishers. For example, every Fall, I would give my high school creative writing students a handout about 50 Ways of Saying Said–until (Read the Rest…)

Before I get back to my very belated promise to give you the scoop on HarperCollins editor Kristin Daly, here’s a shameless link to my February 1st I LOVE TO READ segment with Courtney Dempsey on KMAX Channel 31 Good Day Sacramento: http://www.cbs13.com/video/?id=16859@kovr.dayport.com I might not have linked it directly but see if you can (Read the Rest…)